4/5 stars

I really enjoyed this new addition to the Brimstone series and finally getting to read Delilah's romance! This story was a super fast read with instant chemistry between Delilah and Alasdair. I loved that it was a paranormal holiday retelling of the Christmas Carol. The way that the story showed their past, present and a glimpse of the future really helped speed the romance along. Overall, it's definitely a story worth reading if you're craving a fast paced romance with steamy scenes, magic, paranormal action and Christmas feels.

*Thank you so much to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Try As I Smite (Brimstone INC Book 4) by Abigail Owen 4.5 Stars
I loved this supernatural tale with a smoking hot twist of A Christmas Carol. This fast paced story is exciting and had me on the edge of my seat, with great detailed world building and a great cast of interesting, complex, and engaging characters. I couldn’t put it down! The storyline is fascinating with multiple plots and a steamy romance that will keep you warm on the coldest of nights! Happy Reading♥️

Reader Advisory: Adult rated. This story contains explicit descriptions and words of smoking hot open bedroom door scenes and strong language.

This story is perfect for the coming holiday season. Who doesn't love a steamy Christmas Carol retelling with a paranormal twist?

We finally get Delilah's story and to learn more about the woman behind Brimstone INC! The woman behind so many other matches finally gets to find hers. In this dark twist of " A Christmas Carol" we get to follow along with Delilah and Alasdair as they discover each others past and learn more about the current demon issues impacting the Coven Syndicate. 

I appreciated that Owen spent time to indicate past encounters with each other so that Delilah and Alasdair's romance wasn't insta lovey. I like the play with the control issues they each dealt with and  the secrets they have kept from others. I'm also really hoping we get a short story on Delilah's parents. Their story would make a fun and intense romance story with what they are and their situation. 

Overall this was my least favorite in the Brimstone INC series so far. Although I was so excited to learn more about Delilah and what she is, as well as being introduced to more of the world and paranormals, this story just didn't do it for me. It felt patchy and needed more substance. Everything all happened too fast. I adored the concept of a dark twisty take of A Christmas Carol, but felt like Owen could have done some more with it. 

But if you are in the mood for a quick paranormal romance with a dash of the holidays, you should check this out! I recommend reading the other books in the series first. Although this can be read as a standalone the prior books add some backstory.

This is the fourth book in the Brimstone, Inc series and can be read as a stand alone. That said, I read and enjoyed book three and was glad to have experienced Delilah and Alasdair's first in-person meeting in that book, but the scene isn't critical to this story.

I really enjoy Abigail Owen's writing! The dialogue is witty, the story keeps moving, and I like the characters. This is a shorter book, coming in at just over 200 pages, so it's a perfect length to read in one sitting. Alasdair is the head of the Coven (witches' and warlocks' organization). Delilah is a bit of a mystery. She and her business associates often help other magical beings, and she's an unknown power, so Alasdair has been keeping tabs on her. When they cross paths, sparks fly!

However, something happens that causes Alasdair to come to Delilah and ask for help. As a result of that they end up in a kind of Christmas Carol series of visions where they have to rely on each other. So, this is a forced proximity trope along with some secrets from their pasts that might impact their developing relationship. It was the perfect read for right now - a little bit Halloween and a little bit Christmas!

Thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Even though I missed one or two I still had to read this one. Alasdair can not trust anyone so he has to swallow his tongue and ask for help. Delilah has a hard time with him because of the chemistry and emotions. The thing that happens next is so entertaining we are given quite the story with these two.

This time around we finally get more than just a glimpse of Delilah, the elusive proprietor of Brimstone Inc., the catch-all agency for paranormals in need of assistance. She helps just about anyone with anything, especially the underdog. Although her methods are rather mysterious and somewhat unconventional, they definitely seem to be effective.

But she won't help Alasdair. Which upsets him to no end, especially given how hard it was for him to ask for her assistance in the first place. It isn't that she doesn't want to help though, just that she can't. And the reason is such that she can't even explain to him why not. Which just makes him even more irate.

When Delilah and Alasdair are thrust together and sent on a journey into their respective pasts, however, many previously unknown things come to light for each of them about the other, as well as about themselves.

There is much suspense and intrigue in this volume, with some very serious consequences to be had, both for them and for the world, if the pair are not able to work out what to do next to thwart their enemies. And that is just the outside forces plaguing them and threatening the world. The demons they must face within themselves and between each other are perhaps even more formidable, if not quite as dangerous.

