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angelpayne's review against another edition
5.0
This read satisfied every bone in my body that always craves a delicious PNR dive along with deep relatable emotions. Monica was EVERYTHING I wanted in a heroine. She's brave and gorgeously snarky on the outside, but vulnerable and hurting on the inside. (And GAH, that backstory! My HEART!) She's such an incredible POV character, sort of Harley Quinn-meets-Gamora, with a hefty dose of Wanda Maximoff thrown in.
The plot itself is full of adventure and suspense, with tons of spice to satisfy my high heat-loving self. I was absorbed from the start, but the third act twists were what really made the book memorable for me.
A fantastic read!! You'll never steer wrong with Katana Collins, a true mistress of weaving amazing plots.
The plot itself is full of adventure and suspense, with tons of spice to satisfy my high heat-loving self. I was absorbed from the start, but the third act twists were what really made the book memorable for me.
A fantastic read!! You'll never steer wrong with Katana Collins, a true mistress of weaving amazing plots.
literarygeorge's review against another edition
5.0
Phwoar! That was my instant reaction after finishing this book, quickly followed by "I hope the next book is out!" I don't think I've been this excited about a new author since I read Kit Rocha, Beyond Shame. Katana Collins had me hooked from the end of chapter one and I was sunk. I'm actually a bit miffed I started with book 2 of the series because I want more, more, more!
Monica is a succubus from Las Vegas who was once an angel. She is a wickedly fun leading lady who makes no apologies for the fact that she needs sex to survive. In fact the more innocent and good a person is, the better her sexual hit. Weird? It could have been but Collins writes Monica in such frank way that what could come off as sleazy or overdone just becomes another quirk a supernatural needs to survive. I've often found succubi in books too sexual and kind of evil but this succubi is a hot to trot modern girl, straight up. Does Monica enjoy sex? HELL YEAH! But she is often frustrated by how sex is required for survival and how it screws (argh pun) her possible relationships.
In this second installment of the Soul Stripper (did I mention she is also a stripper?) series we find a trail of murders that Monica is sucked into because of this chick Adrienne who is a police officer and former/current girlfriend of Monica's love interest, Drew. Adrienne is a recently turned angel due to something that happened in book one. Drew is surfer boy cute and runs the coffee shop where Monica works. They had sex once but he felt it was cheating on Adrienne even though they were practically broken up. Love triangles these days. Drew is fully human and doesn't know his gf is an angel, Monica is a succubus and Damien is an elemental (Damien is the side kick/partner of Adrienne). Anyway, the deaths all connect to Salt Lake City which is where the whole gang ends up and after an incident on the plane Monica realizes this trip is definitely not going to be as straight forward as it appeared.
Throughout this present day story we also get flashbacks to Ireland during the middle ages and some back story on Monica when she was an angel. This other angelic Monica adds another layer to the character that shows that female characters are more dynamic than the typical, bad girl, good girl bollocks. In Monica's flashbacks we meet Julian, her angelic mentor, Dejan the vampire servant, Carmen frost extraordinaire and Lord John Buckley, a sorcerer that causes more trouble than he's worth. Obviously this is connected but I'm not going to tell you how because I think you should read this book! In fact start with the first one! There is a definite twist and the ending kind of left me on a ledge but I loved it!
I adore the Monica who is totally kick-ass, confused and figuring shit out. Drew, I am not as sold on but this may be because I haven't read the first book. I don't really understand Monica's infatuation with him because he doesn't seem like the sort of guy I would pair her with for unrequited love. He comes across as too good/innocent with a heavy helping of Prince Charming. I think a strong character like Monica deserves a strong male counter part who challenges her and is her equal. Drew seems to be that pretty toy on the shelf that gives good sex and seems like the ideal guy. Pfffffft. Give Monica a Curran I say! (Ilona Andrews, Kate Daniels series reference for those of you who don't know who Curran is). The ending leaves the stage open to many possibilities and I plan on discovering them as soon as the next book hits release. Katana Collins has firmly locked herself on my list of favourite authors and I'm literally counting the days until I can start the next book.
xxx
George
A HUGE thank you to NetGalley, Katana Collins and Kensington Books for the copy!!! You made my week!
dtaylorbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Ugh. I so love this trashy trash goodness. Smutty smut smut. I don’t read a ton of it, but when I do I like it engaging, with excellent characters, and incredible sex. Check, check, and check.
Collins doesn’t disappoint in the second book of her Soul Stripper series. We get more about Monica’s prior life as an angel, we get to see how she fell, and we get a bit of a creepy story in the mix. And not creepy in a crappy relationship way. But the murderer that Monica, Damien, Adrienne, and George are hunting is digging into people’s lives and annihilating their descendants in rather ritualistic ways. It’s creepy.
