A Demon Does It Better (Demons, #2)

Nov 02, 2012 Aerulan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, ebooks

This one felt like it took too light a view of what should have been a fairly dark storyline. (view spoiler)...more

Jul 11, 2012 Text Addict rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: abandoned, urban-fantasy, paranormal-romance

I haven't read any other books in this series - this one happened to be on the "new" shelf of the public library, and it's not clear from the cover that it's 6th in a series. [ETA: No, wait, on a second look, it's the 2nd of a series; the other 4 books on the inside cover are from a different series. Which at least explains the very different cover styles.] And that can be a problem for a reader, because the author sometimes assumes that laying in some of the basic background isn't necessary any...more I haven't read any other books in this series - this one happened to be on the "new" shelf of the public library, and it's not clear from the cover that it's 6th in a series. [ETA: No, wait, on a second look, it's the 2nd of a series; the other 4 books on the inside cover are from a different series. Which at least explains the very different cover styles.] And that can be a problem for a reader, because the author sometimes assumes that laying in some of the basic background isn't necessary any more, which makes it tough for a new reader to connect with the characters.

But, that's only part of the problem I had with this book. Another part is subgenre mismatch - I like my paranormal romance with more of an 80/20 mix of paranormal and romance, which this doesn't appear to be. I admit it's hard be sure, since I didn't get past page 46; but I figure the way the two point-of-view characters feel instantaneous lust for one another is a strong hint of how the ratio is going to turn out.

I actually first put the book down at page 25, but then I got bored enough to give it a second chance. No go.

Fundamentally, the problem is that if I'm going to read another miscellaneous European mythology pastiche (and I read plenty of them, don't get me wrong), I want it delivered with more style. This is not the first book I've put aside because of problems with fundamentals, and it probably won't be the last.

One of the problems is the not-unusual Almost the Right Word Syndrome. On page 1, for example, the narrative refers to "the damp cold that permeated her heavy coat." Based on the context, the right word was "penetrated," not "permeated" - she's just stepped outside and the cold is trying to get through her coat. It's mildly annoying to keep running across such problems in a published book.

More critically, to my eye the book's pacing is off at pretty much every level. At the sentence/paragraph level, important details are tucked in too late (such as, the name of a character the POV character knows, page 2). At the scene level, the series of events portrayed through the middle of page 46 seem arbitrary, the scene breaks are mostly awkward, and the story doesn't have the natural flow that I look for in a novel.

And at the story level, we are eventually given to understand - on pages 16 through 18 - that Lili's whole reason for being in, umm, whatever place the story is set in (and working at this particular hospital), is that her dear friend Sera has mysteriously disappeared. On page 36, we learn that other people have also disappeared. Leaving aside the question of why this world apparently doesn't have any authorities to investigate (and whether any of the other as-yet-unidentified, vanished people have concerned friends or relatives), I can't cope with a book that doesn't actually focus on its basic plot and premise right up front.

There are other things I don't like about the book, but for me it's the word choice and especially the pacing issues that killed any interest I had in reading it. I'm just picky that way. (less)

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Jan 31, 2012 Sharon rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is the second book in Wisdom’s Demon series and the first of hers I have read. The author has set up an open world for her story. The magical community isn’t hidden from the “mundanes” but they don’t really mix. There is an alternate dimension called Inlander’s Magical Plane where magical folk can live and shop.

Lili is a healing witch (doctor) that is searching for her best friend who has mysteriously disappeared while working at Crying Souls, a hospital for magical folk in San Francisco. S...more

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Jan 16, 2012 SOS Aloha rated it 4 of 5 stars

"All you need in the world is love and laughter. That's all anybody needs. To have love in one hand and laughter in the other." - August Wilson

Dark paranormals are not my cup of tea ... along comes Linda Wisdom to lighten up the genre! Wisdom's photo on her publisher's website makes it clear that she is having fun and the reader will, too! Wisdom delivered both the laughter and the love in A DEMON DOES IT BETTER. The laughter is obvious - her paranormal characters are zany rather than scary. The...more

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Jan 13, 2012 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, paranormal-romance, witch, demons, shapeshifter, dragons, dragon

