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Nikki & Michael #1
Dancing with the Devil
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.
230 pages, Paperback
First published March 5, 2001
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About the author
Keri Arthur
107Ìýbooks5,972ÌýfollowersKeri Arthur, author of the New York Times bestselling Riley Jenson, Guardian series, has now written more than 25 books. She's received several nominations in the Best Contemporary Paranormal category of the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Awards, and recently won RT's Career Achievement Award for urban fantasy. She lives in Melbourne with her daughter and two crazy dogs
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 283 reviews
May 23, 2011
I was struggling between giving this book a 1-star or 2-star rating. Finally I decided to land 2, after much pondering.
I really couldn't get into the book. The villain (Jasper) portrayed in this novel was vicious and evil to the nth degree. The dangers and suspense were not bad, and the plot was quite reasonably fair. However, that's basically where things ended. There was absolutely no real characterization in this book - the characters felt "flat" to my psychic senses. The romantic relationship (if you could even call it that) between the female lead (Nikki) and the vampire (Michael) was so thinly existent that I saw no chemistry whatsoever. All the characters in this book came and went, everyone lacking lustre and failing to capture my interests. I actually felt terminally bored half way into the book - all I wanted to do was say aloud "MEH" to every page that I turned. I had to tell myself that since I already invested my time in reading half the book, that I should just quickly finish the torture so at least I could write an honest review about it.
I really couldn't understand how Nikki felt that she "loved" Michael... There was little ot none romantic development or interests at all between the two. The attraction they felt towards each other was so weak that it amounted to NOTHING! NOOO chemistry. After they slept together once (at Nikki's beckoning, since she wanted to have sex with Michael to temporarily remove Jasper's "taint" from her mind), she felt LOVE all of a sudden?!?! Man, it made no sense to me. Michael was not a bad character, except he lacked the charisma or allure that I would expect from a male lead in a PNR book. The love interests were so poorly portrayed and executed that I would consider it the most fatal flaw in this book.
To top that, there was the Nikki factor as well. While Jasper was evil reincarnate, Nikki was ANNOYING beyond belief. She had this trust issue and self-security thing about someone invading her mind, that she questioned everything and everyone around her, especially Michael. Even after Michael's warning of dangers, and his saving her life on a couple of occasions, she still decided to not trust his words. Rather, she would act on her own stubborn, tenaciously pig-headed way, resulting in more lives lost and putting herself in grave danger. Cleary, she was just too plain stupid to live. As a heroine of a novel, she was a complete disaster. I'd look at her and pointed out 10 different ways why she was a failure, but I really don't have time for it right now.
So, to sum it up, I thought the plot had potential and the villain was actually quite well-positioned. However, everything else fell on their arses. So since I normally reserve a 1-rating for the absolute WORST books I've ever read, this book has not yet qualified for it so I've decided to give it a 2-star rating.
By the way, this was the second Keri Arthur book that I read (the first one being Full Moon Rising). I must say that I wasn't very thrilled about the result of this book and I think it might take me a long while before venturing into a third one....
I really couldn't get into the book. The villain (Jasper) portrayed in this novel was vicious and evil to the nth degree. The dangers and suspense were not bad, and the plot was quite reasonably fair. However, that's basically where things ended. There was absolutely no real characterization in this book - the characters felt "flat" to my psychic senses. The romantic relationship (if you could even call it that) between the female lead (Nikki) and the vampire (Michael) was so thinly existent that I saw no chemistry whatsoever. All the characters in this book came and went, everyone lacking lustre and failing to capture my interests. I actually felt terminally bored half way into the book - all I wanted to do was say aloud "MEH" to every page that I turned. I had to tell myself that since I already invested my time in reading half the book, that I should just quickly finish the torture so at least I could write an honest review about it.
I really couldn't understand how Nikki felt that she "loved" Michael... There was little ot none romantic development or interests at all between the two. The attraction they felt towards each other was so weak that it amounted to NOTHING! NOOO chemistry. After they slept together once (at Nikki's beckoning, since she wanted to have sex with Michael to temporarily remove Jasper's "taint" from her mind), she felt LOVE all of a sudden?!?! Man, it made no sense to me. Michael was not a bad character, except he lacked the charisma or allure that I would expect from a male lead in a PNR book. The love interests were so poorly portrayed and executed that I would consider it the most fatal flaw in this book.
To top that, there was the Nikki factor as well. While Jasper was evil reincarnate, Nikki was ANNOYING beyond belief. She had this trust issue and self-security thing about someone invading her mind, that she questioned everything and everyone around her, especially Michael. Even after Michael's warning of dangers, and his saving her life on a couple of occasions, she still decided to not trust his words. Rather, she would act on her own stubborn, tenaciously pig-headed way, resulting in more lives lost and putting herself in grave danger. Cleary, she was just too plain stupid to live. As a heroine of a novel, she was a complete disaster. I'd look at her and pointed out 10 different ways why she was a failure, but I really don't have time for it right now.
So, to sum it up, I thought the plot had potential and the villain was actually quite well-positioned. However, everything else fell on their arses. So since I normally reserve a 1-rating for the absolute WORST books I've ever read, this book has not yet qualified for it so I've decided to give it a 2-star rating.
By the way, this was the second Keri Arthur book that I read (the first one being Full Moon Rising). I must say that I wasn't very thrilled about the result of this book and I think it might take me a long while before venturing into a third one....
June 24, 2013
Nikki James is a private investigator and seems to be acting as a body guard. Nikki has unique psychic/telepathic abilities that help her locate people as well as physically hold things around her. Trying to protect the teenage Monica Trevgard she follows her into a deadly situation. Nikki knows it is deadly because her psychic abilities keep screaming at her. In her attempts to save Monica, she becomes the target of a deranged vampire.
Michael Kelly is a 300 year old vampire. Tracking down and killing his brother's murderer is his obsession. When he saves Nikki from that same vampire his world is turned upside down, the vampire that killed his brother. He has found a woman who might be able to stand by him for eternity. But the crazy vampire that tore his world apart is at it again, targeting the one woman he dared to care for.
The vampires in this story have the potential for great evil and only through their personal battle to curb their behavior do they choose to fight for good. Even though they choose to be “good� it is a constant battle with their darker side. This leaves the intriguing possiblity for Michael to loose control at any time.
This story is filled with action, drama and plot tension. Most of the story is set up, although there is some romance it is more plot building for the story's base.
I found Dancing With The Devil a great start to a new story line giving it huge potential for the Nikki & Michael series. An interesting paranormal story line, a quick and easy read, and leaving me wanting more, this is definitely a book and series worth checking out.
This ARC copy of Dancing with the Devil was given to me by Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell in exchange for an honest review. This book is set for publication on July 30, 2013.
Written by: Keri Arthur
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Dell
Publication Date: July 30, 2013
ISBN-10: 0440246512
ISBN-13: 978-0440246510
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 3.5
Age Recommendation: Adult
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Michael Kelly is a 300 year old vampire. Tracking down and killing his brother's murderer is his obsession. When he saves Nikki from that same vampire his world is turned upside down, the vampire that killed his brother. He has found a woman who might be able to stand by him for eternity. But the crazy vampire that tore his world apart is at it again, targeting the one woman he dared to care for.
The vampires in this story have the potential for great evil and only through their personal battle to curb their behavior do they choose to fight for good. Even though they choose to be “good� it is a constant battle with their darker side. This leaves the intriguing possiblity for Michael to loose control at any time.
This story is filled with action, drama and plot tension. Most of the story is set up, although there is some romance it is more plot building for the story's base.
I found Dancing With The Devil a great start to a new story line giving it huge potential for the Nikki & Michael series. An interesting paranormal story line, a quick and easy read, and leaving me wanting more, this is definitely a book and series worth checking out.
This ARC copy of Dancing with the Devil was given to me by Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell in exchange for an honest review. This book is set for publication on July 30, 2013.
Written by: Keri Arthur
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Dell
Publication Date: July 30, 2013
ISBN-10: 0440246512
ISBN-13: 978-0440246510
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 3.5
Age Recommendation: Adult
Find this book on:
For more reviews check out or find us on .
December 19, 2021
I like this author, but you could definitely tell this is her first book... She does get netter with experience ...
February 5, 2020
3.5 stars
I really liked it, but something was missing that kept me from getting truly invested in it. Nikki and Michael were fleshed out characters, but they needed more time for their connection to be believable. Their relationship was rushed, but I did like them together.
Nikki was aggravating sometimes. It was admirable that she always tried to do what was right, but not when her own life was at risk. She ran head first into danger quite a few times despite her own intuition and other warning her not to.
Jasper was too evil to be genuinely interesting. He was extremely powerful, but it wasn't adequately explained where those powers came from. Michael's powers paled in comparison although he was vastly older.
I really liked it, but something was missing that kept me from getting truly invested in it. Nikki and Michael were fleshed out characters, but they needed more time for their connection to be believable. Their relationship was rushed, but I did like them together.
Nikki was aggravating sometimes. It was admirable that she always tried to do what was right, but not when her own life was at risk. She ran head first into danger quite a few times despite her own intuition and other warning her not to.
