I received a copy of The Baron’s Demons written by Erin Elle from NetGalley. This book is a paranormal historical romance with elements of fantasy too. Julia Woodrow has had a difficult time since her mother went missing when she was a child. Gabriel comes off as a cold person. Julia and Gabriel meet in an unusual manner but Julia’s life takes a turn after meeting him.
In the beginning, Julia is trying to run away from her father when she ends up crossing paths with Gabriel. Julia’s father is cruel to her, he has spent all of their money and shuts away from society. She is left to her own devices and has to make sure she doesn’t incur her father’s wrath. Gabriel knew Julia’s parents when she was a child. He is a few years older than her. Gabriel makes an offer to Julia of marriage so that she can leave her current life behind and move on. Julia is not sure about Gabriel because she doesn’t know him. Plus, he is not offering to marry her because he likes her and she is not sure of his reasons. But she accepts his proposal.
The story picked up pace after their marriage. Gabriel is not human; he is but an immortal. He heals quickly and doesn’t change, but there is nothing else that is paranormal for him. When he tells Julia about his secret after they are ambushed once. Julia doesn’t completely believe him. They move to his country estate, which is an important setting of the novel. They start spending more and more time together. It builds an understanding between them. Gabriel understands the extent of Julia’s past trauma with her father and Julia realizes how responsible yet lonely Gabriel is because he has been alive for years.
The Baron’s Demons by Erin Elle mixes different elements of paranormal, historical, romance, and fantasy really well. It leaned more toward the paranormal though. I liked how the relationship between Gabriel and Julia developed; it seems very organic how they get close. They are attracted to each other but take their time. I do wish there were more of them together. Both are strong characters, and there is a lot of scope to explore Gabriel’s story. Since this is the first book of the series maybe that will come in the later books.
I enjoyed The Baron’s Demons by Erin Elle quite a lot. I feel like the story had some pacing issues because it doesn’t properly pick up pace until Julia and Gabriel get married. I enjoyed the paranormal and the romance aspects of the book a lot. It was an interesting read, and I am curious about the following books.
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