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A Lesser Evil
Blinded in a hate attack, painter Rowan McCall sells his soul to a demon to restore his sight, and his guardian angel’s arrival may do more harm than good.
Rowan McCall is about to start a new phase in his painting career with a one-man show at a prestigious San Francisco art gallery. His moment of triumph is snatched away and Rowan’s life changes forever. Left alone and suicidal, Rowan is determined to do anything to get his life back on track. He strikes a deal with an angel who’s all too willing to help him. Then Rowan discovers Tur’el is anything but an angel—he’s a demon. But he’s just desperate enough to go ahead with the bargain.
Zethan, Rowan’s guardian angel, arrives too late. In order to save Rowan’s soul, Zethan makes a deal of his own with Tur’el. With his sight restored and possessed by Tur’el, Rowan searches for Zethan on Earth.
Rowan is obsessed with capturing Zethan’s angelic beauty on canvas. When he
meets a mortal who embodies the same beauty, Tur’el and Rowan are overjoyed. But finding Zethan again may prove deadly for all of them.
Rowan McCall is about to start a new phase in his painting career with a one-man show at a prestigious San Francisco art gallery. His moment of triumph is snatched away and Rowan’s life changes forever. Left alone and suicidal, Rowan is determined to do anything to get his life back on track. He strikes a deal with an angel who’s all too willing to help him. Then Rowan discovers Tur’el is anything but an angel—he’s a demon. But he’s just desperate enough to go ahead with the bargain.
Zethan, Rowan’s guardian angel, arrives too late. In order to save Rowan’s soul, Zethan makes a deal of his own with Tur’el. With his sight restored and possessed by Tur’el, Rowan searches for Zethan on Earth.
Rowan is obsessed with capturing Zethan’s angelic beauty on canvas. When he
meets a mortal who embodies the same beauty, Tur’el and Rowan are overjoyed. But finding Zethan again may prove deadly for all of them.
70 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 2, 2013
55 people want to read
About the author
E.M. Lynley
48 books234 followersEM Lynley writes gay erotic romance. She loves books where the hero gets the guy and the loving is 11 on a scale of 10. Her Precious Gems series is best described as “Indiana Jones meets Romancing the Stone”—only gayer. The Delectable series is Gay Romance with Taste.
A Rainbow Award winner and EPPIE finalist, EM has worked in high finance, high tech, and in the wine industry, though she'd rather be writing hot, romantic man-on-man action. She spent 10 years as an economist and financial analyst, including a year as a White House Staff Economist, but only because all the intern positions were filled. Tired of boring herself and others with dry business reports and articles, her creative muse is back and naughtier than ever. She has lived and worked in London, Tokyo and Washington, D.C., but the San Francisco Bay Area is home for now.
She is the author of Sex, Lies & Wedding Bells, the Precious Gems series from Dreamspinner Press, and the Rewriting History series starring a sexy jewel thief, among others. Her books are available in print and e-book from Amazon & other book distributors.
A Rainbow Award winner and EPPIE finalist, EM has worked in high finance, high tech, and in the wine industry, though she'd rather be writing hot, romantic man-on-man action. She spent 10 years as an economist and financial analyst, including a year as a White House Staff Economist, but only because all the intern positions were filled. Tired of boring herself and others with dry business reports and articles, her creative muse is back and naughtier than ever. She has lived and worked in London, Tokyo and Washington, D.C., but the San Francisco Bay Area is home for now.
She is the author of Sex, Lies & Wedding Bells, the Precious Gems series from Dreamspinner Press, and the Rewriting History series starring a sexy jewel thief, among others. Her books are available in print and e-book from Amazon & other book distributors.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 8, 2013
This is a paradoxical story of good. When is it wrong to do the right thing? Nothing is what it seems when the end comes. Is the happy ending you get the one you expected when you've made a deal with A Lesser Evil?
Lucky's complete 4 sweet pea review appears on May 8, 2013 at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
Lucky's complete 4 sweet pea review appears on May 8, 2013 at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
May 6, 2013
Hauntingly beautiful. I enjoyed the art aspect. It's very different from her other books, which are mostly contemporary. I liked how everything wasn't spoon fed and I found myself thinking about the ending after I put the book down. Lovely imagery of eternal love.
