Incubus (Fairwick Chronicles)

The Demon Lover was nothing like I thought it would be. When I first saw the cover, read the summary and an excerpt of the prologue, I thought, WOW. I HAVE to read this book now.

But when I actually got to it... let's just say it was very difficult to get into the story. I felt no connection to the main character. None. The other characters were all very mysterious and... ecletic. Really, just too odd. Even if they were paranormal. And most of them felt superfluous, I guess. They weren't very important to the story at all. Maybe in the next books?

This is a supernatural romance with a lot of mystery. Really, A LOT of mystery. That was the biggest problem for me. There was way too much of it. (I used to think there couldn't possibly be such a thing, but as it turns out...). If I had to read one more sentence of: they shared a strange look, they looked at each other as if sharing a secret, they were whispering in secret, they exchanged glances... GAH!!!

When you thought something would be cleared, that something would finally be explained... there seemed to appear three more different mysteries. No answers at all. O.o Anyone heard of Hydra of Lerna?

I caught myself skipping a great deal of pages, which is not a good sign. The book was so long! It's not that the story wasn't interesting (I really wanted to get a taste of a demon lover myself, LOL), but it's very tiring when nothing is ever explained... and, at long last, when they eventually do explain somethings, we get THAT kind of sucky ending. Yeah, well... (It was only when I was halfway through it that I found out this book was part one in a series -jeez-, but this was such a long, tiring read all I really wanted was some kind of closure...).

What I did enjoy VERY much was... (guess, guess!!!) YES, the incubus! LOL. Liam was my favorite thing in the whole book. The only exciting things that happened were when he was around. Yes, there were many sexual interactions, (but you only need to read the summary to see they're coming) and I'm not ashamed to say (okay, maybe just a little) that they were the only reasons I kept turning the pages. That and because I wanted to read more about Liam. (and does the author make you work for it! >.>).

I was all kinds of disappointed. With the too-long book, with the empty, distant characters, with the ending that failed to meet any and all expectations... (those that still resisted my initial frustration). I'm sorry about so much whining and complaining, however, that's how it was for me.
The author is very good with describing objects, houses, nature, clothes (her detailing of art work and the interior of the forest just leaves you breathless.), she's obviously very creative and has studied a lot about folklore, fairytales and celtic fables, but, for me, not even those super interesting things could save this book.

Then again, who knows? Maybe you'll love it. It has every kind of paranormal creatures: vampires, demons, fairies, familiars... you name it. It's worth a try, at least.

*eARC provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Cailleach McFay is a teacher whose speciality is folklore. And she is good, her book, Sex Lives of the Demon Lover (an adaptation from her thesis) had become a best-seller. And this combined with her Ph.D had brought her offers from New York University and other small colleges like the one in Fairwick where she is right now.
But she is not ready to accept a job there, far from it, her whole life was supposed to be in NYC, finally together with her boyfriend of eight years, Paul. Both had decided that their careers were first and agreed that their goal would be to move to New York together. So now she had to find a way to delay her answer to the .

And she was perfectly happy until she set her eyes upon Honeysuckle House, a marvelous victorian house that compelled her to live there... to buy it and make it hers... to give up her future with Paul and begin a life in Fairwick.
And so she did. She bought the house and discovered that not only it had been the house of Dahlia LaMotte, a novelist whose books had been about young girls with no parents that ended up in the hands of Byronic heroes who threatened their virginity, but that the house came with unpublished novels and a secret that changer her world: there was a succubus in that house, one that somehow, had visited her when she was little after losing her parents and told her fairytales to help her sleep.
But now his visits where far from innocents... and Cailli finds herself torn between the decision of making him go away with the help of her new supernatural friends or keeping him with her and continue their sex live together knowing that it might kill her soon...

In a small town where everything seems normal and peaceful Callie is about to discover that supernatural creatures are real, that she might be one of them, that her students are beginning to look sick and weak and that her love life is about to get really complicated.
Thanks goodness there is massive magic library below the New York city library and she has access to it now.

Personal opinion:
For me it's been the first time I've read about succubus or incubus and it was by mistake, I thought The Demon Lover was a YA book but I blame the cover xD
Saying that I have to say that I enjoyed it. I had a little information about incubus thanks to TV series and this book offered a lot of light into the succubus mythology.

The book combined the perfect quantity of tension, fairytales and mystery that it needed. I mean, who wouldn't want to study in a campus where maybe vampires, witches, succubus, faeries and other creatures are the teachers or students? I think that this is what I liked the most: a supernatural college inside a common college.

The plot itself is, maybe, a little obvious once you reach a certain part of the story but that won't stop you from continuing, far from it, you will wonder how is it going to happen and if everyone will be okay at the end.

The ending was bittersweet but it makes sense since there's going to be a next book so I'm not to worried about it. Will I be reading the next book? You bet. I can't wait to know how is the author going to continue Calli's journey.

Callie McFay gets offered a teaching position at the college of Fairwick, 3-4 hours away from New York. She goes there for the interview not really planning on accepting, until she becomes enchanted by an old victorian house that used to belong to Dahlia LaMotte, a famous writer of gothic romances in the middle of the 20th century. After that, she buys the house, accepts the teaching position and moves into Fairwick.

It quickly becomes apparent to Callie and to the reader as well, that there are strange things happening at Fairwick and some very strange people are living there. But then, Callie is a little bit weird herself; she has been having visits from a demon prince, who has turned into a demon lover recently, since she was a child and her parents died. The weirdest thing though, is that by reading Dahlia LaMotte's manuscripts, she discovers that she was being visited by a demon lover as well. Is he the same one as Callie's? And if so, could he be real?

Juliet Dark creates an engaging atmosphere of an charming, quaint and also eerie village in Fairwick. Callie's house, the surrounding forest and the images of the village isolated by a snow storm that has frozen everything, are vivid and majestic and a little bit chilling. Though I never really felt scared, the story grabbed me and I found that I couldn't put the book down, even though I had another book I was dying to read, right at hand. I got a little bit frustrated near the end, when Callie -and everyone else- refused to see what was pretty obvious to the reader, but there were a couple of other twists that took me by surprise and so I didn't get as upset as I would otherwise be.

As for the ending, reading the book a month after its publication date, I'd already read enough reviews to know that the ending leaves many things open for the next book, so I was prepared for it. I'm very intrigued with the world that Dark has created and her heroine, and I will certainly be looking forward to the sequel.

PS: I read in another review that Dark wrote this book with a Thesaurus in hand. After reading the book, I can't help but agree with that reviewer; there's a rare word in every page or two. It's a little over the top IMO, as trying too much usually is.

Juliet Dark is a pseudonym for Carol Goodman. Goodman writes historical gothic fiction and literary mysteries. This is her first romantic paranormal fantasy and she succeeds beautifully. The imaginary she creates is vivid and her attention to detail has you immediately loving the small college town of Fairwick in upstate New York and the characters residing there. "The Demon Lover" is the type of book you want to savior, like that perfect cup of coffee on a cold fall morning. This book immediately made me think of "A Discovery of Witches" with its gothic, myth and folklore imagery. I found this aspect of the story as intriguing as the suspenseful mystery.

Dr. Cailleach (Callie) McFay is our young protagonist; she has recently graduated from college and published a book entitled "The Sex Lives of the Demon Lovers". Callie arrives at Fairwick College to interview for a position teaching folklore at the campus. She isn't sure about taking the job; her dream is to be in New York, but while visiting there, she comes across an old Victorian home called Honeysuckle House and learns it's for sale. It was originally owned by historical romance writer Dahila LaMotte. The realtor informs her that all of LaMotte's notes, journals and unpublished books come with the house, but that these books can never leave the home. Callie sees this as an opportunity for a new book. Callie accepts the teaching position and moves into Honeysuckle House. Every night she is visited by a man of shadow and moonlight, who seduces her and leaves her aching and satisfied in the morning. As Callie reads LaMotte's journals and explores the college town she begins to realize there is a lot more going on here. Callie is a strong educated character and you can't help but like her. She battles with her brain, and looks for solutions head on. She is flawed, but tries to do the right thing.

I would love to share so many details about the book, but do not want to spoil the story for you. For those of you who love to read, you will get a kick out of the references to authors, such as, Charlaine Harris. Dark made me laugh out loud with these references and some off handed comments to those who scorn paranormal /urban fantasy literature.

I know some of you will detest the ending, but although I can find no reference to it, this book has ended in such a way that I feel another book will be coming. This reader certainly hopes so.

When Callie interviews at Fairwick College for a teaching position, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to an old Victorian named The Honeysuckle House. She knows she has to live there, so she quickly accepts the position. Yet strange things start happening that she cannot explain. The most pressing of issues is the extremely erotic dreams she has with a mystery visitor each night. She quickly gets led down a path that blurs the line between fiction and reality and knows that she will never be the same.

