One of my favorite books by this author is called Murder Husbands, so I knew I had to check out her dark romance featuring a literal demon. I was not disappointed, and this book is a perfect way to enjoy the spookiest month of the year. Note, however, that I primarily call this a dark romance, not paranormal, despite the fantastical characters and content. I appreciate that Denning goes all in instead of shying away from Oz and Jeremy’s true potential.
Denning leans into enough of the paranormal tropes so that we do mostly know what we’re getting when it comes to demon Oz. Then, she twists the details just enough to give us a character entirely unexpected, especially since he’s also self-aware enough to understand the problem he’s created for himself. His narration toes the line of overdramatic, but then again, everything about this book, from the external events to the incredibly spicy bits, is unrepentantly overdramatic enough to live up to every expectation.
Neither the actual revenge acts nor the aforementioned spiciness is for the faint of heart, but Jeremy’s sheer joy at both balances everything nicely. Watching him go darker should not be so much fun, but he more than deserves this extra bit of afterlife, since his actual life was never quite up to snuff.
I did not expect the ending to be as heart-wrenching as it was. Denning sneaks a true romance into all the gore and steam, instead of relying on those to prop up a less emotional connection between two truly fascinating characters. The twist at the end is the perfect highlight of the subtle world-building she treats us to along the way.
Again, this book will not be for everyone, and that’s okay. But I admire Denning for tackling such a project to its fullest extent, and for some readers, Oz and Jeremy are for us. If you think you might be one of them, don’t miss this excellent Halloween treat.
Disclaimer: I received a digital review copy of this book from the author.