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    Personal Demons
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    Personal Demons
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    Personal Demons
    Ebook354 pages5 hours

    Personal Demons

    By Lisa Desrochers

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She has spent years keeping everyone at a distance---even her closest friends---and it seems as if her senior year is going to be more of the same . . . until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him.

    What she doesn't know is that Luc is on a mission. He's been sent from Hell itself to claim Frannie's soul. It should be easy---all he has to do is get her to sin, and Luc is as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn't stand a chance. But he has to work fast, because if the infernals are after her, the celestials can't be far behind. And sure enough, it's not long before the angel Gabriel shows up, willing to do anything to keep Luc from getting what he came for. It isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just Frannie's soul.

    But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay . . . for all of them.



    At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateSep 14, 2010
    ISBN9781429942812
    Unavailable
    Personal Demons
    Author

    Lisa Desrochers

    Lisa Desrochers is the author of A Little Too Far, A Little Too Much, and the young adult Personal Demons trilogy. She lives in Northern California with her husband, two very busy daughters, and Shini the tarantula.

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    Reviews for Personal Demons

    4/5

    159 ratings38 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I absolutely loved Personal Demons! The story was so intriguing. I especially enjoyed the fact that there is an actual reason for two hot guys to be fighting over the not-too-popular heroine—they’ve been ordered to do so!Speaking of the fight for Frannie, I felt that there wasn’t much of one. The premise of the book promises more tension than there actually is. Though initially it seems as if Frannie is going back and forth, it’s easy to see where her heart will take her. And for the record, I completely agree with her choice! There really is no contest!In terms of writing, Lisa Desrochers captures Frannie’s teen voice perfectly. She and her friends act and sound just right (although, really, Frannie, ditch Taylor)! We also get the benefit of hearing Luc’s narration as well—he and Frannie alternate viewpoints, which I think was an excellent idea. I really like hearing what’s going on in the head of the hunter, too, not just the hunted! The best part of Luc’s narration is the incorporation of his special sniffer—he can smell feelings as different spices or flavors! Most original demon power ever. Hands down.Some other awesome things of note:1) The romance! I absolutely loved the tension between the Frannie/Luc coupling, and the safe-pure feeling of the Frannie/Gabe coupling.2) The music! Frannie has great taste!3) Frannie! Her character is so great. I know what it’s like to go from Catholic to public school. What a culture shock! Also, her judo skills can own anyone who tries to make her uncomfortable.4) The underworld! I really enjoyed the quick look-see we got into Luc’s home.In summary? Personal Demons was a super-fun ride. I loved the characters, the romance, and the story! I feel some serious ginger toward this book!(Originally posted to 365 Days of Reading)
    • 2/5
      Want to read this book very soon. I like the writer of this book.
    • 5/5
      very very good
    • 5/5
      I was giddy with excitement as I started this book and I read it straight through in one sitting, ok, with a few random 'OMG' tweets between pages and chapters. This book definitely did not disappoint. I love most of all, since it seems to be becoming a pattern in book recently, that the ending did not have a cliff-hanger. There is definitely enough opening for a second novel but I wasn't left with that 'stolen puppy' feeling and my mouth hanging open.

      I am unable to eloquently break this book down by characters, writing, and plot because it was all amazing...so...I am going to tell you what I loved and didn't love.

      Let's start with what I did not love. I did not love that Gabe didn't get his own point-of-view. I would have loved to have known what was going on in his sexy head. I totally think he should have had his own POV from the beginning of the book, that way I can feel justified for wanting to be on Team Gabe, because he would have then actually stood a chance. I also did not like that Frannie was so...selfish (couldn't think of a better word, more on that later), I think a decision for good would have been obvious...but it is a book....so I will relax.

      Ok. What I did love. *psh* Where to start? I love that this book has a nice comfortable paranormal romance feel someone intertwined with a bigger-than-life feel. This book is about the sway of good and evil, heaven and hell, I would say that is pretty important. I love that Frannie is a strong independent women and knows what she wants, in life and in her man...I can totally appreciate her wanting to live her own life without being controlled but at the same time (see comment above).

      I love the raw sexual energy seeping from the pages of this book, it is hot, and so very right. I think teenagers spend about 95% of their time thinking about sex, and the other 5% for day-to-day functioning. I also loved the concept of the smells associated with emotions, don't we always say animals can smell fear, but...what does fear smell like? Read this book and find out! As for me, I have developed a liking for cinnamon.
    • 3/5
      Frannie’s life is turned upside down when she meets Luc, a handsome, dark, and brooding stranger who shows up at her high school causing her insides to melt. She starts to fall hard, until she meets Gabe. Gabe is the opposite of Luc, calm, soothing and devastatingly handsome. Both appear out of nowhere, and both are determined to get her attention, and Frannie can’t decide between the two of them. I thought it was a pretty good read.
    • 1/5
      This book was ludicrous on a number of levels. Perhaps most obviously obnoxious was the writing, which definitely learned from Twilight. Here is a brief selection, which will demonstrate the nature of the entire novel:

      "He smiles his wicked smile and nearly stops my heart. And when he leans in to kiss me, I'm pretty sure it does.
      I can't stop my hand from reaching for his face. I feel him shiver in answer and he locks gazes with me. 'Let's get out of here,' he says into my lips.
      An achy tingle spreads through me and I smile a shaky smile. 'I know just the place.'" (164)

      While the writing tends to be grammatically correct (which unfortunately is not always true), it also does not show any particular special talent at crafting sentences. The first real problem is that his smile nearly stops her heart (not creative, but a fairly common phrase), but (oh noes) his kiss actually does her stop her heart. Umm, no. Am I the only one who has a problem with this? Her heart does not actually stop; this is mere 'romantic' exaggeration. It doesn't stop there, what with her apparently being some sort of puppet on strings, since she 'can't stop' her hand from going to his face. Again, I am not buying it. Then he speaks into her lips. Awkward and ineffective, anyone? Of course, you cannot forget the achy tingles spreading through her throughout the book. He's hot and you want to have sex with him. We (the readers) get it, thanks. No emotion or phrase is not continually harped on, so be prepared for the repetition of these already banal teen exhibitions of love and lust. Not to mention that these phrases fail to achieve their goal, which is to make the reader believe in the love and deep connection between the two. I, for one, am not buying it.

      Beyond this, I feel compelled simply to point out a few absurdities bullet-point style.

      1) Frannie (actual name Mary Francis) is one of five daughters, all of whom have the first name Mary. Even for Catholics, I see this as incredibly inane.

