Never Save a Demon

A Daughter of Eve #1

by J.D. Brown

The rules for demon slaying are simple.
Rule #1: Never save a demon’s life.
… Oops.

Lyn Conway is a hot mess. She’s past due on her rent, can’t get clients to take her paranormal investigations business seriously, and … Oh yeah, she’s a demon hunter who broke the ultimate rule. She didn’t mean to save a demon’s life. She thought she was saving a cute guy from a horrific attack. But now?

Sam. Won’t. Die.

That is, he won’t die until she does.

Being bound to a gorgeous demon isn’t all that bad, until women who look suspiciously similar to Lyn start dropping dead with a demonic seal carved into their flesh. The tables have turned. The hunter is being hunted. Fortunately, Lyn lives with her number one suspect.

Never Save a Demon is the first book in the Daughter of Eve series. If you like young, fresh urban fantasy with a kickass heroine, lots of goofy comedy, and a complicated paranormal romance, then you’ll love this new page-turner by award-winning author J.D. Brown. Perfect for fans of Darynda Jones, Illona Andrews, and Izzy Shows.

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

275 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 12, 2018

About the author

J.D. Brown knows that vampires exist because she’s dating one and no, he doesn’t sparkle. Unfortunately, he’s not immortal either (or maybe her standards are too low). A magnet for subcultures and weirdness, J.D. was that socially awkward girl with more fictional friends than real ones. As a child battling a hearing loss and a medical condition with no name, J.D. found comfort in books where strong women always saved the day and got the guy. An obsession with Charmed, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Buffy the Vampire Slayer led J.D. to believe that her mutated chromosome made her something more, not something less. Thus her stubborn flare to persevere was born. A lover of fine cuisine, coffee, and shoes, J.D. never understood why shoe stores don’t serve Starbucks and soufflé. She resides in Wisconsin were she writes urban fantasy—aka vampires for adults—and has political debates with her dogs. She loves to hear from fans and is active on http://Facebook.com/AuthorJDBrown

Reviews

[Jeanny · Rating 1 out of 5]

Audible version.
I found Lynn’s immaturity tiresome, humor lacking, & her intellect in question. I found Samuel selfish & ultimately uninteresting. The plot was a mindless mess. Oh & the narrator sucked so bad!!! DNF @ 60%. I’m unlikely to read any of this authors work.
My recommendation is stay away. 1 Star

[Marianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh, it was okay but nothing more. I'd say about 3 stars.

The reason why I'm rounding down is because the author seems to think a "slightly overweight" police woman can't do her job as well as a fit individual. As a fit woman with a BMI of 27 I very much take offense.

Discontinuing this series.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (11/22/2019)! 🎁

[T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there was nothing really wrong with the writing (a few typos, such as haunch instead of hunch), I have to say, I simply disliked Lyn as a main character and found Sam pretty weak as either a possible romantic interest or antihero/antagonist. The story line had lots of promise, but I have a problem with books when the heroes are annoying or self-centered. I also felt there were plot holes, such as not recognizing Sam as a demon and her resistance to recognizing the danger to herself and others. Childish and a slob, Lyn had no real redeeming qualities to make me like her or sympathize with her-- other opinions may differ, but this wasn't a series for me.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lyn is one of the only two Daughters of Eve left. The Daughters can feel and see through the glamour of demons. The other is Lyn's great grandmother, Beatrice. Lyn saves what she believes to be a human. Instead, her good heart and bravery gets her bound with a demon!

Well written, with great characters and plot. Full of kick butt action, demons, and angels! A few lol moments made this a fun read. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

I received a complimentary copy and freely give my honest review.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book*

This was an interesting start to a new series. I found the banter between the characters amusing and found myself smiling at how fun they were. As firsts in a series go, this wasn't bad. It kept my attention. I do prefer tougher heroines but this one was ok. I will probably read the next book as I do enjoy books by this author.

[Gwessie Tee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Naughtiness 1

Absolutely brilliant, loved this book very much and cannot wait for the next in the series.