Callie was quite a frustrating narrator, or at least rather unrealistic and quite naive. I mean the woman studies the paranormal and is a successful author of an academic novel on folklore and the like. Yet, somehow she never once had considered that there could be at least some fact basis for all the stories. So, it takes her a very long time to open her eyes to the idea that the stranger in her dreams could actually be real despite plenty of evidence that he is. In fact there were so many clues to things not being entirely what they seem in Fairwick that I was surprised that she could be so oblivious to it all. Then when she finally opens her eyes, she is rather blaze about it. So like I said, quite frustrating.

So the ending. Yeah, it was horrible. For the entire book I felt like I was waiting for something to happen, and then when some of my suspicions are confirmed, every hope I had for happiness is utterly destroyed. I'll be honest that I had thought this was a stand alone paranormal romance novel before reading it. So, the lack of a HEA was quite a shock. It is quite obvious now that this was merely the setup for a series, but in the end that still doesn't change my opinion of the ending. To avoid spoilers I'm just going to say that I feel a certain character was too harshly judged and punished for something that may or may not have even be true, or at least may never have come into play. It just seemed a little too easy to label this character as evil without taking everything into account. Perhaps I am just a sucker for the bad guy/gal.

I have a feeling that a lot of the reasoning behind my dislike of The Demon Lover had to do with the excessive amount of narrative. I prefer my books to be heavy on dialog rather than narrative, or even a healthy mix. However, The Demon Lover was incredibly sparse on the dialog, with pages and pages of constant narrative that I found myself constantly skimming it. To be honest I am not sure I really missed anything by doing this as nothing really happens for the entire book. Well, right up until the very end that is, but I'll get into that in a minute. You would just think for such a long book there would have been more action or romance. Just something to keep the reader attached to the story. That being said, I will still probably read the next book as I want to see if anything gets resolved with the character that I felt was unfairly treated. I do feel a little guilty rating this book the way I did because it really had potential, but in the end I just have to be honest with myself that it just didn't work for me. That being said, it may very well appeal to others and if the description intrigues you I'd recommend giving it a chance.

Juliet Dark is a pseudonym for Carol Goodman, two of whose literary suspense novels I read years ago: The Lake of Dead Languages and The Drowning Tree. I enjoyed them, and what I remember most are the mythological themes, the academic settings, and the beauty of Goodman's prose, especially when describing water, ice, and snow. Recently Goodman has entered the fantasy field, first with the Black Swan Rising novels (written with her husband Lee Slonimsky under the pen name Lee Carroll), which I've been meaning to read, and now with The Demon Lover.

I've had underwhelming results in the past with suspense authors crossing over into fantasy, but Goodman is a different kind of suspense author. She puts so much mythology into her mainstream books, and has such a talent for making the real world seem like a fairyland, that I always half expected the paranormal to show up anyway. In The Demon Lover, the paranormal does show up, and the novel does not disappoint.

Cailleach "Callie" McFay has always wanted to teach at NYU, so she's not quite sure why she's interviewing for a position at Fairwick College, way out in the boonies. But she is drawn toward the school and toward a vacant Victorian house near the Fairwick campus. It doesn't hurt that the house once belonged to Callie's favorite guilty-pleasure author, Gothic novelist Dahlia LaMotte (whether the name is a reference to A.S. Byatt's Christabel LaMotte, I'm not sure, but what a cool touch if it is!) and the property includes the original manuscripts of LaMotte's novels.

Callie takes the position, buys the house, and begins to have disturbing but sensual dreams. Even more strangely, as she reads through the manuscripts, she learns that LaMotte experienced the same visitations while living in the house, writing them into her books in spicy scenes that were left out of the published versions. Callie is being haunted by an incubus. Dark weaves the myths of the incubus and the ganconer ("love-talker") together with the story of Tam Lin, and the question for Callie is, what kind of tale is she in? Is this the kind of demon that must be banished or, like Tam Lin, can he be redeemed from his demonic existence by the love of a human?

The Demon Lover has so much to sink one's teeth into. Several types of supernatural beings. Academic politics. Witchcraft. A fairyland with hints of a rich, tragic history. Two troubled students, each with her own horrors to face. A scene-stealing, Jack-swilling memoirist. The cutest familiar imaginable. A type of demon that could only have been invented and named by a bibliophile. Lots of twists; the reader can predict some of them, but there are enough red herrings to keep you second-guessing yourself. The Demon Lover is the start of a trilogy, and I'm glad there are more books because I get the feeling there's a story under every rock in Fairwick.

The prose is beautiful, especially when winter storms strike Fairwick (there's that ice and snow again) and when Callie gets a glimpse inside the mysterious triptych in Briggs Hall.

There are a few minor issues one could nitpick about: a bit of too-expository dialogue near the beginning, a few ham-handedly symbolic character names, and a protagonist who sometimes seems older than her years (she's part of that "self-esteem generation" she grumbles about, I think). It would seem petty to belabor them much, though, since the truth of the matter is that I read this book as though the pages were dusted with an addictive substance. The only issue that actually hampered my enjoyment was a decision Callie made at the very end. She asks a particular character for help with a situation. It's clear to the reader that if that person can fix the situation, Callie is equally qualified to do so, perhaps with Elizabeth Book's help with the technical aspects. But instead, Callie goes to this other character and strikes a deal. In return for information that seems intuitive anyway, Callie ends up owing a heavy favor. It does create a new conflict for book two, but it doesn't quite seem to follow from what we've seen in book one.

In conclusion, though I didn't quite understand one aspect of the ending, I loved The Demon Lover and am eagerly awaiting future FAIRWICK CHRONICLES novels. This is a spooky, sensual fantasy for literature geeks.

Dr Cailleach McFay has a PhD in folkore. Having done her thesis on The Demon Lover in Gothic Literature, she took part of her thesis and published a book titled "Sex Lives of the Demon Lovers" which is why she is offered a teaching position in the Folklore Department of Fairwick College. She's not sure if she should take the job in this second-tier college, until she sees a house for sale that had been owned, until her death, by reclusive historical romance writer Dahlia LaMotte. The house comes with all of Dahlia's notes and manuscripts which can't be removed from the house. Callie sees an opportunity for another book.

Callie doesn't actually believe in witches, fairies, demons, vampires and incubi, but she soon has to change her mind. Not only did Dahlia write about a dark lover in her notes, but Callie must come to terms that her nightly visitor isn't just a dream but an incubus. Does she really want to banish him?

This review is difficult to write without giving too much away. At ¼ of the way into the book you begin to wonder why it's called The Demon Lover when the story takes a different direction. But all of the parts do pull together and you've got what appears to be the first book in an interesting new series. There's a lot for Callie to learn about what's real in folklore, what's different about the town of Fairwick and who and what she is.

Callie doesn't always see what's obvious to the reader, but explanations are given as to why when she does figure things out. And it's written in a way that things aren't always obvious to the reader. We know there are a couple of problems and we are given some possibilities, but I still managed to be surprised by the end results either because of the "who and why" or by their actions. There's some really good sexual tension from the readings Callie does from Dahlia's stories, although considering the title of the book, we aren't being overwhelmed with explicit sex.

There were a couple of times when I wondered where the story was going but I'm really glad I stuck with it. Be prepared for some mythology and you'll have to decide for yourself if the outcome with the demon lover is good or not. And then there's Ralph. You've got to love Ralph.

As a side note, Charlaine Harris' Sookie series is mentioned a couple of times as part of the popular vampire literature so it was funny to read that a person's name in this book was Andre Bellefleur - very similar to Harris' Andy Bellefleur. On purpose?

Right in the middle are my true feelings about 'The Demon Lover: A Novel' by Juliet Dark for I expected so much more in the Gothic Paranormal Romance but instead got a very light and slightly predicable novel with an ending that I just hated. While reading the back I was expecting something hot and steamy but also true to the Gothic sense, something that could put me back into the times when I first read the Bronte sisters. I know that is asking a lot coming from some of the greatest Gothic writers in our time but when a novel has been built up to be a fine piece of Gothic Literature we all have our expectations and those were mine.

The writing style was easy to follow and the story was somewhat imaginative. I say somewhat for there where parts that just screamed out at me as if I have read them somewhere else but alas I am not able to place where they seem so familiar. But putting those familiar pieces aside I thought the overall writing to be very easy to follow, even though there are parts where Mrs Dark tend to drag on and I did find myself board and wanting to skip ahead to the more juicy parts. Speaking of juicy parts, if you were shy about picking up a copy because of these parts you have nothing to worry about. I was expecting something very hot and steamy and the most I got was a very hot kiss and some tasteful language. The Demon Lover is not really a lover in words if you catch my drift and if that was your main concern you really have nothing to worry about here.

With it not holding up to a true Gothic novel and it having a somewhat predictable storyline I would have given it 4 stars for it was still a well written book and I did enjoy reading it until...I came to the end. I hated the ending, and that is what puts me right in the middle. You might really wonder why I would still give it 4 stars, the reason behind is because I still did enjoy the story and Mrs Dark was able to transport me to Fairwick and really help me understand all of her characters. But that ending, it just made me what to scream and that is the true reason of why I am in the middle. Maybe you will have a different interruption of the ending then I did and more appreciation.

