Samhain Publishing, $6.50, ISBN 978-1-60504-245-9
Fantasy Romance, 2008
Jennifer Randall and Blake Barrington got hitched after a whirlwind courtship and some earthshattering nookie. The thing is, both aren’t exactly honest with each other when they vow to share and share alike as husband and wife. He’s a demon, albeit one hoping to find a way to become human again. She’s not just a real estate agent, she’s also an operative of the Society for the Protection of Mortals and Control of Supernatural Beings (SPMCSB) whose routine targets include, yes, demons.
To be fair, Jennifer will tell you that she wasn’t exactly in the best state of mind when she married Blake. She was burned out – mistaking a priest for a vampire and trying to stake the poor dear was just the latest of five mishaps in two weeks; a sign that she definitely needed a break from the job. You know how things can be, I’m sure. The sun, the beach at St Thomas, the hot guy who gives good things in multiples…
Of course, Jenn didn’t know at that time that Blake is a demon just as he has no clue that she is a Protector. It is only when Jenn resumes her duties and is charged to recover a stolen bracelet that was made by Satan specifically for Adolf Hitler (don’t ask), the same one that Blake is supposed to deliver to Satan, that the truth eventually came out. Throw in Blake’s bizarre family members, plenty of imps, Marilyn Monroe, and midget aliens from distant planets, and I Married a Demon is a hilarious read from start to finish.
I’m in awe at how Ms Rae manages to toss in pretty much every paranormal trope ever created into her story and still comes up with a coherent Men In Black-meets-Mr. & Mrs. Smith story. This story is a laugh-a-minute romp and I have a fabulous time reading it.
Just beware though. Because I’m too busy having fun, I manage to conveniently overlook the heroine’s frequent bouts of ineptness and stupidity, but yikes, Jenn is pretty stupid in this story. She’s supposed to be one of the best Protectors, according to her boss, and I can only imagine that he’s fattening her up for the kill or something because there is no way that this Jenn can actually be considered “capable”. She bumbles around, she can barely spy on her own husband properly, and she is really slow at coming to obvious conclusions. As this story is narrated entirely in Jenn’s first person point of view, she is going to make or break the story, depending on whether the reader warms up to her often silly antics in this story.
I Married a Demon would have easily qualified as a keeper if the heroine isn’t as often the punchline as she is at delivering punchlines. As it is, I really like it, but I can only give this story a most guarded recommendation because of the heroine. I find it a great fun story, but I’d also caution you to watch out for the heroine.
