The Queen B's hubby reviews A Devil in the Details by K. A. Stewart

When it comes to demons, always read the find print. Jesse James Dawson was an ordinary guy (well, an ordinary guy with a black belt in karate) until one day he learned his brother had made a bargain with a demon, Jesse discovered there was only one way to save his brother: put up his own soul as collateral, and fight the demon to the death. Jesse lived to free his brother-and became part of a loose organization of Champions who put their own souls on the line to help those who get in over their heads with demons. But now experienced Champions are losing battles at a much higher rate than usual. Someone has changed the game. And if Jesse can't figure out the new rules, his next battle may be his last...

Note: I received this book to review from the publisher.

My darling hubby, aka Mr T, agreed to read and review this book for me. I tried to read this one and I just couldn't get into it so my man threw himself on that grenade for me and put together his very first review! So, show him some love! Plus he's cute. What? I know we're all shallow like that...

When my wife approached me to see if I would be interested in reading an urban fantasy about a demon hunter featuring a male lead, I was fairly excited. I am told by the Queen that the UF market is saturated by a deluge of hard ass female protagonists. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but my sex isn't equally represented. I have read a lot of UF's with female leads, most of which I've enjoyed immensely, but that got me thinking that my resplendent wife is correct in her assessment. There simply isn't a large number of gentlemen kicking ass as the main character. My wife should know because she is far more prolific than I in the book department. So upon learning of this book, "A Devil In The Details", I was looking forward to it, with high expectations for my gender. I was hoping that this book would be a trailblazer for the guys, leading the charge for an influx of hard ass male protagonists. Is that what I got? Well... Not so much.
The story of bartering for souls is engaging but honestly this book could have been much better. The protagonist, Jesse, is generally likable with a good sense of humor and self worth. It's too bad that he reads pretty much like a female in a male's body. I swear that I tried not to be biased or judgmental of the character, but despite all my effort he still came across like a woman. I am not saying that men are better than women or any of that male chauvinistic bullshit, but if I'm reading a male character I want it to read like a male character. Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne is a fantastic example of how to write a male character. It's hard to describe but almost all of Jesse's internal dialogue is decidedly female. From the things he notices, to his reactions to certain events, it all has a feminine quality with a few good exceptions. In short, this book is not the most stellar paradigm of a male lead. Now there is one more major issue that knocked this book off my must buy list; it was too mundane. It was an interesting angle that Jesse is a family man, and he has to deal with family shit like the rest of us. All the cooking and cleaning along with the work schedules and play time were fun and relatable for the first 40 or so pages, but when you're 200 pages in and you're still dealing with all the banal errands..... Let me tell you that I was not relating anymore. Of course it is peppered with interesting events here and there, but for the most part this book kinda slogs through the daily grind. The purpose of reading is to be transported away from your grind, not reminded of it every other page. The action scenes however, are worth reading, but those only occur at the opening and the close of the book. Perhaps the inevitable sequel will be more action oriented, but even if it is I'm not sure I'm willing to witness it. Also Jesse's family is so perfect and sweet it's enough to cause a damn cavity. Seriously, if I was a woman this book would piss me off because I will never be as perfect as this dude's wife. That's why I'm giving this book a solid C rating. There is a decent story lurking beneath a pile of mundane crap. Some will have the patience to dig for it and others won't.

I want to thank my handsome hubby for reading and reviewing this one for us. Thanks baby!! ::waves and blows kisses::

My girl, Wendy, also reviewed A Devil in the Details and you can read what she had to say here.