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divapitbull's review against another edition
3.0
2 1/2 stars rounded up to 3 because I felt the characters eventually did connect, parts of the story definitely captured my attention and I'm a sucker for a HEA.
Personal Demons was a hard story to get into. The first 50% dragged and I didn’t feel the chemistry between the 2 MCs so I wasn’t particularly enthralled by their sexy times either. Special Agent Chase Nozick is on the trail from Florida to Los Angeles following the hitman who killed his partner, left him a parting gift of embedded shrapnel and started him down the yellow brick road to alcoholism. Chase’s first night in LA he decides to kill 2 birds with one stone – pop into a local establishment for a few drinks and possibly a little somethin-somethin. Coincidentally the hot Cuban guy he bangs a gong with in the bar’s supply closet turns out to be Detective Enrique Rios Ocha – his local contact with LAPD, resident expert on Voodoo and crap and temporary partner.
Chase and Enrique need to track down a missing informant to get to their suspect. When her brother turns up dead in a crime scene suggesting ritualistic murder, Chase must trust Enrique and manage his skepticism as they navigate the local landscape of Santeria and Enrique’s personal spiritual beliefs. Chase and Enrique also continue their partners with benefits relationship and while the sex scenes were well done I found them lackluster as there was no emotional connection.
As the story moves on Chase and Enrique start to realize they “fit” and they begin to develop feelings for each other. Chase is 40 to Enrique’s 35 and I. Swear. To. God. - Every time I heard Chase complain about how “old he is” or how his “body is breaking down because he’s old” or “how hard it is to get old” - I wanted to punch him in the face. 40 for fuck’s sake. The only people who think 40 is old are the people who AREN’T old!!! Granted I will give it to Chase that he felt like shit for being a raving booze-hound with an ulcer and a penchant for chewing antacids like M&M’s and yes, the back & neck full of shrapnel didn’t help but….40!!
Around the 50% mark both the story and their relationship begin to develop and pick up and then it became much harder to put down; but then it kind of leveled out again before the end. All in all, Personal Demons wasn’t bad it just wasn’t special. Both the characters were likable, and they did have a nice understated connection that stayed true to character (meaning they didn’t morph into characters out of a Harlequin romance just because they developed feelings for each other. No one started squawking “Darling make sweet love to me” thank God!)
Personal Demons was a hard story to get into. The first 50% dragged and I didn’t feel the chemistry between the 2 MCs so I wasn’t particularly enthralled by their sexy times either. Special Agent Chase Nozick is on the trail from Florida to Los Angeles following the hitman who killed his partner, left him a parting gift of embedded shrapnel and started him down the yellow brick road to alcoholism. Chase’s first night in LA he decides to kill 2 birds with one stone – pop into a local establishment for a few drinks and possibly a little somethin-somethin. Coincidentally the hot Cuban guy he bangs a gong with in the bar’s supply closet turns out to be Detective Enrique Rios Ocha – his local contact with LAPD, resident expert on Voodoo and crap and temporary partner.
Chase and Enrique need to track down a missing informant to get to their suspect. When her brother turns up dead in a crime scene suggesting ritualistic murder, Chase must trust Enrique and manage his skepticism as they navigate the local landscape of Santeria and Enrique’s personal spiritual beliefs. Chase and Enrique also continue their partners with benefits relationship and while the sex scenes were well done I found them lackluster as there was no emotional connection.
As the story moves on Chase and Enrique start to realize they “fit” and they begin to develop feelings for each other. Chase is 40 to Enrique’s 35 and I. Swear. To. God. - Every time I heard Chase complain about how “old he is” or how his “body is breaking down because he’s old” or “how hard it is to get old” - I wanted to punch him in the face. 40 for fuck’s sake. The only people who think 40 is old are the people who AREN’T old!!! Granted I will give it to Chase that he felt like shit for being a raving booze-hound with an ulcer and a penchant for chewing antacids like M&M’s and yes, the back & neck full of shrapnel didn’t help but….40!!
Around the 50% mark both the story and their relationship begin to develop and pick up and then it became much harder to put down; but then it kind of leveled out again before the end. All in all, Personal Demons wasn’t bad it just wasn’t special. Both the characters were likable, and they did have a nice understated connection that stayed true to character (meaning they didn’t morph into characters out of a Harlequin romance just because they developed feelings for each other. No one started squawking “Darling make sweet love to me” thank God!)
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