To Handle A Hellcat

Southern Sanctuary #12

by Jane Cousins

Darcy Montgomery, Spider Mage and sociopath with well intentioned homicidal tendencies, has a lot on her plate. As Special Liaison it is her job to protect and defend the inhabitants of the Southern Sanctuary, by any means necessary. Juggling multiple crises is her forte, but this hellish week is proving more challenging than most.
There’s something up with Hadleigh and Gaia’s babies. An Incubus is missing. A posse of Priestesses have just arrived in search of their Love God. And most annoying of all, she is saddled with Apprentice Enforcer, Declan Benavidez, babe magnet extraordinaire. Who appears determined to prove that Darcy isn’t as immune to his charms as she thinks she is.

Declan Benavidez has an annoying Pagan Love God living in his head. But he’s never let that fact get in the way of going after what he wants. Pursuing his goal of becoming a Southern Sanctuary Enforcer. And loving ornery Darcy Montgomery.
And finally it looks like all his dreams might come true. He just needs to avoid a posse of determined Priestesses. Oust the Love God from his head. Find that missing Incubus, passing his final test to become an Enforcer. And win Darcy’s heart. All without her killing him when she discovers that he was the one who magically marked her, claiming her.
His mission is greenlit, it’s time - To Handle a Hellcat.

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Urban Fantasy, Humor, Love

340 pages, Paperback

Published July 18, 2018

About the author

An optimist, yet overly sarcastic. Big on bringing the laughs and the heat to her paranormal romance and cosy mystery series. A huge fan of snark, with a side order of bickering and a double heaping of banter. Delivering to the page sweet alpha males and their more than a match female counterparts. Before wrapping it all up in a hugely satisfying HEA each and every time.

Living in Melbourne, Australia, with her blue tongue lizard, that pokes it head out from under the porch twice a year. When not writing, can generally be found reading.

The Beast of Gloomenthrall - a snarky, fun & hot stand alone romantasy - Released January 2025

Currently hard at work on book 15 - To Crave A Curse (Southern Sanctuary series)

Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JaneCousinsW... or Twitter for all the latest - @JCousins_Author
or - become a fan on Goodreads, read my blog and get all the latest news.

Reviews

[Jilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know when you read a series and you have that favorite character that you are waiting for their book forever, then they get it and it sucks? That doesn't happen here. Darcy, the sociopath, is even better than we hoped for!



So, who will get matched with Darcy? A dark mysterious guy who also has psychopathic tendencies so they can rule the world together?

Um. No. She gets the guy who is so ridiculously good looking that he has swarms of women falling at his feet. His shirt always mysteriously rips so that his abs are on display. He smiles and his dimples are weapons against panties. There is a strange breeze that follows him around and makes his hair always look perfect. Even flowers try to touch him as he walks by. And, on top of all of that, he is always cheerful.



So, yeah, this is a strange match. And yet it is so perfect!
I absolutely adored this couple.

[EmmaMay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darcy, is the BEST. Sociopath, defender, wicked sense of humour and sharp dresser. JC brings her to life so vividly I feel like she is my best friend (that I'm a little afraid of, but who isn't?). We met Darcy way back in book 1, and she has been a consistent character throughout the series. And the build-up, the anticipation for her story seemed endless. And let's face it, could have gone wrong in so many ways because of that.
But Jane Cousins is beyond brilliant. She's depicted Darcy with dark depths along with glimpses of vulnerability, always waiting to be judged for her actions. And she has also provided us with a great backstory as to why Darcy is like she is - her family, her issues, wrath of God complex, her United Nations assembly of Barbies - LOL.
Declan, gorgeous but also kind. The torn t-shirts. His clear affection for the entire family - and theirs for him. The fact that he sees Darcy, all her dark shadowy places, and loves her. Sigh. And his handling of her, it was more of a courtship really. Sizzling and sweet as only this author seems to be able to write.
Loved the set-up. The priestesses, Pagan God, the hunt for the missing Incubus. The visit with old faves - Hadleigh, the Great-Great-Aunts (sprinklers - LOL) and the new babies, I sense big things are happening on that front.
I laughed so hard, so often, I'm a little hoarse now. LOVED IT!!!!!

[Rye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished reading this with the happiest, goofiest smile on my face. Darcy stole the show. I love her so much. She's calls a spade a shovel and then proceeds to pick up the shovel and hit those she dislikes around the head and face - brilliant.
Declan, in contrast, was a lot sweeter than I remembered, adored his tenacity when it came to Darcy, never backing down but through understanding her, loving every single aspect of her, the good, the bad, he knew just how to push her buttons and win her over.
The story line was fun. Too many times to count I found myself laughing out loud and having to apologise to everyone around me, which is so typical of a JC book. Adored reading about Darcy as a child. The net scene was brilliant. The whole God in Declan's head, so smart. And we got to catch up with some of our secondary fave characters - so cool. This is definitely going on my re-read pile.

