Temping Is Hell

Necessary Evil #1

by Cathy Yardley

WORST. JOB. EVER.

Kate O'Hara can't wait until this temp assignment is over. The woman who hired her is a psychotic pageant queen, her coworkers are convicts-turned-clerks, and it's so boringly corporate it makes her skin crawl. Even her sexy-as-sin boss, famed billionaire Thomas Kestrel, isn't enticement enough to keep her there. Once she makes enough to pay off her bills, she's out. Or so she thinks...

WHAT THE HELL?

Next thing she knows, she's accidentally signed over her soul. Literally. And she's discovered Thomas's real mission: to kill thirteen bad guys in one year, in order to get his — now his and Kate’s — souls back.

IT'S NOT JUST A JOB. IT'S A MISADVENTURE.

From learning to boost the morale of some paper-pushing demons to navigating her way through blood-red tape, Kate has to work closely with her super-hot supervisor and get her flaky act together, before somebody clocks her out — permanently!

Genres: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Demons, Fantasy, Magic

254 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 11, 2012

About the author

Cathy Yardley is an award-winning author of romance, chick lit, and urban fantasy, who has sold over 1.2 million copies of books for publishers like St. Martin's, Avon, and Harlequin. She writes fun, geeky, and diverse characters who believe that underdogs can make good and that sometimes being a little wrong is just right.

Reviews

[Rachel the Book Harlot · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Aloysius shuffled from his cramped office to the basement
for his weekly random check on the workers.
The fluorescent lights flickered high overhead, illuminating the
cinderblock walls.[...] He saw the pool of blood first, thick and
red, near the end of one of the tables. Then he saw a sensible
low-heeled shoe dangling from distended toes.[...] He rubbed his
hands over his face, feeling frustration and rage course through
his veins.

"All right, damn it," he bellowed, his voice echoing against
the concrete. "Which one of you ate another temp?"

 -❖-❖-❖-

Temping is Hell is a funny, quirky urban fantasy that is loads of fun. I wasn't sure I would like it at first--the writing felt clunky, and the Heroine was a bit abrasive (which really was the point)--but despite that, the story hooked me. Before I knew it, I was 30% into the read and bummed that I had to set it down in order to sleep. Now that's some good storytelling.

Other random thoughts:

❖ There were some funny, laugh out loud scenes.

❖ The world-building was the standard "signing over your soul", but there was a cute and fun twist to the contracts and soul selling.

❖ Loved the characters. It took me a second to warm up to Kate, the Heroine, but she eventually won me over. She still drove me batty at times, but she was supposed to--her life is a bit of a mess due to certain aspects of her personality, some good and some not so good.

❖ I enjoyed the relationship between the H/H. I liked the buildup to something more than friendship, but the author inserted a one-nighter that felt awkward and rushed. At this point I didn't feel much chemistry between them, but there is potential as the series progresses.

❖ There was an overuse of "grimaced, wincing, and eyebrow quirking" that drove me insane. There was also an overabundance of description (for example, setting a coffee cup down, getting up, sighing, etc) that felt intrusive. This is also what made the writing feel clunky. As a reader, I don't need that much description in a scene. Give me just enough to set the scene and then let my imagination fill in the rest. After a while, I mentally edited out the description. That worked, but a good editor should have done that for me. So tsk tsk to Entangled Publishing.

All in all a very fun read. Looking forward to Book 2.

Special note: I think fans of Molly Harper's Half Moon Hollow series might enjoy this one.

Final Rating: 4 Stars

[Paula · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated the hero but it's because I don't expect my men to be okay with the heroine dying

[Raina {The LUV'NV} · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

Holy. Hell. I expected the average Paranormal Romance trope, not a delightfully exciting, very well written, and laugh-out-loud Urban Fantasy. Think: Bedazzled  with the sophisticated sexiness and secretary-esque of The Devil Meets Prada, mixed with the wit of a late night show. Then add a wide range cast of deep characters—from demons-in-disguise to a mysteriously spiritual Asian badass, sinfully sweet secretaries to red-clawed ones, a wickedly tough grandma, and a man who sold his soul and is trying to get it back.

Okay, that's not quite what I was going for. Talk about a clusterfu—. But in Temping Is Hell , those elements were seamlessly brought together.

First, Cathy Yardley has a way with words. She can give a character's personality and emotions without excessive description and "telling." With just a word or simple action, I got the feel of who the characters were and could differentiate between each within seconds. The quips and double-entendres were spot on—hilarious without being offensive or profane, mature but not over-the-top and above your head. Everything flowed naturally and seemed effortless.

Second, the characters had a unique depth to them. While a few had a comic-relief edge, each had their own inner struggles and motivations. I can't say who I loved more. The heroine, Kate O'Hara, is brains, sass, and heart, yet she has an ignorance to her that actually made her more endearing. Slim, one of the demons, was darn lovable, but he also made me nervous because, well, he's a demon. I even liked the archenemy secretary who was was a mix of the devil and an airhead. All the secondary characters were fantastic, really, and they each added to the storyline.

Thomas, the male protagonist, could've been fleshed out better, though. How does the corporate-head become so successful if he's so disorganized and has incompetent staff? Aside from that, I really liked him. He's the type of guy you'd want to go home to—funny, supportive, devoted, and sexier because of it. I love how he oozed male without being dominating.

I also appreciated how his and Kate's relationship built up. It wasn't based on simply attraction—but interaction. Their banter was fun and heart-warming. The connection was apparent, and there was romance and steamy yet tasteful smexing, but neither happened too fast and were the main focus. Temping Is Hell balanced the line of Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy.

