Review: Fast paced, incredibly sexy and violent - Dutch is a story about death. Death has limited room in her domain, so she has minions called poochas who can bring the dead back to life. Juma is one - she's one of the poochas, and she has nine lives. Each of her nine lives will be spent serving Death, and each will be ended by a Keeper - one of the minions of the Gate - an entity bent on keeping the dead in their place. Dutch is a Keeper, and he meets and falls in love with Juma - despite all the rules and regulations that are intended to keep them apart. And then he is assigned to kill her - in the most painful, horrible way possible. Most of this book is sex, and it's hot. The author certainly writes erotica superbly. The setting is urban fantasy - and the world the author created is fascinating. This reviewer would have liked less sex and more story, but that's just my opinion. Anyone who enjoys an incredibly fast-paced, complex and well written erotic urban fantasy should grab this book.

Dutch was the most skilled Keeper and works for The Gate. Dutch has a manic talent for hunting down who he was to take down. He is brutal His family tries to control Death as she keeps letting her poocha help with untimely deaths reclaim their lives. Juma is Death's most productive Poocha and kept off the Keeper rada most of the time until now. Juma’s role is to help the dead with going back into the world of the living. Jama is a Poocha which is the mortal enemy of the Keepers. Keepers exist to kill Poochas and prevent souls from reentering life. Dutch was suppose to kill Jama several times but couldn’t do it. Dutch and Jama have hot chemistry. Death holds both worlds together and the stakes are extremely high for her. Dutch ahd to really look deeper into himself about Jama and what to do. Jama told marina what she thought of Dutch.
I didn’t really care for this. I was a little bored and almost didn’t finish this. I don’t care for all the sex and a lot of the language. This dragged for me. There os a couple things I did like that is why this was a two but overall this just wasn’t for me.

This fantasy/paranormal book was sexy, I'll tell you that! The sex scenes alone will have you fanning yourself. Although I like paranormal books, this one can take some time to get into or understand. I put this book down many times because I was lost. It is interesting, as Dutch and Juma have a love thing going on in the world of death. Readers must use their imagination with this one. Not my cup of tea, but I appreciate it for what it is.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this title. Unfortunately in this instance,I didn't connect to the story. As I didn't finish reading, I will not be reviewing this title. Many thanks and I do look forward to picking up another read from this author.

I am unable to continue reading. Please see note for publisher.

Great start to this series. This is a paranormal read with a bit of a dark side. The story is fast-paced with plenty of drama. The characters are what really draw you into the story. Dutch and Juma are amazing characters with steamy chemistry and so much emotion. I was hooked on their journey from beginning to end. I really liked it.

After I read Juma months ago, it made me yearn to know the details of how her love story with Dutch started, and this book provided even more than the epic beginning I had been imagining since!

Grade: C+

At times this book drew me in and the words were brilliant and I reveled in every sentence. At other times I felt like it slowed down too much and things just rambled on. It was definitely an interesting read! The hero (Can we even call him that?!) is a Keeper, killing those that have been brought back from death to live a second life. The heroine (who I really liked) helps those who have been brought back, acclimate to their second life. She herself was brought back from death. The hero and heroine have instant chemistry – but it’s a VERY complicated relationship. This urban fantasy is explicit and erotic. Sex fuels the story along. Like I said, it’s a fascinating read, but also for me it was confusing. I almost wished for a huge info dump so I could understand the world better. Had the world rules been more clear, I would have enjoyed this more.

Some things are an acquired taste with Dutch by Madhuri Pavamani being one of those things. It is a paranormal story but unlike any I have ever read so it gets points for originality. Damaged tortured souls who are longing for more that always seems just out of their grasp make this a gripping read. At times confusing, downright sexy, magic galore and bordering on horror. I think it’s one the reader will either love or hate but definitely not be indifferent to when finish reading it.

Really complicated story line. Hard to get invested in the characters. Some editing may have helped?? I would read something else by the author just for another chance.

Dutch Mathew is a keeper for the Gate. What does a keeper's role involve? Killing. Oh, and trying to stop Death and her poochas from helping the dead come back to the land of the living. Juma is a poocha. Her boss is Death, herself. Yes, Death is a female. Juma will not let anyone stop her from doing her job.

So, the description of this book is what drew me in and wanted to read it. This book is on the darker end of the urban fantasy genre. I like this factor. Both Dutch and Juma are like an onion. They have many layers to them. As you expose more of these layers, you find out just who and what they are made of. This book had potential. However, the true classification for this book should be erotic urban fantasy. What with all of the sex that the characters were having including a three way and female on female. I have ready many erotic books in all genres, so I was not offended or shocked by the sex. My issue was that is all that it seemed to be was about sex. In the first third of the book that I read, almost every scene or chapter was sex. There was one brief moment where I got to see the results of Juma's abilities to help someone back to the living. Needless to say, I did not finish this book. For me, I needed more substance to go along with the sex.

