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Otherworld #8
Personal Demon
Tabloid reporter Hope Adams appears to live the life of an ordinary working girl. But in addition to possessing the beauty of a Bollywood princess, Hope has other unique traits. For she is a half demon—a human fathered by a demon. And she’s inherited not only a gift for seeing the past but a hunger for chaos—along with a talent for finding it wherever she can. Naturally, when she’s chosen by a very dangerous group for a very dangerous mission, she jumps at the chance….
The head of the powerful Cortez Cabal—a family that makes the mob look like amateurs—has a little problem in Miami: a gang of wealthy, bored offspring of supernaturals is getting out of hand, and Hope is needed to infiltrate. As spells, astral projections, and pheromones soar across South Beach, Hope weaves her way through its elite hot spots, posing as upscale eye candy and reading the auras of the clientele—and potential marks.
As it turns out, Hope is a little too good at this job. And soon she’s in a little too deep, needing to be bailed out by her jewel-thief werewolf ex-boyfriend and by the Cortez heir himself. And when a killer goes to work, Hope is among many targets at the pinnacle of Cabal rule. For a woman who didn’t know what she was getting into, there’s only one way out: it’s time for Hope to unleash her most potent primal instincts—and open herself, mind and body, to everything she most fears . . . and desires.
The head of the powerful Cortez Cabal—a family that makes the mob look like amateurs—has a little problem in Miami: a gang of wealthy, bored offspring of supernaturals is getting out of hand, and Hope is needed to infiltrate. As spells, astral projections, and pheromones soar across South Beach, Hope weaves her way through its elite hot spots, posing as upscale eye candy and reading the auras of the clientele—and potential marks.
As it turns out, Hope is a little too good at this job. And soon she’s in a little too deep, needing to be bailed out by her jewel-thief werewolf ex-boyfriend and by the Cortez heir himself. And when a killer goes to work, Hope is among many targets at the pinnacle of Cabal rule. For a woman who didn’t know what she was getting into, there’s only one way out: it’s time for Hope to unleash her most potent primal instincts—and open herself, mind and body, to everything she most fears . . . and desires.
371 pages, Hardcover
First published March 25, 2008
About the author
Kelley Armstrong
278 books32.1k followersKelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.
Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.
Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 702 reviews
June 19, 2021
I just want to stop and take a moment to love everything that Kelley Armstrong has written that I have read so far. She is the goddess of writing.
So Hope was introduced in the previous book. She is a half demon (father being Lucifer) who takes pleasure in chaotic thoughts and acts. She knows when you are about to pull the trigger, and she probably won't stop you because it is just such a high for her.
Anyway, she has a fling with Karl, who was actually introduced in the very first book. He is now apart of the American Pack, even though he won't be coming to the cook outs like the rest of them. He basically joined so he could have legitimate territory. Oh, and he's a jewel thief.
What's different about this book is that it isn't just told in Hope's perspective like the earlier books, but also in Lucas Cortez's (who was introduced in book three). The main reason here is because his relationship with his father Benicio Cortez changes a lot in this book. I actually think this book is more Lucas' than Hope's.
The major plot is this: Benicio employs Hope to settle a debt she and Karl have with him. He wants her to go undercover with a gang made up of Cabal kids rebelling against their parents basically. He wants to make sure they aren't actually going to do anything stupid or hurt anyone or themselves, so he wants her to go undercover.
Obviously things go absolutely nuts. A guy Hope has a fling with goes missing, people in the gang start being murdered, Lucas' half brothers get really aggressive really quickly.. it goes bonkers.
I will say that this is not one of my favorite Armstrong books. I liked getting to know Karl more and I like his relationship with Hope. I think really I just miss some of the old characters. It is written just as well and you can tell she put just as much work into it.
I tip my hat to you Kelley Armstrong, and the fact you always leave me wanting to read more. I'll be so sad when I read the last book in this series.
So Hope was introduced in the previous book. She is a half demon (father being Lucifer) who takes pleasure in chaotic thoughts and acts. She knows when you are about to pull the trigger, and she probably won't stop you because it is just such a high for her.
Anyway, she has a fling with Karl, who was actually introduced in the very first book. He is now apart of the American Pack, even though he won't be coming to the cook outs like the rest of them. He basically joined so he could have legitimate territory. Oh, and he's a jewel thief.
What's different about this book is that it isn't just told in Hope's perspective like the earlier books, but also in Lucas Cortez's (who was introduced in book three). The main reason here is because his relationship with his father Benicio Cortez changes a lot in this book. I actually think this book is more Lucas' than Hope's.
The major plot is this: Benicio employs Hope to settle a debt she and Karl have with him. He wants her to go undercover with a gang made up of Cabal kids rebelling against their parents basically. He wants to make sure they aren't actually going to do anything stupid or hurt anyone or themselves, so he wants her to go undercover.
Obviously things go absolutely nuts. A guy Hope has a fling with goes missing, people in the gang start being murdered, Lucas' half brothers get really aggressive really quickly.. it goes bonkers.
I will say that this is not one of my favorite Armstrong books. I liked getting to know Karl more and I like his relationship with Hope. I think really I just miss some of the old characters. It is written just as well and you can tell she put just as much work into it.
I tip my hat to you Kelley Armstrong, and the fact you always leave me wanting to read more. I'll be so sad when I read the last book in this series.
August 21, 2018
The last 25% pulled up my rating. RTC :)
January 21, 2019
Here we have the eighth novel in the Women of the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong. This time the main character being Hope and set in Miami. Lucas and Paige feature huge amounts in this one too. Hope is a half demon that feeds off chaos and I am pleased that we get a new type of supernatural to learn and divulge in. For me this is the second time I have met Hope, the first being in the previous novel where she dips in and out. Early on I got the sense that I was missing something, that being a back story that was being referenced to frequently. I am guessing there is a novella on Hope? I have not read it but I would recommend to read this first. It did not effect my enjoyment of the story but sometimes it is satisfying to truly capture the character as they are first introduced.
I really liked this one. The story flowed in extraordinary ways. There are lots more characters and a lot of chaos (obviously) but I lapped it up. There was so much action and adventure, double crossings, killings, manipulating, you name it, it was in here. Can I also mention there is not one love interest but two! Two handsome men to fill your minds with. But of course my love for Paige and Lucas did also help my enjoyment of this, I just adore there relationship! The growth of Hope throughout the novel was marvellous, Kelley really captured that teen trying to find their way through life feeling but translated it into a supernatural trying to learn to cope and deal with who they were. Us not being supernaturals it is hard to relate to some fantasy characters but Kelley does a remarkable job of this. I really did connect with Hope and felt her emotions which to me is a good story.
