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Dueling With the Devil #2
Sweet Revenge
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorn. What if that woman is a demon, in fact Lilith's very own daughter? Isabella LaCoste vowed to get her revenge on her ex and his new human fiance. She didn't commit fifty years of her life to be thrown out like last season's runway fad. But taking vengeance on an upper level Shifter Demon and the newly crowned Voodoo Princess might not be a one demon job. She volunteers her services to Lucifer to deliver Angel and Jacque in exchange for his help. She never expected her new partner in crime would fill the void in her broken heart.
Not even death brought him peace. Xavier Toussant wanted out of his contract and the killing business. His last assignment was his own brother and he failed to deliver. Lucifer didn't appreciate his valor in dealing with his brother, Jacque. In fact, it only created more problems. Xavier's back on assignment to capture his brother and the Voodoo chick. Only this time, he's shackled to the craziest female in the Underworld. Xavier finds Isabella LaCoste might be the one thing to put his soul at ease.
Not even death brought him peace. Xavier Toussant wanted out of his contract and the killing business. His last assignment was his own brother and he failed to deliver. Lucifer didn't appreciate his valor in dealing with his brother, Jacque. In fact, it only created more problems. Xavier's back on assignment to capture his brother and the Voodoo chick. Only this time, he's shackled to the craziest female in the Underworld. Xavier finds Isabella LaCoste might be the one thing to put his soul at ease.
- GenresParanormal
204 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 5, 2013
196 people want to read
About the author
Vivi Dumas
5 books110 followersVivi Dumas submerges herself in the dark underworld of the supernatural. To balance the analytical and structured confines of her day job, she unleashes the fiery passions of her imagination in her writing. Although Vivi grew up an Army brat, she calls Louisiana home, but have endured the hot summers and cold winters of Maryland for the last 16 years.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 10, 2013
Hell hath no fury…
Isabella (Bell) LaCoste is hell bent on revenge. Her ex is engaged—and to a human no less. Bell makes a deal with Lucifer to exact her revenge, promising to deliver her ex, Jacque, and his new fiancée (who happens to be a Voodoo princess) to him. For this particular mission, Lucifer (Luc) sends Jacque’s brother, Xavier Toussant, with her.
Xavier’s life is on the line. As a hired killer, Xavier failed to complete his last assignment—to kill his own brother. Lucifer gives him another chance when he assigns him to accompany Bell on the mission to secure the two lovebirds and bring them to Lucifer.
The only problem? Bell and Xavier can’t stand each other. As the story progresses, though, the mutual hate turns into a You-make-me-sick-but-you’re-sexy kind of thing. The good news? This makes for a very HOT romance.
Sweet Revenge is the second book in the Dueling with the Devil series and the first novel I’ve read by Ms. Dumas. In the beginning, I didn’t know what to expect. The premise immediately caught my eye. I love the idea of a woman scorned, set out on revenge, but finding another love in the process. What I didn’t expect was the brilliant world Ms. Dumas created and the underlying message in the novel.
Bell wasn’t the only one who was out for revenge. It seemed to be a recurrent theme throughout the novel, with various characters. Which leads me to my next point… There are so many different supernatural beings, or Supes, that I had to make sure I got all of them straight. Vampires, wolves, witches, demons, goddesses… you name it, they’re there. None of them are “good” people, but many of them have good motives, which made me root for them.
Without giving too much away, I was glad to see that Bell and Xavier, along with their families are able to put aside their differences and work together to defeat the true enemy—or at least try.
The romance between Bell and Xavier is an added bonus in a bigger story. In the end they found out that true love is possible in spite of their lives and circumstances and that is always good.
Ms. Dumas did an amazing job of world building, from the seedy parts of New Orleans to the desolate areas of the underworld, or Hades. I was on the edge of my seat, wondering what could happen next. The ending was satisfying and frustrating, because I wasn’t ready for it to end. The author definitely ended it in a way that made me want to continue with the next book. There were some formatting issues that were sometimes distracting. Overall, though, I enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to her next book.
-Reviewed by Leslie
Isabella (Bell) LaCoste is hell bent on revenge. Her ex is engaged—and to a human no less. Bell makes a deal with Lucifer to exact her revenge, promising to deliver her ex, Jacque, and his new fiancée (who happens to be a Voodoo princess) to him. For this particular mission, Lucifer (Luc) sends Jacque’s brother, Xavier Toussant, with her.