Jasper was too evil to be genuinely interesting. He was extremely powerful, but it wasn't adequately explained where those powers came from. Michael's powers paled in comparison although he was vastly older.
October 3, 2015
Dancing with the Devil by Keri Arthur
First in the Nikki & Michael series
2.5 stars
Whimsical Writing Scale: 1.5
Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 2
Swoon Worthy Scale: 2.5
Villain Scale: 4.5
Character Scale: 3.5
Plotastic Scale: 1.25
Cover Thoughts: The new cover is definitely better than the old one. I like it, but I don’t love it. It’s pretty standard PNR/UF cover.
Thank you, Netgalley and Dell for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
First in the Nikki & Michael series
2.5 stars
Nikki James is a Private Investigator with a past that has been haunting her for years and an ability that has done nothing but harm people. Everything changes for Nikki when she follows a teenager named Monica Trevgard who reminds her of herself into the shadows and finds herself ensnared in war between two men that aren’t human. Michael Kelly came to Lyndhurst to protect Nikki and ends up finding his archenemy, who is now targeting Nikki for death. Michael’s existed in the shadows for 300 years and never thought he was capable of love, but Nikki may be the one to change it all for him. Nikki’s psychic abilities and dark past are catching up to her and it won’t be easy to win her heart. Let me say this, I was actually really excited to read Dancing with the Devil because I had found the book a few years ago and it sounded totally awesome. It wasn’t that awesome. I’m not really sure what to say, but while reading I came up with a pretty interesting idea for my review. Since we just finished studying the classifications of life, I thought why not see if Michael is considered living or nonliving. I know what you’re probably thinking, all vampires are dead so they are no longer living, which is true but I’ve come across vampires that were much more alive than some humans.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 1.5
How to Determine if Your Vampire is Living or Nonliving in Dancing with the Devil:
1) Made up of cells?
A: I’m pretty sure Michael and Jasper were made of cells. If not they once wouldn’t have been human.
2) Able to reproduce?
A: It’s never discussed in the book because Arthur probably sees no point in mentioning it. I want to know because most books about vampires mention it.
3) DNA or genetic code?
A: At one point, so yes.
4) Able to grow and develop?
A: Once upon a time. I think Michael has already developed into a full human, but I know Jasper is still technically a teenager since it seems that his development/ growth was stopped after being turned.
5) Obtain and use materials and energy?
A: BLOOD! All the blood you can get your fangs on.
6) Respond to their environment?
A: Better than humans because they have super-senses.
7) Homeostasis (stable internal environment)?
A: Probably thinking I would say no, but Nikki says that Michael is warm and I’m pretty sure that that is a sign of homeostasis. He’s no Edward.
8) Evolvement in species?
A: It’s never discussed so I can’t say.
Results: 6/8, but since two questions weren’t answered I’m resulting in this experiment as inclusive until further notice.
I honestly don’t have much to say about this book and that was just a fun way to entertain myself. I will say that I’m tired of these cliché vampires that haven’t lived half-a -millennia. You can’t be a cool vampire if you’re 300 or 100 years old. In my opinion, you’re a baby and while you have experience you haven’t seen enough of the world. For a good part of the beginning of the book there was absolutely no character development, but just action scene after action scene. Even all those action scenes started to dwindle to nothing.
The main female character is Nikki. Nikki is one of the most desperate characters I’ve ever encountered. You know jokes about thirsty girls that have become popular, well this book was originally released in 2001 and Nikki is one of the original heroines of thirsty girls. She’s constantly throwing herself at Michael and the first time they have sex is because she uses him to get Jasper’s darkness from her mind. She’s also incredibly stupid. I’m stubborn, but not to the point where I’ll throw myself into situations that result in me getting mauled and kidnapped by zombies repeatedly. There is also no sexual tension or anything between Nikki and Michael. I’m just not feeling their romance and it doesn’t make me swoon or wish for my own boyfriend. In fact, Nikki and Michael’s relationship is so bland and boring that I could probably find two stray animals that have a better love story. Nikki is also like a depressed teenager who thinks she’s not good enough for love. I didn’t sign up for the adult version of Twilight. I wanted something unique and badass not filled with teenage angst in an adult story. Nikki is also always beating herself down and I know that a lot of people do that, but she was beating herself up over being alone even though she was the one pushing Michael away. You know what I have to say to that and your sob story, Nikki?
Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 2
The main male character is Michael. He’s better than Nikki, but not by much. I find him to be completely lacking in a personality or substance. We also don’t find out from the author that he’s a vampire until around the 15% mark, which is quite far into the story and we’ve already had multiple POVs from him. I dislike greatly when authors do this. He’s not keeping a secret from himself and I don’t get why for such a long freaking time he couldn’t admit to himself that he was a vampire in his internal monologue of moodiness. Michael is also another Edward Cullen in terms of moodiness and I’m just so over it.
Swoon Worthy Scale: 2.5
The Villain- Jasper wasn’t half bad for a villain. He was probably the coolest character in the novel. He’s sadistic, has mad psychic powers, can raise his victims from the dead into zombies, and can easily manipulate an idiotic teenager into doing his beck and calling. So, Jasper is pretty badass in my view. I definitely would run as far away from his sadistic self if he was real.
Villain Scale: 4.5
The only other characters were Monica and Jake. Monica was irrelevant and who cares about her dumb self for getting caught up with Jasper. Jake is actually pretty cool though and he’s a father-figure to Nikki. He‘s always there for her and I like how he actually cares about people.
Character Scale: 3.5
One of the most annoying things about Nikki and Michael is that they are broken records of emotions. They repeatedly think the same thought, but in different wording on ONE page. It’s ridiculous. During halfway through the book, it was like the storyline evaporated and this became the huge plot:
Nikki having sex with Michael and refusing to talk about Tommy. Who is Tommy you ask? Well, Tommy is Nikki’s boyfriend from the past who also had psychic abilities. She didn’t talk about what he did to her at all until 61% and she didn’t even internally think about what happened, but it was just constant “Michael’s another Tommy.�
This gif describes how I felt the whole entire time while reading. I have nothing else to say other than I’ll be reading the sequel, but I won’t be afraid to DNF or drop the series if it sucks.
Plotastic Scale: 1.25
Cover Thoughts: The new cover is definitely better than the old one. I like it, but I don’t love it. It’s pretty standard PNR/UF cover.
Thank you, Netgalley and Dell for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
March 13, 2011
This is the first book I've read by author Keri Arthur and I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Dancing with the Devil is the first book in the Nikki & Michael series written by Ms. Arthur and it held my attention, gripping me enough that I managed to mostly ignore the repetitions of the heroine, Nikki, as she tries to resist the lovely slice of vampire that is Michael (which does get frustrating when she's repeatedly telling herself that she has to stay away from him, can't love him, yada yada).
Nikki is a woman with telepathic / telekinetic abilities who has dragged herself out of a life on the streets to become a private investigator and her latest client and job leads her to a run in with the tall dark and handsome that is Michael. He's got a secret, as do most males in this sort of book, in that he's a vampire. I like Keri Arthur's take on vampires. She subtly nudges the usual vampire boundaries to make the species her own, and I like her for that because it's the sort of thing I do with my vampires. Michael is as broody, distant and detached as most vampires come, and I think this is what drew me to him. As with the last book I reviewed (Kiss Me Deadly by Michele Hauf), it's the hero who steals my attention in this book. He's stoic, has principles, and also a dark side which he battles whilst he simultaneously fights both the evil Jasper, baddie-of-the-book, and his desire for Nikki. I definitely liked him more than I liked the heroine. He stood by his values and wasn't going to waver, even though he knew it meant walking away from what could be the love of his long life. The heroine's job at this point, in my opinion, is to get out there and bloody well change his mind. That's what my heroine would have done in this situation. Instead of rolling up her sleeves and getting stuck in with the task of making the hero damn well love her and crumble in his resolve to leave, Nikki frustratingly pushes him away and hence we get a lot of repetition about why she can't love him, and why she can't be with him. I got the point already. Give it a rest.
The vampires in this have the potential for vast destruction and great evil, which will always lure me in. The bad guy flexes his muscles in this capacity, and we're left with a notion that Michael might not be a saint either, since he's done his share of killing and is barely able to restrain his own darkness.
The story flowed well, and there was plenty of tension and drama to keep me turning pages, and since it's the first book in a series about this hero and heroine, I'll forgive the author for the lack of interaction and romance between them. It's a set up book for the romance between the two and I've been there and done that with my Prophecy Trilogy, so I know it's going to get better in the next books. Which I will definitely be hunting down and reading. I believe there are four books in this series, and I'm hoping that was intentional and not because the series was stopped before the end due to money / publisher ditching it or something.
All in all, I'd recommend this to readers who want to read a short series of four novels and are looking for an interesting paranormal romance with a strong hero and potentially strong heroine, and who don't mind having to play the waiting game for the romance to blossom in a realistic way. I flitted between giving this 3 or 4 stars. It's sort of 3.5 to me, so I'll be kind and up it to a 4.