A DEMON DOES IT BETTER by Linda Wisdom is an exciting paranormal romance. "A Demon Does It Better" is the story of Jared,a demon keep in a hospital dungeon,who is supposed to a demented,deranged demon and sexy as all get out. And Doctor Lili Carter,a witch,a wonderful healer,and who is determined to find her missing friend and other. It has everything one would want in a paranormal romance. It has danger,steamy sensuality,romance,love,deception,an evil villain,hospital drama.an asylum,demons,wit...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Liz at Fictional Candy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, demon, witch

Before starting this book I expected to read something that was witty, humorous, fun, and of course paranormal. I wasn’t disappointed at all. This book was every bit of what I’ve come to expect from Linda Wisdom and more.

This book is about Lilianna, Lili for short. Lili is one of the witches banned from the Academy in 1313 (along with Jazz, Blaire, Thea and some others). She is a healer and a doctor – not to mention a very powerful witch. She has just begun a new job at Crying Souls hospital. S...more Before starting this book I expected to read something that was witty, humorous, fun, and of course paranormal. I wasn’t disappointed at all. This book was every bit of what I’ve come to expect from Linda Wisdom and more.

This book is about Lilianna, Lili for short. Lili is one of the witches banned from the Academy in 1313 (along with Jazz, Blaire, Thea and some others). She is a healer and a doctor – not to mention a very powerful witch. She has just begun a new job at Crying Souls hospital. Sounds like a creepy place, right? You have no idea! She is on the search for her friend Sera, whom disappeared without a trace while working at the hospital. Worse yet – she’s not the only one. But for some reason, no one is taking notice.

While working there she is assigned to work downstairs, home to the mentally ill in the paranormal world. There are seven patients and all are deemed to be very dangerous. Of course they are, that’s why they have two giant ogre guards watching them around the clock, right? These two ogres are a real piece of work, definitely not beings you’d want to meet in a dark alley… or heck, even a light alley. But Lili isn’t scared of them. Lili isn’t outwardly scared of anyone. She is a very strong female character, and that’s what I loved about her. She was compassionate and caring, and made friends easily.

She also meets the other patients, including one referred to by Dr. Mortimer as only Patient 1172. There is instant attraction there, and it is definitely heated. The thing is, Lili has seen Patient 1172 before. Patient 1172 is a shadow demon named Jared. Jared is every bit the paranormal lead character you hope to find in these books. He is strong and caring, seductive , dark and mysterious. And he knows what he wants.

I really enjoyed reading about Lili and Jared, watching their impossible situation grow and flourish. The scene on the Ferris wheel was enchanting. I could easily picture the twinkling lights below, the warm air, the heated presence of Jared next to Lili. I felt his fear of heights, and how that diminished and the acknowledgement of his feelings – even if only to himself – endearing.

“Lili’s eyes widened at his one-word declaration that vibrated with demon power the way it hadn’t when he said the word on the Ferris wheel. While she didn’t know a lot about demons, she did know what just happened.”

The passion between the two of them was hot and yet very tender and romantic. It definitely made me eager to turn every page and want to read more.
But let’s not forget who almost stole the whole show here. Cleo… otherwise known as Cleopatra. Yes, THE Cleopatra. She is witty, seductive, caring and a bit of a party cat. Wait! Did I just say cat? Let’s just say that once you see Cleo in action, especially when she gets loaded on cat nip wine, you will never look at felines the same again. I really loved her character. She often broke up the tension, or lent a soft spot when things were getting rough. She is definitely a scene stealer, but helped make this story everything that it was.

Something else I really enjoyed was how the other witches were mentioned in this book. If there is one thing I go crazy for (other than super hot alpha males) is crossover characters. It really helps build the whole world, not just for a scene or even a book. And Linda Wisdom does it wonderfully. I’m really hoping that all of the witches will get their own book eventually.

Halfway through the book and I made the note in my notebook that I was in no way disappointed with this book. I was wishing Lili and Jared could make more of a connection quicker than they did, yet the build up was wonderful. There were several plot lines opened up in this story, and I was a bit worried how everything would come together. But seriously, that was just silly of me to worry. The author handled everything perfectly, and there isn’t a single thing I would change about this story.

