Early Book Review: The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark 

The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark is a new novel due to be released on December 27 2011. The story is labeled as paranormal romance, but there is more of a Gothic flavor to it than the description suggests. The unexpected flavor of the story might disappoint those readers looking for something that more closely fits the paranormal romance or urban fantasy label, but I think the Gothic flair will delight others and leave them wanting more.

Callie McFay is the main character of The Demon Lover. She has a long distance boyfriend, a love of faerie tales that was instilled in her childhood, has written a successful book, and a teaching job offer in upstate New York. Fairwick College is an unusual place. There is an unusually large folklore concentration and many students and professors that could be labeled as refugees, but the question is where they have come from. Callie takes the job offer, and purchases a huge house, almost impulsively. Could the decision have been based on the thought of leaving the erotic dreams that have come to here while in town behind, the thought of learning more about the author that lived in the same home before her, or is there something even larger at work? No matter the reason, Callie is drawn to her new home, and comments from others seem to give the house and surrounding woods life. Soon things spiral out of control, as Callie realizes her dreams are real and that she is being visited by her own demon lover. Banishing the incubus is the smart choice, but can she and will she be able to remove the spirit from her heart?

The Demon Lover was a great read. There were spooky moments, some passages had me wondering what surprise would come next. Twists and turns were well played, as one would hope from anything refered to with the term gothic. The characters were well developed, and left you wanting more, more interaction and history of each individual just to ease curiosity rather than because something was left out. I am thrilled to see that The Demon Lover is the start of a new series, which will allow me to continue reading more about Callie, her grandmother, and the people of Fairwick.

I requested The Demon Lover from NetGalley on the recommendation of another reader, and I am glad I listened. This is not your typical paranormal romance, this is more Gothic or literary based. There are mentions of classic novels like Jane Eyre, The Mysteries of Udolpho, Wuthering Heights, Dracula, and The Faerie Queene. There are also mentions of more contemporary books, like Twilight. The gothic feel makes sense, since Juliet Dark is the pseudonym for Carol Goodman. Goodman is a popular author best known for her literary mysteries. I really liked that the main character was smart and not prone to the hysterics or fear foundin many gothic heroines. Callie's research and focus was faerie tales, mythological, and gothic literature. Who better to find herself trapped in her own gothic tale? I will admit to having figured out a few of the twists out before the characters revealed them, but that did not ruin the take for me, rather it left me interested to see how the resulting confrontation or reveal would play out.

I recommend The Dark Lover to fans of classic gothic literature, as well as fans of Victoria Holt and others. I also suggest this book to fans of paranormal romance or urban fantasy that have gotten to the point where even their favorite series are starting to loose their luster. This is different and entertaining enough of a read to cure the paranormal dulldroms. Fans of hot and steamy scenes will not be diassapointed, even in this unique tale. The intimate scenes are toe curling, and add some spice tat will appease those that might otherwise be disappointed on the romance front.