Xavier’s life is on the line. As a hired killer, Xavier failed to complete his last assignment—to kill his own brother. Lucifer gives him another chance when he assigns him to accompany Bell on the mission to secure the two lovebirds and bring them to Lucifer.
The only problem? Bell and Xavier can’t stand each other. As the story progresses, though, the mutual hate turns into a You-make-me-sick-but-you’re-sexy kind of thing. The good news? This makes for a very HOT romance.
Sweet Revenge is the second book in the Dueling with the Devil series and the first novel I’ve read by Ms. Dumas. In the beginning, I didn’t know what to expect. The premise immediately caught my eye. I love the idea of a woman scorned, set out on revenge, but finding another love in the process. What I didn’t expect was the brilliant world Ms. Dumas created and the underlying message in the novel.
Bell wasn’t the only one who was out for revenge. It seemed to be a recurrent theme throughout the novel, with various characters. Which leads me to my next point… There are so many different supernatural beings, or Supes, that I had to make sure I got all of them straight. Vampires, wolves, witches, demons, goddesses… you name it, they’re there. None of them are “good” people, but many of them have good motives, which made me root for them.
Without giving too much away, I was glad to see that Bell and Xavier, along with their families are able to put aside their differences and work together to defeat the true enemy—or at least try.
The romance between Bell and Xavier is an added bonus in a bigger story. In the end they found out that true love is possible in spite of their lives and circumstances and that is always good.
Ms. Dumas did an amazing job of world building, from the seedy parts of New Orleans to the desolate areas of the underworld, or Hades. I was on the edge of my seat, wondering what could happen next. The ending was satisfying and frustrating, because I wasn’t ready for it to end. The author definitely ended it in a way that made me want to continue with the next book. There were some formatting issues that were sometimes distracting. Overall, though, I enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to her next book.
-Reviewed by Leslie
September 12, 2013
The author gave me this book for an honest review.
Well, it’s not easy for a second book in a series to be better than the first, but believe me when I say that this book is even better than the first! And I am so glad that I read it! Vivi Dumas is an amazing author! I love the world-building and the fact that nothing is predictable in her writing!
The story continues from where the last one stopped but with other main characters. Yes, Bell is the leading female character in this story and I have to say that she is amazing! After her fury for her ex’s engagement with a human she wants to revenge. But what she finds? Love. And she can’t believe it because the person that she has her love is Xavier, her ex’s brother. Yes, it’s complicated.
This book is about choices and true characters. Both Bell and Xavier made many bad choices in the past and almost everyone think bad of them. But this isn’t the truth. They need to be loved and give love in return. It’s more than obvious that they have some issues and that other people judge them wrong easily.
I liked Bell a lot. Although sometimes she was kind of a bitch, when she loves she does it completely. She says she doesn’t care what the others think but the truth is that she likes to belong and after this book it’s easy to say that she’s truly happy after so many years.
Xavier is my favorite. He had a bad life so far and nobody was there for him. It’s logical to be bitter but it doesn’t last long. It’s more than obvious that he needs love in his life and now that he found this love he will do anything to keep it. I absolutely love him!
To be honest, I liked the plot more than the first book. Fast-paced and with non-stop action and romance, this read has everything I want in a paranormal romance book! I recommend it to all the fans of this genre!
Well, it’s not easy for a second book in a series to be better than the first, but believe me when I say that this book is even better than the first! And I am so glad that I read it! Vivi Dumas is an amazing author! I love the world-building and the fact that nothing is predictable in her writing!
The story continues from where the last one stopped but with other main characters. Yes, Bell is the leading female character in this story and I have to say that she is amazing! After her fury for her ex’s engagement with a human she wants to revenge. But what she finds? Love. And she can’t believe it because the person that she has her love is Xavier, her ex’s brother. Yes, it’s complicated.
This book is about choices and true characters. Both Bell and Xavier made many bad choices in the past and almost everyone think bad of them. But this isn’t the truth. They need to be loved and give love in return. It’s more than obvious that they have some issues and that other people judge them wrong easily.
I liked Bell a lot. Although sometimes she was kind of a bitch, when she loves she does it completely. She says she doesn’t care what the others think but the truth is that she likes to belong and after this book it’s easy to say that she’s truly happy after so many years.
Xavier is my favorite. He had a bad life so far and nobody was there for him. It’s logical to be bitter but it doesn’t last long. It’s more than obvious that he needs love in his life and now that he found this love he will do anything to keep it. I absolutely love him!
To be honest, I liked the plot more than the first book. Fast-paced and with non-stop action and romance, this read has everything I want in a paranormal romance book! I recommend it to all the fans of this genre!
