Review: Demon Lover by Bonnie Dee and Marie Treanor

Title: Demon Lover (Fairytale Fantasies #2)
Author: Bonnie Dee, Marie Treanor
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Erotica
Heat Index: 1 out of 5
Release Date: April 13th, 2010
Word/Page Count: N/A
Format: Purchased

Rumplestiltskin is not his name and this hunk's no gnarled old goblin.

Fairytale Fantasies, Book 2

In his quest to land her a rich husband, Gwyneth's father has gone one step too far and bragged to the king's steward. Now she faces an impossible task: spin a room full of straw into gold by morning, or their lives are forfeit. She despairs, until a black-garbed figure offers to solve her problem for a price. One kiss.

He returns the second night, and the third. With each sensual encounter, the stakes escalate along with her attraction to her mysterious visitor. Then he claims the ultimate price-her child-and she realizes too late she's made a deal with the king of the Underworld.

From the moment he kisses her, Ragnorak knows Gwyneth's child will be a worthy heir for his kingdom. But with each touch, he wants more. He wants her to be queen of his strangely beautiful world-and for her to want to stay. But that will mean giving her the ultimate weapon-the power of his name.

Gwyneth has only three chances to drive her demon lover over the edge of bliss. But when the stakes suddenly shift, it's Ragnorak who stands to lose everything . . .

Warning: This book turns a well-known fairytale upside down, and involves hot sex with a villainous demon-or is he . . . ?

Poena's Review:

This is a tough one because it is well written and the sex is hot but... I loved the beginning of the book so much I was ready to give it five stars and wake up all my friends, demanding that they read it. It totally worked as an adult fairy tale. Then it all went to hell on a hand basket. Really, the minute Gwyneth (heroine) goes to the Underworld, this story fell apart for me because she started to annoy me. The more I read and got to 'know' her, the more I disliked her.

It's really my fault because I'm really a snob when it comes to heroines. I need to like them, respect them, think that they are worthy of the time I'm spending reading about them. My heroines don't need to be perfect (I really prefer they aren't) but they better be more than spineless twits who can't make up their minds. No amount of well written sex can overcome an immature MarySue who is shallow and vapid. Oh and don't mind her incredible beauty because we are 'told' how she really cares for the less fortunate (pardon while I vomit). I think the beginning worked so well because her life was at stake and we didn't get to 'know' her.

Don't get me started on the hero who is so deliciously dark and rakish in the beginning turning into a besotted schoolboy showing off his toys in order to impress the 'pretty girl'. He became so boringly PC with his modern sensibilities of equality for all that when the snippets of rake tried to come out during the sex scenes it was too little, too late.

I can't believe how the second half ruined a deliciously smutty fairy tale. Should you read it? Sure, if you don't mind skimming all of the second half 'plot' and 'characterization' and just zeroing in on the sex scenes (which were really good and almost deserving of upping a grade, but I simply couldn't bring myself to do it).