I have a confession to make. I’m fond of Fantasty and Paranormal romance. That doesn’t mean I want publishers forcing authors into the genre, but I think that they seem, on the surface, fresher than well-worn Regency-set historicals. (Although, I’m fond of those books, too). And when such a story also offers humor, I can’t pass it up.

Valerie Grace is an actual angel in heaven who has committed the mistake of feeling pride. For her transgression, the management boots her out to land into the water tank of the killer whale show at Niagara Falls – naked. Fortunately, a security guard fishes her out, drops a t-shirt over her, and hands her what is apparently her wallet. In it is a bit of money and a note that tells her to meet a Bartholomew Barlow at the Paradise Inn. It turns out that she has an interview for a maid job there at the shabby motel with Bart, its manager. Understandably upset and bewildered, she doesn’t know what to do, but since she hasn’t anywhere to go and he seems like a kind old man, she decides to accept his offer to live there and become the maid, at least temporarily.

One night Valerie helps a woman escape a mugging. The bad news is that he then turns on her. The good news is that another man arrives and throws the mugger against the alley wall. The bad news is that the strong, handsome rescuer is a tempter demon, whose job, naturally, is to tempt fallen angels into hell. She resists him, and Nathaniel eventually leaves, but promises to return.

The next day she accidentally finds out that her boss is a fallen angel, too. The bad news is that Bart is dying. The good news is that his tempter demon, who cares for him, has given him the key to the gates of heaven to save himself, and Bart is willing to take Valerie with him. The bad news is that another tempter demon, Julian, steals it. A friend, who happens to be a witch, summons a demon to guide Val through the underworld, and the demon she least wanted, but of course gets, is Nathaniel.

Angel with Attitude has some very quirky and entertaining characters, such as a highly sought after psychic who is also a nine-year-old girl with the disposition of a spawn of Satan, scary leather clad bikers who are also faeries with pretty gossamer wings, and a hideous one-eyed demon wearing a Madonna concert t-shirt because he just loves the artist. It is all fairly loopy, but I appreciated that it was original and unusual.

There are also some great punch lines and hilariously misconstrued conversations, mostly involving Reggie, a secondary character:

Reggie: “You slept with him. Val! I’m shocked. And incredibly turned on at the same time.”
Lisa: “Me, too. The shocked part. I’m in no way turned on by imagining you having sex. Seriously. I draw the line at Angelina Jolie.”

Reggie, in fact, practically steals the show. A likable womanizer (yes, an oxymoron), it is one thing for Reggie to think himself a rat for kissing another woman; it is another when he turns into a rat when the witch, his girlfriend, finds out.

Still, the leads are appealing, and they have a sweet, though underdeveloped romance. Being a human is no fun for Valerie, although she enjoys the soap operas and McChicken sandwiches. She misses her life in heaven. She’s lonely and therefore vulnerable. Nathaniel can be a scary, intimidating demon, but his eyes give away what everyone except Valerie can see: he’s lonely, too, and in pain. A good man who became a demon by accident, he has spent the past two hundred years feeling tremendously guilty for luring souls into hell. However, I had to wonder just how good he could be at his job, if his half-hearted temptings of Val are any indication of his prowess.

Overall, this was a very entertaining book that I’m sure will create some fans. For readers who like humorous fantasy, Angel with Attitude will fit the bill very well.