June 26, 2013
This is the second in The Dueling With the Devil series and has certainly taken the series up a notch! This follows on immediately after Soul Catcher and is a wild ride. It features the story of Isabella daughter of Lilith and Xavier son of Leviathan one of the Princes of Hell.Isabella feels scorned by her former lover Jacque ( Xavier s brother) and is determined to have revenge on him and his new love Angel. Xavier has worked as an assassin for Lucifer for many years under the belief that he is unloved and unwanted by his family. Together they plan to assist Lucifer in collecting the souls of Angel and Jacque and aborting a growing underworld war.
This is an incredibly steamy novel that features demons, werewolves, witches and vampires. It's a world that I want to revisit again and again. It's a fun sexy ride and I look forward to more in this series. Lots of colourful characters in the background certainly gives the author scope to continue with these books and I would thoroughly recommend this novel to lovers of hot paranormal fiction
I was lucky enough to receive this free in exchange for an honest review
5 stars from me
This is an incredibly steamy novel that features demons, werewolves, witches and vampires. It's a world that I want to revisit again and again. It's a fun sexy ride and I look forward to more in this series. Lots of colourful characters in the background certainly gives the author scope to continue with these books and I would thoroughly recommend this novel to lovers of hot paranormal fiction
I was lucky enough to receive this free in exchange for an honest review
5 stars from me
May 19, 2013
Sweet Revenge ~ Vivi Dumas
The sweetest revenge is served by a determined, contemptuous woman; even better plated up when cold. Sweet Revenge by an endowed author, Vivi Dumas, is the icing on the cake in my opinion. Ms. Dumas satisfies the appetite of her audience by creating a sequel that flows seamlessly with the dynamic characters, setting, highly erotic romance and flawless storyline. The book Sweet Revenge is an arsenal of paranormal action, romance and suspense.
The women in Sweet Revenge are anything but genteel. Isabella LaCoste and Angel Dias are spicy, energetic and kick-butt women who are fearless in the face of the devil himself when it comes to protecting love ones.
Vivi Dumas brings the heat to the confrontational issues between good and evil, social, cultural and racial components, human and non-human personas. The vibration throughout Sweet Revenge reminds me of the thunderous beat of a marching band competition between the top two contenders. Ms. Dumas manufactures settings, characters that require unrestricted, free-spirited energy of a writer with conviction and plenty of soul to captivate the minds of readers transporting them outside of themselves and their world. I appreciate such finely developed skills and devoured Sweet Revenge like a starving woman coming off of a six month chocolate fast. :-) The settings were realistically illustrated from New Orleans and beyond to the bowels of Hell.
Isabella LaCoste, Angel Dias, Jacque Toussant, Xavier Toussant, Lucifer are main characters in Vivi Dumas romance Soul Catcher and she intensifies all aspects their personalities, relationships and their missions which entwine like that of a grapevine. The connections between the characters carries the intoxicating effect of an aphrodisiac within the Sweet Revenge rich with potent, spicy dialogue. Ms. Dumas submerges her readers senses by utilizing irresistibly handsome, sexy characters with power, awesome erotic encounters and romance that makes carrying them along on a carnal interlude hotter than hell. :-)
I believe the message Ms. Dumas conveys is the importance of devotion, honor and commitment in the face of opposition. A common cause is capable of uniting individuals who stand on opposite sides together in battle for the greater good to defeat evil.
I thoroughly enjoyed Sweet Revenge and have recommended Ms. Dumas to friends as an author whose star is reaching beyond the earthly realm into the stratosphere where only vivid imaginations can dwell.
Sweet Revenge is truly a five star read and from a reader who never considered being so enthralled with the vamps, demons and other dark beings as I have been with this narrative and Soul Catcher. I must thank Ms. Dumas for sharing her boldness and gifted writing to baptize me into another world capable of providing me with an usual place to escape daily stress and relax in the excitement and sensuality of her characters' world.
The sweetest revenge is served by a determined, contemptuous woman; even better plated up when cold. Sweet Revenge by an endowed author, Vivi Dumas, is the icing on the cake in my opinion. Ms. Dumas satisfies the appetite of her audience by creating a sequel that flows seamlessly with the dynamic characters, setting, highly erotic romance and flawless storyline. The book Sweet Revenge is an arsenal of paranormal action, romance and suspense.
The women in Sweet Revenge are anything but genteel. Isabella LaCoste and Angel Dias are spicy, energetic and kick-butt women who are fearless in the face of the devil himself when it comes to protecting love ones.
