I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Not Your Average Hot Guy has a good premise, but it failed to deliver on it. There are some things I liked, but it was more of a miss for me.

In some ways, it’s delightfully zany, and just the right amount of ridiculous. With its somewhat lighthearted take on demons and an impending apocalypse, it somehow makes it all work tonally, and the adventure overall is fun.

The character left me feeling very mixed. I did like nerdy, bookish Callie on principle, but I didn’t feel like she had a lot of depth. Luke is definitely written against type to be sweet, instead of a charming Devil, and while I appreciated that this didn’t go all-in on the bad-boy trope, he lacked charisma that really endeared me to him. And I didn’t really care for their romance, especially as it began with and didn’t really progress much at all. I mean, there are a handful of moments, and a bit of instalove, but not much of consequence.

Mag, the non-binary best friend, absolutely stole the show for me, and I’m somewhat disappointed that the next book is just more Callie and Luke, and not giving Mag the story they deserve.

I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would, but it still has its enjoyable moments. If you enjoy both paranormal romance and rom-coms, you might enjoy this more.

Thank you so much SMP Romance for sending me a widget to read, share, and review!
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The premise of this book was love at first read. I was so intrigued and excited to get into it and was even more excited when I was sent a widget by the publicist. But unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations as much.
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Starting off with the things that I did like about this book: I liked how it was a fun read. The writing is quirky and humorous that it really liven up what I thought would be a somehow dark read, at least at some scenes, because of its concept. I also really liked the author’s take on when Good falls for the Evil, I thought it was a really fresh take on a moderin contemporary romance.
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What I wish was done better was the actual execution of the Evil characters and world. There was just something lacking in that development/aspect that would have made this book so much better because it has a lot of potential to have that really good convincingly evil characters. The actual romance would have also been done so much better had it not been insta love and instead took its time to have more fun banters and maybe angst along the way that would lead to what could have a memorable pairing.
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Overall, I recommend this book if you simply love fun romantic comedies, insta love, and the concept of Good and Evil falling in love.

A very engaging voice, but unfortunately the worldbuilding was a little looser than I’d like, and the characters didn’t quite grab me enough to pull me through. Just not what I was hoping for from the premise.

This was such a fun surprise! I got totally swept away in this romp to save the world from Armageddon!

Callie is a college grad trying to figure out what to do with her life, while working for her mom at an escape room… on the first weekend she is left to run the business on her own a cult shows up kidnaps her and her friend and then summons a demon to start armageddon!

And what a demon shows up!, The one and only… and extremely hands-on son of Lucifer, Luke! He isn’t like your regular demon from hell and ends up trying to right the world and put a stop to the end of the world with Callie and her friends… all the while Luke and Callie are fighting their attraction the whole time!

Luke, like Callie is still trying to figure out what he is doing with his life… sure he is supposed to take over for his father, but is that what he wants? I really enjoyed how The Luke and Callie had this in common and found support and motivation with each other!

This book felt more like an adventure story with a side of romance- the romance was there, but the story definitely didn’t revolve around it. Personally, this was fine with me, since I had so much fun following along on Luke and Callie’s journey!

This was a good escape, come in looking for that and you will be in for a hellishly good time!

Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond is scheduled to release September 28th, 2021.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#NotYourAverageHotGuy #GwendaBond #Netgalley #pinkcowlandreads

I DNF’d this title unfortunately - the story is marketed like a paranormal rom-com when it feels very much like a teen drama

Not Your Average Hot Guy is full of witty banter, pop culture references and just a tiny bit of hell on earth in the form of Luke, the prince of hell. Given a deadline to prove himself, Luke offers to be summoned to collect the souls needed from the cult’s ritual. However, things do not go as planned when Luke comes face to face with Callie as she tries to stop the cult from starting the apocalypse. Together Callie and Luke team up in this comedic series of events to foil everyone’s plans while falling for each other despite supposedly being on opposite teams.

Callie and Luke are adorable together! They have the banter and the chemistry that ignites something in themselves to discover who they are meant to be. Both are a little unsure of their place in the world and going on this adventure together opened them up to new experiences and possibilities. The secondary characters are great especially Porsoth. I can’t wait to see what Callie and Luke get up to in the next book!


Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I truly was not expecting this book. The cover and synopsis had me thinking it was more of a romance with a dash of apocalyptic mayhem. Instead, this book was a bit Angels and Demons, with a large helping of Lucifer, and just a pinch of romance.

There is a bit of a cliffhanger, more so about the consequences of the storyline, rather than a true cliffhanger about the plot. However, I don't think I was invested enough to read the sequel.

For my steam lovers, there is only one semi-steamy scene that ends quite abruptly. For a scene that is set in Hell, I wanted it to be a bit ~HoTtEr~.

Left alone to run the escape room for the weekend, Callie knows nothing can go wrong. Or can it?
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Callie has an obsession with the paranormal and the dark side. So when Callie and her best friend Mags get captured by "guardians" it all seems pretty regular. Just some game at an escape room, moving on. Until a hot devil prince named Luke gets put onto Earth to capture souls.
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Luke is the son of Lucifer but can't succeed in being a prodigal son. With one last chance, he is sent to Earth to capture souls and bring them back. Stop the apocalypse. Make papa proud. Yet, there's something about Callie that sets his soul on fire.
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Hence, our two main characters and telling viewpoints set out on a journey to stop the Apoclaypse. Win back the sword. Give up souls. But will magic be enough to stop the takeover?
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Gwenda Bond's first in a series of paranormal romances, Not Your Average Hot Guy, will please fans of a certain genre. The novel has beautiful descriptions of Earth and Hell. Yet, I couldn't get hooked onto the love story that Bond presented. The characters lacked depth and seemed face level. This was a quick read with shortened chapters.

It pains me to write this, because I was beyond excited to read this, but this was so bad. I struggled from the get go with this book, and had to force myself to finish. I'm so upset haha

Callie has promised her mother to run the family escape game for the weekend. She will be helped by her best friend and her brother. However, when a satanic cult arrives and steals Callie's spell book to summon a demon, everything changes. Especially since this demon is rather sexy and friendly. Callie will do everything to stop the cult from declaring the apocalypse and she will be helped by the famous demon, Luke Morningstar, son of Lucifer and Lilith.
The pitch attracted me and frankly the story is nice, I laughed a lot, I spent a good time in company of Callie and Luke.
Callie is very interesting, she is smart but she doesn't have a lot of self-confidence. She doesn't know what she wants to do in life but she evolves in this book, she becomes more courageous and independent. She also falls under Luke's spell, of course.
Luke is a demon who doesn't know how to play his demon role, he is too nice and even his father is disappointed. He will have to find a solution to get out of it. His soft little heart will also fall for Callie and he won't know what to do with her at first.
I liked the story, it doesn't bore me for a moment and I can't wait to read the next volume because what Porsoth says at the end intrigues me a lot.
Quick word: A light and funny reading for a soft entry in the autumn.

Callie is in charge of her mother’s escape room business while she’s out of town. With only a couple days of light bookings, everything should be fine - until a satanic cult shows up to retrieve a relic that Callie bought to decorate the Black Magic room. When they manage to summon a demon, Callie throws herself into trouble in order to stop a looming apocalypse.

I knew this book was going to be pretty cheesy, and it lived up to that! Luke, our demon, was a cocky slacker, who is ultimately drawn to how good Callie is. Callie acts how we all wish to in a crisis of good vs evil, and her escape room background has her solving lots of little puzzles/clues to get where she needs to be.

I’m never a huge fan of present tense writing (I’m always thrown off by it) and when the character almost addresses the reader. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy myself. Got me in the mood for more slightly spooky reads in the coming month.

Not Your Average Hot Guy is the first novel in a promising new series of the same name. It is a fun and witty adventure taking the sides of good and evil and having them team up together to try to prevent the apocalypse. The story is centered around Callisto (“Callie”), who is a recent college graduate (~22 years old). She is at a crossroads in her life as she tries to think of the next steps and is surrounded by those that have more direction. Her older brother Jared seems to have his life together and is currently in his second year of law school. Her best friend, Mag, is also on her own path as she landed a job as a graphic designer for a local ad agency immediately after graduating. While Callie tries to find the next step, whether it is graduate school or a career, she bides her time working at her family’s business, The Great Escape, in Lexington, Kentucky that has also been voted the best escape room business in the country. When her mother leaves her in charge of the business to go accept the Owner of the Year award at the Association of Escape Room and Countdown Games conference, Callie does not expect the crazy adventure that she will soon embark.

