A Demon Does It Better [Mass Market Paperback]

Before starting this book I expected to read something that was witty, humorous, fun, and of course paranormal. I wasn't disappointed at all. This book was every bit of what I've come to expect from Linda Wisdom and more.

This book is about Lilianna, Lili for short. Lili is one of the witches banned from the Academy in 1313 (along with Jazz, Blaire, Thea and some others). She is a healer and a doctor - not to mention a very powerful witch. She has just begun a new job at Crying Souls hospital. Sounds like a creepy place, right? You have no idea! She is on the search for her friend Sera, whom disappeared without a trace while working at the hospital. Worse yet - she's not the only one. But for some reason, no one is taking notice.

While working there she is assigned to work downstairs, home to the mentally ill in the paranormal world. There are seven patients and all are deemed to be very dangerous. Of course they are, that's why they have two giant ogre guards watching them around the clock, right? These two ogres are a real piece of work, definitely not beings you'd want to meet in a dark alley... or heck, even a light alley. But Lili isn't scared of them. Lili isn't outwardly scared of anyone. She is a very strong female character, and that's what I loved about her. She was compassionate and caring, and made friends easily.

She also meets the other patients, including one referred to by Dr. Mortimer as only Patient 1172. There is instant attraction there, and it is definitely heated. The thing is, Lili has seen Patient 1172 before. Patient 1172 is a shadow demon named Jared. Jared is every bit the paranormal lead character you hope to find in these books. He is strong and caring, seductive , dark and mysterious. And he knows what he wants.

I really enjoyed reading about Lili and Jared, watching their impossible situation grow and flourish. The scene on the Ferris wheel was enchanting. I could easily picture the twinkling lights below, the warm air, the heated presence of Jared next to Lili. I felt his fear of heights, and how that diminished and the acknowledgement of his feelings - even if only to himself - endearing.

"Lili's eyes widened at his one-word declaration that vibrated with demon power the way it hadn't when he said the word on the Ferris wheel. While she didn't know a lot about demons, she did know what just happened."

The passion between the two of them was hot and yet very tender and romantic. It definitely made me eager to turn every page and want to read more.
But let's not forget who almost stole the whole show here. Cleo... otherwise known as Cleopatra. Yes, THE Cleopatra. She is witty, seductive, caring and a bit of a party cat. Wait! Did I just say cat? Let's just say that once you see Cleo in action, especially when she gets loaded on cat nip wine, you will never look at felines the same again. I really loved her character. She often broke up the tension, or lent a soft spot when things were getting rough. She is definitely a scene stealer, but helped make this story everything that it was.

Something else I really enjoyed was how the other witches were mentioned in this book. If there is one thing I go crazy for (other than super hot alpha males) is crossover characters. It really helps build the whole world, not just for a scene or even a book. And Linda Wisdom does it wonderfully. I'm really hoping that all of the witches will get their own book eventually.

Halfway through the book and I made the note in my notebook that I was in no way disappointed with this book. I was wishing Lili and Jared could make more of a connection quicker than they did, yet the build up was wonderful. There were several plot lines opened up in this story, and I was a bit worried how everything would come together. But seriously, that was just silly of me to worry. The author handled everything perfectly, and there isn't a single thing I would change about this story.

A Demon Does It Better is number 2 in the Demons series by Linda Wisdom. I haven't read number one yet, but I knew that it was about a different witch. I had no trouble understanding the timeline and felt that this book could easily stand alone. But of course, I am definitely going to get my hands on Demons Are A Girl's Best Friend (Demons #1) just as soon as I can!
Ebook provided by NetGalley

As a powerful witch-healer, Doctor Lili Carter knows she is uniquely qualified to get a job at Crying Souls Hospital and try to figure out what happened to her good friend Sera. A new nurse at the hospital, Sera had been excited about her job. She and Lili had communicated almost every day, Sera trying to talk Lili into transferring and working there with her.

Then the calls and mail stopped. Abruptly.

When Lili got concerned and called the hospital after not hearing from her friend for days, she was told Sera didn't work there any longer, that apparently she'd failed to report in to work one day and no one had heard from her since. Now Lili is back at the hospital she once worked at decades ago. And it doesn't take long for her to figure out that something isn't at all right at Crying Souls.

After meeting the head of the hospital and getting her first look at the mental ward in the basement, Lili has a pretty good idea where to start her investigation. It's a dark, ominous place reminiscent of the worst madhouses in history. And the head of the hospital oversees it directly. It's painfully obvious some of the creatures down there are being mistreated. One of them, though, shocks Lili to her core.

She can barely believe her own eyes, but she's seen the prisoner more than once. Out of the hospital. First in Inderman's magickal plane, then again in her own house. But the sexy, charming demon who had mysteriously slipped through all her wards in no way resembles the filthy, battered creature in the dungeon-like cell. He'd been clean, first of all, and his clothes hadn't been rags. Oh, yeah, and he hadn't been criminally insane, either.

Shadow demon Jared knows he isn't going to be leaving Crying Souls anytime soon. Not after his own kind had been convinced he was mentally unstable. Still, he survives the torture and pain of incarceration, living for those minutes and hours when the shadows can spirit him away from his cell, slipping him out into the real world until his energy wanes and they pull him back.

He'd met the pretty witch on one such jaunt. Jared still wasn't sure how he ended up in her home the second time, but he's not complaining. He likes the feisty little healer. Really likes her. And even though he knows it's hopeless, Jared loves how determined she is to get him out of there.

But Jared knows the truth. No one is ever released from the dungeon under Crying Souls hospital. Not without dying first.

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Given how I enjoyed the first book in Wisdom's Demons series, I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, the plot was a little chaotic and the characters didn't appeal to me as much as Maggie and Declan did in the first book. I didn't dislike Lili or Jared, really. They didn't do anything particularly annoying...well...other than Jared's habit of reminding Lili that demons do it better - that got old for me relatively quickly. They didn't stumble across any of my lines, though, or push any of my big character no-no buttons, so that was good. I just didn't connect with them and didn't think their chemistry was particularly strong. Nor did their romance seem based on anything more substantial than a physical chemistry that I couldn't quite feel.

The plot was another issue. There were several elements that lacked sufficient explanation for me. Little things, really, but the sum of them impacted my ability to just relax into the story. Why when Jared shadow located did he show up all clean and in nice clothes, unmarked from the abuse he suffered? Why, when Lili had proof of wrongdoing in the hospital, was she on her own to fight it? She hadn't struck me as a terribly powerful force, but she was intent on going against a very powerful force. Questions like that plagued me throughout the book.

Secondary characters had less of a role in this book that in the preceding book, and I didn't find them as varied and fascinating. The setting of the book was also, like the characters, just okay for me. I have no real complaints, but it just didn't appeal to me as much as the Guard compound and the house that Maggie had. The impression I was left with was that this book was just a little...smaller somehow...than the first book.

Like the first book, though, I thought the ending of the external conflict was a bit abrupt. Not as bad, but still a bit anticlimactic after the story elements that preceded it. What was there, though, didn't appeal to me. It seemed less an organic escalation of growing madness and nefarious intentions and more a bit contrived and forced to get the characters into the positions they found themselves in.

I was a little surprised that the second book had so little to do with the first. The only points connecting them in the series is the fact that both lead males are demons (which would explain the series title) and both heroines know each other as friends. The differences may appeal to some readers, but I was hoping for more from the Hellion Guard and some of the characters I met in the first installment. For those starting the series at this point, though, this book reads perfectly well as a stand-alone.

The good thing for me is that it's clear after two books that Wisdom can write creative, entertaining narratives. This one just didn't strike the same chord in me as the first did. I may not have been wowed by the elements in this story, and some of them weren't pleasing at all, but there is a style and sophistication in the way Wisdom puts her words together and creates story that does appeal to me. I really want to see if the next book is more to my tastes in character and story.

Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Sourcebooks Casablanca publisher Sourcebooks via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.

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Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.

DEMON DOES IT BETTER by Linda Wisdom is an exciting paranormal romance. "A Demon Does It Better" is the story of Jared,a demon keep in a hospital dungeon,who is supposed to a demented,deranged demon and sexy as all get out. And Doctor Lili Carter,a witch,a wonderful healer,and who is determined to find her missing friend and other. It has everything one would want in a paranormal romance. It has danger,steamy sensuality,romance,love,deception,an evil villain,hospital drama.an asylum,demons,witch,weres,shapeshifter,dragon,nurses,dark magic,late night escapades,and betrayal of magic.Together, Jared and Lili find passion,lust,and love. Oh yeah,they may just solve a mystery or two along the way. A must read for anyone who enjoys paranormal romance with a few twists and turns. I can hardly wait to read another paranormal romance by this author. "A Demon Does It Better" is a full service story full of love,an adventure or two for the hero,dark shadows,dark magic and love between a demon and a witch. Received for an honest review from the Net Galley and the Publisher. Details can be found at Sourcebooks Casablanca,an imprint of Sourcebooks,Inc. and My Book Addiction Reviews.

RATING: 4.5