This book has a great premise, and I was expecting a sort of dark, mystery that was also sexy, since it involves an incubus. Instead I was pretty bored, but somewhat intrigued...but still bored. I'm actually kind of conflicted on my feelings towards this one. I really like some parts, but they were interspersed with a lot of boring parts.

Callie has studied demon lovers in folklore her whole life, and she's also had dreams of her very own demon lover. When she moves into a small college town, the dreams become more frequent, more real, and even more erotic. She believes it's because of the old house she's purchased, where one of her favorite authors once lived and wrote Gothic Romances. Perhaps reading those unedited drafts have gone to her head? I was very intrigued about the connection between Callie's dreams and the house/manuscripts, but everything that happens outside of that was extremely dull. And it took far too long for something exciting to happen!

There are several subplots woven along side with Callie's demon lover, but at some point they almost took over. Despite the title, the demon lover doesn't have that many scenes, but he seems to always be in the background. I would have liked him to be in the forefront more often, since the other plots simply didn't interest me that much. They also seemed to have nothing to do with the demon lover, and sometimes felt like filler until it started to all come together at the end. However, these extra plots certainly showed that Fairwick holds a ton of secrets.

The Demon Lover had a lot of potential, but in the end it fell flat. It had its suspenseful moments, as well as some sexy moments, but those glimpses couldn't overcome the rest of the drab story. In fact, the most interesting parts were the snippets from the Dahlia LaMotte manuscripts; plenty of quivering thighs and pulsing manhoods!

The Demon Lover
Fairwick Chronicles Book One
By Carol Goodman writing as Juliet Dark

Callie McFay's dreams are haunted, every night she has the same erotic encounter with a handsome stranger. What she assumes are just vivid dreams turn out to be an encounter with an incubus wanting nothing more than for her to love him. This is only the tip of the story as Callie has started teaching at Fairwick College and after her encounters with the incubus her colleagues assemble to aid her and she learns that most everyone at the college is not who they seem to be.

There is no way I could do this novel justice, for one there are three main story lines to this book instead of the usual one and to tell you each of them is most likely going to spoil on or another of the twists that happen so regularly. Though the novel is a bit busy it makes it interesting as you have no idea what scene will lead to which conclusion. I had a ton of fun reading this one, not only is Callie a highly likable character but the surrounding cast each has their own interesting story. The romance is superb and the bonds that Callie creates make this more than just your average romance novel. I cannot wait to find out more about the college and what will happen next, it is a highly unique well written and beautiful novel.
I was sent a free copy of this book for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings about The Demon Lover. First off I love this genre and look forward to something new that may catch my fancy. Right away the book seemed to have way too many characters and grasping who they were and what their significance to the plot line actually lead me to believe this is one of many books planned for this particular story line. At times I felt as though I needed to grab a notebook and pen so I could create an org chart just to follow along. What was what and what sort of hints will I uncover.

Callie seems oblivious to everything except picking the right city, fashion, and name brand dropping. One of my pet peeves in books is when an author will date a book by dropping names of items. For some reason that really brings me out of book and into the real world, I don't like that especially not in something I'm reading to escape reality.

For the most part I was able to fly through Demon Lover quickly. Sometimes I felt like yelling at Callie because she missed the obvious so very much. She reminded me of one of those people who prefers to deny truths rather than face them. She too easily just accepts what is happening around her without really much questioning. I was left wondering why her parents didn't share their past or how it would affect her. I hope the next book goes more into them so that we have more insight into Callie and her character. Maybe a lost letter or relative who finally steps forward with secretes to share... All in all I finished the book with way more questions than I should have and now have to wait for our next installment before I can find out what happens next. Oh and I read this is going to be a trilogy, now I have to keep an eye out for the next one!

All-in-all I enjoyed The Demon Lover. The atmosphere was written believably. The times when I was supposed to feel desperate or frightened I did not have to reach for those feelings. A pretty good book with a promising future for the trilogy.

I was the victim of falling for a beautiful cover and a title I loved. I really had no idea what I was getting myself in to and in the end, I thank my lucky stars for requesting The Demon Lover.

I hadn't read the summary, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that not only were there demons, but fairies, brownies, witches, mermaids- you name it this book has it (except werewolves, it doesn't have them...yet). I really enjoyed the supernatural creatures and it was fun to see who was demon, who was fae, who was just plain old human. The history of the characters (including the incubus and Honeysuckle House) was fascinating! I absolutely loved reading about it.

The heroine Callie isn't too bad, but it really bugged me that she was staying with her boyfriend Paul (who really played no role) when she basically had no feelings for him. At one point she said she would marry him if he asked her to, she would move back the city, and live an unhappy existence. I didn't like that she made decisions based on someone else, thankfully this doesn't happen too often. Our demon lover is exactly what you'd find in a historical romance, brooding eyes and all. He was sexy, if you can call a shadow sexy, and while I may disapprove of his seduction skills (not like he asked her for sex) he was interesting...up until the point where he disappears and I'm left crying, "What happened?!" Because all of a sudden, Mr. Sexy Poet Liam is new in town and Callie starts lusting after him and it really ground my bones until I found out why- not that I minded all the lusting.

I'm also surprised with all the secrets and not once did I guess anything right. There are so many things that you won't expect to happen and it will. The author does such a good job making you wonder what exactly is going on. There's nothing better than being unable to find out whodunit and being shocked at the end.

I'm eagerly awaiting book two and desperate to see what happens next!

The beautiful cover for The Demon Lover caught my eye then this line, "For fans of Karen Marie Moning's FEVER series and Carol Goodman" grabbed my full attention. I'm a huge fan of Karen Marie Moning's Dark Fever series, though I'd never heard of Carol Goodman, I wanted to read this book. After doing some research, I found that Juliet Dark is a pseudo name for Carol Goodman, who has written several mystery novels to her credit. Carol Goodman also co-authored The Black Swan trilogy, an urban fantasy, with her husband under the name Lee Carroll.

Demon Lover is told solely from Callie McFay's point of view as she goes from an initial job interview at Fairwick College to teaching there, when her life takes a turn towards the supernatural and derails her from the path she and her fiance had meticulously planned.

The initial start, the prelude, of The Demon Lover was thrilling and set the atmosphere in the Gothic realm however from there the first half of this book was slow reading for me, not grabbing my attention but in a few places because it had a predictable feel about the story though I enjoyed how Juliet Dark's writing flowed, making the story easy to read. It wasn't until the last half of the book that the story started to slowly grab my attention but it still maintained somewhat of a predictable feel to it with a few peppered surprised. The ending was the only part that wasn't predictable and I'm still unsure how I feel about the ending, it was somewhat of a let down yet sets the stage for future adventures.

Demon Lover is not a paranormal romance in the true sense of this genre and lends itself more towards an urban fantasy with very strong romantic elements and influences of Gothic romance. As for the reference to Karen Marie Moning, I didn't really see the similarities and maybe that's where some of my discontent with the book comes from. Since this book is part of a trilogy, I'll probably pickup the next book to see if my interest can be grabbed again and override the disappointment of the ending but I won't be in a rush to read it.

Surprise, surprise, I grabbed The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark because of its awesome cover. I also liked the synopsis, it sounded very...intriguing. The title was a bit of a put off. I'm not a big romance girl myself, unless it's sprinkled in with other genres, and even paranormal romance isn't so much my cup o' tea. But The Demon Lover did sound mysterious enough to captivate my interest and so I nabbed it up.
I love the way it starts: the main character is strong-willed and independent, the town she moves to is interesting and seemingly benign, but really it's dark and full of mystery. There is appropriate use of imagery and a enough question marks to make you want to keep reading. Juliet Dark starts this story at a full gallop and I was really excited as I began reading it.
But somewhere along the way, the author loses you with meandering plot-lines and story arcs. The Demon Lover is about Callie McFay who has been visited by an incubus for most of her life, only realizing he is real and not just a dream or figment of her imagination when she moves to Fairwick. It is there that she learns she must banish the incubus back to his realm so she can survive in hers. But in the midst of all of this, there are several subplots that the reader gets lost in, and subplots of those subplots...until you forget exactly where you were going in the story.
But never fear. Juliet Dark does tidily pick things back up again and craftily completes the book the way it began, while leaving room for the next story in the Fairwick Chronicles. So The Demon Lover is definitely worth a shot and if you enjoy paranormal romance, you WILL like this book. I definitely recommend picking it up and trying it out.