January 25, 2015
Part of the Sexy Snax series from Totally Bound, and given the subject matter...angels and demons, I should have loved it but I have to say it isn't my favourite of the series. 3. 5 stars.
May 31, 2013
Was okay but just wasn't my fsvorite kind of angel story.
June 14, 2013
3.75 Stars. http://joyfullyjay.com/2013/06/review...
Rowan McCall is a painter at the beginning of his career. At the end of a successful show where he sells all but one of his paintings, he’s attacked and left blind. This, of course, is the worst possible fate imaginable for an artist. Rowan’s so desperate to be able to paint again, he sells his soul to a demon in order to have his sight returned to him.
Rowan’s guardian angel, Zethan, shows up just a moment too late and is unable to save Rowan from his fate. It would seem the demon and guardian angel have history as well. The love that they once had for each other still burns bright between Zethan and the demon, once an angel named Laz. In order to save the soul of Rowan, and perhaps because he still harbors strong feelings for Laz, Zethan agrees to make a deal with the demon to save Rowan’s soul. (Just to be clear, all of these deals involve having sex.)
Rowan’s upset because his sight has been taken once again and Laz knows Zethan will be damned unless he is able to save the angel from the ultimate punishment. Essentially, Laz becomes a part of Rowan and lives inside his body, while Zethan receives his punishment from heaven, which means he will lead merely a human life. Laz has no idea if he will see the angel he still loves, and while he inhabits Rowan’s body, the two hold out hope that they will cross paths with the man.
Even as I’m writing this, I’m getting a little confused. This was the biggest failing with this book. I loved the characters — the angel, the demon, and the artist — and I felt the love that Zethan and Laz, bound to the laws of heaven and hell, were unable to have with one another. It was tragic and heart-breaking and I really wanted them to find true love together. So I was willing to suspend some disbelief to accept all the body hopping in order to reunite the lovers.
The problem was, the world building just wasn’t quite complete. We were dealing with the powers of heaven, hell, and earth in a 70ish page novella, and there wasn’t enough time to explain why things happened the way that they did. How Laz ended up inside of Rowan is still a mystery to me, as well as the sequence of events that occur in the final pages of the book. Yes, it was romantic and ultimately led to our HEA, but it left me with more questions than I would’ve liked.
It seemed there wasn’t a lot of consequences for actions here. All turned out well for everyone involved, especially the artist, who ends up with his sight and his soul and love in the end. Still, I’d recommend this book for those who like a romance with an original element. It was sweet, it was steamy, and it had super sexy scenes involving an artist and a model who can’t keep their eyes and hands off of one another, which is never a bad thing.
Rowan McCall is a painter at the beginning of his career. At the end of a successful show where he sells all but one of his paintings, he’s attacked and left blind. This, of course, is the worst possible fate imaginable for an artist. Rowan’s so desperate to be able to paint again, he sells his soul to a demon in order to have his sight returned to him.
Rowan’s guardian angel, Zethan, shows up just a moment too late and is unable to save Rowan from his fate. It would seem the demon and guardian angel have history as well. The love that they once had for each other still burns bright between Zethan and the demon, once an angel named Laz. In order to save the soul of Rowan, and perhaps because he still harbors strong feelings for Laz, Zethan agrees to make a deal with the demon to save Rowan’s soul. (Just to be clear, all of these deals involve having sex.)
Rowan’s upset because his sight has been taken once again and Laz knows Zethan will be damned unless he is able to save the angel from the ultimate punishment. Essentially, Laz becomes a part of Rowan and lives inside his body, while Zethan receives his punishment from heaven, which means he will lead merely a human life. Laz has no idea if he will see the angel he still loves, and while he inhabits Rowan’s body, the two hold out hope that they will cross paths with the man.
Even as I’m writing this, I’m getting a little confused. This was the biggest failing with this book. I loved the characters — the angel, the demon, and the artist — and I felt the love that Zethan and Laz, bound to the laws of heaven and hell, were unable to have with one another. It was tragic and heart-breaking and I really wanted them to find true love together. So I was willing to suspend some disbelief to accept all the body hopping in order to reunite the lovers.
