Sleeping With the Entity

June 15, 2013

In Sleeping with the Entity, the last thing bar-and-grill owner and head of his local vamp clan Nick St. George wants is a new business attracting humans--and attention--to his carefully protected, under-the-radar Chicago neighborhood. Baker extraordinaire and the daughter of the local mortician Daniella Delaney decides to open Heavenly Cupcakes under Nick's very nose and is totally unaffected by his never-fail mental attempts to persuade her to leave. Soon Nick realizes the tempting Daniella is more than she seems--and trouble just waiting to happen. Vamp clan rivalry adds a street-gang edge, and the profusion of cleverly named cupcakes (e.g., blood red velvet) injects a sweet, whimsical touch to this inventive romp that brilliantly combines the current appeal of vampires, cupcakes, and tight-knit communities. A complex, quirky, magical world readers will want to revisit.

Expelled from their Boston coven when her grandmother Irma creates a riot by exposing a popular motivational speaker as a charlatan, librarian-turned-soap-maker Zoe Adams and Irma head to Chicago at the invitation of Irma's old friend Nick St. George. Unfortunately, witches, even gorgeous ones like Zoe, aren't welcomed by everyone in Vamptown in The Entity Within, especially not by the suspicious but sexy security chief demon hunter Damon Thornheart. Zoe just wants peace and quiet, not trouble--and then Irma accidentally unleashes a hoard of vengeful demons. Left with the mess, Zoe must now deal with a vindictive demon as well as a furious and conflicted Damon. Witches and demons add dimension to Devon's fanciful paranormal world. VERDICT Devon's delicious new takes on the popular vampire theme are delectable. An award-winning author who also writes contemporary romance under another name, Devon lives near Chicago.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 15, 2013
For the first time in his life, Nick St. George has encountered a woman who won't do exactly what he tells her to do. Ordinarily, no human being can resist Nick's mind-compulsion powers, but for some odd reason, Daniella Delaney refuses to obey his command that she not open her cupcake shop in his Chicago neighborhood. Nick and the other members of his clan have the perfect setup in Vamptown, and the last thing they need is a bunch of inquisitive, cupcake-crazy humans. Hoping to get Nick to change his attitude, Daniella offers him an assortment of her scrumptious cupcakes, not realizing that although he is immune to sweets, he is more than tempted to take a bite out of her. Writing under a new pseudonym, the always entertaining Cathie Linz gracefully puts her own spin on the perennially popular vampire romance. Featuring a yummy bad-boy hero and a feisty heroine, and expertly seasoned with Linz's sharp sense of humor, the resulting romance is a delectable treat for readers who enjoy sexy romances that slant to the lighter side of the paranormal subgenre.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)