Zoe Bankes is a paragon of confidence in a pixie-sized package who believes wholeheartedly in the supernatural. Not difficult, considering her best friend’s the new Queen of Avarice. Trusted with Kami and Saph’s demonic secrets is just one more reason why she loves her life. So, when all their happiness is threatened, she’ll do anything to stop it. Even if it means fighting a mysterious and … alluring demon she’d rather scrap with in much naughtier ways. But if Hell thinks Zoe Bankes wouldn’t be trouble just because she’s human, it’s about to get a serious wake-up call.
Hex is Pan’s shadow, luring lost boys and girls into his grasp with the premise of granting their greatest desires. For centuries he’s been cursing desperate people by the dozens, never once considering he’d find a human he couldn’t tempt. Until he meets Zoe. Her sharp tongue and quick mind are marvelously riveting, waking things inside him he’d never known. When Wrath decides he wants her, Hex risks it all by abducting her first-upping his number of enemies from one to a Deadly Seven.
On the run from some of the most nefarious Demons of Hell, Hex must convince Zoe of her own danger before he can hope to convince her of their undeniable connection. Disastrous ambushes lead to unexpected allies, as they face down an impossible situation they have little chance of winning. Hex wants Zoe alive, Zoe wants them all free and believes the key to achieving both is buried in Hex’s forgotten past. Unlocking it could mean losing him forever, but when the stakes are raised, they’re left with no other choice. Not even Hell could predict the outcome…nor how happy it would make the Devil, himself.
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Hexed continues the Hell on Earth saga of demons living among us.
Zoe Bankes was at her BFF’s side as Kameo Kross went through her life-changing journey. She’s tasked with keeping Kami’s and Saphiel’s secret… that demons are real.
When she gets her own taste of the supernatural, her first instinct is to run. Not away in fear, but to warn Kami and Saph.
However, there are other plans for Zoe.
Kidnapped by Temptation, aka Hex, Zoe not only has a front seat to infighting among demons, she comes to realize she’s not a prisoner but the key to solving Hex’s memory loss and Abaddon’s attempt to reclaim Pheldra (Kami).
Zoe Bankes is such a well-written character! She is sarcastic and snarky, bold, outspoken, determined, smart and fierce with a capital F!
What I love about Zoe is her personality isn’t reactive—her mood and responses don’t depend necessarily with how she’s approached—she’s the same with everyone.
The youngest and smallest (she’s 4’9”) in a family of eight kids, Zoe grew up in SoCal fighting for her place in the family and staking her claim. (As one of nine kids, I can relate to that!)
When she’s old enough, Zoe leaves the sedate, laidback California lifestyle for the diverse chaos of New York City. By the time she’s twenty-four, she runs her own successful social media business from her apartment…and has employees! (Because “she is the Goddess of All Things Media… with a crown and everything.”)
When a pesky supernatural entity comes sniffing around her apartment, Zoe isn’t alarmed—she’s had the crash course in demons. But when she learns he intends to drag her bestie back to hell to secure HIS freedom, the game is on!
Hex, the demon of Temptation, doesn’t know what to make of the diminutive Zoe. He’s used to humans ready to bargain their souls away for trivial things like wealth and power, but his powers are useless on Zoe—she wants nothing more than what she has. And, she also appears to not fear him. (Probably because she’s always trying to attack him! HA!)
Moving away from his plot of kidnapping Pheldra, Hex knows Abaddon will kill Zoe out of spite and he is determined to save Zoe… whether she likes it or not… and trust me, she doesn’t. “… Nothing she could grab quickly and eat on her way outside—like donuts or pop-tarts. Hex should have been dubbed the Demon of Nutrition, because that had to be a thing.”
As these two go from combatants to frenemies to allies to lovers, their dynamic does not change and their honesty with each other is on point! “… she hated how much that made her feel something for him beyond smoldering lust and the desire to strangle the sh*t out of him, because it complicated matters.”
Their end-goal is the same and though they have different ideas about how to accomplish it, either path could cost Hex his life. Hex will do what he must to keep Zoe and Kami alive, but is Zoe willing to sacrifice his life? Does she have a choice?
This author brings her A game with another mind-blowing installment in the Hell on Earth saga. It’s not warm and it’s not comfy. It IS intelligent and challenging on several levels… in a good way! Mix a little mythology, theology, Gothicism, and supernatural together, add a heaping portion of hot and steamy smexiness and top it off with humor and some good old Louisiana Voodoo… then hang on!
Enjoy!
Hexed is my new favorite in A.C. Melody’s extraordinary paranormal romance series! This is not a BDSM romance like Kami’s and Saphiel’s story, but Hex and Zoe got me hooked immediately, and I just love romantic abduction stories. The romance was hot and sassy, and the ending was wonderfully satisfying. Highly recommended!