Jenna Black - The Devil's Playground

Morgan Kingsley, a kick-ass exorcist, can deal with Lugh, the supersexy demon living inside her, but does he have to moan softly during her intimate moments with her mortal lover? Understandably, Brian is reluctant to share the pleasures of Morgan’s flesh with a gorgeous rogue from the Demon Realm.
But personal matters will have to wait when the opportunistic owner of the Seven Deadlies demon club in Philadelphia enlists Morgan’s help in heading off a crisis: It seems that demons have started showing up at the hot spot in alarming numbers and in the unwilling bodies of rough trade club-goers. Morgan is sure that Dougal, Lugh’s sworn enemy, is behind this, but why? To find out, Morgan must summon every ounce of power at her command—or risk becoming just another casualty in an all-out demon war.

Comment: This is the last book in the Morgan Kingsley series. It's the conclusion to this demon exorcist who saw herself as a host to the demon king and went on an adventure to help him defeat his brother and to secure the throne for that would aid humans to keep their lives, as the demon king was human friendly. During this time Morgan saw and confronted her fears and went from demon hater to friend with some and it was a lesson that no one is the same, no matter the species.
This series has five installments all narrated by Morgan.

In this fifth novel, Morgan and her friends start to develop a plan to remove Dougal, the throne usurper from the demon realm so they can trap him in the mortal one. This way they will be able to help Lugh, the true king, to have his power back. At the same time, everyone has to deal with their own lives and the little things that put them on the dangerous path, because to trap Dougal is a job that could cost too much...

I have to say, being quite the fan of this series in particular, I did have some expectations about the end, about how things should be delivered, considering this is the wrap up of all the things that happened to Morgan and those around her because of the demon succession problems. Throughout the five books Morgan not only had to find the will to accept being a demon host but she also had to deal with emotions, life issues and human interactions while hosting. Not an easy job, even more so because she was anti-demon before. But she learned to accept Lugh and to live with him and his influence on her life and dreams. It wasn't easy but she learned a lesson.

Therefore I was hoping for an amazing and explosive end, with perhaps a HEA in there as well.
It wasn't exactly like that...
The good guys win, there's a happy enough ending but I was a bit disappointed by how simplistic everything was...I wonder if the author actually wanted to keep up and perhaps write more but decided not to at the last minute or wasn't eager to do so or something, because the way I see it, the end was rushed, a bit disjointed and not completely finished! I was hoping for some closure on Morgan and Lugh's situation, something more definitive about their relationship or perhaps some clue abut what would happen in the future, bearing in mind Brian's presence there, but everything was left open ended. Even the solution found to deal with Dougal didn't made many decisive changes in the story and I wasn't very agreeable with the way things were done after. It was understandable but not the thing I'd have chosen to solve things. All in all, not the most brilliant conclusion.

This book was good for Morgan's personal development, but of course, even in this we finish the book with the feeling something else is going to happen after this latest adventure is done. I was very annoyed with this.
I thin this book is more worth for the experience, for the path it took and by how emotional some parts were. I still turned pages quite eagerly and until the last pages I thought the end would be more embellished somehow. Well, if I weren't such a fan of the overall storyline and Morgan's personality, I probably would be even more disappointed, but all things considered I'm just glad none of the characters did something stupid or died, so....

This isn't the end I'd have chosen and I did want to see something "more", you know, but at least it offered some sort of end to the readers. I really just wished it could have been better. Nevertheless, all the beloved characters showed up and had a role to play.
Grade: 7/10

Jenna Black - Speak of the Devil

Morgan Kingsley, America’s most successful exorcist, is paying the price for an exorcism gone wrong. The victim’s family is suing the daylights out of her, the Exorcism Board has suspended her, and now she’s living on a diet of ramen noodles and bad coffee. But Morgan has a few good men at her side. One is her current boyfriend, nice-guy legal eagle Brian, who’s suddenly starting to reveal his inner bad boy. The other is Philly cop Adam White, who’s trying to help Morgan find out who sent her a little present—a severed human hand—and why someone seems determined to destroy her. 
As her stalker turns more violent, leaving dead bodies in his wake, Morgan turns to the dark side of her life: a group of demons steeped in secrets, sinful eroticism, and otherworldly family feuds, including one sexy beast who shares Morgan’s body—and some X-rated fantasies. Soon Morgan must choose between her friends, her enemies, and her libido: to escape a mad demon determined to destroy her completely.

