The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark

The Demon Lover (Fairwick Trilogy, #1)

by Juliet Dark

I gasped, or tried to. My mouth opened, but I couldn’t draw breath. His lips, pearly wet, parted and he blew into my mouth. My lungs expanded beneath his weight. When I exhaled he sucked my breath in and his weight turned from cold marble into warm living flesh.
 
Since accepting a teaching position at remote Fairwick College in upstate New York, Callie McFay has experienced the same disturbingly sensual dream every night: A mist enters her bedroom, then takes the shape of a virile, seductive stranger who proceeds to ravish her in the most toe-curling, wholly satisfying ways possible. Perhaps these dreams are the result of her having written the bestselling book The Sex Lives of Demon Lovers. Callie’s lifelong passion is the intersection of lurid fairy tales and Gothic literature—which is why she’s found herself at Fairwick’s renowned folklore department, living in a once-stately Victorian house that, at first sight, seemed to call her name.
 
But Callie soon realizes that her dreams are alarmingly real. She has a demon lover—an incubus—and he will seduce her, pleasure her, and eventually suck the very life from her. Then Callie makes another startling discovery: Her incubus is not the only mythical creature in Fairwick. As the tenured witches of the college and the resident fairies in the surrounding woods prepare to cast out the demon, Callie must accomplish something infinitely more difficult—banishing this supernatural lover from her heart.

“Vivid and enchanting . . . Dark’s letter-perfect gothic style is a satisfying tribute to previous gothic novels, and the paranormal elements, including incubi, fae, vampires, and witches, make this a stellar romance.”—Booklist (Top 10 SF/Fantasy)
 
“[Juliet] Dark develops a complex, detailed world where magic, reason, and gothic literature enjoyably intersect.”—Publishers Weekly 

Reviewed by Cocktails and Books on

3 of 5 stars

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Callie McFay, our main character, has come to this small town of Fairwick to interview for a teaching position at the local college. We learn in the book that Callie has lost both of her parents and a shadow/spirit has comforted her ever since with stories like the ones they use to share. Callie soon learns that that she is special and that there are supernatural creatures in the small town of Fairwick.

The Demon Lover somewhat slow and has a plot that is not quit clear. The incubus is banished fairly early on in the book, Callie’s roommate goes insane, and the college is hit with a sickness that makes a lot of people there ill. All this alongside the predictable problems in her relationship with her boyfriend, Paul.

A new teacher moves to town and Callie is soon in a relationship with him that is fast moving. This relationship in the book has no build up to it except for one kiss. Though she does pretend to hate him, doesn't last long though, and they end up spending weeks in bed together. You don't really feel much for this as a whole for the simple fact that it seems to be just sex and him being obsessed with her.

A side for the plot being unclear and slow the world that the author built was very enjoyable. I did also like the dark/gothic atmosphere of the book and that this book was strictly told from Callie's point of view. With this said if you are looking for a different book to read then I do recommend The Demon Lover, but also recommend you go into this book on a paranormal mind set and not the paranormal romance in which it has been said to be.

Reviewed by Kenzie for Cocktails and Books.

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  • 2 February, 2013: Reviewed