Devilish Deal

Demons After Dark: Covenant #1

by Jenna Wolfhart

Last month, I was living out of my car. Now, I’m couch-surfing in Brooklyn. It’s about as glamorous as it sounds. All I’ve got are some bad memories, an empty bank account, and a pigeon I named Hendrix.

So, when a mysterious, sinfully hot man offers me a deal, I have no choice but to accept. I’ll pretend to be his live-in girlfriend for a month. In exchange, he’ll give me a job at his exclusive club in Hell’s Kitchen.

Only problem is, there’s way more to Asmodeus than meets the eye. He’s a literal demon. Like, from the underworld. He’s rude, dangerous, and probably a killer. But if I break my deal with him, I’ll lose my soul.

Fortunately, it’s just a month. A month of heated stares and fake kisses that feel all too real. My soul—and my body—can totally survive this…right?

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Demons, Urban Fantasy, Adult, Vampires

330 pages, ebook

First published June 30, 2021

About the author

Jenna Wolfhart spends her days dreaming up stories about swoony fae kings and rugged blacksmiths. When she's not writing, she loves to do CrossFit competitions, rewatch Game of Thrones, collect Taylor Swift vinyls, and drink far too much coffee.

Jenna has always had a passion for writing, books, and publishing. Previously, she worked for an academic publisher in New York and then completed her PhD in Librarianship, focusing on young adult fiction.

Jenna now lives in England with her husband and her two dogs.

Reviews

[Dew · Rating 1 out of 5]

🤦‍♀️

2% of the global population has red hair. For some unfathomable reason, it’s the favourite color for fictional romance novel characters and this book goes downhill from there.

The fmc of this book has a bad attitude. She considers wearing a top that covers her belly to be “dressing up”, but thinks that every job is running a criminal history background check instead of taking one look at her micro-mini crop top, getting double-barrel blasted by her terrible attitude, and deciding that she’s not worth the trouble. She interviews at a bar and gets pissy with the owner. She interviews at a coffee shop and is annoyed by the name of the shop. She is peeved that New York City is loud. She’s angry and disgusted by the subway. She’s mad that her best friend’s apartment is small, that her friend has a boyfriend, and that the boyfriend is a hipster.

[BookishKB · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

😈 Bookish Thoughts
Oooo this was good. I have been craving a solid paranormal book and this hit the spot. I devoured the audiobook in one sitting. There were a few minor details that were not fully flushed out, but the story itself was so good that it did not matter. Mia had the worst survival skills, truly terrible, but I still found myself rooting for her the whole time. And Az was 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

✨ Favorite Quote
“You’re under my protection. I swore an oath to you. I would rip a man’s spine from his body if he tried to harm you. And then I would grind up his bones and give them to the fae.”

🖤 What to Expect
• Demon MMC
• Fake dating
• Soul bargain
• Type B FMC
• Hell’s Kitchen
_ _ _

🎧 Audio Score: 4.5 Stars
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo (Madeleine Dauer)
📅 Pub Date: September 9 2025
Thank you to RBmedia and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[~♥*Marianna*♥~]

The heroine lacks loyalty, is a bit stupid, and the hero basically just said the only reason he was nice to her was to manipulate her. Not a great start.
The fact that she’s thinking of betraying him at the same time as she’s getting the hots for him is off putting. The fact that he acts like a complete dueche about the contract is unattractive to the max. This is not fun anymore.
DNF 34%

[Selene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever wonder what a demons dick would look like, does it have a pointy spade at the end?! Well this book will answer that for you 🤣 Fake demon boyfriend, serial killer, werewolf best friend and an adorable pigeon sidekick make this an awesome memorable story. I listened to audio book and the narrator did an amazing job. It ends of a cliff hanger so of course now I’ll need book two 😍🤣 Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for this a copy to listen too.