This would have been a sexier, more involving story if I could just care about Callie more, but how can I when she didn't have enough feelings herself to draw me in? The concept of the story drew me in, as I think it would for anyone who has ever watched or enjoyed the characters and world in HBO's True Blood series, but Callie just doesn't have enough depth or warmth to make me care about her that much. She seems to care about people equally as much as clothes or houses. Don't get me wrong; she is good at showing kindness and going at least a little out of her way to help others (in human form but not necessarily people.) But when things go wrong and connections are lost she seems to regret it about as much as when her Christian Loboutin shoes are damaged: a substantial and perhaps beautiful investment is gone, but it's replaceable.

As far as the sex scenes went, well it can be sexy to have be all about her to start, but I never felt like she cared enough about her partner to give the same thing back, to make it mutual. I suppose her major contribution was her life and that was supposed to be enough, but there's no romance without heartfelt emotions, it's just lust at that point. The only explanation for her mindset seems to have been that she lost her parents at a young age. With that the basis for a romance was there to build on, a being that had waited for her to grow up and could have been her one confidant after her parents died, but she seems to be incapable of strong emotions. I kept waiting for her to grow a heart and make a real (human?) connection but when she didn't I wound up expecting her to turn out to be a demon herself. Maybe in the next book she'll develop more depth and warmth, but I'm not holding out too much hope at this point.

Review by Bebe at Reading Until I Fall Asleep

Since a teen, Callie had recurring dreams where a young prince would come to wipe away her tears as she cried herself to sleep from her parents’ tragic death. While the dreams eventually went away, the moment she steps foot in Fairwick, the dreams return. And boy are they steamier than when she was a kid. She eventually figures out her prince is an incubus (a male demon who preys on women while they are sleeping, passionately loving them to a slow death), and with the help of her new friends, takes control before he can ultimately give her the kiss of death.

While I absolutely loved all of the characters, one thing bothered me about Callie. I don’t know if it’s even worth mentioning, because she could have very well been under her incubus’s spell, but it seemed every time they fought she forgave him instantly (and then had sex). Even when he was about to punch her in the face, she forgave him and then had sex in the snow. That was really the only thing that seemed to bug me about her character, but I suppose we can chalk it up to her being enchanted with this dude and hope she fairs better with her male counterpart in the next book.

As for Liam, I think anyone in Callie position would have fell for him. Here’s a man who is absolutely romantic (with somewhat of a temper at times), bakes for you, tells you what you want to hear and is awesome in the sack. Who wouldn’t fall hook, line and sinker for this dreamboat? I know if a guy studied John Cusack’s romantic comedies and then came knocking on my door holding a boom box over his head with In Your Eyes playing, how could I resist?

The book did run a little long in my opinion and perhaps should have been cut into two books, but that’s just my opinion. I felt that somewhere between the middle and 3/4 til the end, there was a lot of excess that was beneficial to the book, but by that time I was just wishing to see how it ended. But this didn’t stop me from enjoying The Demon Lover. I’m anxiously waiting to dive into the next book of the series, The Water Witch, which will be released on February 12th, 2013! Can’t wait!

Bebe’s Rating: ♥♥♥♥ – Couldn’t wait to wake up & start reading

I was totaly drawn in and excited about reading "The Demon Lover" by Juliet Dark when I saw the description of the book.
Though the story holds true to preview, I was very let down by the way this unique concept was put to paper. The story and the characters developed slowly which is understandable for the first book in a series, but it seemed to last until the final pages.
Being a fan of the paranormal genre, the idea of a host of mythical and magical beings running a college in a small town drew me in. I found it was overdone, a good idea carried too far. With all the incubus, succubus, demon, witch, fae, vampires and other creatures.. I needed a score card to keep track of the players.
The subplots seemed like afterthoughts and did not add to or tie into the story well. Maybe these come to light better in the next books of the series. Some one else will have to let me know as this book did nothing to prompt me to keep going. *SPOILER*
Near the end of the book the reader finds that it was not the main character Callie's incubus lover but a student who is really a "liderc" that has been sucking the life from the student body. What is a liderac you ask. Same question I had. It's a sort of Hungarian succubus that shape shifts into chickens usually.. but sometimes crows :) This creature was introduced and dispatched in a few pages at the end of the book. A quick and easy way to wrap up one of the subplots.
All and all I think the concept for this story is great and I hope it gets better in the following books, but I will have to see some good reviews to read the next..

This book was a whirl wind of fantasy, longing, headstrong independence, and the beginning of a beautiful, yet strange love affair.

The book was very interesting & I could not help but cheer for the demon lover in his sad situation. The love scenes started out kind of juicy, but seemed sped through for some reason. Maybe inconsistent... Starting too steamy in places & too boring and short in other places.

It was obvious to me when the lover showed up in the flesh, but that did not bother me. There was enough going on and the surprise twist at the end fixed and helped it make sense that the secret was not HIS identity at the end.

I love the originality of the love and the strength of our heroine. I also liked the poetry in places where the words painted a beautiful picture. I appreciated the references to other work that had it's own role to play in this story whether building it or opposing the situation portrayed in this story.

Definitely worth the read and I will be reading book 2. I want a demon lover of my own!

(Book provided free, honest review not paid for)

Long story short, a girl has erotic dreams at night, feels compelled to live in Farwick even though she has always wanted to stay in New York, and then realizes fairies and demons (and a whole lot of other supernatural things) exist. Oh, and did I mention that her dreams are real?

Don't let the cover fool you, "The Demon Lover" is a romantic novel with a paranormal and folklore twist and a hint of erotica. The book itself had a confusing start. I wasn't sure what was going on for a good chapter or two, and it took me awhile to completely immerse myself in it. Right when I was getting bored, an incubus showed up, and it went like a roller coaster from there.

Juliet Dark has an interesting take on folklore and the paranormal. It is an original idea, and I loved how Callie was an assistant professor at a college. In the beginning, she sounds like a teacher, and her subject that she teaches sounds like something I'd love to sit-in on. But when her lover "disappears," and her new love interest appears, she starts getting predictable and slightly annoying. She goes from a self-assured woman to a very passive character. Not to mention, she never questions anything - not even her dreams (not really) or the supernatural in her life. Literally, the "ah-ha" scene is quite boring because she never reacts. Also, I nearly cried when I saw a "Twilight" reference. Not to mention her saying that Stephanie Meyer was in leagues with Anne Rice. Oh, kill me now. There goes a star - she should have just stuck with the classics.

The plot was also so predictable. I could tell what was going to happen from the start of the novel. The villan also is sort of thrown into the plot for Callie and her love interest to react to than anything else. It was easy to figure out their identity as well as the identity of other characters. I do give props to Dark for description. Her writing at times was eerie when describing Callie's house (which I loved), and you could really feel the gothic in her imagery. Also, the erotic scenes were tastefully done, albeit a bit heavy.
All and all, props to the concept, and while the storyline was predictable, the Demon Lover has an interesting setting that has a lot of potential.

My full review is up on my website (check profile page), and copy was provided by NetGalley.

The Demon Lover is the equivalent of Harry Potter for adults. For those who grew up with a magical school, now there is a college with equal happenings plus the more adult passions that were missing from the younger audience pages. Fairwick is a supernatural campus that combines Gothic literature lore with contemporary romance making this paranormal fantasy believable and possible. There is just enough realism to ground it in the 'now,' but doesn't lack any of the otherworldly that provides a mythical escape and realm of possibilities. Let the imagination wander and flow with the mystic. The cast of Fairwick is made up of developed characters that bond the reader to the book and will encourage a commitment and desire to read the next novel in the chronicles, The Water Witch. There is a bit of over-kill on the use of "honeysuckle" both symbolically and it's assault on the senses, but in the end this didn't really bother me. Given that there is an incubus in the story line, you can expect racy scenes and seductive escapades. However, there is more to the plot, which separates this book from others in the strictly erotica category.

This is a book that took me pleasantly by surprise. I went in expecting a typical adult paranormal romance, but Juliet Dark delivered much more. This book, in addition to sexy supernatural romance, has a great gothic feel, memorable characters and plenty of plot twists, some of which I saw coming, others were a surprise.

I liked Callie as a heroine since she had a definite inner strength and she really grew through her experiences in the book. The supporting cast was fairly large but all came across as individuals no matter how much 'page time' they had. I was actually impressed that Dark didn't let the 'demon lover' take over the plot. While he is an important element, due time was given to other aspects of the story rather than relying solely on the eroticism.

The pacing was nicely done and there were no chapters or sections that dragged. The prose was readable and engaging and kept me turning each page, eager to learn what would happen next. The dialogue was well done and believable, unlike some paranormal romance pieces that get sucked into cliché.

By the end of the book, the stage was nicely set for the story to continue and I am certainly looking forward to the next instalment.

I received this book as a free e-book ARC from NetGalley.

In this hauntingly sweet story, we are introduced to an amazing character in Cailleach McFay , also known as Callie. Throughout the story this young woman experiences a forbidden romance, painful self- discovery and danger galore. Although being half- fey, half- witch, she is easy for an everyday woman to identify with. Her emotions get her into some deep trouble, but good friends are there to help her along the way.

