You’d think being magically tethered to the hottest warden in all Verona wouldn’t be a hardship.
You’d be wrong.
Incubus Nico Azertiran has his dream job as a cherub-in-training. It’s the perfect position for a lust demon who’s more interested in happily-ever-afters than one-night stands. Or it would be, if he didn’t keep screwing it up. When a new cherub gadget misfires, Nico is left trussed to Verona’s most eligible warden, the incredibly grumpy, Sir Flame.
Flambeau Illume has a job to do. Someone’s murdering Verona’s rich and famous, and Sir Flame’s hot on the killer’s trail . . . until he has the misfortune to get magically lassoed to the most infuriating incubus he’s ever had the displeasure to meet. Except, maybe Nico isn’t so terribly awful. But how can he solve his case and keep Nico safe at the same time? Especially when the sweet demon seems to have a bullseye on his back.
Together they need to solve the crime, stay alive, and—if their luck changes—maybe even fall in love. Easy, right?
Must Love Demons is part of the Magic Emporium series. Each book stands alone, but each one features an appearance by Marden’s Magic Emporium, a shop that can appear anywhere, but only once and only when someone’s in dire need. This book contains explicit scenes, a lariat of love, a demon tail with a mind of its own, and a guaranteed HEA.
Another win for the Magic Emporium series!
As per the blurb, the overall premise starts with Nico. He’s an incubus whose magic is not typical. Instead of being a lust demon, he’s a love one instead, where his presence allows anyone to instantly connect with their true match if they’re in close proximity. Having been kicked out of his legion of incubi because he’s different, Nico is currently a cherub in training, hoping to put his idealistic talents to good use.
One day, Nico accidentally magically ties himself to the most eligible bachelor around - the formidable, always grumpy phoenix, Warden Flame. Flame absolutely has no time for trivial frivolities such as dating, never mind being literally tied to an infuriating, albeit handsome, incubus. He has murders to solve, and as the body count continues to pile up, being hampered by a very distracting shadow is so not ideal.
Here, Maslow excels at the world building, portraying a realm where only fantastical creatures exist. She also develops her two polar opposite characters very well. Nico is the most awesome, sweetest person ever, kind and good and only wanting to help all find their true love despite him being personally very unlucky in both romance and life. Flame is for sure, full of intimidating bark (with a bit of bite), putting his warden responsibilities first and foremost. It’s not that he wouldn’t want a relationship, but love is simply not for him as his very essence of being a phoenix prevents him from falling for another. Of course, the rules of existence are not absolutes, and as these two are forced to work together, dodging one perilous situation after the other, it’s only logical that lust and near death experiences coalesce into feelings and smexy actions. Do either Nico or Flame dare hope that should they ever get untied that maybe, they just might be able to work out? Well, duh.
Despite this being a long 310 pages (a length that is not unusual for Maslow) it held my interest as Nico and Flame begrudgingly become friends, eventual partners in solving terrible crimes, and of course, find that elusive thing that everyone wants. Overall, this had some snark, very likeable MC’s, a good mystery with several action filled twists, and along with Hexes and Horns, is my top favorite in this loosely connected series thus far. Enjoy!
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