Demon Hunting with a Sexy Ex (Demon Hunting #5) by Lexi George – ARC Review

Flora Reviews… Demon Hunting with a Sexy Ex (Demon Hunting #5) by Lexi George. My thanks to the publisher, Kensington Books (via Netgalley), for the eBook in exchange for my candid opinion of the story.

…So what’s Demon Hunting with a Sexy Ex about?

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Read: 16^th – 24^th September 2017

Demon Hunting with a Sexy Ex is a paranormal romance with more than one storyline running throughout but with a HEA (Happily Ever After) conclusion for our romantic couple. Lexi George is known to hate sad endings. It is set in our modern world in the US town of Hannah, Alabama and features inter-dimensional demon hunters, shape-shifters, magic wielders and humans.

So, what did I like about Demon Hunting with a Sexy Ex?

Demon Hunting with a Sexy Ex is the first book that I’ve read by Ms George. I liked the fact that she populated her world with a host of original supernatural beings. There are two castes of inter-dimensional demon hunters who are tasked with stopping rogue demons called ‘djegrali’; the male brotherhood is the Dalvhani warriors and the female sisterhood is the Kirvhani warriors. The usually purple eyed demonoid species, such as witches, shapeshifters (but not werewolves) are collectively known as the ‘Kith’. Common or garden humans are referred as ‘norms’. 😉 Sylphs, satyrs, piskies, centaurs, imps, fairies and a few gods also make an appearance along the way too.

I must be honest and say that although I understood where Duncan was coming from and grew to like Cassie eventually – she does have a kind heart and isn’t one of those wait to be rescued damsels – I got tired with her constant pushing away from Duncan which meant that I never really connected with her character like I wanted to. I don’t think it helped the ‘romance’ aspect of this book that most of the story had Duncan and Cassie apart. However, it was shifter Evan Beck and Kirvhani warrior Taryn that stole my heart for me; such wonderful characters. I absolutely loved Evan’s quick wit, banter and self-deprecating hang-ups, I connected to him almost immediately and I loved his secret longing for the demon-huntress; I looked forward to the scenes that he was in.

…So, um, was there anything I didn’t like about it?

Ok, so here’s where I have to be honest and give you my reasons for my rating.

Firstly, I was a little confused throughout this story; there was just too much going on.

The main storyline is focused on Cassie and Duncan trying to sort through their relationship. It is a paranormal romance after all. However, then Ms George throws in a load of other threads. Cassie’s magic acting a little off, the discovery of a new supernatural, some crazy werewolves, characters falling ill, demonic attacks, searching for a rogue demon, new blossoming romances and an animated statue. *phew* You’ve got to admit, that is a lot of plotlines for one book!

In my opinion, Demon Hunting with a Sexy Ex should not be read as a standalone story.

Demon Hunting with a Sexy Ex is the fifth novel in the series. I haven’t read any of the previous books. Although I was able to figure out who was who and eventually what the characters referred to, I’ve got to be honest, it did take a while.

Yes, the romance between our two main characters has a HEA ending. However, this story also features many characters from previous books, references to past adventures and a couple of ongoing plot-lines. Although Ms George tries to ensure her new readers aren’t lost by weaving pertinent information into this story. As with most long-standing series, I sometimes felt a bit confused. I missed the nuances of experiencing those past adventures, of knowing the characters and their relationships with each other.

And finally, there is a real mix of prose in this story.

Not only in the context of what the characters say and how they say it but also in the writing style used to describe scenes. Ms George flipped from modern to old-fashioned terminology frequently. It wasn’t until I found out that Duncan is an inter-dimensional being who uses an interpreter in his head called a “Provider” that I understood why he used such formal speech patterns. Our heroine, Cassie was more of a contradiction. Her dialogue, both internally and externally, seemed to switch from antiquated to modern. Then there were the heavy local Alabama dialect and colloquialisms. I am quite well-read and intelligent enough, however, some of the descriptions, similes, conversations and phrases used throughout this story were completely lost on me, especially when reading the Skinners Alabaman red neck dialogue.

…So, basically what I’m saying is…

Demon Hunting with a Sexy Ex was Ok verging on good. I think that my enjoyment of this book was effected by my lack of prior knowledge of the characters and the series.

This story covers a host of subjects.

The death of children and death by magic. How the decisions we make may have ripple effects on us and those around us. Plus the bond between family/friends both positive and negative. The book does have scenes of detailed gore, blood, fighting and sex scenes. However, I feel that it’s the main storyline of second chance love and the lengths we go to for those we love comes that shines through for me. I am sure that fans of this series will really enjoy this book.

Has my review of DEMON HUNTING WITH A SEXY EX (DEMON HUNTING #5) encouraged you to find out more? Click on any of the links to check out the book yourself.

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Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read my thoughts.

Bye for now,

Flora x