A Demon Does It Better is number 2 in the Demons series by Linda Wisdom. I haven’t read number one yet, but I knew that it was about a different witch. I had no trouble understanding the timeline and felt that this book could easily stand alone. But of course, I am definitely going to get my hands on Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend (Demons #1) just as soon as I can!(less)

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Feb 12, 2012 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, arc, paranormal, romance, angels-demons, witches-wizards-warlocks, for-review

I received this e-galley from NetGalley.

3.5 stars.

I haven't read the first in this series, but it didn't seem to be a problem.

A Demon Does it Better is about Lili, a witch with strong healing powers who starts working at a preternatural hospital. While Lili is intent on treating patients, she also wants to find out why some nurses are mysteriously disappearing from the hospital. While treating patients in the 'mentally dangerous' ward, Lili meets Jared, a super sexy shadow demon that doesn't se...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Natasja rated it 4 of 5 stars

Demon does it Better by Linda Wisdom is the second book in the Demon Series and another amusing novel. Just like the first novel I found myself drawn into the story from the start.

Lili is a healer witch and works at the Crying Souls Hospital where she can help all paranormal beings, but she also came back there to investigate the disappearing of a good friend. Her suspicious that the head doctor has his own agenda is confirmed when she starts working in the basement where the dangerous mental pa...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Shan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I just at this moment realized that this book is book 2. I figured it was part of a series, but didn't realize that it wasn't the beginning. Anyway, I suppose all of that is beside the point.

On to the review.

For the most part I really like this book. I know Lili and Jared was going to be good together right from their first face to face meeting. The plot was really unexpected in a good way. I wasn't expecting Jared's circumstances to be what they were (trying no to give anything away). One thing...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Cadiva rated it 3 of 5 stars

It's not as good as the first Demon book - Demons Are A Girl's Best Friend - and it's sadly not as good as the first four in the series (the Hex series) but that's not to say it's a bad read. It's fluffy romance with the usual sidekick characters who provide a quirky extra to the main witchy heroine.
Unlike other reviewers, I wasn't mad keen on Cleo, the former queen of Egypt now reincarnated as a cat, but she did have some really funny stand out moments.
I've also found the plots a bit lacking wi...more

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Jan 24, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own-kindle, netgalley, for-review-read, read-in-2012

Lili is a witch who uses her healing magic to be the best doctor she can be. She has returned to Crying Souls Hospital to investigate the disappearance of her close friend Sera who was last seen working there. Lili quickly realises that Sera isn't the only nurse to have vanished and she is determined to discover what became of them and try to locate her friend. When she is asked to work with the mentally ill patients in the dungeon asylum underneath the hospital she is horrified to discover how...more Lili is a witch who uses her healing magic to be the best doctor she can be. She has returned to Crying Souls Hospital to investigate the disappearance of her close friend Sera who was last seen working there. Lili quickly realises that Sera isn't the only nurse to have vanished and she is determined to discover what became of them and try to locate her friend. When she is asked to work with the mentally ill patients in the dungeon asylum underneath the hospital she is horrified to discover how badly they are treated and the conditions they are forced to live in. The biggest mystery of all is Jared, a patient in the asylum but someone she also keeps bumping into outside the hospital. How is he getting out and why was he locked up in the first place?

Although I liked A Demon Does it Better I have to admit that it didn't wow me. I think that is at least partly because I picked it up without realising it was the second book in a series so was therefore unfamiliar with the world. I hate to read a series out of order and the fault is completely mine for not checking properly before I started reading. Although I believe each book in the series focuses on different main characters I still felt like I was missing something.

The main focus of the story is the romance between Lili and Jared and I felt things developed a little too quickly between them. It meant I found it hard to believe in their relationship, especially at the beginning when I wasn't sure if Jared could be trusted. Lili is a sweet character but there was nothing about her that made her stand out as a memorable heroine and I kind of felt the same about Jared. We were told how hot and sexy he was but I didn't really feel it and I didn't find myself routing for them as a couple.

There are several side stories that could have been really interesting but most of them weren't explored as fully as they could have been. For example there is a young ghost girl in the asylum that Lili wants to help move on, a big question is raised about how she could have ended up at the hospital in the first place but that seems to be forgotten about and we are never given an answer. Even the mystery of the disappearing staff doesn't have much focus until nearly the end of the book when everything wrapped up a bit too quickly and easily. I could give more examples but I don't want to give spoilers.