[BookSiren Baddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook review, it was a decent story, I thought that the narrators did a great job, and I really enjoyed how smoothly the storytelling flowed. The romance was well-executed and had some genuinely sweet and spicy moments without feeling forced.
That said, the book just didn’t stick with me. It wasn’t bad by any means, but it also wasn’t particularly memorable, but I think part of that comes down to personal taste, because the human/demon trope just isn’t really my thing, and so that probably affected how invested I felt in this story.
If you're a fan of paranormal romance and enjoy the human/demon dynamic, this might hit the mark for you more than it did for me.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

[Cara Bristol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book and enjoyed it very much—even though I don’t read demon books as a rule.

I think this is probably the first one I’ve ever read. The concept of a demon-as-the-hero is a big turnoff for me. I know that vamps, werewolves, and even zombies have been redeemed and are now romantic heroes (and I read the former two), but I can’t accept demons. I’m not religious in the least, but demons represent evil, and to dress them up as bad-boy heroes is not a book I care to read.

I don’t know why I decided to take a chance on Devilish Deal, but I did, and I was pleased with how it turned out. Demon prince Asmodeus and his Legion are secretly fighting on the side of good, sneaking around Old Scratch to try to save souls. Probably if "Az" had been sending people to hell, I would have stopped reading. But all is well.

Anyway, heroine Mia is down on her luck after having been falsely accused of vehicular manslaughter. No one will hire her. She’s living on her best (and sole) friend’s couch. She’s desperate. Asmodeus offers her a job as a dancer at his nightclub—if she’ll agree to be his fake girlfriend for a month. Desperate, she accepts the offer and signs the contract, and then finds out it comes with a catch--she’ll lose her soul if she reneges.

There is serious sizzle between Asmodeus and Mia, and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. I’m not sure how the author categorizes this book, but I would call it Urban Fantasy rather than a paranormal romance, because the basic story isn’t about Asmodeus and Mia getting together, but about beating Lucifer. However, there is a strong romantic angle.
Know also that the story continues. It doesn’t end with book one. There is closure, but much more is going to happen!

If you like demon books, definitely get this one. If they’re not your thing, you might still give it a try. I liked it!

[♦♣ queen of faerie ♠♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really good start to the book, full of mystery and a really good romance. I love all the friendships in the book, especially with the Legion. At times felt like it was going around the circles, but overall a really enjoyable read.



→ 3.5 stars

[Adricrisuruta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the story, the novelty of demons protecting souls versus always being the bad guys.

Mia's strength and bravery really appealed to me. Despite her past she still believes in people and is willing to put herself on the line for them.

Az is a demon and it's hard to read his feelings, but you could tell he cares about her. I expect more from him in the next books.

That epilogue revelation shocked me. It promises a lot.

[Dammitkassi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main character Mia is awfully unlikeable. I found no redeeming qualities in her and frankly she irked me. All of the other characters were equally as whiney or unlikeable or nonsensical.
I find everything jenna writes to be easy to follow and the stories themselves full of personality which is the only reason I didn't DNF it.

[ArrowBreaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, simple, story centered around the pay-you-to-date-me trope. 2.7 Stars.

There are some weird gaps in the character backstory. For example, the whole reason why her reputation is shot is because... ...a person was hit and killed by her car and they think it was her. However, because she insisted on her innocence her parents kicked her out of the house. What? I do believe there are parents who will pressure their kids to leave the nest to make their way in the world, but most parents would help their kid, guilty or innocent, if they had been accused of involuntary manslaughter. I get the author needed the parents out of the picture so the story could happen, but it would've been nice for something more realistic.

The world building was a little weird. So there's angels, fallen angels, and demons...but demons are fallen angels, right? I was thinking maybe she was creating her own version of demons and angels like Nalini Sighn tried to do in Angels' Blood see that review here, but then one of the characters was like "didn't you learn about us in church?"

Yeah, but they also taught us that God loved us, but instead it's portrayed as a game to see who can gain x amount of souls before the other person. (As if Lucifer could ever hope to be on the same level as God. And pigs will fly!)

