Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil
The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil
The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil
Audiobook10 hours

The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

About this audiobook

Winner of the African American Literary Award for Fiction, Essence best-selling author Victoria Christopher Murray delivers a cautionary tale about debt and the dangers of an overly tempting offer. Married at 17, Adam and Evia Langston have worked their way up from rags to riches. But as they are enjoying all the trappings of their success, a financial downturn leaves them teetering on the brink of disaster. And that's when Evia's boss makes the Langstons a five-million- dollar offer they can't refuse.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 30, 2011
ISBN9781501984266
The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil
Author

Victoria Christopher Murray

Victoria Christopher Murray is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including Stand Your Ground, a Library Journal Best Book of the Year and NAACP Image Award Winner. Her novel, The Personal Librarian, which she cowrote with Marie Benedict was a Good Morning America Book Club pick.  Visit her website at VictoriaChristopherMurray.com.

More audiobooks from Victoria Christopher Murray

Related to The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil

Related audiobooks

African American Fiction For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil

Rating: 3.7065217391304346 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

460 ratings405 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Good book. The plot seemed to take a while to get moving, once it did it was hard to put down until the end.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I saw this in a few public libraries I visited for a conference tour, and splurged on getting the Kindle version. I didn't realize at the time it was the first in a series, or I would have tried to wait till the next volume came out. That said, I actually look forward to reading it again next year when the next book is available. It's a great piece of fiction for librarians, especially - starting out in Oxford's Bodlein Library, incorporating manuscripts, palimpsets, and marginalia into the story, and treating magic with just a touch of science. The relationship between heroine and hero is a little meh, but the supporting cast is a good blend of quirky characters that include witches, vampires, daemons, ghosts, a pushy cat and an opinionated house. This might speak against me, but Harkness is the first person to describe Darwin's Origin of Species in such a way that I might actually read it myself. Definitely looking forward to the next book, just wish I didn't have to wait for it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A Discovery of Witches is a paranormal romance for the intellectually curious. The author turns her scholarly pursuits to vampire and witch lore, mythology, religion, history, alchemy, medicine, genetics and geography. It was fascinating and enlightening. I finished the book almost believing that these unique creatures really do exist. The book is the first in the All Souls trilogy, and it ends with the two main characters (Diana the witch and Matthew the vampire)timewalking back to the 16th century to hide from the Congregation and prepare for war. As such, I can hardly wait to dig in to Shadow of Night: A Novel (All Souls Trilogy), the 2nd in the trilogy. I highly recommend this book for fans of the paranormal genre. There is much to discover in A Discovery of Witches, and it’s carefully and beautifully written.Favorite words:parterresoubliettesybariticIdeas to discuss:Understanding your own powerAccepting your true selfMastering fearConversation to strike up:If you could timewalk, where and when would you go?Favorite quotes:“As I am the end, so my lover is the beginning. I encompass the whole work of creation, and all of knowledge is hidden in me (p. 375).”“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed” (attributed to Albert Einstein on page 455).
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Diana Bishop is a witch but she avoids whenever possible using magic so had a PhD and doing research at Oxford was an interesting opening especially when she is confronted by a civilized vampire who wants to protect her from the other vampires and demons as well as the wicked witches.This Young Adult book is very entertaining without the gore of normal attacks, etc. It also had some very interesting historical information throughout.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This one began slow for me, so slow it took me a month to pick it up again after reading the first chapter despite all the hype surrounding it pre-release. The more I read this book, the more I had visions of Twilight the series by Meyers. The vampires are very similar in behaviors, skills, traits, etc. Although this books is suppose to be Diana Bishop's tale, I did not like her. As a matter of opinion, all of the withces were too emotional for me. I like Baldwin because his logic made sense to me. I like Ysabeau because she I understood. Matthew was understandable yet the main character not so much. As a historian, I would think she would have wanted to learn about her family's abilities as well as her own if for no toehr reason historical continuity. As for the title, I do not feel it captured the essence of the book but if I were a publisher I would have used this title because this is a hot literature genre at the moment which translates into sales.