Customer Reviews

Insatiable Desire (The Demonborn)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

'Insatiable Desire' is the first in a trilogy of books following three brothers whose father is a demon and is about to rise again from the grave and become very powerful. In this first book the hero, Vincent Valtrez, is working as an FBI agent to try to make up for the fact that he was unable to save his mother's life when his father killed her. Vincent has suppressed the memories of the day he witnessed his mother dying and when he killed his father, but he knows he has darkness in him and no love. Vincent's relationships with women are characterised by single sexual encounters and nothing else.

Clarissa King knew Vincent when they were young - he stood up for her and that made an impression as she had few friends. No-one else really liked her because she and her family were odd; Clarissa and her mother and grandmother heard the voices of the dead and Clarissa's mother committed suicide. However Clarissa lost track of Vincent when he moved away after his parents died.

When young women in the town of Eerie die in rather strange circumstances, Clarissa is visited by their ghosts who show her that they were murdered. The local sheriff isn't convinced but decides to call in the FBI in the shape of Vincent Valtrez as he is familiar with the area. Vincent is reluctant to see Clarissa, doesn't want to believe in the supernatural events going on around Eerie, but soon it becomes clear that there are dark forces at work. Vincent is afraid he is one of the dark forces and can't allow Clarissa to get close to him. As they work together to try to discover who is murdering young women, can they keep each other safe and can they prevent the evil forces spreading?

This book was a reasonable read with some atmospheric settings and a variety of characters. Unfortunately for this reader the central love story didn't really work - it wasn't clear why either character felt drawn to the other in any special way. The whodunnit aspect of the book was good - I didn't guess the baddie - but there were some moments when the story dragged. It was a reasonable start to the series but I won't go out of my way to read either of the next two books.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

Twenty years ago Vincent Valtrez left his home after surviving a night in the Black Forest where he witnessed his father murder his mother and learned that he was Demonborn. Now an FBI Special Agent, Vincent has suppressed the evil pulling at him and instead has sworn to save lives, not take them. When his next case sends him home to Erie, Tennessee to help the sheriff track down a serial killer he reunites with Clarissa King, a psychic who can communicate with the victims.

Together Vincent and Clarissa work side-by-side to stop the killer but they slowly learn the truth. They killer they are battling is no ordinary murderer. He's a demon who will stop at nothing to see that Clarissa is out of the way and convince Vincent to let his "bad blood" take over. Will the darkness inside Vincent claim him... or will he save Clarissa - and himself - from the evil that threatens them both?

Insatiable Desire is a great book. The paranormal aspects aren't too heavy as it can be in some of the darker paranormals I've read. There is just enough darkness to make it a page turner with a believable storyline. The characters are well developed and convincing so that I kept reading well past my bedtime. Then I was kept awake with the hot and heavy sex scenes! This is a must read for all paranormal romance lovers.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Clarissa King sees death. Brutal murders are happening in her town and she sees the victims in their final moments. Clarissa is desperate to stop the murders, even if it means teaming up with someone who despises her psychic gift as much as he denies its existence, and who appears to be hiding some dark secrets of his own.

Vincent Valtrez is The Demonborn, one of three offspring of a devil and an angel, and the apocalypse is looming. His father, Zion, previously defeated by Vincent himself, is about to take over as leader of Hell. The last thing Vincent wants is to return to his hometown of Eerie. But if he hopes to stop Zion's plans, and protect the one woman he's never been able to forget who seems to be at the center of the brewing storm, then home he must go. There Vincent must fight his own battles to conquer the monster within and control his Insatiable Desire for Clarissa.

Insatiable Desire is a wonderful introduction to the world of The Demonborn. Here we meet the first of the three sons of Zion, one of the most evil of all demons who is planning his re-entry into our world even though he was killed by one of his own spawn years ago. Rita Herron does just enough world building to provide her readers with the background necessary to understand the universe and to lure them in. Histories of our lead couple, Clarissa and Vincent, are presented vividly through memories and flashbacks. The premise of the trilogy, sons of a devil having to prevent their already vanquished father from restoring his reign of terror is excellent and I can't wait to see how the other two brothers will come into play in the story.

Clarissa and Vincent have plenty of reasons they should not be together, but that does not stop either of them from longing for something special with one another. As circumstances force them to work together more and more closely, the relationship grows and changes. Vincent has so much deep-seated self-hatred that we are compelled to keep reading to see how Clarissa will help him come to terms with who and what he is to claim the love he deserves, and is destined to have.

Be forewarned, Insatiable Desire is a very dark book. There is nothing at all light and easy about this read. So if you don't like stories that are dark and sometimes very disturbing, then you will want to pass on this one. However, if your motto is "the darker the better," then you'll adore this book. We are kept on the edges of our seats as we read along, wanting to find out how things will be resolved. Rita Herron is a master of romantic suspense and Insatiable Desire reminds us of why. I can't wait to see what will happen next.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, March 2009. All rights reserved.