Side tangent: I always find it interesting that Lucifer/Devil/Satan is always a character in demon/angel paranormal genre, but God never gets a cameo. I guess we will just have to keep reading the Bible for that...

But I digress...if you are going to use church/Bible as a reference for your world building, make it somewhat believable; Do it right or do something new with it.

So there are Princes of Hell...what do they do? What's their job? Are they only on earth to gain souls? Where's the ticker to keep track of how many they have? Do they have time cards? <---that'd be dope and add a bit of the mundane to the supernatural.

Why are there "fallen angels" versus "angels"? One of the demons mentioned heaven wasn't all it was cracked up to be either, but then if heaven is as flawed as hell, then doesn't that just make it as lame as earth?

If Mia wanted to disappear, why did she go to New York? I get it's a big city and you could blend in more, but it's also the most expensive city in the United States (it flip flops between them and San Francisco). Why wouldn't she even consider leaving the country if it was so bad... Also, what the heck happened to her sister? Is she still living the good life in Nashville, TN?

One of the scenes where Mia goes to a job interview is completely unrealistic. This book was published in 2021 and it does NOT reflect the state that big and small businesses are in right now. Employers are STRUGGLING to hire people because they can't find anyone. They'd take warm bodies at this point, let alone someone who went to trial and was acquitted. Completely unrealistic. While I understand you don't need to reflect the current status of the workforce in the story just because it's happening in the present time, but when she arrived to her interview...“Two harried baristas glanced up from behind the counter that curved along one wall. A line of customers trailed through the building...” You don't pander about an applicant's past in a job interview when your workforce is "harried"...

Alright. I need to stop ranting. Lol.

These are a fraction of the thoughts that were going through my mind as I read. If you want to put your mind on the back burner and just enjoy the story for what it is, it's good for that, but don't expect anything robust.

[Kenneth Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright so, it was good.

I've read a lot of books on the princes of hell, because come on- they're great. This one was out there on terms of a specific trope or even just smooth powers among the supernatural. However, it was still an enticing read and i definitely plan on finishing the series.
I would recommend it if you just needed a decent book because even not finishing the series it was still really good.

Here for the pet pigeon.
(Caim was my favorite)

[Perks Of Being A Fangirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always eager to discover new authors to add to my collection as I literally eat up books so due to no fault of the authors, the time it takes them to churn out another book I'm often left waiting...impatiently haha. In this instance, I will be happily introducing Jenna into my collection.

Mia is undoubtedly reckless but that's sometimes a compliment depending on the context. She throws herself into things which I respect and her transition into the supernatural world was a tad too seamless - even if her bestie is one.

I enjoyed the world building and the characters as well as Jenna's writing style.

[Kate Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this way more than I expected to.
It’s not an eloquently written masterpiece but it’s a fun, quick read that delivers.

The heroine is less annoying than many other heroines who have a sarcastic attitude that ends up going way too far… I actually found myself laughing out loud at the banter between these two MCs. The two MCs also don’t have an annoyingly drawn out miscommunication situation, despite the premise— thank goodness!!

I loved how fast paced the plot is… the author didn’t try to drag this on into something it wasn’t. It’s a simple and entertaining read that has enough nuance to be intriguing but follows a general formula for a satisfactory story.

I did guess basically every twist 😅 but I was fine with that.

2.5 ⭐️ for plot/writing/originality/character depth
4 ⭐️ for how much I enjoyed reading it

Let me put it this way: We all read “junkfood” books sometimes, amirite? This is a good example of a well-done “junkfood” book. Easy to binge and satisfying enough, despite lacking sophistication.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://my-bo0ks.over-blog.com/2023/0...

Je ne connaissais pas du tout l'autrice, Jenna Wolfhart mais j'ai de suite eu envie de découvrir ce premier tome des Démons du crépuscule à la lecture du résumé. Il faut dire que l'Urban Fantasy c'est quand même mon gros péché mignon.