The problem was, the world building just wasn’t quite complete. We were dealing with the powers of heaven, hell, and earth in a 70ish page novella, and there wasn’t enough time to explain why things happened the way that they did. How Laz ended up inside of Rowan is still a mystery to me, as well as the sequence of events that occur in the final pages of the book. Yes, it was romantic and ultimately led to our HEA, but it left me with more questions than I would’ve liked.
It seemed there wasn’t a lot of consequences for actions here. All turned out well for everyone involved, especially the artist, who ends up with his sight and his soul and love in the end. Still, I’d recommend this book for those who like a romance with an original element. It was sweet, it was steamy, and it had super sexy scenes involving an artist and a model who can’t keep their eyes and hands off of one another, which is never a bad thing.
January 12, 2015
For a short story of less than 100 pages, this book is action packed. This a heartbreaking story of a man just coming into his fame as a controversial artist. At his first big show that is a near sell out a man brutally attacks him blinding him. He loses his eyesight, career, and longtime lover. In a deep depression he prays that he would do anything to have his eyesight back. What he thinks is an angel comes to him and he deals to get his sight back, finding himself in a sweet, but scary love triangle.
I absolutely loved this story, it was heartbreaking and yet sweet as well. I loved the characters. I couldn’t help but even fall for the demon, Tur’el. I would love to read Tur’el and Zethan’s story, hint, hint!
If you like Angels, and Demons, sexy Artist’s, angst, and a beautiful love story then you really must read this!
I absolutely loved this story, it was heartbreaking and yet sweet as well. I loved the characters. I couldn’t help but even fall for the demon, Tur’el. I would love to read Tur’el and Zethan’s story, hint, hint!
If you like Angels, and Demons, sexy Artist’s, angst, and a beautiful love story then you really must read this!
September 26, 2014
This is a short book, good for an evening or afternoon read about angels and demons.
Since the story is less than 100 pages, I don't want to rehash and give the rest of the book away. Early in the book, Rowan seems to have everything and then in a spilt second it's taken away. Desperate to see and paint again, he prays for the end since it's clear his sight isn't going to come back. Someone answers his prayer, but it's not angel. There's clearly a deal with a demon going on. Rowan's guardian angel tries to save him before it's too late. There's a twist about the demon and angel that makes the whole story really interesting. As the story progresses, I wondered how it would all turn out and resolve. I wasn't disappointed. The book makes you think about what you would do if you lost what you loved most in life, how far would you go to get it back? The ending makes you think a little as well.
Having read a few of EM Lynley's other books in the Delectable series as well as Bound for Trouble, this book is very different than those books in some ways. I love the Delectable series of books because they are sweet romances with some small amounts of angst. Bound for Trouble was a book that I couldn't put down because I wanted to know what happened next. This book made me think. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, which was refreshing.
I received a copy from the author in exchange for a honest, unbiased review.
Since the story is less than 100 pages, I don't want to rehash and give the rest of the book away. Early in the book, Rowan seems to have everything and then in a spilt second it's taken away. Desperate to see and paint again, he prays for the end since it's clear his sight isn't going to come back. Someone answers his prayer, but it's not angel. There's clearly a deal with a demon going on. Rowan's guardian angel tries to save him before it's too late. There's a twist about the demon and angel that makes the whole story really interesting. As the story progresses, I wondered how it would all turn out and resolve. I wasn't disappointed. The book makes you think about what you would do if you lost what you loved most in life, how far would you go to get it back? The ending makes you think a little as well.
Having read a few of EM Lynley's other books in the Delectable series as well as Bound for Trouble, this book is very different than those books in some ways. I love the Delectable series of books because they are sweet romances with some small amounts of angst. Bound for Trouble was a book that I couldn't put down because I wanted to know what happened next. This book made me think. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, which was refreshing.
I received a copy from the author in exchange for a honest, unbiased review.
May 5, 2013
I had a hard time connecting to the characters and story...may have been a bit too heavy on the heaven/hell, angels/demons thing for me. Just my personal feeling after reading this.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews