The Bearskin Rug by Jennifer Stevenson

The Bearskin Rug
Book 3
Jennifer Stevenson
Ballantine Books
June 24, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-345-50024-3

From the back cover:
THE MAGIC: A live-in sex demon sure keeps a girl up at night

But for Jewel, a fraud cop leery of commitment, Randy could be too much of a good thing.

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THE MISCHIEF: Hinky and kinkySomething seriously weird is going on at an erotic film studio. Jewel and her sexy partner, Clay, take the case–and Randy finds an outlet for his special skills.

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THE MAN TROUBLE: Two hotties and a hard decisionIf Jewel’s the luckiest girl in Chicago, how come she’s sleeping alone so much?
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My thoughts:
Jewel Heiss continues her job as a fraud investigator for the Chicago Department of Consumer Services tracking down hinky crimes. She finally has a new partner at work in Clay, the ex-con. Randy, the sex demon, who became bound to her in the Brass Bed, still shares her bed.

When Consumer Services is called to investigate a complaint made against the Department of Inspectional Services, Jewel, Clay and Randy visit the home and search for traces of a pocket zone, a patch of unreality. This spurs a new investigation as the team begins following a paper trail to find who could be benefiting by purchasing and selling property in the area.

Jewel goes undercover as a secretary at Baysdorter Boncil, a real estate development firm that’s recently had an unexpected and inappropriate meeting in the boardroom. It’s obvious from the start that the women employed by the firm are being sexually harassed by their bosses, but the problem runs much deeper than that. Something very hinky is going on.

In the midst of it all the team visits a business where Randy has decided to make a stand for his own independence, and takes on a job. It’s a job that Jewel not only finds disturbing, but it’s one that could end their relationship beyond friends. A sobering thought for Jewel, and one she’d rather not entertain.

This is the third book in the series, and continues the tale of Jewel’s hinky and erotic adventures. As magic sweeps the nation, Chicago has strict rules in not acknowledging the bizarre goings on. It’s Jewel’s job to stop the hinky stuff in its tracks, and lucky for her she has Clay and Randy there to help her. Ms. Stevenson takes readers on a madcap adventure that’s as fast-moving as it is humorous. For fans that have followed the heroine’s progress and the role she plays in their sexy love triangle since The Brass Bed, you may be very surprised at how The Bearskin Rug ends.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

The Velvet Chair by Jennifer Stevenson

The Velvet Chair
Book 2
Jennifer Stevenson
Ballantine Books
May 20, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-345-48669-1

Working as a fraud investigator in Chicago keeps Jewel Heiss busy with bizarre crimes. While she’s not fond of the department she’s stuck in, she’s finally been given a partner. Clay being an ex-con might not have been her first choice, but his checkered past comes in handy more often than not.

When Clay Dawes refuses to help his father’s girlfriend he and Jewel find themselves going undercover in his father’s home. What they’re after is the Venus Machine, a chair reported to intensify beauty making the subject who has used it irresistible to those around them. Their job is to investigate the fraud and shut down any talk of magic.

Randy, the sex demon, is still by Jewel’s side and hoping for a permanent release from his curse. He also manages to get them all into some pretty risky situations. Between the three of them they’ll have to prevent public knowledge of the Venus Machine and find a way to prove that its magic is really just the power of suggestion.

In this second Jewel Heiss installment, Jewel returns with Clay and Randy in an undercover adventure that’s sometimes dangerous, often laced with sexual tension and always filled with magic. Ms. Stevenson gives readers a wonderful follow-up story, turning up the heat with more lusty moments and humorous escapades. The Velvet Chair is a steamy romp and a great time with this amusing trio. Book three, The Bearskin Rug, is scheduled for release on June 24, 2008.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

The Brass Bed by Jennifer Stevenson

The Brass Bed
Book 1
Jennifer Stevenson
Ballantine Books
April 29, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-345-48668-4

Jewel Heiss works for the Chicago Department of Consumer Services where she investigates fraud and tries to keep a lid on the magical things that go on around town. Her boss thinks his wife, Nina, is cheating on him and wants Jewel to find the proof. Not the kind of case she wants to be involved in, but in the process she’ll investigate the sex therapist Nina’s seeing because Jewel is sure he’s a con.

Giving in to her friend’s demands, Jewel agrees to a session with Clay, the therapist. What she gets out of the experience is Randy, a demon lover who attaches himself to her as her sex slave.

When his mistress used her magic and cursed him for being a lousy lover, Randy found himself trapped in a brass bed. He’s been stuck there since 1811. The deal is that he has to satisfy 100 women to gain his freedom and it’s taken him nearly 200 hundred years to get there. He was lucky that someone like Clay finally came along and made good use of the bed or he may have been stuck forever. Still, something hasn’t gone as planned and Randy has little choice but to rely on Jewel to help him work things out.

This is the first book in a new fantasy series with Jewel Heiss and while the over-all plot was enjoyable there were a few points that were difficult to get past. The biggest were Jewel’s boss who cheats on his wife, and the wife who accepts the cheating as a relatively tolerable part of life. While they were secondary characters their presence was strong enough that it cast a dark shadow over what is otherwise a lighthearted and humorous read. Ms. Stevenson has created an interesting world for her characters and the storyline for The Brass Bed is basically a fun one. Jewel, Clay and Randy are an entertaining trio that share chemistry, lust and crazy capers. I’m looking forward to their next adventure in The Velvet Chair.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews