Ok series ( )

I've been wanting to read YOU SLAY ME, the first in the Aisling Grey, Guardian Series, for quite awhile, and was supremely happy when it reared it's head in my never-ending "to-be-read" pile. And I'm so glad I did!

Aisling, on her first outing as a courier for her uncle's business, has traveled to Paris to deliver an aquamanile-- unfortunately, the Madame who was supposed to be purchasing it ends up being dead, in the same apartment Aisling has just entered. And merde! if that wasn't bad enough, there's another visitor to the deceased's apartment--a very handsome, sexy, irritating man who introduces himself as Drake Vireo.

Questioned by the local authorities and then released, Aisling is dismayed to find facts being thrown at her fast and furiously--demons, which she had always been interested in studying and reading about, are real; there is an entire Otherworld filled with mages, a Venediger, Wiccans, imps, dragons, and all sorts of other characters; some practicing in dark magic, others in white.

Oh, and the fact that she's a Guardian? Everyone keeps telling her she is, although she has no clue as to what they're talking about. They tell her she's a Keeper of the Gates of Hell, but instead Aisling is pretty sure she's walked into a version of Hell right there in Paris. Oh, and Drake, that handsome, sexy stranger in the dead woman's apartment? He's a dragon--a green dragon, wyvern leader of his sept, and Aisling is his mate. And that demon, Effrijim, that she summoned in a moment of need? He's a displaced demon whose been outcast by his Lord, has taken the form of a black Newfoundland, and likes to eat horse meat, pee on bushes, suck on the ears of a Corgi, and sing "Elvira".

This is by far one of the most interesting paranormal romance series I've read lately. Hilarious dialogue, sizzling passion between Aisling and Drake, and the way Aisling comes into her own with regards to her powers makes this book a definite winner.

What steals the show, though, is Jim. The demon-dog has the best lines in the book, and had me laughing out loud so many times that I finally lost count. I sincerely hope that Ms. MacAlister continues to make use of this awesome original character in the upcoming books.

**I have to note (yes, probably sarcastically, but I can't help myself!) that if anyone chewed on their bottom lip as much as Aisling does, they'd have nothing for lips but bloody strips of skin. If you can put that aside, however, you'll do just fine. ( )

I read "Fire Me Up" before this one and enjoyed it. This book is the first of the Aisling Grey Guardian series and it really showed promise. Aisling (pronounced Ashling) is a spunky heroine with lots of attitude, with hidden powers she has yet to discover. Since this is the first book of the series, it explained a lot of terms such as wyvern, otherworld, and others. I love the paranormal setting, how dragons in human form and Otherworldly creatures can live among us. I loved the setting too since it's in Paris. The story really progresses, there's mystery, action, sex scenes are a little tame, and of course the best part is the humor. Meanwhile, Drake Vireo, her fiery mate oozes of sexuality, he's arrogant and calm-mannered most of the time but since he's a dragon he breathes fire. He's not really your typical goody-goody hero but they complement each other very well. The author's imagination ran wild with the worlds and it's very interesting. ( )

I've read several Kate MacAlister books and have come to the conclusion that I don't need to read any more. I just don't get her humour, I don't find the situations or one liners funny. This was better than others that I've read but still not enough to sustain a complete book for me and I found my attention wandering. Then I started to skim. Aisling Grey wanders into a French murder scene with minimal understanding and seems to find the entire French poplulation well versed in dragon/demon lore. It's part of the joke that everyone accepts the supernatural is real but its not funny enough to hold the book for me. She also meets a powerful wyvern dragon, Drake, who kisses her an steals her artifact and the rest of the books she sort of stumbles around chasing him/it and facing the consiquences. The mystery is both silly and not that mysterious and the characters grate on me. No more dragons from Ms MacAlister for me! ( )

Very cute, although I think that my favorite character was Jim, the demon/dog, and not the main character. Aisling finds out that she is something called a guardian, but has no idea what that is. Throughout the book, she gathers other titles, really without a clue what they mean. By the end, she is a guardian, wyvern-mate, venediger, and still trying to be a courier for her uncle's business.

A good introduction to the series, but I am not sure that it grabbed my attention enough for me to read the rest of the series. ( )