7/12/19

Review: The Demon You Know (Others series) by Christine Warren

Format: Mass market
Pub Date: May 2007
Publisher: St. Martins
Length: 344 pages
POV: 3rd, past
FTC: used copy from the TBR, purchase date unknown

Christine Warren is one of those authors who can be hit or miss with me. Some books I really enjoy, and others are kind of meh. This book, however, was actually bad. I almost DNF'd it, but stayed with it out of sheer stubborness.

Abby Baker, a low level employee for a local TV station who is unremarkable in every way except for having eyes of two different colors, gets caught on the street during a riot. While hiding from various violent factions, she ends up getting possessed by a fiend, a sort of evil spirit. NOT a demon, as we're told over and over and over again. Demons good, fiends bad.

Rule, an actual (good) demon, is on the hunt for a big bad fiend. He happens across Abby just as she's possessed by the fiend he's looking for, so he (of course) grabs her and carries her fireman style to an Others-friendly club. Abby considers it kidnapping; Rule considers it protective custody.

Much of the book consists of Abby trying to escape her involuntary confinement. There is a giant parade of secondary characters who don't really add to the story other than to confuse the narrative. Not only is Abby unremarkeable physically, her personality is rather bland as well (except for her determination to escape which constantly puts her in danger). The only interesting parts of the book are where she's arguing with the fiend who possessed her: a pervy, juvenile one named Lou.



Rule is just as annoying and flat. Cardboard characterization. He's a single minded stick-in-the-mud who doesn't like to explain himself. *Yawn* There is zero romantic tension, just an insta-lust that is thoroughly unbelievable and uninteresting. The ONLY character besides Lou who is somewhat fleshed out is Abby's brother, who I'm assuming gets his own book later in the series.

This is a completely forgettable paranormal romance with no memorable characters or plot, no tension, and no emotion. I know Warren has written better books. Definitely skip this one.

My Grade: D

The Blurb:

A SILENT BEAUTYAs a research grunt at a local television station, Abby Baker tends to blend into the background, which is where she's most comfortable. But when she ends up being the last resort to cover a hot story, Abby discovers a whole new side to her personality when she is possessed by a fiend―a type of rogue demon. Suddenly everyone wants a piece of her. And now the demon Rule―also a hunter of his own kind who have gone astray―is Abby's only hope…A SUDDEN PASSIONMeanwhile, the Others―vampires, werewolves, and witches, oh my!―have come out of the supernatural closet and the rest of the humans are all aflutter. Mischief is afoot in the demon realm, and Rule knows that Abby is key to figuring it all out before the fiends tip the fragile balance between the newly-discovered Others and the humans over into an epic battle. Now it's up to two lost souls to make love, not war…..


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