I loved this book, though I will admit I tried to read it once and just couldnt get through so i put it down for a long while and only picked it up a couple days ago. it had me staying up past my bedtime because i wanted to know what would happen. i could nearly feel the passion Hope felt towards the two main men, and the story kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. i was fairly fooled in the end when certain events take place. What a shocker. Definatly worth the wait.

When I first started reading the book, I found it a bit sleepy. As I continued reading it got more and more interesting.. I am ancious to find out what happened to Hope and Karl in furture books.. It was a great read. It was very interesting and not at all what I expected when I began the book... There are many twist and turns to the book.. something worth picking up!!

I'm almost done reading all of Kelley Armstrong's books. Out of all of them I wouldn't say this is my favorite. It did have a lot of twist that I really enjoyed and did bring back some forgotten characters. However Haunted is still my favorite out of all her books.

In this installment of the Women of the Otherworld series we are thrown into the world of Hope Adams, a part demon with a thing for chaos and Lucas Cortez, sorecerer and son of the leader of the Cortez Cabal.
I really liked this book. I could not put it down. Not only do we get to dive into Hopes world, but we also get to see into the world that is Lucas Cortez. We see his struggle with his father and the connection he has to him and his hate towards the Cabal organization. When events begin to happen where Lucas is thrown into the world he hates how he struggles with everything that is in him to stay true to himself as well as take control of a very sensitive and dangerous situation for all involved. With his wife Paige by his side somehow through all of it he manages to come out Lucas but a bit different. Being in control of the Cabal for a short time seems to have changed him. Although he is in now way taking over the Cabal we just see a totally different side of Lucas.
We also see the love between Karl and Hope reignite and flourish. Makes you wonder how a man that is some of the previous mentions is seen as a cold, emotionless jewel thief fall in love with a beautiful women with a thing for chaos. With her demon inside her longing to take control and feed off of everything that is chaos she is struggling to control it, with Karls help she is able to control her personal demon and find the love of a werewolf whose life is full of chaos and solve the case that she is thrown into. I was soo happy that Hope and Karl are together. Their relationship works and is perfect for the two of them. You get to see a definate softer side of Karl and see him as being a person who is able to love and be loved.

"Tabloid reporter Hope Adams appears to live the life of an ordinary working girl. But in addition to possessing the beauty of a Bollywood princess, Hope has other unique traits. For she is a half demon - a human fathered by a demon. And she's inherited a hunger for chaos. Naturally, when she's chosen by a very dangerous group for a very dangerous mission that will take her through Miami's hot spots, she jumps at the chance. But Hope is a little too good at this job. And soon she's in a little too deep. To save herself, she'll have to unleash her most primal instincts - and open herself, mind and body, to everything she most fears...and desires." Back cover Personal Demon


My Summary

Personal Demon is the eighth novel in Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series. It follows Hope Adams, a half demon who can sense chaos and feeds off of it. As a reporter, she gets asked to go undercover to help solve a fight between two fighting companies/gangs. She agrees, knowing that she can help the Cabals (the company who hired her to go undercover), while getting a good fix of chaos in the meantime.

With the Cabals involved, sure enough you will see Paige and Lucas, witch and sorcerer respectively. We also get to see an inside look at Cabal operations as Lucas gets closer and closer to becoming CEO, a title he does not want. As the novel proceeds, the narrations switch back and forth between Hope and Lucas. Their stories go off into different directions, but always end up overlapping, so it stays as one complete story.

Will Hope be able to control her demon side, or will it take over and cause a world of chaos? Will Lucas become CEO of the Cabals in their greatest time of need? Who will win over Hope, Jaz or Karl Marsten?


My Opinion on Personal Demon

After reading No Humans Involved, Kelley Armstrong's previous Women of the Otherworld novel, I was excited to have Hope Adams as the narrator. Her powers seemed to be truly intense, which would be really interesting to get to feel them from her perspective. It took a little while to get into the chaotic parts, but when they came, they were well worth it.

I'm not one who really likes mob stories, and that's kind of what the Cabals are. Luckily, they kept the mob likeness to a minumum. I've never been much a fan of Lucas or his storyline. I'm not saying he's a bad character, he was very well written with his characteristics. I just am very unintersted in reading about a character like him. That made it a little hard for me when the narration switched over from Hope to Lucas. But it was essential to the story, so I sucked it up.

The main reasons Personal Demon only got 3/5 from me was because the "Women" of the Otherworld was narrated by a man, even if it was only in part. Also, it got a little confusing with all the switching. It got to a point where every chapter was the opposite person narrating (one chapter was Hope, the next Lucas, the next Hope etc). At one point I got confused while I was reading, and was imagining Paige speaking, despite her never actually narrorating in this novel.

I do believe that before reading this novel, you read the others in order. It is possible to read this before the others, but there are a few name drops and situations that aren't really explained that would make more sense if you knew the full story behind them.