Mia a tout quitté et s'est retrouvée un temps à dormir dans sa voiture avant de squatter le canapé de sa meilleure amie. En quête d'un job, elle fini par accepter un boulot aux antipodes de ce qu'elle cherchait mais dans sa situation, passer un marché avec un propriétaire de club pour être sa fausse petite-amie et danseuse le soir venu est son dernier recours. Le seul problème que c'est que Asmodeus, Az, n'est pas qu'un simple propriétaire bien trop canon mais bien un démon. Et comme si cela ne suffisait pas, un tueur en série rode dans le coin.

Dès les premières lignes, je trouve qu'on est bien plongé dans le récit. Nous sommes à New-York et notre héroine au passé trouble a bien du mal à trouver un emploi et un logement. Certes squatter chez sa meilleure amie est plutôt cool mais elle a la sensation d'être un frein à sa vie. Alors accepter une offre aussi alléchante que clairement soupçonneuse n'était peut-être pas l'idée du siècle mais en attendant, son nouvel employeur lui propose une chambre d'ami tout confort et de quoi envisager un avenir. Après tout, il ne s'agit que d'un contrat d'un mois. J'ai aimé le personnage de Mia qui ne manque pas d'humour (elle a la vingtaine), mais garde vraiment une part de sensibilité en elle. Son attachement à Serena, sa meilleure amie et Hendrix, le pigeon qui la suit partout sont les seules constantes de sa vie et on comprendra pourquoi ensuite. Je l'ai trouvé attachante et intéressante à suivre avec un bon potentiel d'évolution. Quant à notre démon, je vous laisse découvrir par vous-même mais j'ai bien accroché à son personnage.

Les démons du crépuscule nous plonge dons dans un univers d'Urban Fantasy typique. On y rencontre des démons, des vampires, des anges, des loups-garous et j'en passe. Le tout, en plein cœur de New-York. Si au départ, on pense que notre héroïne ne connait pas l'existence du paranormal, on se rend vite compte qu'en réalité, elle est plus que bien informée et cela concerne son passé. J'ai trouvé l'immersion fluide et pas trop complexe. On se laisse embarquer aisément et sommes curieux de découvrir la suite. Et même si certains points sont déjà vu dans d'autres titres d'UF, je trouve que l'ensemble arrive tout de même à proposer quelque chose de nouveau. Et puis, les démons c'est quand même bien fascinant, cette lutte entre bien/mal et les préjugés que l'on peut tout avoir. J'aime cette notion que tout n'est pas tout blanc ou tout noir.

Que serait un roman sans une bonne petite histoire d'amour. Comme indiqué en quatrième de couverture, on est sur un Ennemies-to-Lovers. Mia et Az c'est un peu le feu et la glace. Ca se taquinent, ça se lancent des vannes et en même temps, ils jouent au faux-couple pour un mois et pour corser tout ça, voilà que la demoiselle loge dans sa chambre d'amis. Nous avons donc une cohabitation aussi houleuse (quoique pas tant que ça) que pleine de tension. Globalement, leur histoire démarre assez rapidement (une bonne moitié de ce premier tome). Ca ne m'a pas dérangé et je dirais que le tout est assez cohérent. Car finalement, c'est ensuite que les choses vont se compliquer, ça se sent et donc j'ai déjà hâte de voir ce que cette relation (ou presque) va donner surtout avec l'issue de ce premier volet.

Niveau action et rebondissements, on est sur deux éléments bien distincts. D'abord, ce tueur en série qui rode et plus particulièrement autour du quartier où se trouve Mia. Un petit suspense qui est le bienvenue et qui ajoute à l'ambiance mystérieuse du récit. Puis, l'autre partie, celle qui concerne Az et sa légion. Et je dois dire que cette partie m'a bien plu. Je me suis prise au jeu des stratégies mises en place mais également des secrets qui en découlent. La fine équipe d'Az est elle-aussi vachement cool. J'avais vu venir l'identité d'un personnage de loin mais, je n'avais pas prévu les ultimes rebondissements qui nous donnent envie de se jeter sur la suite. Alors je dirais que niveau suspense on est plutôt pas mal !

