StarCrossed 2 1/2: Sangria and Seraphim by Jaye Valentine and Reno MacLeod

Blurb:

Identical twin demons Jace and Konnor Barton run Tailz, a supernatural-friendly bar in Salem, Massachusetts. It’s the sort of place where things are never dull, but on the weekend of a full moon things can get even more interesting. When Jace encounters an angel in distress, he can hardly resist the urge to offer his own special brand of help.

Ariel is an angel with an itch to experience the darker side of earthly life, and he’s heard through the grapevine that Jace is the demon for the job. Much to Ariel’s surprise, he finds out he’ll be getting both brothers coming to his aid for the price of one.

 

Review:

You know a set of authors is prolific when a deleted scene is long enough to be a short story. Short stories, especially as interludes between longer novels, are tricky as they either are simply exactly that, a deleted scene, or they add to the story in some way that wasn’t worked in previously.
  

SC 2 ½ manages to do both. This is a short scene taking place in Tailz, the bar our favorite demon twins, Jace and Konnor, own. Jace as per usual is coveting the pretty redheaded angel that is trying to get drunk, but not quite managing. The angel wants to have sex with Jace because if you’re going to fall, why not fall big. Jace happily agrees, barely able to keep his pants up and tail in check before heading into the dubious privacy of a dark hallway. Not to be left out, Konnor eagerly joins the duo for their erotic encounter.

Although this was an erotica scene and incredibly scorching hot one at that, it does add more depth to the characters even during the sex. It’s not just literary porn. Jace continues as his evil but humorous self. He can’t quite keep himself from messing around but this time his twin is with him and ratchets up the intensity of the encounter. Their bond is strong and evident even while adding another into the mix, it was clear the emotion was only between Jace and Konnor.

Konnor was a welcome addition to this story as he has been largely a ghost figure in the series up to now. Jace has repeated his devotion to his beta twin but it’s been mostly lip service and it was wonderful to see Konnor show a dark, edgy side to his personality and a hidden dominance appear occasionally. Konnor may usually submit to Jace but he clearly has strength and teeth of his own and quite capable of taking control when desired.

If you’re looking for an introduction to the authors or been a fan of the series, either way this short story does well on both accounts. It shows the dynamic writing of the duo with a dark energy that crackles between the characters with elements of humor clearly laced throughout even intense moments. Crowd surfing lube and an angel breeding season are sure to be hallmark moments. I really enjoyed this short scene and can’t wait for the next edition in the series.  

Get it HERE!

var gaJsHost = ((“https:” == document.location.protocol) ? “https://ssl.” : “http://www.”);
document.write(unescape(“%3Cscript src='” + gaJsHost + “google-analytics.com/ga.js’ type=’text/javascript’%3E%3C/script%3E”));

try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker(“UA-9211734-1”);
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}