In the Kingdom of Hell lives the Prince of Hell, 23-years-old, Luke Astaroth Morningstar, the son of Lucifer Morningstar and Lilith. He is at his own crossroads as he has yet to receive his wings, even though most in Hell get them as children. As he tutors under Lucifer’s second in command, Lucifuge Rofocale, Luke is running out of time and must begin harvesting souls. When the Order of Elerion, a four-hundred-year-old cult ran by Solomon Elerion steals a grimoire from The Great Escape and summons a demon, Luke and Callie’s worlds will collide as the Order is after the Holy Lance. This initial meeting of the three groups (the side of Good with Callie, the side of Evil with Luke, and the Order) sets off a whirlwind adventure. As Callie and Luke begin to spend more time together, they begin to explore some possible feelings. Their potential romance made a very unique enemy to lovers as it is literally the Prince of Hell and a human who have a connection.

The pacing of the story is fast as there is a lot of action as Luke and Callie are on a quest to stop the Order. Luke is on a deadline to harvest souls, which is not something he wants to do whereas Callie is set to have an adventure before she needs to figure out her next steps. It was interesting to have each of the main characters at a crossroads in their own lives and I love that this story was duel-perspective, so the reader can get inside each of their heads. Callie and Luke made a very fun pair and I greatly enjoyed their banter. The one main thing that I wished was included is the motivation for Callie. While she was skeptical of the situation, she seemed to go along with everything very fast and without second-guessing herself. It seemed odd for someone whose life seemed more or less mundane with school and working at her family’s escape room. I absolutely loved their adventure together, but it just seemed odd that a normal human would take the situation more-or-less in stride. It could be other readers could interpret this part of her character differently, but this is how I read it and the question that I could not answer even after finishing the story.

Overall, I can see this series continuing to provide excellent entertaining adventures with a mixture of the two characters continue to grow. There is a lot of focus on the adventure in this story, so it would be nice to continue with them to get to know each of them even more. I also would love further exploration into their potential romance as it felt a little instalove without the slower buildup of their connection like I prefer. It was still an adorable romance though and I think that the series has a lot of potentials to expand on this element. I loved that Mag was written as a non-binary character. It was great that they were integrated seamlessly into the story without a lot of explanation or tangents. It was written naturally, which I appreciated as a reader. Generally, this story is fun and it was an excellent read to put the reader in a good mood with its quirkiness. I cannot wait to read the next novel to see what will happen next with both the characters and the story!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, for the opportunity to read this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

If you thought this was contemporary romance based on the cover, you will be sorely disappointed, because this is not that. If you thought this was paranormal romance, then you would be correct. Callie, left to man her mother's escape room business for the weekend comes face to face with a real live demon, the Prince of Hell and son of Lucifer, to be exact. Callie and Luke set out on a mission to save the world from a cult, and fall in love along the way.

I wouldn't exactly call this a "good" book, but it was certainly entertaining, so if you want to be entertained, then maybe this is for you. It was a quick, relatively engaging read, but I found the characters and their actions entirely unrealistic (demons and paranormal aside). I just didn't buy their decisions and the way they talked and acted. Its billed as a romantic comedy, but I also didn't find it laugh out loud funny like I usually expect from romantic comedy. That being said it wasn't solely focused on romance either. The romantic plot feels balanced equally against the storyline, so I would call it a 50/50 split between the two.

All that aside, I liked Callie and I liked Luke as characters, even if I found so much about them entirely unrealistic, and it was entertaining, like I said before. If you're looking for a quick, cute, read with a touch of the paranormal, then this might be for you. It doesn't get too deep, and it isn't painfully suspenseful.

I'm so disappointed in this book lol. I don't know if it's because it's an arc but the writing was choppy in the sense that scenes felt cut off. What's worse is that everything is anti-climatic.

I was provided and invite based on previous review of Darynda Jones . Like many I feel this would have been better off marketed on its on merits, the comparison should not have been made. Right out of the gate i was lost. This is my ignorance and I did take the opportunity to research, so I now know what Mag is. Without that information up front I was lost and confused, This is a light read, even with hell premise, and ts a young read. I am ok with YA but it has to go one way not fluctuate back and forth. There was humor, slapstick, I did not hear the snark. Not every book will be loved by everyone. This was an ok read for me. Thank you St Martins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc. I freely volunteer my thoughts and opinions.

