While I appreciate wit and humor in my stories, I never much liked the kind of ridiculous humor strewn throughout this book. *Everything* is a joke--death, sex, battle of the sexes, torture, you name it. At first I actually thought that Stephanie Rowe was clever and interesting, and so I might have remained thinking so, if the characters and plot hadn't kept whining about and rehashing the same things over and over again. This book is almost 400 pages and by 150 pages I was ready for it to end already! There's a lot of chasing and battling things with very little point to it. Essentially our main characters are running in circles interspersed with several hissy fits of Blaine feeling abandoned by everybody and Trinity wanting everyone to like her despite her homicidal tendencies. The main bad guy (or gal) is really just misunderstood and wanting to empower women everywhere by emasculating men, which I'd totally be on board with if she wasn't constantly battling her attraction to her abusive ex and his alpha ways. Furthermore, this story has a very confusing ending in which I can't tell if the evil/ misunderstood witch is dead, in limbo, or still at large for an upcoming story.

Bottomline: I think this story could have been a lot more clever if Rowe had backed off a little bit from making the obvious or easy jokes and tried to infuse her plot with a little more seriousness and actual character development. Then the forays into the absurd would have been welcomed instead of dreaded. I also think a more powerful message about equality of the sexes, particularly in relationships, could have been reached this way. Someone like Joss Whedon knows how to create fully developed characters in intricate situations while making the overall story funny, poignant, and real. Unfortunately Stephanie Rowe only knows how to put shallow characters into convoluted situations.

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Kiss at your own risk is book 1 in a new series by Stephanie Rowe and is a downright funny paranormal adventure that grabs ahold of you and makes you want more. Trinity is cursed with a Black Widow curse so any man she falls in love with she kills, but needs Blaine's help to save her father. Blaine can make his body light on fire and needs Trinity's help to save a member of his team who is trapped and needs rescued. Twists and Turns keep the book exciting and on the edge of your seat. I am hoping Ms Rowe brings out a book just for Reina, Trinitys BFF and one of Deaths assistants...I loved her character!

Froggy
Froggarita's Bookcase

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Kidnapped as babies, or given away by his parents in Blaine's case, these children grew up under Angelica's (Grandma of the Devil) rule. She enjoys torturing them or making them torture one another. She feels that the warriors should be in touch with their feminine side, so they all have a craft; knitting, painting, flower arranging. But the men have had enough and plan to escape. Blaine, Nigel, Jarvis, and Christian are ready to leave Angelica and all of her shenanigan's behind, but something goes awry with their escape plan. Christian's girlfriend betrays them and Christian is left behind.

Blaine is determined that he and the others will free Christian. The problem is he can't do it alone. He needs the help of the most lethal woman around.

Trinity Harpswell is cursed; she is a Black Widow Every time she begins to fall in love with someone, her drive is kicked up into overdrive, somehow knowing where they are the most vulnerable, and she kills them. But Trinity is determined to get rid of the curse forever. She has one week left of not killing anyone to be free. But then Blaine tracks her down and convinces her to help him free Christian.

The problem is Trinity is really attracted to Blaine. She knows that when that attraction deepens, her curse will take over and she will have to kill him. So much for the three years she has gone murder free to dispose of her curse forever. Will Trinity be able to help Blaine free Christian without killing him?

Full of unique paranormal creatures, humorous antics and blazing passion, Kiss at Your Own Risk kicks off a new series for Stephanie Rowe. I look forward to the stories of the other warriors. Sharp, wicked, and Hot!!

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Super confusing. The reader is thrust into the action without any backstory. I can't tell if I should feel bad that the male characters were tortured in the "den of womanly pursuits" or if it's meant to be funny. There's cross-stitching and hot pokers to the heart. Huh? Given that it's the start of a new series, more world-building is expected and necessary.

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