I found this particular title a very exciting read that I almost couldn't put down. It was the first full- length title I've read on my Kindle Fire and I found my eyes hurting after reading for so long! It contained just enough erotica to make it sexy but no so much to make it raunchy. The rather normal beginning had me fooled and I squealed with delight when the Paranormal became a more prominent element in the story.

This was a wonderful read that I hated to see end, but soon discovered the next installment The Water Witch, coming out soon. If you love Gothic romance this is a read for you. But don't expect a happily-ever-after, as this is just the first installment!

Dr. Cailleach "Callie" McFay feels her lifelong love of gothic literature and folklore has come together with her recently published "The Sex Lives of the Demon Lovers" and her accepting an instructor's position at Fairwick College. She was hesitant about accepting the job of teaching folklore until she saw Honeysuckle House. The Victorian seemed to whisper her name so she bought the home and took the position.

The house once belonged to historical romance writer Dahlia LaMotte. Her notes, journals and unpublished books can be read by Callie, but must never leave the premises. Each night Callie dreams of a shadowy male having sex with her; each morning she wakes up sexually satiated. Though she knows something is not right with these nocturnal fantasies and LaMotte's writings affirm her belief, she begins to accept that she has a Demon Lover; of whom she obsesses over in spite of this incubus draining her life essence.

Demon Lover is a strong urban romantic fantasy starring an intrepid heroine who uses her intelligence to fight for her life. The storyline is fast-paced yet ensures that the witches and other paranormal residents of the town of Fairwick seem real. Readers will relish the entertaining tale of the professor and the incubus.

Harriet Klausner

Cailleach McFay has accepted a professorship at Fairwick College in upstate New York. Strange, erotic dreams and other unexplainable events slowly reveal to her that the town and its inhabitants are quite a bit more than they seem. She also discovers some things about her own heritage and what powers she may have inherited. But first, she has to deal with this incubus.
Callie is a bright, sympathetic heroine, although a little slow to figure out some obvious things. The town and college are filled with fascinating characters, whose back-story will hopefully be revealed throughout this series. The writing is peppered with pop culture references which seem current and amusing now, but might not hold up for readers in the future. It's an entertaining story and a good beginning to the series, although if you're expecting a more traditional romance, you might be disappointed.

When I first read the synopsis for The Demon Lover I thought the entire book was going to be about a woman who is taken with an incubus, who uses the woman to become flesh. And the book is about this- but it is also so much more.

Callie McFay accepts a teaching position at Fairwick College, which surprises her as much as it does her long-distance boyfriend, Paul, since they had discussed him moving back to NYC and living together. But something about Fairwick- and the hauntingly beautiful Honeysuckle House that Callie buys- draws her in. Soon she begins having disturbingly erotic dreams at night: A shadow enters her bedroom at night and takes the shape of a man before seducing her and ravishing her in the most toe-curling, brag-about-it-to-your-girlfriends-if-only-he-were-real way. Callie thinks this is because she just wrote a bestselling book about demon lovers. She has always been fascinated with fairy tales and Gothic literature- which is how she found herself a professor in the folklore department at the college.

But Callie soon discovers that these are not, in fact, dreams- but that her demon lover is very real and is trying to suck the life out of her so he can become real. Soon Callie is startled to discover her incubus is not the only supernatural entity in Fairwick- Fairwick College has employed many supernaturals. She has the very challenging job of banishing her incubus not only from her bed, but from her heart, and that is not the only supernatural challenge that she must face. There is the troubling fact that Dean Lizzie Book is slowly fading, that numerous students are sick with unidentified fatigue and anemia and its getting worse, that there is something eerie about the Eastern European & Russian Languages department, that her grandmother is holding on to a surprising secret, and that the writer who used to live in Honeysuckle House before Callie may have been writing all of her erotic romances about the very same incubus that now visits Callie.

Amazingly and brilliantly, Juliet Dark (you may also know her as Carol Goodman) manages to weave all of these story lines throughout each other and at a pace that many writers fail to master. It got slow for about 50 pages in the middle, but then it picked up again and never stopped its rollercoaster ride again. I loved the way Dark weaved the mythical fairy tales with the contemporary story. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes paranormal stories and/or fairy tales.

Wow, The Demon Lover...where to start. This book was very erotic and ingenious in weaving the real life of Callie McFay and her obsession with her demon lover that comes to her in her dreams.

This incubi tantalizes and pleasures her in more ways than she has been pleased before, but not without a price. He takes from her as much as he gives. In exchange he is taking her life force while giving her unimaginable orgasms and sexual desire. He has ensnared her in every way.

Callie must find out how to break free of her demon lover before it costs her very own life. She is becoming weaker with every dream and every tingle of pleasure. With a little help she might be able to break the spell before it is too late.

If you are interested in reading about a mythical dream man who will come to you in your sleep and please you in more ways than you can imagine and leave you spent, then this is the book for you. Makes you wonder if you can get your very own demon lover minus the life draining abilities of course.

Readers of Paranormal and a little ecstasy will enjoy this titillating ride.

#24 Book Read in 2012
The Demon Lover

Callie lands a job at Fairwick College. Callie has written a paranormal book and is researching a paranormal author. Things become a little too real for Callie when an incubus (demon lover) begins to visit her in her new home and begins to drain her energy. What Callie does not realize is that other professors at this college are paranormal beings and that she herself is a Gatekeeper. As she begins to explore this new side of herself, students at the college come down with a mysterious illness. Has her incubus begun to drain others as well?

This book reminded me of "A Discovery of Witches", which is a good thing because I loved that book. "The Demon Lover" is well-written, with a gothic feel to it that is well done. Callie is a complex main character--she is not perfect but is brave, human as she follows her heart but is aptly able to handle the consequences of doing so--and I enjoyed her.

I recommend this book to fans of paranormal romance especially. It was a good read.

[...]

A woman's deepest, darkest desires become intimately entangled with the fairy tales and Gothic romance reads of her youth in Juliet Dark's novel, "The Demon Lover". Callie McFay turns her academic interest in folklore and the supernatural into a successful career with a bestselling book: "The Sex Lives of the Demon Lovers". Her words come back to haunt her when she accepts a teaching position at Fairwick College and lands smack-dab in a paranormal world far beyond her wildest imaginings. Then there's her Demon Lover, the co-occupant of her old Victorian home, whom she eventually tries to exorcise with help from local residents who are fairies and witches. This is the first book in a trilogy. Overall I enjoyed the book very much. It is interesting and talky, written in first person style. It was the kind of read that is hard to categorize, and it definitely took me outside my normal reading box, which in this case turned out to be a worthy reader's trip. I am intrigued to see how the author will continue the series in the next two books. Juliet Dark is the pseudonym for author Carol Goodman.

An enchanting read that will take your breath away.
The hauntingly beautiful imagery set the stage for this imaginative new story. The setting helped to add to the enchanting storyline. It was an interesting read and had an air of mystery about it that I really liked. There were some twists and turns that kept me guessing a bit throughout the story and kept it exciting.
Callie as a character was interesting and fun, but a tad naïve. I enjoyed her as a character and liked seeing the mystery through her eyes. She was no pushover that's for sure and that was a good thing since she needed to be strong in order to overcome this monster.
I liked the premise for this book and enjoyed getting to know some unique characters, but I wouldn't really call this a romance. There were some romantic elements though that really brought out some intrigue in the story. Overall this was a fun fantasy mystery that I enjoyed reading.

LOVED IT!!! I could not stop reading. This book had me turning page after page with wanting and not wanting because every page brought me to the end. Juliet Dark did a great job with creating a world with Faerie creatures. Callie was great. I absolutely loved her. I wanted so bad for Callie to find love. My heart went out to Callie for all she had lost along this journey even though she gained a lot I wanted her to love and be loved. I didn't know if I wanted the demon lover to be good or bad and the author Juliet did an excellent job of keeping me guessing whether or not he was good or bad. I didn't know if I should hate him or love him. Even after I had finished this book I still don't know his true intentions. Well that's not true or I hope that I am not wrong. I have to say cried at the end of this book because it was a bitter and sweet ending. I cannot wait until the next book is released which I do believe is in the next couple of weeks.

Wow! This was an amazing book, I devoured it, staying up much too late to read at night. I'm such a huge fan of the paranormal genre, this book sucked me in right away. The character's were so well developed, I felt as though I knew all of them.

I adore Callie, she's so smart with that romantic side I love in my mc's. The progression of her as a person was interesting to watch. In the beginning she was more closed off, lost in the pages of the books she read. She's exposed to a world she had always believed to not be real, and took it all in stride. She's visited at night by a dream lover, who makes all others pale in comparison.

One by one, the people in her life are revealed to be more than what they are. She is more than what she thought she was. It was a blast to watch it all unfold.

I don't want to give away too much, because you all need to read this one. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series!!!