The story was quite humorous though and I liked most of the side characters even though they could have been fleshed out more than they were. The author has created an interesting world populated with all kinds of shifters, witches, wizards and demons and I'm interested to find out more. I will probably go back and pick up the first book in the series (Demon's are a Girl's Best Friend) at some point and I will keep an eye out for future releases. I think if you're looking for a more light hearted and fun paranormal romance then it would be well worth giving this series a try, if you're looking for something more action packed and with a deeper mystery then this probably won't be enough to satisfy you.(less)

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Feb 15, 2012 Tracy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, netgalley, arc

Perplexed Me A Bit
As a powerful witch-healer, Doctor Lili Carter knows she is uniquely qualified to get a job at Crying Souls Hospital and try to figure out what happened to her good friend Sera. A new nurse at the hospital, Sera had been excited about her job. She and Lili had communicated almost every day, Sera trying to talk Lili into transferring and working there with her.

Then the calls and mail stopped. Abruptly.

When Lili got concerned and called the hospital after not hearing from her fri...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-read-in-2012, read-in-2012, ebooks-read-in-2012

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review. Lili is a witch who takes a job at a paranormal hospital to try an find out what happened to her missing friend. There is a asylum under the hospital where they keep insane or dangerous patients. Among them is Jared a demon who has been there 100 years. Lili soon finds that he can leave his cell and that he isn't as dangerous as the doctor would have her believe. In fact it seems there is more going on than she thought. She teams up with...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars

A Demon Does it Better was a fun read that left me wanting more. Set in a hospital for all things paranormal, Linda Wisdom creates a spooky and dark setting where something is amiss. Lili comes to work at the hospital in search of answers for her friend that has gone missing with no trace. Instead she finds even more questions as she is brought to the underground, dungeon-like part of the hospital where the mentally insane are kept. There she meets Jared who is a demon that she just can't seem t...more A Demon Does it Better was a fun read that left me wanting more. Set in a hospital for all things paranormal, Linda Wisdom creates a spooky and dark setting where something is amiss. Lili comes to work at the hospital in search of answers for her friend that has gone missing with no trace. Instead she finds even more questions as she is brought to the underground, dungeon-like part of the hospital where the mentally insane are kept. There she meets Jared who is a demon that she just can't seem to resist. And soon Lili finds herself drawn not only to Jared but also to the secrets that the hospital seems to hold close. Because everything isn't as it seems...

How spooky does that sound??? I loved the setting that the author created with this book. It filled the book with atmosphere at times that was both creepy and dark. Lili was quite the opposite which fit really nice as she was filled with light and goodness. The atmosphere of the story contrasted nicely with Lili's character which really worked well in the book. The chemistry between Lili and Jared was almost immediate which caused me to instantly root for them. I would have liked to seen Jared's character explored a bit more though...I didn't feel like we got to fully know him like we did Lili. In the end it didn't matter, as I was just waiting to see that they got their happy ending :) The plot kept my attention throughout the story as Lili searched for answers to the various goings on at the hospital. And although the ending was a bit faster than I would have liked, I felt that it tied everything up quite nicely.

All in all, this was another solid read by this author! I'm looking forward to whatever she decides to write next as she is on my auto-buy list. And I really, really like the darker turn that her last two books have taken. I just can't wait for more! If you haven't tried this author yet, the great thing about these books is that you don't have to read them in any particular order. Characters from previous books are mentioned but it won't affect your enjoyment of each individual book. (I'd start at the beginning and read them all though if I were you :) Definitely recommended!

Bottom Line: Another must read from this author!