I highly recommend this book, there is a lot that may shock you. I literally could not predict the outcome and usually I am pretty good at seeing what lies ahead. If you are making your way through the series you shouldn’t need much persuading to read this one. I cannot wait to see who and what we get next!
March 7, 2010
I love Karl Marsten! Who would have thought?
Personal Demon was another decent Kelley Armstrong read.
This book is about Hope Adams, a chaos demon, who we've met in a short story in Dates from Hell. Besides Hope, we also get to read Lucas Cortez' POV.
In the beginning I felt Hope was interesting enough to have her own book, instead of sharing a narrative voice with Lucas. But along the way Lucas really added something extra to the story and reading about his struggle with his family turned out to be really interesting, eventhough I hadn't read the books centered about him and Paige.
The book can be read as a stand alone but reading the other books of the series and the short story in Dates from Hell (about Hope and Karl) really adds more to the excitement.
The plot was really good, there were a few surprises I hadn't seen coming. I loved the romance part although I think it could have dragged on a little bit more. But that's just me: I'm a sucker for uncomfortable situations, awkwardness and angst between the lovely couple.
I loved the interaction between Hope and Karl. It's nice to see Karl from a different perspective. He's always been the cool, suave, distant loner, not to be trusted and always thinking of himself. Armstrong was good not to totally change him: he still has that selfishness (engraved in him for survival) but he loves Hope so much that we see cracks in that egocentric shell of his.
I liked reading Lucas' POV, especially around the ending. I'm really curious as to how things will work out in the Cortez Cabal.
A good read, 4 stars.
Personal Demon was another decent Kelley Armstrong read.
This book is about Hope Adams, a chaos demon, who we've met in a short story in Dates from Hell. Besides Hope, we also get to read Lucas Cortez' POV.
In the beginning I felt Hope was interesting enough to have her own book, instead of sharing a narrative voice with Lucas. But along the way Lucas really added something extra to the story and reading about his struggle with his family turned out to be really interesting, eventhough I hadn't read the books centered about him and Paige.
The book can be read as a stand alone but reading the other books of the series and the short story in Dates from Hell (about Hope and Karl) really adds more to the excitement.
The plot was really good, there were a few surprises I hadn't seen coming. I loved the romance part although I think it could have dragged on a little bit more. But that's just me: I'm a sucker for uncomfortable situations, awkwardness and angst between the lovely couple.
I loved the interaction between Hope and Karl. It's nice to see Karl from a different perspective. He's always been the cool, suave, distant loner, not to be trusted and always thinking of himself. Armstrong was good not to totally change him: he still has that selfishness (engraved in him for survival) but he loves Hope so much that we see cracks in that egocentric shell of his.
I liked reading Lucas' POV, especially around the ending. I'm really curious as to how things will work out in the Cortez Cabal.
A good read, 4 stars.
July 17, 2010
Book #8 in the Women of the Otherworld series and definitely one of the weakest.
Hope Adams (originally introduced in the novella Chaotic in Dates From Hell), a tabloid reporter and a half-demon who feeds on chaos, is called upon by Benicio Cortez to infiltrate a gang of supernaturals who have been creating some trouble for Cabal in Miami. Hope fits in very quickly and soon starts enjoying not only the chaos created by the gang's criminal activities but the company of one gang member. The fun stops when Hope's new flame and his friend disappear and all trails lead to the Cortez Cabal. What is happening, who are the bad guys, and what do they want? Hope will find out with the help of her werewolf ex Karl, sorcerer Lucas and his witch wife Paige.
Like all Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld books, Personal Demon is entertaining and well-paced and yet it just doesn't hit the mark.
More than any other book in the series this story reads like an average mystery and not urban fantasy. My favorite books in the series are those that have a lot of supernatural mythology explored (Armstrong is great at creating convincing lore) - Bitten, Haunted, No Humans Involved. Personal Demon is pretty thin on the lore. Take out Hope and her ability to sense chaos (totally useless in the context of the novel), and you have a mediocre whodunit set in a corporate world.
Hope's character is underutilized. She has an interesting background of being a journalist and a socialite, but it is barely explored in the story. Pretty much any woman of the Otherworld could have been placed into this novel - it would have made no difference.
The romance angle is also underwhelming. I remember loving Hope/Karl dynamic in Chaotic. In this book it just falls flat. The nature of Hope's "powers" makes her faint at any overload of chaos, thus turning her into a damsel-in-distress and Karl into an overbearing, protective, and possessive grandpa. Not sexy. Even a few smut scenes didn't change my opinion about this couple. More humor and playfulness would have made this book better.
Almost half of the book is narrated from Lucas's POV, not sure why. I guess the thinness of Hope's character and her abilities called for some filler. Lucas's chapters are OK, although he appears to be a tad more depressing upclose.
Personal Demon is a pretty mediocre addition to the series which I will probably never have a desire to re-read, but not so bad as for me to say I didn't enjoy it at all.
Hope Adams (originally introduced in the novella Chaotic in Dates From Hell), a tabloid reporter and a half-demon who feeds on chaos, is called upon by Benicio Cortez to infiltrate a gang of supernaturals who have been creating some trouble for Cabal in Miami. Hope fits in very quickly and soon starts enjoying not only the chaos created by the gang's criminal activities but the company of one gang member. The fun stops when Hope's new flame and his friend disappear and all trails lead to the Cortez Cabal. What is happening, who are the bad guys, and what do they want? Hope will find out with the help of her werewolf ex Karl, sorcerer Lucas and his witch wife Paige.
Like all Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld books, Personal Demon is entertaining and well-paced and yet it just doesn't hit the mark.
More than any other book in the series this story reads like an average mystery and not urban fantasy. My favorite books in the series are those that have a lot of supernatural mythology explored (Armstrong is great at creating convincing lore) - Bitten, Haunted, No Humans Involved. Personal Demon is pretty thin on the lore. Take out Hope and her ability to sense chaos (totally useless in the context of the novel), and you have a mediocre whodunit set in a corporate world.
Hope's character is underutilized. She has an interesting background of being a journalist and a socialite, but it is barely explored in the story. Pretty much any woman of the Otherworld could have been placed into this novel - it would have made no difference.
The romance angle is also underwhelming. I remember loving Hope/Karl dynamic in Chaotic. In this book it just falls flat. The nature of Hope's "powers" makes her faint at any overload of chaos, thus turning her into a damsel-in-distress and Karl into an overbearing, protective, and possessive grandpa. Not sexy. Even a few smut scenes didn't change my opinion about this couple. More humor and playfulness would have made this book better.
Almost half of the book is narrated from Lucas's POV, not sure why. I guess the thinness of Hope's character and her abilities called for some filler. Lucas's chapters are OK, although he appears to be a tad more depressing upclose.