      2) Luc can smell people's emotions. Love smells like chocolate, lust like ginger, anger like black pepper, etc. This is actually kind of a neat idea, but mostly it got on my nerves. Had it been used effectively, it would have been cool.

      3) Frannie wants both the angel (Gabe, short for Gabriel) and Luc throughout almost all of the book, even though I am supposed to believe in her deep, forever love for the latter boy. Bull.

      4) "He thinks I don't know he's following me all the time. He knows I want my life, and he's trying so hard to let me have it. I don't want to burst his bubble, so I don't say anything, but, really, I like knowing he's there" (302). Frannie on Luc in an example of the Twilightishness of this book. Being a stalker is super hot!!!

      5) The book is told from the perspectives of Frannie and Luc. It's kind of hard to play up a love triangle effectively if only one of the boys gets his point of view shown. I mean, obviously, Frannie will choose the guy we never hear from. Right...

      6) Apparently all demons look the same in human form, such that Frannie cannot tell which one is lover boy and which wants to eat her soul. That's true love.

      I will wrap up with six, what with that being a number the demons would approve of (at least in triplicate). Recommended only for those who believe that Bella and Edward's relationship is the pinnacle of true love.
    • 2/5
      I wanted to get into this but I just couldn't. I didn't feel any emotional to the characters unfortunately.
    • 3/5
      This one was a little tough for me. I was completely into this story up until the point where I wasn’t. Right out of the box, it’s fast, suspenseful and oh so sexy. Then it’s kind of like, if you divide the book exactly in half, the first half was totally captivating and the last half was, eh, well- it just wasn’t.Riddled with YA cliche, (In insta-love with the new boy who is now her class partner, new boy is smoldering hot, girl is clueless as to why all the guys want her, enter the love triangle, yada yada) this story could have very easily been a disaster. Surprisingly, the aforementioned elements worked in this scenario, again, up until the point where they didn’t.Frannie is a normal high school girl, with average everything- including an average soul. It seems that Heaven and Hell have been playing a rather nasty game of dodge ball, and each side is trying to claim the best players before the other team lands them. Frannie’s soul has been firmly on the fence for years. Having lost a brother at a young age, she has some serious issues with the guys upstairs. Her strong Catholic upbringing has kept her on the straight and narrow but with her doubts and one really dark, painful secret she could just as easily tip towards the other side. Heaven and Hell each send their individual ambassadors to entice Frannie toward their side. And of course, Hell sends Luc- that smoldering, wicked looking new guy who just exudes dark hotness. Heaven counters by sending Gabe, a tall handsome blonde who threatens to make Frannie feel the one thing she has sworn off since her brother died- love. The battle over Frannie’s soul begins and quickly turns dangerous, and neither side is playing fair.Let me point out, that even with all the heaven and hell goings on, this is not some underhanded attempt by an author to sneak a little God into your reading. In fact, given the elements, it was delightfully surprising to find not one ounce of religion in this book. So don’t run screaming.My issues where never with the plot, because well, a demon and an angel fighting over your soul- that’s just hot. Where Desrochers drops the ball is in her attempt to balance the players in her love triangle. Gabe seems to have been randomly thrown in without ceremony and almost written as an after thought. He has very little dialogue or presence and Frannie’s feelings for him just have to be assumed because Frannie said so. Her constant struggle against her feelings for Luc was where the real action was. The front cover asks the question: “If you had to choose between Heaven and Hell, which would it be? Are you sure about that?...which would lead you to believe that you’re in for some serious friction. Nope. Frannie never even made it a choice- Luc does, because he’s awesome like that. So I got a bit turned off in the second half of the book when the only chemistry was between Frannie and Luc but Gabe was still considered to be a contender and we’re suppose to believe that Frannie still doesn’t know which one to choose. Why didn’t Gabe get any chapters from his point of view? That would have made me feel a bit more connected to him.Frannie annoyed the hell out of me. If she said “Whatever” one more time, we were going to have words. I can think of a lot of people more deserving of a hot demon lurver (pick me! pick me). But don’t get me wrong, I didn’t dislike this book, the actual story was amazing and I was hooked on the heat from page one, she just lost me in the second half when everyone was so decidedly vague- which should be near impossible to pull off.Will I read the sequel? Yeah. I will.
    • 4/5
      Meet Frannie Cavanagh…the middle of 5 girls from a “good” Catholic family. Only Frannie got kicked out of her parochial school for asking too many questions. So Frannie goes to public school. It’s her senior year and Frannie finds herself in the position of having 2 very gorgeous boys vying for her attention, and unbeknownst to her, her soul. There is tall, dark, and handsome Lucifer “Luc” Cain, and tall, blonde, and gorgeous Gabriel. Luc is a demon from Hell and Gabe an angel from heaven. And they both want to “tag” Frannie’s soul for their respective leaders. Why is the question! And trust me…the answers will blow your mind!I was surprised by this story. Once again I thought, “oh this will be a pretty straight forward good vs evil story”…WRONG! While parts of the story are predictable…the answers to the BIG questions are NOT! The story is told from the shifting perspectives of Luc and Frannie. The story worked so well because we were in the heads of Luc and Frannie. We needed to know why Frannie didn’t believe in love…and we needed to know what Luc was experiencing and feeling with this “mark” versus previous ones.My only complaint was Frannie’s BFF Taylor…girl was a beyotch! Frannie is a straight forward kind of gal…level-headed, smart, with a firm sense of right and wrong. Why the hell she put up with Taylor is beyond me…unless Taylor was part of a self-inflicted punishment of sorts???Ultimately this is a story of redemption…I love stories of redemption! I think everyone deserves a second chance as well as to forgive and be forgiven. And this is one of those stories!
    • 4/5
      When I started reading Personal Demons I did not know what to expect. I heard so many great things about it and read the synopsis and just knew I needed to read it. The story begins with Luc arriving for his first day at school. Luc is one sexy hot demon who is cocky, bold and self confident. The only reason Luc is at the school is, for Frannie. Luc has one goal and one goal only, that is to get Frannie to sin so he can mark her soul. Of course what Luc did not expect was to fall in love. The more time he begins to spend with Frannie, the more he begins to feel things. As Luc struggles with his feelings and all these new emotions, he begins to slack on his job. Not only do they send someone else out for Frannie, but now he has to deal with the Angel Gabe. Gabe is also there for one reason, and that is to mark Frannie for heaven. So now Frannie has her angel and her demon and has no idea what to do with either one of them. Luc drives her nuts and makes her feel things in places she’s never felt before. Luc is her addiction and Gabe is her cure. Whenever Frannie is with either one of them it just feels right. She gets torn between the two and can’t sort all her mixed emotions. Personal Demons is told from Luc’s point of view and Frannie’s point of view. I really like that Lisa Desrochers did this. It’s always nice to read what the other person is thinking at that same moment. What I enjoyed the most was how Luc fell in love with Frannie. He went from being this bad boy who did his job and did not care for a thing in the world, to risking his life for love. I thought the character of Luc was well developed. The only thing that I feel I could have done without, was the whole love triangle. I don’t want to give too much away, but I did not feel for Gabe at all. Maybe it was because we do not get his point of view in the story. Gabe was a sweetheart, but I felt that I was not given enough about him to care. Frannie was very easy to like and relate too. At times I could put myself in her shoes and understand where she was coming from and how she felt. This was definitely a good read and with some really hot and steamy scenes between Luc and Frannie. I felt that Lisa ended the story really well, but in my opinion left the door open for a possible sequel. Which, I will be first in line to pick up and read.
    • 4/5
      I had a hard time figuring out whether I loved it or just really liked it. In the end, there were several reasons for which I just could not give this 5 clouds. I'm going to list them later on. First though, let's just talk about the things I absolutely loved!Like in most cases, I loved the "bad" guy. If Luc isn't simply to die for, who is? Although I've got to admit: Since I took French for about 7 years, I kept pronouncing the name "Luc" French in my head, instead of like "Luke", the way it seemed to be intended to be pronounced. In any case, I loved Luc.I also liked Gabriel, and Frannie of course. I liked that while Frannie was obviously flawed, it was not enough for me to hate her. She handled the whole situation very well I think, especially with the twist at the end! However, the love triangle was too clichéd, in my opinion. Two supernatural beings, who've either been above love or have never respected love suddenly fall in love with Frannie because she's so damn unique? Sorry, but this just doesn't happen in real life. This really put me off, much more than it probably should have. I guess it's because in books, the totally average heroine gets the hottest guy on Earth (think Twilight). I'm kind of over that.Still, I'm excited for the sequel, Original Sin - which I will start reading exactly one second after finishing this review. I want to find out how everything plays out, what will happen if - ... oh sorry, I don't want to spoil you!
    • 3/5
      Leading up to the release of the sequel, Original Sin, I really began hearing so much hype for this series. My curiosity was piqued, so I began looking for information about this book. All of the reviews I came across were good, if not raving. I was convinced, so I picked up a copy at one of the Borders going-out-of-business sales.I completely enjoyed reading this book. At first I was a bit thrown because I was not expecting it to be written in alternating viewpoints. However, I think it was that element turned out to be one of my favorite parts of how the book was written. The ability to get inside not only Frannie’s mind, but also Luc’s helped me to better appreciate him as a character. His journey over the course of the story was fantastic. It was interesting to see how he grew and changed as his relationship with Frannie began to have an effect on him. Frannie was just awesome! Her abilities were really cool and I cannot wait to see how they play out over the course of the series. Then there was Gabriel. This is a book that’s a perfect example of a good love triangle. I fell in love with Gabriel almost as much as I fell in love with Luc. I think if had been able to get inside his head as well it would have been impossible for me to decide which boy I loved more. There were still moments as I was reading that I was not sure.This is an emotional, fast-paced read. It took me less than a day to read it because I had such trouble putting it down. From the characters to the supernatural elements everything is constantly developing and changing. As previously mentioned, the decision to write from both the viewpoints of Frannie & Luc was a brilliant decision that helps the book stand out even more.All in all this was an exciting and romantic read. I will warn that it is probably best for older teens and readers due to some of the more steamy moments. This is a must read for fans of a good supernatural romance!
    • 5/5
      I have never read a book that made me laugh after reading a paragraph or a line or two. Personal Demons is a sexy, thrilling, story that made me jump back and forth from peaceful, loving, angel, Gabe to a seductive, hot, and not to forget, dangerous demon, Luc.For one thing, I've never had such a difficult time choosing between a demon and an angel. Honestly enough, I haven't. But when I picked up this book, holy cow, it was hard to choose. Luc was a demon, he was bad. Gabe was an angel, he was good. The line between Heaven and Hell--bad and good--should be crystal clear. It was obvious I should pick the angel. But the book was told through Frannie and Luc's perspective. Luc who was as hot as the fires of hell, pretty much blurred the line for me. I've heard this voice in my head saying, "he's not at all that bad," while I read. We've all got good hearts.Aside from myself, I know who had the most frustrating difficult time choosing between Luc and Gabe. Frannie. She just kept on going back and forth over and over again. Not that I didn't enjoy every single part of the book, it's just that one moment she'd be obsessing over the things she'd want to do with Luc. The the next she'd be in Gabe's arms.Overall, I think Personal Demons, is a exciting, sexy page-turner full of sizzling edge and passion. I enjoyed reading this book, and throwing my head back to laugh and never put down this book. This deserves to be picked up immediately at the bookstores. Go dash to the store and start reading! No regrets.
    • 5/5
      ***May contain spoilers*** While I had seen this book here and there in the blogosphere world for some silly reason I never had any inclination to read it, however when I saw a few glowing reviews of both it and its sequel a few weeks back I was convinced. And now after having read it, I can only shake my head at my earlier stupidity. This book exceeded all of my expectations and is hands down one of the most satisfying books I have read in quite some time. While this book possesses some characteristics that almost always drive me crazy when reading YA paranormal books (ie. love triangles, the female lead constantly playing with both boys hearts, a somewhat slutty best friend, etc.), I did not find that these bothered me one bit. Why? Because Lisa did everything in an entirely unique and un-cliched way. Frannie was such a well-developed character (unlike those mindless female leads which seem to pop-up in YA books more than I would like) and could hold her own (seriously, after reading about her kick-buttness I kinda want to study Judo). As for Luc? Well, I think that he is definitely up there with Jace, Dimitri, and Jay (and I must admit that typically I am all over angel-boys, so to like demon-boy more than angel-boy? Inconceivable!) . I love when male leads are unafraid to show their emotions and boy, was he full of them! If I had to pick one thing to criticize about this book it would have to be Gabe's personality. While he did have one, I personally didn't feel that it was quite as developed/ in-your-face as Luc's. I just had a bit of difficulties seeing why Frannie was so attracted to him when, in my opinion, he showed so little of himself.All in all, this is by far the best YA book I have ever read that involves angels (and let me tell you, I have read quite a few. Angel obsession? You bet!). I cannot express to you how much I loved this book. You must read it (and once you start it I guarantee that it will only take you a few hours to finish because you will be unable to put it down!).
    • 5/5