Disclosure: I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of this book from the publisher. My thanks!(less)

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Jan 23, 2012 Pamela added it

Shelves: ebooks, paranormal-romance, fiction

I’m kind of thinking that I just wasn’t in the right mood for this book. Other reviews for it are glowing, but I absolutely could not get into the story. At all. I felt no emotional connection to the characters, the prose was clunky and off-putting, and by page 100, I still had no idea what the main plot thread would be. Let’s break this down into things that annoyed me:

The Characters
I just wasn’t interested in the protagonist, Lili, at all. There wasn’t any kind of emotional connection between...more I’m kind of thinking that I just wasn’t in the right mood for this book. Other reviews for it are glowing, but I absolutely could not get into the story. At all. I felt no emotional connection to the characters, the prose was clunky and off-putting, and by page 100, I still had no idea what the main plot thread would be. Let’s break this down into things that annoyed me:

The Characters
I just wasn’t interested in the protagonist, Lili, at all. There wasn’t any kind of emotional connection between me as the reader and Lili as the main character. I know I was supposed to feel bad for her that her mother died and her best friend is missing, but I didn’t. In fact, I really didn’t get any kind of emotion off of Lili when she mentioned those two big life events. I was told she was feeling sad and worried, but I never got a sense of it. She was just… there, and I could never get a feel for her.

The love interest, demonic Jared, was the same. He’s described as sexy and mysterious, but I just couldn’t ever muster enough interest in him to care who he is, why he’s locked in the magical hospital’s psych ward, or what the amazing chemistry is between Jared and Lili. Even that felt perfunctory: there will be a romance between these two characters, therefore they are suddenly and inexplicably attracted to each other. Meh.

The majority of the supporting characters were cardboard cutouts: the bitchy head nurse, the creepy old doctor, the sweet and supportive best friends, the sexually adventurous new friend. The only supporting character with real potential is Cleo, Lili’s cat friend who used to be Cleopatra, queen of Egypt. I like the idea of Cleo, but the execution was lacking. To me, Cleo is that stock sassy friend character who says, “GURL!” a lot to the protagonist and nudges her into the romance.

The Prose
Infodumps, ahoy! I’m wondering how I would feel about the infodumps if I had read the first book in this series (nothing on the Amazon page indicates that it’s book 2, so I went in flying blind). As someone without any background in the universe, I was annoyed that I was dropped into a world and had little, incongruous nuggets of information dropped on me randomly. If I were familiar with the world, I might not need those nuggets of information, but I still think that they really do nothing to enhance my enjoyment of the world.

The Plot
There are just too many plot threads brought up haphazardly. Lili has started her new job at the magical hospital. She sees the sexy demon dude. She’s feeling regret over her mother’s death. Okay. By this point, I’m not sure where the story is going (other than that Lili and Jared are eventually going to hook up), but I’m willing to stick around and see. At around page 70, Lili suddenly thinks about her best friend who used to work at the magical hospital but mysteriously quit her job and disappeared. Huh. It seems like that’s something that Lili would have thought of sooner, since she’s in the hospital all day. You’d think that would bring up memories of her friend or something. At page 100, yet another new character, the bitchy headmistress of Lili’s old witch school, suddenly shows up to chat.

And I still have no idea where the plot’s going. I try to be a forgiving reader; I’ll often give a book way more time than I should to draw me in. But with this one, I just couldn’t go on. If within the first hundred pages, I haven’t been given an inkling of what the main plot thread is going to be, I have to give up.

Rating: Did Not Finish(less)

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Dec 15, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

A Demon Does It Better is a Paranormal Romance from Linda Wisdom from SourceBooks Casablanca.

Book Blurb:

A Madhouse Is No Place For A Curious Witch...

After more than a century, Doctor Lili Carter, witch healer extraordinaire, has taken a job at Crying Souls Hospital and Asylum, where strange and sinister things are happening. Patients are disappearing, and Lili wants to know why.

And Doubly Dangerous For A Demon...

Lili finds herself undeniably attracted to perhaps the most mysterious patient of al...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars

I can't say that this book really "did it" for me. The plot was good and held great potential, but I didn't think it was executed very well. I found that the first half of the book kind of dragged on and I found myself not caring if I ever picked it up again or not. It was a great story of opposites that attract to each other; the good witch doctor and the not so nice demon patient. The characters were great and I loved reading about them and how they grew throughout the book. The plot just wasn...more

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Dec 24, 2011 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action-adventure, contemporary, paranormal, suspense-mystery

originally posted at http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

Lili is searching for a witch friend that just “disappeared” from the hospital she was working at, but what she finds is a demon in the dungeon below…

Ms. Wisdom makes her heroine a witch who heals and nurtures her friendships. Lili is kind, will defend her patients and friends to the death, and hasn’t had a love for a long time. The author really caught my attention with her demented demon. He’s a hunk that went a bit crazy from being...more

