Title: Clean Sweep (Inkeeper Chronicles, #1)
Date Published: December 2, 2013
Publisher: Ilona Andrews
I received this arc from the author in exchange for an honest review.
On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.
And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night....Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.
My Thoughts:
I am a big fan of this writing couple! (For those of you who don't know, Ilona and her husband, Gordon, write these amazing books together). I absolutely adore their Kate Daniels and The Edge series. There's just something distinct and remarkable about their writing style, characters, and settings. So when I learned that there was going to be a new series, I just couldn't wait to get my hands on it.
Let me tell you...Clean Sweep did not disappoint! Right away, I was sucked into this unique story about a young woman named Dina who is an innkeeper of a magical house for aliens. The house has human mannerisms as well as a deep connection with Dina. It needs her in order for its magic to thrive. When Dina is inside of the house, she can do the most fascinating and uncanny spells.
Like Andrews' other series, this book is just filled with the wry and sometimes sarcastic humor that I adore. I still chuckle when I think of some of the banter and scenes featuring Sean, Arland, and Beast. The characters were quirky, yet fearsome. I quickly developed a book crush on Sean- Dina's new neighbor. He was brave, responsible, and unfortunately, unaware of all of the supernaturals surrounding him.
Dana was a great heroine! She was intelligent, resourceful and fierce. She took her job as innkeeper very seriously, and did not let her head (or heart), get sidetracked when there were people that needed protecting.
This book was definitely fast paced. I was kind of bummed when I finished reading - not only because it ended on a little cliffhanger (there's definitely room for more adventures and more problems to solve), but because I got so attached to the characters! There was one character in particular, who shall remain anonymous, that I really wanted to find inner peace and happiness.
I definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a nice, paranormal/urban fantasy, with some good humor and great characters!
5 Stars