No review, sorry. Not to my taste. I stopped reading at 6%

***I had the privilege to read and review this book nearly 2 years ago, right before Madhuri found an agent and DUTCH was acquired by a house. With a little more polish, this book is still one of my all-time favorites. Just as fabulous and filthy as ever. So, here's my original review, because it all still applies. And the cover, with Dutch in profile, is even more gorgeous. ***

☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠

You can't get much more on the mark than the author's own words when describing her book: "nasty dirty sexy."

Yes. Yes. And yes.

DUTCH is a Romeo and Juliet of the underworld. Dutch Mathew is a Keeper of the Gate, charged with making sure the dead stay dead. But, Death has other ideas, using her Poochas to 'reclamate' the dead into their former lives.

Living a life of sex and whisky, Dutch is fine being cold and distant, until he meets confident, sexy, alluring Juma Landry. Suddenly, he wants those things he's denied himself for so long -- her touch especially. Juma, one of Death's best Poochas and occasional lover, is dealing with her own demons, and craves the touch Dutch isn't able to give. But, Dutch isn't just a Keeper of the Gate, his family is the Gate, and more than anything, they love to torture him. Something that will not bode well for Dutch and Juma's already dysfunctional relationship.

DUTCH is dark and sexy and bloody, filled with so much tension and anticipation. I don't think I took a full breath for all 320 pages. The no sex that happens b/t Dutch and Juma for the majority of the book is more arousing than their separate and numerous hook ups. But the payoff is worth the wait. Madhuri Pavamani is unapologetically smutty. And you will love it!

The prose reads like verse, with words and sentences that tumble over each other like the emotions of the characters. If you're going to write in first person, this is how you do it. Forget commas!

This is the first book that I have read by Madhuri Pavamani and when I first started listening to this book (I listen to most of my books on my Kindle) I kept getting lost or I didn’t hear something and would have to go back. So, I think Dutch needs to be read instead of listening to. I switched to reading and it helped me understand this book a bit more. The other thing I would have liked to see is a glossary of terminology and characters that are in this book.

This book is a paranormal/fantasy genre and is a bit dark. Dutch is a keeper (Killer) and works for The Gate. Dutch gets assigned a poocha who, he is to kill.
The Keepers fight to keep Death & her Poochas from crossing the dead back to the living.” Poochas have 9 lives and after the 9th death they can’t return to the living.

I really had a hard time getting into this book. It must have been just me because there are some very amazing reviews for Dutch. But, for me I am going to give it 3.5 stars. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Dutch by Madhuri Pavamani
The Keeper Series #1

Convoluted story of the handmaidens and servants of death and reincarnation – or at least I think it is. With Dutch a hereditary Keeper of the Gate and taker of lives and Juma a Poocha transferring souls between life and death their falling for one another is almost like a Romeo and Juliet story that happens on a different plane of existence. If you are looking for a novel with graphic violence and sex and a bit of the paranormal mixed in with urban fantasy then this might be a book that will interest you. That said, it is not always easy to follow the storyline and all of the characters but it is an intriguing read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3.5 Stars

We are introduced to Dutch and I admit it's hard to like him. He's a man with a seemingly insatiable appetite for sex and yet doesn't really seem to connect with anyone. Dutch is a stone cold killer, a man with a talent for hunting down his prey and he's also part of the family that try to control Death as she repeatedly lets her Poocha's help those with untimely deaths ( known as Deaders) reclaim their lives. Working for The Gate, Dutch is a Keeper but he's about to meet Juma, possibly Deaths most productive Poocha but she's also one who has kept off the Keepers radar well until now!
This is an unusual and inventive piece of urban fantasy that has very dark undertones whilst at the same time tries hard to be a story showing how physical interactions connect us all. The phrase ' no man is an Island' seems somewhat appropriate as even in the midst of what can be pretty awful times these characters still crave that thing that makes them feel alive. Yes I'm talking about sex, not love or even joy just release pure and simple. For this reader it's neither sensual or erotic. As I'm someone who primarily reads romance I do look for relationships in books that feel real even if at times they lack tenderness . Unfortunately for me this author seems to have just taken the idea of celebrating life whilst surrounded by death although for her characters I'm not sure just how big the divide really is.
If honest I got to eleven percent in and nearly gave up but I'm glad I persevered as although the first half if not slightly more didn't deliver what I'd hoped this story does become far more interesting as more is revealed. I enjoyed seeing how complicated the world surrounding Death was and there's a sense that things are about to change. The reasons why Dutch is the way he is finally became clear and no he's not redeemed but I understand his characters motives and disconnect much more now. Those who surround Dutch are truly vile and there's plenty of bloodshed and suffering to wade through. I think the light at the end of this dark tunnel is meant to be Juma but even though the author gave her an obviously softer side for this reader I still struggled to actually like any of the characters. My final thoughts are this story was a walk on the dark side with amazing ideas but for me the execution failed. Perhaps some will consider this to be erotica but alas I just found it sad and at times boring. Clearly I'm not the type of reader this story would appeal to and yet the plot, the very ideas appealed immensely it was just the endless sex and crass language that got in the way .
This is a voluntary review of a copy I requested from Netgalley and these thoughts are my honest opinion