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Okay, can I just say...Best Book Ever! Hmmm maybe not, but it comes close to being a perfect book in my eyes. A well-educated witch who doesn't want to be a witch, a dangerous, beautiful vampire who is too alpha to be believed, and a mysterious enchanted book in the Oxford library that has attracted the attention of every preternatural being in England. Throw in the fact that the beautiful vamp can't stay away from the reluctant witch, even though it's seen as fraternizing with the enemy and you have all the ingredients for a great mystery, and an absolutely riveting romance. I devoured this book.If I have one criticism, it's that the last third of the book, when they were in upstate New York almost devolved into a romantic farce - almost campy in a 30s romantic comedy movie kind of way. And I really never bought the scene with Matthew and his old girlfriend. If this guy was as seasoned of a warrior as he supposedly was, I just don't think that she would have gotten the jump on him like she did. But these are minor detractions from the book and I might just have a new favorite author.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    It was impossible for me to read this book and not think on other literary couples featuring a male vampire and a human/paranormal woman. Like Bella and Edward, and Sookie and Bill, there is an overabundance of alpha male protectiveness that had me close to the point of closing the book. The manuscript that was the focus of everyone's attention was the only thing that kept me going.Diana is a brilliant historian researching alchemy in a library that is part of Oxford University. She requests a manuscript known as Ashmole 782. She is also a witch who would prefer not to be and has tried all her life to ignore her heritage. However, she knew at once that this manuscript was seeped in magic and that somehow she has a special connection with it. Unfortunately, everyone else is immediately aware of this as well as witches, vampires, and daemons have a vested interest in knowing what is in this book that has magically remained hidden for many years.First on the scene is a vampire named Matthew Clairmont who, like male vampires in other series, feels that he and he alone can protect her from all the nasties. Forget the fact that she runs and punts regularly and has a heritage of powerful parents. Argh! And just like Sookie and Bella, more paranormals come out of the woodwork, for good or evil, and make her aware that she is special. I apologize that this story line, like most of the Disney princess stories, turns my stomach.There is action that temporarily adds spark to this story that drags on for 300 pages too many. All in all, I find it reads like a set up for the next two books of the promised trilogy. I doubt I will continue this story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Really enjoyed this, can't wait to continue the series. I could do without the cheesy vampire romance but I'm thankful this story provides far more than that. The alchemical and European history are rich and I love how they tie in with the history of the creatures.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A historical paranormal book! A little but long but very detailed. I really enjoyed this novel. Its like Pillars of the Earth meets Dan Brown meets Sookie Stackhouse.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I wanted to try a fantasy novel and had heard good things about this book. I did enjoy the book until the last 50 pages or so. The author did a good job building the characters and providing some interesting historical facts, although I wish some of the history was a bit more detailed. I like that it wasn't a sappy romance and that the main female character helped modernize the main male character. HOWEVER, there's one thing that really ruffles my feathers: when the author has absolutely no intention of finishing storylines in a novel. I can almost guarantee that she started this novel with full intention of writing sequels. Sequels are OK IFFF each novel has some kind of conclusion. This one didn't. It just stopped. Very, very irritating. I won't read the sequel if there is one because I don't want to be let down again with an inconclusive ending.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It's a love story between a witch who fell in love with a vampire. The main character Diana is a historian who researches Alchemy. She stumbles upon a book that everyone in the supernatural world has been looking for and after reading it briefly returns it. This starts the crazy whirlwind of a plot. We are taken to many places and really see the character grow.

    Now I really really enjoyed this book. I had already skimmed some reviews and was forewarned about Diana's weird personality flips in the book when she was falling in love, but these things change so much by the time the Bishop house comes into play that I feel like maybe she was just growing as person. Adjusting to this new idea of what loving Matthew will be for her.

    The descriptions in this book were amazing! The amount of detail giving to the books Diana uses in her research and alchemy in general just blew me away. I was so pleased that the author really took care to be accurate in her details of things involving alchemy from a long time ago.

    The plot was interesting. I really enjoyed how it all started out with the book being missing. And slowly developed into this huge overarching plot that is obviously what will be detailed in following books. It really brought me into the story and got me excited to see where all this would end up.

    The main problems I had with the book was the middle part really lagged and left me bored. I just kept going okay when is this going to finally pick up? I also was flustered by Diana's lack of knowledge about why she couldn't use her powers until I learned the real reasoning. Though that was one of the reasons I kept reading the book. It kept me attached and wanting to know more, but still annoyed at her lack of knowledge in some aspects.

    Overall I loved this book. I can't wait for the second book to come out. I've grown quite fond of all the characters involved and think the overarching plot line will prove to be incredibly interesting especially since Diana really grew as a character I felt by the end of this book. She no longer felt whiney or powerless to me. She finally was becoming the goddess she was named after.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    The story just fell flat for me. I finished it awhile back and felt disappointed. So, I waited to see if my impression would improve with time. The strongest annoyances were the overabundance of scenes focusing on wine, coffee, yoga, running/rowing or the heroine in a weakened state. Most actions were too predictable, and the characters were all forgettable. Sorry. So many people have given the book high ratings, so just account this to personal taste.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Book DescriptionA witch who rejected her magic after the brutal death of her parents, Diana Bishop is a historian researching alchemy at Oxford. One day in the Bodleian library, she calls up a manuscript called Ashmole 782 that has been bewitched. Unnerved and frightened by the manuscript, she returns it to the stacks. However, her actions have not gone unnoticed—she’s drawn the attention of other creatures (witches, vampires and daemons) who flock to the library. It turns out that Diana has unwittingly found the lost manuscript that contains the secrets about the origins of creatures. Ashmole 782 is much desired but has been lost for centuries—protected by powerful magic that has kept it safe until Diana unearthed it. As various creatures begin to position themselves to seize the manuscript, Diana finds an unlikely ally and protector in a 1,500-year-old vampire named Matthew Clairmont. Although she’s been warned to never trust a vampire, Diana finds herself confused by her feelings for Matthew. As her relationship with Matthew develops and a war for the manuscript begins to take shape, Diana is forced to examine her past, accept her powerful witch heritage and confront her feelings about her own magical abilities.My ThoughtsThis was an enjoyable read but—and I can’t believe I’m saying this—it was no Twilight. I really didn’t get all hung up on Matthew like I did on Edward Cullen (which might say more about me than it does about the book). Although I enjoyed the fun that Harkness has with witches, vampires and daemons, the book didn’t generate much heat (sexual or otherwise). Everything seemed to happen too fast and easily. At one point, Diana gets into a bit of a jam but then tada! she gets out of it pretty easily. I guess I needed her to suffer more or for Diana and Matthew to experience more angst. It sounds like a strange thing to say, but what I guess I’m getting at is that I didn’t feel a sense of danger or menace in the books to give it emotional heft.What was most enjoyable about the book was how Harkness reimagined the various creatures of witches, vampires and daemons. One of my favorite parts was the house owned by Diana’s aunts. The house has feelings and gets ready for visitors by creating new rooms for them to stay in. Another fun aspect was when Diana decides to prepare a meal for Matthew and tries to figure out how to cook for a vampire.I think Harkness tried to create more modern believable back stories for creatures, but she doesn’t quite have the imagination and fun that, say, J.K. Rowling had with the Harry Potter books.Another area that might appeal to readers of a certain type was the historical tidbits that Harkness throws into the mix. It is obvious that she did some research to provide Diana with a plausible career as a historian studying the history of alchemy. The book is full of historical references, and Matthew is forever making casual references along the lines of “Oh Pope Blah Blah Blah… yeah, he was a vampire.”Readers should also know that this is the first book of a planned trilogy. I was under the impression it was a standalone book and, as I was reading, I kept thinking “How in the world is she going to wrap this up in the pages remaining?” It wasn’t until the final pages—which ends with a very big cliffhanger—that I realized this was the first book in a series. The second book is out now (Shadow of Night), and while I do plan on reading it at some point, I didn’t rush out to get it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Got off to a slow start but then I really got into it and can't wait for the sequel.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    LOVE is definitely not too strong a word for how I felt about this book.

    My best friend and fellow bookworm, Kim, recommended this one to me not long ago. She knew that I'd been burned out on vampires for awhile and was looking for something completely non-Twilighty. Read: NO SPARKLY ANYTHING.

    She suggested that I give A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness a try.

    I reserved it at the library that day, because Kim has never steered me wrong. When it finally came in, it sat on my shelf for a couple of weeks because I was reading several other books at the time. It kept staring at me though, as neglected books are wont to do, so I picked it up and got started.

    Holy cow, it never let me put it down. I finished it in just a couple of days. I LOVED it. Oh, how I loved it. It completely vanquished thoughts of unworthy vampires from my head, leaving it full of delicious dreams of Matthew Clairmont. One word: YUMMY.

    He is what a vampire SHOULD be. He is my new literary love and I have no intention of letting him go.

    I loved the story, the action, the characters, the threats...all of it. It's a fantastic story, and I'm glad I came into it late enough that I don't have to wait ages for the next book to come out. It comes out in July and I've already asked my library to purchase a copy. I hope they'll listen!

    You'd be doing yourself a favor by picking this one up. It's got it all...action, love story, sexy times (but not *that* kind of adult sexy times like porn or anything. They keep it pretty low-key), a threat to overcome, a past to embrace. It's awesome. Truly awesome.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Utterly abysmal. I have had more enjoyment from traumatic visits to the dentist than I derived from reading this garbage.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The ONLY reason I didn't give it five stars was because the first few chapters were too slow and Ms. Harkness puts some seriously hard scientific and other jargon in the story that was hard to follow at times. Other than that the book was fabulous.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Snyopsis/blurb at goodreads accurate enough to not rehash.* Set in modern day times but reminds me of one of the steampunk/victorian things with its "leisurely" pace. Decent read but slow to get into the characters and not living up to all the hype I heard before reading. Cliffhanger endings never appreciated so a grumpy-just-read reader like myself might sum up story as shutdown-refuse-to-use-heritage scholar wants a book in Oxford's library, gets threatened by members of all the races (human, vampire, demon, and witch -- none of which, including demons, inherently evil or satanic), meets mystery bossy possessive vampire, spends more than half the bloody book researching in libraries, gets bossed around more, gets threatened more, repeat a few times, finally threat made real, *boom* both she and vampire say "I love you," both meet each others families, more threats, more attacks, cliffhanger. On the fence about even reading sequel (not fond of cliffhanger to ensure you purchase next book in series); but the time travel back to Elizabeth I reign could be an interesting thing. *sigh* roughly 600 long pages that kept almost getting interesting or almost about to reveal some discovery in one of the books. Hopefully next book does more than hint at a potential for something interesting.

    *...well, reading further down the goodreads blurb -- nope, this is no "Anne Rice" and considering how blech-y I found the first twilight book (to be fair I could not finish it) I guess I would agree this is just as "sensual" as the twilight books (in my opinion that means not at all and most certainly not up to Anne Rice levels)? Historical realism was missing for me although the researching at library thru historical book's was well enough portrayed.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    4.5 stars...and the only reason they lost .5 stars was because the first half dragged for me. The last half? With the feelings and the planning and the house (OMG THE HOUSE) and the stuff? Yeah, that's how to grab a reader and make her sneaky read while sitting at her desk just to see what happens next. Matthew, Marcus, Hamish, Sarah, Em, Diana...I love them all. I hate that I have to wait another year for the next book but this one left off in the perfect place. Excellent read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    You can definitely tell that this book was written by a historian - and an academic at that. Not only are there lots of bits of history in it, but the author's love of learning, of acquiring knowledge, shines through. Not simply because Protagonist 1 (Diana) is an academic, and a historian of science at that (just like the author!), but Protagonist 2 (Matthew) is a centuries-old vampire. Interestingly, the author doesn't chart his long life in terms of money, or power, or sex, but in terms of scholars known and books read and/or acquired. Similarly, Diana's reaction to old manuscripts is entirely believable.

    Many people don't seem to like the amount of detail in this book - myself, I loved it. I loved the way Diana and Matthew discuss history, alchemy, genetics, the eating habits of wolves... It was a real treat to read two protagonists who are highly intelligent, very well-educated, and have an insatiable desire to learn.

    The plot - well, there are two. The love story between Diana and Matthew, and whatever is going on with Ashmole 782. The first got rather more advancement than the second - I expect Books 2 and 3 will have more about the mysterious manuscript. If you are looking for a fast-paced plot with lots of excitement, this book is not for you. This is a slow-burn sort of book, and I expect the story will play out with a lot of finding of information, and putting together of puzzles, rather than explosions and car chases.

    Urban fantasy done with academics.

    I love it. :-)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5

    Paranormal romance is not my usual genre of book.  I actually try to avoid them.  However, this one accidentally snuck itself onto my TBR shelf.  I am so glad it did.  I liked the characters and Harkness's research into the historical aspects of their lives.  Her characterizations kept me wanting to read more about them.  I also loved Harkness's descriptions of the conflict between the paranormal species and their peace" agreements.  The best part of the story, though, was the narration.  Jennifer Ikeda did an excellent job of narrating the audioversion.  She made a 20 disc novel fly by keeping the pace moving no matter what was happening. She had a firm grasp of what each character should "sound" like and it showed in her telling.  Ikeda turned what would have been a 3 star book (sorry, just not my genre) into a 4 star book.

    "
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I picked up this book because it was featured in O magazine and Entertainment weekly. It started out really good for me but in the end I didn't end up liking it as much as I thought I would.The story centers around Diana Bishop, a witch who has turned her back on her powers. She meets Mathew Clairmont, a centuries old vampire who is is every cliche of a vampire you ever read ie, sensitive, rich, handsome and basically unlike any man who currently resides on planet earth. One day Diana calls a magical manuscript out of the Oxford library and it brings out every witch, vampire, and daemon in the area in pursuit of her. Within a day Mathew decides Diana is his soul mate and then they get to know each other while evading magical creatures. While you have your belief completely suspended, in addition to magical creatures there is some time travel thrown in the end.The good for me was the characters were in my age range as opposed to the Twilight Teenies so I did appreciate the more mature wine and tea drinking take on things. I enjoyed the jet setting from England to France to the U.S. I also love the Bishop family house. It was a character in itself.The not so good concerned the middle part of the book where Mathew and Diana went to the castle and nothing happened for a very long time. I think Diana started out as a strong character capable of taking care of herself in the beginning of the book and then she became kind of a damsel in distress until the point that she has to save Mathew from his ex undead girlfriend. I also thought all of the discussion about Diana's DNA and lineage was kind of boring. The plot is so out there but the author is going to explain magical creatures by putting forth a theory on something rational like DNA. it didn't work for me. The plot kinda got lost for me in the middle too. At first it was all about the magical manuscript. Then it kind of came to be about the magical word trying to stop a vampire and a witch from dating. I am still not sure about why they went back in time at the end. They were either trying to get the manuscript or hiding? There also was something about Diana and company forming an army under the direction of the Knights of Lazurus to fight magical people. There were a lot of ideas to follow and some of it could have been edited better.By the end of the book I was happy to have finished it. The novel ends on a cliff hanger. I am not dying to know what happens next but will probably pick up the next book in the series when it comes out. My main disappointment with the book is that I thought it was on the cusp of something great but in the end it left me wanting more plot.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I really wanted to like this book. Couldn’t finish it. I never started liking the main characters. I got about 75% of the way through, and figured if I didn’t like it by then, I wasn’t going to.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    thought it created a very believable current day fantasy scenario with some fairly fantastic writing. Enjoyed the first few chapters, but . . . other books pulled me in before I finished it or learned to care deeply enough to consider putting another hold on it at the library to get it back. You have to have the right mindset for fantasy and to enter that world. The old library and scholarly atmosphere almost did it for me.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A fun read, with an interesting take on witches, vampires, and demons. Deborah Harkness does a good job of making her world believable and infuses it with modern science and centuries of history. Diana and Matthew make for great characters and their families help to enrich the narrative with family dynamics and old secrets. A fun read, definitely for those interested in paranormal fiction.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Excellent book. It was a long one, but I couldn't put it down. If you like witches, vampires, and demons, then you will love this book. Probably the first of a series since the ending left me wanting more.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Okay, I know that a lot of people really liked this book. In fact, the reason I read it in the first place was because of all the recommendations I'd gotten. So maybe it's just me...but I really, really didn't like this book!For starters, although the book is mainly written in with a first-person perspective, there are several, random chapters in which a third person POV is used. This seems more for the sake of convenience than anything else. Next, the book moves very, very slowly. There are several chapters in which nothing interesting happens. Finally, there is the ending. Or at least I think there is an ending. Kind of. In reality, the last few chapters of the book are only a set-up for the sequel. Ordinarily, a plot will continue to gain tension as it moves along; however, in this book, the exciting climax of the story comes before the final third of the book, leaving several hundred pages of...well, not much.I do see the story's charms. The settings are very nice and are full of quaint farmhouses and lovely old castles. The bits about the science of vampires, witches, and daemons are interesting. And the few exciting scenes in the book are also nicely written.But the story contains so many confusing backtracks, dull spots, strange plot lurches (as when the heroine is stuck at home with her mother-in-law while her husband goes off to England where the real action is), and unanswered questions that I can't recommend the book to anyone.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Fiction including supernatural themes, especially with vampires!, is all the rage now. Most of this fiction is aimed at teenagers, so Deborah Harkness refreshingly brings a more adult approach to the subject. There are no raging teenage hormones here to trigger vampire or witch or daemon transformations or activity.The central idea here is that humans, vampires, witches and daemons are all separate, but related, species, with the non-humans very much in evidence, but weakening over the centuries. The heroes, a witch and vampire (falling in lurve, of course) are academics (a historian of science specialising in alchemy and a leading geneticist) brought together over a strange book in the Bodleian Library that might explain all.Harkness is very good on the academic world and the scenes set in Oxford are the strongest in the book. The second half of the book set in France and New England lacks the same intimate knowledge of place and culture with insufficient action to hold interest (lots of people arriving, being introduced and then waiting for their moment in the light).Diana Bishop must be the wettest heroine in history! She spends most of the book fainting, resting after recovering from fainting or worrying that she is about to faint.This is a well written book with a clear use of language from an accomplished author. My disappointment comes from this very clearly being the first volume in a series, so major storylines and plot points are never resolved. Everything is about set-up with none of the release.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I'm editing my review now that I have finished the series.

    The series starts out promisingly, with a strong protagonist trying to overcome her flaws, a quirky family, an exciting discovery, and a sexy forbidden romance blossoming.

    As the series goes on, the exciting discovery is drawn out into what I imagine the author intended as a suspenseful mystery, but becomes annoying and frustrating instead, as the author's skills at creating suspense are lacking.

    The romance, as most forbidden loves, goes against conventional wisdom of what is healthy behavior in a relationship. It's one of those romances in which a powerless (she's a witch but has little power) woman meets a sexy, dangerous, controlling, rich vampire with a rage problem. That could be exciting, I guess, if it were a little more honest about the likely outcome of such match. But this isn't that kind of book.

    By the last book, I was having trouble finishing the series because the writing didn't flow, the lack of suspense made the read frustrating instead of exciting, and the characters kept revealing an appalling lack of judgement.

    I'm leaving my review at 3 stars, but my rating for the overall series is closer to a 1 or a 2 star rating. Don't bother. You never will find out who created that manuscript, or why.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Fabulous tale of intricate characters and well developed love story. Can't wait for the next book!!!