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Josh of the Damned #3

Josh of the Damned Triple Feature #1

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A Josh of the Damned Tale

What most people call a hellish shift, Josh Caplan calls a normal evening. After all, he works nights at a convenience store beside the mouth of hell, selling snacks to zombies and lizard men.

Some monsters are odder-and more dangerous-than most. Like the rampaging, oversized mustache who skips the Pringles and eats the customers instead. Or Cthulhu's half-brother Stan, who doesn't know how to take no for an answer . . . or where to put all those tentacles.

But killer facial hair and inept hentai beasts pale in comparison to the monster even other monsters fear. When hell's big boss demands a sit-down with Josh, she reveals a destiny bigger than he'd ever imagined-or wanted. You'd think preventing the apocalypse would net Josh more than minimum wage and a hot vampire boyfriend, but it turns out saving the world can be a pretty thankless job.

This title is #3 of the Josh of the Damned series.

66 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 14, 2012

2 people are currently reading
94 people want to read

About the author

Andrea Speed

77 books510 followers
Super nerd. Former EIC at Cx Pulp. I've won Rainbow Awards, and still can't believe it. A small medicinal horse. The Meryl Streep of stunt corpses. Enby.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
Profile Image for Bubbles  Hunty Honest & Direct Opinions .
1,314 reviews279 followers
April 15, 2012
Could this publishers website be any harder to figure out? Not digging this cover, i think i see what they were going for but the hair is just too much IMO

And 3% of garbage in the front of the book. Least this one is longer.

~_~_~

Night of the Mustache Man story from 3% to 25%. My rating 1.5 stars

This story, if you want to call it that, pretty much sucked. There is no character, plot, or world development. It pretty much recycled all the jokes from the first book and added to them a little but not enough to be funny. It's sad I like the first story but this was just ridiculous.

Starting to think I bought another Rip Off I'll try the next one in this three pack but after first story have low expectations.

~_~_~

I Was Cthulhu's Love Slave story from 26% to 46%. My rating 3 stars

I liked this one much better than the first story. Still wasn't much to it. You still don't really know the characters or even how much time has passed between the stories. It's hard for me to connect with characters when there is almost zero character development or details. Who the fuck are these guys? This one some little details are dropped but not a lot and not enough, IMO. Him and Colin details are pretty much non existent. I keep having to ask myself what's the point of this series? Cause I'm really not seeing it

~_~_~

Interview with the Empire story from 47% to 98%. My rating 2 stars

They were both pretty much assholes in this one. Wasn't funny. A little world development but it was so boring.

I am surprised I finished this one but am happy to say I'm done with the series. Not getting suckered into buying more of these.
Profile Image for Rach.
198 reviews204 followers
September 27, 2013
Hmmmm! This series for me is just not as funny the more I read :( :( *sigh*

I LOVED the first one but the humour has just evaporated. It is just bizarre now instead of humourous *sigh*

I mean I am into some controversial books but a monster size moustache trying to eat people just seems beyond my stretch of imagination bwhahahaha! I am just glad there was no kinky stuff involving the tasche otherwise that could have been a hairy situation all by itself bwhahahahaha!

I doubt I will read the next two now, well unless I have a break and change my mind :)

But I hope if you try it that you will think differently and love it :) :)
Profile Image for Ami.
6,223 reviews489 followers
April 16, 2012
I must admit that I'm disappointed with how this stories progress. I thought the expansion of the series would bring forward the romance between Josh and his vampire (sort-of)boyfriend, Colin. While I like the 'fantasy' setting, I'm looking for the development of the romance.

It turned out that what I got was totally NOT that case. Instead, I got these three quite weird/bizarre/Twilight-Zoneish stories. While I applaud Andrea Speed for her imagination, but in the end, I don't GET what I'm truly hoping for. It's a total let down, and because of that, I cannot give it more than 2 stars.

However, I also would like to writen an opinion for each story, individually. This without calculating my expectation into the mix.

---

Night of the Mustache Man: 2 stars
Moon suddenly disappears -- and there is a giant mustache coming out of the portal, slamming down parking lot of Quik-Mart and creating havoc. My reaction = "giant mustache?!". It's like "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes". But this one practically has no plot or any character development. I give the 2 stars for totally 'out-there' reading only. I do like the ending line, "Still, it could have been worse. It could have been a beard". If not for those aspects, I actually rate it lower.

I Was Cthulhu's Love Slave: 3.5 stars
A squid-like monster with dark green tentacles hair is "attacking" Josh because he wants to uhm, create offspring. This one is actually funny!! I can't help feeling sorry for Josh, who seems to attract monsters, when he can't attract real human (oh, the yeti from Peek-a-Boo, who also has a crush on Josh, comes to save the day!). It has weird humor, especially in some of the lines.

“What kind of pathetic tentacle rape monster are you? You can’t even get the holes right! --> this when Cthulhu's tentacles probe Josh's ear canal. Giggling mode on!

I like this better than the giant mustache story. Oh, and also, a new information regarding Josh's boss!!! . Hopefully it's a clue that Josh also has a magic line in his family.

Interview With The Empire: 2 stars
It seems that Josh's ability to remember the monsters and the fact that the monsters are attracted to him has something to do with his 'role' as guardian. Josh is being summoned by the leader of the other side of the portal, Medusa. She tells Josh to stop other humans to 'invade' her domain, i.e. expanding the Quik-Mart there (the world is called Dev, by the way).

While there are few chuckling moment, I'm not impressed of this one. Why? Because I think Colin is being an a** for practically drags Josh to his world, even when Josh complaints. Then, Colin keeps an information from Josh . So in this story, I lose any sympathy for Colin. I spent the whole short story seething and wanting to slap Colin. He also doesn't grovel enough -- and that's NEVER sit well with me.
Profile Image for Christy.
4,371 reviews125 followers
September 13, 2015
Josh and Colin are dating, so to speak, and Josh is learning new things all the time. Things like Colin doesn't remember being turned into a vampire; when Colin bites Josh it's like the most amazing drug in the world and Josh drifts off and doesn't remember even having sex. And Josh is different because not only can he see the hell portal, but in the light of day, he remembers it and all the things that happen every night. But different, how?

Josh doesn't get his answer, at least not quickly. Instead, he and Colin have to fight off some giant, icky mustache thing, and a squid-looking thing comes in, to the Quik-Mart need I remind you, claiming to be Cthulhu and is intent on taking over the world. But Colin comes to rescue Josh, along with Bobo, his yeti admirer. Well, Josh had to call him something. See why I love this? It's hysterical, and witty.

Josh gets summoned through the portal to meet the boss, who turns out to be Medusa of all people. She informs him he's a guardian, and she has a job for him, or else he's dead. Umm…ok. I love what happens next, but I'm not telling.

Andrea Speed has outdone herself with this series. It's funny, it's sexy, it makes me think, and, oh yeah, it's fascinating.
Profile Image for Erica.
1,691 reviews37 followers
October 2, 2017
I liked the longer format, and I liked the first two stories, but the last one just made me mad. I don't like Colin anymore. Jerk. Lol.
Profile Image for SueM.
777 reviews146 followers
January 12, 2013
I'm so glad that Riptide and Andrea Speed have started producing these stories in sets of three now, as it makes for a more satisfying read - and takes me longer than 5 minutes to read! (As was the case with Pretty Monsters)

With each of the stories, we learn a little more about Josh, Colin, Mr. Kwan, and the rift. In the first story, Josh provides a theory about Colin's past; the second provides the source of the rift, while the third - and my favorite story - lets us know why things happen to Josh...

So with a bit more background having been provided, I definitely want to read more - perhaps a novel Ms Speed? Please???