With fascinating paranormal elements and wonderful character- and relationship-development, on top of a well-paced plot, tons of humor, and sharp writing, this book was easy to devour and love. I can't remember the last time I had so much FUN looking like a cackling, snorting, emotionally high and low loon as I read. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series and reading more of Cathy Yardley's work.

eBook provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Review, as well as an interview, posted on the The LUV'NV blog.

[Douglas Meeks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate O'Hara has just got a new temp job and it would still be hell even if she ignored the fact she was working for a bimbo with a mean streak plus some very odd looking/acting guys in the basement as co-workers.

This is a great book, it has the right mix of humor, serious plot, evil villains and that lure of the romance that makes it addicting.

Thomas has a small problem, many years ago for reasons that you will see, he managed to sell his soul and he has 1 year to get it back. The path and tasks required to get it back are going to be the basis for this series it seems and there are about a dozen of these “tasks” and this book covers 1 of them (a serial killer who likes girls) so we have a possible 13 book series it seems. I can only hope the rest are as good as this one was in entertainment value.

Kate in addition to having about a dozen jobs over 3 years seems to have some unknown talents that make her a great employee in the Fiendish Corporation and also brings her to the attention of the billionaire owner Thomas Kestrel . The romance, chaos and deadly situations begin and you will love it.

This gets about a 4.5 for me and you can think of it as a paranormal Devil Wears Prada with something close to a real devil. This is a great book, not too light, not very dark but serious enough to keep you from a sugar coma.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate O'Hara has a reputation for being a bit flighty...it isn't that she can't keep a job or that she can't do the job to the best of her ability, it is that she has a way of managing to get into trouble while doing it. Her newest temp assignment puts her with billionaire Thomas Kestrel, even though she is not really directly working for him it puts her in the path of working with a set of demons, she has no clue they are demons, a bit quirky but with a bunch of HoHo's and some direction she helps them get the job done.

Thomas Kestrel needs to focus on regaining his sole, Yes he made a deal with the devil and lost his soul. Now he has one year to get it back, he does not need any distraction especially Kate. However there is something about Kate that is not making sense and with her flair or the dramatic as well as sense of justice, they keep getting put in each others path. Thomas wants Kate, Kate wants Thomas but they have a soul or two to save, will they be able to in time.

I am anxious to read the next book, hope it is in the works. I thought this was wickedly funny and absolutely adored Kate. Thomas you are not so certain about initially but you get there with him. Not sure why I put this one off for so long but well worth reading.

[Barbara ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate O'Hara definitely bit off more than she could chew with this temp job. Her boss Thomas Kestrel has sold his soul to a demon and is now trying to renege by finding and killing off the other 12 people who protect the demon. Poor hapless Kate has walked into a situation way out of her comfort level but like the trooper she is, she handles it perfectly.

I loved Kate and even Thomas worked his way into my heart but honestly Slim was by far my favorite character.

[Dark Faerie Tales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: Sell your soul to the devil and you better hope the devil is a good guy.

Opening Sentence: Aloysius shuffled from his cramped office to the basement for his weekly random check on the workers.

The Review:

There are many times as a reader I question how much longer I’m going to slog through a story in the hopes that it will be worth the effort. I felt that way about this book until I was half way through chapter 2 and the story started to spin and jump like a ballerina in my head. The world started to make sense and our nerdy and fashion challenged heroine, Kate started to shine as the gem in this world. Thomas’ entry into the world was a bit jarring. How can a billionaire not know the way around his own office building or at least have someone to show him the way. But as we learn later in the story he has been a bit obsessed with training so that he can outwit and kill 12 demons before he can kill the man that took his soul.

The sequence where Kate and Thomas meet is just too funny, causing me to hold my sides because I was laughing so hard. Absolutely classic. The fact that I can still hear “baby got back” playing on repeat in my head shows the level of cleverness that Ms. Yardley has used an iconic song to draw these two characters together. I’m sure the next time I hear that song out and about I will remember this little scene.

I do have a couple of unanswered questions but the one that is bothering me the most is, “Why can Kate read and spend so much time with the contracts and not be effected like everyone else?” This would be a great way to expand this world if we find that Kate has something that aided her from madness or death as she continues her “corporate job”.

Overall, the writing is tight. The story once you get past the first speed bump is smooth sailing. I look forward to reading book 2 and seeing what kind of mischief Thomas and Kate will find themselves in.

Notable Scene:

“I wanted to ask you about continuing work when this contract piece is done,” he said instead, leaning back in his chair.

“No.” The word was out of her mouth before he finished his sentence. He quirked an eyebrow at her interruption, and at least she blushed. “I mean–Sorry. I, uh, don’t think I’m cut out for working for a big corporation.”

“That’s such a cop out.”

Now her eyebrows jumped to her hairline. “Excuse me?”

“Come on. You can handle everything I’ve dished out at you and then some,” he said, forgetting momentarily that this was a ruse. “You’re one of the most competent women I’ve ever met. I think you could not only handle this job–you could knock it out of the park.”

Her hard expression softened. “Really? You think so?”

“I really do.” He sighed. “I think you could be amazing.”

FTC Advisory: Entangled Select provided me with a copy of Temping is Hell. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[Fangs for the Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate needs a job, badly, after her uncle’s company folded and she was forced to move back in with her judgmental parents. Even as a temp, getting a job isn’t easy – she has an unfortunate habit of speaking her mind.

But never did she think she’d be working for Hell – big corporate, everything she despises. And that would be in a normal workplace – but what about when your boss, Thomas, has actually sold his soul?