Comment: This is the fourth book in the Morgan Kingsley series. So far, this has been a great surprise, as I thought this to be plain and after all, it's an interesting and vivid series full of good scenes and plot twists. There's only one book left now and I'll be sorry to see this end.

In this book, Morgan faces a law suit. She is suspended and unsure about the whole thing because her job has been the only unchangeable thing in her life for the last months. She is also worried abut her relationship with her boyfriend and about Lugh's power on the mortal plan and how she will have to help him further.
When Morgan thinks her troubles are more than annoying, they start to be deadly as well and quite macabre...who wants to destroy her life so badly?

Once again, I really enjoyed a story in this series. I think that, so far, everything has been very averagely good and there's not a book much better or much worse than the others. I like what to expect in a book with these characters and it's such a nice feeling to start it and to spend time with it. I haven't read anything else by the author but this series is indeed special.

Morgan sees herself in trouble again, the poor woman is always on the move about something. She has to deal with her personal issues, mostly her doubts concerning her boyfriend's patience with her, as she is very insecure about her relationship and how much she can really trust to Brian. She has the issues many women surely have in real life, she fears she might not be good enough for him or that he might leave her so she keeps a part of her safe to prevent bigger hurt, but with Dominic's help she realizes if she trust Brian completely she might have perfect happiness. Of course it's not that simple and she goes through some heartbreak before reaching that conclusion, but this side of her character is very plausible and realistically done.

As for her role in he demon's war, she keeps being a key player because of her close relationship with Lugh, the demon king. She grew a somewhat solid connection with him and even respect and she is bent in helping him. Because of this her life is a mess, but she also has the help of other characters, her only friends actually, and things end up being done. I like this side of the books, the plot-related stuff and how we don't get bored with Morgan or her failure at times. Sometimes I feel lie shouting at her, don't do that!, but in the end, obviously, things get in shape again.

The secondary characters keep their path of adding more depth to the story, to those element's interest and importance and I love to see them all interact. I think it's a good cast and very motivated.

Like I said, the next book will be the last and I hope the author manages a good end for this story, I hope it's not rushed because until this fourth book, things have been happening slowly and although I enjoyed it, I also want to see things solved well.
This book was a good one and it showed Morgan dealing with several issues she had to at some point and it was a very enjoyable read as always.
Grade: 8/10

Jenna Black - The Devil's Due

Trust me or die…That’s the choice Morgan Kingsley, exorcist, is given by the gorgeous rogue demon who’s gotten inside her. The truth is, Morgan has dozens of reasons not to trust anyone, from the violence that torched her house and killed her father to a love life that’s left her questioning her relationship with her erstwhile boyfriend, Brian. But Lugh, a king among demons, won’t take no for an answer. He’s prying into her body, her mind, even her sex life. And he’s just pulled Morgan into a power struggle that could have devastating consequences for both the human and demon worlds.
But Morgan still has a job to do: investigating the highly bizarre possession of the son of a wealthy Philadelphia couple. That hunt leads Morgan into a realm of sexual depravity, then a terrifying kidnapping.… Now a woman who makes her living prying demons from their hosts finds her day job colliding with the night: a darkness that is attracting demons of the damnedest sort, including the one who’s about to demand his ultimate due.…

Comment: This is is the third installment in the Morgan Kingsley series by the author. I've loved the first two books in the series and I was very hopeful about this one as well. It's always such a nice feeling to think a book is going to be great.

In this new story Morgan is still thinking about her father's death and all the troubles she's in because of Lugh, the demon she's hosting. She's not happy, so she turns to work in hopes of getting some control over what is expected of her. However, not even work is good enough when it looks lie she is dealing with an illegal demon and a strange situation. Then Lugh asks something of her and she doesn't know how to tell her friends someone has to come back and possibly change things as they are now...