Profile Image for Pixie.
1,227 reviews17 followers
December 28, 2016
OK….I have complaints. First off this is losing steam. It’s definitely not as funny as it once was and just coming off as poorly thought out. Also…there is no romance here. Just because a guy keeps showing up at another guys job to make out and fuck that’s not a romance. It’s barely a relationship especially after you find out the why’s of Colin seeking Josh out. Mostly I was bored… I'm only reading the next one because I already own it.
Profile Image for Irina Elena.
722 reviews167 followers
January 18, 2013
Maybe I expected too much from this series after all the hype?
All six stories (the first two shorts and this triple feature) were funny, interesting and entertaining, but there is no actual development. And as much as I love this slice-of-life-ish kind of story, I want something more substantial.
Profile Image for Alisa.
1,893 reviews201 followers
October 3, 2016
3.5

Another bunch of short stories where Josh and Colin have to deal with the various problems that arise when you work next door to the portal of hell. These stories make me laugh. Odd and quirky and very entertaining.
Profile Image for E.Reads.
358 reviews9 followers
February 15, 2018
I really like that one. The books just get better and better (or more like I like them better and better). “Night of the Mustache” was as silly as the previous books and “I was Cthulhu's Love Slave” was as well, even if this was my least favorite. It does give us a tiny bit of a plot though and follows the arc we're starting to get in that book, so I get why it was there.
And yes, there's actually a plot in this book and an arc between the stories, which is nice. My favorite was the 3rd one because it was longer and had more of a plot. It felt more like an actual story and not just snippets of life (which I love as well, but still it was a nice change). There's some world building, we get to see more of Colin and I loved that Josh was put in front of his own prejudices in this one.

Those books remind me a lot of old B movies. Fun and without fuss.
Profile Image for Lady*M.
1,069 reviews107 followers
April 11, 2013
Last time we met Josh Caplan, he was being courted by an amorous yeti. This time he comes back in three short stories: Night of the Mustache, I Was Cthulhu's Love Slave and Interview with the Empire. I have to admit that I started giggling just reading these titles. The vintage-horror-poster-like cover was truly refreshing and very fitting for these stories.

I always appreciated Ms. Speed's humor and these stories have it in spades. Her imagination is a thing of wonder, but, even after reading these three stories, I'm not sure where this series is going. The overreaching arc was moving in infinitesimal steps, if at all, for four stories (two previously published and two in this collection) and then the twist, the action and additional world information were all packed in the last one. And, while the world itself got bigger, I hoped for more character development to support it. I was ready to see who Josh and Colin were outside Quik-Mart and each other, what they were to each other, what they could offer us – the readers – except a few chuckles. And, while we got bits and pieces, I expected more. This is, of course, only my opinion and other readers might feel differently.

While Josh of the Damned series isn't a romance, the relationship between Josh and Colin is a big part of it. The progress of their relationship is impossible to judge because we don't know the timeline (something I complained about in the last review as well). How much time passed since they've met? Since they've got together? It is clear that Josh has some trust issues, since Colin is not very forthcoming about his past, but he also allows Colin to bite him, which is certainly a big deal.

Out of the three stories, the first one worked the least for me. It was bizarre, it didn't move the plot forward and the entire "can't remember having sex" situation made me uncomfortable. I Was Cthulhu's Love Slave was, in my opinion, the best story in this collection and, frankly, it made me laugh from beginning to end. This is one of those stories that make you want to live in the author's brain. A squid-like creature – Stan – comes to Quik-Mart intending to get up close and personal with Josh. He also has plans for world domination. Josh, Colin and Bobo (the yeti!) have to deal with the aggressive and hilarious creature.

Several things worked in this story. One of them was Josh, who is working on Christmas Eve. He is obviously lonely and feels isolated. This is a new side of Josh, a good contrast to his usual laid-back self, which made me even more curious about his life. You also have to admire his quick wit in the craziest situations. The story gives us a piece of information about Josh's boss – Mr. Kwon – that could have interesting implications for Josh as well. The pace of the story was great, but the best part of it was the author's trademark humor. I understand that humor is pretty much subjective, but the author's humor really works for me.