Of course, he wants it back – and he also wants Kate, much as he tries to focus on the business at hand. The question is whether he can live with the choices he has to make to get his soul back – and how deeply Kate is going to get enmeshed in these infernal affairs.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect to love this book. I thought this was a book with another corporation that was secretly a front for hell. I thought we were going to get another rich billionaire who is cruel and awful and mean but in would come the spunky manic pixie dream girl who would melt his heart and then everything would be hearts and flowers. I expected to hate it.

I was gleefully, wonderfully, blissfully wrong.

The whole concept of the book is one I haven’t come across before – Thomas trying to wriggle out of a contract he signed to sell his soul. He’s a really fascinating and surprisingly deep character that goes way beyond “oh he’s so rich and hot and rich and hot and hot and sexy and hot” we often see heroes described as. Yes he is hot, this is established early and then… not mentioned. Maggie’s attraction and shirtless pictures of him are allowed to speak volumes. Of course he’s hot, he wouldn’t appear shirtless in a glossy magazine if he weren’t, but that doesn’t mean every other chapter we need to describe every sculpted curve of abdominal muscles; so the book doesn’t. It was refreshing – Kate’s sexual attraction to Thomas was made clear and his appeal was maintained without devolving into the repetitive description that is so common. This allowed room for what really makes Thomas a meaty character – not just his sad tortured past (which is somewhat a requirement) but the issues he currently faces: the challenge of being sufficiently ruthless to actually get the job done. He has to kill people – and not only does he have to kill them, he has to be cruel to even get the names; as Yagi tells him repeatedly, if he’s not willing to be ruthless, to do anything, to risk anything to sacrifice anything how can he win against someone who is more than willing to do all of the above.

We have Thomas facing the possibility of metaphorically damning himself in order to save his soul. Especially since Yagi doesn’t see the point of wasting his time helping Thomas if he isn’t able to do what it takes to free himself.

Then we have Kate – the Crusading Fun Hippie Do Gooder, who always speaks up, will tolerate no evil and is ready to fight for the meek and the oppressed at all times. She has no filter, she says what she thinks with no censorship, regardless of how appropriate it is to the situation or how high and lofty the target of her criticism is.

Now take that archetype and add a heavy dose of realism. The crusader/Manic Pixie who faces the consequences of exposing his dad’s boss’s son’s crimes, who costs her father his dream job. The crusader who works in a whacky, non-conventional office that doesn’t follow the usual corporate rules – and it goes under. The dreamer, the moral crusader forced to move back in with her judgemental parents because she’s lost her job, the economy sucks and she can’t afford her standards and principles. Her family judges her and pressures her to “grow up” and “get a real job” and “join the real world.

And then they come together so excellently well, his ruthlessness mixed with both his lack of natural propensity for it and his own moral doubts he’s determined to be quashed meet her idealism – and her success with more compassionate means puts further doubt on his actions and path and draws him back to his conscience. While at the same time her passionate idealism gets diluted with a bit of heavy reality and the compromises that come with that; as well as being repeatedly confronted with the choice of a heavy paycheck (and the ability to rescue her family – and prove herself to them) vs her principles.

Read More

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smart, Sexy, & Fun!

Kate O'Hara is a secretary. There's nothing terrific about her life. She's got one best friend, no boyfriend, and has moved back in with her parents. Problem is she's bored. She wants to do more at her job. Taking the initiative one day by asking for more work gets Kate transferred down to the cold basement in the building - a basement full of demons, demons she thinks are really illegal immigrants being treated horribly. Determined to succeed, Kate delves in to help the demons with a project they have been working on for over a year with no end result. But first she needs to be accepted by the "men" who work there who basically want to eat her. What better way to win them over than bringing in a box of Ho-Hos. One taste of those and Kate has a bunch of new friends. With her drive and smarts, it only takes a matter of weeks (and numerous boxes of Ho-Hos) to find the answers the big boss, Thomas, is desperately looking for. All of this does not go unnoticed by him. When Thomas meets Kate, he's surprised to find that she's a "temp" secretary; that she's not into fashion (his business), or makeup; speaks her mind; genuinely cares for others, especially the demons; and doesn't want the job. But Thomas desperately needs her help as he's trying to get his soul back and he needs to find 13 names of certain people to get it back and so far he doesn't have them all. Not giving up, Thomas does his best to convince Kate to take the job. Lucky for him she finally accepts the position but only with the proviso that the illegal immigrants (wink, wink) are treated with respect, gets lunch and coffee breaks and only work from 9 to 5. Thomas doesn't understand the friendship between Kate and the demons, especially since the demons ate the last two secretaries (a big no-no). Instead they're smiling, joking, and even getting hugs from Kate. Whatever it takes to get the names. Working closely together, Thomas learns more about Kate. This of course leads to him developing feelings for Kate. No matter what Kate does, she can’t ignore her feelings for her sexy boss.

"Temping is Hell," a paranormal novel that’s also mysterious, funny, and romantic, with a strong heroine, and of course, a sexy, gorgeous man. The chemistry between the two is hot. Oh, and let's not forget Maggie (what a bitch she is) that is trying to get rid of Kate and into Thomas' pants. As for Kate, you can't help but love her. She's so caring and genuine. You can’t help but root for her, with hopes she gets everything she wants and deserves out of life - all of which makes her even more real, someone you can connect with, someone you can understand. She’s full of witty and sarcastic remarks, and some of them are a doozy.

