Victoria has won me over with her hilarious debut and truly memorable main character. Once you go Dante, you don't go back! That's for sure! As for Charlie, she kills it as a female lead. Victoria's take on good vs. evil, angels vs. demons was highly original and entertaining. It's your typical "make a deal with the devil" with a sexy messenger, fun times in Vegas, and a pretty surprising twist that blew me away. 
 I love that The Collector was told from Dante's perspective, because you won't get a better picture of the story any other way. Dante is this egotistical, fun-loving, bad boy with a troubled past. The boy has got swagger, I'll give him that. Black Amex card, Red Escalade, knows how to have a good time and decent taste in clothes - that's a pretty decent package right there. Probably the only thing that bugged me about him was that I felt, at times, it was too much. Yes, Dante knows he's the shit and we know it too, no need to point that out to me on every other page. I get it. It was kind of over-the-top conceited and self-centered, but I guess it adds to his character and when things start to change and his love for Charlie grows, you see exactly how much she changes him. I did love that part. It's when he realizes how much he loves Charlie, when he realizes she was beautiful all along, that's what made me fall for him. The ego and swagger, that was just a bonus. 
 Probably what I loved most about this book, besides Dante, was how Charlie wasn't your typical "hot girl who doesn't know she's hot". She didn't have the looks, but she more than made up for it with her compassion, personality, innocence, and love. There was definitely no instalove, hell, not even insta-attraction here for Dante and her. Even though she knew she wasn't a looker, she carried herself proudly and didn't let the "cool kids" get her down. That is, until she actually started hanging out with them and Dante. I don't know how I feel about her changing her appearance, reminiscent of "She's All That", but I do love that as she changes Dante begins to miss the old Charlie. Even though she does slowly change, she stays true to herself in a way that I respected and it made me like her more. 
 The Collector is a very fun tale of finding beauty and goodness within. It's also about love and how far you're willing to go to save the one you love. The ending was pretty touching and sweet. I'll admit it wasn't the page-turner I hoped it would be, but I still loved it. I really can't wait to see what happens next in The Liberator.