Base Instincts (Demonica)

SE Jakes is Larissa Ione's other writing half who makes up Sydney Croft, and happens to be published by Riptide. I'm not sure if she suggested that LI comes to the latter for her first foray into MM, but if so, perhaps they should have collaborated on this.

The tale itself isn't much of a tale - one guy, Raze, is friends with a female who's being hunted by the other guy, Slake, and being a Seminus demon, Raze can only have sex with females...though he's gay. So, how do they get around this? With a slight twist, which was apparent with Slake's species name, Duosos, which I was happy to go along with, but the sex spoiled the tale. LI is known for her hot and heavy scenes that go on for at least a page or few, but these only fulfilled the very basics and then it got a bit Barbara Cartland and faded. If you're hoping for hot, sexy, erotic and sensual, don't bother - even the mating scene was entirely subdued.

So, I wasn't impressed by what I can only call a token MM tale.

Ebook courtesy of Riptide Publishing and NetGalley, in return for an honest review.

Larissa Ione is the author of the popular Demonica series. I have to confess, I’m not familiar with the series. However I’m always very interested when there is a m/m installment in a predominantly mainstream romance series.

And I have to say that I was not disappointed. Even without reading the rest of the series, the story was easy to follow. While the background is a bit funny and out there, it was a nice, steamy story to read.

Life is not easy for a sex demon who depends on females for sex – yeah I rolled my eyes a bit at that one. But Raze is inventive and has fire. He’s a strong character. Though life can be hard on him, as appears from the insight into his world. He makes it as nice as can be without any attachments.

A world which is turned upside down when he meets Slake. Like Raze, Slake is in a bit of a bind because of his heritage and a deal gone wrong. Be careful who you make a deal with! Slake comes of a tough and independent, but there is more to him than meets the eye.

Throughout the story we get to know both rather well. There is a solid insight into both characters and what drives them throughout the story. Even though the story is not very long, it was well written with a creative background and world-building that is easy to follow even if you are not familiar with the series.

However, even though Raze and Slake are fun and rather cool (and hot) characters, I couldn’t quite get into their romance. There wasn’t a lot of it to begin with as there was more conflict than screen time between the two. It’s rather from the story being told and the last chapter that the reader knows they fit together (rather well). I think if the story was a bit longer, the romance may have been a little more believable.

The author created a fairly crafty story that is dark and gritty with characters that are sorely in need of some love and happiness. From the story you can tell the author is experienced. The writing itself is strong and flowing and vivid. The editing was also well done.

I think fans of the series will love this interlude in the main series, however die-hard fans may need some more convincing.

Raze is a seminus demon who literally has to have sex with women just to survive so even though he's only really attracted to men he can never have an exclusive relationship with a guy. He likes the healing abilities that his seminus side gives him and loves his job working as a paramedic but he has come to accept that he will never be happy in his personal life. Rather than constantly having to find random women to hook up with, like most Seminus demons do before they're mated, Raze has come to an arrangement with his friend Fayle who is a succubus so also has feed off of sex to survive. They have a strong friendship but neither of them are looking for more than that so their relationship has always worked for them both, even though Fayle's possessiveness has become more than a little awkward.

Slake bartered with his soul for protection from his family, agreeing to work as an assassin and finder for a demon owned law firm for a limited contract and forfeiting his soul if he fails. If he can complete just one more job for them he will earn back his freedom and all he has to do is capture Fayle and bring her back to her family. Unfortunately for him the job is a lot more complicated because of his attraction to Raze, especially when he realises how important Fayle is for Raze's survival.

I've been a fan of this series from the beginning so of course I jumped at the chance of reading Base Instincts. I love that Larissa Ione has included an MM story in the series and I was rooting for Raze and Slake from the beginning. I thought I had a pretty good idea of how things would play out when I picked this up but it wasn't at all what I expected and the resolution to Raze's problem was a really creative one. I'm not going to say more because I don't want to give spoilers but it just goes to prove that there is someone out there for everyone no matter what issues you may have!

Even though this isn't a full length novel Larissa Ione did a great job of making me care about the characters involved, Raze and Slake have both been through a lot in their pasts and there were some nice messages in here about being yourself and not letting other people put you down because they don't agree with your choices. There was perhaps a little less tension than in some of the other books in the series but I didn't have a problem with that and I loved the little cameo appearances from some of the previous characters. Reading Base Instincts reminded me how much I love the seminus siblings and really made me want to go back and start rereading the series from the beginning which to me is the sign of a very good story.

*I received a free ARC of Base Instincts from Riptide Publishing via Netgalley in exchange of an honest and unbiased review*

In Base Instincts, love proved to be stronger than species, laws of nature, evil demons and soul-stealing scum!

It is always a treat to enter Ione’s Demonica world, and the fact that Base Instincts finally explored some of the different sexual preferences of the characters, even those male demons who actually need sex with a female in order to survive, made it even better! When a story manages to have the characters push the boundaries of the universe in which they evolve, that story has the ability to also help readers think about things in a different way in my opinion. Getting to know Slake and Raze and see what Fayle meant to their possible relationship was part of what made this story so good.

Of course, I’m already a big fan of the Demonica series, and of Ms. Ione’s writing. Reading Base Instincts made me realize, once more, just why I’m such a big fan, though. The writing is tight, well done and grabs me into the story so I can experience the characters and what happens to them in an amazing way. And I have to say it was definitely a very nice surprise to find a great fantasy series that includes an LGBT couple as the main characters in one of the installments. While it does happen, it doesn’t happen very often. And I found the story to be very well thought out, and that the way it, and the main plot unfolded was well done.

Because they had to deal with more than the stigma of being a demon, in Raze’s case one who wanted to heal, Slake and Raze also had to deal with hiding the fact that they were attracted to men, rather than women. In Slake’s case, being gay gave him a death sentence with his breed, and in Raze’s it would kill him to not have sex with a female. Saying these to males had their work cut out for them doesn’t even begin to explain things. And there were quite a few other things going on in Base Instincts as well, tying in with the series as a whole and the characters who inhabit this complex universe where angels, humans, demons, vampires and other paranormal creature have to at least try to get along for the world to still exist.

Written in past tense, third person perspective, the narrator allowed for me to follow several characters, even as the main focus was on Slake and Raze. I would recommend to read Base Instincts in order when it comes to both Demonica and Lords of Deliverance, as there might be some spoilers here if you have skipped prior installments. Apart from that, I think you should just delve in, enjoy the story and the thought-provoking questions that may stay with you after you finish reading.

Slake has to find Fayle. His very soul depends on it. As luck would have it an incredibly sexy man is a known associate of Fayle’s. It’s win win! Raze cannot let himself be attracted to the sexy guy he kissed in the alley. As a Seminus demon he’ll have to have sex with a woman or have a woman present with him and the sexy guy unless he wants to be driven crazy and achieve a painful death. Seminus biology is not kind. What appears to be a terrorist attack brings Slake and Raze together. Fayle extends a momentary courtesy to make it work, but she’s not pleased. Fayle is not pleased at all. Fayle does a bad thing, but it leads to a fascinating discovery. It seems that Raze’s problems are solved, but now Slake has to get Fayle and save his soul. That ends up involving some high powered political machinations.

I’ve read so many of the books from the Demonica series. Reading this was like hanging out with an old friend. Then, about halfway through the book I remembered why I stopped hanging out with that friend. And basically I stopped hanging out because the stories tend to feel a little contrived and tend to have a deus ex machina ending. Although for this series I feel I should call it a demon ex machina ending. However, the good parts of the friendship, the fun world building and an entertaining cast of characters, are all there.

This book was shorter than previous books in the series and didn’t have a plot upon which the fate of all mankind and demonkind hinged. It’s easy to pick this one up if you’ve never read any of the previous books, although it was nice seeing Eidolon’s very Eidolon responses and Wraith will forever be a dick. Also, if you’re just not interested in reading this couple you won’t be left wondering what major events you’re missing out on. However, it was the lack of a major multi-realm potential catastrophe that exposed what I felt were the weaknesses in this book. I had nothing to distract me from two guys who can only really work with each other and what should have been a dead end being changed by introducing a bigger and badder character out of thin air. I was left frustrated.

If you love the Demonica books beyond all reason pick this up. It’s very Demonica and as such, a fun read.

As a longtime fan of Larissa Ione's Demonica series, I was so excited to learn she was turning her considerable sexy-time talents to the m/m arena. Every single book I have read from her has burned up the pages and this novella is no exception. It's super-hot. Not only that, but it ties in elements from this fabulously built world, along with characters and storylines we've come to know and love.

