Sex and the Immortal Bad Boy by Stephanie Rowe
Warner Forever Released November 1, 2007
Review by Lawson

This is the fourth book in Rowe’s Immortally Sexy Series, the first three are Date Me Baby, One More Time, Must Love Dragons, and He Loves Me, He Loves Me Hot, all having to do with various aspects of the afterlife. There’s a continuing story about Satan trying to win the hand of Iris Bennett, former Guardian of the Goblet of Eternal Youth (where the Immortal theme comes in). But onto the Immortal Bad boy.

Jed Buchanan is one of the few remaining Shadow Warriors, former guards of gateways between Heaven, Hell and Earth. Fired from their job ages ago, the remaining Shadow Warriors have to find other things to do. Jed rebelled, had some family issues, and ended up indebted to Satan Jr. (another recurring character) to be his personal hit-man. But he’s doing everything he can to end his indenture to Satan Jr., even if that means risking his own life to save that of his brother.

When he’s asked to kill Becca Gibbs (from the last book), Jed hopes that it’s his last time to do Satan Jr.’s bidding. Things run amok when instead of Becca Gibbs, Jed finds Paige Darlington in her places. Becca is off on her honeymoon and Paige is squatting in her apartment until Becca returns.

Paige is happy to be on her own, even though she was created barely a month before by Satan to be a Rivka (a soul harvester of sorts). She’s realized she doesn’t like killing and wants to be good, and this is a MUST since Paige found out she’s cursed. She’s so cursed anyone she touches that’s not purely evil (damned) or purely good (supremely angelic) turns into a puff of ash instantly.

To take away her curse the only thing she can do is sneak into heaven’s cleansing outer moats to clean her soul. When Jed tries to kill her, but she can touch him without killing him, which shocks her cursed soul into submission. So Paige makes a deal with Jed, she’ll help with Satan Jr. if he helps her with her problem. And she sweetens the deal with her underworld connections (most especially to Satan). Jed agrees to help, but of course something simple becomes something complicated as the attraction explodes between them and Jed starts to realize the true meaning of sacrifice as well as love.

Since I read He Loves Me, He Loves Me Hot I went back and read the first two books in the series. I love the world that Rowe has built, this layer of Heaven, Hell, the Afterlife and how they mix in with mortals on earth who have no clue. The recurring stories of Satan and Iris, Satan and Satan Jr, and how the earlier characters reappear, most notably Theresa, the dragon, to help out make the story real and real funny.

Paige first appeared as Becca’s apprentice in the last book, since Satan wanted to tease is Number One Rivka, but Paige was lively and she’s still lively in this one. Though created to be evil, she’s full of spunk and enjoys the day to day living on earth. And she desperately wants to be good, or at least do some good. When she realizes she can touch Jed and he doesn’t die, she goes a bit touch crazy, which leads to the instant attraction between the two.

The only issue I had with the book was Paige’s jaded, yet naive view of the world. She’s a bit over a month old, but acts like any other stupid 20 year old in the world. It’s one of those things that’s part of the world that I had to let slide and not think about too much, or I wouldn’t enjoy the book. The sexy steam between Paige and Jed (and for someone so new to the world and still a virgin, she still is pretty sexually knowledgeable) works well in the book. But included in that is the idea, which is part of the otherworldly beings of having a physical, emotional and spiritual connection when you’re active between the sheets.

The recurring characters, especially Satan Jr., did help the story along and things didn’t get too out of hand. And it’s funny. The way Jed’s mind works, how Paige goes after what she wants, and the scheming of the evil (yet still rather charming) Satan and Satan Jr. gave plenty of laughs, but nothing in the realm of slapstick. It was believably funny from beginning to end. Makes one wonder who the next one will be about. . .

Grade: B