From Hell, With Love

After what has been an emotionally devastating week for me, this novel has been like a breath of fresh air and just what I needed in terms of comfort. To Hell, With Love feels like that first cup of coffee on a cold and dreary morning—warm is comforting, with the right amount of kick to keep you engaged. The story is told in a single POV, where we follow that of Ramona, a down-on-her-luck witch who has lost everything after the Incident; including her career, her marriage, and the respect of her family and coven. While working a shift at her dead-end job, a "magic" store, she discovers a magic grimoire in the donation box and decides to take it home. In it, she finds a spell that promises luck and fortune, both things she desperately needs (who amongst us). Emboldened by some liquid courage, and with nothing else to lose, Ramona decides to cast the spell and finds that she's summoned a very attractive demon, named Azareth—or Zara. Not only has she summoned a demon, but she's also created a magical tether between them that causes disabilitating pain should they go beyond sixty-six feet from each other. This book has everything; forced proximity, fake dating, witchy rituals, a pigeon AND a fox! I loved it, and I hope we get to see all of these characters again in the next novel, should this become a series.

Loved it! Exactly what I wanted from a witch x demon story, with a strong focus on the supernatural/fantasy side of things as the characters slowly fall in love, grow and heal, and find themselves in situations that they didn't expect. Even better, things are not quite what they seem. plenty of surprises along the way as Ramona and Zara work towards trying to severing the accidental tether that formed. Their friends are a colourful bunch (and I'd love to see a story or two focusing on some of them), and the setting is rich and amusing in equal measures. I had a lot of fun with this book and will definitely be reading more of their stories.

This was great! I'm a fan of found-familial love and the dissolution of Zara and Ramona's bond hit me harder than I thought it would. Very moving. It was also nice to see movement toward forgiveness and closure rather than leaving Ramona bitter at the people in her past who had hurt her. Also: I don't know if there's another book planned or what, but Cammie's clear not-human-ness came up multiple times and I need to knoooowwww.

PROs: 5 stars because it resonated and touched me deeply. I struggle with many issues of self-worth and self-acceptance, and Ramona resonated deeply with me. She is the perfect character for anyone who has ever felt they are not enough. Her journey felt so real, and maybe it just hit at a rough time for me, but the eventual validation was beautiful and wrapped with such heartbreak as to make me actually cry; it wasn't pretty. There's still chapters to go after that, luckily; Ramona deserves that HEA. Zara is the most angelic of demons, supportive girlfriend, therapist, and girl boss all in one. She clearly has a lot of inner depth of her own, but due to her personality (and managerial skills), she can come off somewhat flat; you may have to use a bit of your own imagination to read between her lines. Plain and simple, I wish I had my own Zara. CONs(?): There's a lot of deus ex machina in the plot development, characters showing up just when needed, revelations that push the story forward with only the slightest (if any) foreshadowing, but we're also seeing the world through the eyes of someone wallowing in her own depression; so either it is a weakness in the writing or a masterfully wrought unreliable third person limited narrator. Does not take away from the power of the story.

Bryce Oakley doing paranormal romance is the thing I didn't know I needed but now can't imagine a world without. The magical plot was no mere window dressing for the romance, rather a fully fleshed out adventure with love, betrayal, longing, suffering as well as healing. I cried. I laughed out loud. I wished it wasn't over; this needs a sequel for the other coven members NOW please. With love, Matthew