Review: The Seduction of Phaeton Black by Jillian Stone

by Jewels E 9/10/2012 4 comments

Hi!

So I totally had a panic attack and thought I had lost my review after I wrote it up on here, but thank goodness blogger saves your work or my lovely review would have been lost. I should really work in Word first, but meh, not happening. Anyway, the review was not lost and is here for everyone to enjoy!

Summary

In the gaslit streets of Victorian London, phantoms rule the night, demons dance till dawn, and one supernatural detective dares to be seduced by the greatest power of all. . .

Paperback, 1st Edition, 335 pages

Published March 27th 2012

by Brava         

more details...

ISBN

0758268963 (ISBN13: 9780758268969)

He's The Man With The Magic Touch
A master of deduction, seduction and other midnight maneuvers, Phaeton Black is Scotland Yard's secret weapon against things that go bump in the night. His prodigious gifts as a paranormal investigator are as legendary as his skills as a lover, his weakness for wicked women as notorious as his affection for absinthe. But when he's asked to hunt down a fanged femme fatale who drains her victims of blood, he walks right into the arms of the most dangerous woman he's ever known. . .
She's The Devilish Miss Jones
Pressing a knife to his throat--and demanding he make love to her--Miss America Jones uses Phaeton as a willing shield against the gang of pirates chasing her. As deadly as she is, with a derringer tucked in her garter, Miss Jones is not the vampiric killer he's been staking out--but she may be just what Phaeton needs to crack the case. As the daughter of a Cajun witch, she possesses uncanny powers. As a fearless fighter, she can handle anything from Egyptian mummies to Jack the Ripper. But when an ancient evil is unleashed on the world, she could be his only salvation. . .or ultimate sacrifice.
Summary from www.goodreads.com

Review

You know, I always always fall in love with the hero. Some of them I continue to love even long after I'm done the book (see My Imaginary Boyfriends) and some become more hazy with time. But with Phaeton, it's different. Phaeton is more of that guy I could totally fall in love with because he's so charming. He's like a good, funny friend, full of wit and kind hearted. I haven't yet totally fallen in love with Phaeton, but I am expecting that I will as this series continues. I suppose what most charms me is his quick wit and dry sense of humour. He never fails to have a response ready for every situation no matter how extraordinary they might seem.

And for an investigator of the Scotland Yard in the 1880s, the man does see some extraordinary things. I have so many books on my to read list that I forgot what this one was about so it came as something as a surprise to me when it was paranormal romance set in Victorian London. A bit out there you say? That's different you say? I agree. And Phaeton's story of tracking the goddess Qadesh who is royally ticked off, really works. If you do decide to read this book, I have to warn you: they refer to Qadesh in a lot of different ways--vampire, succubus, goddess, demigoddess--she's all one and the same so don't let that confuse you. Other than those words being used interchangeably, the story is really well plotted out, with an interesting subplot involving pirates (yes, I said pirates) and a cast of supernaturally gifted characters, all of which I love and hope to see more of in the series. Phaeton is one of those characters, but so is the brazen America Jones.

See, and this is what I like about this book. It's so totally jumbled--supernaturally gifted characters, goddesses and what nots, pirates and then there's America Jones, a Cajun witch. A sexy Cajun witch. A woman Phaeton simply cannot resist even though he really really wants to. Why does he want to? Because underneath his veneer of charm and quick wit we discover that Phaeton's heart is of pure gold, that he's vulnerable because of something that happened to a woman he cared about once, and he doesn't want to risk a repeat of that hurt. I suppose what I loved most Phaeton at the end was, he struck me very much of a little boy simply needing reassurance. It was really very sweet. And he learns to laugh. I'll let you figure out just how significant that statement is: he learns to laugh. And while we have a mish mash of everything in this novel, not for one second did it strike me as unbelievable. Somehow, Jillian Stone made it really work in a way that is original and refreshing.

Now, I think I have to let you in on a little secret: This book is hot. The romance is very modern, almost casual, but there is something so extraordinarily intimate about it that never for one second did I think (like our silly H/h did) that this couple was not in love. The bedroom scenes are very well done I think because you see how involved these characters are involved emotionally with each other, no matter how much they might be formal with one another outside the bedroom. And I think that level of emotion is what make scenes so hot.

Overall, I was intrigued with this novel and can't wait for the next one, which is due to be released sometime this fall.

4 glittering stars