      Wow. Personal Demons blew me away. I am in love with this book. Personal Demons kept me franticly turning pages and staying up way too late, but in a good way. A stunning debut from Lisa Desrochers and definitely one of my new favorite series. What can I say about Personal Demons? I spent a day when I was sick reading this whole book. I was addicted. I love the whole concept of Personal Demons with demons and angels vying for a person’s soul. I’m so glad this book focused on demons as well as angels; demons deserve some more attention in YA lit in my opinion. While I’m usually not a fan of dual point of view, having split point of between Frannie and Luc worked so well. I really enjoyed seeing the story unravel from both Frannie and Luc’s point of view since they were such different characters. Frannie and Luc were also well developed characters and each had their own voice that made the dual point of view really work. I felt Luc was a strong character than Frannie and better developed but it makes sense for Frannie to be a bit less developed since Frannie is battling her own “personal demons” and very torn on who she is. Overall, I felt the book was completely spot on with narration throughout and I found myself enjoying the two different point of views more then I thought. At first, I was worried that this book would have a religious tone since it is a battle between heaven and hell for Frannie’s soul and because Frannie is from a very religious family. However, though the plot is focused on the battle for Frannie’s soul, I felt the story was more focused on the characters and the characters internal struggle more then anything else. I loved that the characters and the choices they have made and make through out the book drove the plot and book. The characters were such great characters and really three dimensional it was hard for me not to like them or relate to them. While Luc is a demon, he has that cocky, bad boy attitude, but he begins to question himself and his mission throughout the book and I love seeing him battle his own “personal demons” along with Frannie battling other personal demons and real ones. Frannie was a very complex character and I loved being able to see what was going on in her head and why she felt so guilty. Lisa Desrochers did a great job writing great characters that were interesting and fun to read. I could go on and on about my love for this book (and my love for certain characters) but I won’t. This book left me wanting a lot more. While the ending of the book didn’t answer all the questions I had while reading, I hope the next book in this series will answer them. I cannot wait to find out more about Frannie and her power that makes her soul such a valuable commodity, about Luc, who I loved, and his relationship with Frannie. Personal Demons is one of my favorite books published this year. I’m excited to see where Lisa Desrochers takes us next in this series with these wonderful characters.
    • 3/5
      Frannie is struggling with her faith due to a tragic family accident that she feels responsible for. She’s the outsider in her religious family and even gets kicked out of Catholic school. Now Frannie attends Haden “Hades” High and meets transfer student Lucifer “Luc” Cain. Frannie is drawn to bad boy Luc immediately, and he seems to pay her a lot of attention. However, his intentions are less than pure as he is on a mission to tag her soul for Hell. It’s not just demons that are interested in Frannie, though. Heaven has sent angel Gabriel to make sure Luc is not successful in his mission. Gabe is sent to help guide Frannie to make the right decision for her soul. Their mission becomes muddled though when both Gabe and Luc start to fall for Frannie. Who will ultimately claim her soul and her heart?This book is entertaining with the battle over Frannie’s soul and the mystery of why Frannie’s soul is such a hot commodity. There is a sense of danger with Luc and the other demons that are after Frannie. But for the most part this book is about the love triangle between Frannie, Luc and Gabe. Frannie has a hold over both of them and seems to want whichever one she happens to be with at the time. It is interesting that Frannie manages to capture the romantic interest of two powerful beings and it makes their jobs all the more complicated. It adds more interest to the story to have a demon and angel as the romantic leads.The book is told through alternating POV between Frannie and Luc. Since Luc gets to share his POV, it is easier to sympathize more with his side of things rather than Gabe’s. Gabe remains more of a mystery so it’s harder to connect with his character. I liked the alternating POV, although Luc comes across very juvenile for someone who is an ancient demon. The attraction to Luc (and Gabe) happens very quickly for Frannie, and she can be irritating with her mercurial behavior. One minute she professes her love for one character, and the next she is tempted by the other.Personal Demons has an interesting good versus evil story going. This first installment provides a good jumping off point for the sequel with plenty to explore for these engaging characters. It is a fun, sexy, and fast paced read. Personal Demons should appeal to fans of romantic YA paranormal books such as Hush, Hush and Nightshade.
    • 4/5
      I have been meaning to get to this book for quite some time, but had put it on hold for many reasons including other reviews. However, I was sent its sequel by Tor to review so I thought it was in my best interest to read this one first. I'm glad I did.I will go ahead and get the obvious con of this novel that I saw – the love triangle. Yes, I was a teenager once and yes, I had a lot of boyfriends... but I never led to guys on at the same time. It just seems wrong to me because, inevitably, someone is going to get hurt – either you, or one of the guys. And either way, it's something that's completely avoidable as long as you don't follow your hormones. Just sayin'....With that out of the way, I can say that everything else I really liked in this novel. Frannie is a great character that is very much a teenage girl, which I like, but she also has some spunk that sets her apart from other YA female characters. Her wish-wash lust for both Luc and Gabe is really the only thing I can see as far as character flaws go, but that's not necessarily a character flaw for everyone – just me and my personal morals, really. Luc and Gabe are both equally swoon-worthy. I found their names (Lucifer and Gabriel) to be quite amusing considering where they're both from, but they both lived up to those names... except one little thing. Gabe, who is an angel no less, has this weird habit of saying “sh-t” on several occasions. This just seems a little out of place to me and had me scratching my head as to why the angel from Heaven was the one that had an issue with a potty mouth. But, again, it amused me more than anything. I want to talk about another character but I can't because I'm afraid that will give some unwarranted spoilers to the story, so I will just say that I'm glad he came along and I want to know more about his mysterious issues that he has with Luc. And just so you know, Frannie's grandpa rocks. The villains were pure evil and I liked that their characters didn't sway. I sometimes wish they were a little more evil and vile, but maybe that will come with the next book – or that's me just letting my mind go a little morbid for a YA series.The story is good. The plot was well thought out, with many twists that I didn't expect and I'm excited to see where this trilogy is going. If you're a paranormal lover with a thing for angels and demons, this is definitely one you will have to pick up if you haven't already.
    • 5/5