Personal Demon is a pretty mediocre addition to the series which I will probably never have a desire to re-read, but not so bad as for me to say I didn't enjoy it at all.
December 21, 2009
Personal Demon is the 8th installment in the amazing Woman of the Otherworld series by Kelly Armstrong. Like every other book in this series it kept me entertained and addicited to the very last page.
Personal Demon is narrated in first person by both Hope and Lucas. I find with both characters narrating it gives you a better understanding of both worlds in the book and make the twists come together perfect. Hope is a half demon with a craving for chaos. And Lucas is the youngest and distant son of the leader of the Cortez Cabal narrating.
I've read Bitten(book 1 in the Woman of the otherworld series) a while back and I've been hooked ever since. Not every book follows the same characters but every few books the main characters reoccur so it should be read in order so you can understand the extra characters and relationships.
The depth of character development throughout this story is absolutely amazing and knowing your favorite characters will reappear again in future books makes it even better. I really like Hopes character and find her werewolf ex-boyfriend James well written and refreshing (not to mention, funny and cute). Each book is amazing and I now find it hard to choose who I like more, Hope or Elena. Both are amazing, strong female characters who kick ass and take names.
Personal Demon was an amazing installment in the Woman of the Otherworld series that is a awesome edition to the supernatural gendre that has plenty of action and romance with amazing twists and surprises!If you haven't read this series yet, get started!
Summary (from the book jacket)
Hope Adams, tabloid journalist and half-demon, inherited her Bollywood-princess looks from her mother. From her demon father, she inherited a hunger for chaos, and a talent for finding it. Like full demons, she gets an almost sexual rush from danger - in fact, she thrives on it. But she is determined to use her gifts for good.
When the head of the powerful Cortez Cabal asks her to infiltrate a gang of bored, rich, troublemaking supernaturals in Miami, Hope can't resist the excitement. But trouble for Hope is intoxicating, and soon she's in way too deep.
With a killer stalking the mystical hot spots of Miami, Hope finds herself dangerously entangled, and has no choice but to turn to her crooked werewolf ex-boyfriend for help. What started as a simple investigation has spiralled into chaos. And Hope finds chaos irresistible...
For a woman who didn’t know what she was getting into, there’s only one way out: it’s time for Hope to unleash her most potent primal instincts and open herself, mind and body, to everything she most fears and desires.
Personal Demon is narrated in first person by both Hope and Lucas. I find with both characters narrating it gives you a better understanding of both worlds in the book and make the twists come together perfect. Hope is a half demon with a craving for chaos. And Lucas is the youngest and distant son of the leader of the Cortez Cabal narrating.
I've read Bitten(book 1 in the Woman of the otherworld series) a while back and I've been hooked ever since. Not every book follows the same characters but every few books the main characters reoccur so it should be read in order so you can understand the extra characters and relationships.
The depth of character development throughout this story is absolutely amazing and knowing your favorite characters will reappear again in future books makes it even better. I really like Hopes character and find her werewolf ex-boyfriend James well written and refreshing (not to mention, funny and cute). Each book is amazing and I now find it hard to choose who I like more, Hope or Elena. Both are amazing, strong female characters who kick ass and take names.
Personal Demon was an amazing installment in the Woman of the Otherworld series that is a awesome edition to the supernatural gendre that has plenty of action and romance with amazing twists and surprises!If you haven't read this series yet, get started!
Summary (from the book jacket)
Hope Adams, tabloid journalist and half-demon, inherited her Bollywood-princess looks from her mother. From her demon father, she inherited a hunger for chaos, and a talent for finding it. Like full demons, she gets an almost sexual rush from danger - in fact, she thrives on it. But she is determined to use her gifts for good.
When the head of the powerful Cortez Cabal asks her to infiltrate a gang of bored, rich, troublemaking supernaturals in Miami, Hope can't resist the excitement. But trouble for Hope is intoxicating, and soon she's in way too deep.
With a killer stalking the mystical hot spots of Miami, Hope finds herself dangerously entangled, and has no choice but to turn to her crooked werewolf ex-boyfriend for help. What started as a simple investigation has spiralled into chaos. And Hope finds chaos irresistible...
For a woman who didn’t know what she was getting into, there’s only one way out: it’s time for Hope to unleash her most potent primal instincts and open herself, mind and body, to everything she most fears and desires.
April 17, 2022
Finally. No children were sacrificed in this book.
Also, Hope and Karl are HAWT.
I think this is my favorite non-Elena focused book.
After a falling out with Karl, Benicio recruits Hope to go undercover in pursuit of information about a gang-like group of anti-Cabal supes.
BUT. Nothing is ever as simple as Benicio makes it appear.
The story is told mostly from Hope's perspective, with the occasional Lucas POV chapter. This increases toward the end.
I can't say much more without spoilers (this one is twisty), but I will say that Hope and Karl are what make this my favorite non-Elena focused book. Not a boring thing about them ;)
Also, Hope and Karl are HAWT.
I think this is my favorite non-Elena focused book.
After a falling out with Karl, Benicio recruits Hope to go undercover in pursuit of information about a gang-like group of anti-Cabal supes.
BUT. Nothing is ever as simple as Benicio makes it appear.
The story is told mostly from Hope's perspective, with the occasional Lucas POV chapter. This increases toward the end.
I can't say much more without spoilers (this one is twisty), but I will say that Hope and Karl are what make this my favorite non-Elena focused book. Not a boring thing about them ;)
November 7, 2019
Another gripping book in the wonderful Women of the Underworld Series. In this book I felt like the demon actively mopping up all of the chaos! It was fantastically surprising!
I love reading books like this one that are full of powerful and assertive women!
I also liked the twist where Karl is humanized and I really enjoyed his dynamic with Hope.
Looking forward to continuing to get lost in this world!
I love reading books like this one that are full of powerful and assertive women!
I also liked the twist where Karl is humanized and I really enjoyed his dynamic with Hope.
Looking forward to continuing to get lost in this world!
May 10, 2018
This is a hard book to review... at times it was great but the story felt disjointed. I think having Lucas as a POV threw it off, I get he played a large part of the story and maybe that was the problem. It felt like two stories smooshed into one with Hope’s part actually less than I expected it to be.
Hope’s need for chaos is a bit creepy, I don’t envy her that. However she is impulsive and pretty uninhibited but not stupid so her story was fun to read.
I thought Karl and Hope were a interesting and sexy couple but like I said they are sharing the story with Lucas and his family drama. The mystery was good and I honesty did not solve it until close to the end.
I also missed the other characters... like Jaime, Jeremy, Savannah, and Elena.
On top of that the ending felt really abrupt.
