Review: Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Charley Davidson #2

Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper Extraordinaire, is back in this sexy, suspenseful novel of supernatural shenanigans.

When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out of the closet at her, she can’t help but wonder what Cookie’s up to. Leather scrunch boots with a floral miniskirt? Together? Seriously? Cookie explains that a friend of hers named Mimi disappeared five days earlier and that she just got a text from her setting up a meet at a coffee shop downtown. They show up at the coffee shop, but no Mimi. But Charley finds a message on the bathroom wall. Mimi left a clue, a woman’s name. Mimi’s husband explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been found murdered a couple weeks prior. The same woman Mimi had named in her message.
Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He’s left his body because he’s being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can’t let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they’ll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Will Cookie ever get a true fashion sense? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel them as they do? Here is your signpost for the most hilarious read of the summer: Second Grave On The Left.

When Charley's best friend wakes her in the middle of the night to go with her to a meeting with a friend, Mimi, who disappeared five days ago. Midnight meetings aside, things get really hairy when mimi isn't there, but a mysterious message of a murdered woman's name is found in the bathroom. Charley quickly decides to take the case, but what she doesn't know is that she may have bitten off more than she can chew as someone is determined to silence Mimi forever. As if that wasn't enough trouble, her somewhat lover, Reyes, the son of Satan, has been acting rather strange lately, and Charley has had about enough. When she demands a answer, the truth is more shocking than she ever could have imagined. The demons have captured his body and are slowly torturing him to death in hopes of using him to open the gates to their realm, creating Hell on earth. Literally. What's a grim reaper to do?

Charley has to be one of the most awesome and incredible characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading about. You just never know what is going to come out of her mouth next. Between her and her best friend Cookie, I cannot count the times I literally laughed out loud, which of course gained me some funny looks from the family, but honestly, it was worth every moment. She just has the perfect balance of snark and vulnerability that keeps her strong, yet also grounded. I mean just the way she doesn't even blink at the crazy that is her life is completely admirable. Sure, she's always been a portal for ghosts to cross over to the other side, but it still impresses me that she's so able to go with the flow no matter what is thrown at her. Also, she more than holds her own against anyone who even thinks to try and keep her out of the line of fire. She's an action girl and she wouldn't have it any other way. Long story short, I love her!

As much as I enjoyed SECOND GRAVE ON THE LEFT, the romance honestly drove me batty, which is honestly the only thing that kept me from giving this the full five star rating. I'm a very romantically driven person when it comes to my reading choices, so when the romance is frustrating, it does lower my enjoyment of the book a bit. While I was proud of Charley for standing her ground with Reyes, I felt like they had the same conversation, only worded differently over and over throughout the book. She's determined to hold her own, and he's determined to keep her safe and out of things. Rinse and repeat. By the third time they had this same argument, I was beyond done with it. I wish I could say that things are looking better in that department after finishing the book, but considering the ending events and Charley's decisions, I have to guess that they will be in for more than a rocky road. But if it gets them past their issues, at this point I say bring it.

Most of the time I love the fact that I receive a lot of books for review, so much so that my reading schedule is almost completely booked exclusively with review books. And then there are the few times where I discover a fabulous series that takes all my attention and completely derails my schedule. The Charley Davidson series is one of those. After finishing the first installment, I just barely held off from detouring from my reading plans to devour the series and waited a few months to read the second book. But now that I've just finished SECOND GRAVE ON THE LEFT, I'm completely hooked. I can pretty much guarantee that I'll be devouring the next three books in the very near future. The Charley Davidson series has everything avid Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance fans could possibly want. From the steamy romance, to the action pack plot, and the hilarious moment, this series is one not to be missed!

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Previous Books:
     1. First Grave on the Right