Hell Hath No Fury by Carol Lynne
Publisher: Respendence Publishing
Genre: erotic, paranormal, M/M
Review Copy received from Publisher
Summary:
Mortals call it Hell, Lucifer calls it The City. It's a land of good and evil, and Lu is the mayor. He didn't ask for the job, but someone with some sense needs to keep order, and after going against Archangel Law, Lu knows he must pay the price.
Though his crime may have cost him his Heavenly home, when trouble shows up in The City, his brothers send Lu reinforcement in the guise of a good-looking bodyguard named Dominic Ramos.
Used to having any man he wants, Lu isn't happy when his charms don't immediately have the desired effect on Dominic. He sets out to seduce the gorgeous man using every weapon in his arsenal. When a night of unbridled passion culminates in a public coupling, Lu's feelings on random sex are forever changed.
Who says there aren't Angels in Hell?
Jaime’s Review:
What an interesting take on the whole heaven and hell scenario. I rather like the idea that the only reason people end up in hell is because they think they belong there. It sits better with me than that avenging, judging God thing I grew up with and never really had much use for.
It stands to reason, in this case, that the Angel who commits the ultimate crime must also imagine hell as the only place left to him. Despite the fact Lu is sent to hell for his crimes, there is an element of his feeling he belongs there for what he's done. Refreshing; a devil with a conscience. He's got a lot more going for him than a forked tongue and cloven hooves, that's for sure.
Right from the start, this book sets out to be something just a little to the left of center and as far as the world building goes,
Ms. Lynne has succeeded beautifully. Everything presented is grounded in the mythologies we know and then slewed just enough to make things interesting.
The characters populating this new realm of hers are about par for her men; strong, alpha, but with more heart than brawn, which in some cases, is a whole hell of a lot of heart. I especially like Lu and his live and let live attitude, even if we are, technically, talking about the dead here. His determination to protect the lost souls in his care and allow them a chance to redeem themselves and find their own worth. This makes him pretty a pretty sympathetic character, for a devil. He still has his wild side, what with the random sex and casual use of his powers to make his day-to-day easier. The devil-may-care attitude he fosters, though is just a shell to protect himself from the very real pain the world's misconceptions of him cause. That makes him just fragile enough tto appeal to a reader like me who likes to see the cracks in characters. And really, can I just say how much I love the idea of the devil being a diehard bottom?
The conflict that arises in this story, tests even Lu's forbearance, though, and nearly costs him everything he has left. There's an interesting and mostly unanswered moral question here about the ends justifying the means and how much manipulation is too much. The fact
Ms.Lynne left me with something beyond the hot sex to think about speaks to her ability to weave a tale that engages her readers.
For once, in reading a
Carol Lynne book, I'm not feeling rushed into the relationship between Lu and Dominic, which is nice. We get to see them develop their interest in one another. Although Dom does fall hard and fast, we get to watch him make up his mind in a conscious way, knowing what he's getting into and deciding Lu is worth the risk, and the sacrifice he'll have to make to keep him. If he jumps into the whole public exhibition thing a bit quick, well,
Ms. Lynne is known for getting down and dirty without a lot of dithering. Her men are nothing if not decisive and willing to act once the decision is made.
My Recommendation: If you like strong men with no fear, but tons of heart and a healthy interest in getting it on together, this is going to be a great read for you.
Rated 4 Delightful Divas by Jaime!
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