Hope’s need for chaos is a bit creepy, I don’t envy her that. However she is impulsive and pretty uninhibited but not stupid so her story was fun to read.
I thought Karl and Hope were a interesting and sexy couple but like I said they are sharing the story with Lucas and his family drama. The mystery was good and I honesty did not solve it until close to the end.
I also missed the other characters... like Jaime, Jeremy, Savannah, and Elena.
On top of that the ending felt really abrupt.
June 16, 2024
This book *can* be read as a standalone, but it is much more enjoyable when read in order as there are continuing characters and themes.
Personal Demon focuses on Hope, a tabloid reporter who is also a half-demon who feeds on chaos, and her on again/off again partner, Karl, a jewel thief and werewolf. The story also heavily features Lucas and Paige from the last novel. Hope is recruited by the Cortez Cabal to infiltrate a gang that is stirring up trouble. Things start off okay but quickly devolve as gang members disappear and people start dying. The narration alternates between Hope and Lucas. Lucas is drawn into the action by his father Benecio and then there're 3 brothers who are not thrilled with Lucas and make life difficult for him.
There's a lot of action here - double crosses, audacious heists, machinations, and murders. And then there's the love interest - it seems like Hope and Jaz are thwarted every time they start to get close, then Karl comes on the scene and their chemistry is electric. Hope is trying to find her way and accept her need for a level of chaos and balance that against not letting the chaos demon get the upper hand. It is a good story and one that, while not a cliffhanger, does leave the reader with the feeling that more is to come - for both Hope/Karl and Paige/Lucas. One of the strengths of this series is that the characters are not static and do grow and change over the novels. I am looking forward to the rest of this series.
Personal Demon focuses on Hope, a tabloid reporter who is also a half-demon who feeds on chaos, and her on again/off again partner, Karl, a jewel thief and werewolf. The story also heavily features Lucas and Paige from the last novel. Hope is recruited by the Cortez Cabal to infiltrate a gang that is stirring up trouble. Things start off okay but quickly devolve as gang members disappear and people start dying. The narration alternates between Hope and Lucas. Lucas is drawn into the action by his father Benecio and then there're 3 brothers who are not thrilled with Lucas and make life difficult for him.
There's a lot of action here - double crosses, audacious heists, machinations, and murders. And then there's the love interest - it seems like Hope and Jaz are thwarted every time they start to get close, then Karl comes on the scene and their chemistry is electric. Hope is trying to find her way and accept her need for a level of chaos and balance that against not letting the chaos demon get the upper hand. It is a good story and one that, while not a cliffhanger, does leave the reader with the feeling that more is to come - for both Hope/Karl and Paige/Lucas. One of the strengths of this series is that the characters are not static and do grow and change over the novels. I am looking forward to the rest of this series.
May 17, 2018
This was really good. Though I saw the twist. I’m not sure it was a secret. I loved Hope. I fell for Jazz. I wasn’t sure how things would work out with Karl. That’s the fear with a love triangle but ultimately how I predicted twist. For that reason, because the twist felt like a plot device to solve a problem I can’t give this 5 stars. But I thought this was was far better than the Jamie book that proceeded it. I love to know more what happens with Lucas and Paige and even Jazz. Not happy next book is about Robyn supposed best friend to Hope though she was not mentioned in this book.
December 11, 2016
The Women of the Otherworld series started with a werewolf named Elena, and soon this world expanded to a whole cast of characters including white witch Paige, orphan Savannah, sorcerer and successor to the Cortez Cabal Lucas, psychic Jamie, alpha werewolf Jeremy, and of course Elena’s on again off again love and resident werewolf psychopath, Clayton. Personal Demon introduced the reader to Hope Adams, half demon and chaos reader. Hope has appeared briefly in previous books (although I couldn’t remember exactly where), and she had her own novella Chaotic, which I read in the Dates From Hell anthology. I like Hope, she feeds off chaos and sees flashes of incidents form the past when exposed to the area where they happened. It is a pretty cool ability, even though Hope tries to fight it in fear of being more demon that human, but I get that.
Hope owes a favour to the Cortez Cabal, still run by Lucas’ father, and wanting to pay off the debt she agrees to go undercover in a gang in Miami who are apparently planning something big against the Cabal, and they need to be stopped. So Hope passes the initiation, is admitted into the fold, and tries to find out what the gang is planning so she can finish this job and return to her ‘normal’ life. But of course, things are not that simple, and soon Hope finds herself captivated by one of the other gang members, the death of another member in quite chaotic circumstances, and members of Lucas’ family being in the firing line. Then you add Karl Marsden to the list of things to worry about. Karl has been in a few of the previous additions to the series, and has only recently been admitted into the pack, which is kind of a big deal for him. And of course Karl and Hope had a fling a while back, and it didn’t work out, and now he has to save her from her current predicament because……
I don’t know. He didn’t like that Hope was paying off the debt for both of them, he thought what she was doing was stupid, he didn’t want her to be hurt, and he generally hates the Cabal. Something like that.
Why did I insist on trusting a man everyone warned couldn’t be trusted? Maybe I did enjoy the chaos of my own suffering, and I was just too deluded to see it.
I kind of hated Karl…especially when Hope was talking about the fact that she always had to make breakfast/lunch/dinner for him, and he gave her small hints that basically said ‘get in the kitchen.’ And I know he may look in his 30’s, but that’s doesn’t make the fact that he is actually 50 something to be ignored. It means he has had 50 years on the earth. So it just makes me think why he is chasing a girl in her mid 20’s and just expecting her to follow his every command. Despite Hope trying to stand up for herself, in the end it came down to him rescuing her, and Hope kind of just accepting it. They frustrated me as a couple and given some of the other relationships in this series (Paige and Lucas & Elena and Clayton), this seemed forced and like neither of them are really happy with it in the end.
Personal Demon actually cycled between Hope’s point of view and Lucas’. While Hope’s story dominates the first half, Lucas definitely control the second part, which is miles more interesting. The series is called WOMEN of the Otherworld, so I guess you can’t have a book fully from Lucas’ point of view, but the story as a whole meant so much more for him than it did for Hope. In the end she ended up being a secondary player in all this. Hope became more of a passenger, and when everything wrapped up, she got to wash her hands of everything, but Lucas and Paige cannot say the same. His parts were a lot more captivating, and while Hope was cooling off in a hotel room, drinking coffee and reading the paper, Lucas was trying to manage his father’s business, his family’s dwindling numbers, and what his future might look like.
I must say I picked out a lot of the ‘twists’ (and I use that term lightly), but they were still enjoyable to read. More for the reaction of the characters if anything else. I still love how interconnected the world is, and how everyone knows each other and interacts. Instead of isolated stories, they are all entwined. The first half of the book really seemed to drag, and funny that this centred more on Hope, but when Lucas and Paige come into the picture the pace picked up quite a lot. The second half saved this book, and while not the strongest in the series, there seem to be some real consequences for the characters and the world in general and it shall be interesting to see what happens from here.
