HOTTER THAN HELL

Author: Jackie Kessler ISBN: 9780821781043 8/2008 PARANORMAL Publisher: KENSINGTON/ZEBRA

The incubus Daunuan loves his job: seduce a lot of mortals, bring their souls to Hell, party at the best interdimensional pub this side of the Astral Plane. But when the King of Lust makes him an offer he can't refuse, Daun has to give up all the tricks of his trade to properly befriend—and bed—Virginia Reed, a woman who's meant for Heaven. If he can get her to love him for the incubus he really is, and if he can avoid the rogue demons that are hell-bent on destroying him for reasons unknown, Daun will become the First Principal of Lust, second in line to the King. But Daun learns that love is more than a four-letter word, and that maybe, just maybe, demons really do have feelings after all...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Like anyone else who is into Jackie Kessler's Hell on Earth series, Duan's book, HOTTER THAN HELL, the third book in this series, was a highly anticipated read for me. After all, Duan and Jezebel from HELLE'S BELLES were the incubus and succubus who also happen to be the demons with "the mostest," so to speak—super hot, sexy, erotic characters with sharp tongues and even sharper wit to match. Their banter and interaction in HELLE'S BELLES and its follow up, THE ROAD TO HELL, was a joy to read and I had no doubt that Duan's story would be any less. Kessler didn't disappoint, though this time she writes a much darker and less erotic paranormal than usual.

Let's face it. We all know Duan and Jazzie were a perfect demonic pairing, matched in sex drive, personality and the joys of having such a great job in Hell—sucking the souls from mortals on Earth through seduction and erotic sex. But Jazzie's now mortal, deeply in love with her man, Paul (her meat pie, as Duan calls him), leaving Duan to try to forget his favorite sex partner and fiendish friend and move along in his own demonic life. But love? Heh. It's not in Duan's... er, hooves to experience that mortal sensation since demons have no heart. But Duan is about to learn a new lesson in demonology and just what makes his incubus non-heart tick: black curly hair, deep green eyes, and a deep sexy voice and laugh he simply can't forget. Throw in his megaboss, Pan, and an assigned quest that if he doesn't live up to will mean Duan's complete destruction—and also happens to involve black curly hair, deep green eyes and a similar sexy voice and laugh akin to that same said succubus—and this is one demon who's got a lot of work to do.

Once again, the minions of Hell come out of the woodwork as Duan tries to seal the deal and deliver the goods to Hell. But this time's a little bit different. Okay, it's a lot different. Because this time Duan's quarry is a good girl, meant for Heaven and things all white and shining, and all his powers of seduction and sex simply won't work on the pure of heart. The countdown's on and the stakes are high, because if Duan can succeed, it means the crown of First Principal of Lust for him (and loads of paperwork in Hell). But if he doesn't capture this good girl's soul, then it's no more Duan in Hell... or anywhere else, for that matter. He'll be gone. Obliterated. Out to lunch with that slob Gluttony, permanently, in a microparticle kind of way.

All these books have been so much fun. Sassy, witty, with characters I've enjoyed so much. But HOTTER THAN HELL is much darker, a much deeper look into Duan's character and just what makes Duan the incubus he is. His earlier interactions with Mozart and a remembrance of a time when he and Jezebel came upon a revivalist's tent in the early 1900's, proves there's much more to Duan than the author lets on. As she puts it best in her notes at the end of the book, "At his core, he's an evil bastard. In a cuddly sort of way." And that's exactly what he is and maybe explains why we followers of this series all love him so much. He's the incubus to die for... literally.

I highly recommend all of the Hell on Earth series books, which stand alone quite well but you would probably follow things better if you read them in sequence—HELLE'S BELLES, THE ROAD TO HELL, and finally HOTTER THAN HELL. Armageddon's yet to come and with the ending in HOTTER THAN HELL (I'm not giving that away because Kessler totally surprised me on that account), there's sure to be more Hell on Earth books yet to come.

Yes, sometimes it's good to be simply a mere mortal. Let the demons do their sexiest and lustiest as they will, and through talented authors like Jackie Kessler we readers can just sit back and enjoy. No personal peril involved.

Nancy Davis