Characters From Previous Women of the Otherworld Novels

Hope Adams (Expiso Half Demon, Narrator)
Lucas Cortez (Sorcerer, Narrator)
Paige Winterbourne (Witch)
Karl Marsten (Werewolf, Thief)
The Cabals (Cortez, Nast, St. Cloud)
Elena Micheals (Werewolf, small part)
Clay Danvers (Werewolf, small part)


Quotes that Stuck

"What you're afraid of, Hope, is that someday, just for a few minutes,the thing that you are will overtake the person that you are, and someone will die because of it."

In this fast paced, edgy edition of Women of the Otherworld, Armstrong writes from the point of view of Hope Adams. Hope was introduced us in No Humans Involved, as a new type of demon to Armstrong's Otherworld.

Hope was helped out by Cortez cabal in No Humans Involved, and now they are calling on her to pay back her debt. She and the werewolf jewel thief James Marsten, owe the debt but they are estranged and he out of the country. Hope turns to her mentors Lucas, son of the cabal head, and Paige his wife, and her fellow council member.

The Cabal wants her to infiltrate a Miami gang that has been operating in Miami, and calling attention to the cabal, even though not affiliated. It all seems quite innocuous, but then the gang members start getting picked off one by one. Hope thinks she is being used by the cabal, for her mind reading talents, and mad when they seem to be jumping the gun in shutting them down. Hope suspects an all out war between the cabal and the gang, and she couldn't be more right, and more wrong about the reasons.

Armstrong re-introduces us to a supernatural being she first wrote about in Stolen. Shapeshifters, nephews of Armen Haig, who stolen by a cabal (not the Cortez) imprisoned and used for research. Armen, was killed when the lab was destroyed, while Elena was escaping, but it appears he has family. Family with a unique set of abilities that they could use to gain control of not only the most powerful US cabal, but the council as well, if they are not stopped.

With more plot twists than a bowl of spaghetti, this is one of the best of the Women of the Otherworld series. But, there are a couple of things that I would have changed. I felt the book lost it's focus towards the end of the book. Armstrong writes by changing the point of view from chapter to chapter which I am fine with, but I felt this was Hope's book. So, when Armstrong ends the book with Lucas' point of view, I felt it lost its strength as Hope's vehicle to discovering and developing her abilities, and therefore lost strength to me. Maybe, Armstrong is setting up the next book, to be from Paige and Lucas' point of view, but I still felt it would have been stronger finishing with Hope's point of view.

True to Kelley this was a great addition to the OTHERWORLD. I can't wait now to find out what happens with Lucas and the cabals. It seems that each book opens the door for more adventure, and I love it...

I have read all the Women of the Underworld books and this was by far my favorite.

Love this book. Personal Demon brings us back to Hope Adams, a tabloid journalist and a half demon who thrives on chaos and danger. She is recuited the Cortez family to investigate an "uprising" against the Cortez family. Hope thinks she can handle this but her "werewolf boyfriend" doesn't think she can and comes to help her in the investigation. Also involved are Lucas and Paige who we've meet in previous stories.

I must say, Hope's boyfriend Karl is my third fav characters in the Otherworld series behind Clayton and Elena. I must love werewolves.

You won't be disappointed with this book.

Kelley Armstrong continues to deliver with this addition to her Women of the Otherworld series. This is Hope's story. Hope is a half demon who feeds off chaos. She gets pulled into investigating a Miami gang as a way to pay off a debt to the Cortez Cabal. It soon becomes more than just a simple investigation when things turn deadly. Can Hope withstand the chaos?

Besides Hope (and where there's Hope there's Karl the werewolf), this story also brings the return of Lucas and Paige (two of my favourite characters in the series) and in fact for a change of pace, Armstrong tells this story with the use of two narrators - Hope and Lucas. It was interesting having some of the story told from Lucas' point of view. As with her other novels, Armstrong manages to give us updates on other characters from earlier books in the series. For example, in this book, a phone call to Elena and Clay gives us a chance to eavesdrop on their life as new parents. While not my favourite in the series, this is certainly worth the read.

Kelley Armstrong is one of the best writers our there today and there's no doubt that she can write an enthralling novel better then most. I thoroughly enjoyed the weird, unexpected, crazy turns in this book. Who I thought was the bad guy, turned out to be the good guys, and the guys I thought were good, turned out to be bad. Threw my world for a loop. But all in all, this was another great read by Armstrong. Although, I had a whole lot of trouble feeling anything for Karl Marsters, considering what he did to Clay in Bitten. Now he may have helped free Clay, but he was still involved in capturing him and torturing him. Elena and Clay will always be my favourite, and I love the phone call Lucas made to Elena and Clay before they went out to swim class with the little ones--over populated with humans, just like Clay hates it.

Armstrong does it again! Hope is such a great character with an interesting conflict. It was nice to see a whole novel dedicated to her... though she did have to share the spotlight with Lucas.

I think the shared point of view between Lucas and Hope was interesting, and I liked the way the two intermingled. It gave us a chance to see characters we really love from previous stories, while further introducing us to one we'd only seen in bits and pieces.

