House of DeDe #1: A Lady of the Realm Review

Title: House of DeDe #1: A Lady of the Realm

Author: Sharon E. Mamolo

Date of Publication: December 10, 2011

Formats Available: E-Book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Bethany Boudreaux is tired of being a damn peasant. Her mother, a born again human who rejects her witch bloodline, has kept Beth secluded and ignorant for most of her life. Beth wants to eat, preferably twice a day. She’d like a grand home, with a fully stocked bar. She’s tired of eking out an existence while the rich freaks get all the breaks. She’ll do anything to claim what is, by law, hers. She needs help, lots of it, because paperwork can be a bitch.

When Beth learns Lord Aleksander is coming to visit her club, she grabs a stiff drink and waits. The dark elf of Losalfar is the perfect solution to her current legal problems. He’s obscenely rich, a top member of the hierarchy, about to inherit region two, including New Orleans, but most importantly to her … he’s a man. Men are so easy, regardless of race. With his help, she can attain the privileges and powers only those with a title are born with. All she needs to do to gain his assistance is agree to three measly conditions.

My Review:

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started A Lady of the Realm however, I definitely wasn't expecting the fun and raunchy world this novel threw me into. Despite the stereotypical heroine and the at times confusing plot I ended up liking this book more and more as I read. Exciting and unexpected this novel took me on a fun filled ride that I was not expecting.

Beth was an extraordinarily fun character, with a boisterous personality and kick-ass attitude she wasn't afraid to do whatever was necessary to get what she wanted. Constantly doing the unexpected Beth kept me on my toes and as the story went on I started to feel connected to her character despite how opposite her personality was from mine. There were times when I felt like Beth was being difficult just for the sake of being difficult, one thing I've noticed a lot of in paranormal fantasy/romance novels, but it suited her personality and in the end I still liked her.

Elves are rarely written about in paranormal fiction and I really loved Mamolo's take on elves and their powers. While the book did have a huge focus on sex I thought it worked very well for the rough and almost seedy feel of the novel. Beth and her interactions with Lord Alek, known as Sasha, went back and forth between hatred and friendship, making for an endlessly entertaining character dynamic. Along with a talking dog, plenty of fascinating secondary characters, and the New Orleans backdrop the novel had plenty of depth and subplots to keep me interested.

While I really liked this novel there were a few moments where I was desperately confused because the author didn't provide enough explanation on the world she had made up. I would have loved more information on the different courts and regions as well as more information on the House of DeDe and what that really meant. By the end of the novel I felt like I had a pretty good idea about most of what was happening but I had to piece a lot of things together based on a sentence here and a paragraph there.

Those looking for a fun indie urban fantasy need look no further! With an exciting plot and enjoyable characters A Lady of the Realm will most definitely appeal to fans of the paranormal. The only thing to worry about is the holes in the plot where there wasn't enough explanation to understand what was going on.

4/5

*Note: I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review and received no monetary compensation for this review.*