En conclusion, ce premier tome des démons du crépuscule nous propose une excellente entrée en matière. J'aime beaucoup l'univers que propose l'autrice et le côté anges/démons assez présent. La romance est plutôt bien présente dans ce premier volet mais vient bien contrebalancer le côté tueur en série et mystère autour de ce que mijote Az. Je n'ai fait qu'une bouchée de ce premier tome et suis plus que prête pour la suite annoncée pour Août 2023 !

[C. Erani Kole · Rating 3 out of 5]

oh geez lmfao

Okay. I initially turned from this because of bad reviews. Then I ended up reading said reviews again and felt funny with how negatively they talked about the heroine and the OVERDONEness of the book’s story and genres. So I read it.

It’s kinda bad in a funny way but not worth a one-star review.

Two stars, I could see it. If you were a jaded reader who only gave high ratings to “original” content, in which case I’m sad for you because by that standard, the new authors coming in have no chance. But any other reason for two stars and I wouldn’t be able to understand it, personally. I think it was funny at times, REALLY hot with that kiss (it’s the way the author writes it).

I do see where the “dumb” comes from. But for me, it’s the way the author writes it. THOSE are eh. It’s almost clumsy with how it’s trying to portray things because instead of giving off “oh I understand” vibes, it gives off “how the hell…?” And it makes the heroine look horror-flick dumb. My excuse? Mia tried to look stressed and picked the answers that seemed good when rushed or panicked. But she’s not in enough states of panic to convince. She HAD time. To think very smartly.

Basically, the excuses for her being there and here and there were lacking, so it makes it seem silly.

Still, I liked the idea. I always enjoy the classic demons and angels. The thought of it being a game IS unique to me and I like that a lot.

The last line was dumb without a better excuse so I’m feeling the irony lol but I’m still reading on.

[Giulia · Rating 4 out of 5]

✓ Slow burn
✓ Entertaining plot - 3.5 / 5
✓ Mature language
✓ Fast paced 
✓ Spice  🌶 / 5
✓ PNR
✓ Demon x human
✓ Morally gray 
✓ Touch her and you'll 💀
✓ Fake dating
✓ One bed
✓ Enemies to Lovers
✓ Forced proximity
✓ Ends in a cliffhanger



Mia FMC has been through a lot in the past two years. She thought that moving to New York with her best friend Serena would help her leave all the bad things behind.
No one wants to hire her because of what happened two years ago, so when a mysterious, attractive demon offers her a deal, she accepts.

I really enjoyed this first installment.
It's full of mystery and romance.
The idea of demons rescuing and protecting souls was refreshing.
I loved the banter between the main characters and the growth of the friendship between Mia and the Legion.
With the cliffhanger ending, I can't wait to see what happens next!

[WenDeeDeeDee36 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ Rounded Up

This was a very fun book! It’s pretty light/cozy and a quick read. What’s not to like? You have deals with demons, enemies to lovers, fake dating, and a pet pigeon. The mystery aspect also added to the excitement and drama, even if it wasn’t a surprise in the end.
Madeline Dauer does a great job with the narration and I definitely recommend the audiobook because of her. I honestly want to continue the series immediately, but will likely end up waiting for the audiobooks to release instead because I really enjoyed this one.
Overall, this is an interesting story with some mystery and a cute and sexy romance. It’s a perfect palette cleanser and a great introduction to an author I have been interested in reading for a while now!

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG this is off to a fantabulous start! Fast paced this action packed thriller will grab you and drag you in from the very start and just not let go. The world building is incredible and the storyline , fun, suspenseful and hot! Mia our female mc is down on her luck with nothing to her name save for a pigeon when she gets an offer to good to refuse, Asmodeus Is totally hot and sexy and an actual demon from the underworld. It’s a great story filled with romance, friendship and betrayal and I love the authors take on the supernatural and demons.

[Stacey mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devilish Deal was such an amazing read!! Mia has been through so much in the last few year and has now landed in even more poop.. and who do you trust when everything seems backward!!. Completely original.. amazing characters that sucked me in and now I just want to know every little detail about.. really fast pasted and action packed.. the humour is brilliant the heat leave is hot!! It just has EVERYTHING!!! Even the backup characters worm their was into your heart!! What an amazing read. I WANT BOOK TWO!!

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I found the main female character very annoying at times as she was consistently jumping to conclusions with no read basis, it was an over all enjoyable read. It was a nice "poolside" read, no rollercoaster ride of emotion but a fun mystery to figure out while watching the relationship between Az and Mia develop. I will be reading the second book.

[Toni ~married to a hunk~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book. It had lots of action and the ending was what I figured would happen but still good. I wonder what will happen next. Az is a good guy even though everything is weird for him too.

[Punkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh

That was an interesting take on demons and angels and a crappy freaking ending. Man what the hell? Ugh.
I liked the back and fourth but I'm so bummed.

[Leigh Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

[Sheila Ryals · Rating 5 out of 5]

😻

Wow, now that was completely awesome. So can not wait for the second book. Seriously that ending was uh out there.

[ZoraYuna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this first book and that thing about demons saving souls was refreshing because it's not the usual.
Mia at first made me angry, because Az treats her well, takes care of her, protects her and she in return behaved like an idiot, but then she changed and was worth it as a main character

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually don’t write reviews but I will for this one!

I saw this book being recommended on TikTok, and the cover and blurb intrigued me. A spicy demon-human romance set in NYC? SIGN ME UP 🥵 At first I was hesitant because the book is quite short, but I was pleasantly surprised!!

This is such an easy fantasy book to get into. I was hooked from the first chapter, I couldn’t put it down at all so I finished it in a span of a few hours.

The characters are witty and likeable, specially the main character Mia. Her inner dialogue had me snorting out loud. And Az is the definition of MCM, the stuff he says had me sweating.

The author somehow managed to spin a great story in an easy to read, relatively short way. Oh, and also it ended on a cliffhanger so I’m VERY glad that I picked up this book after the second one released.

A five star read! I throughly enjoyed this 🥰

[Rachel H · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

I got about 70% read when I decided I just didn't care what happened to any of the characters. The plot was flimsy at best, and dialog was pretty awful. Boring and hard to relate with.

[Gabrielle Viszs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Premier tome d'une trilogie qui traine dans ma pal depuis pas si longtemps que ça (une année quoi, mdr) et il était parfait pour un challenge ! Je ne remercierais jamais assez les challenges pour ça, pour faire sortir mes livres d'endroit insoupçonnés. Bref, je l'ai commencé et terminé dans la foulée. Déjà il fait moins de 300 pages et surtout il est entrainant. Je ne m'attendais pas à me faire happer aussi vite par l'héroïne, parce qu'il faut bien le dire, c'est une humaine sans pouvoir, juste celui de se fourrer dans un guêpier pas possible à chaque instant de sa vie. Trois mois que Mia vit chez sa meilleure amie Serena suite à deux années de galère. Ces deux années sont expliquées par son passé qui revient entre deux moments présents dans son esprit et sympa la famille, surtout la sœur... Ne nous égarons pas. Mia cherche du travail depuis tout ce temps, mais son fameux passé lui retombe dessus et les portes se referme. Un soir alors qu'elle veut laisser sa meilleure amie avec son copain son regard se porte sur une annonce : recherche danseuse ! Ses années de danses derrière elle, elle va tenter le coup, montrer les dents et donner tout ce qu'elle peut pour décrocher la place. Afin de se la voir refuser. À partir de ce moment (donc dès les premières pages) nous sentons bien l'entourloupe du propriétaire du club qui ne veut pas d'elle parce qu'elle ne convient pas. Forcément, quand on voit de quel type sont les autres danseuses, pour autant, l'aventure ne fait vraiment que commencer pour Mia.

