The Caruthers Sisters are the Guardians who protect Earth from the creatures of various other worlds who would do harm to humankind. It is their job to keep demons, dragons, Fey, and more on their side of the portals used to travel between those worlds. Or at least, keep them off of Earth.
Gillian Caruthers is known to the world as a lawyer and high-powered business woman, a jet-setting arts dealer and celebrity in her own right. What the world doesn't know is that she is the Guardian who stands between the Demon realm and mankind. When demon butt needs to be kicked it is her responsibility.
Then a new demon king comes to town. Arath isn't anything like his predecessors - in fact he looks disturbingly like the most exciting man Gillian has ever lain eyes on. But it could never work between a Demon King and a Demon Slayer, could it?
They'll have plenty of time to explore that possibility while trying to ferret out the mysterious threat that brings danger and death to both their worlds, not to mention the people Gillian cares most for.
When I saw the blurb for THE DEMON KING AND I by Candace Havens, I knew I had to read this book. Something about it just struck a chord about me. Maybe it resonated with me somewhat because of my love for the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" TV series and its similarity to that show.
Having now read the story, I can say that comparing it to "Buffy" is a more than fair comparison - but only a comparison. While Gillian and her sisters share some qualities with that legendary heroine, this is very much a different world and they are very different characters. Of course, when you have any kick-butt female slayer there will always be some comparison to Buffy.
Although this is a paranormal romance complete with the requisite demons, mages, and similar creatures, what makes the world a mite surreal (in a good way) is the way it is set in a contemporary world, lending it a normalcy that makes the paranormal bits even easier to believe, even if just for the story's duration.
The story is told in first person, completely from Gillian's perspective, so we get to know this character intimately. We experience her pain, her longings, her dreams, her nightmares and more. We see her hero, Arath, through her eyes, and that isn't a bad thing at all. Truly, both Gillian and the reader would be hard pressed to find any fault with the Demon King. Bold, decisive, strong, caring, and even a little nurturing, he is everything a leader and a hero should be. I know I would fall for him in a heartbeat, so it never surprised me that the demon slayer would also.
I have to say that I am hooked on this new series. Having enjoyed every minute of THE DEMON KING AND I, this reviewer is very much looking forward to the next CARUTHERS SISTERS story!
**Courtesy of Wild on Books**