This novel was sent to me by the publisher. Not familiar with the author, I didn't know what to expect so I had to go by the cover info. As it turns out the author specializes in romantic suspense but I wasn't aware of that. The spine said paranormal romance which set my expectations in the wrong direction. Don't get me wrong I enjoy romantic suspense when I know that's what I'm getting.

In the early pages of the book I wasn't' sure I was going to like it, as it read more like a straight up paranormal murder mystery but as the book went on I was drawn in, in spite of myself, partly to see how the mystery would pan out and partly to see if the romance aspect would ever gel. It did, however I would definitely classify this novel as dark paranormal romantic suspense rather than paranormal romance as the spine indicates. Readers should note that Vincent's mission does not end with this tale.

FBI Agent Vincent Valtrez has been called in on a possible serial murder case in the last place he would ever want to be assigned. The town is Eerie nestled in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, the hometown where at age ten Vincent had killed his demon father after witnessing the man burn his angelic mother to death at the stake in the Black Forest. Before his father died, he'd taunted Vincent, told him he had bad blood just like his old man. This is Vincent's second biggest fear.

Those who entered the Black Forest rarely ever returned and yet young Vincent had, dazed and confused. His parents were never heard from again. Twenty years later Vincent had accepted the darkness inside of him. He fought it on a daily basis. He'd become an FBI agent because he understood the criminal mind, the urge to kill, for he is a Demonborn Dark Lord. And so he wanders from town to town, solving crimes, and indulging his insatiable desires in mindless sex. His one rule: never sleep with the same woman twice. Never, ever risk falling in love. Not that the likes of him knew what love was, not since his mother was murdered had he loved anyone.

Now twenty years later he has been called back to the scene of that crime, in an eclipse year no less. Bad things happened in Eerie in the year of the eclipse, the year of death. People died from unnatural causes and their spirits roamed the town lost. Clarissa King knew all about that. Descended from a family of female psychics, Clarissa heard their mournful cries for help, cries that had driven her mother insane until the woman had hung herself from the Devil's Tree to stop the voices. Her mother's spirit had warned Clarissa to hide her gift for her own safety. But Clarissa was too compassionate. Though she'd been dubbed "Crazy Clarissa" by the other children she had done her best to help the lost souls of Eerie find their way to the light, just as she'd once tried to intervene between Vincent and his violent father. She'd been the only who had ever dared stand up to the man.

Now several young women in the town have died from various unrelated causes, and not only does Clarissa believe they were murdered, she also believes that the murders are connected. Vincent is doubtful. All he wants to do is solve the case and get out of this town as quickly as possible before he can get too involved with Clarissa. No longer the awkward girl who has once been his friend, she stirs desires in him that go beyond his typical one night stand. The sooner he is away from her the better, for both of their sakes.

With the eclipse mere days away a new Dark Lord is due to take over the underworld, Zion, Vincent's father. Pan the god of terror hopes the curry his favor by presenting this new ruler with the souls he has claimed. To do so he had taken possession of a trusted individual and preyed on his victim's biggest fears. This explains the disparity in their causes of death. Only Clarissa is aware of this and she must help these souls find the light before Pan can claim them for his new master. To do so she needs Vincent's help. Pan knows that the voices are Clarissa's biggest weakness and she is Vincent's. Will he use her death to bring Vincent over to the dark side to stand beside his father? Will Zion's bad blood win out over the influence of Vincent's mother's? The eclipse is at hand, time is running out.......

Talk about suspense. I thought I knew which townsperson Pan had possessed all along and I couldn't have been more wrong or more surprised. Overall I thought the suspense aspect was excellent. The romance wasn't bad but wasn't enough of a focus to label the story a romance. Most of the time I felt that the romantic aspect could easily have been dropped and the story would have been just as good. As it was the reader discovers at the end how important Vincent's relationship with Clarissa truly was. All and all INSATIABLE DESIRE grabbed and held my attention. As I stated before though, Vincent's troubles don't end here. Zion still has to be defeated and the next story entitled DARK HUNGER brings in another Valtrez, Quinton, as well as a cold blooded assassin and a sexy television reporter named Annabelle Armstrong. Vincent must convince Quinton to join with him to fight the evil that is to come. I'm going to speculate that the reporter is somehow going to be an important factor in Quinton's decision. Now that I know what to expect, I'm looking forward to seeing how the story progresses. ~ reviewed for PNR Reviews

Clarissa King is clairvoyant. Often times she is bombarded with visions that rattle her sanity. In her hometown, Clarissa's visions are coming more often and are more brutal. There is a serial killer preying on the people of her town and Clarissa is willing to do anything to solve this mystery - even rely on the FBI agent that she knew, loved, and lost so long ago. And, if that is not bad enough, he doesn't believe in her paranormal gifts.

