The Devil Inside by Jenna Black

rating
(Morgan Kingsley, #1)
  Urban Fantasy


Possession. Murder. Mayhem.
Let the games begin...


Exorcism isn’t a job, it’s a calling—and a curse. Just ask Morgan Kingsley, a woman who has a stronger aura than any Demon. Or so she thought. Now, in a pair of black leather pants and a kick-ass tattoo, Morgan is heading back to Philadelphia after a nasty little exorcism—and her life is about to be turned upside down… by the Demon that’s gotten inside her.

Not just any Demon. Six foot five inches of dark, delicious temptation, this one is to die for—that is, if he doesn’t get Morgan killed first. Because while some humans vilify Demons and others idolize them, Morgan’s Demon is leading a war of succession no human has ever imagined. For a woman trying to live a life, and hold on to the almost-perfect man, being possessed by a gorgeous rebel Demon will mean a wild ride of uninhibited thrills, shocking surprises, and pure, unadulterated terror.…




The Devil Inside hit all my buttons - well, most of them, the main character has a bit of a chip on her shoulder that's annoying. The beginning is exciting in that she's performing an exorcism and gets caught in the bad side of things. She has a pre-warning of exciting things to come. I think the author starts off a bit too swiftly in the bedroom with an existing relationship, but once this is gotten beyond I was completely riveted.

Morgan has tons of emotional scars - the creative society she lives in considers it an honor to volunteer to be a host for a demon (not the Christian demon, of course, but a different form). Once possessed they are usually in life saving or important professions. Morgan disagrees and finds the thought terrifying; in fact, she's been born with a natural ability to exorcise demons. She's employed to rid the bodies of those possessed when a crime has been committed and convicted.

Characters make the story - and the series. There's a bizarre blend of BDSM and S&M that could make some uncomfortable, although I found the way it was written and incorporated into the story interesting. It is not the choice of Morgan herself, but other side characters. The twisted world is dark, demented, and people are brought together with Morgan to fight a large, unseen war.

I was glued from page one and couldn't put it down- the writing style, the characters, the potential for what would come, and of course finding out more about Morgan's visitor Lugh. I went out the next day to seek out the sequels in the store.

Looking at ratings on Goodreads, most rated it lower than me. I have no idea why. I guess different strokes for different folks and all that.

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