Customer Reviews

Personal Demons

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James Buchanan's vivid picture of LA has heat and dust seeping through the pages. The knowledge of police procedure and law is incredibly apparent and gives Personal Demons a rich and complex setting. Paranormal elements and voodoo, Santeria and Palo Mayumbe provided an added hook and made for kinda spooky reading.

Aside from solid world building what made this such a great read were the characters. Enrique was just so beautiful, inside and out. Charming, clever and his core of strength became more apparent the more I read. But, I was totally wrapped up in Chase's journey and growth as he navigated his way through the thorny issues of being out as a gay man in his workplace and falling in love with his partner. His struggle with alcohol and maintaining an intimate relationship made for gripping reading.

Sex between the two protagonists was incredibly hot and luscious. James Buchanan writes sex that is realistic, erotic and definitely not cookie cutter romance novel fare. It is something I particularly like about James' style of writing and keeps me coming back for more.

This was such a beautiful read, definitely harder on the emotions than perhaps Inland Empire or Cheating Chance, but a great book to get totally wrapped up in and enjoy.

I'm not new to read a cop themed novel, and even if it's not my preferred genre; some of them are very good. But there is a thing that usually let me a bit cold, when the cops are self-righteous perfect hero, maybe with a baggage of bad experiences in the past, but always so damned perfect. Truth be told, sometime, they are so perfect that they are also boring, sincerely I'm not for the big bang-come here baby type of men. In Personal Demons, James Buchanan managed to avoid all of above, without making the heroes losers.

Special Agent Chase Nozick lost his partner (work partner, not private partner) during the same mission in which he was badly injured. Now some years later, he has the chance to capture the man who did it, and so it's quite understandable that he is eager to accomplish the task, but I think that, in any case, Chase faces the new job with big professionalism, yes, true, he has some personal reasons, but they are not distracting him from doing the job by the book. Chase seems to always behave by the book... almost. He is right there on the edge, he drinks a lot, but not enough to dim his judgement, he let his gut drive him, but not enough to take the wrong path, he is gay, but not "enough" for him to be kicked out of the FBI.

Chase has not trouble with his homosexuality, he knows what he wants, but he also knows that he can't be an openly gay Special Agent, and so he simply doesn't mix the two things: when he is on the job, he is asexual, and when he is out of the job, he prefers to hook up with strangers, so no strings attached to worry about.

Problem is that on the new job he is partnered with Enrique, a LAPD cop with a lot of connection with the Cuban society, among where their target is hiding. Enrique is the perfect man for the job, but he is also the perfect man for Chase: gay and like Chase, not flaunting it to avoid to be kicked out of the Police Department, Enrique is not against the idea to mix work with pleasure, at least for the time of their mission. Chase is not offering more, and Enrique is not asking. I like this attitude since no one of them is disillusioned or hurt. And even when the simple partners with benefits relationship moves to something more, the attitude is more or less the same: Enrique makes clear that he is interested in seeing where their relationship will go after, but it's up to Chase to take a chance. Enrique is not hiding his feelings, and above all is not hiding that they are "feelings" and not simple desire, but he doesn't play the guilty card: he asks, he suggests, but he doesn't force Chase to take a decision. I can feel that Enrique is really involved, and I think that he makes it clear also to Chase, but Enrique's way to face the relationship is new to me, no pressure, no forceful behaviour, no attitude like "I love you so you owe me something". The way to face it is dry but not cold.

On the other side there is Chase, who pretends that he is not interested in a serious relationship, but who is also the first to behave as they were in one, and even if the word "love" is not speak between them, I think that Chase is the first to fall for Enrique.

As I said the novel is a classical cops themed one, but the love relationship always remain in centre stage, it is never overwhelmed by the mission; it's the mission that helps Chase and Enrique to be near and near, which helps them to understand that they are perfect for each other, and so in the end, this is more a romance than a thriller novel.

There are some points that I'd like to see developed, but probably, if the author will decide to take in hand again these two heroes, it can be done in another book: Enrique is not a lone-wolf; he has a family, a family that is quite near and supporting, so I'd be interested how they deal with Chase. Then there was a hint on Enrique's former partner, but it was not developed: again, it seemed an interesting story.

FBI Special Agent Chase Nozick has been sent to LA to find the hit man who killed his partner. Chase will do anything to bring the man down, but the Voodoo he gets mixed up in is giving him second thoughts, especially when it reveals his own personal demons. Chase is partnered with LAPD Det. Enrique Rios Ocha, the man he had a one night stand with his first night in LA. While the men hunt the killer and search for a missing girl, they're spending their free time together. Neither of them are out and they live three thousand miles apart. They've got to stay alive and sane before they can figure out the rest.

James Buchanan is one of my go-to authors for sexy, tough cops and intense stories. Nicky and Brandon from Cheating Chance hooked me on James' work and now she's got me again with Enrique and Chase in Personal Demons. The sex, the story, and the men are hard and edgy. Along with suspense, hot sex, and sexy men, Personal Demons has a very intriguing look at Voodoo and Santeria. It's fascinating and gives Personal Demons a darker bite. Like Chase, I related to his skepticism and I had to give it credence in the end. There's not a lot of angst between Enrique and Chase in the beginning when they find out they'll be working together after that sizzling first night together. It's really cool. Then James throws in some gut-wrenching trouble and the heart-breaking begins. And damn if the story doesn't get better for it, as usual. Personal Demons is another good guys vs. bad guys story by an author who really knows what she's writing about.

Nannette

Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

This is the third book by James Buchanan that I have read. Hard Fall was such an exceptional book, that every other book of hers that I've read, while enjoyable, hasn't quite measured up.

Mild Spoiler ahead

Here again, is the cop and someone else partnership, she likes cops. This time the someone else is not a criminal, but rather an FBI agent. In the now almost clichéd meeting, FBI Agent Chase Nozick and LAPD Det. Enrique Rios Ocha meet and have impersonal sex in a gay bar, and then meet again the next day at work, and are forced into a partnership. Enrique is not out, out, but his friends and family know about him and accept it. But while Chase knows he's gay, he's told no one, and limits himself to the occassional impersonal hookup. Still the men manage to work together, Chase being more open to Enrique's religious beliefs than he might have been, because of their sexual connection, and Enrique lets Chase more and more into his world. I enjoyed this book while I was in it, but it didn't linger. So it's an engrossing read, and much longer and more substantial than a lot of the novella's out there - at 4238 locations, it's book length, and I'm pleased about that, so while I was happy to read it but don't know how many times I will reread it.

Personal Demons Florida based FBI Agent Chase Nozick and LAPD Detective Enrique Rios Ocha join forces to bring down a ruthless killer and locate a missing witness before it's too late. Enrique, an expert in inner worlds of Santeria, Voodoo and Palo Mayumbe, aids Chase in navigating the rituals of the little known religion.

Personal Demons has all the elements of a good cop thriller, action, intrigue, danger and black magic. Each clue adds another level to the building plot. The background peek into the rituals is fascinating and informative. The characters have strength. As an added component to the well written plot, discovering they are both gay as well as in the closet, Enrique and Chase indulge in a secretive and intense sexual fling. They also share a respect and concern for each other that immediately bonds their alliance. Job requirements separate the pair; however I got the impression that they would remain long distance friends. Although I was not pleased with the indeterminate state between Chase and Enrique's relationship, as a murder and mayhem cop thriller, I enjoyed this book immensely.