      PERSONAL DEMONS, by Lisa Desrochers, has just become one of my favorite YA books of the year. I can't give enough praise for this phenominal story of lust and passion that will melt your socks off. Right from the beginning, the passion play between Frannie and Luc began. And it was insanely hot between the two, even before they began a relationship. Then came Gabe, the angelic side of this triangle. Even though he was pretty much perfect, even he strattled the line into lust. There was a point where I had a feeling that there was something more that added to these relationships other than hormones, and when it was revelaed, the trouble that brewed truly made this book fantastic. When I realized that only Luc and Frannie's perspective would be shown I was disappointed but soon realized that it was okay. With Gabe as an angel, I can only guess his thoughts were perfectly gentleman-like, unlike those of demon Luc. Desrocher's took it one step further when she showed us Hell and how Luc felt about his home. And I really liked the added element of how emotions were protrayed through smell. Luc's descriptions of borderline sinful emotions (envy, lust, etc.) was extremely creative. The end of this book really surprised me. I am excited to read the continuation of the relationship between Frannie and Luc, and how her special talents will be used for good..or bad..
    • 5/5
      Hot, HOT, HOT! Personal Demons was the sexiest and most enticing book I think I've ever read and to be honest, it has moved up my list to my #1 favorite book! The story is so unique and it draws you in on the first page of the book. I couldn't stop reading it, I didn't want to stop reading it! There were no cliffhangers and honestly I was surprised by how it turned out...and that's a great book!Gabe and Luc are here for one reason and that reason happens to be to tag Frannie's soul - for Heaven or Hell, whoever gets her first. Frannie has a special something and both sides want it desperately.Frannie was different than what I would have expected. I liked that she wasn't 100% innocent and that she could kick butt. I enjoyed learning about her internal struggles with life as well as what's happening with Gabe and Luc, it adds something special to the book and something the reader's could possibly relate to.Luc Cain is smokin' hot! I know I said that three times already, but the word hot just isn't enough to describe Luc Cain and his relationship with Frannie. Luc is a demon sent to complete his latest mission to tag Frannie, but he starts to question his intentions with her.Gabe is the sweet one, he's an angel - literally! Gabe's is hard to resist too, but in a completely different way. I wish I could have learned a bit more about Gabe, but I think he will show up more in the books to come, which I can't wait for!I really enjoyed how Lisa wrote from the perspectives of Frannie and Luc. It kept the story fresh and never boring. I really loved reading from Luc's perspective, it's awesome to be in the mind of the demon! ;)I was completely absorbed by Personal Demons and I recommend this read to anyone (older teens and up) and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
    • 4/5
      I mentioned on twitter that I was going to put this book on my TBR list. Almost immediately I received a response from Momo over at Books Over Boys and Katie from Call Me Crazy YA Book Reviews singing this book's praises. A few weeks later I was in a bookstore shopping for Christmas presents when I came across Personal Demons and bought it. A week or two later I was finally able to read it. Now I'm able to tell you that I will start singing with Momo and Katie. This book is fantastic!!! Frannie, the main character is spunky, smart, and she can take someone out with her Judo moves. Frannie is also having doubts about her faith. I liked this element of the story because I think it's something everyone can relate to. The story is told through the eyes of Frannie and Luc. I liked this aspect of the book. It was interesting to see the different points-of-view. Luc is a spawn of the devil. He's evil, conniving and hot in every sense of the word. Then there is Gabe. Gabe is well, Heavenly. He makes Frannie feel safe and secure. Frannie is being hunted by both Heaven and Hell. She has untapped powers that she doesn't even know about. Frannie is also plagued by a traumatic event from the past. All of these elements made a phenomenal, fast passed, don't want to put it down, story. I loved seeing the internal struggles of all the characters. One thing in particular that I appreciated about this story is that Frannie had parents that were present in her life. So many times I've read novels and the parents are nonexistent. I also hope in the next book we get to see a little bit more of Gabe. There were parts of this story that had me screaming "NOOOOO!" and there where parts of this story that made me want to cry. I love books that evoke my emotions. On a side note, when I started to read Personal Demons, Lisa Desrochers tweeted me saying she hoped I liked it. I am happy to say that I really did. Now comes the hard part....... waiting on the next book Original Sin.
    • 5/5
      Title: Personal DemonsAuthor: Lisa DesrochersGenre: Fantasy, YAPublisher: Tor TeenPublication Date: September 2010Paperback: 364 pagesBook Summary: Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance—even her closest friends—and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions—for Hell—and she possesses a unique skill set that has the King of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he’s as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance.Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn’t get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay…for all of them.**BEWARE THERE MAY BE SPOILERS**Book Review Review: When Luc comes from hell to tag Frannie's soul he ends up falling in love. Something that is supposed to be impossible for a demon. Things get even more complicated for Frannie when Gabe a dominion angel comes to tag her soul for heaven. It's fight for both good and evil, angel vs. demon, and of love. Luc finds out the real reason that Frannie is wanted so much by hell. I'm gonna leave the rest unsaid, so go read the book. I absolutely loved this book. The whole demon vs .angel thing was great. I liked how it was written and the whole plot of the story was really well done. I thought that Luc was the best leading male character. He had the whole bad boy thing going and he was interesting. I also liked how part of the book was done from his part of view, for this gave me a better connection with the characters. I thought that Gabe was a little too good and I didn't like how he was so sure that Frannie believed in God and all that. Also he was a little boring. This wasn't a big deal and I actually thought this made the book better. Frannie was an amazing leading female character. I loved reading about how she was dealing with the death of her dead brother even though it was a long time ago. I also liked how she had her struggles and her share of flaws. This detail made her more believable. I also liked how with this book you could really connect with the characters on a personal level. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy/ teen romance novels. Overall I thought this was one of my favorite books that I have ever read. It had a little bit of everything. Romance, action ect. The Hell vs. Heaven was the very best part of it. The epic battle of the ongoing war between good and evil. JUST AMAZING!!Rating: A++ amazing
    • 2/5
      Wow. This book is basically 300+ pages of failed potential. The plot is intriguing enough. A teenage girl (Frannie) finds herself in a love triangle between two new boys in school. One is a demon named Luc (Lucifer, OMG) Cain (get it Cain...as in Abel?) and an angel named...get ready for it...Gabe. Gabe wants to tag Frannie for Heaven....Luc wants to tag her for the burning down under. The story alternates between Luc and Frannie's points of view. Where the book wins: Well it doesn't `win' much but I liked Frannie's Grandpa and the story did move along at a brisk pace. Again, the basic plot is nice in theory. Where the book fails: For a demon Luc is never very demonic. I also had trouble believing after a millennia without love, Luc would suddenly find love with someone like Frannie. Gabe, the angel, doesn't have much personality at all. And Frannie just isn't likeable. It bothered me how Frannie was madly in love with Luc but the minute she was near Gabe she was madly in love with him instead or still or whatever. Not to mention that towards the beginning of the novel, we are told that Frannie doesn't believe in love. I quickly became annoyed by the overused phrases describing Frannie as "tickling" or tickling `down there' to describe when one of the boys got her turned on. Since Frannie is hot and bothered 90% of the book, you can imagine how quickly this phrase became unbearable. By the last quarter of the book I was snickering each time I ran across it. Frannie is in such a rush to get rid of her virginity, its hard to believe she was a virgin to begin with. Frannie is written as being perfect at a great many things and yet we never see her do anything but think about boys. She is mean and disrespectful to her friends. We are told that she is a good person inside and that she is going to do big things with her life but we never see anything to back that up. Even her gift to `sway' people seems like a joke. And her guilt over her brother's death years ago feels forced. Overall the book isn't terrible, just terribly annoying. There is more sex talk and innuendo that in similar YA novels. Fans of Twilight may or may not go for this title.