Hope owes a favour to the Cortez Cabal, still run by Lucas’ father, and wanting to pay off the debt she agrees to go undercover in a gang in Miami who are apparently planning something big against the Cabal, and they need to be stopped. So Hope passes the initiation, is admitted into the fold, and tries to find out what the gang is planning so she can finish this job and return to her ‘normal’ life. But of course, things are not that simple, and soon Hope finds herself captivated by one of the other gang members, the death of another member in quite chaotic circumstances, and members of Lucas’ family being in the firing line. Then you add Karl Marsden to the list of things to worry about. Karl has been in a few of the previous additions to the series, and has only recently been admitted into the pack, which is kind of a big deal for him. And of course Karl and Hope had a fling a while back, and it didn’t work out, and now he has to save her from her current predicament because……
I don’t know. He didn’t like that Hope was paying off the debt for both of them, he thought what she was doing was stupid, he didn’t want her to be hurt, and he generally hates the Cabal. Something like that.
Why did I insist on trusting a man everyone warned couldn’t be trusted? Maybe I did enjoy the chaos of my own suffering, and I was just too deluded to see it.
I kind of hated Karl…especially when Hope was talking about the fact that she always had to make breakfast/lunch/dinner for him, and he gave her small hints that basically said ‘get in the kitchen.’ And I know he may look in his 30’s, but that’s doesn’t make the fact that he is actually 50 something to be ignored. It means he has had 50 years on the earth. So it just makes me think why he is chasing a girl in her mid 20’s and just expecting her to follow his every command. Despite Hope trying to stand up for herself, in the end it came down to him rescuing her, and Hope kind of just accepting it. They frustrated me as a couple and given some of the other relationships in this series (Paige and Lucas & Elena and Clayton), this seemed forced and like neither of them are really happy with it in the end.
Personal Demon actually cycled between Hope’s point of view and Lucas’. While Hope’s story dominates the first half, Lucas definitely control the second part, which is miles more interesting. The series is called WOMEN of the Otherworld, so I guess you can’t have a book fully from Lucas’ point of view, but the story as a whole meant so much more for him than it did for Hope. In the end she ended up being a secondary player in all this. Hope became more of a passenger, and when everything wrapped up, she got to wash her hands of everything, but Lucas and Paige cannot say the same. His parts were a lot more captivating, and while Hope was cooling off in a hotel room, drinking coffee and reading the paper, Lucas was trying to manage his father’s business, his family’s dwindling numbers, and what his future might look like.
I must say I picked out a lot of the ‘twists’ (and I use that term lightly), but they were still enjoyable to read. More for the reaction of the characters if anything else. I still love how interconnected the world is, and how everyone knows each other and interacts. Instead of isolated stories, they are all entwined. The first half of the book really seemed to drag, and funny that this centred more on Hope, but when Lucas and Paige come into the picture the pace picked up quite a lot. The second half saved this book, and while not the strongest in the series, there seem to be some real consequences for the characters and the world in general and it shall be interesting to see what happens from here.
September 11, 2022
I didn’t really care for the half-demon characters in this Otherworld story. Unlike many of the other paranormals in Armstrong’s arsenal, Hope’s “superpower” is self-centered and in many cases detrimental to those she’s intended to help. Her thirst for chaos overpowers even her own best interests and seems to cause nothing but trouble; chaos indeed.
This installment concentrated on Hope personally, with the other strands of the plot often left to figure themselves out. I had no sympathy for a bunch of supernatural punks who felt they should be wealthy and powerful because of their gifts.
Not my favorite of this series, but I did enjoy the Cabal takeover plot line and Lucas Cortez’ decisive actions.
This installment concentrated on Hope personally, with the other strands of the plot often left to figure themselves out. I had no sympathy for a bunch of supernatural punks who felt they should be wealthy and powerful because of their gifts.
Not my favorite of this series, but I did enjoy the Cabal takeover plot line and Lucas Cortez’ decisive actions.
January 23, 2024
“Remember when we met? Before you left, you said you were going to make a fool of yourself over me. That's still what you're worried about. That you'll find yourself doing things you never dreamed of doing, things you laughed at in others, and you'll make a fool of yourself.”
I'm iffy on character head jumping within a series in the first place, but it's been working well so far. Hope was introduced in Broken, but takes the center stage in Personal Demon. Unusually, Armstrong divides a little of the book into another POV (Lucas). It all ties into the same storyline and wouldn't have worked as well otherwise. The book is better off for it, and Luca's chapters primarily take place in the second half.
Hope just isn't as sympathetic and likeable a character. She wants to do well and be better, and I don't dislike her, but she's not someone I want to sit in the head of or warm up to much. Not her fault, but she basically gets off on chaos, whatever that's supposed to mean. What it shows if when her friends are about to be killed, she can't help but get excited in a good/bad way. She craves something bad happening to people, even those close to her. Chaos strums from stealing from people, killing them, attempted violence, fighting, anything extreme. She gets these weird visions I can't fully understand when something is about to happen.
Karl is...I know a lot of fans seem to dig Karl. I don't much. It rubs me the wrong way how he kills lone werewolves when he goes to a new town. They were there first? It doesn't matter to Karl. He acts like a douche like that. I enjoy Armstrong's pack building in the series but I never got the eltist attitude of the pack, which he's new to, even in the derogatory way non-pack members are called 'mutts.' Some are violent, some not, and even though his father was a mutt who was killed, Karl doesn't seem to care when he randomly kills other mutts he runs into.
Romantic wise I like the protective vibe and the age difference doesn't bother me, but there relationship just doesn't hold the same oomph and chemistry. I don't see the strong bond that's hard to break and genuine mating of Elena and Clay, the sweet personality matching of Lucas and Paige, or the understandable and fun bond between Jaime and Jeremy. I skimmed through any bedroom play since I don't care much about them in general. Again not hating, but indifferent.
Plot-wise, there's nifty structure. Hope is put into an undercover situation that makes good scenes of over the top characters, and the mystery involved in finding out who is killing who and why was a puzzler. The ending was cleverly done, bringing up a creative new villain.
I'm iffy on character head jumping within a series in the first place, but it's been working well so far. Hope was introduced in Broken, but takes the center stage in Personal Demon. Unusually, Armstrong divides a little of the book into another POV (Lucas). It all ties into the same storyline and wouldn't have worked as well otherwise. The book is better off for it, and Luca's chapters primarily take place in the second half.
Hope just isn't as sympathetic and likeable a character. She wants to do well and be better, and I don't dislike her, but she's not someone I want to sit in the head of or warm up to much. Not her fault, but she basically gets off on chaos, whatever that's supposed to mean. What it shows if when her friends are about to be killed, she can't help but get excited in a good/bad way. She craves something bad happening to people, even those close to her. Chaos strums from stealing from people, killing them, attempted violence, fighting, anything extreme. She gets these weird visions I can't fully understand when something is about to happen.
Karl is...I know a lot of fans seem to dig Karl. I don't much. It rubs me the wrong way how he kills lone werewolves when he goes to a new town. They were there first? It doesn't matter to Karl. He acts like a douche like that. I enjoy Armstrong's pack building in the series but I never got the eltist attitude of the pack, which he's new to, even in the derogatory way non-pack members are called 'mutts.' Some are violent, some not, and even though his father was a mutt who was killed, Karl doesn't seem to care when he randomly kills other mutts he runs into.
Romantic wise I like the protective vibe and the age difference doesn't bother me, but there relationship just doesn't hold the same oomph and chemistry. I don't see the strong bond that's hard to break and genuine mating of Elena and Clay, the sweet personality matching of Lucas and Paige, or the understandable and fun bond between Jaime and Jeremy. I skimmed through any bedroom play since I don't care much about them in general. Again not hating, but indifferent.
Plot-wise, there's nifty structure. Hope is put into an undercover situation that makes good scenes of over the top characters, and the mystery involved in finding out who is killing who and why was a puzzler. The ending was cleverly done, bringing up a creative new villain.
April 1, 2019
This book is about Hope Adams (half chaos demon) and partially about Luca's involvement in Cabel politics. She can see the past, sense spells, and find chaos. Her powers may not involve physical strength or magic, but it comes in handy in her mission.
She undertakes a mission that involves infiltrating a gang and unintentionally placing herself in Cabel politics. She puts herself in danger to the point where her werewolf lover (Karl) and Lucas Cortez are making rescue plans. Read the book for details.
I enjoyed following Hope's adventures as it was balanced with action, romance, deep emotions, and internal dialogue.
Did I mention she has a lover? Its Karl who recently joined Jeremy's pack. I'm loving the romantic aspects in the series! So far, Elena/Clayton, Paige/ Lucas, Jeremy/Jaime, and now Hope/Karl are rocking it! 😁
She undertakes a mission that involves infiltrating a gang and unintentionally placing herself in Cabel politics. She puts herself in danger to the point where her werewolf lover (Karl) and Lucas Cortez are making rescue plans. Read the book for details.
I enjoyed following Hope's adventures as it was balanced with action, romance, deep emotions, and internal dialogue.
Did I mention she has a lover? Its Karl who recently joined Jeremy's pack. I'm loving the romantic aspects in the series! So far, Elena/Clayton, Paige/ Lucas, Jeremy/Jaime, and now Hope/Karl are rocking it! 😁
September 26, 2012
I do love this book but it isn't my favourite in the series, mostly cause while I do like Hope a lot she isn't my favourite! I do love Karl though, plus Lucas gets some chapters to narrate and I loved getting in his head a little when he was dealing with his father, brothers and the cabal. Poor Hope did go through hell in this though most of it was because of her own naiviety, stubborness and refusal to see the truth.
She latched onto Jaz to get over Karl and when Karl came back and they got together she still pined over Jaz and refused to accept that he and Sonny could be bad. She was blind pretty much up to the end. Not entirely her fault of course, Jaz was pure chaos, which attracted her demon as he was a veritable chaos feast which left his thoughts impossible to pick up. Whereas she could read the negative thoughts of other characters in the book she never picked up Jaz's thoughts even once cause his mind was too high speed and chaotic to read anything.Jaz was a sociopath, he couldn't see that what he was doing was wrong and even at the end he's still convinced Hope loves him and they'll be together one day! Totally dillusional as well as sociopathic!
I loved how she and Karl worked through things and Karl admitting he ran cause he was afraid of the attachment he had to her. How he's fought all his life against his wolf instincts and she's triggered one of the biggest, one he didn't believe exsisted, the instinct to be with his mate, that mate being Hope. I love how she gave him no sympathy over it, instead responding with sarcasm and put-downs to keep him on his toes! She really does know how to ground him and bring his ego down when needed!
I wasn't personally upset to see Lucas's oldest brothers killed but I was upset for Lucas and Benecio having to deal with their deaths and their aftermath. I kinda wished that Carlos was killed instead of William! Of all the brothers William seems to be the least threatening as he doesn't have Hector's level of intelligence or Carlos' level of viciousness!
I liked that Kelley had two narrators in this book, so you got a more rounded insight to the plot and what was going on. Lucas could fill in plot points that Hope couldn't and give insight she couldn't. Hope is still quite new to investigating and under-cover work, as a result she misses lots of things that the others wouldn't, which is why she needed Karl there to point out the possibilities she didn't want to see due to being too close to the gang. Agreat book overall, not my favourite but not my least favourite either!
She latched onto Jaz to get over Karl and when Karl came back and they got together she still pined over Jaz and refused to accept that he and Sonny could be bad. She was blind pretty much up to the end. Not entirely her fault of course, Jaz was pure chaos, which attracted her demon as he was a veritable chaos feast which left his thoughts impossible to pick up. Whereas she could read the negative thoughts of other characters in the book she never picked up Jaz's thoughts even once cause his mind was too high speed and chaotic to read anything.Jaz was a sociopath, he couldn't see that what he was doing was wrong and even at the end he's still convinced Hope loves him and they'll be together one day! Totally dillusional as well as sociopathic!
I loved how she and Karl worked through things and Karl admitting he ran cause he was afraid of the attachment he had to her. How he's fought all his life against his wolf instincts and she's triggered one of the biggest, one he didn't believe exsisted, the instinct to be with his mate, that mate being Hope. I love how she gave him no sympathy over it, instead responding with sarcasm and put-downs to keep him on his toes! She really does know how to ground him and bring his ego down when needed!
I wasn't personally upset to see Lucas's oldest brothers killed but I was upset for Lucas and Benecio having to deal with their deaths and their aftermath. I kinda wished that Carlos was killed instead of William! Of all the brothers William seems to be the least threatening as he doesn't have Hector's level of intelligence or Carlos' level of viciousness!
I liked that Kelley had two narrators in this book, so you got a more rounded insight to the plot and what was going on. Lucas could fill in plot points that Hope couldn't and give insight she couldn't. Hope is still quite new to investigating and under-cover work, as a result she misses lots of things that the others wouldn't, which is why she needed Karl there to point out the possibilities she didn't want to see due to being too close to the gang. Agreat book overall, not my favourite but not my least favourite either!
