Author: Leigh Kelsey
Series: Killers and Kings Series book #1
Category: Dark Romance
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
The author's message to readers before the first chapter: "P.S. if you don't want to snort your drink of choice, don't read the footnotes. If you're here for crazy nonsense, go right ahead."
I'm happy to confirm that the footnotes are a movement all their own, so don't forget to read them along with the story after you finish this book review! And what a story it was. The first of three books in the Killers and Kings series, Crazed Candy introduced Aveline as well as a nightmarish circle of demons who were a little rough around the edges and also wanted her dead.
"Well, they might have been the kings of the village but they weren't the kings of Aveline Lachesi" - Av
Aveline was attempting to take a break from her gruesomely crazy job as a demon hunter in a small town. With a past as traumatic as the torture she endured to become as successful as she is today, I'd say she had earned a vacation. However, nothing went to plan and now she is on the radar of four merciless demons and they may think they have the upper hand, but they don't comprehend exactly who they have targeted.
"What screamed self-care more than adorable food and reliving your life-defining trauma?" - Av
A reaper, an incubus, a wraith, and the devil's son - what a mix for a why-choose-dark romance.
Though they all officially met as they tried to kill each other, Joseph came around very quickly to understand his feelings. Deadly in his own right, he was the teddy bear of the group and had a softer touch to accept Av for who she was deep down. He didn't let her ignore things and seemed to know exactly what she needed, a steady presence to always fall back on.
"'You can do whatever you want to me, my sweet. You can't kill me, can't even hurt me permanently. But make me your canvas if you'd like to paint with blood.'" - Joseph
X was perfectly addicted to Av and probably the most insane of all of them. He was unhinged in the best sort of way, with a golden retriever energy that wanted to tear people to bits and bathe in their blood. He had more insecurities than the rest of the circle which was something that Av could connect with.
"'I'll be your friend, Av. We can play together - wouldn't that be fun? We can cut up people and go for hotdogs afterward.'" - X
Arkan was stoic and a little boring out of the bigger personalities in the room. I didn't think he had an idea of how to deal with his attraction to Av or her presence. He was definitely the most focused, but he came off cold.
Our token jerk of the why-choose romance, Taj, hated that he wanted Av and refused to admit it. The sulking was tiring, and though he had a valid reason for disliking her, Taj was all talk in the end.
This book was insta-love/lust but that's to be expected with destined mate tropes. Most of the demons fell quickly, with only one hold out which is a trope in and of itself. The spice was varied and frequent, demon anatomy provided an almost unlimited variety of sex scenes.
I liked Aveline's slow understanding of her feelings towards her demons and the evolution of her self-awareness. The girl had been created to be a monster by another monster and even if she was free of him, she'd never be free from what he molded her into.
The first book ended on a cliffhanger, and there is plenty more to come for Aveline and her circle of demons coming up in books two and three.
Tropes and Themes: Demons, Why-Choose, Reverse Harem, Serial Killer, Touch Her and Die, Hell, Fated Mates, Dark Romance, Cliffhanger.
Blurb
Here’s a tip: don’t mess with the demon girl who kills people for a living.
The four self-proclaimed kings of Orchid Vale apparently never got that memo, and now my self care retreat is about to become a bloodbath.
This quaint village was supposed to be a break from my hectic life of death, gore, and high stakes ‘jobs’—that’s code for supernatural murder—but I don’t get a chance to enjoy even a fairground ride without the kings of Orchid Vale getting in my way.
Arkan, the ice cold wraith wants to break me. Joseph, the reaper gangster with a heart of gold wants to save me. X, the incubus maniac wants us to be a killer duo. But Taj, the prince of hell and the worst of them all, wants me dead. Apparently I killed his uncle. Oops.
The kings warn I’ll be lucky to leave Orchid Vale alive, even if their instincts say I’m their fated mate. But they’re the ones who need to watch out. One false move, and they'll find themselves choking to death.
They don’t call me the Candyfloss Killer for nothing.
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