    • 5/5
      Let me start by just saying I am firmly in Team Hell. Yes you heard me right I am pulling for Team Hell. What is Team Hell you ask? Well Lisa Desrochers has created an epic battle for the love of one amazing young girl and the boys are one hot delicious demon named Luc, and one wildly gorgeous angel that you may have heard of, Gabriel.Frannie is your average apple pie, catholic school girl until a new boy strolls into class knowing all the answers and sitting beside her smoldering in his sexiness. Frannie cannot take her eyes off of Luc and when Gabriel blows into town she has double the hotness trouble.Derochers paints a battle for the girls soul, Luc however is a bit concerned he won’t be able to tag her soul for hell because he starts getting feelings for Frannie, feelings a demon should never feel. He has to decide to either ignore these feelings and get on with his job so that he doesn’t end up suffering in the fiery pit, or take an eternity of sulfur and brimstone to save Frannie from Lucifer himself. For Luc being a Pride Demon that is a hard decision to make.The story is told in alternating PoV between Frannie and Luc. I was a bit concerned not having Gabe’s voice available to me as well as falling from heaven and loving a mortal are kind of a big deal and I am sure Gabe was suffering, however I got the chance to talk to Lisa about that decision at the NCIBA Author Reception.Now I get it! Gabe will have a voice but it will be much later in the series. This is one steamy book to get you through those long cold winter nights. Pick it up now and lust along with those who have chosen whether they are Team Heaven or Team Hell while we wait on the sophomore book from Desrochers entitled Original Sin.
    • 5/5
      Heaven or Hell? Which would you choose??? This question does not inlude me. I know which I would choose. Heaven, of course. But still, two hott guys from two different places and you can only pick one.I like that this is once again a different type of book. Demons and Angels fighting for one thing. A girl that has the fate of the world in her hands. And if you ask me, that is a whole lot of pressure. Frannie is suddenly bombarded by two guys with the same cause. She is completely unaware of what they are both after, her soul. Both need her soul to be tagged. Which will tagged her first?The book was written perfectly. I love how Ms. Desrochers was able to write both sides really well. She was able to capivate me, hooking to both Heaven and Hell. The fight for Frannie's soul is just divine! I love how she was pulled in every direction and of course all the choices she has. This book also proves that no matter what side your on, you always have a choice.The plot, the drama and the way everything tied in was great. Personal Demons was a great October read and left me hanging for more. Though the question stands, what are your personal demons???
    • 2/5
      Let’s begin with the plot. It was rather simple, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since it makes for a light, breezy read. Sadly the downside is that for the first half of the book, nothing really happens. The three main characters have varying interactions with one another but not in any truly meaningful or riveting way that made me want to care. Sure, there was a lot of flirting, raging hormones, glaring, obsessing, and kissing, but no real substance. When the action did pick up and Frannie was finally faced with some serious conflicts and dangerous situations, it all happened at warp speed with not much built-up of suspense and almost immediate resolution.The love triangle felt very artificial. The romance altogether was rather shallow and heavy-handed. I will admit that I’m probably biased when it comes to the subject of love. I certainly don’t believe in “love at first sight.” For me love is something that develops over time; its roots taking hold and growing deeper with nourishment. In this story, Frannie “falls in love” in a span of just a few days, and her heart jumps back and forth between the two guys with hardly any effort. She barely has one meaningful conversation with either one of these guys and learns virtually nothing about them, before she falls head-over-heels and ends up spending countless pages obsessing over which one makes her heart beat faster. Frannie goes on and on (and on) about how hot they are, about the naughty dreams they invoke, and about the tingling sensations she experiences in certain unmentionable areas of her body. Yeah, that’s not love, that’s lust. At the midway point of the book, the romance did improve and gain more depth…at least in regards to Luc’s reasons for caring about Frannie. Nonetheless, I still could not emotionally connect with any part of the love triangle and found myself not caring who Frannie chose.Then there are the characters. I did like Luc quite a bit. He had some funny and snarky lines that made me chuckle. Despite being kinda stereotypical, he was probably the only character that truly developed and grew as the story progressed. On the other hand, Gabe, the other contender for Frannie’s heart and soul, was rather two-dimensional. For the first half of the book, he had zero personality and no meaningful purpose or involvement in the story. Frannie was also a disappointment. At the start of the book, she spoke her mind, stood her ground, studied Judo, was a good student, and had some admirable goals & aspirations. I was psyched. I said to myself, “Finally! Here’s a strong-willed, smart, ambitious young heroine that can kick butt.” And then the guys entered the picture. As I flipped the pages, Frannie was reduced to a horny, immature, whiny adolescent that was either crying or obsessing over the hotness that is Luc and Gabe. She became a rather crappy friend to her two supposed besties. She almost completely forgot about school. Also, despite years of martial arts training and a 6-degree black belt, Frannie did very little butt kicking. More often than not, she was the damsel in distress in need of being protected and rescued.Bottom Line:I could not relate to the characters and was unable to get emotionally invested in the story. I think there was a lot of wasted potential. The concept of a devil and an angel competing for the heart and soul of mortal holds so much promise of suspenseful conflict, emotional turmoil, and engrossing character evolution. I feel that the author only explored the surface of this. I needed more—more substance, more depth, more challenges, more consequences, etc.
    • 4/5