Nikki is a woman with telepathic / telekinetic abilities who has dragged herself out of a life on the streets to become a private investigator and her latest client and job leads her to a run in with the tall dark and handsome that is Michael. He's got a secret, as do most males in this sort of book, in that he's a vampire. I like Keri Arthur's take on vampires. She subtly nudges the usual vampire boundaries to make the species her own, and I like her for that because it's the sort of thing I do with my vampires. Michael is as broody, distant and detached as most vampires come, and I think this is what drew me to him. As with the last book I reviewed (Kiss Me Deadly by Michele Hauf), it's the hero who steals my attention in this book. He's stoic, has principles, and also a dark side which he battles whilst he simultaneously fights both the evil Jasper, baddie-of-the-book, and his desire for Nikki. I definitely liked him more than I liked the heroine. He stood by his values and wasn't going to waver, even though he knew it meant walking away from what could be the love of his long life. The heroine's job at this point, in my opinion, is to get out there and bloody well change his mind. That's what my heroine would have done in this situation. Instead of rolling up her sleeves and getting stuck in with the task of making the hero damn well love her and crumble in his resolve to leave, Nikki frustratingly pushes him away and hence we get a lot of repetition about why she can't love him, and why she can't be with him. I got the point already. Give it a rest.
The vampires in this have the potential for vast destruction and great evil, which will always lure me in. The bad guy flexes his muscles in this capacity, and we're left with a notion that Michael might not be a saint either, since he's done his share of killing and is barely able to restrain his own darkness.
The story flowed well, and there was plenty of tension and drama to keep me turning pages, and since it's the first book in a series about this hero and heroine, I'll forgive the author for the lack of interaction and romance between them. It's a set up book for the romance between the two and I've been there and done that with my Prophecy Trilogy, so I know it's going to get better in the next books. Which I will definitely be hunting down and reading. I believe there are four books in this series, and I'm hoping that was intentional and not because the series was stopped before the end due to money / publisher ditching it or something.
All in all, I'd recommend this to readers who want to read a short series of four novels and are looking for an interesting paranormal romance with a strong hero and potentially strong heroine, and who don't mind having to play the waiting game for the romance to blossom in a realistic way. I flitted between giving this 3 or 4 stars. It's sort of 3.5 to me, so I'll be kind and up it to a 4.
May 1, 2013
I'm struggling on what rating I'd like to give to Dancing with the Devil. Honestly, I didn't really like this book. On the other side, you see the beginning of the great UF writer Ms Arthur will become and realize that it's mostly you and your pet peeves that are involved in this "dislike".
Whatever the reasons, I can't and won't say this has been a good read for me. At times it felt more like a chore than a pleasure. I had the idea the story couldn't decide what it is: pnr or UF? I found it weak in both cases. As a pnr there's simply not enough chemistry or depth to the "romance", as a UF it was dragging and dragging. It had a great plot that got lost somewhat.
Whether it's one or the other, my problems with it are related both to characters and story.
Characters. Both leading "actors" were terribly flat. Worse in my book, they were whiny and weak. I wanted to shout "oh please, grow a pair" to both of them.
Nikki comes out as a very weak woman (even with her power), constantly in need to be saved. Her lack of trust is understandable, her weakness not so much. She has spent 4 years on the street as a teenager. This kind of things scars a person. I'm not sure she could have survived life with such an attitude, though. (Woe is me! I'm responsible for the world! If I don't do this really stupid thing life on earth will die! Not kidding... much).
Michael. Oh God, Michael. An Edward ante litteram, he feeds on animals and has this obsession with Nikki (you kept wondering why). He's an other whiny one. Oh why, oh why don't you trust me, Nikki? Yes, I keep lying to you. Yes, I did use you as a puppet and made a servant out of you. But why can't you trust me?
Sigh.
Plot. The story is really interesting, but as I said it kept dragging. Moreover there's no world-building. And unfortunately this confuses a few points.
-Nikki gets drugged. According to this story it seemed this drug had a very specific effect. As it's written it simply can't be (unless Jasper is a master scientist).
-Nikki gets controlled by both vampires. Again this goes against common "usage", so it would have helped a reason why.
We know from the beginning that she is psychic and her family rejected her for this. No one believes in vampires. But cops have no problems in believing her with the supernatural "as they have seen some weird things in their career". This is the max of world we get.
It may be enough at times (like in her series Ripple Creek Werewolf). I didn't feel it was enough here.
As I said before perceived weakness in characters and world-building are purely my nits. It's not something that might give you any problems at all. And if you are a fan, reading her backlist could be a must. :)
DRC courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley
Whatever the reasons, I can't and won't say this has been a good read for me. At times it felt more like a chore than a pleasure. I had the idea the story couldn't decide what it is: pnr or UF? I found it weak in both cases. As a pnr there's simply not enough chemistry or depth to the "romance", as a UF it was dragging and dragging. It had a great plot that got lost somewhat.
Whether it's one or the other, my problems with it are related both to characters and story.
Characters. Both leading "actors" were terribly flat. Worse in my book, they were whiny and weak. I wanted to shout "oh please, grow a pair" to both of them.
Nikki comes out as a very weak woman (even with her power), constantly in need to be saved. Her lack of trust is understandable, her weakness not so much. She has spent 4 years on the street as a teenager. This kind of things scars a person. I'm not sure she could have survived life with such an attitude, though. (Woe is me! I'm responsible for the world! If I don't do this really stupid thing life on earth will die! Not kidding... much).
Michael. Oh God, Michael. An Edward ante litteram, he feeds on animals and has this obsession with Nikki (you kept wondering why). He's an other whiny one. Oh why, oh why don't you trust me, Nikki? Yes, I keep lying to you. Yes, I did use you as a puppet and made a servant out of you. But why can't you trust me?
Sigh.
Plot. The story is really interesting, but as I said it kept dragging. Moreover there's no world-building. And unfortunately this confuses a few points.
-Nikki gets drugged. According to this story it seemed this drug had a very specific effect. As it's written it simply can't be (unless Jasper is a master scientist).
-Nikki gets controlled by both vampires. Again this goes against common "usage", so it would have helped a reason why.
We know from the beginning that she is psychic and her family rejected her for this. No one believes in vampires. But cops have no problems in believing her with the supernatural "as they have seen some weird things in their career". This is the max of world we get.
It may be enough at times (like in her series Ripple Creek Werewolf). I didn't feel it was enough here.
As I said before perceived weakness in characters and world-building are purely my nits. It's not something that might give you any problems at all. And if you are a fan, reading her backlist could be a must. :)
DRC courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley
October 6, 2009
Dancing With The Devil is the first book in Keri Arthur’s Nikki and Michael vampire series from bestselling author of paranormal romance and urban fantasy, Keri Arthur. Dancing With The Devil follows the events in private investigator Nikki James’s life when she unwittingly becomes the target of an evil vampire (Jasper) on killing spree in her home town of Lyndhurst. Which is a place located somewhere I don't know..I'm not even sure if it's a real place. During the investigation she meets Michael and it's not your normal meeting.
Dancing with the devil is written in the first person and the protagonist is both Nikki and Michael.
This is such a great series if your into vampires, mystery and romance. There's 4 editions in the series but I wish there were more. I was disappointed when I found out that there wouldn't be another. It really is a great series though, the characters are easy to get attached to, and I really love Keri Arthur's writing in all her books. I would recommend this for those who haven't read it!
Synopsis:
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.
Dancing with the devil is written in the first person and the protagonist is both Nikki and Michael.
This is such a great series if your into vampires, mystery and romance. There's 4 editions in the series but I wish there were more. I was disappointed when I found out that there wouldn't be another. It really is a great series though, the characters are easy to get attached to, and I really love Keri Arthur's writing in all her books. I would recommend this for those who haven't read it!
Synopsis:
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.
May 20, 2010
Nikki is a psychic Private Investigator who is smart and street wise having spent several years living on the streets as an orphaned teenager. She has been employed to find a missing girl but soon finds the case is much more complicated than it seemed. While tracking Monica she comes into contact with Jasper - someone who is completely crazy and obviously not human.
Michael has been tracking Jasper for years trying to stop his ruthless killing spree. When he realises that Jasper is intent on claiming Nikki for his own evil purposes Michael decides to use her as bait to catch him. It doesn't take long before his feelings for Nikki start to grow and he finds himself wanting to protect her. Both of them have secrets to hide & Nikki finds it very hard to trust Michael because of things that happened in her past. She is also incredibly independent and resents what she sees as Michael's attempts to control her.
Despite the strong attraction between them neither Nikki or Michael are looking for love & both are determined to fight their feelings. But with the threat of Jasper they are going to have to work together if they have any chance of coming through this in one piece.
This was the first book I've read by Keri Arthur but I will definitely be going back for more. The story had me gripped from the first page & I couldn't put it down, in fact I stayed in the bath for 4 hours to finish reading it! The action starts on the very first page and continues right through to the end of the book. Although there are obviously strong feelings between Nikki & Michael their romance isn't the main focus of the book.