April 3, 2008
This started out dull, got fairly interesting in the middle, then had an irritating ending.
I really dislike the inclusion of a surprise "chameleon" character who can assume the countenance of other people. Ditto for glamor spells that achieve the same purpose. These things are acceptable if they are known quantities throughout the book, but sneaking them in at the end is a lame plot device.
It's trite and annoying to trick the reader into thinking that a beloved character has been killed and then reveal that it was really someone else disguised by one of the above bits of magic. The trick doesn't even work here because Armstrong isn't the kind of writer to kill off her main characters. Not for one second was I really worried that the death was real.
Also, it's not okay to include such incredibly cliched elements as clues left behind on half-burned paper in a fireplace, even if you have your characters recognize the cliche.
I don't like Hope very much, so I was glad that Paige and Lucas were in this book. They're my favorite characters from this series. I especially enjoy the relationship between Lucas and his father. Although that brings me to another complaint about Armstrong: I think she gives us too many different points of view. I like Lucas better when seen through the eyes of other characters. His first-person accounts don't ring true for me. The same goes for Clayton; I think he is a better character when you don't know exactly what is going on in his head.
I really dislike the inclusion of a surprise "chameleon" character who can assume the countenance of other people. Ditto for glamor spells that achieve the same purpose. These things are acceptable if they are known quantities throughout the book, but sneaking them in at the end is a lame plot device.
It's trite and annoying to trick the reader into thinking that a beloved character has been killed and then reveal that it was really someone else disguised by one of the above bits of magic. The trick doesn't even work here because Armstrong isn't the kind of writer to kill off her main characters. Not for one second was I really worried that the death was real.
Also, it's not okay to include such incredibly cliched elements as clues left behind on half-burned paper in a fireplace, even if you have your characters recognize the cliche.
I don't like Hope very much, so I was glad that Paige and Lucas were in this book. They're my favorite characters from this series. I especially enjoy the relationship between Lucas and his father. Although that brings me to another complaint about Armstrong: I think she gives us too many different points of view. I like Lucas better when seen through the eyes of other characters. His first-person accounts don't ring true for me. The same goes for Clayton; I think he is a better character when you don't know exactly what is going on in his head.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2013
Personal Demon is book 8 in the Women of the Otherworld Series by Kelley Armstrong. This story is about Hope and Karl. I loved this story and can't get enough of the wolves.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2009
I wasn't expecting much from this addition to Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series from the mild reviews it's gotten since it's release but I decided to pick it up anyway and, surprisingly enough Hope holds her own against previous heroines such as Elena, Paige and more recently Jamie.
Though I didn't mind the dual perspectives given (the other being Lucas Cortez) and even understood that it added to a more rounded telling of the story-I felt like the novel wasn't only Hope's novel but a continuation of Lucas and Paige's so I felt somewhat cheated on Hope's behalf, seeing as all the previous novels had been dedicated solely to the heroine the plot is focused on.
Not that I don't love Lucas and Paige, far from it seeing as they are my favorites in the series but a cameo would have sufficed. I was interested more in Karl and Hope's relationship, a point of view from Karl would have been better.
All in all it was a compelling and enjoying read, the villain was surprising and the romance was hot and sigh worthy at times.
Though I didn't mind the dual perspectives given (the other being Lucas Cortez) and even understood that it added to a more rounded telling of the story-I felt like the novel wasn't only Hope's novel but a continuation of Lucas and Paige's so I felt somewhat cheated on Hope's behalf, seeing as all the previous novels had been dedicated solely to the heroine the plot is focused on.
Not that I don't love Lucas and Paige, far from it seeing as they are my favorites in the series but a cameo would have sufficed. I was interested more in Karl and Hope's relationship, a point of view from Karl would have been better.
All in all it was a compelling and enjoying read, the villain was surprising and the romance was hot and sigh worthy at times.
January 14, 2009
Best book in the Women of the Otherworld series so far. One thing I like about Armstrong is that her writing gets stronger the more books she writes. This book was no exception.
In this book, we get to learn more about Hope who was introduced in No Humans Involved (I don't think it was earlier, but it could have been). Hope owes a debt to the Cortez Cabal, so when Benicio asks her to do a job, she says yes.
In this book, the point of view shifts between Hope, who is undercover examining a gang of supernaturals who have been causing trouble for the Cabal and Lucas, Cortez's son who married Paige Winterbourne, the witch and leader of the supernatural council.
There are some surprises and twists in this book including one that I didn't expect.
If you've liked her previous books, you definitely want to read this one.
I'm definitely looking forward to her Men of the Otherworld book when it comes out.
In this book, we get to learn more about Hope who was introduced in No Humans Involved (I don't think it was earlier, but it could have been). Hope owes a debt to the Cortez Cabal, so when Benicio asks her to do a job, she says yes.
In this book, the point of view shifts between Hope, who is undercover examining a gang of supernaturals who have been causing trouble for the Cabal and Lucas, Cortez's son who married Paige Winterbourne, the witch and leader of the supernatural council.
There are some surprises and twists in this book including one that I didn't expect.
If you've liked her previous books, you definitely want to read this one.
I'm definitely looking forward to her Men of the Otherworld book when it comes out.
June 30, 2011
Kelley Armstrong is brilliant as always. Well written characters and good story lines make her books easy to see yourself in and impossible to put down. Personal Demon is no exception. This book is written from two points of view which is uncharacteristic of her and while it is a bit disorientating at first is quickly overcome and proves to make the book only that much harder to put down. As with her other books when you do finally reach the last few chapters the ending is bittersweet; you get to see everything that been building throughout the book unfold but it is sadly the end despite your longing for more. Thankfully the series still continuous and we have that to look forward too.
January 14, 2014
Of the "Women of the Otherworld" I prefer Elena, then Jamie, then Savannah and her mother, then Paige and Hope. Paige and Hope strike me as being kinda spoiled.
1st read-through 3/9/2009
re-read 1/15/2013
1st read-through 3/9/2009
re-read 1/15/2013
July 10, 2016
I can't believe that I held off on reading this for so long because I really wasn't feeling the prospect of Hope and Karl being coupled up and now they're a few steps away from OTP territory.
May 15, 2021
This is the first book in the series with multiple PoVs, which lent itself into a more comprehensive, even if less personal story. It had multiple plot lines along with new threads to be chased later on. Personally I would have preferred to see some more of Savannah but as a whole it was good to focus a bit on the second tier characters instead of simply opting to the new supernatural type each novel and really expand the interactions between the various bodies and interests.
February 22, 2018
⭐⭐⭐ stars!
September 26, 2013
Reread
Really intrigued by the idea of super powers as addiction as presented through Hope's thirst for chaos and the ever present hunger of the werewolf. INTERESTING FOOD FOR THOUGH.
ALSO:
I should probably talk about Hope and Karl a little bit, but I don't have all that much to say about them, despite loving them and their relationship a lot. FOREVER LOL at their mutual disgust over Karl's dream at taking her to a cabin and raising a family in the woods, hahahahahaha. I think they're another really balanced team in terms of their relationship, despite the obvious discrepancies between their lifestyles and histories, and they're just really well done.
Really intrigued by the idea of super powers as addiction as presented through Hope's thirst for chaos and the ever present hunger of the werewolf. INTERESTING FOOD FOR THOUGH.
ALSO:
I should probably talk about Hope and Karl a little bit, but I don't have all that much to say about them, despite loving them and their relationship a lot. FOREVER LOL at their mutual disgust over Karl's dream at taking her to a cabin and raising a family in the woods, hahahahahaha. I think they're another really balanced team in terms of their relationship, despite the obvious discrepancies between their lifestyles and histories, and they're just really well done.
March 10, 2017
Book #8 in the Otherworld series. Has Werewolves, Witches and other demons in it. Hope is a reporter and is hired by a group to go undercover and find out what a gang is up to. She sees and hears a lot that puts her life in jeopardy. Was a fun read.
November 1, 2022
REREAD 2022
Soooo... my views have changed quite a bit in 2 years.
This time around, I don't think this book belongs on the erotica shelf, as it doesn't contain any more sex than many other books in the Urban Fantasy genre.
I see that I also had trouble with the plot in this book last time. I don't know if it's because I remember things this time around, or if I've grown as a person, but I didn't think there was a lack of plot. Yes, the motivation behind almost everything Hope does is a form of addiction, as well as coping mechanisms and self-growth. There's even some trauma response showing in how Karl and Hope interact.
That said, I didn't know all the things I now know about mental health back in 2020, so I do forgive myself from not noticing that last time. We all grown, it seems!
I very much like the combo of Karl/Hope, but the ''romance'' did feel a little stilted here. It's strange, for it's made clear that there is an earlier relationship, but the whole relationship felt strange to me now. Again, part of that may just have been me and my own growth happening.
All that said, I'm keeping the 3/5 star rating, but giving it for different reasons than I did originally, which is kind of a strange feeling.
-----------------------------
REREAD 2020
I remember really enjoying this book when I read it years ago, but reading it now, I think part of that may have been my sexually frustrated teen mind ^^'
This story starts out with a lot of erotica, and it keeps going - so much so that I've added this book to my erotica shelf.
There's so much of it, in fact, that it seems to hide the general lack of a plot. At least it did so when I was a teen. For what is the driving force behind the plot? Nothing, really. We just follow the MC around without her having any personal interest/investment in what was going on.
That's not to say I don't like Hope as an MC. I've always liked her as a character, and I did now as well. And I've always liked the Karl/Hope ARC, and I did that now as well! But until the last half or so of the book, there's not all that much going on - other than sex.
The language is good and the characters are good - all as can be expected from Armstrong - but the story wasn't as strong as usual. It was still stronger than Dime Store Magic, but not as strong as I usually expect.
New rating: 3/5 stars
------------------------------------------
Original rating: 5/5 stars
Soooo... my views have changed quite a bit in 2 years.
This time around, I don't think this book belongs on the erotica shelf, as it doesn't contain any more sex than many other books in the Urban Fantasy genre.
I see that I also had trouble with the plot in this book last time. I don't know if it's because I remember things this time around, or if I've grown as a person, but I didn't think there was a lack of plot. Yes, the motivation behind almost everything Hope does is a form of addiction, as well as coping mechanisms and self-growth. There's even some trauma response showing in how Karl and Hope interact.
That said, I didn't know all the things I now know about mental health back in 2020, so I do forgive myself from not noticing that last time. We all grown, it seems!
I very much like the combo of Karl/Hope, but the ''romance'' did feel a little stilted here. It's strange, for it's made clear that there is an earlier relationship, but the whole relationship felt strange to me now. Again, part of that may just have been me and my own growth happening.
All that said, I'm keeping the 3/5 star rating, but giving it for different reasons than I did originally, which is kind of a strange feeling.
-----------------------------
REREAD 2020
I remember really enjoying this book when I read it years ago, but reading it now, I think part of that may have been my sexually frustrated teen mind ^^'
This story starts out with a lot of erotica, and it keeps going - so much so that I've added this book to my erotica shelf.
There's so much of it, in fact, that it seems to hide the general lack of a plot. At least it did so when I was a teen. For what is the driving force behind the plot? Nothing, really. We just follow the MC around without her having any personal interest/investment in what was going on.
That's not to say I don't like Hope as an MC. I've always liked her as a character, and I did now as well. And I've always liked the Karl/Hope ARC, and I did that now as well! But until the last half or so of the book, there's not all that much going on - other than sex.
The language is good and the characters are good - all as can be expected from Armstrong - but the story wasn't as strong as usual. It was still stronger than Dime Store Magic, but not as strong as I usually expect.
New rating: 3/5 stars
------------------------------------------
Original rating: 5/5 stars
January 11, 2022
Bitten, the first book in Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series, was my introduction to the author’s work. I loved it and have gone on to read a lot of the author’s work. While I have finished other series from the author, it has taken me a while to get hold of all the Otherworld books. I’m slowly working my way through them, though, and Personal Demon was an enjoyable return to the series after a long time away.
I’ll be honest and say that this is not my favourite in the series to date. That is not to say it is a bad read – I enjoyed it and happily devoured it – but that I have enjoyed other books in the series more. With this one, we follow a different character I enjoyed getting to know better, yet I did not love them enough to feel the connection that I have felt with other characters in the series. In fact, I enjoyed the details that expanded upon a beloved character’s family life a lot more than I enjoyed following the more recent addition to the series. Even though this was not my favourite, I did enjoy getting to see the way things continue to progress in the world. I’m crossing my fingers that the details that played out in this one will have a huge role in future books.
All in all, not the best in the series. Nevertheless, it’s certainly worth it for fans.
I’ll be honest and say that this is not my favourite in the series to date. That is not to say it is a bad read – I enjoyed it and happily devoured it – but that I have enjoyed other books in the series more. With this one, we follow a different character I enjoyed getting to know better, yet I did not love them enough to feel the connection that I have felt with other characters in the series. In fact, I enjoyed the details that expanded upon a beloved character’s family life a lot more than I enjoyed following the more recent addition to the series. Even though this was not my favourite, I did enjoy getting to see the way things continue to progress in the world. I’m crossing my fingers that the details that played out in this one will have a huge role in future books.
All in all, not the best in the series. Nevertheless, it’s certainly worth it for fans.
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