Raze is a medic at Underworld General and he is a Seminus demon. A gay Seminus demon. That's a problem because his biology requires him to have sex daily and he needs a woman to reach completion. Without feeding his need, he'll suffer and die. Thankfully, he has Fayle, a succubus partner who gives him a steady source of sexual contact, without any expectation of more.

Slake is a bounty hunter whose very soul depends on bringing Fayle in to his boss. At first, Raze is just a means to an end, but very quickly Slake sees him as something more. He wants him more than he should and he decides to go after what he wants. The attraction is definitely mutual, but the rules of biology are working against them... and so is Slake's mission.

Ione's trademark sexual fire is in full force. The tension between Raze and Slake is fantastic, and when these two hit the sheets, it's explosive. The emotion connection between them isn't quite as strong, as is often a challenge with novellas. But there is a believable emotional component in that these are two men who never thought they would --or even could-- find love.

I was very curious as to how Ione would breach the very real barrier to the HEA for these two. I have to say her solution was quite elegant.

As always with this series, the worldbuilding is fascinating, though not nearly as dense as it is in the full length novels. It's just enough to please fans, without confusing new readers. A short, sexy and satisfying story.

Rating: B

Base Instincts by Larissa Ione is another excellent work! Slake is a Duosos Demon. He left his family after he became what he was meant to be and they didn’t accept his decision. In order to gain protection from them he signed a contract that gave the owner his soul if he failed to complete one of his one hundred missions. He became a retriever for the law firm and because of the type of demon he is, he is a very good tracker. On his last mission to retrieve a succubus things start to go really wrong, or in his case, finally right. He meets Raze, a seminus demon, who works as a medic in a club and in a hospital. He is a sex demon whose species can only mate with females if not they go crazy and attack the first woman they see. Slake and Rave feel a draw to each other that they can’t explain, but they don’t fight it either, things just keep getting in the way of them being together. Fayle being one of them. She is the succubus that Slake must retrieve for the law firm. In order for Raze to find sexual release a female has to be present during the action, and he has to come inside of her. Being gay this then is extremely difficult for Raze, but if he doesn’t have release about every 12 hours he becomes extremely ill, and will eventually die. The way that Larissa Ione solves this problem is amazing and I love the creativity! When Raze and Slake have a real chance at being together, they have to deal with Slake’s soul being forfeit because he failed his mission in retrieving Fayle. I loved this story and was drawn into their lives. I am of course going back to the beginning and reading the others’ stories so when the next book comes out, I know who everyone is. I felt the emotions between Raze and Slake and could see the events happening as they happened. I love when a story is so well written that you see it as a movie in your head, and when the credits roll at the end you can’t wait for the next one. I recommend this and any other work by Larissa Ione! I give it 5 stars!

Damon Slake (aka Slake) never quite fit into his violent demon family, so he made a deal with a demonic law firm to escape his home. As a weapon specialist and bounty hunter, he successfully brings in any sort of prey his employer demands. His current assignment is to track down a demon named Fayle, and if he doesn’t bring her in ASAP, he’ll lose his soul to the law firm.

Raze works for Underworld General and at a high-end demon club as a paramedic. As a Seminus demon, he must have sex with a female every day or die a painful death; however, Raze is only attracted to males. Luckily, when he reached sexual maturation, his parents found Fayle, a succubus, to help ease his needs, and the pair has been together for 30 years. While the couple does what is needed for each to survive, it’s cold and impersonal. Raze is beginning to realize just how lonely his arrangement has made him when he meets the mysterious Slake.

Base Instincts is an exciting and entertaining novella set in Ms. Ione’s uber-sexy Demonica world. For those who know the series, you will delight in seeing several familiar characters who play relevant roles in Raze and Slake’s story. Although it is part of the Demonica series, the story is certainly standalone, although could be spoilerish if you aren’t up-to-date with the books.

Raze and Slake share an intense and immediate attraction. Unfamiliar with the biological requirements of Seminus demons, Slake pushes Raze’s buttons, demanding a sexual response. Once Raze gives in to his lust for Slake, he must explain the need for Fayle to be part of their passion. I loved that Slake didn’t let his feelings for Raze diminish because of his job and connection to Fayle. Both are two lost souls searching for that missing piece, and how they come together is both passionate and touching.

