SOUL STRIPPER - Katana Collins
Kensington Aphrodisia
ISBN: 978-0-7582-9011-3
June 2013
Erotic Paranormal Romance

Las Vegas, Nevada - Present Day

Having strong feelings for your boss usually isn't a good idea, but for Monica, it's something that she refuses to allow.  She's worked at the café with Drew for two years, and though he's asked her out they've remained strictly friends.  Mostly because of her other job; stealing souls for Sataen.  As a succubus, she needs to steal souls, not just because that's what succubi do, but also because it's the souls of others that help to keep her own mortality intact.  Of course, Monica isn't just any succubus, she's known as the “golden succubus” because she was actually an angel who became a succubus when she fell, and she still has occasional troubles with sending souls to Hell.  Drew, with his good heart and pure soul, would be an incredible “catch” for a succubus, but Monica cares too much about him to shorten his life span and damn his soul to Hell.  She's already done that once before to a good man, she's not about to do it again.

In addition to working at the café, Monica also works as a stripper at the club owned by Lucien, Arch Demon of Nevada, which is where she finds all of the already damned souls to steal.  After her dance, she manages to recharge—so to speak—with Erik, but shortly after that she learns that a gentleman by the name of Wills is looking for her.  At first believing that he must be a descendant of her Wills, a lover she had just before the onset of World War II, Monica quickly learns that it is the same man—or rather, demon. 

Having Wills around and available should be enough distraction from her feelings about Drew and his new girlfriend.  Unfortunately for Monica, all sorts of distractions are heading her way.  It starts with the realization that her face isn't the same smooth perfection it has been for the past two hundred years, and that some of her succubus powers aren't working so well.  When she and her best friend Kayce explain this to Lucien, he admits the recent string of succubi who disappeared shortly after losing their powers have actually been murders.  Julian, the angel who was her mentor in her former life, with the help of Lucien, Kayce, and even George (quite possibly the oldest incubus still alive) is around to help protect her from the serial killer who now seems to be targeting her.  Julian also gives Monica the first ray of hope she's had in over two hundred years: without her succubus powers, she's an ordinary mortal—someone capable of redemption. 

SOUL STRIPPER is an intriguing novel with some very interesting characters.  Monica was an angel until she took a lover she shouldn't have and fell.  Lucien found her and helped her to understand what being a succubus means, and they've remained friends ever since.  While she's embraced her succubus nature in most ways, she still has a moral center that is more fitting for an angel.  Succubi no longer enter a man's dreams to steal his soul, now they must have sex, and Monica isn't in any way shy about sex.  Yet, she sticks to “bad boys”—men whose souls are already destined for Hell.  A strip club provides the perfect candidates for Monica, and as long as she can recharge there, her friendship with Drew remains strong, and she isn't in danger of her succubus nature taking over. 

There's no shortage of men in Monica's life right now; she's surprised by the reunion with Wills, yet considering how she felt about him before his death, he should be more prominent in her thoughts.  Unfortunately, she can't stop thinking about Drew. When she realizes his new girlfriend, Adrienne, is cheating on him, she figures out who Adrienne is seeing, and can understand the draw—Damian is hot, even if he's a bit of a jerk.  Julian was not just her mentor, but a good friend, and after Monica fell, he was no longer her friend.  Now though, he's back, and she's not immune to his appeal, either.  Kayce is Monica's best friend, another succubus with a mysterious job—one which qualifies her to be a bodyguard to Monica.  All of these characters are integral to the plot in one way or another, and while she hopes they'll help her figure out who is targeting her, Monica can't help but wonder if any of the people in her life is actually the one looking to hurt her.

Katana Collins has created a fascinating and complex world in SOUL STRIPPER.  A sequel will be released October, but until then pick up SOUL STRIPPER and enjoy.

Jennifer Bishop