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This guest review is from Friday! Friday is a long-time fan of romance stories and adventure films, lurking on this website for many years. Currently living in North Queensland with an alarmingly large library, and no plans to stop buying and reading interesting books. She has travelled extensively with varying degrees of satisfaction and would like to do more. Friday is a woman who wishes that ballgowns and armour were in fashion for daywear, but laments the lack of wardrobe space for both. She demands a happy and enjoyable ending in all her stories, and if something explodes, all the better. 

…

I’m giving it an A, I adored it, it contains bucketloads of my catnip, and I will be recommending it to every single person I can, keeping in mind that it may not be for everyone. I loved it so much I bought the ebook, the paperback, and the hard cover, and I hear the audiobook is excellent. (Also, the sequel is in the works 😊.)

This book only exists because of a fanfic (yes, I know) based off of a TikTok series (I KNOW), all written or performed by the same person who goes by Sea.ya.later. As the title and blurb suggest, this is not a book that is going to be dark and gritty, but you should absolutely, 100% be prepared for some tough scenes ahead. I’m going to try so hard to be objective about this, because I was introduced to the characters via the clock app, and have been following along with the ‘show’ for a couple years now. It’s safe to say I’ve formed an attachment.

The author is one of those Americans that you can tell has personally suffered the effects of Christian extremism, and has a significant amount of religious trauma because of it. It’s really not subtle: you are bludgeoned over the head with it throughout the entirety of the book.

But for me, it never felt like hate; it never even feels anti-Christian. Don’t get me wrong, it absolutely tears strips off the people who have weaponised their faith as a tool to excuse their bigotry, racism or lack of character, but there’s no hate for the faithful. (Our main character does spend a lot of time in Hell, so you can guess what kinds of people get sent to that place)

We’re introduced to main character Lily on the worst day of her life. Diagnosed with late stage cancer, she forgoes treatment because of the enormous financial burden it would place on her family, choosing instead to leave them with memories instead of crushing debt. The disease takes her in the second chapter, Lily feeling her own death approaching and slips away in her sleep. She describes the entry to the Afterlife as efficiently bureaucratic which…actually makes sense in the way that humans have put spirituality in a hierarchy almost universally.

On her way to Judgement (which determines where she will end up, in one of the paradises, or in a punishment realm) she and her guide Seidah, bump into Moura, one of Hell’s demons and they commiserate on enduring what is essentially a customer service job, thus making her first Demon friend. That leads to game nights, which leads to more demon friends and the first connection to what will eventually become our romantic hero Beleth (Bel to his friends).

Even though she passes Judgement into her own personal Paradise, Lily still feels a little adrift. Being able to relax is nice and all…but she’s so used to being busy she has no idea what to do with all this free time. A lifetime of being told she’s going to Hell for her behaviour, Lily takes herself there by choice and on her own damn terms. What she sees there is shockingly familiar.

Hell is basically hospitality. Service workers of the world will see the great irony of that.
Lily shocks them all by offering to help, and thus the Hellp Desk is created. (see? Puns) Only with this customer service job, she’s allowed to retaliate when a soul misbehaves. Which for Lily, is so satisfying. Have you ever worked a retail gig and been restricted by company policy, society and the law from doing what you really, really want to? Well, at the Hellp Desk, you can visit violence upon those who displease you as much as you desire. What a fucking dream, amiright?

We spend the rest of the book in the Afterlife, exploring the various realms, meeting and making friends with beings and deities of various cultures, and generally enjoying existence after a lifetime of retail work and personal struggle. There’s Trivia nights! Valkyrie workout sessions! Hacky sacks and dance offs at the gates of hell!

For a book that started as a series of skits for a lark, it’s not terribly surprising that main character Lily is a bit self-insert-y. As a result, some of Lilly’s internal examination feels a touch raw and personal. Like I’ve accidentally read a diary entry, or walked in on someone else’s therapy session. There are some truly horrifying depictions of what can happen because of religious fanaticism, and the consequences of it. In the earlier chapters, a teenaged Lily confides in her youth group leader for help, an adult she trusts, and is told it’s her own fault, it wouldn’t have happened if her faith was strong. This sets Lily up for what will become a core part of her personality for the entire book, something she has to unpack and deal with over the duration of the narrative.