I have to say I just adored the chemistry between Hope and Jaz as it added such a great spice to the story. Even if you get a hint of what's truly going to happen at the end, you still get a thrill when Hope does. It was well done without becoming nauseating or too over the top... unlike one of the scenes with Karl (which is totally a personal preference.)

With the end of this novel, there's actually a new beginning to the dreaded cabal, and Armstrong sets it up for what could be some uber-exciting stories in the future that could land the Otherworld scoobies into some pretty sweet supernatural jams.

There's just one thing... now that most (if not all?) of the Otherworld characters are happily paired up, where does that leave those of us who love the "unrequited sexual tension" clichés of urban fantasy novels?! :) Looks like Savannah might have her day?!

This installment of women of the otherworld was really good it gives you some good background behind hope and what her abilities are. It also brings in other characters that you are more familiar with. It is action packed with suprise twists in the end of the book.

I liked how Kelley Armstrong made two main characters/story tellers. Unlike her other novels this one got the story told from two different views, and it worked really well. I like how Hope is a naive, good girl, bad girl. She can be so innocent at times and than her inner demon tries to break free and it blows her good girl image all to heck. It was kind of nice to hear a males point of view at times, I found it odd at first that Kelley Armstrong chose Lucas but it defiantly worked out for the better, we got a really good birds eye view into the life of Lucas Cortez, things may not be looking up for him right now but I hope to hear more on his future in a book or two to come. The story line was really good, fast paced and exciting. There were enough surprises and action in this novel to keep me wanting more.

Hope Adams is a half-demon who craves chaos; nevertheless, her greatest fear is letting down someone she loves after being swept up in a wave of anarchy. She hasn't learned, nor does she have the confidence, to control her chaos impulses yet. Unfortunately, she owes a debt to Benicio Cortez, head of the most powerful Cabal in the supernatural world.

When Benicio calls in his marker, Hope decides the assignment may even help her learn to control her hunger. She must infiltrate a gang of young discontented supernaturals and discover what they are planning against the Cabal. What Hope doesn't count on is making new friends in this young gang and thriving on the chaos they create.

And what happens when the prodigal son returns home?

Lucas Cortez has very different ideologies than his father Benicio and the rest of the Cortez family. But, as husband to the Head of the Interracial Council, Paige Winterbourne, and friend of Hope Adams, he returns to Miami to help Hope unravel the mystery of the young gang and its members. Unfortunately, he finds everything he feared coming true as he is caught up in Cabal business and investigations of murder.

Yet, at the root of Personal Demon are stories of love - the love of family, friends, brothers, and the love between a man and a woman and how each can influence your decisions and guide your life, for the better and for the worse.

Kelley Armstrong is a master at highlighting the diverse facets of relationships and entwining them into supernatural stories of suspense and intrigue. Personal Demon is no exception. The characters are relatable and evoke a myriad of emotions from the reader. The story is exciting and keeps the reader engaged and wanting more. Kelley Armstrong wrote another winner with Personal Demon.

It took me awhile to read this one, although I picked it up the day it was released. I was simply too oversaturated by the paranormal market and needed a break from the "weird."

Silly me, I forgot how much I love Armstrong's writing. Her paranormal books are mysteries that happen to have paranormal elements, not paranormal stories that (sometimes) happen to have a plot. I didn't feel like I was reading the same thing I'd read a million times before, nor did it leave me bogged down, trying to remember which characters went with which tale.

Armstrong always leaves me refreshed on the genre…I can honestly say she's one of the main reasons I'm still reading it. If you've liked the ones that came before it, this one will quickly be added to the list…

This was an excellent read, I tried to read it slowly to savour it, but was caught up in the plot and couldn't seem to put it down. The plot flows fluidly through both the narrators, Hope, and Lucas. There were some surprising turns at the end of the book that made me almost drop the book. I don't want to spoil the book for those who haven't read it, so I won't go into detail about it, however Kelley does show you what chaos does to help and hinder Hope. We also get to see Lucas deal with the Cabal, what is expected of him as heir, (and his ongoing rebellion from the Cabal) but all is not as it seems... Excellent plot and story line, keeps you guessing, and moves fluidly. I can't wait until the next installment in the series. Superb work Kelley!

I was a little disappointed in her two previous novels, No Humans Involved and Exit Strategy, so it was with trepidation that I cracked into Armstrong's newest.

However, I soon discovered that my money was well-spent, and that once again she still has the ability to suck me right in and not let go until the last page was read. This book, despite the risk she took using duel point-of-views, is a masterpiece. Well-plotted and thoroughly executed, I had little to complain about.

This book once again reinstilled my faith in Armstrong and her sensational writing. I look forward to the next one!

I've been following Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series since the beginning and this book is the best yet. An excellent balance between the romance of Hope and Karl (go Karl!) and the 'meat' of the story, Hope's job for the Cortez Cabal. I was unsure about the dual POV but this only allows for a complete picture of the story as well as some major changes to the series backstory. Loved the guest appearances of past characters. Can't wait for the next book.