THis book starts out with Callie getting visits at night from what she thinks of as her demon lover, although she thinks she is dreaming. THen she is drawn to a small town, Fairwick. where they have a unique fokelore department. Callie just feels so drawn to the college, the towns people and this unique old house that has been abandoned for quite some time. This book took me a while to get through because it is soooooo slow. The conent is interesting, but couldv'e been so much more than it was. and the end just was lost on me. It was all this drama leading up to letting her demon lover in her life, then banishing him, just to instantly click with a new professor, who ended up being her demon lover i think? I don't know it got really confusing in the end and i finished it a couple of weeks ago so my mind is a bit foggy. I think this would have been a good rough draft, but couldv'e been so much more with all the different creatures, fey, doorkeepers, demons. it just could have been a lot more exciting and clear on the plot that got way tooo muddled.

What a great Halloween read! This book is not want I read typically, but if you enjoyed a discovery of Witches, this book is similar to it -- except it was a lighter read. I enjoyed Callie, and the story. At some instances, i had a hard time keeping track of all of the characters, and wondered why some characters where even part of the story. If a character does not help with the plot, then why be there? Ralph the mouse being one. Her familiar...okay. Not until the end he's able to communicate. I sure hope there's a point to those characters on the subsequent books; I still wanted to know what Mara's journals where all about, yet we never find out. Still, the story is well written and moves at a steady pace. Perfect book for Halloween. Look forward to read the next book in the series.

An intriguing mix of the modern world and supernatural beings. Cailleach is a writer with a doctorates who finds herself in a small community surrounded by supernatural beings when she accepts a teaching position at a small college. Callie has always loved fairy tales and made a career out of writing and researching fairies, demons, and other supernatural beings. It isn't until her move to Fairwick that she learns these things are real and finds herself in bed with her very own demon lover. Through the help of new friends and colleagues she starts to uncover the truth of her heritage and her connection with her incubus. Darkly addictive and erotic this story will leave you wanting more from Juliet Dark and The Demon Lover.

I am into fantasy romance and this book soared in the fantasy part but underperformed on the romance part. The heroine is discovering the magic world and isn't scared of it and that's cool, it's unrealistic but cool. The male protagonist was hard to understand because he wasn't always corporal, it took forever to get going with regards to romance. Also I really don't understand how the lead female ended up with such a great guy. The depiction of the other characters was really great and it was really detailed

Right from the start this book grabbed my attention. I love the mad mixture of magical creatures, past references, and modern romance.

Callie McFay is "almost" in love with the man of her dreams, literally. He started coming to her after she lost her parents as child and has been all she's really wanted since. The trouble is he's just a dream. Or is he? As it turns out he's an incubus who may very well be sucking the life right out of her. When she was a child, he just told her stories to help her feel less sad. As an adult, in Fairwick, his visits are far more dirty. Now by dirty, I don't mean extremely graphic, but trust me, it has just enough to really pique your interest.

The dirty romance between Callie and her incubus are just a part of this book. When she arrives in Fairwick to work at the college, Callie soon realizes it isn't your typical small town. She's moved into an old Victorian house that basically insisted she buy it in a town that's full of witches, vampires, fairies, magical mice, and so much more. If you've ever read about it in a fairy tale or Gothic novel, it's in this book. Which is part of what makes it so cool. I love a book with supernatural twists and mystery and that's exactly what I got with this book. I knew relatively quickly what was going on, but it was still fun to get to the point where I was proved right.

It really all comes down to one question, can you love something that is dark by nature? Maybe. I can't wait to read the next book to find out. I really hope so, because honestly, just like I usually pull for the tortured vampire, this time I'm pulling for my.....I mean, Callie's incubus.

Did I like the book? Yes

Would I recommend the book? Yes

Overall Rating: Really Good

Favorite Quote: "What came once here will never come again, no matter monument nor memory; all sunwarmed green succumbs to winter's wind. And you my love were also my best friend."

There were things I did like about this book, but for some reason, it just didn't captivate my attention the way my favorite books do.
It's got certain individual elements of gothic mystery, paranormal romance, and urban fantasy, but doesn't quite fit into any one of those. On the gothic mystery side, you've got some very obvious references to classic gothic literature, films, etc. in terms of descriptions, symbolism, and events in the story, and the narrator/main character points these similarities out and compares things to gothic classics as well. The character is an author about, and professor of, folklore and literature, so these make sense in the context of the story, it doesn't come across as the author randomly throwing things in to show how much she researched for the book. On the paranormal romance side, there are definitely paranormal creatures present in the story, and there is romance involved, but it certainly does not follow the standard format of a paranormal romance. On the urban fantasy side, again, there are paranormal creatures involved, it has a contemporary setting with a mythological twist that gives it a sense of an alternate reality, with a main character/heroine who exhibits some paranormal abilities and tries to use them to overcome difficulties created by the creatures of this alternate reality.
The creatures involved in the story are many, varied, and unique. They cover everything from your more well-known witches, fairies, and vampires, to lesser known cultural folkloric creatures that you have probably never heard of. I also enjoyed the atmosphere and setting. The setting and its descriptions gave it more of a gothic feel, which fit the story well.

One of the things that did bother me was that there was a sense of "insta-love" in regards to the primary relationship. Yes, you understand the characteristics the heroine is drawn to and her circumstances why it might have happened that way but it still comes across as the heroine falling into bed, and, as a result of good sex, into a relationship, with someone she hardly knows. And, in regards to the sex scenes themselves, they didn't really come across as hot, sexy, or romantic to me. Some of the writing used in the sex scenes came across as a little more awkward, like the author couldn't quite find the right balance between hot & sexy erotica, and flowery romance.
Another thing that bothered me was the male side of this relationship. It seemed like we didn't get to know this person the heroine was getting involved with at all, and to the extent we did get to know him, it seemed that persona was built on a lie, so it was hard to a) feel any chemistry between them, and b) care what happened to him or to their relationship in the end.
The final thing is that there are so many branching plotlines going on, so many mysteries we are trying to solve, that it almost seemed to be too much. I found myself wondering which mystery we were trying to solve on this page. Also, I figured out "who done it", in terms of the main mystery, pretty early on, despite the red herrings being thrown in the way.

The positive factors did overcome the negative ENOUGH that I would be willing to pick up the second one and give it a read as well. I'd recommend this to open-minded fans of gothic lit, folklore, and paranormal romance and urban fantasy fans looking for something a little different.

If you've read several Carol Goodman novels and enjoy her formula, you'll probably enjoy this book, since it's mostly more of the same. If you've read Goodman's novels and are sick of the formula, but hoped she might use her new pen name to write something different--you aren't entirely out of luck, but it's a close thing. You've seen this heroine before. You've seen her surroundings before. You've seen these plot twists before. And the differences aren't necessarily changes for the better.

But what if you have no idea who Carol Goodman is and are coming to _Demon Lover_ blind? You could do worse for a light read, within the urban fantasy genre or outside of it. Juliet Dark creates a world of nature and academia, an isolated rural college setting steeped in magic like bitter tea. Her everywoman protagonist Callie McFay finds her life's work there, in an enchanted (figuratively? Literally?) cottage. I could see her home in her mind's eye; I wanted to spend a sunny afternoon there, digging through Dahlia LaMotte's manuscripts. Callie also discovers lust with something dark and dangerous. The prose is reasonably rich, at least in the book's first quarter, hinting at Dark's literary roots.

However, I say Callie discovers lust because I can't buy into her relationship with the incubus as a romance. It's all about sex for her, if not for him. The whole story feels oversexed to me, especially early on: there's scene after scene of dream-sex with the incubus, and most of them sound the same; there are multiple excerpts from the LaMotte manuscripts and each one is a sex scene, because that's all Callie seems to care about. Of course I knew a book with an incubus in a starring role would be sex-heavy, but Callie's fixation made me want to shake her sometimes. Her desire for sex overrides her reason. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if the scenes weren't repetitive, but they're all alike. I didn't get the impression she cared about the incubus or about either of the human men she dates. 'Lover' is the wrong word for the demon's relationship to her. 'Sex toy' might be apt.

After the first quarter, the book takes a turn into Harry Potter territory with Callie McFay discovering an amazing secret about herself that makes her Special even among the college's many Special People. Suddenly the mood built up in the early pages is disrupted. Callie has to learn all about magic and all the fairy tale creatures that really do exist, so she does. There's nothing inherently lame about that idea, but it's done in the same way as Harry Potter's revelations in Diagon Alley: everything is matter-of-fact and Callie takes it exceedingly well. The whole thing has a young-adult feel that doesn't match the sexcapades at all. Pretty soon the acronyms start, because it turns out the magical world has a lot of bureaucracy, with its own Central Registry of Supernatural Beings and witch police and goodness knows what else. Again, it feels oddly juvenile, more juvenile than things written for the YA market.

It's hard to be sure which of the plot twists were obvious to me because I've read so much Goodman and which are obvious, period, but I'm pretty sure Callie will strike many readers as slow. There's no mystery to some of the mysteries she spends entire chapters unraveling.