Enfin pas tout à fait, car si les humains ne doivent rien connaitre du monde surnaturel, Mia sait qu'il existe des créatures, comme les loup-garou, les vampires et autres dans son monde. Aucun humain ne doit savoir et ne doit l'apprendre par un être surnaturel, sauf si on assiste à une mutation de loup-garou par exemple. Bah tiens donc, c'est ce que notre demoiselle pas si en détresse que cela lui a permis de mettre un pied dedans, sans pour autant chercher les ennuis. Passé ce détail, le fait qu'elle a accepté sans le savoir un contrat de travail particulier va l'emmener plus loin que n'importe quel être humain. Un monde connu pour elle, mais qui n'aurait pas dû lui tomber dessus ainsi, pas avant sa mort dirons-nous. Entre le monde surnaturel qui est partout et un tueur en série dans le quartier où elle compte travailler, tout va très bien, c'est même elle qui le dis. Sauf que le contrat, avec les lettres invisibles va l'entrainer dans une véritable chasse (non pas au trésors), mais une traque à l'assassin. Comment elle en arrive là ? Ah ça, c'est comme tout ce que je tais dans le récit, c'est tout de même une miss catastrophe au passage et donc je vous laisse l'imagination pour voir et le livre pour le découvrir. Mia est plus que reconnaissante envers Serena qui l'a soutenu et continue de le faire. La relation entre les deux femmes est forte, si l'une est en danger, l'autre rapplique. Une amitié à la vie, à la mort. J'ai beaucoup aimé les passages entre les deux montrant ainsi les liens formés et les épreuves qu'elles ont dû traverser et traverse encore. Le passé de Mia qui ne devrait retomber que sur elle a des répercussions sur la vie de Serena, sans que la première ne le sache. Une très belle amitié qui nous le prouve jusqu'à la fin de ce tome.

Les autres personnages ? Oh, des démons en tout genre, des bras droits et gauches de Lucifer (que nous ne voyons pas, mais entendons parler, donc il va forcément arriver et vue le final, il arrive !), des fées, des assoiffés de sang et autres créatures de la nuit ou du jour, comme des anges aussi, car des démons sans les anges cela ne serait pas drôle. Forcément, les démons sont pour la plupart beaux, mystérieux avec des ombres qui trainent autour d'eux et même un peu plus que ça, comme des flammes dans les yeux. Asmodeus est la patron et avec ses hommes il compte bien remettre certaines choses à plat. Valac, Phenex, je crois que mon préféré c'est Caim, désolée, il me fait rire ce démon. Normalement il devrait faire peur, tous autant qu'ils sont mais comme je l'ai mis, l'habit ne fait pas le moine. Parfois on croit des choses tellement fortes que lorsque la vérité vous ouvre les yeux, nous ne savons plus qui est gentil ou méchant dans l'histoire. C'est tout à fait cela ici, dans ce récit, nous avons des revirements de situations, des surprises de taille, des sourcils qui se froncent tout au long de la lecture. D'ailleurs elle est fluide et elle a éclairé ma journée, même si c'est sombre. Gardez en tête que des âmes humaines doivent se faire sacrifier pour le bien des Enfers bien entendu, sinon cela ne serait pas drôle. En même temps, quand je lis le jeu qui a été mis en place il y a des siècles... c'est sympathique comme tout !

