A man who can't say no meets a woman who won't say yes... — The sensually sizzling talents of bestselling author Nina Bangs just got hotter with this second book in her "Really Wicked Brothers" trilogy of three powerful men -- each with a special gift for the woman bold enough to live out her secret fantasies. This time it's Brynn McNair, a demon of desire trapped in an eternal existence of sexual enslavement, who's driven to distraction by sexy demon hunter Kim Vaughn.
A MAN WHO CAN'T SAY NO
Brynn McNair has spent the last five hundred years of his existence offering his body to any woman who desires him. The evil entity that created him has made sure that if he tries to resist the compulsion to play love slave, he suffers. So it's no wonder that he thinks of women as his enemy. Until he meets Kimberly Vaughn.
A WOMAN WHO WON'T SAY YES
Kim Vaughn is a demon hunter. It's a family business and her destiny. But Kim is all about avoiding her destiny. She wants to marry an ordinary guy, have ordinary kids, live in an ordinary house, and work as an architect. No way does she want anything to do with a man who has paranormal connections. Until she meets Brynn McNair.
Kim comes to the Castle of Dark Dreams, the main attraction in a sexy theme park, to plan a few upgrades. She stays to join forces with Brynn and save Galveston from a supernatural takeover. Can a woman who wants to marry Mr. Ordinary and a man who thinks of love as sleeping with the enemy find happiness together? You'd be surprised.
Talk about misspent youth. What did I do during those lazy summer days of childhood when I could’ve been honing my writing skills? Nothing. Okay, so I spent a lot of time dreaming I was a cowgirl with a trusty black stallion. Oh, and I read every Walter Farley horse novel. I was an only child so I relied on my imagination to supply the excitement in my life.
By high school, I’d decided to trade in my lariat for a trench coat. I was into dark and dangerous. As an intrepid foreign correspondent, I’d stalk the mean streets of the world. Did I actually write anything? No, but I did read all of Agatha Christie’s mysteries.
I worked at a department store during college. My short stint in the accounting department taught me a lot about math. Three hundred-dollar shortages plus hysterical tears equaled instant move to gift-wrap. A career in math was not in my future. I didn’t care because I’d discovered “real” literature. I plowed through James Joyce’s Ulysses and Tolstoy’s War and Peace. If it didn’t make my eyes cross then it wasn’t worth reading. Yes, I admit it, I was a literary snob.
Nina and best buddy, Barbara Joyce. Folk singers extraordinaire.
But there’s just so much “real” literature one person can take. I graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in English Literature and a determination to avoid books that induced eye crossing or had tragic endings. The only things I managed to write during those years were research papers.
I taught second grade for several years then spent two years in Dublin, Ireland. A friend and I supported ourselves by singing folk songs in Irish pubs. We weren’t great, but we were young, enthusiastic, and wore short skirts. It was obviously my destiny to be the next Judy Collins. I spent a lot of time poring through music books.
Returning to New Jersey and reality, I taught elementary school until I grew restless again. My cross-country odyssey included stays in Arizona, California, and Texas. Along the way, I indulged my love of horses. No black stallions, but I did have several beautiful Arabian mares. I read tons of books on breeding and showing.
Somewhere between California and Texas I grew addicted to romance novels and cats. The cat’s independent attitude was exactly the quality I admired in my romance heroes. And once I decided to try writing my own romances, I made sure a cat crept into each story.
Texas is my permanent home. I’ve come full circle. Born in San Antonio, I spent most of my life in New Jersey. Maybe the Texas in my blood accounts for my attachment to strong men, fast horses, and wide-open spaces. My love of cats? Haven’t a clue.