[KarenMac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn, Jane Cousins just made a liar out of me. Only a few short weeks ago I declared loud and proud that book 9 of her Southern Sanctuary series; To Vex A Valkyrie was my favourite read of the year. Well, hard as it was for me to believe, this book blew that declaration to smithereens.

Book 12 was pure magnificence and it all came down to our heroine, Darcy. That wonderful, delightfully blunt, sociopath, who says and does things in her own very unique, often violent way.
I've been anticipating Darcy's story since she appeared in book one in all her sassy glory. And the author has teased us constantly, having Darcy turn up in other books in the series delivering her brand of wit, and violence before disappearing.
So book 12 had an awful lot of my expectations riding on it, and thank you JC, but, damn, did you deliver.
So many funny situations... but why would I spoil them for you? go read this thing for yourself. The dialogue is pure gold. You will be laughing constantly, so be prepared.

And Declan, our Hero, loved him. The insane, crazy God riding in his head. The torn t-shirts. His constant cheerfulness that made him Darcy's perfect foil somehow. He knows he wants Darcy in his life and the way he goes about winning her/tricking her, is just sublime.

The bad guys; the Lurve God and his priestesses were just so much fun. Worthy foes.

The author added, as she often does, bonus extras. We caught up with Gaia and Hadleigh's new babies. And Drum and Nell appear, love that He-man. The matchmaker Alma continues to delight and manipulate.

The only bad thing? Currently there is no book 13. But that's okay, my re-reading of this entire series is scheduled very soon in my near future. JC is now one of my all time fave authors. And this book I think will reign supreme as my favourite for quite some time, at least until the author releases a new book I think.

[Treena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been looking forward to Darcy's book ever since Jane announced that it was forthcoming and I freaking loved it!

Darcy is everything I thought she'd be and more. There's no questioning that she's a kickass badass, but I didn't think she'd be this funny and somehow soft too. Declan is the perfect balance to complement her. They are so so SOOOOOOO good together.

Don't want to give anything away in terms of plot/story so you'll have to trust me when I say that this book, nope this series! is so damn good esp if PNR is your jam. And if you are already a fan, I don't think I'll have to convince you to go out and buy this book. But if you aren't a fan yet, you have to start at the beginning with book 1 and binge-read. I highly recommend it.

[Eunice LB · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*.

[Pet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I got two pages into the story before I was snickering. which turned into full on belly laughs very quickly, I love Darcy, she's the perfect h, independent, strong, brilliant, fearless and best of all slightly insane. Declan is just yummy enough to catch my interest but the depths to him drew me into his story more and more, I love a man that's fully embraced falling in love and made winning his lady his main object in life, those are my absolute favourite story lines. But this book is so much more than that, there are so many interesting twists and turns I was captivated completely.
I can't recommend Jane Cousins books enough, they are the perfect doorway to a mental vacation into a magical wondrous world.

[Dahrose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deep diving into Darcy's world was a blast. That sneak peek into her childhood, so funny. And then Declan's campaign to win her heart. The net, way hot. The gifts, so perfect.
I got what I always come to expect from this author when it comes to book 12. A hot sizzling attraction between leads, that is undeniable. A heaping of witty dialogue. Lots of laugh out loud moments. Some actions. Some cool baddies. A mystery to solve. And lots of secondary characters turning up.
If I wasn't outright laughing when I read this book, I was smiling, or fanning myself because the romance factor was set on boil.
Loved, loved, loved the scene with Alma, the matchmaker (won't spoil it) can't wait for Darcy to have her revenge. Does that mean Alma will have her own story? Because I'd be cool with that, especially if Darcy is pulling the strings.

