Review: Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione

Title: Pleasure Unbound {Demonica #1}
Author: Larissa Ione
Publish Date: June 2008 by Forever
Pages: 389, paperback
Reason for reading: For fun =)

This is the first book in the Demonica Series by Larissa Ione and the first book I've read where a benevolent demon is the male protagonist. Well, I'd never thought I'd find a demon sexy, but..."hubba hubba"!

As one Goodreads member put it, "Buffy Meets ER" :)

Tayla is a member of the Aegis...a group of demon slayers that hunt and destroy all those creatures that go bump in the night. One day during on a routine hunt, she encounters a nasty demon and mid-fight, loses use of half her body leaving her completely vulnerable. Somehow she is transported to a hospital where she is treated by the sexiest doctor she's ever laid eyes on.

Eidolon is no ordinary doctor though. He's a Seminus demon who has dedicated his life to healing and caring for other demons. [FYI - Seminus demons are, in layman terms, SEX demons. As individuals, they each harbor certain abilities that help in the reproductive aid of their kind. You just know this is going to cause some trouble for these two.] He knows all about human anatomy, but has never treated a human patient in his hospital before - let alone one who's supposed to be his sworn enemy. Going against the advice of his staff and his brothers, he refuses to kill Tayla. Not only is he not a killer, but he's intrigued and drawn to her as well.

Despite Tayla's magnetic attraction to Eidolon she can't and won't trust him. He's a demon after all and aren't all demons evil? Eidolon is damned if he'll be condemned for being evil when he's not and he's going to prove to Tayla that not all demons are vicious, man-eating machines - although some are. Then again, aren't some humans evil too? Together they both learn that the world is not quite so black and white!

In addition to fighting their attraction and dealing with some very rude awakenings, they find out that demons are being slaughtered and their organs are being harvested for the 'demon black market'. Tayla probably wouldn't concern herself with this except for the fact that humans are being implicated - particular some that she knows.

I had a hard time putting this book down! Not only do you want to know what his going to happen between Tayla & Eidolon as a couple, but as individuals they are very interesting characters. Not to mention all the other characters that I hope to get to know more in the following books. Tayla doesn't just hate demons for no reason...she has a very dark past that has lead her to where she is. Eidolon has had it pretty good up to this point...however, he has a dark future ahead of him if he doesn't take care of business and soon!

What I liked about this story aside from the very interesting & incredibly steamy world that Larissa created is that this story is about finding a balance between good and evil and accepting that the world is not so cut & dry as we'd like to think. Throughout the story, you're tossed between feeling pity for the demons, then feeling pity for the humans; then hating demons then hating humans!

This was a fantastic paranormal romance with lots action, suspense, drama, sarcasm and a few extra helpings of passion!

RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
HEAT LEVEL: 5 - Scorching!