As always, Nina Bangs never ceases to amaze me. I’ve read Wicked Pleasure twice now, but have never reviewed it, so here we go! In Wicked Pleasure, the second in the Castle of Dark Dreams series, we learn the story of Brynn McNair, brother of Eric and Connall, and the castles resident Demon of Sexual Desire. Cursed for 500 years, Brynn takes refuge behind the castles walls, playing in the nightly fantasies. In comes Kim Vaughn, demon hunter. When the two meet... things really heat up! I personally enjoy all of Nina’s novels. This one in particular has more of a sense of humor beneath the sexual escapades. Both of the main characters are absolutely adorable and their story remains light-hearted as well as fully heated. Follow along, enjoy the ride, and let the fantasies sweep you away...
Okay, I get that I was sick as a dog while reading this book a second time through but I can't for the life of me figure out what the point of it was. This book was so damn shallow and unimportant that I had no real desire to fight my urge to skim pages. Because the overall summary of this plot would take me like 200 words or less, I will summarize as we go through my review.
The heroine has never been a very good demon killer. Her demon detector- a humanized cell phone who will not shut up for 5 seconds- is defective and is proclaiming everyone they meet at the castle is a demon. The heroine hasn't come to the castle for demon hunting, she's come to hopefully experience some fantasies about a man who is normal and not a part of this crazy paranormal world. She as a character was completely one dimensional. She had sass and sarcasm and nothing else. No light and dark battle, no personal struggle to overcome. Nothing. A blank slate.
There she meets the hero. A man cursed by a wizard 500 years ago with the compulsion of offer his body to any woman he spends more than 1 hour in the company of. Turns out the wizard thought he was doing the hero a favor with this curse but that's a spoiler. Hell, you'll have to make it past 250 pages of utter nonsense to reach that discovery so good luck to ya. The hero may have had a better personality what with the compulsion and the shame and embarrassment that comes along with the slavery he's under but even this character was dull and boring. Together they had zero chemistry though the hero is supposedly madly in love with her because she has somehow tamed the curse within. He desires her for himself not because of the curse. But I didn't feel that. I didn't feel anything really but the sense that I have wasted another day of my life reading a book that meant nothing.
The storyline was stupid what with the sudden fight against an archdemon that only shows up towards the end of the book. The remaining of the time? I honestly couldn't tell you what the hell was going on because NOTHING was going on. Just useless conversations about FO the cell phone demon destroyer and the heroes curse. Round and round the story went and all of it stupid and without substance. Horrid book quite honestly and sadly I knew it wasn't going to spectacular but I had hoped for something tolerable.
An overstuffed book full of underdeveloped ideas and characters, with a plot that's frequently tossed aside in favor of (admittedly pretty effective) sex scenes. By the end of it I was just ready for it to be over.
I had to stop 65% through this book because it just drove me nuts. Here was this big build up -he's so hot and has been pleasing women for 500 years, she's hot for him- and it was nothing... Call me wrong for judging a book by it's first sex scene, but it was so lacking I couldn't stay interested anymore. The world was really flimsily constructed, but I stuck through. The heroine was lackluster (she just wants an ORDINARY LIFE - gimme a break and grow a backbone) and her family so far-fetched (her sister dresses like a 'tart' but just zaps demons or any humans who get in her way, so 2 dimensional), but I stuck through. The tricksters were just horny, vapid idiots who don't strike me with any fear other than bad fashion, but I stuck through. I waited for them to come together and finally get all that frustration out and... pfft.. nothin. I couldn't keep reading.
I had high hopes for this book, I mean the title said "Wicked Pleasures" so you expect stuff to happen quickly but yeah not. I will tell you this the side characters Fo and Gabriel are funny, they actually made me crack up several times. The book is the 2nd in the series, I did not read the first one but this one was about Kim, a demon hunter who wants to be ordinary, with an ordinary life, man, etc.; and Brynn who is a senual demon. (He basically has to offer himself to a woman every hour, and has done so for 500 years). Fun times people fun times for the woman but not for Brynn.... if this was just a comedy I would give Fo and Gabriel 5 stars.
Brynn McNair is cursed whenever he is around a woman for more than an hour she owns his body for the night. Kim Vaughn just wants to find an ordinary man with ordinary problems and live an ordinary life. So naturally cosmic trouble maker Sparkle Stardust steps in to give them both what they need. But not necessarily what they asked for.
