3.5 starsA paranormal/sci-fi romance that doesn't follow romance conventions.Had a hard time with the beginning, because of the reckless, impulsive heroine, who really brought out my big sister tendencies (I kept wanting to tell her to sober up and think for 5 seconds). But, as frustrating as she was at the beginning, she did seem to become a lot more mature by the end -- because she wanted to; that was her goal. I admire that kind of personal growth and it happened in a believable way.Really enjoyed the secondary.characters -- damaged but adorable Hardass Paul (the hero), the heroine's level-headed best friend, her supportive family, even the conjured Sir Kendall was developed in a meaningful way.Despite the creepy set-up (I've never been a fan of the Weird Science-ing sex partners trope) and my initial reaction to the heroine, I enjoyed this story and am likely to read the next. Any nitpicks I might have about the quality of the prose, or the surprising lack of actual physical intimacy in this book (surprising mainly due to the expectations set up by its cover image), are eradicated easily by this book's attributes. Namely, a weird and original premise and very fun unravelling of that premise. Magic computer code, superspies, sex slaves, and a lady with bright pink hair... This book has got it going on.
