Nancy has just about given up on finding her special person when Jack Jackson—big, scary and the town loser—walks into her bookstore. He’s apparently even more desperate for help in the romance department than she is. And after a bit of gentle persuasion, he finally accepts her guidance in securing his dream girl. Practice dates, lessons in tenderness—you name it, she can teach it.
There’s just one his dream girl might have more than an issue with his dating skills. Because Jack isn’t just a little clueless; he’s actually the demonic son of Satan, from the deepest depths of hell. He’s spent his entire long underlife dragging evildoers to their fates, while really trying not to live up to his Dad’s expectations.
Now, it isn’t just about getting a date with his dream girl. He needs to become a better man to win over the woman he’s been cosmically bound to, in a Beauty and the Beast style pact. If he fails, everyone he cares for will face a terrible fate. Luckily for him, Nancy may well be the witch she’s always tried to pretend she wasn’t. She can save him, he knows it—and she’s starting to know it too. Even if every day spent with him is an agonising reminder that she isn’t the girl he’s fated for.
But as the deadline approaches she’s starting to wonder... Could it be that she’s finally found her Prince? Or is she about to lose her heart to hell? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)
Jack has always been the grumpy, grouchy neighbor–someone Nancy has feared, given the neighborhood lore about him. Despite the rumors, there’s something about him that Nancy can’t help but be drawn to, and it’s not just his looks or his “aww shucks” charm. The dynamic between the two characters reminded me of Beauty and the Beast, with Nancy and her sweet, patient Beauty disposition, and Jack with his gruffly Beastly veneer. The reader quickly learns that Jack has built an emotional wall up around himself due to societal perceptions, and Nancy doesn’t subscribe to that way of thinking. Once she’s really gotten to know Jack, all bets are off.
Nancy is under the impression that Jack is working on becoming a better man for the woman of his dreams, prompting her to lend her skill and knowledge on the subject, even though she’s never really experienced that herself. Over time, she sees just how different Jack is; how he doesn’t know social cues or current events. That it seems tough for him to endure any sort of affection, physical or otherwise. A large reason that Nancy can see through the man Jack pretends to be has a lot to do with her past and who she really is, with background information provided throughout the book regarding Nancy’s special talents. It isn’t a huge stretch that two characters who come from a mythological background could become bound to one another, so when Nancy witnesses Jack’s true self, where most of us would run away screaming with fear, she finds beauty from within her beast.
Having read Charlotte Stein’s When Grumpy Met Sunshine (reviewed here), I’d been fully aware of just how steamy her books can get, but dang! It was projected up a notch or two for Nancy and Jack; as steamy and hot as the place Jack was born from. Nancy doesn’t pull any punches while she teaches him how to woo the ladies, just as pleasantly surprised as Jack is when he discovers how fun it can be to not only give, but to receive, as well.
I appreciated how both characters are so vastly different but they find common ground in so many ways. Both are afraid to be themselves. Both have spent a lifetime (or for Jack, eons) not feeling worthy enough, whether that comes from outside influences or how they feel inwardly. Both have a lot to lose, and that only strengthens their bond. I liked Jack’s cute, dorky personality, and Charlotte seemed so sweet and nice, with a sultry undertone to her that unleashes with Jack’s persuasion. Dealing with a Desperate Demon was a fun, intriguing reading experience!
Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the book in exchange for an honest review.
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