The storyline was very fast paced & kept me on the edge of my seat, it was easy to get into Nikki's head & feel her fear of Jasper and I liked the fact that she was vulnerable despite her psychic abilities. At times she is in real danger & you really can't tell how how she is going to survive until the end of the book. Jasper was an excellent villian - he was downright creepy & probably the best villian I've come across in a long time.
I really can't recommend this book enough if you are an Urban Fantasy fan - especially if you like books that are quite dark in places. I can't wait to read the next book Hearts in Darkness.
Michael has been tracking Jasper for years trying to stop his ruthless killing spree. When he realises that Jasper is intent on claiming Nikki for his own evil purposes Michael decides to use her as bait to catch him. It doesn't take long before his feelings for Nikki start to grow and he finds himself wanting to protect her. Both of them have secrets to hide & Nikki finds it very hard to trust Michael because of things that happened in her past. She is also incredibly independent and resents what she sees as Michael's attempts to control her.
Despite the strong attraction between them neither Nikki or Michael are looking for love & both are determined to fight their feelings. But with the threat of Jasper they are going to have to work together if they have any chance of coming through this in one piece.
This was the first book I've read by Keri Arthur but I will definitely be going back for more. The story had me gripped from the first page & I couldn't put it down, in fact I stayed in the bath for 4 hours to finish reading it! The action starts on the very first page and continues right through to the end of the book. Although there are obviously strong feelings between Nikki & Michael their romance isn't the main focus of the book.
The storyline was very fast paced & kept me on the edge of my seat, it was easy to get into Nikki's head & feel her fear of Jasper and I liked the fact that she was vulnerable despite her psychic abilities. At times she is in real danger & you really can't tell how how she is going to survive until the end of the book. Jasper was an excellent villian - he was downright creepy & probably the best villian I've come across in a long time.
I really can't recommend this book enough if you are an Urban Fantasy fan - especially if you like books that are quite dark in places. I can't wait to read the next book Hearts in Darkness.
June 24, 2013
Private investigator, Nikki James is on the trail of a young woman who has left home. Being a talented psychic with telekinetic abilities, life has been difficult for Nikki, forcing her to keep her distance from others, but making her one of the best in her field. Michael Kelly has been a vampire for over 300 years and works for a secret organization that has tasked him with protecting Nikki from an evil entity who is on her trail. Naturally, Nikki makes Michael’s job almost impossible with her headstrong ways. Can Michael keep Nikki safe as she works her case? What is the draw between these damaged souls?
Dancing with the Devil is one of author Keri Arthur’s earlier works, and while still containing a well-developed plot, filled with tension and intrigue, and managing to put all manner of roadblocks in the way for Nikki and Michael, this remains a lighter read than her more recent works. That said, in true “Keri Arthur� style, her characters are very likeable and full of enough inner turmoil that you can’t help but wish something good for them in future books in this series!
This ARC copy of Dancing with the Devil was given to me by Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell in exchange for an honest review and is set for publication on July 30, 2013.
Publication Date: July 30, 2013
Publisher: Dell
ISBN-10: 0440246512
Paperback: 368 pages
Series: Nikki & Michael #1
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy
Age Recommendation: Adult
My Rating: 3.75
Available at:
For more reviews check out or find us on .
Dancing with the Devil is one of author Keri Arthur’s earlier works, and while still containing a well-developed plot, filled with tension and intrigue, and managing to put all manner of roadblocks in the way for Nikki and Michael, this remains a lighter read than her more recent works. That said, in true “Keri Arthur� style, her characters are very likeable and full of enough inner turmoil that you can’t help but wish something good for them in future books in this series!
This ARC copy of Dancing with the Devil was given to me by Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell in exchange for an honest review and is set for publication on July 30, 2013.
Publication Date: July 30, 2013
Publisher: Dell
ISBN-10: 0440246512
Paperback: 368 pages
Series: Nikki & Michael #1
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy
Age Recommendation: Adult
My Rating: 3.75
Available at:
For more reviews check out or find us on .
May 17, 2018
It was so nice to re-read this book. I remembered how much I loved Keri Arthur's writing. :)
August 18, 2013
DANCING WITH THE DEVIL took me by surprise. As a Keri Arthur fan, I have loved both her Riley Jensen series as well as her Dark Angels series. So when I found out that she was rereleasing this series, I jumped at the chance at reading it.
All of the great characteristics you expect in an Arthur book is present. There’s fabulous worldbuilding, incredible action sequences and strong characters that have a lot of room to grow. However, there was one thing that really stood out for me with this book. It was the writing.
I’ve always that that Arthur was a good writer, but for some reason the writing style resonated with me more in this series. The tone reminds me a little of Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series. It’s a little more serious, especially when in Michael’s POV. More details are explored in terms of descriptions and also, I felt that this book was very tightly written, especially where the action sequences were concerned. Overall, I just thought this book was a very well plotted out and well-written book so kudos to Arthur for that!
Nikki is a psychic Private Investigator. To be honest, it took about two chapters to warm up to her. I could already tell that she would be independent and kickass, but I was also looking for something that would make me relate to her. As the story progressed, I got that connection that I wanted. After employed to find a missing teenager named Monica Trevgard, Nikki is then thrust into a world that is far more complicated than the job initially let on.
She meets Jasper, a guy who is absolutely crazy and an enigma. A lot of the focus is on her fear for him and I thought that made for an edge-of-your-seat read because if you’re kickass character is scared, then you can sense that as well in your own feelings as you read.
Of course I have to talk about Michael who really intrigued me from the beginning. Arthur spends a little more time with his character, just doing some ordinary things like drinking wine and taking the time to understand his mind a little more. Other times, even when in his POV, she keeps readers in the dark about his intentions. It truly makes for an interesting character that I was dying to know more about. I liked her way of stringing readers as if on a leash, getting us to walk exactly where she intended us too. That being said, I found this book impossible to put down.
If you’re wondering if this Urban Fantasy is worth the shot, I think it is. A lot of the time it’s hard to find something fresh in the genre after having it be around for so long. If you enjoy the tone of Nalini Singh’s writing, but like the tightly-written action scenes of Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed books, then I think you’ll enjoy this series as much as I have.
Arthur’s take on UF in this series feels totally different than her others, which makes me eager to read the next book, HEARTS IN DARKNESS!
*ARC provided by Netgalley
June 22, 2010
I have to say that although I didn't bathe this book in stars, Keri Arthur's early writing style (and sometimes cheesy lines) throughout didn't stop me from getting attached to Nikki & Michael. The ending left me wanting more and more I shall have! I will definitely be reading book 2, and probably the rest of the series.
Dancing with the Devil introduces us to Nikki & Michael.
Nikki James is a Private Investigator with strong psychic abilities. Her abilities include psychometry (the ability to hold an object and sense some history of the owner) and telekinesis, among others.
Michael Kelly is a 300-year old vampire who works for the Damask Circle, an organization comprised of not only vampires, but others not necessarily termed human. He's also a vamp vegetarian of sorts, vowing never to take another human life, he does not feed on human blood.
Nikki has been hired by a wealthy father to find his missing daughter, Monica Trevgard. Michael is on a mission to hunt down and kill Jasper, a crazed vampire. Their missions quickly intersect and they are drawn to each other, in more ways than just physical.
They are both haunted by things that happened in their past. Things that keep them from admitting their true feelings for each other. It takes a while {into the book} to learn what those things are, but once revealed, it helps the reader understand where they've been, what's been done and why they now have trouble letting go of the control they try so hard to maintain.
Jake Morgan, Nikki's boss and friend, met her when she was sixteen. They saved each other's lives that day. He helps Nikki and Michael on their case, while also gently forcing them to admit their feelings and try to open up.
Dancing with the Devil is not as well-written as "Riley Jenson", but if you are interested in strong-willed, determined H/h interacting with vamps and other paranormal creatures/issues in a closed world, then you should enjoy this quick read.
Scene that made me giggle:
"Using his own kinetic abilities, he eased the shirt up and over her head, then tossed it across the room.
{Nikki} "Now I know what the romance books mean when they say he undressed her with his mind."
Dancing with the Devil introduces us to Nikki & Michael.
Nikki James is a Private Investigator with strong psychic abilities. Her abilities include psychometry (the ability to hold an object and sense some history of the owner) and telekinesis, among others.
Michael Kelly is a 300-year old vampire who works for the Damask Circle, an organization comprised of not only vampires, but others not necessarily termed human. He's also a vamp vegetarian of sorts, vowing never to take another human life, he does not feed on human blood.
Nikki has been hired by a wealthy father to find his missing daughter, Monica Trevgard. Michael is on a mission to hunt down and kill Jasper, a crazed vampire. Their missions quickly intersect and they are drawn to each other, in more ways than just physical.
They are both haunted by things that happened in their past. Things that keep them from admitting their true feelings for each other. It takes a while {into the book} to learn what those things are, but once revealed, it helps the reader understand where they've been, what's been done and why they now have trouble letting go of the control they try so hard to maintain.