What kind of pathetic tentacle rape monster are you? You can’t even get the holes right!


"You will not mock me, human! Kneel before your god!"

"I"m an agnostic."


Colin calling Stan "calamari" and "octopussy" also gave me giggle fits. :)

The final story – Interview with the Empire – jumpstarts the plot in an unexpected direction and I am still not sure how I feel about it. Up to this point, we were given the image of monsters as alien, potentially dangerous, but generally quirky beings. Colin was nothing more than a vampire hottie, always prepared to come to Josh's rescue. Things change when a messenger from Colin's dimension (Gary the Reverse Tooth Fairy!) arrives with a summons for Josh from Colin's boss. Josh is unwilling to go, so Colin basically kidnaps him and takes him to Dev, his world. There Josh discovers that monsters aren't really that friendly and that there is more to his boyfriend than meets the eye. He also gets recruited into saving the world.

This story should have worked, because things have finally moved away from Quik-Mart and Colin finally showed some personality. But what brought the story down for me was Colin's boss – Medusa. It was difficult for me to see her as anything but a bad movie mafia boss. Even in fantasy we need some measure of plausibility and motivation and the whole "You have to do this or else" exchange left me pretty annoyed. The situation didn't show Colin in a good light either, so it's hard to say what Josh sees in him except his looks. I was also ticked off with the fact that Colin doesn't know much of anything about his world since most of Josh's questions always remain unanswered. I found that hard to believe and it made me question his character even more.

Additionally, the situation for which Josh was summoned in front of Medusa was resolved by the end of the story, again with help from Colin and Bobo. It is unclear if it was resolved completely or if it will be explored more in the future. The story didn't lack humor though. This was the point where I almost choked laughing:

Think of me as the minimum wage Gandalf —you shall not pass.


In the end, the entertainment value of this collection was high. If all you are looking for is a good laugh, this is certainly the book for you. As someone who followed this series from the beginning, I hoped to learn more about the characters and the general direction the story will take in the future. Perhaps the author has spoiled me in the past. :)
Profile Image for Andrea.
462 reviews1 follower
May 2, 2018
The last story in this book actually has some world-building in it...
Profile Image for Lucilla.
45 reviews4 followers
April 12, 2023
I liked it at first, but the main character got more and more annoying the further along it went.
Profile Image for Whit.
298 reviews
April 18, 2013
Night of the Mustache …

The story starts just after Josh and Colin do the deeds for the first time. Sex and blood. Well, Josh thinks they had sex but the high from feeding Colin is so great he can’t remember if they did or didn’t. He knows he wakes up naked on the roof of the Quik-Mart with Colin on top of him. While sifting through the specifics of what they know about Vampire bites they hear a loud swooshing noise. Wondering what the hell it could be they look to the horizon to see a giant swarm headed their way. This is the story of the rampaging mustache of …. something … that eats people. Josh is pretty sure he didn’t sign up for this either.

There are so many funny lines in this one. One of my favorites comes from Colin, “I’m a fucking vampire. I’m not going to die by fucking rogue facial hair.” Yeah, these stories are crazy and fun. We are also left with questions to ponder in this one. Why are Josh and Mr. Kwon different?

I Was Cthulhu’s Love Slave …

Josh takes the Christmas night shift for the money. He doesn’t have anything to do but still feels pathetic for spending Christmas with Zombicles (zombies freezing from the cold). His boss drops for some beer and tells him why he thinks the portal opened by the Quik-Mart. Josh finds it hard to believe for some reason, considering all the shit he sees on a nightly basis. While contemplating what his boss just told him a strange, well, a new to him strange creature comes in the shop asking what humans like? When Josh gets a good look at the guy he sees tentacles all over the guy and adeptly names him Squidward. Squidward takes a bit of hostile liking to Josh but just when things start to get out of hand the gorgeous Colin comes to his rescue. The tussle wrecks the store but that’s the least of his worries when Colin is knocked down. Cue monster hero and admirer of Josh number 2 dat..da.da.da….Bobo is back and he doesn’t like anyone messing with his human!