The only issue I had had more to do with the blurb describing Fayle as Raze’s best friend, rather than the story itself. While Raze views Fayle as a close buddy, it was evident right from the start of the book that there is little between the pair, and that Fayle is using Raze rather than being a friend. It’s not really much, but it made me scratch my head as to why the blurb called Fayle a “best friend.”

In the end, Base Instincts filled me with smiles and happy sighs; it truly was a wonderful read and well-put-together story. I admire how Ms. Ione doesn’t short-circuit her own mythology, but instead deepens it to make something special. She creates two unique characters that I grew to care about in a very short period. I loved reading about Raze and Slake working through the rough spots to ultimately find happiness.

My Rating: A- Enjoyed A Lot
Review copy provided by publisher.

When someone asks what my favorite paranormal romance series is I alway mention Larissa Ione’s Demonica series as one of the my top five favorites. I don’t read nearly as many paranormal romances as I once did. When I saw that there was a new one coming out and that it would be a male male romance I knew I just had to get my hands on it as soon as possible. Nothing shocking here but I absolutely loved it.

Having read the other Demonica books I knew what to expect out of the Seminus demon. Raze has to have lots of sex to survive. That sex has to be had with a female. Raze does what he has to do to survive but all he really wants is to feel the connection and passion that can only be experienced with a lover, a male lover. He’s resigned himself to life of emotionless sex with a woman who is simply helping him survive. Raze’s story screams heartbreak and I had to know how Ione was going to see him get his happily ever after. I love how she made it work. Slake bought something new and interesting to the series.

Find the target, apprehend them, and turn them over to his boss. That is Slake’s job. It has been his job for a long time. It is a job that he has excelled at. It is also the one thing that allows him to keep his soul. His last job though has turned out to be anything but typical. He’s found the female he is supposed to take into custody. Slake can’t seem to take his mind off of her very sexy friend long enough to care why he is supposed to be nabbing her. He wants Raze in a way that he has wanted no other before. Putting job, species, and logistics of how to make the impossible work aside Slake and Raze may have found something they never thought existed.

Base Instincts easily works as a stand-alone. There are a few characters from the Demonica and Lords of Deliverance series that have some small roles here but nothing that would allow a reader to get lost in an world they have never read.

book received from the publisher for the purposr of an honest review.

I love this world that Larissa Ione has created. I started a little late and picked up the Lords of Deliverance series first. Once I started I knew I had to go back to the beginning and read the Demonica series, I still have one to go (Sin Undone), but when I found out that a M/M romance was going to be thrown into the mix, I couldn’t resist Base Instincts. Needless to say, it was just as good as I thought it would be. ;)

Oh Raze… *sigh* The description pretty much sums it up, but it’s truly heartbreaking when you get it from his POV. He’s pretty much destined to never be completely fulfilled and having a mate is totally out of the question. Having Fayle was both a blessing and a curse. Although Raze needed her in his life, it was obvious from the beginning he would be better off without her.

And then there was Slake. He was one of those ‘bad’ boys that you had to love. As his secrets were slowly revealed, I fell in love with him even more.

As an added bonus, a few familiar characters made welcome appearances in Base Instincts. I don’t want to give anything away because while some were expected, there were a few surprises. There were also a few little twists and turns and unexpected allies and villains. (I love it when that happens.) I also love the creative way that Larissa Ione found to keep her mythology intact… and that’s all I’m going to say ;)

I’m sure readers who are familiar with this world will get more out of the story than first time readers. Even so, since it’s short and the author gives a fair amount of background, it will give new readers a taste if they want to jump right in with Base Instincts. If you’re anything like me though, that taste isn’t going to be enough. I’m pretty sure it will leave you wanting more.