"Bet…bet you can’t even get it up, Matlock,” she slurred, intent on hurting the bastard in any way possible before he punched her ticket. “Bet you’re hung like a Tic Tac."

You gotta love her.

Unfortunately, she's been screwed over so many times, even by her family. She gets so much grief from her parents that she doesn’t deserve. I couldn't believe how they not only treated her, but what they thought of her, basically a loser. Nice parents. They should be ashamed of themselves. But Kate trudges on and that’s what makes her really shine.

In the end, an awesome read. I can’t wait for the next one in the series. Just hope it’s soon.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My full review can also be found at my blog A Secret Book Affair

Fun...Witty...Sexy... are the first three words that come to mind when I think of how to describe Temping is Hell. Shamefully, I will admit that I didn't expect this one to turn out so great; I thought it would be a fun quick read, but nothing to great or special. Thankfully, I can say that I was proven wrong throughout the book, and by the time I finished it I realized that it was so much more than I expected. Cathy Yardley did an amazing job creating her own unique characters and theme. Temping is Hell was a fast-past quick read that I absolutely adored. When I say it was a quick read I by no means refer to its number of pages, but by the fact that it was impossible to put down. Yardley's main characters where captivating in their own ways, some with pure intentions but none without fault which I greatly appreciated. There is nothing more irritating than reading a book with primary characters who are completely without fault; I find it makes it extremely difficult to connect with not only the characters but the story as a whole. This was not an issue in Temping is Hell and Yardley had no problems creating realistic connections with her characters and their enduring faults.

One of the many small factors about this book that I loved was the minor pop culture reference scattered here and there that befit my particular age group. Since I read quite a bit of young adult books as well as adult fiction, I find that pop culture references in many of the current YA books have little to no meaning to me. Since the primary character is my age, late twenties, the majority of the references are from when I was growing up and make connecting to the characters that much easier.

I very much enjoyed reading Temping is Hell and have high expectations for the future of the series (which Yardley is calling Necessary Evil). To any individual who enjoys adult urban fantasy, I highly recommend this one to read. I might even be so bold as to say this first book to Yardley's new series may just be the start of a great series that I would put up there with other greats such as Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series and Patricia Brigg's Mercy Thompson series. Temping is Hell is just as original as Harris's and Brigg's series, where one is primarily about vampires and the other about shape shifters this new one is about demons. If you have read Harris's or Brigg's popular series and have enjoyed them, then I can promise that you will enjoy Yardley's Temping is Hell.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up. It's sassy, light-hearted despite its sometimes dark subject matter, and Kate's willingness to jump in and risk herself in practically any situation made me just love her to pieces. Her complete inability to keep her mouth shut might have helped fan the flames of my wicked fangirl adoration. I love it when characters speak their mind in entirely inappropriate ways. LOVE IT!

This book laid some very nice groundwork for the series. We got some diabolical dealings, some demons (of both the diabolical and non-diabolical persuasion), a fierce friendship that is severely tested by circumstances beyond Kate's control, and a relationship that smolders in the best sort of way. Throw in backstabbing, deals signed in blood, and a press conference that would make an entire PR department cringe and you've got the makings for something outstanding.

Now, I love Kate. I love that she's willing to stand up for the underdog. I love that she's DRIVEN to do this. She's strong and determined to do what's right and the fact that her family doesn't see this is just a sad, sad thing. Families are weird that way, aren't they? Thomas... well, I kinda loved him too. Even though he was less than truthful. Even though he put Kate at risk. I get where he was coming from. I get that he's between and rock and a hard place. I get that he's running out of time and he needs to make things happen NOW. I didn't necessarily like some of the things he did, but I understood it.

I imagine that things are going to get much worse -- and much more heated for our heroes -- before they get better. Kate's tell-it-like-it-is attitude will likely land her in hot water again. Thomas's situation will probably put him in the position of having to make some hard decisions that risk both his and Kate's life down the road. You know what? Watching those two butt heads is half the fun. I'm excited!

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Amber Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I finished this book deciding to give it five stars was the easiest decision I've made in days. I flew right through this book and it is one of those books that once you finish, you want to know happens next. But now. Immediately. Cathy Yardley is my kind of author. This book is hilarious, fast paced, it keeps you guessing, and leaves your mind racing with the possibilities for the next book.

Kate is down on her luck. And when I say down I mean way down. She was working for her uncle's small publishing firm that went under, so now she's unemployed and moving back in with her parents. Luckily she gets a temp job working for a huge corporation. Not so luckily things start off not so great and slowly get even worse. She has a bitch of a supervisor who has no idea what's really going on. She gets these crazy assignments simply to get put in her place. Not too mention there are about 50 demons in the basement doing paperwork. Things at Fiendish are not what they immediately seem. Throw in a charming, sexy CEO and Kate is in way over her head.

I can't get over how much I loved this book. There is so much humor with such a great story. I was thoroughly impressed. Kate is such a spaz, a well meaning spaz but a spaz nonetheless. I really like her as the unsuspecting leading lady. She's hilarious and the Sir-Mix-A-Lot scene made me 100% certain that I adored her. I'm a 90's girl at heart. All the characters in this book are awesome. I will never look at HoHo's the same way. This book just came out, beginning of a brand new series, and you have to read it. I promise you won't be disappointed. I flew through this book in one day. It's amazing and if you don't read it then you are definitely missing out.

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Courtesy ofAll Things Urban Fantasy

Fiendish demons and office work may seem like they both belong in the same circle of hell, but in TEMPING IS HELL, the first book in Cathy Yardley’s new Necessary Evil series, takes a humorous approach that results in plenty of witty dialogue, hilarious demons, and endlessly amusing characters.

‘Super Temp’ extraordinaire Kate is a very resourceful confident character. She’s creative, sassy, and willing to go the extra mile even when given extremely tedious/ pointless tasks (like helping out some cannibalistic demons do a mind numbingly boring task of sorting through papers). On a personal side, Kate’s family life isn’t as easy. Her family has little faith in her ability to anything right and constantly expecting her to repeat her past failures.

The only real complaint I had was related to the plot which was confusing for the first half of the book. It did eventually come together, but that confusion is a big part of why the chapters from Thomas’s POV weren’t as enjoyable as Kate’s. But the excellent chemistry and adorable banter between these two (including their first meeting between involving Sir Mix-A-Lot, booty shaking, and collecting piles of papers) was strong enough to compensate for that one shortcoming. Overall, TEMPING IS HELL is light, funny, and hellishly good. I am looking forward to more books in the Necessary Evil series.

Sexual Content: Reference to sex, kissing

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Temping Is Hell turns typical Paranormal Romance on its psychic ear. From the very first page, Cathy Yardley sets the tone, spiking her fiendishly delightful plot with laugh out loud humor, endearing and relatable characters, and sophisticated visuals sure to pique your inner fashionista.

Feisty, workaholic Kate O’Hare thoroughly lives up to her red-haired legacy when it comes to stubborn perseverance—and while her heart may be in the right place, it’s questionable whether her choice employment gets the same vote of confidence. Her resourceful nature gets her noticed and that’s not necessarily a good thing at Fiendish Inc., where danger looms from every corner of the slick, urban headquarters— from the hellacious basement where demonic forces slave at some mysterious task all the way to the top of the skyscraper, where Kate’s handsome and compelling boss, Thomas, may be the most dangerous of all. Supernatural twists and turns feature diabolical curses, misunderstood demons, and a hair-raising conflict guaranteed to make you squirm.

Written in third person perspective, Cathy Yardley’s informal, fluid pacing and sparkling dialogue is gripping and entertaining, and will surely leave you wanting more.

Tags: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

[Vaughn Roycroft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Temping Is Hell is one Helluva Ride!
Talk about your page-turners! The pace of this book gets rolling early and accelerates relentlessly. Most everyone will identify with the heroine, Kate O’Hara, an outsider who’s made mistakes but for all the right reasons. She’s the like the friend we all wish we had, if not the kind of person we all wish we were a bit more like. Even Kate’s boss Thomas, a handsome millionaire who’s sold his soul, is surprisingly relatable and even likeable.

And Kate is not only loveable, but hilarious! I found myself laughing often as she navigated the twists and turns of her increasingly complex role at her Fiendish corporate workplace. There are good and bad demons, Japanese onimyoji mystics, and it turns out damnation is much like a pyramid scheme, and yet Yardley easily held my disbelief in suspension. The stakes continue to ramp up, becoming all but frenetic during the culminating action, and yet Yardley masterfully brings the story home for a smooth landing, leaving this reader ready for another ride. I will definitely be on board for book two!

Temping is Hell is funny, sexy, at-the-edge-of-your-seat fun! Highly recommended.

[Corie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun read - and a great kick off!

I have to admit, it took me a tiny bit to get into Temping is Hell. Handsome, rich, darkly troubled boss meets impulsive, quirky heroine... My warning lights started to flash a bit.

But it didn't take long at all before I was settled completely and wonderfully into the story. Kate is a smart, funny protagonist, and her weakness for looking out for the underdog gets her in some crazy, and quite wonderful, situations. (I'm not entirely sure if I've cheered for demons before.)

No matter what it looks like at the beginning, these are NOT cardboard cut out characters in a situation that you've read before. The twists in the plot keep you guessing, and I'm so tickled that there will be more of these novels to come - soon, please!!

[Dominika Jurčíková · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was blast! Well written, funny to the point of laugh/crying. I'm still waiting for the book 2!
I simply loved it

[Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I'm not generally a fan of the strictly romance genre, and it's paranormal sub-genres, I do occasionally have phases. I appear to be having one.

Every so often I get an itch that needs to be scratched with cheesy romcoms and Nalini Singh books. That sounded dirtier than I intended, but you get my drift. Hopefully. And while I was perusing NetGalley, this caught my eye because the cover is ace.

There, I said it. I'm totally won over by a good book cover.

So, I really wasn't sure what to expect from this, having not really read anything in the more 'chic-flicky' end of the paranormal romance genre. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself really enjoying it, devouring it in an evening.

It's exactly the sort of read the title suggests - frothy, funny, with a dash of the supernatural thrown in for good measure. Just what the long-time sci-fi and fantasy fan with a craving for chic-flicky goodness needs.

I must admit, I'm a sucker for the old 'morally dubious but you sort of know he's good really' love interest. Thomas Kestrel, the dashing, troubled billionaire was just the right combination of romantic and edgy and the 'will-they-won't-they' moments were perfectly judged, not contrived or cringy.

The plot itself was fast paced and interesting, with plenty of background characters to mix things up a bit. While the relationship between Kate and Thomas is certainly a major part, it's not the only major part, so things never feel stretched out or stale.

Maggie was the only character who I really didn't like, and not because I wasn't supposed to like her. While she did go through some much needed character development, in the first few chapters she just seemed unnecessarily vapid, bitchy and useless - an adversary for Kate for the sake of it. I understand the suggested reasons why Thomas kept her around, but I think he would have kicked her out a long time ago, even with the reasons he had.