For anyone who has felt, or is feeling invisible or forgotten about, anyone that society says is somehow simultaneously too much and not enough, you will feel both called out and recognised not only in Lily’s thoughts, but in her reactions, and her learned behaviours. Lily is someone who desperately longs for deep connection, who loves fiercely, but brushes off uncomfortable things like sincere compliments with self-deprecating humour. If anyone else bottled up their feelings the way she has, Lily would see how unhealthy it is – so why does she do that to herself?

In the safety of her Paradise, she realises that being a disappointment on purpose is safe: if people’s opinions of her are so low, why should she care about their opinion? Why should it matter?

However, being her genuine self, and disappointing someone whose opinion and respect she values? Devastating. She’s so accustomed to being unimportant in so many people’s lives that when her trust is reciprocated, it’s terrifying. She reacts like a cat confronting rain. Because now there are stakes, now there’s the chance that she will fail them – and that wound would cut deep.

There were times I had to stop reading for a minute, and just stare at the far wall, because having an ebook psychologically bitch slap me at 1AM was not something I was prepared for.

Mind you this is also the woman who unthinkingly tells sex jokes to deities she meets for the first time, sooooo I guess it balances out?

For Whom The Belle Tolls is refreshingly unique compared to current trends in romantasy. I found the world-building in this book so enjoyable because it’s an interesting take on the afterlife and all it entails, managing to incorporate a universally human experience like death with the numerous and varied ways in which humans describe the hereafter across cultures. These cultures are only touched on, as most of the book is from the Christian perspective, unsurprising, considering that was the culture in which the author was raised.

But I liked that the Afterlife is considered one whole, with many department branches, as opposed to different realms unrelated to one another, as has been depicted in other media.

Along with that, both our main leads are not hormone driven teenagers, but fully mature adults, with adult responsibilities and perspectives. That being said, they are hormone-driven adults, but they have a layer of emotional maturity that a character in their late teens or early 20s might not be realistically capable of.

There are two plots that exist equally side by side, with the subplot of the Big Terrible Thing (no spoilers!) lurking in the background. These are, respectively, the romantic relationship that Lily develops with Bel, and the familial relationship that Lily accidentally stumbles into with Sharkie, both of which are important.

Because Lily died as young as she did, one of her life dreams or goals was to be a mother, and due to circumstances, this never eventuated. The arrival of Sharkie, a little girl who dies in tragic circumstances, gives them both an opportunity to create something in death that they dreamed of in life: a family. Sharkie (a nickname she chose) is a secondary child character, thankfully not just some plot moppet to add colour to the story. She is a fully fleshed out, three-dimensional person within the scope of the story, with her own struggles and growth within the narrative. This is one aspect of the book that may be difficult for some to read, as the story gently explores what it’s like to care for a child who has been abused emotionally, physically and sexually. It doesn’t get too graphic, the details are glanced over, but it’s enough that some may be triggered by such content.
Lily’s interactions with Sharkie, from their very first meeting, force her to confront, and examine some of her own learned behaviour and reactions. As I said, lots of introspection. Never fear however, that this book ever feels like a preachy, feel-good, self-help memoir – there’s far too much smut in it for that. Speaking of…

Our hero is Beleth a seven-foot tall, winged, purple demon prince that has the personality of an anime himbo (Goku springs to mind). Do you remember Goliath from that old Gargoyles tv show in the 90s? Picture him, and you’re close. This is a man who matches Lily in personal strength, emotional intelligence, and love of terrible puns. Bel might be a himbo demon Prince and General in charge of 75 legions, but don’t make the mistake of thinking he’s a beefed up, shallow goofball. This hero takes pride in his military achievements for the safety of the realms, takes care of his family, supports and uplifts his friends, and has a lovely life philosophy of ‘find the beauty’.

Our main characters both have their baggage, as people who have lived for a while usually do, which puts some minor bumps in the burgeoning relationship. It’s mild angst (thank fuck), but there are hurdles that need to be addressed not just for the relationship itself, but for each of them to heal from past pain. Bel struggles with being left behind, and Lily has issues with being nothing more than a sexual partner, or surface-level friend.
But the pining. The LONGING. The yearningggggggg! They don’t even kiss until 260 pages in! This book is a chonky boi at 624 pages. You’d think it would make the romance drag on, but noooo! This is a slow burn, the sexual tension ratcheting up just a teeny bit more with every single encounter. It gives them time to become friends first, and they genuinely like one another. This is a relationship built on mutual respect, friendship, trust, and puns. Boy do they love their puns. I sincerely believe it’s their love language.

And the payoff after all that pining? Fucking magnificent.

Something I really liked and enjoyed was that Lily and Bel not only recognised that they both needed to be safe and comfortable in the relationship before proceeding to the next step, but to take those baby steps slowly and with lots of communication. They treasure their friendship, and treat the change in their dynamic with the greatest respect. They’ve got eternity, the last thing they want to do is mess up something so precious. Even if every hormone is screaming at them to do the mattress mambo – for them to actually pursue this as a relationship, the last thing they should do is give in to their horniness. And they stick to it. Chef’s kiss, top tier relationshipping. We should all be so damned noble.

But they are so horny for one another. There’s several chapters that really should be classed as foreplay, because my god the build-up of anticipation is so good.

I know I’ve banged on (heh) about the amount of sexiness in this book, but to be honest, it’s a very small part of the story. It’s the emotional connections that Lily makes with the people around her that really makes this book shine. This is slow burn love, found family love, platonic love, self-love, and it’s wonderful.

Given that this is a book that is set in, and depicts the Afterlife, one of the biggest themes (surprise!) is grief. Grief in all its forms. The grief of a life lost, a life with unrealised dreams and hopes, of missed opportunities. The grief of leaving loved ones behind is as acute and

sharp as the grief felt by those who have been left behind.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but she made me cry about socks, you guys. SOCKS!

If you are a person of deep faith, this may not be the book for you. It does, at times, criticize the church, or at least, the people who run it, here on earth, but never the faith itself. I thought it was pretty fair to those who are of faith – but I am not part of that community so it is just a guess.

I’m not personally a particularly religious person, as I never found one that resonated with me, and have always been a little envious of those who have found peace in religion…but this has me hoping that a version of the Afterlife as Jaysea has described is real, and what we can expect when the time comes. With two recent deaths in my family, death, mortality, my own advancing age, and what it means to be human has been on my mind a lot of late. The comfort I found reading this book makes me wonder if this is what it feels like for those who are religious, and have faith. If it is, I’m glad I finally understand that feeling.

This is a book that regularly hits comedic absurdities, whilst balancing the emotional punches that come from discussing the hard and difficult topics. There are puns and horniness, but underneath it all is a warm hug from an author who has worked hard on herself, and come out with a healthier attitude to life in general.

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/01/demons-fantasy-more/

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Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands

RECOMMENDED: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett is $2.99! Fingers crossed this deal sticks around. Lara wrote a Lightning Review of this one and gave it an A:

This book is CHARMING. C.H.A.R.M.I.N.G. I devoured it in just over a day and what a beautiful day it was.

When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore—she just wrote the world’s first comprehensive of encylopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Folk on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival, Wendell Bambleby.

Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, and in search of a door back to his realm. So despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage. Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and danger.

And she also has a new project to focus a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by Bambleby’s mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambley’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.

But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Blood Over Bright Haven

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang is $1.99! I only saw this deal at Amazon, so it could expire soon. I’ve heard nothing but good things about this one. A coworker recommended it to me last year and based on her description, it gave me steampunk Good Will Hunting vibes.

Magic has made the city of Tiran an industrial utopia, but magic has a cost—and the collectors have come calling.

An orphan since the age of four, Sciona has always had more to prove than her fellow students. For twenty years, she has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to achieve the impossible: to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry. When she finally claws her way up the ranks to become a highmage, however, she finds that her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues will stop at nothing to let her know she is unwelcome, beginning with giving her a janitor instead of a qualified lab assistant.

What neither Sciona nor her peers realize is that her taciturn assistant was once more than a janitor; before he mopped floors for the mages, Thomil was a nomadic hunter from beyond Tiran’s magical barrier. Ten years have passed since he survived the perilous crossing that killed his family. But working for a highmage, he sees the opportunity to finally understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland, and keep the Tiranish in power.

Through their fractious relationship, mage and outsider uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever—if it doesn’t get them killed first. Sciona has defined her life by the pursuit of truth, but how much is one truth worth with the fate of civilization in the balance?

A standalone dark academia brimming with mystery, tragedy, and the damning echoes of the past. For fans of Leigh Bardugo, V. E. Schwab, and Fullmetal Alchemist.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Tinderbox

Tinderbox by Rachel Grant is $2.99! This is the first book in the Flashpoint series, which is more romantic suspense than contemporary. Readers say the competence porn level is high.

In the volatile tinderbox of the Horn of Africa, Morgan Adler has made the paleoanthropological find of a lifetime. The discovery brings her to the attention of a warlord eager to claim both Morgan and the fossils, forcing her to make a desperate dash to the nearby US military base to beg for protection.

Master Sergeant Pax Blanchard has orders to intercept Dr. Adler before she reaches the base, and in so doing saves her life. After a harrowing afternoon he safely delivers her to his commanders, only to find his responsibilities toward protecting the obstinate archaeologist have only just begun.

Morgan and Pax are forced to work together in the Djiboutian desert heat, but it is the fire that ignites between them that threatens to combust them both. For the Green Beret, involvement with the woman he must protect is a threat to his career, while for the archaeologist, the soldier is everything she never wanted but somehow can’t resist. When Morgan uncovers a mystery surrounding Djibouti’s most scarce and vital resource, the danger to her reaches the flashpoint. For Pax, protecting her is no longer a matter of following orders, and he’ll risk everything to bring her back alive.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon

A Witch’s Guide to Fake-Dating A Demon by Sarah Hawley is $1.99! This is book one in the Glimmer Falls, which is a small town paranormal romance series. We ran a guest review of this one and Brigid gave it a C:

I want to be direct about what works about A Witch’s Guide to Fake-Dating A Demon in an honest way, just like I would with what didn’t work for me. At the beginning, I had a good time reading this. My enjoyment was just numbed toward the end. It’s a really fun book at times, but kinda messy, and you may want to proceed with caution.

Mariel Spark knows not to trust a demon, especially one that wants her soul, but what’s a witch to do when he won’t leave her side—and she kind of doesn’t want him to?

Mariel Spark is prophesied to be the most powerful witch seen in centuries of the famed Spark family, but to the displeasure of her mother, she prefers baking to brewing potions and gardening to casting hexes. When a spell to summon flour goes very wrong, Mariel finds herself staring down a demon—one she inadvertently summoned for a soul bargain.

Ozroth the Ruthless is a legend among demons. Powerful and merciless, he drives hard bargains to collect mortal souls. But his reputation has suffered ever since a bargain went awry—if he can strike a bargain with Mariel, he will earn back his deadly reputation. Ozroth can’t leave Mariel’s side until they complete a bargain, which she refuses to do (turns out some humans are attached to their souls).

But the witch is funny. And curvy. And disgustingly yet endearingly cheerful. Becoming awkward roommates quickly escalates when Mariel, terrified to confess the inadvertent summoning to her mother, blurts out that she’s dating Ozroth. As Ozroth and Mariel struggle with their opposing goals and maintaining a fake relationship, real attraction blooms between them. But Ozroth has a limited amount of time to strike the deal, and if Mariel gives up her soul, she’ll lose all her emotions—including love—which will only spell disaster for them both.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

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