I won't give spoilers but will say this truly is a fantastic read, any who love supernatural beings will I think like this if not love it, I'm definitely in the love it category.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

That does it, I need to know more. NOW! I’m a sucker for the stories that twist the Christian mythos, and this one does it brilliantly. On the surface, Lyn’s tale is a light-hearted urban fantasy. But scratch that surface and you find something a little darker and a lot deeper. Pulling details from the legends of angels and demons, those deeper, darker parts of the story read a lot like a psychological thriller. Action, suspense, drama, betrayal, love, lust, and hope liberally spiced with random laugh-out-loud moments meant for an emotional roller-coaster ride. I can’t wait to see what Lyn and company get up to next.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book.

[Punkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

.

Lots of snark, sarcasm and immaturity. Interesting take on demons and angels. Bit of sadness but not much romance, that was wishy washy.

[Cookie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lyn Conway is annoying, childish, uncooperative, selfish, reckless, lazy, arrogant, stubborn, ignorant, entitled, petty, insufferable and completely unlikeable.

• She doesn't care whatsoever about her life being in danger
• She refuses to listen to Sam or trust him at all even though he's been nothing but reasonable to her and is constantly looking out for her (since he's bound to her and needs to keep her alive so he stays alive)
• She is continuously an annoying jerk to Sam for no reason
• She is very childish about her food and tidying up and is just generally a slob.
• Her way is the only right way; she doesn't listen to common sense
• She is wilfully ignorant towards glaring evidence (because her beliefs can't possibly be wrong)

Furthermore, the plot going on with the Sam and the other demons was convoluted and poorly explained.

I actually found myself siding more with the demons, wanting them to bring Lyn pain and torture. I could especially relate to Sam. I really empathised with him having to put up with Lyn's crap. He puts all of my frustrations into words perfectly:

"You are a childish, foolhardy little girl, the bane of my existence, and a disgrace to your legacy. Two excruciating weeks living with you, learning your derivative ways; I wanted to kill you so many times just to put myself out of my misery."

[Becca Owen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure if I have read this author before and as the title intrigued me I wanted to give it a go.
I don't know how I feel about Lyn. She was very childish at times, not taking things seriously or listening to advice. She is not trained so she should not have been running into things and should actually listen.
However, some of her comments were funny.
It does make me question though why she has not been trained as a true Daughter?
I liked the twist about Angie and that they grew up together, however she clearly is not very good at her job because she failed Lyn a few times and was not there when she was in danger so it does make me wonder how being a Guardian works in this world.
I really like Sam and how selfish he is, but in some ways selfless. His blindness added a great character backstory. I am really intrigued by the Blind God.
My favourite character is definitely Lolly though. She seemed to be the only one that knew what she was doing. I would love a story about her and how she was trained, what she fought etc.
Overall, an interesting concept. I may read more of this series in the future but not right now. But worth a read for your own opinion!

[Nightwings81 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Saying Lyn is hot mess in the book description could not be more true. This protagonist is useless, immature, annoying, and not likable at all. Her mannerisms and "snarky" comments are grating, and I love a snarky protagonist in an urban fantasy. She gets nothing accomplished in the book and the only thing I found even slightly funny was her declaring her will to live was gone because her coffee had spilled. I could not find any reason for her and Sam to blossom into anything, and if her matriarchal line are supposed to be useful in the battle between Heaven and Hell, then both factions are doomed.

And we get it, she and Angie hang...we don't need Angie referred to as her BFF on every page.

I got this book free and I really only finished it because I am doing the book challenge on Goodreads and didn't want the pages wasted, but I wouldn't pay for the next book and I would have been pretty pissed to have spent money on this one.

[Deb Le · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book. It's extremely fast paced with a deliciously sarcastic heroine, Lyn, who doesn't always have a clue what she's doing. Sam is hilarious while Angie is a sweetheart. It's a roller coaster of a read taking you on a journey to a world full of demons and angels where very little is what it seems. The plot is well constructed, the action kept me turning the pages from the start. I voluntarily received an ARC of this book.

[Christinaraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book Lyn and Sam's story and was a riot. The story was well written and quite a few scenes made me laugh out loud. I was addicted from the end of the first chapter. By the end it was also hard to say whose side Sam really was on. A few mysteries/world building stuff were revealed that I really cannot wait to see how they get weaved into the series. Just a really good start to a series that can be re-read for fun and was pretty clean in terms of sex too. Loved the concept.

[Gena Grider · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sooooo bad!!!