It didn't really detract from my enjoyment of it, though. Expect a lot more reviews of this sort of thing on the blog for the next month or so, until the phase has once again passed!

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Determined to make her new temp job work, Kate O’Hara tries her best to make the best out of a bad situation. But she also is a stickler for her morals, so when she sees how the workers in the basement are being treated—almost like slaves in hell, you might say— she steps up and fights for them. This grabs the attention of the hot and charismatic company CEO, Thomas Kestrel. Thomas has his own problems, like trying to regain control of his soul after making a bad deal with a demon in order to save his ex-fiancé’s life. Thomas and Kate end up teaming up to save both their souls in one crazy adventure.

I loved this demon fantasy! The storyline and characters were both intriguing and well thought out. The action was thrilling, and the romance was sweet. I highly recommend this one.

And it’s available for free with #KindleUnlimited.

Tropes / Themes: 
🔥Opposites Attract
🔥Workplace Romance
🔥Enemies to Lovers
🔥Dark Past
🔥Billionaire
🔥Demon Hunting

Thank you, @CathyYardley and @LiteraryMediaTours for my free advanced copy.

[Heliea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, spectacularly bad.
The premise was so good! Contract with the devil, a temp who gets caught up in demons and soul contracts, so female and at the same time so unafraid of being herself... And a hot devil!
None of that is true. There is little to no romance so far (I dropped this at 71%) and the characters are so badly written! The guy - who is usually what drives the narrative and who must be some kind of charming to move the plot along - is a potato!
A disaster.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am hoping that Cathy Yardley resurrected this old novel and formatted it for KU because she plans to continue the series. It's dark and seriously messy, but Kate and Thomas are interesting enough to me that I want to see what happens next.

[Ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where are the rest of the books in the series?? :(

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book more than I did. It was really fun in parts but overall was a 3 star read. Not sure I will continue the series.

[Phyllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novel.

[L.E.Olteano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted on Feb 18 2013 at Butterfly-o-Meter Books

Cathy Yardley is a terrific writer. Her prose flows beautifully and her dialogue is authentic, not to mention she has a great sense of humor and her characters fully display it to my utter delight. There's no doubt in my mind that I would enjoy whatever she'd write just because her writing style is so in tune with everything I love. Why the 3 butterflies rating then? I was torn between a 3 and a 4, but it just didn't make it all the way to 3.5 so I went with the 3 after all.

I loved the world building. It was a good blend of urban setting and paranormal elements, demons and contract for souls and all. The paranormal element wasn't as strong as in other UF-s but it was convincing and well integrated.
The premise of Temping Is Hell is genius, I think. It appeals to everyone who worked at least two days, we've got it all: the neurotic zlut-like boss lady, the uber-rich top Bossman, impossible projects that need getting done like yesterday, sort of controlled chaos and some 'act busy' time to fill the day. Feindish was a setting that had a life of its own, it felt 100% real and made perfect (non)sense in a corporate world. Can you tell how much of a fan I am of that kind of environment? I guess there's a bit of Kate in many of us, I know for sure I have a healthy dose. But anyway, moving on.

Kate O'Hara (nice choice for a name, btw) was a fascinating female protagonist. If there are books out there that play favorite for their protagonists, this is one that plays 'whack-the-MC' all the time from start to finish, pretty much. I'm the evil reader, I love tortured characters as you know, but to me this was just a bit too much - this is a personal thing though. I loved Kate, empathized with her, laughed a lot of the time because she was just that charming.
Bossman Thomas was interesting as well. He had more of an inner conflict flair to him then Kate, and I'm a fan of that so I think I found him more intriguing though less likable on a personal level. Where Kate was all wit and sharp sense of humor, he was more manipulative and all over the place - almost at the same time. It's hard to be both, but he managed it somehow. He was well built, just as Kate.
Their romance arc was interesting, that kind of opposites attract sort of vibe to them. Awesome chemistry, and their one on one time was pretty hot-looking though we weren't included in the actual action there.
Other characters were intriguing, Prue and Yagi for example. The villain area was less covered, and that's one of my favorite ones. Maggie wasn't convincing to me as a villain, more like a pest. Bimbos never make good villains for me, maybe that's discrimination or whatever but there it is nonetheless. Cyril Roman had some potential, but he wasn't too involved and when he was he felt more sporadic in presence then focused on. I would have liked a strong villain to balance Kate's magnitude, I think. But then again I would, I like villains more then protagonists as types go.

Action outside the romance arc was very active. Too active for my tastes, but as you guys know I'm never keen on action to begin with, I like character a lot more. This was one of those cases where there was just a bit too much going on for me. Like every page there'd be a new twist and this new tangent of Kate being dealt a sucky hand. I'm exaggerating but it felt that active. It became a bit too much somewhere along the line, I like not too agitated action and more dramatic scenes then the overall sense of permanent Brownian motion. But this is, as many others, a personal thing. If you're into very active action you'll love this aspect as well as the others.

As far as curb appeal goes, this was clear win material. The cover is smart, the blurb is super intriguing and the book is instant buy material for sure.

All in all, Temping Is Hell is the great beginning to a very promising series. I totally recommend it, it's fabulous writing, charismatic characters and lots and lots of action so I think you'll love it to bits.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally Posted at Fangs, Wands & Fairy Dust

TEMPING IS HELL is Fun, Unpredictable, Sexy and asks Important Life Questions



TEMPING IS HELL
Necessary Evil, Book 1
by Cathy Yardley
Entangled Publishing
January 2013
E-Book

This is the story of twenty-nine year old Kate O’Hara, a “temp” extraordinaire with a long and varied job history, a reputation as the flaky “black sheep” of the family, and a woman just trying to pay the bills.


It’s also the story of her temporary boss — one Thomas Kestrel, the sexy magnate of Fiendish Enterprises, a conglomerate of corporations that cater to the rich and bored. He’s sexy as sin, but he’s got some problems. Like the pesky little detail of needing to kill thirteen people in the next year to get his soul back. And when Kate inadvertently signs her soul over to him, she finds out she’s signed up for one hell of an temp gig. If two wrongs make a right, then thirteen make a job. Cathy Yardley

MY TAKE

Right off the bat, let me say that Yardley so nails the feeling of being the family failure you would think she didn't have at least fourteen books already published, that her siblings were the President and possibly the Pope. You get the idea, she's got it down. And, yet it is related in a way that is empowering to the main character, Kate. She is saddened by it, but she moves on.

Somehow, Kate is branded as a loser, when she has succeeded at everything,, but the places she's worked had bad management, or nasty co-workers. Yet, everyone thinks these failures are her own.

So, when she asks for extra work and exceeds expectations because she was working for a deceitful idiot, her frustration is palpable through the page. It's then that her miracle happens. The boss she meets the night before walks in on her being fired. For all of us who are brilliant but down trodden it is the miracle of someone finding our light hid under the proverbial basket. The prince falls in love with you, you're long lost parents (the king and queen) find you, you've been under a spell, your blog post goes viral and you're offered a seven figure book deal. It's THE DREAM COME TRUE! Or is it?


There's lots of hot attraction to action in this story. The characters are well thought out, and the main characters are complex, and un-cookie cutter. Just when you think Thomas is going to be the perfect hero, he is caught up in betrayal. Same for Kate. They aren't always string where the archetypal hero or heroine should be. They aren't perfect together (except...) and they make the dumbest mistakes ever.

The situation and world building is a bit undefined.but, in general the structure isn't that important. I didn't understand Kate's past, but then again, it isn't that important. What matters is the decisions they make now. And, the decisions that are made for them. Both characters are good people who have made and continue to make catastrophically bad decisions. And, who continue to wrestle with ethics and decision making.

Maybe it's that "ooh this was a mistake" quality that makes the chemistry so awesome. As far as the evil female villain, I keep seeing her as Max Sheffield's socialite business partner CC Babcock on the 90's sitcom, THE NANNY.

But when you put them all together it's a smash hit, with a moral paradox and off the charts chemistry, hot souls bound for hell, and hotter sex. Don't forget the family relationships which are scarily accurate!

I thoroughly enjoyed myself reading TEMPING IS HELL. Highly Recommended!

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you know that feeling when you encounter something that is just beyond your scope of description? That's sort of how I feel about this book so bear with me here as I try to sort it out. I'm not going to give much of a book summary because there are just too many fun surprises and I don't want to spoil it for someone.

This was a refreshing and innovative take on demon lore, but it was also the story of a snap-judgment making, smack-talking, mess of a heroine who stumbles and bumbles her way through personal and large-scale disasters. I kept picturing Erkel from 'Family Matters' with hand to mouth in horror saying, 'Did I do that?' Thing is she is also a tender, compassionate, funny woman who just wants to make the world a better and brighter place around her. Too bad nobody told her that the phrase 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions' was literal and not figurative language. Such a fun, exciting and sassy read from start to finish.

Kate O'Hara puts a moratorium on her principles, swallows her pride and takes the only temp job she has been offered. She hates corporate businesses and here she is working for one of the biggest of them all. Trouble is her manager is a red dragon lady who cares little about the job and fires the pool of temps working for her arbitrarily. Kate needs this job so she puts herself out there to Ms. Maggie tooting her own horn about what a great worker she is. The fiendish Ms. Maggie pauses her game of Angry Birds on her iPhone long enough to lay down a near impossible task and an ultimatum that will have Kate fired if she doesn't pull it off.

Kate works through the night only to be discovered by the owner and CEO of the company. Her lack of verbal filter and genuine honesty are a refreshing change to Thomas so the next time he encounters Kate he is pleased to see her and keeps Maggie from firing her. Ms. Maggie has a thing for her boss so she resents even the hint of competition real or imagined so this earns Kate a new task that takes her down into the basement to work with an odd and dangerous bunch of rabble sorting 'contracts'.

Thomas finds himself stuck in a soul contract to a man that he only has a year to fulfill or his soul belongs to another. He will do whatever it takes to get to the other guy first- whatever it takes!

And cue the mayhem! This plot was the most singular and creative one I have read in some time. It was a little bit of everything when it came to genres: paranormal, urban fantasy, mystery and romance. This worked so well. I found the dual perspectives of Kate and Thomas a good choice. They both had their own agendas and separate story lines at times, but there were many places where they came together. The sparks really fly between these two and I loved it. There is an immediate attraction between Kate and Thomas, but they let it simmer until quite a ways into the book. Like an Urban Fantasy, this is a 'happy for now ominous clouds gathering on the horizon' type of story.

I think the biggest reason this book is an abso-must read is due almost entirely to the superbly written character, Kate O'Hara. She is this book in so many ways. She gets into no end of trouble, but she is no ditz and is actually quite a competent woman who just hasn't gotten a break in life. Bad things happen, but she is no pitiful creature. She's a survivor (okay, cockroaches are survivors too, but that's more a description of Ms. Maggie's character). She may need to pause, have a good cry, take responsibility for her actions and catch her breath, but she is always determined to set things right.

