Reviewed by Lisa
TITLE: Devouring Flame
SERIES: Enchanted Occasions Book Two
AUTHOR: E.J. Russell
NARRATOR: Kirt Graves
PUBLISHER: Reality Optional Press
LENGTH: 6 hours 25 minutes
RELEASE DATE: October 5, 2022
BLURB:
Can a chance meeting rekindle their incendiary attraction?
While cutting through the Interstices—the post-creation gap between realms—Smith, half-demon tech specialist for Enchanted Occasions Event Planning, spies the person he yearns for daily but dreads ever seeing again: the ifrit, Hashim of the Windrider clan.
On their one literally smoldering night together, Smith, stupidly besotted, revealed his true name—a demon’s greatest vulnerability. When Hashim didn’t return the favor, then split the next morning with no word? Message received, loud and clear: Thanks but no thanks.
Although Hashim had burned to return Smith’s trust, it was impossible. The wizard who conjured him holds his true name in secret, and unless Hashim discovers it, he’ll never be free.
When their attraction sparks once more, the two unite to search for Hashim’s hidden name—which would be a hell of a lot easier if they didn’t have to contend with a convention full of food-crazed vampires on the one day out of the century they can consume something other than blood.
But if they fail, Hashim will be doomed to eternal slavery, and their reignited love will collapse in the ashes.
Luckily Smith is the guy who gets the job done—and Hashim is never afraid to heat things up.
Devouring Flame is a 54,000-word enemies-to-lovers, second-chance paranormal rom-com featuring a down-at-heels carnival with sinister undertones, a minotaur with an affinity for flowers, a prima donna goblin berserker chef with serious knife skills, and a guaranteed HEA.
REVIEW:
I really enjoy everything by EJ Russell so I am delighted to be able to review this book, even more so as it’s narrated by Kirt Graves.
This is the second book in the Enchanted Occasions series. Smith and Hashim appear in the first book so it is advisable, but not essential, to start there. I love that even paranormal creatures need an event company and having a creepy carnival in Vegas, home of the vampires, is genius. Every time it started to feel a bit twin peaks like, EJ would break the suspense with a laugh out loud scene.
The story takes place at the centennial vampire convention, which is the one day every 100 years on which the vampires can eat whatever they want. This leads to the Enchanted Occasions team having to deal with lots of hilarious and ridiculous situations.
As well as Smith and Hashim, we also meet lots of other characters, including the sweetest minotaur, Rion; who despite his fearsome looks and enormous size, is really just an overgrown kid who desperately needs help; and a berserker chef who, to be honest, just needs therapy.
There are some darker themes too. Without spoilers, let’s just say that there are twists and turns, a terrible baddie, some tear jerker moments and just the right amount of angst. We find out why the hook up in book one ended so badly for both Smith and Hashim, and the battle that they have to fight in order to be together is epic. However, you can always trust EJ to give you the happiest of HEAs and a great setup for more in the series. Also, there is some real heat in this book (forgive the pun) as well as romance.
There are some narrators who can take a fabulous book and make it even better and Kirt Graves is one of them. Kirt is one of my favourite narrators because he brings a wealth of theatrical experience to his work. His vocal characterisation and the light and shade he brings to this book are beautiful. His accents in this book are excellent and the way that one minute he can make the ringmaster sound so evil and in the next breath he is the innocent sunbeam that is Rion is really impressive. Kirt’s narrative voice and style perfectly match EJ’s romances and they vibe off each other, becoming more than the sum of their parts and makes it one of my go to re-listens on a rainy day.
RATING: 
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