"What a Demon Wants" by Kathy Love

A bodyguard? Why in the world would a demon need a bodyguard? Yes, it's true Ellina Kostova is only half demon...and an author with a cult following, but that just means strange stuff happens. She isn't in real danger. Heck, she's in more danger from Jude Anthony, the guy her brother has hired to protect her. In big danger, actually. Because she just cannot be attracted to...well, anyone. She's too much of a demon in bed. No, really.... Jude has grown accustomed to being an outcast, adrift in both the mortal and preternatural worlds. Being a paid fighting machine isn't glamorous, but he does it - and many other things - spectacularly well. And man does Ellina Kostova need a lot of protection. But he needs protection, too. She's making him remember what it feels like to be human. And he's already learned no good can come of that. Especially when he's been hired not only to protect her - but also kill her....

I usually enjoy a book by Kathy Love; a quick romantic supernatural read for a weekend. This one fit the quick and romantic, but somehow fell short in the enjoyment department. After finishing, I think I've been able to pinpoint the problem - not enough danger (and honestly, not a very good plot, either).

In any Love book, there's the meeting between the two romantic leads, the growing attraction that both leads try to fight, and a threat to the female that causes the male to go beyond his typical comfort level, thus proving his love for the girl. There's always a supernatural element, too, usually the guy - either a vampire or some such entity. Nothing too difficult to read, but cute and fun and romantic as all get out.

Well, this book has the romantic covered I suppose. Jude is the handsome stranger, half werewolf, half vampire, all male. Ellina is the damsel in distress - except that she's not, not really. The girl is half-demon, so it's not as if she's completely helpless, and I found it difficult to believe that she was really in that much danger. Their growing attraction is supposed to be complicated by Ellina's reaction to lust, one that has turned off every human she's ever tried to be with - her demon side comes out, resulting in a rather unusual skin condition. Again, I didn't buy this so much as a true problem because Jude isn't human. Sigh.

My biggest complaint is the stalker/killer, mostly that the writing wasn't good enough to prevent me from figuring out his/her identity half-way through the book. Not to mention the fact that it's not as if the stalker/killer is truly a villain, something that when revealed felt like a cop-out to me. True, this isn't great literature, but I would like my authors to remember that I do have a brain (even though at times I don't want to tax it!)

I'm hoping the next Love book I pick up will be better than this one. Overall, it felt like a middling C-type work. Not one of her best, I'm afraid.