This was another strange one with very witty and silly dialogue. Favorite line is again from Colin when he yells, “Fuck you, calamari” Awesome! I need that on a t-shirt or something.

Interview With The Empire …

The last story in triple feature has Josh being summoned to the boss of “hell” or the other side of the portal by a potty mouth Tooth Fairy in reverse. Josh doesn’t want to go but when the boss tells you to go, you go. She’s known as the monster of the monsters and nobody tells her no. Josh is brought through the portal under duress and comes to in Colin’s apartment. He’s not so happy with Colin at the moment and things just go downhill from there. He’s led to the boss on a leash like a pet and then he has to face the boss alone. Once Josh figures out who she is he takes it all a bit more seriously. She explains why she thinks he’s different and gives him a job that he has no idea how to do but people will die if he doesn’t do it.

This one felt most like a complete story instead of a scene. We get a few answers and I didn’t like them all. More laughs and an open thread for the last book in the series.

I think this was the way to go. Get a few of them together for a fun and quirky quick read. I love the humor in this series. Yes, it’s totally silly but it’s fun and different.

Review can also be found at http://liveyourlifebuythebook.wordpre...
2,816 reviews3 followers
April 16, 2012
Rating: 5 stars

Josh Caplan is not just your average convenience store clerk. But that's ok because the Quik-Mart where he works the night shift? Well, it has a hell portal out back, werewolves peeing on the outside ice machine, and an endless parade of weird customers from hell. Whether it is the zombies buying frozen burritos or a love lorn yeti, Josh handles it all with a commendable nonchalance and sangfroid far beyond his years. Of course, it doesn't hurt that his oh so hot boyfriend is a 300 year old vampire with powers out the whazoo! Can anything upset Josh's unflappability? Why yes, there is. All it takes is a visit from a voracious facial hair, an attack from an overcompensating Cthulhu, and a visit from the Hell Boss herself with a mission for Josh to make a job at Wendy's look promising. It's all here. Read it for yourself.

While it is true that I am addicted to all things Andrea Speed, Josh Caplan holds a special, albeit warped, place in my heart. With each new customer that walks the aisles to the freezer section, Josh is ready for anything, even if it's a few extra cents from the Take A Penny tray to help him/them/it complete their purchase. That lovesick yeti from Peek-A-Boo (Book #2) is back and Josh calls him Professor Bobo as a nod to one of my favorites MST3K. Great smacks into wonderfulness! Josh has gotten fond of him and who wouldn't? Then there is Colin, his vampire boyfriend who is fond of sweets, Bailey's Irish Creme and rock n roll. He's handy to have around when the hell customers get frisky or the human customers pose a threat. Yep, you read that right. Most of the time, it's the humans that cause the most problems. Ok, that is par for the course at convenience stores anywhere. Moving on.

Triple Feature contains three new Josh of the Damned stories. Night of the Mustache, I Was Cthulhu's Love Slave, and Interview With The Empire where we finally learn why Josh is so special. I started giggling from page 1 and didn't stop until the end. I mean really. Stan Cthulhu? Stop it. Really, I mean it. Now I am going to have to start reading all over again.

Reading these stories are like munching on bonbons stuffed with weed. Oozy chocolately goodness on the outside, mindbending surprises on the inside. Combine all that with snappy dialog, outrageously memorable characters, and all too short stories and you have the Josh of the Damned series. Throw in some added sweetness as well, because it's there too. I just love these books. Just thinking about them makes my day. Pick them up, and give them a read. Josh and company will make your day too.

Cover: Cover artist is LC Chase. The cover is just one more treat in this veritable basket of goodies. I would love to have a framed copy. Just outstanding.

Available from Riptide Publishing, Amazon and ARe.

