3.5 StarsBeg for Mercy has many of the elements I absolutely hate in a book.1 - There is not a love triangle but something more like a love square that leads into a love pentagon and if you add in all the extraneous girls it is probably more like a decagon. 2 - You have a main character that tends to just let things happen. She never pushes the issues or asks the right questions when she should.3 - There is an over abundance of male characters all pining for one chick, who just happens to be absolutely oblivious. Okay, so that pretty much goes with point number one. It warrants reiteration.4 - The hottest guy in school also happens to be the biggest ass. So of course all the girls fawn over him.You may be wondering about that 3.5 star rating, right? Trust me, I'll get to that.Mercy finds out she is a Succubus demon when she scores her first real kiss with Paul. Paul nearly dies from the killer suck face session. At the urging of her mother, Mercy swears off dating. Fast forward a couple of years and we find Mercy at a party playing spin the bottle. Bad idea, if I ever heard one. But when ultimate bad boy Flynn prods her for his kiss, her anger (or maybe need) gets the better of her and she gives in. Surprised and confused by the fact that he isn't a pile of lifeless flesh and bone, she flees the room. Who follows her out will confuse her even more. Flynn's best friend and polar opposite Luke. Cue the love triangle.Luke is like white chocolate; super sweet and soft. He's also chivalrous, caring, protective and California surfer boy hot. He's hiding secrets of his own and should have nothing but platonic intentions towards Mercy. Though this isn't stopping him from pursuing or falling for her.Flynn is more like dark chocolate; sinfully delicious and only good for you in small doses. Flynn is an Incubus demon and should be Mercy's match for all practical reasons. He is forced to feed off the lust of others to survive and this has given him the inevitable reputation of a man-whore. Which repulses Mercy, much to Flynn's dismay.The kiss with Flynn clues him in to what she really is and Mercy is thrown into a world her mother has worked so hard to keep her out of. She begins to learn more about herself and the other supernaturals that exist. She also gets a huge dose of her demon side the more she and Luke explore their relationship. This is when Paul finds he's still got a 'thing' for Mercy. Hence, the square.Paul, unlike Luke or Flynn, is milk chocolate. Average, good, nothing really spectacular but reliable. He's been Mercy's good friend and only real confidant for so long, she can't help the thrill she gets when around him.Mercy is innocent, inexperienced and selfless. She tries to make everyone happy, she lets people walk over her and then feels bad for them. Therefore, when all these boys vie for her attention she tries to keep everyone at some level of happiness. It pretty much leads to epic failure. Mercy stays oblivious to the power she has and makes mistake after bigger mistake. What seems obvious to the reader goes without notice to Mercy.Mercy's inner demon is breaking hearts left and right and garnering the attention of a very powerful, very dangerous foe. It may take all the boys in Mercy's life to save her from this new evil and from the demon waiting to burst from inside her. Now, on to what I absolutely loved...Here is what drew me into this book and devoured me. The characters. They are all well written and complex. Each one struggles with who they are. I love a good damaged character and there are several to choose from in Beg for Mercy. None more so than Flynn. My favorite, by the way. Yes, he is arrogant and ass but there are reasons he is the way he is and as you get to know him, he's quite endearing. You so easily understand their pain and struggles and you can't help but feel for them. There are more secrets than I've ever read in a book and I was constantly trying to figure everyone out. Beg for Mercy was a book that had me continuing to think about the characters even after finishing. So much so that I, rather quickly, picked up the second book and devoured it as well. Then purchased the companion novella and ate that up. Now, I anxiously await the next installment, due out later this year.Fair warning ~ if you have major hang ups about editing, you will have a hard time with this one. Fortunately for me, I can get past that if you give me a good story with great characters. Beg for Mercy has great characters, that you'll love and you'll hate, in spades.