The only complaint I really had was that a good portion of the story took place in Salt Lake City and the descriptions of the city didn’t feel all that accurate. It painted a very rosy, almost stereotypical view of Salt Lake as the pious of the pious places where everything was really buttoned up and it was going to be so hard for Monica and George to do their business. I’ve been there. It’s definitely a different kind of place. Utah is as close to a theocracy as we’re going to get in this country. But it’s not this bereft of sin. Two words: Pioneer Park. Right around the corner from the Mormon Mecca Temple and rife with drugs and crime. It is Chicago? No. But it’s certainly not the Mormon vision people think of with Salt Lake either.
Aside from that, I really enjoyed the story. I felt the toggling between Monica’s current affairs and her background were excellently done and added to the story being told as opposed to distracting from it. I like how the women in Monica’s life are supportive of her in their various ways. Maybe not all the time, and maybe sometimes grudgingly, but they’re there and they’re there to stay. I also liked how the twist at the end ended up being atypical. I was expecting one thing and got another and it was refreshing to see that.
I liked the mix-up of supernatural creatures as well. It’s done in a way that they all fit in naturally together. I’ve read some books that use elements of the supernatural in glaring ways that make what I’m reading feel like a disjointed mishmash of things because the author wanted everything in there. Not here. Collins’s world is expertly molded and it fits together wonderfully.
Plus the sex. Collins writes incredible sex scenes. But as much as I like seeing Monica getting into a relationship that’s deeper than the physical I do miss her aggressive, assertive side too. The end of my copy of SOUL SURVIVOR had the first few pages of SOUL STRIPPER in it and the sex scene with the guy she met at the coffee shop was incredibly hot. I miss that Monica a little bit and I hope she’s not gone for good. I still have one more book in the series so we’ll see.
SOUL SURVIVOR is definitely not a disappointment, especially for the middle book of a series. Intense action, great storytelling, wonderful characters, and salacious sex. It’s a Hell of a package! (Pun vaguely intended.)
4.5
Collins doesn’t disappoint in the second book of her Soul Stripper series. We get more about Monica’s prior life as an angel, we get to see how she fell, and we get a bit of a creepy story in the mix. And not creepy in a crappy relationship way. But the murderer that Monica, Damien, Adrienne, and George are hunting is digging into people’s lives and annihilating their descendants in rather ritualistic ways. It’s creepy.
The only complaint I really had was that a good portion of the story took place in Salt Lake City and the descriptions of the city didn’t feel all that accurate. It painted a very rosy, almost stereotypical view of Salt Lake as the pious of the pious places where everything was really buttoned up and it was going to be so hard for Monica and George to do their business. I’ve been there. It’s definitely a different kind of place. Utah is as close to a theocracy as we’re going to get in this country. But it’s not this bereft of sin. Two words: Pioneer Park. Right around the corner from the Mormon Mecca Temple and rife with drugs and crime. It is Chicago? No. But it’s certainly not the Mormon vision people think of with Salt Lake either.
Aside from that, I really enjoyed the story. I felt the toggling between Monica’s current affairs and her background were excellently done and added to the story being told as opposed to distracting from it. I like how the women in Monica’s life are supportive of her in their various ways. Maybe not all the time, and maybe sometimes grudgingly, but they’re there and they’re there to stay. I also liked how the twist at the end ended up being atypical. I was expecting one thing and got another and it was refreshing to see that.
I liked the mix-up of supernatural creatures as well. It’s done in a way that they all fit in naturally together. I’ve read some books that use elements of the supernatural in glaring ways that make what I’m reading feel like a disjointed mishmash of things because the author wanted everything in there. Not here. Collins’s world is expertly molded and it fits together wonderfully.
Plus the sex. Collins writes incredible sex scenes. But as much as I like seeing Monica getting into a relationship that’s deeper than the physical I do miss her aggressive, assertive side too. The end of my copy of SOUL SURVIVOR had the first few pages of SOUL STRIPPER in it and the sex scene with the guy she met at the coffee shop was incredibly hot. I miss that Monica a little bit and I hope she’s not gone for good. I still have one more book in the series so we’ll see.
SOUL SURVIVOR is definitely not a disappointment, especially for the middle book of a series. Intense action, great storytelling, wonderful characters, and salacious sex. It’s a Hell of a package! (Pun vaguely intended.)
4.5
dedicatedreader's review against another edition
4.0
I got an ARC and this is my honest review of the book!
Just whenever I think that I have read everything out there and just when I think that no other book could surprise me I get proven wrong.
And still it never ceases to amaze me.
This is my first book reading from Katana Collins and though it is the second in the series of soul stripper I can assure you that it is a joy to read. It is the way the author was able to put her words down that pulled me in the beginning.