Nina Bangs delivers another story of love and fun with a little chaos thrown in for good measure. I definitely enjoyed it.
Just didn't dig this series. Read it because a friend of mine did/does. It was super corny. Plants that thrive off of others having sex, etc. I know I read paranormal craziness, but this was too much for me.
In book two of the Castle of Dark Dreams series, Brynn McNair (a demon of sensual pleasure) can’t be around a woman for more than an hour without feeling compelled to strip naked and offer the woman sex. If he doesn’t, he’ll be in horrific pain until he makes the offer. Kim comes from a long line of demon hunters, but wants to be normal to the disappointment of her family. Her and Brynn’s friendship builds fast, but they both believe it can’t go beyond that. I really enjoyed the story. I soooo wish I could wrap poor Brynn up into a non-sexual hug and just take care of him for a while. I really would’ve liked to have known about his human life, but at least Ganymede explained the curse. Likewise, I also wanted to know if Kim’s hunter family will accept Brynn in her life. The side characters were great. It’s been a year since book 1, and Eric and Donna are married. Holgarth is still as snooty as ever, Sparkle is sexy and wild, Asima’s back and driving Conall crazy, and Deimos gets a girlfriend (so sweet!). We also meet some new characters. Ganymede is a cosmic troublemaker just like Sparkle, and he’s her boy toy. Fo and Gabriel look like highly advanced cell phones, but they’re really demon detectors with human personalities. The book is well edited, but sometimes the characters’ inner monologues and drawn-out thoughts slowed the pacing. As with book 1, the characters rarely cursed, so this is a great book to read if you prefer it when bad boys have hot sex but talk mostly clean. 4 Stars
Disclaimer – I won a print copy of this book in a contest and volunteered to review it. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape, or form for this honest review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion.
This book is the second installment in the Castle of Dreams trilogy and doesn't disappoint! Who would have thought that the author zing all these "dark" creatures at us and have us cheering for them. Ms. Bangs takes the paranormal and makes it light and happy reading. I really feel for Brynn but holy hotness!
Made it about halfway through this book without really getting hooked. The author has a good way of describing people and surroundings but the storyline is drawn out. Also for a romance book, there hasn't been much in that department. Sad because I love galveston texas whete this book is based on.
Yawn! I found the whole thing to be fairly tedious drivel & admit to skimming quite a bit. Perhaps, I was just not in the right mood but the characters were cardboard cutouts that failed to raise any interest from me.
Definitely a step up from other mind-candy romance novels, this adds in a few refreshing twists.
The supernatural element is mostly welcome, but there is also a definite change in the overall language to the books as well, far less purple than other novels in the genre. While there's not a quivering member or a honeyed anything to be found, it makes the reader feel a lot more at ease reading the book because the actual details don't make you cringe or feel like you're wading through metaphors.
The characters themselves are actually very well supported for a romance novel, and there's an irreverent sense of humor in this book that appeals to the regular reader and the wink-nudge sensibility of an edgier reader.
The plot, while not the most imaginative (how many times can the romance novel support an immortal man story) offers quite a few twists along the way, as well as a surprising ending, enough so that what could have been a stale re-tread stays fresh and enjoyable.
A host of fun characters in this book. Kept me smiling to the last page.
Second in a series, but my 1st book by Nina Bangs. (Like that name she gave herself :D
The h is summoned to an interview at the Castle of Dark Dreams, takes place in Texas. She is a Vaughn, the notorious Demon Slaying family, but she really wants to be an architect. She can't spot a demon so she carries her side kick, a sentient cell phone type demon destroyer, who can't differentiate a demon either. To her (Flo, the demon destroyer who has a feminine character), everything that isn't human is a demon.
Lots of laughs in this light hearted story. Characters include not only demons, but vampires, an immortal warrior, shape shifting kitties, a demon sex slave (the H), a wizard who was war adviser to Napoleon, a wanna be super hero, just fun silly writing.
