Book Review: The Devil to Pay

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions and bad tequila. Shannon McKee finds herself at the end of her rope, and she offers her soul to whoever can save her first.

Unfortunately, she sends that request to both agencies. Shannon’s plea is answered immediately by two men who couldn’t be more different from one another. Yet they share a bond and an affection for the stubborn Miss McKee that even they don’t understand.

When Heaven and Hell demand their payment, Shannon has no choice but to submit. No matter who gets her soul, she’s not getting out of this alive.

My lovely friend Maria Zannini sent me a copy of her new book, The Devil To Pay. Thank you! (She didn't ask me to pimp review it.)

This is Maria's first foray into indie publishing and I think she nailed it with a great cover, clean editing and formatting, and her usual amazing storytelling. The Devil to Pay is the first book in her Second Chances series.

At novella length (about 55 pages) there wasn't an overwhelming amount of world-building, just enough to ground the reader in the story, but what there was Maria peppered throughout the narrative and made every word work for its space in the story. Amazing characters but because this is the start of a series we don't learn everything about them.

We're pulled into the story by a situation I think most of us can relate to in this economy and we care about Shannon, worry about how she's going to get out of her predicament. Delicious hero number one walks in. Just when you think maybe Shannon has an answer...well, then it gets complicated :)

The story came to a conclusion, all the questions for THAT plot were dealt with, and the series was nicely set up. Still, I was left a bit disappointed in the ending. I can't completely put my finger on it. Perhaps it is that the romance wasn't resolved. But I have faith in the story and trust Maria. After all, this is the set-up of a series, and oh, there are so many ways things can go!

As a self-published series, I'm crossing fingers the wait won't be long between releases. What are you waiting for? Go pick up your copy of The Devil to Pay today :)