Gwen’s review of Insatiable Desire (The Demonborn, Book 1) by Rita Herron
Contemporary paranormal romance released by GCP Forever 26 Aug 08

This is the first of a new series for Herron.  The next, Dark Hunger, comes out in 2009.  It’s about a man born of a demon and his fight to squelch his “bad blood” from a horribly abusive father.  It explores his irresistible and unwanted attraction to a local grief counselor (and resident psychic), Clarissa.   It’s part horror, part thriller, part paranormal romance, and I hated it. 

I don’t say that very often – hating a book – but I’m afraid this was one of them.  I heard from other people that Herron’s regencies are very good, though I haven’t read any that I recall.  I don’t doubt she’s a talented writer, it’s just none of that talent seemed to gel in this entry.  I trolled around, reading reviews of this book here and there, and the few I found were positive, so I seem to be in the minority.  I’m willing to concede that this book just wasn’t my cuppa tea, though I had a lot more problems with it than just “tea”.  A lot more than a typical “D” review, so I had to give it an F.

To begin with, the hero is not just an anti-hero, he’s not just tortured – he’s actually not a very nice person.  The first scene in the book is him screwing the daylights out of an anonymous woman and hating her and himself for it. Then, through most of the book, he fantasizes about screwing any warm hole he can find.  Thank goodness one of the holes happens to be the heroine.  However, just because he refrains (barely) from screwing another anonymous one, didn’t mean he didn’t come close.  Sorry – that’s a deal-breaker for me in a romance.

The heroine, Clarissa, is kind of a non-entity.  We’re not told much about her other than she’s a psychic from a family of psychics.  We know her mom committed suicide.  But that’s about it.  Clarissa knew the hero when they were children, and other than that, we know nothing about her.  I need more than that to identify with such an important character.

Because the hero is an ass and the heroine is underdeveloped, I totally didn’t believe in the love story.  For a variety of reasons – none of which are reasonable – the h/h spend most of the book actively avoiding each other.   They refrain so much that by the time they actually do come together, just when I should have been whooping it up glad for the union, I simply rolled my eyes.  The h/h sex was steamy but unsatisfactory – I didn’t feel the ‘lurve’.

The next problem I had was how graphic the horror elements were.  I like a good fright – LOVE thrillers like Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta novels – but Insatiable Desire goes just a step or two too far.  Herron gives us details about the murders and the poor victims (as spirits) that I, frankly, could have done without, so some of it seemed gratuitous.  I’m not a prude when it comes to blood and guts, but I like it to have a purpose.  All the overkill (heh) did was squick me out.

Adding insult to injury, I felt the paranormal elements were repetitive and unimaginative.   Those that were described were confusing – I couldn’t tell what it was that the hero was doing when he was supposedly using his powers.  These elements – Zion’s powers, Pan and his shenanigans, and the hero’s abilities – had me rolling my eyes.  A lot.  Again, I just didn’t believe in them or see their purpose.

The next problem I had was how obtuse several of the characters seemed to be, and, as a result, how slow the plot moved along. You know how when you’re watching one of the Halloween movies and you yell at the characters on the screen, “DON’T OPEN THAT DOOR!” Well, this book has a lot of that.  The characters kept trying to figure out who was committing all the murders and yet they seemed to dither around doing a lot of nothing.  There was no real crime solving, no real analysis.  Just a lot of shuttling from one location to another with seemingly no plan or purpose.  Suddenly one character would seem to show up at a location with no reason to be there.  It was odd and confusing.

And can I bring up one small thing that bugged me several times?  I couldn’t tell what kind of chairs people were sitting on.  Chairs in the Sheriff’s office, for example – they’re described as “cane back,” then I read “wood slatted.”  Which one were they?  And souldn’t they have been metal or plastic?  It’s a small thing, but it kept pulling me out of the story.

So, the character development was uneven, the story arcs confusing, the details weren’t well thought out, and a lot of eye-rolling at critical points.  All this adds up to a very bad grade from me.  I do wish it had been better.  I’m sending this book on to another reviewer – perhaps it will fit them more.  I’m willing to try Herron again, though I doubt it will be this series – maybe one of her historicals.

Grade: F

Summary:

CAN SHE DARE TO TRUST HER HEART

Plagued by graphic visions and the desperate cries of murder victims, psychic Clarissa King will do anything to stop the brutal killer targeting her hometown — even work alongside the dangerously sexy FBI agent who thinks she’s a fraud. He’s the one man who sparks a hunger she never imagined possible – and the one man she should fear…

WHEN HIS SOUL BELONGS TO THE DARK?

Vincent Valtrez knows how to get inside a serial killer’s mind. But with a dangerous past and a secret to keep, he wants nothing to do with this gorgeous psychic – especially since just the thought of her luscious body ignites a dark, irrepressible desire he’s determined to keep at bay. When the killer they seek turns out to be demonic and otherworldly, Vincent learns his connection to the murderer is more than just hunger and prey. Will the darkness inside Vincent claim him…or will he save Clarissa – and himself – from the evil that threatens them both?

Read an excerpt.