Vincent Valtrez left Clarissa and his hometown a long ago. The victim of horrendous abuse as a boy, Vincent has blocked out most of his traumatic past but he feels evil deep inside him. Determined to find the man responsible for the strain of murders, Vincent must fight daily to keep the darkness and Clarissa at bay.

Insatiable Desire - the title alone made me stop and take a look. Vincent's desire for Clarissa was insatiable; although he fought a good fight. The biggest obstacle that had to be overcome was Vincent's refusal to believe in Clarissa's gifts. Once that happened, their love blossomed and their reliance upon each other became apparent. Their fight against evil took every ounce of fortitude they have and I could not get enough of this tremendous storyline.

Insatiable Desire released in September 2008. I am happy to note that Insatiable Desire looks to be the first of a three part series. I am already anxiously awaiting the second installment!

Talia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

FBI agent, Vincent Valtrez has been called back home to Tennessee. There has been what the local psychic believes to be a string of murders. Vincent has strived to make sure he never had to set foot in Black Forest. Legend has it that evil lives in Black Forest and everyone who has ever went into the forest was never seen or heard from again, that is except for Vincent.

Many years ago something happened to Vincent in the forest and her survived barely. Now not only does he have to deal with going back home but he also has to work side by side with the one woman who makes his heart race as well as makes Vincent want to act like a bad, bad boy. So just who is this woman that has Vincent all twisted up in knots? Her name is Clarissa King. She claims that she can communicate with the dead. Clarissa and Vincent team up to bring down the killer. Unfortunately they will have their hands full as this killer really is evil.


Vincent and Clarissa were great characters. They had good depth as well as personality to them. Plus it didn't hurt any the hot steamy chemistry they shared together. Once I started reading Insatiable Desire, I found I couldn't put it down. I was sad when it ended. I have to say that I have read a few of Rita Herron's book and enjoyed them a lot but Insatiable Desire is my first paranormal romance novel I have read by her. After reading this book I have to say I like this new, darker, and edgier side of Ms. Herron. Insatiable Desire is a wonderful kickoff to what I know will be a successful new series; The Demonborn by Ms. Herron.

Something bad happened to Vincent Valtrez in the Black Forest of Tennessee when he was a child, something dark, sinister and powerful. He never wanted to go back there again, not if he wanted any chance at a normal life. Leave it to a woman to ruin the best laid plans. Clarissa King believes she can speak to the dead, but that isn't what really scares Vincent about her. She was the one woman who could turn him inside out years ago. Now she's the one he has to team up with to take down a demonic killer...with an otherwordly connection to Vincent.

Rita Herron's taut suspense novels have always been on my keeper shelf, but her paranormal showcases her ability to write dark, edgy and sexy. Insatiable Desire appears to be a great start to her new The Demonborn series. Bring on number two.

The brutal, graphic murders and rapes, and the rough sex between the main characters in this book are deeply disturbing. The images of a mother savagely shaking and strangling her own infant while demon-possessed left me with nightmares. Not recommended unless you have a very strong stomach.

FBI agent Vincent Valtrez is the son of an angel and a demon lord. His father tried to brutalize the good out of Vincent when he was a young child. Vincent was told to kill small animals among other undesirable things. When Vincent's dad killed his mother by burning her at the stake, Vincent was overcome with rage and killed his father. He became a ward of the system, and bounced around in foster homes for many years. Eventually, he became an agent, trying to take out the bad guys.

His dead father, Zion, is about to be named the new leader of Hell's legions, and Pan, god of fear, wants to harvest Vincent's soul and win Zion's approval. He lures Vincent back to his home town by targeting psychic Clarissa King. Girls are turning up murdered and Clarissa has been communicating with their spirits. She is absolute that something evil is afoot. Even though Vincent tries to keep space between himself and Clarissa, they can't deny the attraction between them. Vincent is sure he is turning into a Demon himself, and Clarissa is determined to show him that he is a good man. A man she loves.

As the first in a new series, it definitely has potential. The premise is fantastic and the plot did have me turning the pages to see what would happen next, butI found the characters to be a bit boring. Too much time spent on what baggage they each carried instead of what they now were capable of would have given me a tad more interest. And the ending was tidied up a little too nicely to delve right into the next book. It could have used a bit more fleshing to the story in my opinion. However, I was lightly entertained. I would read the next in the series, but I won't go out of my way to acquire it

I'm sorry to say I did not enjoy this book at all. I am a fan of Rita Herron, but this book left a bad taste in my mouth. I didn't feel either lead character was developed enough and frankly found the lead character repugnant and kind of vulgar for my tastes. No chemistry either. All of a sudden he realizes he loves her? Sorry, not believable to me. I also felt like the author was trying to throw the "c" word in every other paragraph. I'm not a prude or anything, but c'mon, I don't need to see it in every freaking sentence! Geez talk about overkill.