Some of the secondary characters here, although little time is spent on them, are quite interesting in their own right; and there are those that do give significant insight into the mindset of Alasdair and Delilah. A few old friends resurface from other books in the series, even if just briefly; but it is nice to have at least a mini-update on them.

The love story between these two is a good one, and the love scenes quite toasty. It makes for an intriguing, delightful, and all-around interesting book. One that I definitely recommend!

I've been trying out some paranormal romance books leading up to Halloween. It's not my usual genre, but I am so glad I am reading them!

Try As I Smite was an entertaining blend of Halloween/the paranormal and Christmas with inspiration from A Christmas Carol. I haven't read this series before, but Alasdair and Delilah were a great introduction to the series. It was an interesting world to jump into and I am looking forward to going back and reading from the beginning.

The Brimstone Inc. series gets a Dickensian twist in Try As I Smite. I love the way author Abigail Owen brings together all kinds of supernatural beings, making each and every story in this series unique. And for Delilah’s story, Ms. Owen goes big.

Sparks flew the minute Delilah, the mysterious owner of Brimstone Inc., met warlock Alasdair Blakesley, the head of the Covens Syndicate. The two powerful beings clash from the start, but when widespread demonic possessions start occurring to witches and warlocks, Alasdair sucks it up and goes to Delilah for help… Only to be turned down. When it comes to demons, Delilah can’t get involved. Then someone even more powerful than the two of them sends Delilah and Alasdair on a joint Christmas Carol-type adventure. And the more the Alasdair and Delilah learn about each other, the harder it is for them to deny their mutual attraction. I loved the clashing and the simmering sexual tension in this story. Alasdair and Delilah are two strong, confident people and neither can cow the other. I also thoroughly enjoyed peeling back the layers of their characters and learning their pasts. Alasdair carries deep scars from childhood and they broke my heart. And Delilah… let’s just say learning about her mysterious abilities was worth the wait. Delilah’s past, present, and future are complicated and to say much more about this story would spoil it.

There is a lot going on in Try As I Smite, which is great, but also the story’s biggest weakness. Everything felt rushed, from the romance to Delilah’s history to other elements it would be major spoilers to discuss. If this had been a full-length novel, it would no doubt have been fantastic. But zipping through everything didn’t do the characters or the story any favors. Don’t get me wrong – I still liked Try As I Smite quite a bit. But when you go big in a story, it’s more engrossing if you also go deep, and that’s what this story was missing. But even falling short of its potential, Alasdair and Delilah’s story was interesting and entertaining. And as I am a really big fan of the Brimstone Inc. series, I’m looking forward to seeing who Delilah helps next.

Pointed in the right direction
The author took one of my favorite holiday tales and put her own special dark twist to it, and it is absolutely amazing! I loved how this book fit perfectly with the rest in the series. It was such a quick intense read, with a present that neither saw coming. These two characters are proof that not everything is as it seems, and opposites do attract. The author brought on the heat and made this book everything I have come to expect from her, and everything I was hoping for this couple. I enjoyed this book and already can’t wait to read it again.

Alasdair is the head of the Covens Syndicate throughout his life he's tried to protect his people, now it seems they are in danger. Demons have started to attack and possess those around them, he needs help.

Delilah is the last person he wants to ask for help but desperate times mean that he's asking the goddess who makes his blood boil to help. Delilah has made a job out of helping fix supernatural problems no matter what they are. However she can't help him with the demons, she sends him elsewhere for help this person sees the future and sends them to relive past events together.

Will they defeat the demons? Will they give into their feelings? I know, so why don't you read for yourself and find out.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher/author for a copy to review.

A big thank you to Entangled: Amara, NetGalley and Ms. Owen for the opportunity to read the ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

Ms. Owen's writing is, as with the other books of hers I've read, very clear and smooth and realistic. I think she has a style that makes paranormal romance a little more relatable and a little less world-of-warcrafty, if that makes any sense. That talent is definitely needed in a paranormal romance mashup of angels, demons, warlocks, apocalypse, and A Christmas Carol, where all the various elements really should conspire to take over the story.

However, I think this book was a struggle for me because I was under the impression (not sure why) that though it is #4 in a series, it was something of a standalone. It was not. I really think some background about the characters and their personalities would have helped flesh out the story for me, especially considering its length (it was more of a novella). As it was, the attraction between the two main characters seemed too abrupt and more of a lust connection rather than love. I also wasn't really sure about how exactly Delilah and Alasdair "fixed" things; maybe I missed something?
The story was certainly compulsively readable and the steam was fun to read but I think I would have been better off starting from the beginning of the series. 3 stars.