Great start to a new series and I am eager for the next installment. Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy lovers should definitely give this one a try.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 I was looking for a good Urban Fantasy after my self-induced historical romance marathon and when Entangled Publishing asked me if I would review Cathy Yardley’s Temping is Hell I was immediately intrigued by the synopsis. This was a fun, smexy action packed tale and the terrific start of a new series. I easily became caught up in the characters, the secrets and the hilarious, feisty, Thelma & Louise protagonist.

The tale begins when we meet Kate O’Hara. She is just beginning another temping job at the corporate offices of Fiendish Industries. When she ends up pissing off her psychotic pageant queen supervisor on the first day, she ends up being given an impossible time consuming task. As she finishs the final pages at almost two am, she bumps into the sinfully smexy billionaire Thomas Kestrel the head of Fiendish Industries. Did I mention she is singing and dancing in her office when he walks in and she bumps him? Kate thinks her work will impress the ice queen and instead finds herself being fired, that is until Thomas steps in and suggests Maggie give her more challenging projects. The next thing Kate knows she is working in the basement with thirteen convicts looking for a symbol on page after page of documents and of course Kate decides there is a better way to do things. The tale that unfolds is hilarious, smexy, and filled with dangerous obstacles Kate must overcome.

I adored Kate and at times she annoyed me. She is impulsive, a champion of the underdog and has some real self-esteem issues. She acts before thinking and speaks her mind; which I found hilarious. You know those pesky little thoughts that pop in your head, the ones you never say aloud, well Kate just blurts them out. Despite her background, she really is quite bright and I am looking forward to more adventures with this meddlesome, protagonist. Thomas is in deep trouble and all the wealth and success he has cannot save his soul. How he got himself in this much trouble will touch you, but the man needs to let Kate know what the heck is going on! I loved the chemistry between them, the denial and all the crazy stuff in-between. Slim one of the basement convicts was delightful and I hope we see more of him. Maggie was a sheer terror in heels and it was fun to hate her. Other characters both good and evil gave the tale believability while creating humor and suspense.

Yardley has created an interesting plot line for this series and I found it to be fascinating. The characters and the daunting task they must complete within a year’s time captivated my attention. While there was some hanky-panky the relationship between Kate and Thomas has yet to be defined. (At least for them) As the reader, we get a strong sense of where this is going and I look forward to the ride. The author did a wonderful job at fleshing out the main characters and giving us a strong sense of who they are through their back-stories. The tale had a nice flow to it with a few twists that kept me turning the pages. While some of the threads seemed unnecessary it laid the ground work for the series. This story is far from over but Temping Is Hell ends without a cliffhanger and an expectation of things to come.

I recommend Temping is Hell to fans of urban fantasy and paranormal romance with snarky characters. The author has over thirty published works and I am looking forward to reading more from her.

I want to thank Entangled publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Vickie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review:

When the temp agency sends Kate on an assignment to Fiendish Industries, she intends to work for a few weeks and save some money. After all, corporate America is not her bag. And, after meeting her supervisor, Maggie, she hopes the time flies by. She gives Kate an assignment, upon Kate’s insistence, which causes Kate to have to work late into the night. That is when she meets Thomas Kestrel, handsome billionaire businessman who seems to have it all. Money, power, looks…… And as she finds out along the way, things aren’t always as they seem.

A few years ago, Thomas’ fiancé developed stage 3 cancer and treatments weren’t working. That’s when Thomas was approached by someone promising they could help. The catch? Thomas had to sign over his soul. And, he did. He’d do anything to save Elizabeth. But things didn’t go as planned and he lost Elizabeth. And, he’s bound and determined to do what it takes to get his soul back. All he has to do is find the 12 signatories (people who signed over their soul to the one who signed Thomas), kill them, and then kill the one who signed him. His right-hand man and “mystical” mentor, Yagi, is training him to do just that. Then, he’s a free man. Simple, right?

Kate is swept into a world that she had no idea existed and finds herself right in the middle of something she doesn’t understand. Her best friend, Prue, is her lifeline. But, when Kate is attacked viciously by one of the signatories, Thomas is determined not to lose her and she signs her soul over to him, in order to save her life. Problem is, Kate still isn’t completely aware of exactly what she has done. And, she still doesn’t completely trust Thomas. He thinks that by keeping her in the dark about all that is going on, he’ll be able to keep her safe. And when Prue, who is a lot more than Kate could have ever imagined, turns Kate away, Kate is devastated. Who can she trust? What is she to do? Is she doomed to hell? Will Thomas keep her safe as he promises, or will Kate save the day?

I really liked this book. Kate is a little flaky, a lot sarcastic and willing to stand up for what she believes is the right thing. Problem is, the lines keep getting blurred for her. She has a hard time figuring out what exactly IS the right thing, but once she figures out who the truly bad guys are, it’s on! Thomas keeps trying to do the right thing, but is a bit selfish. It’s not until later in the book that he realizes he may have been trusting the wrong people, and that Kate is who he needs to trust.

There are some hilarious moments in this book. And some heartwarming moments. One of my favorite lines in the whole book: “Thomas asked Yagi, ‘couldn’t you ….you know?’ He wiggled his fingers. ‘Could I do jazz hands?’ Yagi said”. And, Kate’s interaction with the demons in the basement is laugh out loud funny in places. And, I have to tell you, Ho Ho snack cakes are involved. ;) I’d love to say more. There is a twist or two that you may or may not see coming, but I don’t want to ruin it for anyone. But, I can tell you, I will definitely be reading the next one in the series.