AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Richelle Mead's SUCCUBUS BLUES (Georgina Kincaid Bk 1)

Title:  SUCCUBUS BLUES

Series:  Georgina Kincaid, Book 1

Author:   Richelle Mead

Narrator:  Elisabeth Rodgers

Release Date:  12-04-09

Price:  $21.95

Publisher: Audible Studios

Length:  11 hrs  29 min

Format:  Audible Audio Edition

Purchase at Audible

 My Ratings

Plot:  5/5
Setting:  4.5/5
Writing:  5/5
Originality of Plot:  5/5
Characters Development:  5/5
Ending:  5/5
Cover Art:  4/5
Narration:  5/5
Likelihood to Recommend:  5/5

Overall:  43.5/45 =  96% 

Synopsis

Succubus (n.) An alluring, shape-shifting demon who seduces and pleasures mortal men. 

Pathetic (adj.) A succubus with great shoes and no social life. See: Georgina Kincaid.

When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants, the wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?

But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid's life is far less exotic. Her boss is a middle-management demon with a thing for John Cusack movies. Her immortal best friends haven't stopped teasing her about the time she shape-shifted into the Demon Goddess get-up, complete with whip and wings. And she can't have a decent date without sucking away part of the guy's life.

At least there's her day job at a local bookstore--free books; all the white chocolate mochas she can drink; and easy access to best-selling, sexy writer Seth Mortensen, aka "He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can't". 

But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle's demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won't help because Georgina's about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny.

©2007 Richelle Mead; (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Review

An Imp, an Angel, and a Succubus walk into a bar.  No this isn't a joke, it's Georgina Kincaid's life.  During the day Georgina works at a local book store, and at night she lures men into her bed steals their souls.  She sounds like a very busy girl. Then two unforeseen things happen, her author crush Seth Mortensen comes to her book store, and someone's trying to kill the immortals of Seattle.  As you can imagine, pardon the pun, all Hell breaks loose.

I fell in love with Georgina within the first chapter, demoness getup and all!  She became a succubus, to make up for past mistakes.  I enjoyed her attitude and sharp tongue, even when it gets her into trouble.  She is the reluctant hero of this story.  She's the succubus, that doesn't want to be a succubus.  She picks the most unlikely place for a succubus to work, a book store.  And trouble tends to finds her, whether she is looking for it or not.  Thankfully, she has an amazing assortment of friends, including an imp, an angel, and a couple vampires, to help her along the way. 

Richelle Mead certainly knows how to write a romantic lead.  And in this story, we get two.  I adored Seth and Roman for completely different reasons.  Seth appeals to my goofy, nerdy side, while enjoyed Roman on a more primal level.  Both are sexy in their own right.  I love how Seth is this perfect person in Georgina's mind, until she actually meets him.  She finds his social awkwardness endearing.  Roman swoops in out of nowhere.  He sexy and charming ass hell.  That's not to say he doesn't have his fair share of faults. There were actually points in the story, where I had decided that Georgina must pick one guy, and then the other would rally.  I don't want to give to much away, but I will say that I'm happy how this ends.  The last couple chapters of this book both broke my heart, and gave me hope for Georgina's romantic future.  I was very touched by the final scene between Georgina and the guy she chooses.

I loved Elizabeth Rodger's narration of this story! She was able to carry off Georgina's sharp sense of humor, Seth's sweet shy nature, and Carter's dry humor. She's really mastered differentiating the character, and pulled each voice off like a pro!  Her pace and dictation are amazing.  And she has a wonderful ability to give an emotional performance, that totally captures the listeners attention.

SUCCUBUS BLUES is sexy, snarky, and full of adventure.  My favorite thing about this series, is how fresh it feels.  In a sea of generic Urban Fantasy books, this one truly stands out.  Strong character development and world building make this book a vibrant listen. Also, the characters are the true heart of this story.  You can tell that Richelle Mead spent a lot of time creating such distinct characters.  I can't wait to just into the next audiobook in this series!!!