Demon Lover
by Bonnie Dees, Marie Treanor
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Rumplestiltskin is not his name and this hunk’s no gnarled old goblin.
In his quest to land her a rich husband, Gwyneth’s father has gone one step too far and bragged to the king’s steward. Now she faces an impossible task: spin a room full of straw into gold by morning, or their lives are forfeit. She despairs, until a black-garbed figure offers to solve her problem for a price. One kiss.
He returns the second night, and the third. With each sensual encounter, the stakes escalate along with her attraction to her mysterious visitor. Then he claims the ultimate price—her child—and she realizes too late she’s made a deal with the king of the Underworld.
From the moment he kisses her, Ragnorak knows Gwyneth’s child will be a worthy heir for his kingdom. But with each touch, he wants more. He wants her to be queen of his strangely beautiful world—and for her to want to stay. But that will mean giving her the ultimate weapon—the power of his name.
Gwyneth has only three chances to drive her demon lover over the edge of bliss. But when the stakes suddenly shift, it’s Ragnorak who stands to lose everything…
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Spice Level: 4/6 | Story Score: 7/10 | Rating: 4/5 |
I found this book on TikTok when I searched for fairytale retellings. It seems like Beauty and the Beast is the #1 retold story - and maybe Cinderella is right behind it. This one was Rumplestilskin. The blurb seemed interesting enough, so I gave ‘er a go - even though I don’t like the title or cover. (Gotta remind myself that not all authors have that big publisher book budget). I went ahead and put this on my trope list as ‘Fairytale’.
All things considered: I’m glad I read this book. I liked it. A pretty girl is tasked with the job of spinning straw into gold, thanks to her father’s outrageous claims. Fearing for her life, she makes a deal with a magical creature. Night one: a kiss. Night two: touching. Night three…she agrees before even hearing the deal because she’s so enamored with this man. Turns out, he wants her kid unless she can figure out his name. I sincerely don’t remember the real Rumplestilskin tale, but I assume this is where the story ended. She doesn’t figure out his name and when the man comes back to take her child, she demands to go with them because she won’t leave her daughter. Turns out that he’s a demon, not an imp. She obviously falls in love with him, because hello, romance genre. They also used King Midas as the villain of the story in a different sort of twist as well.
The main characters of the story were quite likable, the story was enjoyable. The writing was a bit different for me - a little old fashioned and a little bit not. It had a strange sound and rhythm in my head, but not one that hindered me at all. The spiciness wasn’t the best I’ve read, but I still enjoyed the anticipation and I felt their pull to each other. They used a few kinks I haven’t burned myself out on yet (wax, restraints, blindfolds) and that always makes it more fun.
I don’t know that I would’ve ever read this book had I not committed to a fairytale challenge, but for as short as it was, I can definitely see myself recommending it for anyone looking for one.
There’s no spoilers to give away here. The plot is exactly as you see it with a few fun details added in.
Book 2 in the Fairytale Fantasties series | 232 Pages | Trope Challenge: Fairytale |
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“You need to live. I need your child. The rest…the rest was desire, both dark and sweet. And for all of it, we both must pay.”
- Ragnorak, Demon Love by Bonnie Dees, Marie Treanor
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