Compact with the Devil by Bethany Maines

I LOVED the first book in this series, Bulletproof Mascara. See Review here: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2010/10/contemporary-fiction-hit-bulletproof.html. So I was thrilled when I was offered an ARC of the sequel. And even though, it's not as good as the first one, I do plan on reading the third..


In the first one, there was more about training and Nikki Lanier took on her first case with Carrie Mae's secret women agents. There was a rogue agent and her friends, Jenny and Ellen were always in tow. And Val... is a character that I greatly miss. Nevermind that she was one of the bad chicks. She needs to be resurrected. Some of the new characters, such as monkey man, though he's obviously a one book thing, didn't work for me.


Thus, without Val's wit and sarcasm and without her friends in tow as Nikki follows around a rock star from Germany to Paris, it felt lacking. I didn't have any laugh out loud moments in this one. I also didn't like the whole rock star theme. I don't like rock stars. I think they are overpaid, petulant brats and Kit was no exception. And my final complaint: I can't stand Z'ev. He was sexy in the first one, but in this one, what little there was of him (backflashes) has him as a sexist pig.


Nikki, dump his ass!


I didn't LOVE this book, but I did LIKE it despite my above complaints. I may not have roared with laughter, but I did chuckle at this scene here:


(Nikki is on the phone with Carrie Mae, asking for supplies to be sent to her.)


"Oh, and if you can get me a manual on airbrush makeup techniques, I'd appreciate it." There was a pause on the other end of the line.


"Now when you say the airbrush manual you're referring to. . . "


"Oh, uh, the real one. I've got a slight makeup crisis to deal with."


For those that didn't read the first one (and shame on you!), Carrie Mae's makeup products are actually disguised items such as weapons or sprays that knock people out.


I also enjoyed the bike chase scene, but excuse me, Triumph is way better than Harley!


And even though I really didn't like him, Kit had some good insight, "We all get caught up in what we are. Our label. Sometimes it's our job or what friends tell us we are, sometimes it's our addiction... we do it to ourselves. We put ourselves in this little box. At first the box is comfortable, but after a while.."


That's a point to ponder.


Overall, three stars. I liked it, but I missed too many characters and jokes that were in the first one. I received this ARC from the author and I'm very grateful.