The final quarter picks back up, as the magical hijinks begin to feel serious again, the stakes are higher, and emotion and action take over from learning-about-the-world-of-wizards. I closed the book feeling rather better about it than I had while struggling through the middle. On that basis, I could recommend it as brain candy if it sounds good to you--I personally hope the series continues because I'm at least a bit interested in what comes of Callie and more interested in the fate of the incubus. Still, I was disappointed in how similar the good parts were to the author's other novels, and how much the not-so-good parts made me want to bang my head on a wall.

What more can I say other than it sucked? Literally. The Demon Lover had so much promise in its synopsis that I couldn't wait to get my hands on it, especially as a few of my fav authors raved about it. I should have known better, because unfortunately for me, it took over a hundred pages before it even remotely got interesting.

Callie is a twenty six year old writer whose bestseller, the Sex Lives of the Demon Lovers, made her an instant hit. Long story short: she winds up working for a second rate college in the small picturesque town of Fairwick, even though she had better options, and buying an old Victorian house she seemed drawn to that, ironically, belonged to a gothic romance novelist. From here Callie begins having dreams of a shadowed lover making love to her all night long. What's more is that she is beginning to suspect that her nightly lover is not a dream after all, after she hears a story about a mortal who was captured by the fairy queen, and after living with the fey so long became a demon, losing his mortal soul. So Callie swipes a book from a colleague intent on banishing this demon lover, and it appears to have worked. I don't know about the rest of you, but if I realized a demon was real I would have had a lot more questions unlike Callie who was pretty darn on par with the whole, "Wow..demons are real" concept. Soon after all this Callie realizes nearly the whole town is comprised of fairy type creatures, and, lo and behold, meets a new guy.

**Spoiler**

I swear you all know where this is going...or at least you should. It was so obvious!! The new guy is indeed the phantom lover, trying desperately to get Callie to fall in love with him, because the love of a mortal is the only way he can sustain a body. So Callie must love him, right? Not so. This story dragged on and on until I couldn't wait to get to the end, and when I did...I felt totally ripped off, and sorry for the demon! He goes back to misery, and Callie simply realizes she liked/was drawn to the dark phantom shadow lover better than the human one. Uh-huh. That's it. I felt sorry for the demon lover as he genuinely seemed to love her, but apparently it was either one sided, or she just didn't love him enough. And the love making scenes were almost laughable! Moonlight guided into her...shadows caressed her skin....I rolled my eyes so many times I'm surprised I didn't get them stuck. I found Dahlia's manuscripts that Callie reads hotter than Callie's nightly visits from her demon lover. The only thing I liked was the side characters. The fairy creatures were pretty unique, but when compared as a whole this book was only subpar. If you're looking for a hot romance with paranormal/fantasy creatures along with a great plot....this isn't it. My recommendation is to steer clear...

I would recommend this book to lovers of supernatural and gothic tales. I don't read a lot of contemporary romance, so I'm not sure how it compares if that's what interests you. But if you are called by the darkness of fairy tale creatures or enchanted by houses and landscapes that are as alive as any character can be, then give The Demon Lover a read. There's excellent atmosphere and world building. As heroine, Callie might have been a slightly stronger presence; occasionally it feels like she's lost amidst more vivid and powerful forces. Still, her struggles to examine the complexities of her desires and to figure out who she is and what she wants hold the reader's attention, and at the end it feels like she has grown. Hopefully, this will show in the next volume of the trilogy. Looking forward to it!

I appreciated the atmosphere created in this book and it was reminiscent of the Gothic novels I read as a young girl. There were several references to the Gothic genre throughout the book (this was allowed as more expository information since the main character was living in the home of an author of Gothic romance). I understand that this book was the first of what may be a series so the back-story, establishing of secondary characters was understandable. I am still unclear as to what role some of those characters may play and I guess that was done purposely in order to keep the reader coming back to find out the "why?" of everything. I must also be honest and admit that I am not a fan of the first-person narrative. I found that the premise was intriguing, a character who has the gift to open doorways to faerie (really not sure at this point what significance this has at this point) and all the sundry types, e.g. brownies, faerie queens etc. that come along with that. I could not really bring myself to care much about the interaction between the main character and the male, mysterious "incubus" who seems to care about her, but is also draining her of her life-force? He was made further suspect because he had done this previously. So, as a romance-genre reader this type of irredeemable behavior made it very hard for me to look forward to a HEA for either of them. I kept trying to remind myself that there were glimpses of his "tortured" existence that were hinted at as part of the back-story but it was still a challenge to see him as the typical male-lead that you hope the female lead works out her issues with. As a character he was also as insubstantial in depth as his mysterious wind-inspired comings and goings. The sex scenes were "gothic-chaste circa 1960's" which was a bit of a disappointment for me. If he is a succubus I was expecting a bit more heat to be generated between the two. Overall the world created by the author was full, and rich. The characters were intriguing in premise, the story itself and tension between the two main characters was thin. I am hopeful that the next book will have more interaction and depth between the two main characters. I would say that if you are a fan of the gothic-chaste-many-unresolved-cliff-hanger questions novel this would be the book for you. I will probably buy the next book in the series just to satisfy my curiosity.

Callie McFay has written a bestselling book about demon lovers in gothic literature and has been doing book tours, lectures and job interviews because of it. When she is brought to the quiet town of Fairwick, New York, to interview with Fairwick College, she does so with one foot out the door the whole time. Callie loves the big city and she and her boyfriend have plans. This little college and its town don't have what she thinks she wants. But then she spots an aging Victorian through the woods and the house calls to her. She soon finds herself accepting the job, willingly, and buying the house, happily. It's not long after that Callie discovers the tales she grew up on may not be just stories. The fairytales of her youth are coming to life.

It has been a while since I have felt myself so deeply invested in the story - which characters have resonated so deeply with me. This isn't a romance or paranormal romance, it isn't a fantasy book, or a gothic story - it's all of them and then some. The Demon Lover has so many facets to it that to categorize it under one genre would limit its appeal and impact.

The story is filled with stunning imagery and it is a tale that not only entertains you, but completely captures you. I could see and feel everything that the author wrote about. I love stories that are so well written you can tune out the world around you completely. And that is what I did. From page one I was in Fairwick with Callie. I was with her while she taught her students, made her friends and discovered herself. I felt every emotion. It didn't have the ending that I had hoped for, but it ended perfectly for the story. I found myself so intensely invested with this story that I feel bereft now that it has ended. I hope this is the first of many books in a series. While Callie's life is on hold in the literary world, waiting for her next chapter, I am right there with her. Juliet Dark has created a fantastic world and I can't wait for the next book, I want more!

Cherise Everhard, December 2011

A beautiful, gifted, moral artist is kidnapped, drugged, raped, held captive, used for revenge, gets knocked up as a result, tricked by his ex mistress...and somehow she falls in love with the rapist?

He didn't sensually break her down and overpower her, and then she was secretly glad although she resisted, as is the formula for many romance novels. He drugged her and raped her.

I adore Victoria Holt's other books, but this one was terrible. I never got into the Baron as a character, he was a total jerk to his legitimate "son", and knew something was wrong with the character that turned out to be the true "villain" the entire book. Kate was mildly critical of the Baron's wife for being a faux invalid, yet her own mother appeared to be the same without a word of criticism. There were several times that I almost just put the book down and didn't finish it, but decided to plow through, if for no other reason to see if my guesses about the villain were correct. This book, after the rape scene (which as a prior Victoria Holt fan shocked me to the core) was entirely predictable as far as who committed crimes and who died.

Since a young girl, Callie has had recurring dreams of a moonlight visitor telling her the legends of her people and comforting her in dark times. As she grows older, those dreams take on a different tone, driving her to research the supernatural. After publishing her first novel on Gothic legends, Callie's quest for more information (and explanations for her mysterious visitor) leads her to Fairwick, a picturesque New England college town.

Newly hired as a professor at the college, she falls in love with a rambling Victorian in the woods, Honeysuckle House. At first glance, everything is ideal. Her colleagues are rife with resource material, her new home belonged to one of her favorite authors and comes with never-before-seen writings, and her long-distance relationship looks like it will soon be close-up.

But, things aren't always what they seem...Fairwick is a thriving supernatural community and Callie finds herself smack-dab in the middle of it. Her moonlight dreams intensify, seeming to upend her carefully constructed world and calling everything into question--her lackluster relationship with her boyfriend, the meaning of her life's work, and who she really is. She begins to suspect that the man who comes to her in her dreams is an incubus who desperately needs her love to become mortal again. But, at what price? It's a gamble that could cost Callie her life. And for someone who's never known true love, Callie is terrified of losing herself.

As the first in the series, the world-building is intense, but the characters are well-developed and easy to follow. The plot is well-paced with enough mystery to keep things interesting and make the reader want to follow along as Callie begins her journey (and, you may just find yourself craving a beautifully restored Victorian nestled in a thicket of honeysuckle).

