Veena’s review of In the Company of Witches (Arcane Shot Series, Book 2) by Joey W. Hill
Paranormal Romance published by Berkley 1 May 12
Mikhael Roman, “bad boy of all bad boys,” dark guardian of the underworld, chases a thief onto the property of beautiful mesmerizing witch and sex demon Raina. Their first meeting takes place under a lightning blast of her power, as she strives to protect the person who has come to her for sanctuary, and the red flames and searing heat of his response. In the Company of Witches, Joey Hill has created a beautiful love story with two unusual protagonists who embrace the dark and strive to create balance.
Kidnapped at the age of ten, held in captivity and forced to obey the will of her kidnapper for eight years before she wins freedom, Raina uses her magic to extend a circle of protection to other incubi and succubi in need. She runs a bordello to allow those under her protection to safely harvest the sexual energy they need in order to survive. The thief Isaac, a fellow succubus, comes under her mantle the moment he enters her property and she is steadfast in his protection, even after she finds out that he has stolen a dangerous artifact from Lucifer himself.
This act, however, brings Mikhael into her life. Duty bound to locate and restore Lucifer’s toy and to protect Raina and her people from the consequences of her protective act, he becomes a guest at Sweet Dreams. Mikhael has committed his life to creating balance between the dark and the light, working from the dark side of the spectrum. His ability to see extraordinary beauty in the darkest places, his commitment to duty, along with a strong dominant nature, make him a strong alpha hero. He is deeply attracted to Raina and wants to bind her in his chains so that he can free her from the invisible ones that constrain her.
A closet romantic, Raina is deeply charmed by Mikhael’s attempts to make her feel like Rose on the prow of the titanic. From the ride on a kelpie horse, the crushed nuts to go over her ice cream sundae, and taking her to see New Moon, the Twilight saga movie, in a theater, he woos her and makes inroads into her heart. For the first time she is able to give her sexuality free rein, bringing light into dark corners of her soul.
Derek and Ruby from Something About Witches are now mated and about to become parents. It turns out that Mikhael and Derek went to the schools of Wizardry together. At the end of their training, Mikhael stepped out of the line and volunteered to serve Lucifer and the dark side, leaving Derek free to serve the light.
The story engages the reader from the opening page all the way to the end. The author masterfully blends action, philosophy, tears, laughter, tenderness, passion and romance to create an extraordinary story. Mikhael is one of my all-time favorite heroes and I would play his version of poker with him any place, any day. This story follows Something About Witches and while it is not essential to have read that book in order to fully enjoy this book, reading it first will further engage the reader, since Derek and Ruby play a strong secondary role in this book. In the words of the author, “this is purgatory, a testing ground, the choice is ours no matter the circumstances.” Choose to read this book, you won’t be sorry.
Summary:
All witch and part succubus, savvy businesswoman Raina has converted a Southern plantation house into an extremely profitable old-fashioned bordello. Because of her abilities as a witch, the demons under Raina’s protection can feed off the sexual energy of their clients without killing them—definitely a good thing for repeat business.
But when a rogue incubus shows up on Raina’s doorstep begging for asylum, the witch’s well-run business is put in jeopardy. The incubus has stolen an object of great power from Lucifer, and Underworld Dark Guardian Mikhael will do anything to get it back—even if it means incinerating the incubus on Raina’s porch to get the answers he seeks.
Not to be trifled with, Raina enters a dangerous match of wits with Mikhael to achieve their mutual goals—only to discover that the reluctant attraction between them is the most hazardous game of all…
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