Jake Morgan, Nikki's boss and friend, met her when she was sixteen. They saved each other's lives that day. He helps Nikki and Michael on their case, while also gently forcing them to admit their feelings and try to open up.
Dancing with the Devil is not as well-written as "Riley Jenson", but if you are interested in strong-willed, determined H/h interacting with vamps and other paranormal creatures/issues in a closed world, then you should enjoy this quick read.
Scene that made me giggle:
"Using his own kinetic abilities, he eased the shirt up and over her head, then tossed it across the room.
{Nikki} "Now I know what the romance books mean when they say he undressed her with his mind."
July 30, 2014
Nicki is a private investigator who in her efforts to find a teenager who run got involved with the wrong croud she finds herself in the middle of a centuries old feud between two deadly vampires. Jasper wants to kill her in order to control her psychic powers and Michael hopes to use her to lure Jasper into a trap. Things go off track though when (surprise surprise) Michael starts to get more and more involved into Nicky's life and they find themselves more and more entwined by the day.
Overall the writing was good and the plot had a flow. The characters where quite good too. If it was a little more unpredictable and a little less for lack of a better word cheasy I'd rate it higher. But while the action parts of the plot were ok, even if not original, the romance part was too much like all the other paranormal romances for me to say honestly that it stood out. Not that I didn't enjoy it anyway, but it just didn't stand out.
I liked Nicki's powers though and now that she 's having a boost from Michael as well it's bound to get better. One thing I would like to point out that I liked here was that vampires were not the poor tortured souls that were just misanderstood. Vampire equals killer. Wether they are on an vegetarian diet like Michael or on a killing spree like Jasper they have the same urges deep down. And Nicky doesn't fall over herself to try end save Michael's soul as soon as she finds out the truth. She doesn't forget the darkness that has unsettled her about him from the get go and she doesn't make excuses for him.
It makes you respect her more.
Overall the writing was good and the plot had a flow. The characters where quite good too. If it was a little more unpredictable and a little less for lack of a better word cheasy I'd rate it higher. But while the action parts of the plot were ok, even if not original, the romance part was too much like all the other paranormal romances for me to say honestly that it stood out. Not that I didn't enjoy it anyway, but it just didn't stand out.
I liked Nicki's powers though and now that she 's having a boost from Michael as well it's bound to get better. One thing I would like to point out that I liked here was that vampires were not the poor tortured souls that were just misanderstood. Vampire equals killer. Wether they are on an vegetarian diet like Michael or on a killing spree like Jasper they have the same urges deep down. And Nicky doesn't fall over herself to try end save Michael's soul as soon as she finds out the truth. She doesn't forget the darkness that has unsettled her about him from the get go and she doesn't make excuses for him.
It makes you respect her more.
April 14, 2013
3.5 stars
This is the first book I’ve read by Kerri Arthur and I was pleasantly surprised.
There was never a boring moment as this book was filled with action from start to end and I definitely didn’t expect that. The writing was vivid and fluid which kept me engaged the whole time � it was really hard to put this book down. There was a cheesy line or two along the way and a bit humor here and there which rounded the story up quite well.
The beginning of the story, while many things happened, still felt a little slow as characters were introduced but that changed very quickly and I got sucked into the story. The plot sucked me right in and kept me guessing till the end, I wasn’t able to predict how it would play out - that’s a huge plus in my eyes.
While I liked both main characters, Nikki and Michael, I struggled quite a bit with their “I don’t deserve love� mindset. It was a little overdone for my taste but to each their own. I didn’t completely buy their chemistry and that made it hard to like them as a couple, despite liking them on their own, but I hope that will change as I read more of the series.
All in all, a solid start for a series and I will definitely pick up book 2.
ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell via NetGalley.
This is the first book I’ve read by Kerri Arthur and I was pleasantly surprised.
There was never a boring moment as this book was filled with action from start to end and I definitely didn’t expect that. The writing was vivid and fluid which kept me engaged the whole time � it was really hard to put this book down. There was a cheesy line or two along the way and a bit humor here and there which rounded the story up quite well.
The beginning of the story, while many things happened, still felt a little slow as characters were introduced but that changed very quickly and I got sucked into the story. The plot sucked me right in and kept me guessing till the end, I wasn’t able to predict how it would play out - that’s a huge plus in my eyes.
While I liked both main characters, Nikki and Michael, I struggled quite a bit with their “I don’t deserve love� mindset. It was a little overdone for my taste but to each their own. I didn’t completely buy their chemistry and that made it hard to like them as a couple, despite liking them on their own, but I hope that will change as I read more of the series.
All in all, a solid start for a series and I will definitely pick up book 2.
ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell via NetGalley.
March 20, 2014
Nikki is a private investigator with psychic abilities investigating the disappearance of a teenage girl named Monica. When she gets close to finding Monica along with some other missing women, she quickly realizes she is dealing with something beyond the usual suspect type - something evil. Michael swoops in to save her life. He is also an investigator/bounty hunter of sorts and also a vampire - a good vampire compared to the bad vampire, Jasper, they begin to hunt together.
This story has so many things that I don't like in books: a TSTL heroine, constant accusations of lack of trust by the hero even when he repeatedly does things that prevent trust, and completely evil bad guy with only limited motivations. I might have been able to overlook these issues if even one of the following had been present: character development especially of secondary characters, consistent world-building (i.e. one minute their powers work one way, then they don't, then they work another way, etc.), and any chemistry between Nikki and Michael. I've noticed that the reviews for this series get significantly higher with each book, but I'm so put off with this one that I don't think I'll read any more of this series.
This story has so many things that I don't like in books: a TSTL heroine, constant accusations of lack of trust by the hero even when he repeatedly does things that prevent trust, and completely evil bad guy with only limited motivations. I might have been able to overlook these issues if even one of the following had been present: character development especially of secondary characters, consistent world-building (i.e. one minute their powers work one way, then they don't, then they work another way, etc.), and any chemistry between Nikki and Michael. I've noticed that the reviews for this series get significantly higher with each book, but I'm so put off with this one that I don't think I'll read any more of this series.
June 24, 2013
Rating: 3 out of 5.
This story is one of Keri Arthur's earlier novels, re-edited. Nikki is a Private Investigator who has psychic abilities, Michael Kelly is a centuries old vampire who works with the Damask Circle.
They are both working on the same villain. Michael looking to kill the crazy Vampire: Jasper, Nikki, who is asked to find a rich man's daughter (who incidentally got herself involved with Jasper).
As the two meet, they find themselves drawn to one another.
This novel was a good start to a urban-fantasy/suspense series.
ARC Courtesy of NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell
This story is one of Keri Arthur's earlier novels, re-edited. Nikki is a Private Investigator who has psychic abilities, Michael Kelly is a centuries old vampire who works with the Damask Circle.
They are both working on the same villain. Michael looking to kill the crazy Vampire: Jasper, Nikki, who is asked to find a rich man's daughter (who incidentally got herself involved with Jasper).
As the two meet, they find themselves drawn to one another.
This novel was a good start to a urban-fantasy/suspense series.
ARC Courtesy of NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell
September 25, 2013
A Dance with Several Missteps
Private investigator and psychic Nikki James is on a case that's hitting a little close to home. She's tracking a troubled teen for her frantic father, a teen who reminds Nikki of herself at that age, when the girl enters an abandoned house with a serious lack of curbside...or any other sort of appeal.
Nikki can feel the evil that waits within the building, calling to her client's daughter, courting her. It's like nothing Nikki has ever felt before and it makes her want to run screaming in the other direction, but that's not an option Nikki is willing to take. First of all, the girl matters too much to her to leave her to her own bad choices, but there's also another tiny problem with running away; the dark presence Nikki has felt following her as surely as she has followed the teen.
What she finds when she follows after the girl and enters that hellish building, though, will rip apart Nikki's understanding of the world and the monsters in it and introduce her to a whole other level of nightmare.
Michael Kelly was sent to Lyndhurst to save Nikki from the very beast he's hunted for almost a hundred years. Saving her life, however, and using her as bait to catch the fiend, do not have to be mutually exclusive. If he was burdened by a conscience maybe that thought would bother him. If he hated the monster she has managed to stumble upon any less, or been any less intent on ending its blighted existence, maybe he'd let it.
~*~
My favorite, and in this case, most applicable, definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. That's me when it comes to books by Keri Arthur. I get tantalized by a creative premise or intriguing-sounding characters or fascinating plot ideas and I get sucked into reading them, only to be brought up short by frustrating story elements and disappointing characters. By now I should know that there are just things about how and what Arthur writes that don't appeal to my personal reading tastes and I should leave them alone, but here I am again, drawn back in.
Insanity.
In my defense, I did mostly enjoy Arthur's Ripple Creek series opener, , so it's not like I don't have experience with liking her work. Too often, though, I find the sort of things that were in this book: characters who act in ways that don't make sense given what's going on around them and a plot that treads water for too long while the characters slog through a quagmire of angsty emotional dreck that doesn't seem to fit who they are and where they are in their acquaintance. Some of the choices made and actions taken by the characters are just stupid, and some story threads get far more focus than they should while other significant elements go unresolved.
It's a familiar frustration made more untenable by my very hope that this time it would all come together for me. It didn't.
It started great, though. I can't deny that. Nikki's damaged but determined character drew me in and Michael was a dark, sexy enigma who appealed. The case Nikki is working on goes bad very quickly to kick off the plot, and she's drawn into a dark, dangerous reality she didn't know existed. It was a strong, captivating opening.
Then the trouble started. There was a decided lack of explanation for who Michael is, who he works for, and why he's there to save Nikki, but Nikki accepts his oddly random presence with far fewer questions than I would have expected given her inherent trust issues and her own psychic impressions of his character. Convenient for the story's body count, however, she doesn't accept things she should accept later in the story and her stubborn ignorance ends up killing a lot of people and threatening her own life. More than once.
Not that her mistakes ever really blow back on her conscience. She's too busy grinding herself up over the mess she made and the losses she suffered in her distant past...because damage suffered years ago is what's really important when people are dying around you in the here and now as a result of something you did...or didn't do.
Stuff like that drives me batshit.
Of course, if Michael had spent five seconds explaining himself and outlining his reasons, motivations, and plans instead of just pressing Nikki - a complete stranger, really - to blindly trust him over and over and over again, many of the problems in the book could have been avoided. I guess it wouldn't have been very much of a book in that case, but there are other ways to create plot conflict without having characters act with an abject lack of intelligence, maturity, and good sense. As it was, the constant trust tug-of-war between Nikki and Michael felt repetitive and tedious by the halfway point and downright aggravating by the end.
That, along with an egregiously self-involved Nikki during a very pivotal emotional scene, killed any potential for me to have a bunch of warm feelings for the foundation of their romantic relationship.
As for Michael, who's supposed to be an expert on all things Jasper, he had an intensely annoying habit of making assurances and assumptions based on his vast experience with the guy (which, honestly, only seemed vast in years spent hunting, not in actual combative situations). Problem was, he was always wrong. Didn't stop him from the annoying habit, though.
Jasper is too young to stay awake during the day...wrong. Jasper won't attack so close to dawn...wrong. Jasper's not strong enough to take me on...wrong. And it went on and on. It didn't exactly take me long to realize that all of Michael's "Jasper won't" moments were just previews of exactly what Jasper would do next.
I would have beat my head against a wall at that point, but I figured Nikki and Michael would take care of that for me while I was finishing their story so I didn't bother.
The irony (and really sad fact) is that for all the myriad problems I had with this book, I didn't hate it. I didn't like it, nor would I say it was an okay read for me, but I didn't hate it. I actually still really like the idea of these characters and this world, and despite myself - or maybe because of that whole insanity thing - I am curious about what happens next for Nikki and Michael. The book ended with a bit of a cliffhanger in that regard, and though I hate cliffhangers, I wasn't bothered by this one. It felt necessary.
Or maybe by that point I just needed a Nikki and Michael break.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Bantam Dell publisher Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for .
Private investigator and psychic Nikki James is on a case that's hitting a little close to home. She's tracking a troubled teen for her frantic father, a teen who reminds Nikki of herself at that age, when the girl enters an abandoned house with a serious lack of curbside...or any other sort of appeal.
Nikki can feel the evil that waits within the building, calling to her client's daughter, courting her. It's like nothing Nikki has ever felt before and it makes her want to run screaming in the other direction, but that's not an option Nikki is willing to take. First of all, the girl matters too much to her to leave her to her own bad choices, but there's also another tiny problem with running away; the dark presence Nikki has felt following her as surely as she has followed the teen.
What she finds when she follows after the girl and enters that hellish building, though, will rip apart Nikki's understanding of the world and the monsters in it and introduce her to a whole other level of nightmare.
Michael Kelly was sent to Lyndhurst to save Nikki from the very beast he's hunted for almost a hundred years. Saving her life, however, and using her as bait to catch the fiend, do not have to be mutually exclusive. If he was burdened by a conscience maybe that thought would bother him. If he hated the monster she has managed to stumble upon any less, or been any less intent on ending its blighted existence, maybe he'd let it.
~*~
My favorite, and in this case, most applicable, definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. That's me when it comes to books by Keri Arthur. I get tantalized by a creative premise or intriguing-sounding characters or fascinating plot ideas and I get sucked into reading them, only to be brought up short by frustrating story elements and disappointing characters. By now I should know that there are just things about how and what Arthur writes that don't appeal to my personal reading tastes and I should leave them alone, but here I am again, drawn back in.
Insanity.
In my defense, I did mostly enjoy Arthur's Ripple Creek series opener, , so it's not like I don't have experience with liking her work. Too often, though, I find the sort of things that were in this book: characters who act in ways that don't make sense given what's going on around them and a plot that treads water for too long while the characters slog through a quagmire of angsty emotional dreck that doesn't seem to fit who they are and where they are in their acquaintance. Some of the choices made and actions taken by the characters are just stupid, and some story threads get far more focus than they should while other significant elements go unresolved.
It's a familiar frustration made more untenable by my very hope that this time it would all come together for me. It didn't.
It started great, though. I can't deny that. Nikki's damaged but determined character drew me in and Michael was a dark, sexy enigma who appealed. The case Nikki is working on goes bad very quickly to kick off the plot, and she's drawn into a dark, dangerous reality she didn't know existed. It was a strong, captivating opening.
Then the trouble started. There was a decided lack of explanation for who Michael is, who he works for, and why he's there to save Nikki, but Nikki accepts his oddly random presence with far fewer questions than I would have expected given her inherent trust issues and her own psychic impressions of his character. Convenient for the story's body count, however, she doesn't accept things she should accept later in the story and her stubborn ignorance ends up killing a lot of people and threatening her own life. More than once.
Not that her mistakes ever really blow back on her conscience. She's too busy grinding herself up over the mess she made and the losses she suffered in her distant past...because damage suffered years ago is what's really important when people are dying around you in the here and now as a result of something you did...or didn't do.
Stuff like that drives me batshit.
Of course, if Michael had spent five seconds explaining himself and outlining his reasons, motivations, and plans instead of just pressing Nikki - a complete stranger, really - to blindly trust him over and over and over again, many of the problems in the book could have been avoided. I guess it wouldn't have been very much of a book in that case, but there are other ways to create plot conflict without having characters act with an abject lack of intelligence, maturity, and good sense. As it was, the constant trust tug-of-war between Nikki and Michael felt repetitive and tedious by the halfway point and downright aggravating by the end.
That, along with an egregiously self-involved Nikki during a very pivotal emotional scene, killed any potential for me to have a bunch of warm feelings for the foundation of their romantic relationship.
As for Michael, who's supposed to be an expert on all things Jasper, he had an intensely annoying habit of making assurances and assumptions based on his vast experience with the guy (which, honestly, only seemed vast in years spent hunting, not in actual combative situations). Problem was, he was always wrong. Didn't stop him from the annoying habit, though.
Jasper is too young to stay awake during the day...wrong. Jasper won't attack so close to dawn...wrong. Jasper's not strong enough to take me on...wrong. And it went on and on. It didn't exactly take me long to realize that all of Michael's "Jasper won't" moments were just previews of exactly what Jasper would do next.
I would have beat my head against a wall at that point, but I figured Nikki and Michael would take care of that for me while I was finishing their story so I didn't bother.
The irony (and really sad fact) is that for all the myriad problems I had with this book, I didn't hate it. I didn't like it, nor would I say it was an okay read for me, but I didn't hate it. I actually still really like the idea of these characters and this world, and despite myself - or maybe because of that whole insanity thing - I am curious about what happens next for Nikki and Michael. The book ended with a bit of a cliffhanger in that regard, and though I hate cliffhangers, I wasn't bothered by this one. It felt necessary.
Or maybe by that point I just needed a Nikki and Michael break.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Bantam Dell publisher Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
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Reviewed for .
Shelved as 'd-n-f'
July 4, 2017I wanted to like this. Partially because it's a completed series, but also because I haven't really read much vampire stuff lately.
Unfortunately, I hated Nikki. She was TSTL and unbelievably naive. I hated everything she did... She'd say something and I'd be like "WTF is she thinking?" She'd do something and I'd go "Holy shit, she has a death wish." Like the entire first chapter is her going "Oh man, this is a bad idea. Everything in my body and soul is saying not to go into this house. So I'm gonna go into this house." She literally should have died not even halfway through chapter one.
I almost DNF'd this every other page because Nikki was just that fucking dumb and suicidal. But I wanted to know a little more about the story I was going to miss out on. So I skimmed a bit... and every time I stopped to really read, Nikki was doing or saying something else incredibly stupid. So I gave up around 35%.
Unfortunately, I hated Nikki. She was TSTL and unbelievably naive. I hated everything she did... She'd say something and I'd be like "WTF is she thinking?" She'd do something and I'd go "Holy shit, she has a death wish." Like the entire first chapter is her going "Oh man, this is a bad idea. Everything in my body and soul is saying not to go into this house. So I'm gonna go into this house." She literally should have died not even halfway through chapter one.
I almost DNF'd this every other page because Nikki was just that fucking dumb and suicidal. But I wanted to know a little more about the story I was going to miss out on. So I skimmed a bit... and every time I stopped to really read, Nikki was doing or saying something else incredibly stupid. So I gave up around 35%.
December 16, 2017
Good God this book was boring.
Seriously, I did not expect this. The "heroes" kept getting into traps, nearly dying, failing and in pain. Rinse and repeat. It got old real quick. Even scenes one would normally classify as action scenes were dull and dry without an ounce of soul.
And let's just take a second to lament how dumb someone has to be to fall into traps over and over and over again. At a certain point, couldn't you try to put a trap of your own? Or do something, anything, to counter attack?? Seriously, it's been 5 years since I read this book and I am still angry about it...
Now, on top of all this, a lot of parts made absolutely no freaking sense. Michael, who is the male protagonist, literally found the whereabouts of villainous-dude Jasper about half a dozen times throughout the book. But then, those scenes ended in fade-to-blacks paired with some inane notion like "it's time for the hunter to become the hunted"... which never played out. The next time we see our "heroes", nothing has changed and Jasper is still at large. Why is this even in the story?
Then, there was the Case of the Vanishing Injuries. These guys... they get hurt. Often. Like, hit by a car kind of hurt. And then... it's mentioned maybe once, and is forgotten until the next time they get injured. That's not how these things work, book!
But at the end of the day, it was the characters that made this book suck ass. More specifically... it was Nikki. I disliked how scared she was, all the time. It's human to be afraid, but having that be your one single emotion is just frustrating. But I could deal with that. I could even kind-of-maybe-sort-of deal with her utter uselessness, even though it's one of my pet peeves in books, especially when the girl is so heavily gifted. Like, you've got everything working for you to be a key character in the story, and instead, you are just a damsel in distress.
But I only started actually hating her later in the story. On the one hand, she did not want Michael to go and on the other she was so darn annoying, refusing to trust him because of something someone else did, being anti-vampires in general, accusing Michael of dumb things and just looking for something wrong about him. And then, when he does leave, she regrets it. Girl, you deserve to have your ass deserted and left to fend for yourself. Yes, you will die within a minute because you are that useless but at this point, I don't even give a fuck.
Now, clearly, considering the former paragraph... I wasn't a huge fan of the romance. It wasn't very believable, at any case. I have no idea why this two fell for each other. I mean, why would anyone fall for Nikki??? And naturally, the "I love you"s came out of nowhere. Because that's the kind of novel this is...
One of the most disappointing things about this novel was actually the writing. I had been excited to read a Keri Arthur novel when I picked this up. I heard a lot about them, after all. Sadly, I was very underwhelmed by it. There was just nothing about it, and as I said before - boring as hell.
Okay, wait, time for a positive thing about this novel!... It ended and I was able to move on to better reads. LOL.
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Original Review
January 1, 2021
Love these books. Perhaps a little shorter than I like but always entertaining. This was a recent 're read for me
June 20, 2017
2.5 stars. This one moved so slowly and the MC was just a bit TSTL.
July 26, 2013
Nikki is a psychic who uses her gifts to give her certain advantages in her PI work. When her current assignment, as a bodyguard of sorts to a rich man's daughter, goes terribly wrong and the daughter (Monica) is ensnared by the will of a vampire (Jasper). Michael, a 300-year old vampire, has been sent by his organization (somewhat shadowy and never fully explained) to protect Nikki and to eliminate Jasper (who has been his enemy for about 75 years).
This is typical Keri Arthur in many ways. This book is not a romance and there is no happily ever after, although it definitely has the undertone of romance to it. Like her Riley Jensen series, Nikki and Michael are attracted, but it looks like it will take several books for them to find their way home to each other. I like a slow moving romance, and there was definitely a lot of one step forward, two steps back, three steps forward movement in this book when it came to that particular thread.
I liked Nikki a lot. She's smart, uses her head, and except when it comes to emotional vulnerability, willing to do what it takes to get the job done. I loved the exploration of her psychic gifts, and found it refreshing that she hadn't been actively a member of the paranormal community (beyond the fact that she was herself psychic), but didn't poo-poo the idea or go into denial either when faced with zombies and vampires.
Michael was a strong, male lead. He runs up against Nikki's emotional barriers more than once, and even is willing to risk forever damaging her trust simply to keep her safe. He'd rather she live apart from him, than risk her dying. By the end of the book, the two find themselves irrevocably bound together, but yet Michael heads off for parts unknown to deal with a terrible addiction while Nikki denies that she might be in love, or at least have strong feelings, for Michael.
Jasper and Monica were both delightfully twisted. Yes, Jasper was your standard evil vampire, but Ms. Arthur played up his telepathic powers beyond what you see in your standard-issue vamp. I liked that a lot, the way she played into the psychic side of things.
Nikki's boss/partner was a great character in his own right, and hopefully he'll be kept in the series as it goes on.
A solid 4-star read. In reading reviews, apparently this is a re-release of Keri Arthur's, and from the comments, I get the distinct impression that it was Americanized for this release. It definitely didn't have the Australian feel that her Riley Jensen series did, which I find interesting (along with the switch from first-person to third).
This is typical Keri Arthur in many ways. This book is not a romance and there is no happily ever after, although it definitely has the undertone of romance to it. Like her Riley Jensen series, Nikki and Michael are attracted, but it looks like it will take several books for them to find their way home to each other. I like a slow moving romance, and there was definitely a lot of one step forward, two steps back, three steps forward movement in this book when it came to that particular thread.
I liked Nikki a lot. She's smart, uses her head, and except when it comes to emotional vulnerability, willing to do what it takes to get the job done. I loved the exploration of her psychic gifts, and found it refreshing that she hadn't been actively a member of the paranormal community (beyond the fact that she was herself psychic), but didn't poo-poo the idea or go into denial either when faced with zombies and vampires.
Michael was a strong, male lead. He runs up against Nikki's emotional barriers more than once, and even is willing to risk forever damaging her trust simply to keep her safe. He'd rather she live apart from him, than risk her dying. By the end of the book, the two find themselves irrevocably bound together, but yet Michael heads off for parts unknown to deal with a terrible addiction while Nikki denies that she might be in love, or at least have strong feelings, for Michael.
Jasper and Monica were both delightfully twisted. Yes, Jasper was your standard evil vampire, but Ms. Arthur played up his telepathic powers beyond what you see in your standard-issue vamp. I liked that a lot, the way she played into the psychic side of things.
Nikki's boss/partner was a great character in his own right, and hopefully he'll be kept in the series as it goes on.
A solid 4-star read. In reading reviews, apparently this is a re-release of Keri Arthur's, and from the comments, I get the distinct impression that it was Americanized for this release. It definitely didn't have the Australian feel that her Riley Jensen series did, which I find interesting (along with the switch from first-person to third).
April 12, 2014
Michael is a 300 year old leading man - a vampire who works for the Damask Circle, an organisation comprised of other non-human creatures, whose goal is to keep the world safe from other things like them.
Nikki - our leading lady - is a psychic private detective, hired by one of the wealthiest men in the city to track down his daughter Monica. Normally that would be easier said then done, but Monica has taken up with a man named Jasper, a crazed and sadistic vampire. They very same vampire that Michael has been hunting for years. The vampire responsible for killing his brother. There goals intertwine and they quickly realise that to get this guy they're going to have to work together. Not so easily done for a girl who doesn't trust anyone and a guy who is used to working alone. Both of these characters are haunted by things that happen in their pasts, and they still let the memories of those events rule their lives today.
But they're both going to have to get over their hangups if they want to make it of this alive.
The writing is easy to follow and the pace is quick without rushing through it. There's a good amount of action, humour and some romance thrown in their to keep things interesting. I would have liked to hear more about the world itself and the things within it. Arthur has created a world full of supernatural beings - but we don't hear about them. We hear about vampires and zombies, but that's it. Everything is almost entirely focused on Michael and Nikki with no external world building or description.
Something about the characters just didn't connect for me. While I found all the characters interesting, I felt like there was something missing. I didn't connect with Michael or Nikki at all. Even though I found both of them interesting and sympathised with their past issues and struggles, something about them fell flat for me. I feel like although I was hearing about how much their past had hurt them and how much they cared about each other, I didn't feel it and their actions didn't show it. It was a lot of talking about things but it didn't seem like either of them really felt any of those things to be.
All of that being said, I still look forward to reading the next one and seeing where these characters take us next.
Nikki - our leading lady - is a psychic private detective, hired by one of the wealthiest men in the city to track down his daughter Monica. Normally that would be easier said then done, but Monica has taken up with a man named Jasper, a crazed and sadistic vampire. They very same vampire that Michael has been hunting for years. The vampire responsible for killing his brother. There goals intertwine and they quickly realise that to get this guy they're going to have to work together. Not so easily done for a girl who doesn't trust anyone and a guy who is used to working alone. Both of these characters are haunted by things that happen in their pasts, and they still let the memories of those events rule their lives today.
But they're both going to have to get over their hangups if they want to make it of this alive.
The writing is easy to follow and the pace is quick without rushing through it. There's a good amount of action, humour and some romance thrown in their to keep things interesting. I would have liked to hear more about the world itself and the things within it. Arthur has created a world full of supernatural beings - but we don't hear about them. We hear about vampires and zombies, but that's it. Everything is almost entirely focused on Michael and Nikki with no external world building or description.
Something about the characters just didn't connect for me. While I found all the characters interesting, I felt like there was something missing. I didn't connect with Michael or Nikki at all. Even though I found both of them interesting and sympathised with their past issues and struggles, something about them fell flat for me. I feel like although I was hearing about how much their past had hurt them and how much they cared about each other, I didn't feel it and their actions didn't show it. It was a lot of talking about things but it didn't seem like either of them really felt any of those things to be.
All of that being said, I still look forward to reading the next one and seeing where these characters take us next.
June 20, 2016
It's not *quite* bad enough for 1 star, but close. It starts out mediocre and just gets worse and worse as time goes on. The plot becomes less and less coherent with every chapter. The characters actually get *less* interesting as time progresses. I didn't expect much from this, but even so it's a giant disappointment.
All you need to know about the quality of the plot, in one quote: (Nikki is in a dark basement, and just walked into a room where Something Horrible is hiding.)
"Perhaps if she closed the door [behind her], the thing would leave her alone."
Everything you need to know about the editing: there are multiple uses of the blood-sucking plural "vampire's" [sic].
Would also have been much better if the thing was even a *little* bit more mysterious[1]. We get told what Michael is from the very beginning (and he repeats it every couple of pages, just in case you forget), people reiterate everything multiple times, and there's enough blatantly obvious foreshadowing and cliches that the only thing I can't predict about the future of most of this book are the exact page numbers on which certain events are going to happen.
[1] this criticism may be moot if this is a continuation of a series and everyone already knows everything; it is my first, and very likely last, Arthur book.
All you need to know about the quality of the plot, in one quote: (Nikki is in a dark basement, and just walked into a room where Something Horrible is hiding.)
"Perhaps if she closed the door [behind her], the thing would leave her alone."
Everything you need to know about the editing: there are multiple uses of the blood-sucking plural "vampire's" [sic].
Would also have been much better if the thing was even a *little* bit more mysterious[1]. We get told what Michael is from the very beginning (and he repeats it every couple of pages, just in case you forget), people reiterate everything multiple times, and there's enough blatantly obvious foreshadowing and cliches that the only thing I can't predict about the future of most of this book are the exact page numbers on which certain events are going to happen.
[1] this criticism may be moot if this is a continuation of a series and everyone already knows everything; it is my first, and very likely last, Arthur book.
July 7, 2017
After reading a string of mediocre books "Dancing With the Devil" was a wonderful treat! The characters were vivid and engaging and the world building was superb.
After living a few years on the streets, Nikki now works as a private investigator for her boss and father like friend, Jake. She has the unique ability of psychometry which her family deemed witchcraft or devil worshipping. So, her father abandoned Hera d her mother but when her mother died no one else would take her.
Nikki has been asked to follow a rich teenage brat, Monica. Monica knows Nikki is being followed but she is leading Nikki into a trap. Nikki hears a voice from a stranger warning her to stay away from the situation but she refuses to heed. Unfortunately, she discovers something she never would expected let alone believe, zombies and one crazy scary vamp who is bound and determined to have her. However, her saving grace is that a Michael, the stranger who attempted to warn her refuses to let this happen.
I enjoyed the intrigue as well as the twists and turns. However, I was shocked at the childlike way Ms. Arthur handles romantic scenes. For an adult read the sex scenes were not quite tepid. Come on Ms. Arthur we are adults and can handle sex in a read!
After living a few years on the streets, Nikki now works as a private investigator for her boss and father like friend, Jake. She has the unique ability of psychometry which her family deemed witchcraft or devil worshipping. So, her father abandoned Hera d her mother but when her mother died no one else would take her.
Nikki has been asked to follow a rich teenage brat, Monica. Monica knows Nikki is being followed but she is leading Nikki into a trap. Nikki hears a voice from a stranger warning her to stay away from the situation but she refuses to heed. Unfortunately, she discovers something she never would expected let alone believe, zombies and one crazy scary vamp who is bound and determined to have her. However, her saving grace is that a Michael, the stranger who attempted to warn her refuses to let this happen.
I enjoyed the intrigue as well as the twists and turns. However, I was shocked at the childlike way Ms. Arthur handles romantic scenes. For an adult read the sex scenes were not quite tepid. Come on Ms. Arthur we are adults and can handle sex in a read!
January 24, 2011
Nikki, a private investigator with psychic powers, is currently looking for Monica, a missing teenage girl. During her search she finds out that Monica is in the hands of a powerful and mad, zombie-raising vampire called Jasper. Fortunately Nikki meets Michael, another vampire, who is on the hunt for the mad man himself. Together they do everything in their power to stop Jasper and find themselves in many dangerous situations. They also discover their feelings for each other, but both of them have relationship issues and trusting each other and opening up to each other is a hurdle they might not be able to overcome.
Well, what can I say about this book. I didn't really get into it for quite a while, but did warm up to it towards the last third of the story. The writing wasn't quite right for me and the characters didn't seem to have too much chemistry going. While everyone around them thought, they were the perfect couple I was wondering where they all got that idea from. The story itself was quite good though and had me interested enough by the end. I will give the second book in the series a chance to see how the story continues.
Well, what can I say about this book. I didn't really get into it for quite a while, but did warm up to it towards the last third of the story. The writing wasn't quite right for me and the characters didn't seem to have too much chemistry going. While everyone around them thought, they were the perfect couple I was wondering where they all got that idea from. The story itself was quite good though and had me interested enough by the end. I will give the second book in the series a chance to see how the story continues.
July 22, 2013
Dancing with the Devil is yet another book in which a women detective is out to fight a horrible evil, meets and falls in love with a vampire, and goes on to fight to evil with the vampire at her side. At the same time Dancing with the Devil is not just another detective/vampire romance/thriller novel. What saves this book from being a clone of so many similar books before it is the deft handling of the romance and partnership. Nikki and Michael work together, and even work together well, but their past history stops them from trusting each other. The romance is powerful and well written and left me wanting to shake the pair of them until they came to their senses.

The thriller part of the plot is mostly a framework to hang the romance on, but Keri Arthur doesn't stint and creates a believably bad villain and makes sure that it takes everything that the heroic pair has to end the threat. There will be more novels with these characters and I will make sure to pick them up and read them.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy good romance and good fantasy writing. Don't let the similarity with other novels put you off. This book is well worth reading for its own sake.

The thriller part of the plot is mostly a framework to hang the romance on, but Keri Arthur doesn't stint and creates a believably bad villain and makes sure that it takes everything that the heroic pair has to end the threat. There will be more novels with these characters and I will make sure to pick them up and read them.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy good romance and good fantasy writing. Don't let the similarity with other novels put you off. This book is well worth reading for its own sake.
June 29, 2013
This book was a really big disappointment for because it turn out to be a DNF (did not finish) for me. I had some pretty good hopes for this book since I really enjoyed the author's Riley Jenson and Dark Angels series. I wanted to check out another one of her series and I thought this one would be a good one to try, but it just lead to disappointment. I made it about 38% when I decided to just stopped reading it.
My breaking point with this book had to be the pacing. I wouldn't say nothing happened within the story because things did happened, but it was still slow paced. And to be hones I just wasn't all that into the characters. I wasn't connecting with Nikki or Michael, both the main characters, for what ever reason. I would say don't give this book a try, but I will say that the author has better series to start besides this one.
My breaking point with this book had to be the pacing. I wouldn't say nothing happened within the story because things did happened, but it was still slow paced. And to be hones I just wasn't all that into the characters. I wasn't connecting with Nikki or Michael, both the main characters, for what ever reason. I would say don't give this book a try, but I will say that the author has better series to start besides this one.
April 16, 2015
I read the second book in this series first because I received it as a gift so it took a while to hunt down book one to see how the characters met and I was a bit disappointed in this book. Had I read it first I would not have continued with the rest of the series.
In this book I found there to be no chemistry between Nikki and Michael. Nikki was that annoying female MC who argued with every decision, ignored Michael's advice about what she is facing. This means she keeps getting into trouble and I wanted to slap her at times. Michael felt like a man with a personality bypass. He was bland, dull and lacking any interest. The romance was laughable.
I'm not going to continue with the series despite book two improving a bit on this.
In this book I found there to be no chemistry between Nikki and Michael. Nikki was that annoying female MC who argued with every decision, ignored Michael's advice about what she is facing. This means she keeps getting into trouble and I wanted to slap her at times. Michael felt like a man with a personality bypass. He was bland, dull and lacking any interest. The romance was laughable.
I'm not going to continue with the series despite book two improving a bit on this.
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