I can’t believe how awful this book was. It made no sense whatsoever!! I got to the end and was like that’s it? If you have nothing else to do, watch tv.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lyn Conway, a demon hunter protector of humanity, watched an Arwah demon, looking like a ball of tar with teeth, move over the welcome mat at the open door. She was teaching martial arts to a class of preschoolers and needed to get them away from the demon who could possess anyone it touched. She had her receptionist best friend toss her sword to her and take the children outside while she took care of the problem oozing across the floor. This was the second demon this week – and it was only Tuesday!

She walked into her apartment and saw 3 people in the living room. One was Sam -- the gorgeous Greater demon she had accidentally soul-bonded to a week ago by saving his life -- and a middle-aged couple who gasped at the sight of her sword. The Emersons wanted to hire Lyn. Their daughter was a involved in the recent suicide deaths which were highly suspicious since all the young women were blonde, blue-eyed, around the same height, and in the same age range – in fact, exactly like Lyn herself. But what the public didn’t know, each girl had a sigil carved in her chest. She wasn’t even sure it was demonic, but Sam was encouraging her to take the case! When the Emersons left, they proceeded to bicker about Lyn’s purchase of junk food when she had made a bargain with him that she would “eat healthy” and he had made her dinner. At least in their present circumstance, he could never harm her without harming himself. But why was he being so accommodating and even protective toward her?

I loved the snarky, fun tone of this book immediately! The personalities of the characters jump right out at the reader, which shows what a good job the author is doing in introducing them! The banter that goes on between the characters will keep the reader laughing. Even the secondary characters are amazing! So while Sam and Lyn are “stuck with each other”, will they be able to solve the mystery of the sigil? Will Lyn realize just how much Sam is really there for her when things get really difficult and dangerous? Is there any way other than death to break this bond that keeps them together? Grab your copy and find out – and grab Book 2 which is also available now! You are definitely going to fall in love with these characters and will want to see how it all works out!

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a laugh out loud riot. The author takes us on a hysterical cheeky ride. Poor Lyn Conway she is a mess , she is a demon hunter with a little bit of a problem . She is bound to a sexy demon that just won't go away . Well actually he can't go away he is bound to her and the only way that he will leave is if she dies. She doesn't want to die but when she is being hunted down it will take all of her and Sam's powers to keep her alive .
I absolutely fell in love with these characters . Lyn is such a mess, she is trying to survive hunting the demons she sees, keeping the world safe . She is snarky and so not a girlie girl . She is actually really tough and has a heart of gold for her best friend and her grandmother. You will really like her she is a card .
Sam is oh so sexy and a greater demon . He has this canny ability to peeve off Lyn any chance he can by giving her healthy food and counting her coffee intake . He is grumpy most of the time . but when the going gets tough he is there for Lyn to help her survive the demons that are coming . They are so different but they are so made for each other . You guys will love them and their cattiness towards each other,
I absolutely loved this book . The characters are well written and complex and the author takes us on a fun filled journey. I had such a blast reading this book . It is a departure from her vampire series . This one is more tongue n cheek snarky and laugh out loud funny . Just the conversations between Sam and Lyn alone are hilarious . Every time he tries to get he to eat healthy well you will have to read to see what she does to get even . Trust me there is a lot of coffee drinking that goes on . I couldn't put the book down I read it in an evening and laughed all the way through . So if you want a great start to a new series check out NEVER SAVE A DEMON . Put it on your summer reading list .

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really had a lot of fun reading this YA book. I had to laugh at the heroine's, Lyn's, sarcasm and humor. There was so much adventure and emotions in this story. Emotions such as happiness, sadness, confusion, desperation, fear and terror. There was demon killing, investigating murder/suicides, reading clues that were unseen by a normal person by not by Lyn and getting along with a grumpy demon. Sam, Lyn's demon sidekick, was an interesting character. Although it seemed that they loathed each other, the truth was Sam and Lyn literally and figuratively could not live without the other. Sam always put his self preservation above all else. That meant he had to keep Lyn alive. What ever happened to her, it happened to him. But I am beginning to suspect that Sam really did care for Lyn and vice versa. Beatrice Rose otherwise known as Lolly was Lyn's great grandmother and was a source of strength for her. Lolly in her youth was a brave, strong and smart renown demon hunter. This story is so crazy. It really challenged me to use my imagination to conjure up the scenarios in this book. I could not believe it ended with a cliffhanger, but it did. Now I cannot wait to read the next book "Never Trust A Demon". I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeff Hildebrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful and entertaining. I think if they gave half stars I'd make it 4.5. The biggest drawback of the book: the editors missed a few word choice and I ended up snickering at times. At one point the author obviously meant to say a character's vision "swam" but the phrase came out with the word "swarming" and in another there was a "heard of demons". I was reading the Kindle edition, so don't know if other formats have the same issues.