Like it happened with the other books, I was quite pleased with this one too. The story remains strong enough to sustain the plot and the ideas the author puts on the page. And I have to say, I was quite surprised with the end of the book, as we have news I never imagined could happen, much less be truthful. It was quite the twist!

Morgan is still the same person, with her dual thought processes, she can be as happy hating demons and their actions and their wants but she is also understandable when it comes to the feelings of those she is close to. I think her personality is complex and tricky enough to carry her on until the final book. I'm quite eager to see what she'll do in the future about her role as the host for the king of demons. Her position is something she didn't want to think about, but in this book we see her relationship with Lugh has some surprises coming and by getting closer, meaning, being able to communicate and Morgan being able to give control by trusting Lugh better is a change that might be important for the remaining stories. I don't know if Morgan is really that trustful, in fact I don't think she is, but I believe she's accepted she can't change her role and the importance of it in what is to come. So, in a way, Morgan has grown up since the first book,she's put a test on her own boundaries and the reader gets to see how she deals with many subjects she seemed very opposed to. I like this sense of change and growth in her.

The plot, like I said, offers many surprises and in this book w have a big one. I'm eager to see how this new information will play in the upcoming books. I thought these books wouldn't be very special, they would be plain at best, but I'm very happy to be enjoying them, as I see many elements to think about, mainly how we might hate something so much but when dealing with those things our perspective can change. Nothing is ever just good or bad..there are always shades of grey everywhere.

I'm very happy with the series so far. I hope the next book is as thrilling and imaginative. Can't wait to read it next month.

Amanda Quick / Jenna Black

From a magnificent ballroom ablaze with lights to an imposing country house steeped in shadows

comes a breathtaking tale of an impetuous miss - and a passion that leads to peril...
At five and twenty, Prudence Merryweather knew very well the risks a woman took by visiting a gentleman in the dead of night. But bearding the notorious Earl of Angelstone in his den was the only way to stop him from engaging her hot-headed brother in a duel. And that was why she found herself ushered into Sebastian's forbidding presence at three in the morning - and thoroughly kissed before dawn.
She was a country-bred innocent and an intriguing experience for a man who dwelt more in the shadows than in sunshine. Yet as her boldness drew Prue into one dangerous episode after another, Sebastain found himself torn between a raging hunger to possess her and a driving need to protect her. And the reckless beauty would soon need all the protection she could get....

Comment: Another book by Amanda Quick. This story was very good, I liked it more than some of the others. The romance was interesting enough, but it was the mystery that made me read fast. Both main characters have a huge interest in doing research and they could be two journalists of the old days because they tend to investigate things, in particular the case of a young lady who died at an important man's house. Now he claims her ghost has come to haunt him but the main couple discovers what really happened. I'm quite surprised about the way the story evolved, it seemed this story had a more thoughtful plot than some of the other books. The romance has its little issues but overall, it was good. So far, one of the best by her.

* * *

Some people worship them. Some people fear them. And some people--like Morgan Kingsley--go up against them toe-to-toe, flesh to flesh, and power against power. An exorcist by trade, Morgan is one of the few humans with an aura stronger than her possessor, even though her demon can tease her body senseless. She's also a woman who has just discovered a shocking truth: everything she once believed about her past, her identity, may have been a lie.
With a family secret exploding around her and a full-scale demon war igniting, Morgan is a key player in an unsettled world. Then a rogue sociopathic demon enters her life with a bang. His name is The Hunter. And since she is the prey, Morgan has only one choice: to hunt The Hunter down--no matter what heartbreaking truths she uncovers along the way....

Comment: This is the second book in the Morgan Kingsley series. I liked the first one quite a lot and this one wasn't behind in interest. Morgan has her brother back and she also learns some world changing truths about her origins and this will set her up in a path she didn't want but can't help going into. She also talks to her ex and they sort their things...kind of. She has to deal with her demon and his fight which she didn't want to get into more than she already was but once again, she has no other way of solving things. I lied the story a lot, like I said, it moves along wonderfully, I love the characters, the personalities, the writing, the plot...it's almost perfect.