Darcy is one of my favourite heroines (funny, how quite a few on my top ten fave list have been created by this author - it's like she creates women who you would happily be best friends with). And I'm glad that JC didn't just present psycho serial killer Darcy. But gave us glimpses into her b/g, her family, how the sanctuary manage her & clearly love her, and how despite her pathology, she clearly loves them back.
Loved it. Once again a perfect match.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Darcy. Sociopath, with layers, who could ask for more in a heroine? If anything, in this book, she is the Alpha. And that's what I love about JC, she never does the expected. Declan, as the Hero, his ego is fine, he has no problem in letting Darcy take the lead. He respects her mad skills, supports her and looks damn good while doing so.
They are in essence, the perfect match. It just takes pure grit on Declan's behalf to get Darcy to admit to it.
As always there were a lot of little amusing touches in this books, and a host of fave characters made appearances, Drum, Nell, Hadleigh, the Great-Greats, matchmaker Alma. The new babies.
But this book was purely and simply about Declan's pursuit of Darcy, and her maturing and learning to accept love.
Even better there was a host of scenes that had me ROFL - Barbies. The Net. The sobbing complaints. Any scene that featured Darcy pretty much had me chuckling constantly. Yet the author also manage to tug at my heartstrings when it came to Darcy, in essence, she is just like all of us, scared to trust, frightened that if someone knows her, what she is capable of, that they will judge her.

Bring on another match. I'm ready now.

[Book Chomper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sociopath with well-intentioned homicidal tendencies - our heroine, Darcy - is fabulous. As the Southern Sanctuary Liaison, it's her job to make their enemies tremble in fear. And she can pretty much do that with her pinkie finger. This is the woman who likes to go to people's funerals (that she has killed) and hum little cheery ditties because everyone is so sad. Had a coughing / laughing attack when I read about her sending severed heads in hat boxes tied with a Hello Kitty bow - because it is all about presentation.

From the opening scene, when an eight year old Darcy plays mutant genetic freak United Nations assembly with her Barbies, I don't think I stopped laughing for one awesome moment. The only disappointing thing about this book was that it ever had to end.

Jane could have chosen to go down any number of paths when she chose Darcy's fated mate, but with Declan she surpassed my expectations and had me kicking and squealing in sheer joy and love. Declan is beyond handsome, so it's not really his fault that women of all ages dote and chase after him constantly (and keep ripping his t-shirts off - so funny) but he has dedicated his life to becoming an Enforcer - and as the longest serving apprentice it's time for his final exams - so he gets paired up with Darcy (his life-long crush) for judging.
With a nasty Love God living in his head, wanting to take over, Declan is dealing with his own problems but he remains nothing but happy and focused on getting under Darcy's skin - sigh, reach for the fan.
Darcy snaps and snarls and Declan just doggedly pursues her. As a posse of bodacious panting priestesses descend who want their Love God back. But no one takes what Darcy considered hers - cue the mayhem and sheer fun factor.

This book is legendary. We met Darcy way back in book 1, and Declan in book 3 (I think) and JC has been building and building the anticipation for when these two would finally take the lead MC roles. I was almost scared to crack this open because my expectations were so high but this awesome author blew those out of the water and took me on a divine roller coaster ride to the fluffiest of HEA clouds ever.

[Cam · Rating 5 out of 5]

12 books in, and Jane Cousins is still delivering a hawt romance, and loads of laughs. My kind of story. Loved Darcy and Declan. They balanced each other, but of course it takes the entire book for Declan to prove it to our reluctant heroine. And there was so many delightful nuances and outright funny scenes along the way.
Had tears in my eyes from laughing at the Barbie scene. Dec's ripped t-shirts. Gift wrapping room. And the hair charity? LOL. I love that Darcy's first reaction is violence, it makes her a rare h, and she's so whip smart and hilarious she can get away with it.
Is Darcy really going to matchmake Alma? Please say yes.
Loved this world. It feels like it is populated with all my best friends. Love catching up with them.

[Diane ~Firefly~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So excited to finally get Darcy's story!

What I enjoyed:
* learning more about Darcy's thought process
* Wow, we didn't know much about Declan, I can't believe he had a love god in his mind since birth
* Interesting finding out about the babies, poor Hadleigh and Vaughn - they are going to have their hands full
* surprised that Alma is expecting Darcy to take over as matchmaker in 30-40 years

What could have been better:
* not sure why, but the book dragged a bit for me mid-way

[Cozen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The same exact review for her last book still applies here. Get an editor and clean this up. Expect people to pay $5.99 plus tax on a book that’s horribly not edited is criminal in my book. I expect better quality in a book if I’m to pay more than $2.99.

When you get an editor and fix these issues, I’ll be happy to raise the star rating.