Vivi Dumas brings the heat to the confrontational issues between good and evil, social, cultural and racial components, human and non-human personas. The vibration throughout Sweet Revenge reminds me of the thunderous beat of a marching band competition between the top two contenders. Ms. Dumas manufactures settings, characters that require unrestricted, free-spirited energy of a writer with conviction and plenty of soul to captivate the minds of readers transporting them outside of themselves and their world. I appreciate such finely developed skills and devoured Sweet Revenge like a starving woman coming off of a six month chocolate fast. :-) The settings were realistically illustrated from New Orleans and beyond to the bowels of Hell.
Isabella LaCoste, Angel Dias, Jacque Toussant, Xavier Toussant, Lucifer are main characters in Vivi Dumas romance Soul Catcher and she intensifies all aspects their personalities, relationships and their missions which entwine like that of a grapevine. The connections between the characters carries the intoxicating effect of an aphrodisiac within the Sweet Revenge rich with potent, spicy dialogue. Ms. Dumas submerges her readers senses by utilizing irresistibly handsome, sexy characters with power, awesome erotic encounters and romance that makes carrying them along on a carnal interlude hotter than hell. :-)
I believe the message Ms. Dumas conveys is the importance of devotion, honor and commitment in the face of opposition. A common cause is capable of uniting individuals who stand on opposite sides together in battle for the greater good to defeat evil.
I thoroughly enjoyed Sweet Revenge and have recommended Ms. Dumas to friends as an author whose star is reaching beyond the earthly realm into the stratosphere where only vivid imaginations can dwell.
Sweet Revenge is truly a five star read and from a reader who never considered being so enthralled with the vamps, demons and other dark beings as I have been with this narrative and Soul Catcher. I must thank Ms. Dumas for sharing her boldness and gifted writing to baptize me into another world capable of providing me with an usual place to escape daily stress and relax in the excitement and sensuality of her characters' world.
September 27, 2013
Xavier Toussant, a demon and bounty hunter, believed to be dead by his family is suffering Lucifer's (Luc's) wrath for dying and failing his contract. Xavier would much rather be dead than dealing with insane Luc. Luc offers another deal to Xavier~he must complete his contract on Angel and Jacque or face deepest pits of Hell has to offer. Luc is determined to make sure Xavier completes his assignment by having Isabella (Bell) LaCoste at his side. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned which is exactly what Bell is since finding out Jacque is marrying Angel instead of her. Bell wants to make Jacque pay for his transgression by exacting sweet revenge on him. Bell will do everything in her power to make this happen even if it means betraying those she considers friends. Bell's world is about to be turned upside down in ways she never thought possible thanks to her attraction to Xavier. Bell feels a fiery passion that she's never experience with anyone especially Jacque. Xavier makes Bell feel in ways that leave her vulnerable to her emotions something that she keeps a tight lid on. Xavier is being driven insane by Bell, she ignites a fiery passion that warms his soul and body to new heights he never dreamed of before. Xavier doesn't really want to be bounty hunter any more he's tired of all the killing he's so numb that even he's not sure what he feels. When Bell is about to be attacked by strange creature Xavier steps in front of her. Xavier realizes he has feelings for her that go beyond sex. Laurent is taken hostage by the creature. Will Xavier complete his contract? Will Bell and Xavier admit their feelings? What is this strange creature? Will Laurent be found? Your answers await you in Sweet Revenge.
Sweet Revenge picks up right where Soul Catcher left off hitting the ground running and doesn't stop until the end of the book. I adore Xavier, he's a broken alpha male that's lost his way! Bell still irrates me yet I found out more information that gave me better insight to her character. I can see where she's coming from and understand her reluctance in dealing with her emotions. I thought the author did a really good job of creating Xavier's and Bell's background which made me appreciate their characters better in the end. Luc is just right old bastard and completely insane too. I'm looking forward to the next installment in this series. Until then happy reading!
Sweet Revenge picks up right where Soul Catcher left off hitting the ground running and doesn't stop until the end of the book. I adore Xavier, he's a broken alpha male that's lost his way! Bell still irrates me yet I found out more information that gave me better insight to her character. I can see where she's coming from and understand her reluctance in dealing with her emotions. I thought the author did a really good job of creating Xavier's and Bell's background which made me appreciate their characters better in the end. Luc is just right old bastard and completely insane too. I'm looking forward to the next installment in this series. Until then happy reading!
September 30, 2013
This is the 2nd book in the Dueling with the Devil series and it definitely raises the bar.
