Dakota Cassidy
2009, Paranormal Romance (New York City)
Berkley, $15.00, 352 pages, Amazon ASIN 0425227855
Grade:
D+
Sensuality:
Hot
Kiss & Hell is my first book by Dakota Cassidy, and if it’s representative of her work, will likely be my last. The plot moves unbearably slow, and the heroine is like Paris Hilton channeling Snoop Doggy Dogg.
Delaney Markham is a medium who, like, helps confused souls cross over. She also holds séances to score some extra green. Until a séance is interrupted by the most annoying ghost evah. Only, Clyde Atwell is no ghost – he’s a demon who’s assigned to bring her to Hell. Well, there’s no way this sistah is lettin’ some punk-ass demon drag her to the Dark Side. Oh hellz no! He’s gotta bounce fo sho. Even if he is some killa hawt mancake. Of course the de-lish Clyde claims he’s there to help Delaney, not hurt her. As if!
The humor in Kiss & Hell was definitely not my thang. I’m sure the author intended all the Valley Girl Gangsta speak to be funny, but it fell flat with me. It can be very funny when it’s used occasionally for effect, but when a character talks like this constantly it’s no longer entertaining. Instead of hip and funny, I found Delaney immature and juvenile. It’s like she’s 35 going on 15. Further evidence of her adolescent behavior is her irrational refusal to hear Clyde out – and it lasts for a very frustrating 100-plus pages.
Which brings me to my other major complaint: the plot moves at an agonizingly slow pace. For the first 200-odd pages, nothing happens. It’s not until the last 100 pages that the pace picks up and the characters do stuff other than argue and have sex – like, you know, solve the major problems they’re facing. The faster pace, combined with significant lightening up of the Valley Girl Gangsta talk, made the last third of the book mildly interesting and somewhat enjoyable (thus bringing the grade up to a D+). Had I not been required to finish the book, however, there’s no way I would have lasted to the 40-page mark, let alone the last third.
For someone who likes this kind of humor I could see Kiss & Hell being more enjoyable. For me, though, with nothing other than humor I didn’t find funny to hold my interest for the majority of the book, it didn’t work at any level. Fo sho.
-- Katie Mack
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