Jenna Black - Devil Inside

Exorcism isn't a job, it's a calling--and a curse. Just ask Morgan Kingsley, a woman who has a stronger aura than any Demon. Or so she thought. Now, in a pair of black leather pants and a kick-ass tattoo, Morgan is heading back to Philadelphia after a nasty little exorcism--and her life is about to be turned upside down...by the Demon that's gotten inside her.
Not just any Demon. Six foot five inches of dark, delicious temptation, this one is to die for--that is, if he doesn't get Morgan killed first. Because while some humans vilify Demons and others idolize them, Morgan's Demon is leading a war of succession no human has ever imagined. For a woman trying to live a life, and hold on to the almost-perfect man, being possessed by a gorgeous rebel Demon will mean a wild ride of uninhibited thrills, shocking surprises, and pure, unadulterated terror. . . 

Comment: I've had this book to read for two years. Like usual, a friend of mine read it and enjoyed it and I was curious enough to buy it but from then on, time has gone and the book stayed behind time and again. When this year begun I wrote down a lot of books that have been piling up and distributed through the months so I could read them at last. This month this one was up and I'm quite glad to have done so.

This is the first book in the Morgan Kinsgsley series. Morgan's job is to exorcise demons from unwilling ghosts as it is forbidden. Demons can be summoned and can travel to the Earth Plan and can possess a willing host, but often the host gets lost in the transaction, or so Morgan believes. Her own brother is possesses by a demon and she thinks she lost him.One day she is asked to perform a exorcism in a young girl but things go wrong and the demon tried to possess Morgan by touching her wrist but she didn't get possessed and doesn't understand why. However, someone tries to kill her after she tells her best friend she's been sleepwalking and writing notes to herself...or isn't she?

So, I ended up enjoying this book a lot. Another one that only took me one day to go through.

Morgan is an exorcist and she comes from a family that strongly defends the chance for demons to possess humans because demons are stronger and they can extend their strength and resistance to humans. Once possessed, most hosts/demons get risky jobs like police enforcement, they become firefighters and pilots, among other things. But Morgan never thought like that and to her, a demon just wants to occupy space while the host is lost. When a demon is exorcised most hosts turn into a vegetative state and few can wake up. She has a boyfriend that really loves her and she's quite happy with her relationship although she also feels that she's not good enough for him, she has a rebel side, both in behavior and appearance that contrasts to her more polished lawyer boyfriend.

I liked Morgan's characterization, she had a little bit of lacking self confidence that I think gave her some more empathy, because she could almost be perfect and that's boring. Although she doesn0t see her person as good enough most times, she knows she has abilities and professionally she's the best.

Morgan's real problem is she was possessed without knowing. But as she has strong mind shields, the demon possessing her can get through unless she lets him, which doesn't happen until she realizes he's a prince of demons and wants to avoid the possession of unwilling humans, but things are in a sort of war state in the demon realm and fanatics try to kill her because only killing the host kills the demon.

I liked the storyline, it was interesting and fluid...I enjoyed this take on demons and their world. I lied the fact hosts and demons could develop a parallel relationship and many care for each other in the long term.

I liked a couple of secondary characters too, Adam and Dominic. They are a couple and were both demon possessed but Dominic was attacked one day until the point his demon took charge and one of the attackers died, so Dominic's demon, Saul, was exorcised by Morgan. From then on we see these two a lot in the plot. Adam is a Dom and he plays S&M with Dominic. Some aspects of this relationship were a bit over the top, but having read s&m gay stories before, I don't think this comes even closer to something heavy or the worst out there..of course it doesn't have the most focus, but it's still a part of the plot line. Still, I didn't feel uncomfortable with any of that, not to a point where I couldn't read it, there's some heavier scenes but not that bad. Can't wait to see those two again.

In the end, the story ended with Morgan and her boyfriend not talking but I feel confidant they'll work things out. She and her demon have a respectful relationship to and they "talk" in dreams, making plans when needed. I think it was a balanced story, I'm sure it will be interesting to see what happens next.