(I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review)
Did you ever buy a book because the cover captured your attention?

Well...this book definitely captured mine when I saw it in Netgalley. I didn't even bother to read the description to find out what the book was about before I requested it. I usually don't ever do that, but for some reason I did with this one. The cover just drew me in. I have a weakness of beautiful book covers. Oh...I have a obsession with the color blue...which didn't help either.

I tend to describe the book in my words in the beginning, but found that is a waste of time sometimes...so instead I'm going to type up what I loved and disliked about the book.

Once I started reading "The Demon Lover", I a hard time reading it at first. The first few chapters just wasn't capturing my attention like all other books I've read and you would think it would with how Juliet Dark threw in a love scene in the very beginning. I very sexy, seductive Man who creeps into my dreams...why wouldn't I love this book? I had to put this book down several times and come back to read it. I thought if I put it down...the book would miraculously capture my heart like other books have...Unfortunately, the book didn't capture my attention until the very end. I was determined to finish this book though. I hate starting a book and not being able to finish it. It's a big pet peeve of mine.

The Author tended to describe certain things in detail for too long...and I lost interest. Once she started writing about dilemmas for the character Callie...then the book caught my interest again. Although, it was back and worth getting my attention which I hate. Ugh!

I adored Callie in the book. Her intelligence and her determination, made me realize her character reminded me of myself. Although, there were points in the story where I could've slapped Callie silly. Wake up, girl...something is seriously wrong with Fairwick and what is happening to you.

I can't stand a book that is predictable...which "The Demon Lover" was to me. It may not be for other readers, but for some reason I was able to pick out what was happening and not get the "Awe" feeling. I knew what was going on with Callie.

Callie's dreams in the beginning is what spiked my love for the book. Once I found out who and what was going into her dreams, I felt I had to read the book even more and not put it down anymore. I love reading books about Incubus's. Callie's love life really was rough at first since she lived far away from her boyfriend, Paul...maybe the Incubus was doing her a favor. I think my favorite character would have to be the Incubus in the story. He was the main plot to the book...but Juliet did throw in other stuff, that maybe shouldn't of been added.

I always love trying out new authors who I have never read from. Juliet Dark created a very Gothic supernatural world. I did feel like I was actually in the book sometimes with the dark, supernatural way she wrote. Her writing style is definitely different to what I'm used to, but it's not a horrible thing. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I just hope the next book I won't have to put down. Maybe I should shut myself away from the world when I read the next book...unfortunately that won't happen when I'm a mother of two girls who hate seeing me with a book in front of my face. They want to know what I'm reading, but unfortunately their not even close to the age, where they need to read the books I read. =)

I recommend this book for anyone who loves Gothic style Romance. You'll find yourself in a world where your not used to...if you think this book is any style compared to Gena Showalter, Kresley Cole, etc.

Juliet Dark, has her own writing style. =)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I actually read this after checking out the third book from the library and missing a lot that had obviously occurred in prior books. The reviews were mixed and i was expecting to wade through for background. It moves right along and picks up speed to a great end setting up for the second book. I got interested in this genre after reading Deborah Harkness and have enjoyed the education in all things magical. If you are looking for a romance novel, this is not it. Adventure, romance, magic, new and different creatures --that's what Juliet Dark will give you.

I found this to be, while rather long (400+ pages), it was a book that was easy to read and enjoyable. I got an average of about 100 pages read a day while reading it, and I found myself looking forward to reading more. I can;t wait to read the sequel.
I feel bad for Callie, while she may be finding out things about herself, she's also thrown about into a world for paranormal that I'm not sure she is quite ready for. Her heart certainly isn't ready for it, and it causes much heartbreak towards the end. I'm glad certain characters made it through, and am looking forward to seeing how she progresses through the series.

I was completely sucked into this book. The whole story was a very interesting read. I was a little confused on some of the parts and the characters but the more I read the clearer they became.

I did think that the book was a little long and drawn out. There were some parts that I think could have been left out. But as I finished the book I completely understood why the book was as long as it was. I also understood why it has as much information as it did.

I would recommend this book to others with a little warning though. The Demon Lover is a very informative book and may be boring in some parts, but overall it is an interesting read.

I was quickly drawn into this book. The plot moved quickly and the characters were interesting, except for the bland boyfriend that had been with Callie since college.

I loved the whole series and will be looking into Carol Goodman's other books now.

I wanted to love this book. It had terrific elements and the summary seemed interesting, but it fell short for me. The twists were predictable. The first thirty percent slogged by. The characters kept me interested though. The gothic feel was a unique take on the theme, and I appreciated that. I feel as though all of the elements should have made this five stars, but they weren't fully developed. I needed more character and plot development.

Dr. Cailleach McFay, newly published author of The Sex Lives of Demon Lovers, is now looking for a permanent teaching position. Fairwick College in upstate New York seems rather quirky, but with an amazing folklore department is a possibility. When Callie goes for her interview she is startled to receive a job offer almost immediately. While she is considering it, she sees a house, a house that calls to her. Honeysuckle House seems to speak to her innermost dreams, and she decides to take the job on the spot. There are many mysteries at Fairwick, and not everyone nor everything are quite what they seem to be. Callie needs to figure out what is true and what is a dream before tragedy strikes.

Witches, vampires, and fairies, OH MY!!!!!
Honestly, I thought that this book was horrible. I am stunned to see the positive reviews, and I can't help but wonder if most of these individuals are new to Carol Goodman. I have been an avid Goodman fan since her first book, The Lake of Dead Languages, but this new stuff seems to be written by an entirely different person. I can't imagine the same readers who thrilled to The Ghost Orchid finding anything appealing about the Fairwick books. I mean, really....fairies? When I read that the one character was the Queen of the Fairies, I just about choked on my own vomit.
Moreover, it really feels to me that the quality of her writing has also gone downhill -- like she is "dumbing down" her writing for a less sophisticated readers. I used to read passages out of her books to my students -- wonderful passages of imagery that I found amazing. There's nothing I would share from this book with my class.
I hate to say it, but I think I am parting ways with Carol Goodman. Apparently there are plenty of readers to replace me, so I doubt I will be missed; nonetheless, I am saddened to think that there will never be another book the caliber of Lake of Dead Languages or Seduction of Water.

For any reader who loves fantasy in this world, or alternative reality, this book is truly delicious. I think most men would enjoy it; not just "chic lit" fans. It also has the great pleasure of the academic setting. For those who went to school Out East or who have lived through Upstate New York winter, there are so many ways to connect. Once you're halfway through, you will have to finish...and will look forward to the next installment. The heroine is so genuine -- not abnormally plucky or constantly brave or always her better self. At its core, she is finding out who she really is.

This longtime Holt fan was horrified and sickened as well as bitterly disappointed in this novel because (a) it's not a "romance" at all and (b) this is one of the finest authors alive.

The "hero" tricks and rapes the heroine, but she falls in love with him? NO! NO! NO! Rape is a violent act committed by men who despise women. No man who does that can EVER be a hero, and Holt's attempt to have him reason out his actions and redeem himself are an utter failure. Equally disappointing is having his helpless, violated victim decide he's worthy of her affection, and worse, fit to be a father to the child he conceived through force.

This is a sad attempt at entertainment from a wonderful writer, a slap in the face to real victims of rape, a perpetuation of the myth that it's possible for some rape victims to secretly enjoy their brutalization, and that men who rape really aren't so bad.

Read "The Pride of the Peacock" or "Mistress of Mellyn" instead.

What really captured my eye with this book was the cover! It was reminiscent of other YA novels that I read in the past and really enjoyed. Upon reading the first few chapters I quickly realized this was no YA novel. The sex scenes were a bit graphic and sometimes too heavy.

I am however on the fence with this novel. I liked the idea with the plot but really struggled throught the story. There wasn't enough depth to some of her characters, I really didn't get to know them through the writting. A lot of the story line seemed as though it should have been obvious to Callie considering she was supposed to be bright and educated in her field.

I did enjoy the way the author described in detail about the town, college and Callie's new home Honeysuckle House. I could picture them in my mind and at times felt as if I were actually there.

I struggled to get through this book so I'm not sure that reading the next will be easier for me, but I will probably read it and hope that all characters will develop more and we will get to know them better.

I read this novel through a pre-order from [...]

One of my top ten favorite series. All three books were so hard to put down. I know Juliet Dark is a pen name, but i wish the author would write another series. I would love to read more from her. The books under her more popular name (which escapes me at the moment) are not nearly as exciting and magical as The Demon Lover.

Wonderfully written, this book draws from the lore of old as well as the new life given it in today's poo culture even naming and comparing too names in gothic and paranormal writing. It blew my mind and touched my heart.

I really liked this book! The cover was actually my least favorite thing about it. It has a very YA look to it. The story was very detailed, especially in describing the house, school, and town. It may have been almost TOO detailed, but I was already hooked so it didn't bother me at all. Give this a read, especially if you can find it at your library.