      Personal Demons is a quick and exciting read. There are mouth watering guys, a fiesty main character, and a well paced plot. This is the age old good verses evil tale told in a relatable, suspensful, touching and funny story.I really enjoyed Frannie, she was a strong character and I liked hearing things from her point of view. I like that she questioned her feeling and didn't just blindly accept Luc and Gabriel's presence in her life or how they made her feel. I also like that she wants to have control over her life and has valid reasons for the decisions she makes.There is a love triangle, but Gabriel never felt right, like he was a valid option in my opinion. I am glad that he was there for protection and guidance, and I understand that the quickest way to have him connect with Frannie and gain her trust is that attraction.Luc was always the choice for me. He is the ultimate bad boy who is changed and transformed by love. It really made me smile to watch him change, question the view points he once though ingrained. All of the heaven and hell jibes and jokes were amazing too!Also, I just wanted to put in that I am a cover fanatic, and for a while was put off by the cover(s) of this book. DO NOT let that deter you if you, like me, are not crazy about it. There is an awesome story behind it! Now that I have read the book, I have actually found things about the cover that I like and appreciate, but it did originally turn me off.Frannie's journey to finding love, forgiving herself, healing from her brother's death of which she blames herself, and ultimately taking control of her life is a wonderful story. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I recommend that you give it a try.
    • 1/5
      Quick & Dirty: Unfortunately, Personal Demons delivers unlikable and clichéd characters, which does nothing to help the formulaic and underdeveloped plot.Opening Sentence: If there’s a Hell on Earth, it’s high school.The Review:Luc Cain is on a mission. Luc is a First Level, 7,000 year old demon sent from the underworld to tag Frannie Cavanaugh’s soul. Frannie, a “good” catholic girl is going through a rebellious phase, battling her “wicked” streak. She’s ripe for the picking. As events unfold, Frannie soon discovers that she’s not just an average teenage girl. With her ability to shift the balance of power between good and evil, Frannie has the celestials and the infernals vying for her soul. Gabriel is an angel sent to foil Luc’s attempts to tag Frannie’s soul so that he can tag her soul himself for the good cause. Frannie quickly becomes enamored with both angel and demon, making it hard for her to function, and for them to do their respective jobs. Tag, you’re it!Personal Demons turned out to be a rather disappointing read. I was initially intrigued when I first heard about this series. I loved the premise and thought that the setup would make for a compelling story. The first two chapters setup what appeared to be a titillating, seductive, and all-consuming read. Unfortunately, Mrs. Desrochers settles into a dull and clichéd rhythm, which leads to a series of painfully predictable moments. Personal Demons starts out with a sizzle, but quickly turns into a fizzle.Personal Demons is told in first person narrative with alternating POV’s between Luc and Frannie. The narrative voices aren’t particularly distinct from each other, making it hard to really care about or feel attached to the characters. Luc doesn’t ever seem worldly let alone evil. I certainly didn’t expect a 7,000 year old demon to be so immature and unsure of himself. I initially thought the idea of incorporating scents with emotions was great, but it quickly turned annoying as I couldn’t remember them all. These are just some that I remembered to flag as I read along: Anise = Envy, Bitter Garlic = Hate, Black Pepper = Fury, Chocolate = Love, Citrus = Fear, Ginger = Lust. But uncharismatic characters and contrived scenes aren’t Personal Demons’ greatest sins.There’s nothing dark or dangerous about this story. On the surface we are told what could happen and about the “evil” beasties involved, yet it’s not clearly shown to the reader. Fundamentally, this story lacks that sense of real danger and fear given the fact that the “evil” overlord himself has sent various henchmen to tag Frannie’s soul.Frannie isn’t terribly sympathetic or likable, and the frequent use of the words: “‘Cause”, “Whatever”, and “Mmm” literally drove me mad. Frannie is driven by lust and paralyzed by ambivalence when it comes to making her own decisions. I don’t have an issue with her sudden lustful fits and teenage angst because it’s actually one of the only believable aspects of the book. The major issue is that there isn’t ANYTHING else to Frannie. Her character is completely vacuous and superficial on every level. But for the fact that Frannie’s “innocence” is mentioned in the book, she would be known as the town bicycle. Her constant falling all over and making out with Luc and Gabe at seemingly the most random moments felt shallow. I never felt that necessary romantic and emotional connection. Beyond the fact that Frannie is just a horny, annoying, selfish, and immature person, she’s just not that interesting. I simply couldn’t find one redeemable quality about her.It’s a shame that Luc turned out to be such a lackluster character because he had the most potential to be interesting. Luc is supposed to be an “evil” demon sent to seduce Frannie and lead her down a sinful path so that he can tag her soul for his boss, but he NEVER does anything evil. Imagine watching a movie about a serial killer who never kills anybody. Preposterous, right? Luc is probably one of the most pitiful characterizations of “evil” that I’ve ever read.Gabriel and Luc are essentially one in the same, where any “hot” guy will fill that lust void for Frannie. The “love triangle” in this book is basically non-existent. Gabriel is yet another severely under developed character whose chief draw to Frannie is that he’s unbelievably “HOT”.Overall, I found Personal Demons to be a deeply flawed novel, with little character depth and development. Ms. Desrochers fails to adhere to the realities within the fantasy she created. She writes about a conflict between good and evil, but never presents us with anything remotely evil, or particularly sinful. Other than Frannie’s sexual frustrations and sudden boy obsession, and a poorly constructed love triangle, this story doesn’t seem to have any real purpose.Notable Scene:Finally, my head starts to clear, and I reach my sanctuary: the sliver of Hell from my wall mural. I walk along the cragged banks of the Lake of Fire until I reach the southernmost tip, where the lake meets the Walls of Hell, and the river Styx flows in from the south. Here, the distant shrieks of the damned and the mirthful laughter of the infernal blend and echo off the high walls like a dissonant choir. This is my cathedral.Sitting on the pitted lava outcropping over the Lake of Fire, I let the music of Hell welcome me home for the last time. I stare out over the lake at the glossy black hulk of Pandemonium, perched above all of Hell on Flame Island. I admire the orange and red roiling molten lake swirling around the large crags of brimstone, pointing like accusing fingers at Heaven. Its accompanying light show–flickering scarlet and indigo with blue and white flame eruptions–is like Hell’s fireworks. And as the clouds of sulfuric gas emanating from those eruptions engulf me, I breathe them in, savoring the smell of brimstone as it stings my human nose. It’s easy to forget how beautiful home is, at least to us demons.The Personal Demons Series:1. Personal Demons2. Original Sin3. HellbentFTC Advisory: Tor Teen provided me with a copy of Personal Demons. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. In addition, I don’t receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site.
    • 5/5
