Reviewette: Demon's Delight --- The Demon's Angel --- by Emma Holly

Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Pages: 159 - 239

From the Cover: A beautiful scientist in the realm of the Demon World falls in love with a human male she has experienced on.....and is changed forever.....

The humans live a life of drudgery, the Demon's a life of luxury....does this seem fair?

Dr. Khira Forette's one of the genius scientific geneticists in the Demon World. If only the Emperor can see it her way. She could help demons far and wide.

Harry Wirth, the King of Costermongers (Victorian street vendor), has lived a hard life from an orphanage to life on the street to the comfortable home he has struggle to make, but for what, he shares it with no one, has no one at home.

Khira has worked her entire demonic life to prove she the best geneticists and now her dreams have come true. Although she abhors the idea, she must kidnap a healthy strong human male to complete her research.

Harry sits alone in the bar, when he sees a beautiful demon come through the door. How does he know it's a demon? The light shimmers on her silver metallic eyes, Yama demon is he remembers his days on the streets. And she's looking right at him, as he stands, puffing his chest, his driving manly force barely contained. Suddenly, she leaves, Harry feels let down. Human society is far less advanced than that of the demon, and she apparently wasn't looking for a human tonight.

As Harry leaves the bar, two military class demons attack him, kidnap him, drug him with some weird demonic agent causing him to be paralyzed, that is with the exception his throbbing member which has reacted strongly to the demonic pheromones. He is transported by train and flying ship to a hidden mountain top lab.

At the lab, Khira begins her dreaded work. She's trying to enhance the genetic code, rewire the DNA to make it better and fix any anomalies she finds. But the price of experimenting on Harry is physical contact, skin on skin. Little does Harry know that human energy is an aphrodisiac to the demon body. Soon, Harry and Khira are connecting in ways that blows both of their minds.

Khira begins her experiments only to find Harry is resistant to her attempts. As she releases Harry, she realizes that she has become addicted to the energy force his body emits. Harry admits he just as addict to her. She thinks, just one night of madness, then her head will be clear. As Harry and Khira come together with the force of a small hurricane, Harry relaxes enough for Khira's experiments to take effect. Soon, he's floating off the ground with his very own angel wings.

Khira realizes that this development may cost Harry his life, if not hers. She must hide him, help him to escape. But where will they go? What will they do? Who can she trust?

The Demon's Angel by Emma Holly was an incredibly fast read. It brings together the feel of Victorian England and the advanced culture of a demon society. It's full of hot sex, hotter bodies, and love between a demon and a human. Khira has always felt that she unworthy of the demon class. She's smart, thoughtful, and kind to Harry in the only way she can. She's a heroine who's afraid to love and be loved in return. Afraid of the rejection she has seen in the eyes of others. Harry is a hard as nails man, a hero to be reckoned with; he's used to people following his orders. But he's lonely, he's tired of living just to make money. There has to be more to life than what he's been living. When the sexy demon captures him body and then soul, there is little he can do to stop himself. He wants her in the most primitive way, and come hell or high water, he will have her. Emma Holly is another new author for me, her stories are chocked full of erotic love scenes. I highly recommend this novella for adults because they are mega hot and extra steamy. Definitely not for the faint of heart. If you'd like for information about the steamy novels by Emma Holly, please check out her website. It's definitely an adult only site.

Reviewette: Demon's Delight Anthology --- Street Corner and Halos by Catherine Spangler

Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Pages: 65 - 158

From the Cover: Meet Rachel, hooker and vampire, plying both trades after hours until she meets Gabriel on the night shift. He's an angelic emissary on a mission to prove Rachel still has a soul. and to save it, But she offers him a mortal temptation he never suspects......

Rachel is a lost soul...turned by a Nazi vampire rapist while she watched her family die at Dachau. She suffered through a different death, an immortal one. She only wishes she could have joined them instead of losing her immortal soul or at least that's what she believes.....

Rachel is a vampire hooker who never actually performs the deed. Her specialty is slipping into the mind of her prey and giving them the best sexual fantasy they've ever had. Only when they have reached the height of pleasure does she take what she needs, blood. She has a nice little condo, a nice little car, and a nice little life with no temptations. She doesn't get close to anybody or thing, there's less disappointment that way. She never has to watch anyone die ever again.

One night, a well dress man walks into her undead life. Gabriel is on an angelic mission to save her and her soul. She tries to glamor him, but he is unaffected and he tells her the only way to get rid of him is to spend seven nights with him, one week. Though her glamor doesn't work on him, his power of compulsion works on her. Soon, she finds herself agreeing to one week worth of 'dates'.

As Rachel and Gabe get to know each other, he takes her shopping, to plays, concerts, and to a children hospital to see what she's missing. They grow closer, and before Gabe knows what's hit him; he desires Rachel for more than her soul. Rachel is afraid to let anyone in. Though she wants Gabe as much as Gabe wants her, since being raped, she's had sex with no one. Nada. That's why mind sex with her prey is her specialty. As Rachel tries to slip into Gabe's mind, he pushes her away. She needs to make to choice: have a real life with a real relationship or go on her immortal way. But will Gabe to there or will he slip away as an angel might have to do.

Rachel runs. Does she want to spend eternity alone? No. She has to learn to trust, but that may be impossible. Now that she's had a taste of a real life, can she go back to her safe undead world? Gabe can save her and let her enter the sunlight she has forgotten by saving her soul. Can she take what is offered, his very life's blood? Or is she too late to even try.

Street Corners and Halos by Catherine Spangler was another fast fun read. This also introduces a new author to me as well. Rachel is a vulnerable heroine who grew up in a Nazi concentration camp at the height of World War II. She trusts no one, not even the little cat, Gertie, that she found by the dumpster who she feeds every night, but vows to quit the next. She's so lost that she can no longer find her way and she doesn't really care. She as happy as an undead person can be. Gabriel is a strong hero who knows he can save her if she'll only let him. He pushes Rachel to her breaking point and then pushes a little harder. He likes the finer things in life and he considers Rachel one of the best things in life, if only she'll learn to share herself with those who want to love her. The odds are against Gabe, but he never gives up. This was such a sweet story and I fell in love with these two characters. Rachel is hurt almost beyond repair, but Gabe has the heavenly body to get the job done. A great little read. It reminds me about what's important in life, you're not really alive unless you live. Visit Ms. Spangler's site for more information about her books. She has a new book, Touched by Light to be released in June, 2009.

Reviewette: Demon's Delight --- Witch Way by Mary Janice Davidson

Publisher: The Berkley Publishing Group
Pages: 1 - 63

From the Cover: Can a witch and a witch-hunter find common ground ..... without killing each other first.....

Image being told your whole life that you're going to die at thirty...at the hands of your mortal enemy...that you're a witch to be killed by a witch-hunter.

Image that you have been trained your entire life to defend yourself...against an unknown enemy...and being told on your twenty-first birthday...that you have two years to live...two years until you must take a life to save humanity from the greatest evil ever known...

It's Rhea Goodman's twenty-first birthday and Flower and Power (Stephanie and Bob a.k.a. Mom and Dad) want to talk her. What have they done now? Robbed a bank? Protested animal cruelty? Whatever it is, she's sure she can fix it. But, not this time, this time they tell her that she is destine to fight a great evil, all the target practice they have forced their children to learn has been in preparation for the fight of her life.

Chris de Mere can smell a demon, literally smell it, they stink. He follows his nose and dispatches yet another evil dude. Does he get a thanks? No. And he still has to worry about the Goodman that's going to kill him. He's been going to every Goodman he can find to try to avoid being killed on his thirtieth birthday. Well, Boston's next on the list, maybe this will be his lucky city; Massachusetts is where the Salem witch trials were held.

When Chris pulls up at Rhea's family home, he is told to go away, Rhea has two more years to learn to kill him. They don't know is neither has to die if they come to an agreement.

The legend say that the curse can only be broken when the witch shares their greatest power with the hunter, and vice verse. A Goodman has to trust a De Mere, will that ever happen? When Power near kills Chris by running him over while Chris and Rhea tussling on the ground, Rhea has an epiphany! But Chris takes off before she can share what might be their only chance. Maybe the curse can be broken, now to find Chris.

Chris is back to hunting the demons stalking women around town. He wants to believe that the curse will be broken, because he really doesn't want to die. As he comes upon the demon pair, Rhea finds him. As they kill the demon duo and Rhea tells him her big plan. She teaches him to rhyme, and he doesn't kill her; and together, they make a baby. Curse broken, problem solved. Right? Well, at least no one has to die....

In Witch Way, Mary Janice Davidson comes through again. She writes an engaging little tale that you're sure is going to end in a dastardly deed. But, she turns the table and leaves it upside down. Rhea is a sweetie, who will do anything to protect her mom and dad and the various other ankle biters better known as her siblings. She's strong like all MJD's heroines, speaks her mind, and doesn't take any sh** from anyone, not even when it comes wrapped up in a cute little package by the name of Chris De Mere. Chris is a good guy who has been portrayed as the evil doer, when he's nothing of the sort. Well, there is this little voice in his head that keeps telling him to be evil, but he doesn't listen to it (at least not often, and he tells it to shut up all the time). When Rhea and Chris come together, sparks fly in more ways than one. Witch Way was a quick little read that was just a lot of fun. Demon's Delight is a great anthology from a group of talented writers that give a new meaning to the words angels and demons. I recommend this book to the reader who wants to take a sweet little break and have a blast. Literally, that Chris can cast a wicked spell, if only he could rhyme.

MJD - I hope you're feeling better, rest up!