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Feb 29, 2012 MoonGlitter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, kindle, books-reviewed-for-blog

A Demon Does It Better is the second book in Linda Wisdom's Demon series.
Lili is a 700 year old witch who has healing abilities. She decides to go back to work as a doctor at Crying Souls hospital when her friend Sera comes up missing while working there.
Jared is a demon who has been locked up in an asylum beneath the hospital by a doctor who says that he is very dangerous. He's been a "guest" in this prison cell for more then 100 years and has suffered through his share of abuse and degradation...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Tammy Kenney rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Finished this book last night. I've read all of the stories about the witches that were kicked out of witch's school. I love the way she weaves characters from past books into each new book. It makes me want to go back and read them all over again.

This is the newest in the series by Linda Wisdom. This time the witch is a doctor and she lives with a cat named Cleo, short for Cleopatra with a love of catnip wine. I had no problem visualizing the Crying Souls Hospital and it's patients.

I found it...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Kathy Davie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, romance

Second in Demons, the spin-off series from Jazz Tremaine (sixth in the overall chronology). This series focuses on, well, what did you expect? Demons with Dr. Lili Carter and Jared.

Although, to be honest, when I started writing this review, I thought this was the start of yet another series spin-off. It'll be interesting to see where Wisdom takes us.

My Take
Whoa, Wisdom really sets up an intricate story here. The basics are a bit cliched, but it's the detail and where Wisdom takes us that makes t...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Johanna rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have to say the second book of the demon series does not live up to the greatness of the first. I started this book and just generally got bored. Im not really sure but it intrigued me at first but it wasn't exciting enough to hold my attention. A demon that can escape a sanitorum through dark shadows was compelling but he didn't hook me in with the demon does it better line. Halfway through I was yawning and then ooops I skipped to last chapter. Then before I knew it I was online trading it f...more

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Dec 10, 2012 StrangeBedfellows rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun read, but it didn't rock my world. Things started off strong, held steady for most of the book, then weakened a bit in the last few chapters. Overall, though, I give this a thumbs-up. I haven't read the previous books of this series, but that didn't hinder my reading experience in any way. This book stands alone well, and references to past characters and plots just piqued my interest more. Speaking of characters, the protagonists of this book are all intriguing, appealing charact...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Paranormal romance

Shelves: ebook, fiction, netgalley, romance, series, urban-fantasy

When I started reading this book I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but I ended up getting sucked into it and before I knew it I was almost finished. It's the second in a series about witches and demons and all sorts of really cool supernatural creatures. The story revolves around a hospital and the insane asylum housed in the basement. Lili is a doctor, who also happens to be a witch, charged with taking care of the inmates of the asylum where she ends up falling for Jared, one of her patien...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Jackie (Literary Escapism) added it

Shelves: demons, magic, shapeshifters, para-romance, read-2012

I have to say that I easily devoured each page as I read A Demon Does It Better. There was definitely some intrigue, along with some flirty fun, that help to keep the plot moving. The final conflict was a little quick, and I’m still not exactly sure what happened, but getting to that point was fascinating.

Overall, A Demon Does It Better was another great novel by Linda Wisdom and I’m eagerly awaiting to see who we’ll get to see next. For those who have read the series, we still have no clue exac...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Scooper Speaks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Favorite Lines: “She mentally rehearsed opening dialogue if they had just “happened” to bump into each other. Oh, hello. Do you happen to know where Rangel’s Harvest Foods might be? Excuse me, but don’t I know you from somewhere? Actually, I know I’d remember you if you had been a patient of mine. No forgetting a body like that.” (p. 11-12, egalley)

Book two in Linda Wisdom’s series about demons was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting much, but boy did she deliver a story unlike any I’ve read...more Favorite Lines: “She mentally rehearsed opening dialogue if they had just “happened” to bump into each other. Oh, hello. Do you happen to know where Rangel’s Harvest Foods might be? Excuse me, but don’t I know you from somewhere? Actually, I know I’d remember you if you had been a patient of mine. No forgetting a body like that.” (p. 11-12, egalley)

Book two in Linda Wisdom’s series about demons was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting much, but boy did she deliver a story unlike any I’ve read lately. Demon Does it Better is what I want from paranormal books: a good plot and great characters. There was some predictability, but the idea behind the story really worked quite well for me.