[Zara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grr. If I ever read the words bodacious babe again I'll cry 😐

[alana ☁️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

if you struggle with insomnia, read this book

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Darcy. Sociopath, with layers, who could ask for more in a heroine? If anything, in this book, she is the Alpha. And that's what I love about JC, she never does the expected. Declan, as the Hero, his ego is fine, he has no problem in letting Darcy take the lead. He respects her mad skills, supports her and looks damn good while doing so.
They are in essence, the perfect match. It just takes pure grit on Declan's behalf to get Darcy to admit to it.
As always there were a lot of little amusing touches in this books, and a host of fave characters made appearances, Drum, Nell, Hadleigh, the Great-Greats, matchmaker Alma. The new babies.
But this book was purely and simply about Declan's pursuit of Darcy, and her maturing and learning to accept love.
Even better there was a host of scenes that had me ROFL - Barbies. The Net. The sobbing complaints. Any scene that featured Darcy pretty much had me chuckling constantly. Yet the author also manage to tug at my heartstrings when it came to Darcy, in essence, she is just like all of us, scared to trust, frightened that if someone knows her, what she is capable of, that they will judge her.

Bring on another match. I'm ready now.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series--the stories, the setting and the characters are delightful. I enjoy reading about strong women who own their uniqueness and expect everyone else to give them the respect they've earned. I kind of want to live in this fictional Southern Sanctuary with all of the crazy, lovable characters. This book fits well with the series and is an fun, enjoyable, entertaining story. Darcy is a delightful (albeit odd) woman and Declan complements her perfectly as they interact throughout.

The only thing that bothers me is the editing--throughout the series there are minor editing issues and word choice issues that distract from the story. In this one, for example: accolades are praise, acolytes are minions. The editing issues aren't enough to consider pervasive or render the story unreadable--they're just enough to be an irritant. In fact, to me, it's a testament to the quality of Cousins' storytelling and world-building skill that the books are so enjoyable despite the editing issues. The humor, character development, storylines and world-building all remind me of the feel that Shelly Laurenston (G.A. Aiken) creates in her work and I'm already looking forward to the next book in this series.

[Fee · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG this was freaking amazing. And Jane Cousins is just awesome - this book, this series is incredible. Have been waiting on Darcy's book since she was introduced in book 1, and finally, 12 books later it is her turn.
Darcy is one of the most unique heroines I've read in ages, she's a sociopath, but loves her family (in her own weird way) she's blunt, but darn funny. She's deadly. And Declan, gorgeous man hunk, who's cheerful, sweet and can't keep a t-shirt on to save his life - is her perfect meld mate.
These two shouldn't work - but they damn well do.
I'm not going to give any of the plot away but it is funny, has some action, Darcy really shines, Declan never wavers in his intention to have Darcy. And the HEA is really, really satisfying.
The only negative is that there is no book 13 yet, come on JC, bring it. I need me a Southern Sanctuary fix, but while I wait I'll be re-reading the entire series.
One of the best, funniest, hottest series I have read in ages.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darcy and Declan sitting in a tree... If you've read this series - which is a fun, under-the-radar paranormal romance series well worth buying - Darcy and Declan have figured large into the previous books, though not as a couple. Quite the opposite, both seem so hard to match. It goes to figure that they were meant for each other.

In this one, we get Declan's back story, and it's a doozy. Once you have that, Darcy makes a lot of sense for him. Most of this book is Darcy and Declan trying to solve the case of the MIA incubus that snuck into town. The rest is about them getting Declan's birth family to back off. It ends up funny, romantic, and sexy.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful

I have been looking forward to Darcy’s book for ages and this did not disappoint. Darcy is forced to partner with Declan as part of his enforcer training—but really it’s part of his extremely long term plan to get her to see him as a romantic partner. It was extremely fun to see sullen, violent Darcy play off cheerful, helpful Declan. And the side plot of magical infants was a great twist. I can’t wait to read what happens next in the southern sanctuary!

[Pankhuri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda disappointed. I expected crazy antics and instead got...an endless emotional monologue. I understand that Darcy's anti-commitment etc. but dear god, was it exhausting. I think the fact that there were quite few interactions with the previous characters from the series was also a disappointing factor. Overall, it was a decent book. I guess my expectations were just too high.

[Mnms · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite in the series so far. I really like the way Darcy just enjoys everything she does, and Declans relentless cheerfulness and tenacious pursuit of what he wants. Best of all is their interactions. Definitely one I'll read more than once.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Darcy!!

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiny bit disappointed. I don’t I’ll be happy w/Alma’s story if it comes out

[Sunseeker☀️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I eagerly anticipated Darcy’s story and it did not disappoint. This was a light hearted and fun read. #1 and #12 are my favorites in this series.

[Kimiko Alexandre · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as anticipated

I know I should write a lot but it's Darcy. Do you really want me to ruin it? But Why??? Because I said so

[Jorge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very surprising, too good and interesting.

[Essie · Rating 2 out of 5]

moved too slow imo, a lot of parts needed to be condensed and the main problem was a bit ridiculous