Terpsichore in Love (Bemused and Bedeviled Book One)

“Terpsichore in Love” is about the love affair between a kindhearted, sweet-natured and gorgeous Muse who works for her Father (God) inspiring humans.  Terpsichore, or Terri, meets her mortal neighbor Dan, who can see her when she’s invisible.  She’s drawn to Dan despite his ordinariness.  Love develops quickly between them, but forces of Heaven and Hell work against them, not to mention the fact that a lasting love between a Muse and a human seems impossible.

John Tucker shows an irreverent, naughty sense of humor in this story which combines Greek mythology with Judeo-Christian legend.  While some of the jokes were amusing, some felt rather crass and unfunny. The characters needed more development, and the rare moments of angst feel unwieldy for a story that relies heavily on impish, sex-related humor and stock puns about the Almighty and Satan.  On the positive side, the sibling rivalry and camaraderie between Terri and her sisters was well-done, appealing to readers who have siblings, especially sisters. 

"Terpsichore in Love" would be well-suited to readers who enjoy satire with a healthy dose of sexual innuendo. However, some readers might find some of the religious jokes offensive and the sheer amount of sexual jokes and overtones excessive, although the sex scenes are not graphic. Terri and Dan are mildly interesting lead characters, but Calliope (a secondary character, considered the grumpy Muse out of the bunch of eight sisters) is quite compelling. A story about her promises to be interesting.

Danielle Hill