ARC Review: Dancing with the Devil by Keri Arthur

Dancing with the Devil by Keri Arthur

Publisher: Dell
Series: Nikki & Michael #1
Pages: Pages (Hardcover)
Genre: Urban Fantasy, PNR
Release Date: July 30, 2013
Summary:

Private Investigator Nikki James grew up on the tough streets of Lyndhurst and believes there's nothing left to surprise her. All that changes the night she follows teenager Monica Trevgard into the shadows-and becomes a pawn caught in a war between two very different men. One fills her mind with his madness, the other pushes his way into her life-and her heart. Nikki knows how dangerous love can be, but if she wants to survive, she must place her trust in a man who could easily destroy her.
Michael Kelly has come to Lyndhurst determined to end the war between himself and another brother of the night. For 300 years he has existed in life's shadows, gradually learning to control the life from death cravings of a vampire. Nikki not only breaches his formidable barriers with her psychic abilities, but makes Michael believe he may finally have found a woman strong enough to walk by his side and ease the loneliness in his heart. But will his love be enough to protect her from a madman hell-bent on revenge? Or will it drive her into his enemy's deadly trap?
Only together can they overcome the evil threatening to destroy them both. But the secrets they keep from each other might prove to be the greatest threat of all.

Rating:


Review: 

All in all this is a fun fast paced kick ass vamp PNR with quite a bit of potential.
The story line in the overall is your classic PNR. They meet, have a undeniable connection, they banter and annoy each other while fighting off the villains and then there is the big show down.
But it is written really well. Arthur writes very much to my taste. The action scenes are great, the sex tantalizing and I connected easily to the MCs. The thing I do like best about her writing are the dark parts though. They are gruesome and scary but not too much just enough to set you on edge and make the villains very very believable.

Another plus is that the world building is really solid. And we talking not only vampires here. There are zombies, witches, telepathy, telekinetic and psychic abilities ... and it kinda worked. I didn't feel it was too over the top at least. Then again after reading loads of vampire PNR, few things would surprise me. The thing I liked about Arthur's world was that she somehow kept it close enough to the real world and that it wasn't all starts and sparkles (I never will get over the sparkling vamp thing EVER!)- the villains were thoroughly bad and dark but there is a darkness in Michael as well, that is untouchable and kinda scary, which I like.

The reason I only gave it three stars though. Is the character building. I liked Nikki, I got her to a degree. I loved Michael, same with him. BUT their emotional back and forth and fears kinda annoyed me. I started rolling my eyes, thinking omg, just get over it guys! Plus I felt that most characters were a little flat. Don't misunderstand me I liked Jack, but he is your MO detective guys with the loving wife. The same goes for Nikki and Jack, they are your typical PNR types. And somehow despite the emphasis about their commitment issues and their past, there wasn't quite enough character building done.

This book is definitely not character driven it's plot driven, and the plot was good in my opinion, so good that I need to know what's gonna happen next. Because the ending...though sort of predictably will be remedied in the second book, kinda broke my heart. I still like Nikki and Michael and am rooting for them after all.

This is an older series that will be re-released this summer.
It's a interesting start to a series with quite a bit potential. And honestly I can't wait to get my hands on the next novel!

ARC was provided by Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

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