Review: Skeptic by Denise Mathew and D.E. MacLean

Title: Skeptic
Author: Denise Mathew and D.E. MacLean
Source: Author Request
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: Novel
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Millions of viewers know twenty-four-year-old Elise Weston as the Skeptic, a renowned paranormal investigator who won’t give up until she’s discredited every myth and legend about the supernatural. The only problem is it’s all a lie, the paranormal world does exist and Elise knows it because she’s a medium and can connect with the dead.

Elise never wanted to be the Skeptic, or a fraud for that matter, in fact she started her investigations by calling out money hungry fake psychics. But it didn’t take long for her best intentions to go askew and turn her into the very thing she was against, someone who lies and fabricates evidence to get the results she wants.

Dakota is a paranormal investigator who not only works alongside Elise but loves her too, but he knows she has secrets, ones that keep her up late and night, and every time he gets close to finding out what those secrets are she pushes him away.

But when a powerful Wiccan witch named Tansy somehow figures out Elise’s ability and blackmails her into admitting to the world that she’s a liar and a cheat, Elise confesses everything to the only person she can trust, Dakota. With Dakota by her side and bound to undo her mistakes, Elise decides to quit the show but that’s when her life goes from bad to worse. Because the truth is, Tansy doesn’t really care about the show at all, it’s vengeance for the death of her sister she’s after, a death that she’s certain Elise had something to do with. And since Tansy is old school and believes in the an eye for an eye mantra, she won’t stop until Elise is dead too.

Skeptic starts off running introducing you to Elise and a few pages later, Dakota.  Elise is a larger than life character, playing the part of a paranormal debunker - even when she knows it's all real.  Dakota suspects something's up, especially when he overhears her talking to herself in a haunted kitchen, but he doesn't know how to make her open up to him.

After the introductions, we're jumped right into the middle of the adventure when a witch comes astrally projecting into Elise's life to claim vengeance for her sister.  Things begin to spiral out of control for Elise and Dakota goes along for the ride to try and protect her.  Enter the bad guys - can't tell you who all of them are, but I was very surprised near the end when they had their big reveal - never saw it coming (major kudos to the author).  

The only real downside, was that the hot and heavy scenes weren't between our main characters at first - and I really wanted to see them hook up.  There is a good reason it was done this way, but it just rubbed me a little too much in the wrong way to completely accept it.  

The whole story was wrapped in a very climatic ending that had me reading way past my bedtime to try and finish.  I definitely wasn't going to put it down.  Make sure you have plenty of time to finish the book - after the half way point you won't be able to stop.