Check out Andrea Speed at http://andreaspeed.com/
Profile Image for Emme .
122 reviews9 followers
April 26, 2012
In this third trip to the Josh of the Damned series pond, we have a triple feature. Yay! I really like the B-movie vibe of this book's cover-- and its stories. We are treated to three separate tales here, all smacking of that quirky Andrea Speed humor. I like...I like!

The first story is Night of the Mustache. Really, I don't need to tell you much more about that particular story than its hairy title. It is weird and amusingly entertaining, but I'm not sure how this one fits in with the overall story arc-- but maybe it's just meant as an intermission. In any case, there's finally a little more "action" between Josh and Colin-- if only Josh could remember it. Doh!

The second story, I was Cthulhu's Love Slave, has a little more umph to it than NotM. The JotD world is nothing but surreal, so I never can figure out how much time has transpired between stories, but in this one we know it's Xmas and Josh is pulling a night shift at the Quik-Mart. This time out, we do learn a bit more about Josh's life-- or rather, his lack, thereof. We even get more of the mysterious employer, Mr. Kwon. I'm not entirely sure why a Red Lobster menu item drops by to harass Josh, but I sure hope Stan, THE Cthulhu's relative, makes a future appearance because that would increase the possibility of tentacle sex. One can never have enough of that, right? Ok, well, maybe not. But Bobo the Yeti is back, and he's still just as irresistible as he was in book two, Peekaboo.

The last of this triple-feature is Interview with the Empire. In this one, we get a bit more 411 on Colin, the knight to Josh's damsel-in-distress. He's got his own place on the other side of the hell portal, and a boss, to boot! Colin has been a fairly innocuous boyfriend up until this point, but it seems Josh has even more reason to have doubts about his lover, once he has a better look at Colin's world. We'll have to stay tuned to figure what's brewing with these boys and the nefarious Quik-Mart upper management.


Josh of the Damned Triple Feature is a fluffy, paranormal ride but that don't bother me none. Snark and pop culture references always work for me, so I'm committed to JotD till the very end. Speed is dishing out this story in tiny nibbles (this one admittedly larger than the 1st two books), and I'm sure that doesn't work for some readers, but I have always been a fan of serials, so I don't mind. I recommend this volume, and the previous ones, to those that like a goofy B-movie or comic book feel to their paranormals. As a matter-of-fact, I would love for this series to get the graphic novel treatment. I love getting to know more about the boys and new characters, and I'm so looking forward to further installments.

ps. More Bobo, please!
Profile Image for Cecile.
208 reviews17 followers
May 28, 2012
For those of you that know me... and those that don't this is my little statement about short books.... I do not judge short stories on the rush of their relationships, because they are just that - short stories. So, yes the relationships always could have been drawn out more, yea it seems like they fall in love to fast and of course the story could have been made longer... but it is a short story. So with that said.... here is my review...

This is a m/m book, just in case it is not your cup of tea... You will not offend me ~ just drop in to say hi!!!!

The titles below are the three books that are in this book...

1.) Night of the Mustache

2.) I Was Cthuluh's Love Slave

3.) Interview with the Empire

The story line is getting more interesting as the adventures Josh takes! This is a strange series, but strange for the good! The stories are getting more interesting... As Ms. Andrea stirs the vortex of Hell up and allows Colin to flex his vampire muscles.... Each of these stories will build you up to the next one.... And yes, I am freaking waiting for the next one?!!??!!? Hello... Ms. Andrea, did you hear that... I am waiting!!

Guys, if you have not read this series, I advise that you do! I mean, it is kinda out there, but in a good way. It will make you shake your head, it will make you giggle, it will make you sooooooo glad that you do have a nine to five job, lmao!!!! It really is good series. Ms. Andrea put everything in this series and it just keeps getting better! This really is a pleasure reading series because you don't have to be all series going into reading these books. Now I will say that you do need to read in order because Ms. Andrea is building this series up.... As you will learn when you read the last book!!!!

Go get them now!

Profile Image for Jody.
2,088 reviews59 followers
May 2, 2012
Fans of Andrea Speed's Josh of the Damned series will find this an intriguing addition to the story seen thus far. For those unfamiliar with this world you'll get an eye-opening glimpse of the humor and adventure Josh and his sometimes-lover vampire Colin experience anyday of the week.

This book contains three short stories and involves three different battles against intriguing baddies that gives off a B-movie feel with plenty of action and wonderfully snarky humor. That humor comes courtesy of Josh who's taken a job working at a convenience store next to a hell mouth and for reasons unbeknownst to him he's considered special in this paranormal world. There's a sense of wide-eyed innocence amongst all his snark and I found Josh utterly delightful and entertaining, along with that mysteriously hot Colin. Together they just click and their back and forth banter added to the entertainment. Their romantic interludes were sweet with a bit of sexiness and the short snippets of this part of their relationship had me longing to see more.

This was a wonderfully entertaining read that invites you to sit back and enjoy it for what it is, an exciting trilogy of action and humor that unleashes a few secrets. It's the perfect summer movie flick in book format and a fun extension to the world Andrea Speed has already introduced readers to and an entertaining enticement to new readers.
Profile Image for Vanyel Kane.
131 reviews
April 26, 2012
More, more, more! I demand more! This series is a collection of very short stories about Josh and his night shifts at Quick-Mart next to a hell portal. This is the third in the series and the first 2 stories read a little like 'tonight this is what happened that was just weird.'There was no major story line just how weird Josh's day could get. It could be someone's rather brilliant blog about some rather odd critters that visit the Quik-mart at night. I wonder if a visit at 3am to ana ctual quik-mart inspired this author to write this.

In this third story I think the author has listened to the fans and has written a longer, more in depth look at the world in which Josh inhabits. Not a huge amount but compared to the first 2 it is a noticeable difference. Sort of like going from nothing to a light breeze. Plenty of room to improve and expand but if all you after is reading about someone's hilarously bad day at work then you will enjoy this. She takes the usual vamp/zombiw/werewolves and stan (can't forget stan) and imagines them in rather amusing ways. This is called 'Triple Feature' because it has 3 short stories together and the last one is where she is starting to really fill in the blanks of her world , Josh and a sniphet about his vampire hottie. I would love to see more of this series.
Profile Image for Adara.
Author 8 books56 followers
May 8, 2012
Individually I would give the first story 3 stars and the last 2 3.5-4 stars each. Josh finally lets Colin bite him and we see what effect that has. It comes in handy when a giant mustache starts eating bikers (and Colin) outside the Quik-Mart. Colin mentions there is something special about Josh and his boss which allows them to remember the portal but doesn't explain.

Then we meet Cthulu's brother, Stan. He also finds Josh appealing. What is it with all of these monsters being drawn to Josh?

We finally get that answer in the third story. In other words, it is an overarching plot point for the series. One it needs to be more than just a series of horror-movie-like vignettes. Colin's boss, Medusa needs to meet Josh and Josh finds out more than he bargained for, including about Colin.

While I liked the vignettes for what they were, I was a touch bored with the first, so I think it was a good idea to release this set together. I think the revelation of Josh's destiny was necessary if the series wants to continue beyond this. As a collection I enjoyed them all.

The cover is a great horror movie box cover omage. That doesn't make it the greatest cover in existence (on purpose), but it does make it one of the most appropriate and amusing.
Profile Image for Emanuela ~plastic duck~.
805 reviews121 followers
September 21, 2012
It's the first time it happens for this author, but I'm not completely satisfied with this book. I felt there was almost a gap between how the previous book ended and this began. It was as if the Josh and Colin's relationship had developed too much in the meantime and we only got to see the results, but not how they got there.

The second story was my favorite. It was funny and light and it gave us new information on Josh about something which could prove a nice development. It also made me laugh with that touch of absurd.

The third story was the longer one. I liked it because it introduced a conflict between Josh and Colin and it showed us something of the other world. I didn't like Medusa enough to have a strong impression, but I liked how the story progressed.

