Hannah Jayne
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Paperback: 322 Pages
Publication: November 1, 2011
by Kensington
Sophie Lawson is a human immune to magic, which comes in handy for helping paranormal beings transition into everyday life. But fallen angel Alex Grace and his search for the Vessel of Souls is one curse she never saw coming. Suddenly an unexplainable string of killings and destruction has even San Francisco’s demons fearing for their immortal lives. And Sophie isn’t about to trust Alex’s all-too-vulnerable charm or his secret agenda. Now their hunt is revealing dangerous secrets about Sophie’s past, and malevolent power hellishly close to turning one irreverent human into the ultimate supernatural weapon.
When Sophie opens up the novel talking about hobgoblin slobber, you know you’re in for another treat. (NOT the hobgoblin slobber. YES, Sophie and co.) One of the things I love most about Sophie is her quirky sense of humor that comes out even in the most dangerous of situations. Along with the humor comes the tendency to ramble on, and then maybe delve into a sexual fantasy or two. While it does make the plot less streamlined and tight-knit as it could be, I love this trait of Sophie’s. It keeps the story light-hearted and fun to read. And, sometimes, one needs to be able to coast through a story that isn’t wrought with tension, suspense, and ominous clouds.
I adore the scandalous conversations between Sophie and Nina. They remind me of the insults some sisters at heart will exchange in a way that really means to say, “I love you” and “BFF 4Ever.” They’re such girls like that. And the way they’ll talk about delicious men they can just eat up! The story never lacks for humor and entertainment be it Sophie’s own narration or her interactions with others. Okay, Sophie can be a bit of a drama queen at times, and when she’s down and doesn’t get the comfort treatment that she wants, she’ll lash out at people, but I can’t stay annoyed at her for long. Her personality is just so vibrant and compelling.
The supporting cast is as fun as ever. I’m glad to see some familiar faces return along with references to occurences from the first book, such as Steve and his new love life. (Who knew that one could get fond of a stinky troll?) Vlad is another character that I love and am glad to see return. He’s the perfect image of an angsty teenager who, inside, is really a big softie with a good heart. Alex is as sexy as ever, if a bit antsy and overprotective of Sophie in this novel, and Will is a charming addition to the group. He isn’t around much though, so I don’t have much to comment on—only that I look forward to seeing more of him in the future.
Still, I have to confess that I liked the first novel more. I liked exploring the demon world much more than the fallen angel side. The whole specter part was weird, especially as it didn’t really seem to have anything to add to the plot other than bizarre conversations with the specter. There didn’t seem to be much keeping the plot moving, as Sophie doesn’t know enough about the situation to take the initiative to investigate. She can only live life and respond to changes in the situation. Also, unlike the first novel, this one doesn’t do a good job standing on its own. Going into the final pages, many plot threads were still unresolved, and it felt rushed at the end. Even then, some things remain to be addressed in future installments in the series.
Overall, this is proving to be a fun series filled laugh-out-loud humor, sexiness, and heart-pounding action. I love Sophie and her friends and am looking forward to reading Under Suspicion, the third installment in the Underworld Detection Agency series!
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On another note
1.
I don’t think I can convey just how much this book entertains me. Even though the plot isn’t highly intricate and developed, the characters are so much fun that it doesn’t really bother me. As I mentioned in my review, sometimes I just need a fun, laugh-out-loud read.
2.
The cover is gorgeous and totally UF, but it doesn’t really fit my image of Sophie. I doubt she has the confidence to pull off that sexy attire. Plus, she gets freaked out holding a gun, and here she is looking badass with one in each hand. I bet she’d love to be able to convey that image though. (See what she does with the gun when Alex catches her by surprise in book one.)
Favorite passage
There are so many laugh-out-loud moments in this novel, but the best have to be the conversations between Sophie and Nina. Even in the saddest, most despairing, of moments (yes, I’m being melodramatic like Sophie is here), they still have room for sexy men in their thoughts and aren’t afraid to make light of the situation.
“What happened? Are you okay? Did she come after you again?
“I’m fine,” I whimpered. “My life is just a toilet bowl of despair and I look like a battered wife, but I’m fine. I just want to go home and take a nap.”
Nina smiled sympathetically. “Can I drive you?”
I shook my head. “I’ll be fine. But can you cover for me?”
Nina’s sweet smile turned salacious and she popped a button on her blouse. “You mean distract Dixon until closing? You bet.”
Author: Crystal
A story girl at heart, Crystal is a bibliophile who can easily spend the day immersed in a good read. She writes under the name Kristy Wang. You can follow her writing adventures on X and Instagram @_kristywang.
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