The Girl in a Cafe

It's hard not to read The Collector and be enamoured with Dante Walker. Whether it's the good looks,the killer charm or the stellar confidence that's alluded to his character in the blurb, Dante is a guy that knows how to twist a lady around his little finger, and he definitely had me, while not exactly swooning, wishing he wasn't so fictional. I have to admit, I took a while to get on the Dante bandwagon, only because I was expecting him to be a jerkface toolbag and I really didn't want that.Aside from the badassery name (Dante. I mean, hello, just say it out loud to yourself and I kid you not, you'll start fanning yourself with the nearest piece of paper), Dante collects souls. And his target is Charlie Cooper, a nerdy chick who, if he wasn't doing his job, he would never have contact with. But Charlie suddenly becomes much more than a job, and it's not just his emotions at stake.I have to say right out, in all honestly, I felt like this novel was just a little of reading fluff. It filled a gap where I needed something that I didn't have to take too seriously, but I also got something out of it other than just words on a page.What I loved about The Collector was the voice. I'm not usually one for reading books where it's from the guy's POV, especially in first person. In the Elemental series by Brigid Kemmerer I can deal because it's all third person narrative, like in The Infernal Devices or Mortal Instruments. The only books I've read where the guy is narrating that I've actually liked includes this one and Something Like Normal by Trish Doller. And this is where I give oodles of credit to Victoria Scott, because it's not easy writing as a man-whoring guy when you're not one. And she managed to do it in such a way that you don't get frustrated with Dante as much as you would do with other man whoring guy. Because of the way Dante grows as a person when he's around Charlie - when he sees the good in her, you begin to appreciate him so much more as a reader. The writing is sassy and the dialogue witty and straight to the point. There wasn't any period of the book that lagged, and honestly, this wasn't just another bad boy who falls in love with the nerdy girl She's All That style novel. In a way I felt like Dante was the puppy in a pack that no-one played with because he was too cool for the rest of them, and then he'd look at you with his sad puppy dog eyes and be like "I don't understand why they are all such good friends but I'm really a good person!"HE DOESN'T LIKE HER UNTIL WAY LATER IN THE STORY AND IT'S BECAUSE OF HER BEAUTIFUL SOUL AND PERSONALITY.Okay, sorry for allcapsing that one, but it's so damn true. Dante hates Charlie to begin with - she's nothing like he would ever be with, and slowly but surely the kindness that is Charlie chips away at his heart, and it really has nothing to do with her looks and how attractive she is. It's to do with what's on the inside, and Charlie's own outside beauty comes out because of Dante. They compliment each other perfectly, and that is so, so refreshing in a YA PNR novel.So if you do want something to read that is going to make you laugh, make you swoon and make you cheer on the bad guy turned good, then pick this one up. That reading pile making you feel nauseous? Then grab this one. A bright, quick read that is a step above all the other paranormal books that are out there.