Yes I agree there are way too many paranormal romances out there but with Katana’s soul stripper series it brings a whole new direction in my eyes.
Monica is a succubus and the main character. Having been an angel in the past this succubus knows exactly what she is doing. She is a strong independent girl who has to sleep with men to maintain her life on earth. There is a catch, sleeping with pure souls is better. Katana has managed to characterize Monica vibrantly and it will make you connect with her. Monica’s love or rather lust or care for another character named Drew just melts me. The moment when they meet and you can see the pure jealousy radiating around the room.
Too bad he has a girlfriend and she cannot sleep with him without draining a few days off his life. Can Monica’s life get any harder?
Throughout the book we are introduced to the past as well as the present and in between realizing that someone is after katana and her friends.
The love triangle in this book is so good. It gave me the good shivers and it certainly deserves the four stars! I loved every minute of reading it. I only have a few complains that I believe the rest of the world will have too…
• I want…I mean I demand Drew and Monica to find a way to be together…please
• And for Damien, whoooooo…the room just got a little hotter and I have to fan myself. This controlling man with deadly good looks and power is a man to watch out…
Katana you have certainly hooked me to your world. It was a pleasure reading it and I certainly recommend it to all of you out there with a need of something fun, classy, paranormal and romance with erotica intertwined.
A tremendous four shivering stars!
Just whenever I think that I have read everything out there and just when I think that no other book could surprise me I get proven wrong.
And still it never ceases to amaze me.
This is my first book reading from Katana Collins and though it is the second in the series of soul stripper I can assure you that it is a joy to read. It is the way the author was able to put her words down that pulled me in the beginning.
Yes I agree there are way too many paranormal romances out there but with Katana’s soul stripper series it brings a whole new direction in my eyes.
Monica is a succubus and the main character. Having been an angel in the past this succubus knows exactly what she is doing. She is a strong independent girl who has to sleep with men to maintain her life on earth. There is a catch, sleeping with pure souls is better. Katana has managed to characterize Monica vibrantly and it will make you connect with her. Monica’s love or rather lust or care for another character named Drew just melts me. The moment when they meet and you can see the pure jealousy radiating around the room.
Too bad he has a girlfriend and she cannot sleep with him without draining a few days off his life. Can Monica’s life get any harder?
Throughout the book we are introduced to the past as well as the present and in between realizing that someone is after katana and her friends.
The love triangle in this book is so good. It gave me the good shivers and it certainly deserves the four stars! I loved every minute of reading it. I only have a few complains that I believe the rest of the world will have too…
• I want…I mean I demand Drew and Monica to find a way to be together…please
• And for Damien, whoooooo…the room just got a little hotter and I have to fan myself. This controlling man with deadly good looks and power is a man to watch out…
Katana you have certainly hooked me to your world. It was a pleasure reading it and I certainly recommend it to all of you out there with a need of something fun, classy, paranormal and romance with erotica intertwined.
A tremendous four shivering stars!
eloiseinparis's review
2.0
The least likable thing about this book is the main character. The mystery that needed to be solved was interesting. The other characters were likable. The pacing was good and the sex scenes were hot. But Monica’s actions and thought processes make no sense. She’s a succubus, but supposedly in a hooker with a heart of gold kind of way. There’s only one problem, she’s not actually a nice person.
Monica is a succubus, so she needs sex the way we need food. She prefers hot sex, like we prefer delicious food. That makes perfect sense. However for someone madly in love with a man she sure does spend a lot of time screwing others. Men who do not actually feed her, so what is the point? Shouldn’t she be pining over her lost love instead. Monica also has major issues with women. She does not trust or like them. It makes no sense, because the story went into her past and it is revealed that the only people who have hurt and betrayed her are male. Whether they be angel, demon, or human. The people that have always helped her are female. So why is she so twisted? She should revel in her succubus powers. Being able to punish men who are no good. I’m on the fence as to whether I would read the next book in the series. Although I love the world that was built, and I am interested in how the overall story ends it is really hard for me to focus when I can’t stand the heroine.
Monica is a succubus, so she needs sex the way we need food. She prefers hot sex, like we prefer delicious food. That makes perfect sense. However for someone madly in love with a man she sure does spend a lot of time screwing others. Men who do not actually feed her, so what is the point? Shouldn’t she be pining over her lost love instead. Monica also has major issues with women. She does not trust or like them. It makes no sense, because the story went into her past and it is revealed that the only people who have hurt and betrayed her are male. Whether they be angel, demon, or human. The people that have always helped her are female. So why is she so twisted? She should revel in her succubus powers. Being able to punish men who are no good. I’m on the fence as to whether I would read the next book in the series. Although I love the world that was built, and I am interested in how the overall story ends it is really hard for me to focus when I can’t stand the heroine.
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