I don’t’ want to spoil the surprise (I’ll let someone else do that.), but the hero’s situation came out of the blue. At least it happened early. Early enough to make the entire story interesting. The bad guy was obvious, but figuring out how to save the hero took some doing and it was refreshing to read a story which revolved around a heroine saving her hero.

Don’t get me wrong. The hero is a male demon capable of taking charge and solving problems. However, he is plagued by some major baggage. Baggage that often results in him getting the crap beat out of him. His salvation comes in the form of a witch who was expelled from “witch school” in the 1300s.

Lili is looking into the mysterious disappearances of nurses from Crying Souls Hospital. The hospital cares for the preternatural community and houses an asylum for those creatures in need of mental care. Lili’s duties take her into the dungeon to care for those with questionable mental issues. Throughout the story Lili is an advocate for all in need. Not just the preternatural, but humans too. She does not believe in turning her back on patients or reverting to the 1600s when Bedlam was considered the place to go to for medical aid. She’s strong and smart enough to ask for help when she needs it. In other words, she is a worthy heroine.

Demon Does it Better is a romance, but I was more interested in the action taking place. I wanted the heroine to solve the mystery and save her hero. I really didn’t care about their romance despite the attention given to it. The story revolves around the couple. They have a sizzling attraction for one another, yet I really didn’t care because the story as a whole was good. To be honest, I actually like this book better than book one (Demons are a Girl’s Best Friend). It was much darker than the introductory book in the series and had less fluff. A couple of characters from book one make an appearance in Demon Does it Better. It connects the stories without confusing those who have only read book two.

I’ll admit to being slightly confused for the first chapter of Demon Does it Better. I felt like I was dumped into a situation. The situation wasn’t explained until further in the story. As soon as I realized what was happening, I was cool. I wanted the heroine to succeed. No, I never made an emotional connection with the book. (So unlike me.) I still managed to enjoy the book more than the average story.

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Feb 03, 2012 All Things Urban Fantasy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-kristina

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

A DEMON DOES IT BETTER takes place at Crying Souls Hospital where magical beings come to be healed. Much of the comedy in this book came from the antics, patients, and hospital staff at this ‘magical being-only’ hospital. The comedic moments were necessary to balance some of the disturbing and intense events which occurred in the prison-like hospital ward. While Lili tried to unravel the mystery of several disappearances at Crying Souls, the one mystery...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Jenni Ebba rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lili is fun, hip, and sweet. Her ability as a healer is quite known and when she moves back to San Francisco in search of her missing friend, all hell breaks lose. She quickly becomes a doctor in demand and she starts treating the "mentally unstable" in the magic world. While treating the unbalanced ones she meets Patient 1127...AKA Jared, a chameleon demon that had gone crazy centuries early while fighting off a clan of vampires.
It becomes quite clear that Jared is not insane as he once was and...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

3*s

Lili Carter is a witch and her speciality is healing, she has just re-taken a position at Crying Souls Hospital run by the elusive Dr Mortimer whose speciality is the mentally ill. Lili isn’t there just to do her job, she is there to find out what happened to her friend Sera who went missing a while ago and no one has seen her since. What she finds when she starts working in the ‘dungeon’ is no less than barbaric but she is determined to change things, for the better. When she is specifically...more 3*s

Lili Carter is a witch and her speciality is healing, she has just re-taken a position at Crying Souls Hospital run by the elusive Dr Mortimer whose speciality is the mentally ill. Lili isn’t there just to do her job, she is there to find out what happened to her friend Sera who went missing a while ago and no one has seen her since. What she finds when she starts working in the ‘dungeon’ is no less than barbaric but she is determined to change things, for the better. When she is specifically warned to stay away from patient 1172 her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers that not everything is as it seems down there and some professionals have their own agendas with regards to the patients. As Lili tries to do her job, help the mentally unstable, find out what happened to her friend, help a lost soul and get to the bottom of the mysterious man in her life- Jared. Has she taken on too much? Would it be a sign of weakness to accept help?