This is the story of Isabella and Xavier. Isabella si the scorned former lover of Jacque who has left Isabella to be with Angel. Xavier is Jacque's brother. Isabella has volunteered her services to Lucifer to return Jacque and Angel to his service. Lucifer pairs her with Xavier in this endeavor. Sparks fly! Hades will never be the same.
Lots of sex again... but not as much agonizing over it... thank goodness! Definitely not for YA readers!
This book was better than the 1st.
3 1/2 stars!
This is the story of Isabella and Xavier. Isabella si the scorned former lover of Jacque who has left Isabella to be with Angel. Xavier is Jacque's brother. Isabella has volunteered her services to Lucifer to return Jacque and Angel to his service. Lucifer pairs her with Xavier in this endeavor. Sparks fly! Hades will never be the same.
Lots of sex again... but not as much agonizing over it... thank goodness! Definitely not for YA readers!
This book was better than the 1st.
3 1/2 stars!
May 13, 2013
I recieved this book though Good Reads First Reads.
A story of family , friends, love... what is good and what is evil. A group of aquaintenance become friends in the most unique way as some of them also explore love. Learning what it truely is and that untill you give into it and accept you can be loved, you'll never find it. The characters are willing to die for those they love, and are even willing to venture to hell and back and to hell again.
Cant wait to read the next book, this one leave you hanging.
A story of family , friends, love... what is good and what is evil. A group of aquaintenance become friends in the most unique way as some of them also explore love. Learning what it truely is and that untill you give into it and accept you can be loved, you'll never find it. The characters are willing to die for those they love, and are even willing to venture to hell and back and to hell again.
Cant wait to read the next book, this one leave you hanging.
July 2, 2013
Won this here on goodreads. Good story. Quick read.
February 9, 2017
A Hell of a Story
The author doesn’t disappoint when it comes to writing a jaw-dropping erotic tale. This stimulating narrative has everything: versatile characters, racy dialogue, plenty of drama and sensuality. The setting is New Orleans where antagonists and protagonists engage in unrequited love, romance, lust, envy, deception, betrayal, conflict, and manipulation, and where humans, witches, demons, shapeshifters, werewolves, and vampires draw you into their supernatural world. A brash Xavier is sent to earth by Lucifer to execute a deadly assignment and assigns the ‘take no prisoners’ Bell to accompany him, except, their plot is about to take an unexpected turn, exposing them to danger, secrets and lies, scandalous revelations, with an ending that will leave you wanting more. I love the spunkiness of the women characters taking matters of combat into their own hands by using their intellect.
The author doesn’t disappoint when it comes to writing a jaw-dropping erotic tale. This stimulating narrative has everything: versatile characters, racy dialogue, plenty of drama and sensuality. The setting is New Orleans where antagonists and protagonists engage in unrequited love, romance, lust, envy, deception, betrayal, conflict, and manipulation, and where humans, witches, demons, shapeshifters, werewolves, and vampires draw you into their supernatural world. A brash Xavier is sent to earth by Lucifer to execute a deadly assignment and assigns the ‘take no prisoners’ Bell to accompany him, except, their plot is about to take an unexpected turn, exposing them to danger, secrets and lies, scandalous revelations, with an ending that will leave you wanting more. I love the spunkiness of the women characters taking matters of combat into their own hands by using their intellect.
January 3, 2014
This is the second installment in the Dueling With the Devil series picking up where Soul Catcher left off and focuses on two pivotal characters from book one. It is my understanding that each book in the series will be focusing on different characters from the series while interacting in the same world and including prior characters introduced. While this is often an opportunity to read installments out of order or as standalone novels, I would not recommend this for this series as too much back-story would be lost and that would be a shame, as the world building is very rich and full of important twists and turns. Sweet Revenge is focusing on Xavier and Belle. Belle for me is one of those characters you love to hate and I was concerned when I started reading this installment as I want to love the primary protagonists. However, Belle and Xavier's story is definitely worth the read and I will even grudgingly say, okay Belle I will give you a chance. In this installment the world building continues and the writing is a joy and of course the smexy is sensual and well done. I received this book from the author with a request for my honest review without any compensation whatsoever, other than the joy of reading a new book
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August 25, 2016I´m so sorry, but I just lost interest. I´ve had this one half read for four months and by now I feel I won´t finish it.
Maybe try and re-read in the future, but for now I´ll let it go.
Maybe try and re-read in the future, but for now I´ll let it go.
July 13, 2014
Review to follow ....
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews