Smitten by Books

Succubus Blues
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Zebra – Reprint
Pub. Date: August 1, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0821780770
Retail: $7.99

Succubus (n.) An alluring, shape-shifting demon who seduces and pleasures mortal men. Pathetic (adj.) A succubus with great shoes and no social life. See: Georgina Kincaid.

When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants, the wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?

But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid’s life is far less exotic. Her boss is a middle-management demon with a thing for John Cusack movies. Her immortal best friends haven’t stopped teasing her about the time she shape-shifted into the Demon Goddess getup complete with whip and wings. And she can’t have a decent date without sucking away part of the guy’s life. At least there’s her day job at a local bookstore–free books; all the white chocolate mochas she can drink; and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can’t.

But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle’s demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won’t help because Georgina’s about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny…

~*~*~

Georgina Kincaid is a succubus (a female demon that seduces men and lives off the life force they release during sex), albeit a reluctant one. She was human once, hundreds of years ago, but she made a big mistake and paid for it with her life. Now hundreds of years later she longs for the life she could have had; love, a family, and intimacy without the fear of killing her partner. All and all, she’s done well for herself though. She’s in good standing with the demon bureaucracy she works for, has a trio of best friends made up of two vampires and an imp, a steady job at a book store with all the White Mochas a girl can drink, and stacks of her favorite Seth Mortensen novels.

One day, during an incredibly awkward and laugh out loud funny moment, she meets her favorite author only to discover he’s not the clever and witty guy he is via print. He is unsure and introverted yet incredibly sweet. While at the bookstore, she also meets Roman, who is the polar opposite of Seth. Roman is tall, dark, handsome and a complete charmer. Georgina soon finds herself being drawn to both men but for entirely different reasons, all understandable.

Meanwhile, some of Georgina’s “frienemies” have mysteriously died and one of her real friends is attacked by an unseen force. Georgina is suspected of having murdered the first two victims since she recently argued with them. However, she is quickly exonerated when other clues as to the real killer’s identity start appearing.

For someone who tried to live her life as simply as possible, life has become quite treacherous. She is now trying to investigate two murders (even though she is told to stay out of it) and discover a killer who has made his intentions all too clear, all while balancing a rather precarious love life. She can only be with one guy and one of them is not who she thinks he is.

I loved everything about Georgina’s character. She is independent, assertive, sarcastic, and spunky. Seth is a guy you cannot help but love with his aloof, sweet and quiet ways. And Roman, although very charismatic indeed, is the only character you sense is a bit “off” but it plays into the story in some surprising ways. While this is not a romance novel, there are some fun love scenes and really tender moments between Georgina and her two “boyfriends” (although not all at the same time).

As a fan of Richelle Mead’s young adult series, Vampire Academy, I was very excited to read her adult novels. Richelle impressed me yet again with her ability to craft an engaging story filled with interesting and unique characters and outright funny dialogue. I will most definitely be reading the rest of this series!

Rating: 9 (Excellent)

Heat-Level: 3 (Sensual)

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