A good thing about the book is that it doesn't have an action cliff-hanger, it has a relationship cliff-hanger. As in the plot resolved itself sufficiently and it left the characters with some unfinished and interesting things to still accomplish between themselves. I dislike books where the action of the plot is left hanging to finish in the next book and really like an author who can pull off a whole plot arc and leave you feeling satisfied with the book but still want to see what happens next.

As characters go, they're not perfect so do make mistakes. But those mistakes are consistent in their personalities and not just dumb. The author has a good feel for these characters and is writing them competent but flawed. I really appreciate that.

I will be buying the second book.

[S. Peters-Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review – Never Save a Demon: A Daughter of Eve Book 1
Author – J.D. Brown
Genre – New Adult, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

First Line: A blob of black tar about the size of a bowling ball oozed past the main entrance.

Review:

Lyn (Evelyn) Conway possesses an inherited ability; she sees demons and other beings of the supernatural. She protects the human world like a fearless warrior.

Sam, a Greater demon, sexy hot and a monster, ends up bound to Lyn. Now if she dies, he dies and visa-versa.

Imagine what a demon destroyer like Lyn thinks about this, and what a Greater demon like Sam learns from this.

What a concept! Bravo J.D. for bringing a slayer and a demon into a compromising position where they are pretty much a prisoner to each other. There’s plenty of action scenes, great plot twists, and a multitude of resonating tensions between Lyn and Sam. Their banter reeks of it. A page turner for me, and now I’m patiently waiting for the next book in the Daughter of Eve series. Highly recommend.

[Caroline Doig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lyn is a daughter of Eve cursed with the sight of seeing demons just like all of the Conway women before her, she had accidentally bound herself to Sam who is a demon Lyn had found Sam bruised and bleeding so she took him to her apartment cleaned up his wounds then accidentally bound their souls. Once that happened she could see the real Sam the molten lava in his veins, they had made a pact Sam would only eat the worst of the worst of human kind instead of the innocent and Lyn vowed to stop eating junk food, but come on a little bit of junk won’t hurt right?!. Lyn is a paranormal investigator and right now she is on a case it’s concerning 4 girls who had committed suicide so the police say but one lot of parents think that they didn’t, they all had marks cut into their bodies and the descriptions of the girls sounded like they were describing Lyn. That’s all I’m going to give you guys and this is just the beginning of this amazing story but there is so much more. This is a fantastic story a 5 plus ⭐️ read and I highly recommend this book it’s definitely well worth the read.

[Jennifer]

I gave this one a solid try, but had to give it up. It had a solid start, but things quickly went downhill. I found Lyn unlikable and more than a little stupid (she broke her bargain with a demon when other souls were stake and never stopped to consider the consequences, seriously?), and her actions made no sense beyond "moving the story forward."

Mostly, it lacked depth. Maybe there were answers to all my questions in the second half of the novel, but the frustration at the lack of detail (WHY exactly was Lyn so attached to her sword she was willing to chase after a garbage truck dressed only in mismatching bra and underwear?) was great than my curiosity.

I also found it odd that Sam, who can apparently feel whatever Lyn is feeling, would throw away her beloved sword. The lack of respect between the two—the lack of anything as remote as common courtesy or speck of polite decency—was the final straw.

The prose was fine, but the potentially good story was ruined by shitty characters, lack of detail, blah plotting, and poor pacing.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never Save A Demon is Book 1 in the A Daughter of Eve series. This is an exceptionally well written story line with complicated/complex characters. This author has a unique ability with words that bring the book to life which is truly an exceptional talent. Our two MC are Lyn Conway (demon hunter - a snarky one at that) and Sam (gorgeous greater demon) that Lyn bound herself to by accident when she save his life. The interaction between Lyn and Sam reminds me of Felix and Oscar (The Odd Couple) and will keep you laughing through out the book. When the chips are down and Lyn needs help and protection, Sam is there for her. All the characters are well developed and come to life as you read. I thoroughly enjoyed his book and looking forward to Book 2. I highly recommend it. Received a copy and this is my voluntary and honest review.

[PAR]

Oh My! – I loved this book from the get go! Never Save A Demon is Book 1 of 3 in the A Daughter of Eve series, and author JD Brown definitely has another winner on her hands. All the characters are well developed and come to life as you read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Lyn the main character is just plain snarky! Her attitude fits her lifestyle – just one big mess. Her rent is past due along with the rest of her bills and she can’t get anyone to take her business seriously. She is a demon hunter whose business is paranormal investigations. Lyn is a demon hunter who has bonded herself to a demon – go figure – this just tells you that not only does this novel have a well developed story line but you are going to be able to have a lot of good laughs. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a little while to get into the book itself. In the beginning the story was a little disjointed and I was not sure how I felt about Lyn. The book is a daughter of Eve book, but I felt more like it was about Sam. The demon she inadvertently saves and becomes bound too. However, that being said, by the middle of the book I found myself more interested and the storyline began to intrigue me. I've always loved books about demons and angels and the little bit of romance buzzing in the wind. As the book came to an end, I found myself wanting to know more about Lyn, who manages to grow quite a bit in the first book, and Sam. The Blind God. I have a feeling this series is about to get real and quickly. It's worth a read if demons and angels are what you crave.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it!
What a great start to a brand new series! The book is laugh out loud funny, the characters are snarky, and the plot is a roller coaster ride of fun.
Lyn is a daughter of Eve who has no idea what she’s doing half the time who accidentally binds a greater demon trying to help an innocent. Oh my. Sam is ridiculously funny a demon trying to get a human to eat healthy lol. Angie Lyn’s bff has some very intriguing hidden secrets. Roll that up with a war between Heaven & Hell and we’ve got a winner here! I need book 2 like yesterday!
I received an ARC from the author. This is my honest review.

[Tifferspiglet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demon-tastic

I'm usually not one to read this genre of stories but when I had read the preorder description I had to have and I preordered it that moment and woke on the release day to see it in my library. I may not of read yet immediately but I have now and have enjoyed it throughly.

Was a little darker then what I'm used to but otherwise it was witty and had my laughing. Yet it also made me cry a couple of times as well. The emotions nearly overwhelmed me. Which was almost embarrassing being I was reading (being naughty) while at work.

A definite add to one Paranormal bookshelf. 😍

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing cliffie

As much as I wanted to like this book, it fell short. The Daughters of Eve consist of a twenty year old paranormal investigator and dojo employee and her ninety one year old great grandmother, who is the last actual Daughter. Lyn accidentally saved the life of a greater demon, Sam, and in doing so binds her soul to his. The people around her have significant secrets. Such as her "mortal" bff who is actually Lyn's inept guardian angel. The story is a jumble and confusing. It ends without resolving anything, leaving everything in limbo. For me, the series' ultimate conclusion doesn't justify the poor manner of getting there, book by book.

[Kirstie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book of a new series and I really liked it.

Lyn is a Daughter of Eve, slayers of demons, that is bound to a greater demon. She is the only thing keeping him alive and he wants to stay alive. Enter suspicious Angie her best friend and many, many more demons. Quick paced, well written and definitely interesting.

I do wish that there were more details about how Lyn bonded herself to Sam but bits and pieces are coming out as we go along.

Looking forward to reading the next book and see where Eve goes.

[Paranormal Books R Us · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining start to a new series by J.D. Brown.
Her heroine Lyn has a sassy big mouth and the cocky attitude to back it up. Plus her slightly twisted sense of humor has the worst timing but she uses it like a pro and had me chuckling more than once.
As far as Sam goes I love me a good bad guy.
And he definitely fits the bill. I'm not sure yet wether I love him or hate him but I absolutely look forward to finding out just what he's hiding.
Overall Never Save a Demon is a really fun read and I totally recommend it.