I appreciated the imagination of the author, but the story seemed too disconnected. I liked it, but I wasn't as wow'ed as I was with the previous books.
Profile Image for Megan.
278 reviews31 followers
June 12, 2013
This series is not only funny and creative but it crosses so many lines. It isn't strictly paranormal or romance or adventure. It is all of those things. The stories are little bites of the larger story that you can read pretty quickly. The quick shots of of story have a comic book type feel. It doesn't allow the reader to get too deep into the world without reading more than one of the stories at a time but each piece feels vivid as if you were watching a movie or reading a comic. Josh is a great narrator who feels like many of us do- average and stuck. But he ends up saving the world from destruction by a hell dimension, with a hot boyfriend and a protective yeti guard dog. It's not such a bad existence really... even with selling burritos to gross zombies and smelly werewolves chasing cars in the paring lot. I give the three books in this series 3 fairies for fun and enjoyable reads.
Profile Image for Lys.
254 reviews
August 9, 2016
3.5 ?
Super cute fade-to-black paranormal male-male romance. Light and humorous, and very, very weird.
These shorts are all very B movie in style (check out the cover), and they are designed to be bizarre, I think.
There are three short stories in this collection, and the collection is also third in the series (a little confusing, right?), but the whole set only takes about an hour to power through.
As others have noted, the romance progression is a little weak, and the stories have a campy, episodic 'unfinished' veneer. There is some development and across the stories there're little tidbits being dropped about Colin, Josh, Josh's boss and the nature of the hellmouth/convenience store that is the basis of Josh's strange adventures. I found them fun and very different from other things I had read, and I plan to finish the series.
Profile Image for Trace.
121 reviews9 followers
March 11, 2015
I thought it was pretty cute, I liked the satirical take on the monster/apocalypse genre, and I *really* liked the apocalypse prevention was flipped on it's head :) It was short though, and in a way felt even shorter because it was 3 linked episodes rather than one long story.

Plus there was playing around with the fact that what's worse - an apocalypse or the night shift at a convenience store? I mean, terror is one thing but boredom? That's the WORST :p I loved that and I REALLY loved that
Profile Image for Laylah Hunter.
Author 28 books57 followers
September 19, 2012
2.5 stars rounded up for subjectivity. Humor is really tough to write and really personal; it's a fiddly genre that way. The humor of these stories didn't work for me very well -- YMMV -- and the focus of the collection is on the hijinks, so the other elements weren't enough to carry it for me when it wasn't making me laugh. I wish I'd been able to get into it more! I loved the idea of it. The execution is just aiming at somebody else's funny bone.
Profile Image for Julesmarie.
2,504 reviews88 followers
October 7, 2015
Great crazy fun. I'm excited to keep learning even more about and what that might mean for him.

Some Favorite Quotes:
Then what? Well, scream, and probably die.

"You will not mock me, human! Kneel before your god!"
"I'm an agnostic."

That's what his life boiled down to now; he preferred the company of zombicles over living people.

"Think of me as the minimum wage Gandalf--you shall not pass."
Profile Image for Jen.
231 reviews
November 1, 2012
This one was my favorite Josh of the Damned installment yet! Not only was it zany and hilarious (had lots more of that classic Andrea Speed humor that I love), but there was actually more of a plot and had some character development. LOL

I really liked that we learned more about Josh, Mr. Kwon, Colin, and the portal itself. I hope she continues this series - I think it's a lot of fun!
Profile Image for Alex Mar.
Author 7 books24 followers
April 9, 2013
This review is actually for Josh of the Damned: 1-3, which includes Pretty Monsters, Peek-a-Boo and Josh of the Damned Triple Feature #1. This series has been on my TBR list for a long time so I was happy when I finally got to read them!

Read rest of review at Alex Mar.
Profile Image for Moniqee.
152 reviews7 followers
April 23, 2012
I am a sucker for paranormal stories...and Andrea's Josh gives me that fluffy funny paranormal incidents. Hmm...my view on moustache will never been the same again.
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