I received Base Instincts in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Base Instincts, A Demonica Story,  Larissa Ione
 
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
 
Genre:  GLBTQIA, Sci-fi and Fantasy
I’ve read and enjoyed  a few of Larissa’s novels now, and in fact bought and read some of the early Demonica novels, but somehow I lost track of the series. I recall enough though to be able to follow this story easily. Its a stand alone, complete novella, though links in to the other series and we meet characters from them.
It was a fun read, but didn’t for me have the depth of the other stories. Everything was just that bit too convenient and the solutions to the very real problems faced seemed to be some rather slick, fortunately advantageous side effects of the type of person/creature each of them were. I like the struggle, the search for answers using abilities we already know about, and when its done as it is here it doesn’t give me that same feeling of satisfaction when all works out. Its a clever book, with some genuine emotion and issues ( even the demon groups have bigotry problems), but for me the opportune fixes discovered were too much to believe in. Even in fantasy I have to believe that if things were real the solutions would work that way, I need the struggle, the brainstorming for answers, the feeling that things might be beyond help, and here it didn’t work that way for me.
If you’re looking for a fun, light and sexy paranormal this is great, but if like me you want more depth, more struggle and drama then you’ll found that the main series provides it and this one is just a light addition..
 
Stars: 3.5/4, a good read but a bit too slick for a great one.
 ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers.
If you enjoyed my review I'd love it if you would please click “Like” and if you didn't I'd love to know why, in case I've inadvertently added a spoiler and need to edit.
 

 

Larissa Ione and Demonica! These words are guaranteed to make my heart beat faster and then you have to add in that it's a M/M story as well! Yes that's right Ms Ione is prepared to take her characters on a truly liberating ride and who knew it could be so enlightening.
This book works easily as a standalone but do watch out for cameo appearances from much loved demons. Here we meet Raze a medic and most importantly a Seminus demon. He is an anomaly really as his species can only survive by having sex with females but for Raze its all about those sexy guys out there. Resigned to never experiencing true passion with another male he lives with a Succubus but unknown to Raze she has powerful enemies.
Slake is an assassin and pretty good at what he does. This job though puts him through the wringer as not only does his target have a powerful protector in Raze but Slakes own soul is on the line. What should be simple and straightforward is anything but and soon choices have to be made with very surprising outcomes!
I am no expert on M/M stories but as a Demonica fan I had to give this story a go and I'm so pleased I did. It's quite a quick read but nevertheless I felt the author gave a well rounded story. A relationship that really shouldn't work but in this world anything is possible.
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review

Reviewed by Francesca and posted at Under The Covers Book Blog

I have a weakness for seminus demons. And Raze is a Seminus demon working as a doctor at UGH, but he’s got a secret. He is actually attracted to men. But the problem is that as an incubus he needs sex to survive. But he can only come with a woman. Being gay is actually a matter of life or death for him, so he’s suppressed his wants and just tried to live his life with a woman.

That is until he meets Slake. His few experiences with other men could never have prepared him for Slake and the chemistry is explosive from the first time they meet. If you’re looking for intensity, these are your guys! Two strong alpha males who can get things done and don’t need saving, but can use someone to take care of them and show them some love for the first time in their lives.

If you’re a Demonica fan, this is a no-brainer. You must read this! BASE INSTINCTS packs everything I love about this series in a small package. And for lovers of LGBT romance that are just getting introduced to this world, well you’re in for a treat and you should definitely check out the rest of the series.

BASE INSTINCTS is action packed and gives us a fun story arc for Raze and Slake, at the same time we get small glimpses from our favorite Demonica characters. I fell for both Raze and Slake right away and I couldn’t put this book down! As always, I’m left wanting my next fix from Ms. Ione and from this series. Hopefully there’s more to come.

If you are anything like me, you glom Larissa Ione’s Demonica series with an unholy passion. I continue to wait breathlessly for each little niblet Ione releases in this world. When I heard she was writing an M/M romance, my grabby hands went into hyper drive. As always, this wickedly dark and gritty paranormal world continues to thrive with it’s dynamic characters, devious plots lines, steamy sexually intense romances, and engaging often humorous dialogue.

Raze and Slake are a delightful addition to this world. Both are intelligent, gorgeous, honorable men who haven’t had the easiest of times. Ione weaves a sensual “lust at first sight” romance and divulges just enough into their backgrounds to help fan the flames of desire and attraction. Delicious love scenes and some unusual but well plotted twists helps these boys towards their happily ever after. Fans will delight in seeing cameos of various beloved characters who pop in and out to help Raze and Slake. My only qualm is the blurb claims Fayle and Raze are best friends but the storyline doesn’t support that. Their relationship is anything but friendly and decidedly one sided.

Once again Ione has given us a much desired and sexy glimpse back into her world and reaffirms that in the PNR genre, she is definitely royalty.

RATING: B+

Raze’s life literally depends on having sex with females but a mysterious male has his carefully structured world turning upside down when they are embroiled in a battle not only for their love but for their lives and souls in this sizzling paranormal romance.

An Assassin that is used to getting what he wants, Slake didn’t count on his attraction to Raze and the reader can’t help but get caught up in the story as Raze and Slake navigate a dangerous world to be together. The chemistry but the relationship is as combustible as TNT with several obstacles that could blow it sky high…a jealous demon, a soul issue and a health issue which has these strong charismatic characters capturing the hearts of the readers as they deal with the emotional turmoil and the web of lies that surrounds them. The fast paced and smooth flowing plot keeps readers on the edge of their seats with suspense and passion with expectation building lots of tension throughout the well written scenes that capture the imagination as a betrayal becomes deadly with some unexpected surprises adding a bit of scrumptious flavor.

I must confess that I will never ever ever get enough of the Demonica / Lords of Deliverance series and this one may just be one of my favorites because Raze certainly deserved meeting his special someone.

In general, Larissa Ione is a great short story/novella author (as well as a full length novel writer), and this story was no exception. I hate that I have to do this, but I do feel that I should put a disclaimer for anyone who is sensitive to homo-erotic romances that this one is definitely one hot romance story about two men falling in love.

That said, I do truly wish this novel had been a full length one. While it was well done for a short story, I felt there was more that could have been done with the characters and the plot and I truly would have enjoyed a longer version of this novella. That is the one star deduction. I felt that there were a lot of scenes and plot lines that could have been more fully developed and ideally should have been.

The plot is very well summarized by the publishers blurb so I feel no need to recap it here. I did feel this book was in the 'scorching' category for me in terms of erotic scenes; they were very well written and I am pretty sure I needed a cold shower at one point!

Overall, another fantastic installment in the UG world.

NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4 1/2
Okay first, EEEEKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *shouts* I love the Demonica series!!!!!!
Okay, not that I got that out of the way. I was so excited to be able to read Base Instincts early!! I seriously love everything that Larissa has written. I have been in love with the Demonica series from day one. I am very happy that Larissa keeps writing more stories for us.
This was a very quick read. I loved Raze and Slake. They are both tough as nails yet each want what they have never had in the past. Love!!
I really enjoyed the twists and turns in this novella and no I am not going to give you anything. Go get this novella and find out yourself. I loved the cameos by Eidolon, Wraith and Revenant. Oh my goodness Revenant was in top form!!! Seriously, Rev has a wicked sense of humor.
I can’t wait to see what is next for the Demonica world!!!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & RipTide Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

AWESOME......I cannot say enough good things about this series!!!! I absolutely LOVE demonica and Lords of Deliverance. This is by far my favorite paranormal series.....and I've read a library full of them. I have read and reread this series no less than 5 times and I still love it. Larissa Ionne's ability to weave an entire world and culture is just baffling in imagery and story telling. As series go on with this many books sometimes they grow stale and lose the oomph factor. Not so with this series. Great storyline and lovable characters. Can't wait too see what she has in store for the next book. Thanks so much for another awesome read. If you haven't checked this author out you need to run not walk and do so 5+++++ stars for another smoking hot super sexy devilishly sinful read!!!!!

This was a very quick read, but fabulous! I love the Demonica series and have ready every single one of Larissa Ione’s books. She is an amazing writer and creates such touching characters – I have fallen in love with all of them. Even the not-so-nice ones! This story was no exception. Slake and Raze are great individually and so much more fun together! As with all her series, Ione gave us adequate page time for our all time favorite characters from books past. It’s a big family of a universe and I’m so happy that we get to stay connected to everyone in each installment. You never get bored; you just fall more in love with each page. Read this story alone or as a dedicated fan – you will never be disappointed!

~ ~ ~

3.5 Stars bumped for world building.

THE CHARACTERS

Raze - A compassionate healer who can never have the relationship he craves.

"Unfortunately, what he wanted was something he couldn’t have.
And for some reason, Slake’s face popped into his head, the poster boy for Can’t Have.
His cock throbbed again.
The f'er."

Slake - An assassin about to lose his soul is a pretty tricky guy.
"In Slake’s world, there was no room for kindness. He showed none and received none. Sometimes, he didn’t believe it existed."

THE STORY

We meet Raze and Slake in a demon nightclub called Thirst and instantly enter the world crafted by Larissa Ione which is a fusion of everything we love in paranormal romance. Bad, good, hot and homey. Evil, kind, dark and exciting. Sexy, romantic, loving and deadly. In other words - this place has it all. And that is what draws you in, deep in, to the world of Demonica.

Raze is a medic at both Underworld General and during stints at Thirst. Raised by humans he has compassion and a wider world view. But he lives a lonely life knowing he can never have what he wants, he only gets what he needs. And what he needs is sex every 12 hours or so.

Slake has stupidly sold his soul and is running out of time to ever get it back. When he meets, and drools over Raze, he thinks he might just have the chance he needs to keep himself out of Sheoul.
One corner of Raze’s mouth tipped up in a half smile.“I’m only dangerous if you piss me off.”
“What if I get you off ?”

There's a neat solution to the conflict and it has a real world message. Sometimes this sort of thing would bother me, but not here. I flowed well with the story and didn't feel preachy.
"No one should be judged solely by their species,"...

THE WRITING

It's been four years since I read a Demonica book, but I never forgot the world. Ione's unique creation left an indelible impression.Which is why I begged to get this book as soon as possible. I'm happy to say that it was very easy to get right back into the place. Even though things have certainly progressed I felt like I grasped everything clearly. And it didn't feel like a rehash. Well done. There's also a handy glossary to either refresh or educate the reader.

The beginning of the book felt like something of a checklist of everything that romance readers require; tats, muscles, leather pants, adjust said pants, check, check, check. But then we got into the story and the seminus needs of Raze gave a solid basis for the book giving it a unique tension and story line.

But it took me a good while to really feel like these guys had more than sexual attraction. There were some pretty big jumps to emotion which felt choppy at times and seemed to rob a bit of my connection to the romance, but I enjoyed the overall story enough that I just went with it. At the same time there isn't a lot of pretense between Slake and Raze. They're hot for each other and they don't spend too much time fighting it.

Bottom line I know that I've read more emotional, more complex books from Ione so I know what she's capable of. I can't help but hold it to those standards. That being said I really enjoyed the book and recommend it. The Demonica world is completely engrossing.

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I would like to thank Riptide Publishing for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

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A most enjoyable read. Both the male characters were likeable, strong and had their own back story to tell. I thought that the M/M story was told very tastefully, I am no expert but I actually found the love scenes very sweet. There was an interesting story that kept me interested the whole way through. I loved the humour and banter. Some of the old characters were included which was great. I just love this series and would totally recommend it.

Larissa Ione and her Demonica/Lords of Deliverance series, are amazing. Loved Seminus and Raze together. The reader is drawn into the story beautifully. This is truly a romance and well written. I enjoyed these men and their struggles. Deep characters, an interesting story as always, and super hot sexiness.
A Larissa Ione M/M romance is an amazing bonus. I've read her whole series and this was icing on the cake. You can't go wrong.
Highly recommend ! ENJOY !!

I bought this through the publisher because it was originally not available on the store, which is very strange considering the books one can buy? Anyway, like all in this series, it was outstanding. This author combines vivid characters you care about with lots of action and conflict. Well-written and a great addition to the series!

The answer we all wanted to know about our beloved Sems since the first book, and wow, Raze suffered a lot before finding such a unique demon species he could be with. Nicely done and beautifully emotional for a novella. Larissa Ione amazes me again.

I normally buy Larissa straight out the gate. I have every single book in this series and I bought all of the previous books immediately. I am very sad that I will have to wait for this one to come out in Mass Paperback instead of it being available immediately for purchase, and with no release date in site . It is very annoying that the publishers have decided to try to force us readers and fans into buying books in higher priced formats first or go without. I love my books and I am a fan and follower of Larissa and many other authors, but I will not be forced into buying a book in a format that I can neither afford price wise, size wise, or any other wise. Give us, the fans, the books we want. give us the options we want and watch your sales blossom and bloom. Publishers get a real clue !!!!!

I finally had some extra cash to spare and plurged on buying this. All I can say is I wish it was longer because it was pretty great (I usually always like Larissa Iones books so not really surprising) Would be 5 stars but it isn't exactly long.