I enjoyed this book but not as much as the first, I didn’t know it was going to be about a different couple so that was a nice surprise. The characters were all likable. Lili & Jared made a lovely couple and I was routing for them all the way wondering how they were going to get past the obstacles in their way. Lili had a great support system and I found those characters really interesting and hope we get more from them throughout the series. Jared’s powers were quite unique and different too and I’m left wondering what is going to happen to them and him following the events of this book. The plot was good, you were left in no doubt as to who the ‘bad guys’ were but not exactly was happening. I sort of guessed some of it especially with the description of the Dr and the fact that we didn’t see much of him in the plot is explained along with the other things he’d been up to. I was left a little disappointed with Amy’s story and felt she had more potential as a character, her ending was over so quickly and I didn’t feel like it gave any really good insight into the plot- I wanted her back story and that just didn’t come. I would have also liked to have had more therapy sessions, they are a great way to get to know a character especially with the setting being a mental ward and there was a couple of characters there who would have been good to get to know and would have offered more getting to know you stuff with Lili & Jared.

It was lovely to see some of the characters from the first book make an appearance because it tied them together as a series rather than a stand-alone book, although this could be read very easily as one. I’m loving the world though, with all the new characters and the species being introduced and wondering who is next for some ‘Demon Loving’.

PS- I would love a Maggie & Declan follow-up book.
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Dec 09, 2011 Carmel (Rabid Reads) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

I adored Maggie's in-your-face personality in Demons are a Girl's Best Friend and expected there to be another similar kick ass character in this second installment. Regrettably, Lili didn't quite live up to my expectations. The first book was action packed while as this one is all about the romance and the main protagonist is a healer instead of a fighter. Two very different stories. I found A Demon Does it Better to be a bit of a letdown after such a solid kickoff to th...more Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

I adored Maggie's in-your-face personality in Demons are a Girl's Best Friend and expected there to be another similar kick ass character in this second installment. Regrettably, Lili didn't quite live up to my expectations. The first book was action packed while as this one is all about the romance and the main protagonist is a healer instead of a fighter. Two very different stories. I found A Demon Does it Better to be a bit of a letdown after such a solid kickoff to this new series in volume one. It was an enjoyable read nonetheless but it just wasn't what I had envisioned.

I liked unraveling the mystery surrounding patient 1172 a.k.a. Jared. He's a demon who's been locked-up in an asylum and the head doctor claims that he's extremely dangerous. Lili is skeptical about her superior's prognosis and opts to dig into the issue until she discovers the truth. Which turns out to be way more than she bargained for! I'm not going to lie, in the beginning I thought that Jared was deceiving the lovely Dr Carter. I kept expecting him to show his cards but it didn't happen. He's actually a good demon. Go figure! My suspicions stopped me from going gaga over the leading hunk until later on in the story. I think this is one of the reasons why I didn't enjoy this book as much as its predecessor. The lack of a swoon worthy male from the get-go caused me to want more action out of this read than what Linda had planned to deliver. I suppose that it's my own fault for refusing to give Jared the benefit of the doubt but what can ya do?

Oddly enough, it was one of the side characters that ended up being my favorite and the same thing happened in Demons are a Girl's Best Friend. Wisdom has a knack for creating awesome sidekicks! In this case I couldn't get enough of Cleo who turns out to be Queen Cleopatra herself but in a cat's body! It's immediately apparent that this feline is used to getting her own way but when she argues with Lili over things like Fancy Feast it became impossible for me to suppress my chuckles. Despite Cleo's finicky temperament, she proves to be a very useful resource for Lili whenever mysterious magic problems arise. She might be furry but she's older than dirt and knows her stuff!

All this to say that I enjoyed A Demon Does it Better quite a bit. I think I sabotaged myself on this one; if I hadn't doubted Jared's character nor expected Urban Fantasy quality action out of a Paranormal Romance I would have a higher opinion of this book. Sorry Linda! I accept the blame on this one. Wisdom even uses the book's title as a catch phrase a few times which I found very clever! A Demon Does it Better is a sassy, sizzling read with an adorable kitty sidekick who adds plenty of giggles to this romantic tale. No news on the next installment yet but regardless, it's going on my wishlist!

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A Demon Does It Better (Demons #2)

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