      About~ Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She has spent years keeping everyone at a distance---even her closest friends---and it seems as if her senior year is going to be more of the same . . . until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can’t seem to stay away from him.What she doesn’t know is that Luc is on a mission. He’s been sent from Hell itself to claim Frannie’s soul. It should be easy---all he has to do is get her to sin, and Luc is as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance. But he has to work fast, because if the infernals are after her, the celestials can’t be far behind. And sure enough, it’s not long before the angel Gabriel shows up, willing to do anything to keep Luc from getting what he came for. It isn’t long before they find themselves fighting for more than just Frannie’s soul.But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay . . . for all of them.My Review~ This book was so good. I got hooked in the first chapter. It’s been about two months since I last read this book. I have just been so busy with school work that I have forgotten all about writing a review for it. So here I am writing about the things I remember best.The first thing I remember best are the characters; Luc, Gabriel and Frannie. Frannie is the girl who both guys need to tag her soul. Luc needs to tag her soul for Hell and Gabriel needs to tag her soul for Heaven. And soon enough, both guys want her, but not just for her soul. And Frannie can’t help but feel the same way. But now she has to choose between them. Luc or Gabriel? Heaven or Hell? If I was in Frannie’s shoes, I would have a pretty hard time choosing between Luc and Gabe too…This book is told from two different perspectives. One of them is Frannie and the other is told form Luc. I have to say though, I loved reading more from Luc’s perspective more then I did with Frannie’s. Although, it would have been nice to read through Gabriel’s point of view too. It would have been interesting to read how he saw Frannie, how he felt for her, and what he thought of the situation with Luc and all.What surprised me the most was of course, the ending. I loved it, hated it, and everything in between. I loved what happened, hated some characters, and felt so many emotions pass by. I am proud to say that this was the first book I have read, that included demons and such, and I LOVED it!!! I can’t wait till the next book Original Sin comes out. But for now I recommend readers to read the book because they won’t be able to put it down…Plot: ♥♥♥♥♥Characters: ♥♥♥♥Ending: ♥♥♥♥Cover Art: ♥♥♥♥♥Pages in Novel: 365ISBN: 978-0-7653-2808-3Other book in the Series: N/A
    • 4/5
      Personal Demons started out in such a way that reminded me of one of those Christian romances I devoured like potato chips when I was in high school – the ones where a hot date meant getting together to read the Bible. Frannie, the high school girl who is the principal viewpoint character, comes from a large Catholic family and seems, at first, to be intent on remaining true to every bit of her Catholicism. In my own large Catholic family, that would most definitely include allowing no boy to touch me between my neck and my knees before my wedding night. So I settled in for what I thought would be a conservative young adult novel that would make its points about morality by having the persuasive swain be, literally, a devil.Fortunately, Lisa Desrochers completely surprised me by giving Frannie a mind of her own that is all modern teenager. When she first meets Luc Cain (please note the name), her first reaction is that he is hot, especially since he seems somehow dangerous. In fact, he is well nigh irresistible, and there isn’t a girl in the school who doesn’t want to make a play for him But it’s Luc’s job to seduce Frannie, for reasons unknown to him – but he’s seduced high school girls over and over again, thus “tagging” them for Hell. It doesn’t appear that he will have any more trouble getting his job done this time than he has on countless other assignments.But Frannie is wanted not only by Hell; Heaven also wants to tag her. Gabe – short for Gabriel, naturally – also shows up at Frannie’s school, also seems very interested in her, and is also extraordinarily gorgeous. Frannie’s circle of friends can’t figure out why these two very appealing guys are both so attracted to her; it’s not like she’s a great beauty or an outstanding personality or the most popular girl in school. What’s the attraction?It turns out that Frannie is special in a frightening way, and that her tagging would give a major advantage to whichever supernatural power she chose to align with. In fact, her power is so strong that it causes real problems for both Luc and Gabe, and interferes with their abilities to do their jobs. And when that happens, both Heaven and Hell unleash their fury, and it’s all Frannie can do to survive. And really, all she wants is to make out with these two fabulous guys.Personal Demons turned into a much more interesting book than I originally expected. While Frannie is a blushing virgin, she isn’t the pure and innocent creature suggested by that description; she just knows what she wants. Her Catholicism, while a major theme in the book, is very much a modern American Catholicism; conservative Catholics would say she isn’t even close to following her faith, but it’s a realistic depiction of an average teen. High school is depicted in rather more glowing terms than the reality for most of us, but that’s not a problem for a book that focuses on the supernatural’s invasion of reality rather than on reality itself.Once Frannie realizes that her plight is much more serious than merely choosing between two hot guys, it becomes more like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and less like Sabrina the Teen-Aged Witch. And just as I enjoyed Buffy, I enjoyed this novel. The moral dilemmas posed here are worked out with as much care and interest as they were in that television series, and the supernatural effects are equally well thought-out. A warning for parents: sex is treated as desirable in this book. Frannie takes her choice of who to sleep with very seriously and with the expectation that it will have lasting consequences, but she is nonetheless making that choice as a high schooler. This is depicted as normal and proper, and not as immoral. This seems like real life to me, but the more conservative among you might object.
    • 4/5
      I have to admit at first I was turned off by this book due to its cover. It just did not grab me and I know they say you should not judge a book by its cover. Fortunately Lisa Desrochers is coming out here for a book signing and I had the opportunity to get a copy to review. Thank goodness things worked out the way it did because I really enjoyed this book!The CharactersThe book alternates from Frannie’s point of view to Luc’s point of view. It was strange not to have Gabriel’s point of view as he is the third main character.Frannie was an interesting character as she is obviously the black sheep in her ultra-religious family. The one thing that did irk me about her was how she would claim to love Luc but also feel in love with Gabriel and wanting to make out with both guys even while she appears to be committed to one or the other. But to give her the benefit of the doubt it cannot be easy being around both an angel and a sexy as heck demon.Luc, sigh, what can I say about a sexy, sweet, smokin’, hot, ummm…did I mention good looking demon? I loved watching him fall for Frannie and struggling with his assignment to tag Frannie for Hell. He had a great sense of humor and you just have to smile reading some of his lines.Gabriel on the other hand just never grew on me and I actually found myself disliking his character. I have to admit feeling a little guilty about disliking an angel but I think his character suffered because we never really get to see inside his head. Other than him being an angel I don’t see why Frannie really seemed to fall in love with him and what made it so hard to choose between him and Luc. In fact, at some points he just comes off as a jerk. When at one point he admits he would be willing to give up his wings for Frannie that just seems to come totally out of the blue. I did not feel like there was any indication that she was anything more than an assignment to him.The RomanceThe chemistry between Frannie and Luc was steamy and you could feel the romantic tension between the two. I loved seeing them together and the conflict each feels about their feelings towards one another. Like I mention above I just did not get the romance between Gabriel and Frannie. I really wish there were more there.The Story LineThe story line was amazing as we find out that Frannie has a power that is likened to that of what people like Moses and Hitler possessed and both Heaven and Hell want control of that power. I cannot go into too much detail here without revealing too much but I definitely did not want to put this book down once I started reading.