Quelques petits bémols, mais c'est plus affaire de gout pour ma part, le jeu de la fausse petite amie pour infiltrer, mouais je suis sceptique sur ce fait surtout vu le pourquoi de l'infiltration. Comment Az à réussi à trouver l'adresse de Mia au début ? Elle se pose la question deux secondes et lui ouvre... Et si c'était un tueur ? (OK, disons que cette question ne sert à rien vu le pédigrée de notre homme mdr) Et comment des êtres surnaturels ne se sont pas rendu compte qui est la tortue Raphael dans une de leur petite fête ? Je sais je me pose de sacrées questions qui sans le contexte va créer des nœuds à certains.

Le récit est captivant. Il se lit vite et bien et j'ai adoré l'ambiance même s'il y a un chouille de romance. Un tueur en série qui sévit depuis pas mal de temps, un monde surnaturel caché aux yeux des humains, une humaine qui est tombée dedans quand elle était petite, un passif qui la hante (et qui la rend coupable sans l'être) des personnages énigmatiques pour certains, de l'action, des rebondissements, des surprises de taille, je n'ai pas eu le temps de m'ennuyer. Il est vrai qu'entre Mia et Asmodeum, ce n'est pas l'amour fou, elle est teigneuse mais au vu de son passé nous la comprenons que faire confiance c'est niet. Et lui ? C'est un sacré morceau dans les démons, alors une petite humaine qui va lui servir juste pour un mois, cela ne sera qu'une seconde de sa très longue vie. Nous sentons bien que cette seconde va lui peser dessus, qu'il en va pas oublier comme ça une petite teigne au caractère bien trempé n'hésitant pas à se mettre en danger pour ce qui lui reste de proche. Par chance, Hendrix, son pigeon s'en sort sans une seule plume abimée. Le fait que tout se passe à New York donne cette rapidité dans les événements, une ville qui ne dort jamais, où les gens ne savent pas s'arrêter. Pas mal de tension en tout genre tout au long du récit, mais avec un caractère de feu de Mia, je n'en attendais pas moins. Je vous avoue que la fin me donne envie de me jeter sur la suite, que j'ai avec bonheur. Je vais donc de ce pas ranger ce tome 1 et récupérer le 2 pour en savoir plus.

En conclusion, un premier tome qui nous offre une présentation des personnages, du monde, une intrigue plutôt bien ficelée avec ce tueur en série. Anges et Démons, créatures surnaturelles et humains, chacun doit rester à sa place. Le jeu lancé permettant de récupérer des âmes humaines semblent compromis ! La légion de Az m'a bien fait rire, Suriel et Gabriel ne sont pas si bête que cela et je n'aimais pas trop un personnage du départ, je comprends mieux à la fin. Mia nous a entrainé dans une aventure remplie de stratégies, de faux-semblants et de rebondissements, sans oublier une pointe d'humour et de sarcasme. Le suspense reste à son comble avec cette fin qui appelle à lire la suite, rapidement.

http://chroniqueslivresques.eklablog....

[johanna varn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Predictable

I made it less than an hour before I gave up. Between the predictable storyline, ridiculous premise, and completely unlikable FL, I just couldn't get invested. I spent the majority of time rolling my eyes at the absurdity of it.

[The Caffeinated Grimoire · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Good!!!

This is the first book I've read by author Jenna Wolfhart and it was so good 🙃
Mia is currently down on her luck living off her only friends couch after everyone else in her life turned their backs on her after she was charged with man slaughter even if the case was dropped due to lack of evidence... she didn't do it of course but it's still making it pretty hard for her to move on and land herself a job so when she comes across an ad for a club looking for a dancer she jumps at the opportunity to audition. But Infernal isn't your average club it's a club strictly for supernaturals which Mia isn't... The owner Asmodeous is himself the prince of hell and he sets his sights on Mia for a totally different job... posing as his gf but as she learns more about the demon himself and his legion of merry demon men she starts to question if they're truly the bad guys behind the murders ripping through NY... When good is evil and evil is good who do you trust when you are literally the sacrificial lamb.

Can't wait to read book two.
Definitely recommend reading 📚