I'd give this book a 3.5. It was sometimes really good. What I find surprising about Bangs' books is that you would think with all of her titles there's sex from the get-go and all throughout the books, but I was halfway done with the book before the romance started and there really wasn't that many scenes in the rest of the book. Not that I'm complaining, just an observation. The story itself was okay. I didn't really believe the romance between Kim and Brynn. It seemed like an initial attraction (not really lust) is all it took. This is book #2 I think of the series. I just needed a "P" for a challenge so I read it out of order. I plan on reading the rest of the series.
This book was entertainng, I loved how Fo and Gabriel were sentient beings. And how sympathetic and caring Kim is, similar to Donna, but not as kick ass and more cool and collected. The humour in parts of this book were unforutnately lost on me, but I enjoyed reading it anyway, especially with all the superhero references. Also, Ganymedes' addition to the group is interesting... I can't help but picture him as a fat cat, with cheeks like the cat from the kitty litter commercial. People should read this book, if only for a good laugh, and because Nina Bangs,in all honesty, is a very good writer and can attract people into reading it even if it's a bit tacky.
Brynn McNair has been a Demon with a compuslion to fulfill a women's sexual pleasure after being in her prescence of an hour because of a ancient curse. He hates his this so much that he feels destate and remorse afterwards. When he meets Kim Vaughn an architect who comes to the the Castle of the Dark Dreams at the request of the owner to upgrade the castle, he actually feels something for a woman for the first time. But, Kim is a Demon Hunter. There is alot of players in this book that make for a hilarious book.
I did not read the first book in this series, but I was still able to understand the story. I love the idea of a Castle fantasy like themepark for Adults, it is def different. Overall it was a good read for me. A supposen demon falls in love with a supposen demon hunter, I loved it! I thought the ending could have been a little better though, I felt like the final fight was hyped up to nothing special. I would read the next book just to read about the next character's story. P.S. FAVORITE WORD - "Wicked" lOl
The book was ok. It felt a bit lackluster and forced. What I like about Nina Bangs and her Castle men is the simplicity of the world. It's not hard to understand. It's not complicated and the plot is fairly easy to follow.
All that being said, the book got a bit boring the last hundred pages or so and I thought the end was anticlimactic. I was like... that's it? That's how the big bad get's dead? erm... could have been better
This is the 2nd in the series (the first is wicked nights)and it continues to entertain. This one involves a demon of sensual desire who if after 1 hour must offer himself to the woman he is with. If they deny him then the curse stops until the next time. Brynn has lived this way for hundreds of years and doesn't believe he will ever be rid of the curse... Again this series is fun and sexy and I can't wait until the next book-which I already have :)
Okay, I REALLY liked the concept of this book. Frankly, it was pretty refreshing to read about a guy who can't say no and a girl who refuses to say yes. I did kinda have my suspicions about who the baddie bad was and I did have that nailed, but it didn't distract from the book at all. Didn't realize this was a 2nd in a series, but now, I want the rest.
On a side note, for all of you Dresden fans...Did you watch the TV series? I seriously had the Bob from the TV series pictured as Holgarth.
Another fun read by Nina Bangs. I didn't connect with the characters quite as much as I did in the first book, probably because I prefer vampires to demons, but it was still a fun book that I had trouble putting down. I enjoyed going along for the ride as Brynn and Kim tried to figure things out, and it was nice when my theories were confirmed (who doesn't like that?). I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
I am love, love, loving this series. It is not just a vampire series. It has other immortals involved. It has an immortal warrior, and a NOT evil demon. This story was about the demon and I loved how it turned out. These books are keeping me going. I have grown attached to these characters. I do recommend this to anyone!
Nina Bangs once again does a great job of mixing humor (ironic and slapstick) into an action-filled paranormal romance, heavy on the romance. As expected, there are several hot sex scenes. The well-developed side romances going on are carried on throughout the series - some never get their own book but you see it progress. Certainly a fun and fairly quick read. LOVE the Galveston setting!