Book Tour for Demon Within by Rebecca Royce (Review & GIVEAWAY)

Those looking for an intriguing mix of thrills and chills will get just that with Demon Within by Rebecca Royce.  Keep reading to learn more about this scary yet steamy read through a brief excerpt along with my impressions of it.  Make sure to leave a comment for your chance to win ebooks and an Amazon GC!

Dakota Daniels is an exorcist. Or at least she used to be, until a demon destroyed her life, killing her mother and sending her into hiding. She never knows what’s around the next corner or whether she’ll live through the night.

Brady Knox, billionaire tech guru and media darling, is a man used to getting what he wants. Except when it comes to his sister Sydney. She is the secret he never tells a soul. After all, how do you tell the world your sister has been possessed since she was ten years old without seeming like a lunatic?

When Brady seeks out Dakota’s assistance, he expects to get it. When she doesn’t comply, he’s willing to use every resource at his disposal—even if that means seducing her into doing his bidding.

Dakota’s body yearns for Brady but she isn’t easily fooled, and if she decides to help him it will be on her own terms—assuming they can both make it through the night with their souls intact.

EXCERPT:

“You’re a hard woman to find.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.” Running would have been the smarter move.
“You’ve changed your name about ten times.” He raised a dark eyebrow. “Am I right? I know about ten but I guess you could have done it more than that.”
Twelve, if he wanted to be exact. Not that she intended to share that information. “Are you from the IRS? I’ve paid all my taxes in every name.”
She could only wish he’d come looking for money…
Brady laughed, the movement taking some of the heaviness from his face. How old was this man? He could be anywhere from thirty to forty. The worry lines around his mouth and eyes made it hard to be certain.
“I’m told you can help my sister.”

BUY LINKS:   BN   |   ELLORA'S CAVE   |   AMAZON

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Rebecca Royce has written a short story long on thrills and chills.  Demon Within grabs your attention from the start and keeps you on the edge of your seat until its heart-pounding ending.  Horror aspects are nicely balanced with steamy romantic interludes to keep you fully invested in these character's outcomes and has you rooting for them to defeat evil.

Dakota's life has always revolved around defeating demons alongside her mother.  They often combined their powers to help those possessed until the day Dakota's moment of hesitation led to her mother's death.  She's been on the run ever since from her perceived failures until she's forced to revisit her past to save a young woman.  Dakota's a strong-willed woman who's let the past rule her entire future.  She was a child when her mother died and her hesitation was understandable given the shock and sorrow of the event.  I applaud her strength in now facing her personal demons as well as real ones.  She was given a divine gift and it's her duty to use it.  Using her powers is a way to honor her mother and helps her put her emotional loss further behind her.

Brady too has carried guilt around since his childhood as he thinks he's responsible for his twin sister's demonic possession.  It's led him on a non-stop journey to finding someone to release her from her pain and unwittingly led him to a woman who's true purpose isn't clear.  From the moment he set eyes on Dakota he was drawn to her and though he'd do anything to save his sister, he'd also do anything to have Dakota.  He seemed callous at first as he would manipulate Dakota to gain her assistance, but it soon became clear that he does have a heart as his protective instincts kicked in to agonize over what he was asking her to do for his sister.  He became her protector and her ally and helped her regain her true powers through his unconditional belief in her.  They end up a very formidable match for the demons they plan to excise.

The scenes dealing with the exorcism are very atmospheric with an unrelenting sense of doom.  We soon learn that the woman who led Brady to Dakota has a devious agenda of her own that is based on a previous meeting with Dakota and her mother.  Her plan isn't quite clear but it doesn't bode well for Dakota.  The build-up to this scene gave me chills but its conclusion was a bit of a letdown as the action crescendoed into complete quiet.  The romance hints at a mutual HEA but nothing is truly set in stone as their happiness feels more like a beginning than an end.  Those looking for a thrilling and steamy way to spend the afternoon will find this the perfect way to escape as Ms. Royce again doesn't disappoint.

My rating for this is a B.

*I received this book from the publisher for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

As a teenager, Rebecca Royce would hide in her room to read her favorite romance novels when she was supposed to be doing her homework. She hopes, these days, that her parents think it was well worth it.
Rebecca is the mother of three adorable boys and is fortunate to be married to her best friend. They’ve just moved to Texas where Rebecca is discovering a new love for barbecue!
She's in love with science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal and tries to use all of these elements in her writing. She's been told she's a little bloodthirsty so she hopes that when you read her work you'll enjoy the action packed ride that always ends in romance. Rebecca loves to write series because she loves to see characters develop over time and it always makes her happy to see her favorite characters make guest appearances in other books.
In Rebecca Royce's world anything is possible, anything can happen, and you should suspect that it will.

www.rebeccaroyce.com
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**********GIVEAWAY**********

Rebecca will be awarding a backlist ebook to a randomly drawn commenter at every stop during the tour, and a grand prize of a $30 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

-To be entered, leave a comment, along with your email addy.

-Winners will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 8/2.