Abigail Owens does it again. The back and forth between seer Delilah and warlock Alasdair is great and the sexual tension off the charts. Alasdair has a demon problem and he goes to the one person that drives him crazy for help. It has a Christmas theme plot. Abigail is one of my top paranormal reads and can't wait for the next edition. A one click buy as always!

Try As I Smite kept me guessing what was next throughout the story, probably because I didn't read the first three in the Brimstone Inc. series, which I've since purchased and plan to read. Although I have to say it was a great standalone. The biggest surprise of all was the revelation of her secret and how it contributed to the ending. Once again, Abigail Owen proved to be one of my favorite paranormal authors.

Thank you to Entangled: Amara Publishing and NetGalley for providing me this arc for my honest review.

A fun take on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Try As I Smite pits Alasdair Blakesley, a warlock and head of the Covens Syndicate and Delilah, owner of Brimstone Inc. against an infestation of demons that is threatening many of Alasdair’s people. So much imagination has gone into creating the characters in this book from Agnes, Alasdair’s late-sixties assistant, who suddenly is just not quite the way she should be, to Semhazah, Delilah’s mother, who sends Delilah and Alasdair on a journey through their Christmases past, present and future. These scenes were well thought out and intriguing, leading me to wonder how on earth the situation would be resolved. The sexual attraction between Alasdair and Delilah is palpable and when they get together they sizzle. The only downside was the use of the tired old sexual cliché “balls deep”, which I think has been overused to death. Packed with witches and warlocks, angels and demons and a few other interesting characters beside, this is a Christmas story like no other I’ve read. I enjoyed it.

Will her true self bond or set them apart ...

My first read by the author was the previous book in this series. This one plays with Dickens’ Christmas Carol, a retelling I just loved.
With the end of the year approaching, this story is even more relevant.
Delilah knows the price of her birth, she repays but helping others, she is the one people calls in the last ressort.
Alasdair has risen from the ashes of his childhood, and never would he let demons take over mages again.
Together they are like oil and water, yet something they refused to acknowledge bond them to one another.

This story is an entertaining rewriting of the most famous Christmas tale with sexy time, magic and hell and heaven conspiring to break havoc on earth.
4.5 stars

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Entangled, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

I really enjoyed this story! It’s a slightly darker, sexier twist on A Christmas Carol and was full of excitement, intense drama, intriguing characters, and constant surprises and suspense that continued throughout the read. Alasdair and Delilah were wonderful characters who thought they were so different yet after circumstances threw them together on their emotional, twisted journey to the past, present, and future they became aware of how alike they really were. Their personalities, determination, and passion really hooked me. Their back and forth banter and all the sexual tension was the best! It was easy to be drawn to the characters and pulled along for their ride and what a ride it was…totally absorbing and explosive, right to the end.

*Thank you to the author and Entangled Publishing for the arc received through NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed this story and all thoughts and opinions are solely my own.

Crazy!

Action, twists, surprises, humor and heat combine to make an engaging tale.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

Love love loved this! Alasdair and Delilah are amazing characters. When a demon problem hits they are thrown together. The chemistry is smoking hot. The vulnerability of each is sweet. There are so many twists and surprises thrown out there. It's a fast paced read you can't put down.

Witches, warlocks and demons oh my...too much *shrugs*, maybe, but that is what we have in this book, and I loved it. Alasdair is the powerful warlock, that is the head of the Covens Syndicate, and he happens to be dealing with demons possessing people, so he goes to the one woman that drives him nuts for help, Delilah, a sassy seer. These two, lmao, I loved their back and forth, and all the sexual tension between them, you could just feel it through the pages. She can’t help him, but she does send him to someone that can, and that’s where the twist and “fun” really starts. These two get bound and sent on a Dickens, A Christmas Carol, like adventure. See, the real fun starts. They get to embark on a journey and share the most important moments in each other’s lives. Such a great twist, oh, and there are plenty more twist in the story, that had me going wtf, and I did not see that coming.

This was a safe read, with a sexy warlock and his equally sexy seer. Great storyline, with so many great twist. A epilogue and a hea.

I'll admit, I picked up this book just because of its title. It just delights me. And it's a paranormal romance with a Christmas Carol twist, which is also fun.

I liked it fine, but my feelings are purely middling about this. Billed as a standalone, I think it would have been helpful to have read the previous books in the series. I felt a bit like I got dumped into the story and didn't have time to get my bearings. I also wasn't 100% into the apparent insta-lust between these characters.

It's fun and fast, but not totally fulfilling for me.

I received an ARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley.