Rainbow Reviews

BOOK BLURB:
Against his will, Sam Dewey, the God of Sex, is becoming famous, attending film festivals and award shows with the big time players. But it's his master Hector, the God of Love, who has the hardest time accepting it. When heart-throb movie star Harris Smith innocently kisses Sam for the cameras at a premiere, Hector goes into a jealous rage and humiliates Sam in front of Hollywood's power elite.

It isn't the first time Hector's done that, but Sam swears it will be the last. After Sam leaves him, Hector is finally forced to face the problems that drove them apart. Is it too late to change, or can Hector combat his personal demons and win Sam back?

With a cast of characters that includes a return of the Goddesses of Traffic and the Deal, Alberto, the new God of Fame, as well as Ophir and his boys, this sequel to Chaos Magic and Love Runes is sure to delight fans of the series and newcomers alike.

BOOK REVIEW:
Fans of the popular series that began with “Chaos Magic” and continued with “Love Runes” may have mixed feelings about the last and final installment of the story following Sam and Hector. It’s always sad to see popular characters end, but in this case fans will be happy that these two Gods finally get the happy ever after ending they’ve worked so hard for over the course of this three-book series. If you haven’t read the series, be sure to start with the first book before attempting this one as the continuation of the story and characters makes for a much richer reading experience. For those who are familiar with the story line, Personal Demons offers another well-written plot that delves into the highs and lows of Sam and Hector’s relationship and a fitting end to beloved, fabulous characters.

Sam is one of the most complex characters I’ve had the pleasure to read. He manages to be selfish, manipulative, accommodating, loving, confident and a complete and utter wreck all at different times yet each is a part of his complicated personality. He continues to struggle with his submission where he picks and chooses the times to submit. Although he’s certainly making strides in overcoming that behavior, Sam will probably always balk to an extent when he doesn’t want to submit to Hector’s will. While this does cause conflict between the two, it continues to keep a level of interest on both men’s parts and never takes their relationship for granted. This test of wills makes for an uneasy relationship at times yet both men seem to partially thrive off it. The uneven pace is often exemplified by the amount of attention, comfort, sex, and punishment Sam requires to not lose himself to the overwhelming needs of his job, friends, and God duties.

Hector certainly had an endless well of energy from which he drew to cope with the complexity of his boy, yet Hector is certainly not without faults of his own. During the course of the series, Hector has been dealing with just as many problems as Sam. He must conquer his verbally and physically abusive nature and his ill treatment of Sam. Sam shows his incredible strength time and time again by standing up to Hector when it’s needed and even walking away from the cherished relationship. Hector for his part slowly comes around to understanding with extensive therapy but even then his realizations are pretty slow in appearing. Hector has more problems than he’s willing to admit with his jealousy, drinking, and tendency to ignore any bad behavior on his part. However, he does work at each problem, even if at a snail’s pace, and his good qualities are many and varied. He does love Sam deeply and their relationship works on several levels for both men, yet like any multifaceted partnership there are problems.

The main thrust of the plot this book deals with is the new opportunities Sam’s job has presented and the inevitable problems that are created as a result. Added on to that is a new God, Alberto, who as the saying goes “fame is fickle” and Alberto certainly wields his God of Fame power with such. Latching onto Sam, Alberto decides to intrude on many of the Gods’ lives creating more tension and angst for the shy, introverted Sam. Alberto was an unnecessary character, in my opinion. He certainly kept the story moving along and gave ample opportunity for Hector’s jealousy to explode, yet the side plot of Sam with another celebrity filled that need quite well and interestingly. Alberto for me was more of a distracting personality with his overly stalker tendencies that were largely ignored by everyone and his resolution with Deal, while interesting, felt like another random element woven into a full story.

Ophir on the other hand, was a welcome addition to the story with his insight and help for Sam, even if it was slightly too obvious and interfering. Ophir’s observations regarding Sam and Hector and their relationship offered another side to the two dynamic men; as did the hints of humor sprinkled throughout the dialogue and writing. The often intense scenes between Sam and Hector were offset by Sam’s travels to various film festivals. This continued with an uneven and slightly jarring flow to the story but gave much needed respite to the darker tones often created by the consuming emotions of Sam and Hector. The wonderful description of Venice, Italy brought me right back to the lovely canals and romance of the city.

The story has considerable angst and tension between Sam and Hector before their final resolution and happy ending. The epilogue was overly sweet and exaggerated, yet certainly gives a finished ending to the series. The several welcome moments of humor in both the dialogue and plot added to the reading enjoyment, especially Sam’s casual internal monologue, showing his sharp and witty sense of humor. The various secondary characters that moved in and out of the scenes from the Goddesses to Sam’s friends kept the story moving without giving any of these characters much weight or importance.

Overall this was an enjoyable and great ending to the series, but unfortunately not my favorite book of the three. It fits in nicely with the progression of characters, their maturation and finally giving each an ending that will satisfy and resonate with fans while continuing with the solid, creative writing the author has given each time. Fully realized personalities with realistic and complicated problems in the unique setting of religion and belief give this entire series an edge over most. I easily recommend this series for fans that like angst to great characters mixed in with a BDSM lifestyle, smoking hot sex, and well-crafted, vivid settings. Hopefully Lygon will offer a new complicated and flawed couple to root for in the future.

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