Lets get one thing out of the way: this is pretty insta-lovey. I don't often like that and quite hate the trip to be honest. However, this was interesting, cute, and had me grinning at my kindle lime an idiot! I didnt realize it was also paranormal/fantasy - SUCH a pleasant surprise. Despite my own personal irritation with the insta-love, I had a freaking great time. Its a series and I will certainly be reading more.

Not Your Average Hot Guy (by Gwenda Bond) is a romantic comedy about two people who would never cross paths typically, falling in love and saving the world. Sounds great, right?

Let me say, it actually is pretty great!

Callie was looking forward to spending the weekend with her best friend, Mag, and running her mom’s business, The Great Escape. But a cult of Satan worshipers shows up and steals a precious artifact from one of the escape rooms, and kidnaps Callie and Mag to be their offerings. However, when they summon the devil’s right hand man, they instead get the devil’s incredibly hot son, Luke. In a strange turn of events, the evil Luke offers to help the good natured Callie stop the cult from starting the apocalypse. As they travel the world, and Hell, Callie and Luke cannot deny they have developed feelings for one another. Can Callie and Luke save the world and maintain their love?

I really like all the characters, except for maybe Callie’s brother Jared, and Lucifer of course. Callie really is a good natured girl. She sees the good in everything, and I mean everything, even Luke. Luke has always known he was a bit different than the others in Hell. He hadn’t yet developed his wings and he hadn’t even secured a soul. The chemistry and interactions between Luke and Callie are great. They really seem to “get” each other right away. They can even be sarcastic and snarky with one another.

Jared really do much for me. He was the older brother that thought he knew what was best for his sister without really knowing her at all. His secret relationship with Mag is the catalyst that makes Callie decide she needs to go to Hell to save the world, so without that, I don’t think Callie would have been angry enough to go to Hell. But over the course of the story, Jared did learn more about his sister and learned she could actually think for herself.

Obviously, being a romantic comedy about saving the end of the world, you can predict what will happen. That much is simple. But I like that Bond threw in the additional problem of Luke having to take Callie’s soul if they did save the world. After seeing all of the unfortunate souls in Hell and seeing how Callie got upset with it, Luke didn’t want to make the deal. He couldn’t take away everything that made Callie good and pure.

There really wasn’t much about this book that I didn’t enjoy. It was a very quick read. It was a typical good versus evil book, with good prevailing. I’m not really sure what I would classify this book as. As far as interaction between the characters, it felt more like a young adult. But then there was that one scene that would make me characterize this as more of a contemporary adult romance (nothing x-rated or anything like that).

Overall, I give the book four stars. While they did save the world and Luke was able to save Callie’s soul, I would have been happy with it ending right there. The last chapter seems to promise more to come.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sadly I did not finish this book. While the premise is fun, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

My Thoughts

Not quite totally serious not quite totally silly but instead walks the line by being both at times.

If one is expecting a read that you can enjoy just as it is meant than the story will work for you, if not maybe give it a pass as others have found what takes place in this book seriously lacking.

However, that being said, if you want a truly interesting pair of romantic partners along with a full cast of even stranger ones take heart that the author had your kind of reader in mind.

I thought between the humor, the sarcasm and sometimes sweet sometimes sexy romance with Callie and Luke this was a very enjoyable story that had its ups and downs.

Cults, demons, hell and romance all combined together with a not quite cliffhanger at the end but instead a promise that more adventures are in the works.

Not your average rom-com pairing or story line either.

[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

*ARC kindly provided via NetGalley by St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Not Your Average Hot Guy is a paranormal novel that tells the story of Callie and Luke. These two meet when Callie is left in charge by her mom to run the family’s business in her absence for the weekend, when a Satanic cult shows and claims one spell books that is used as a prop in one of the escape rooms. This is when Luke, the prince of Hell, is summoned in order to make a deal with the cult’s leader which will later lead in unleashing the apocalypse on earth. In between all, Luke takes a liking to Callie and decides to side with her for the greater good.

First, I want to say that this book is advertised as a paranormal romance and it shouldn’t be considered a romance because for the majority of the book I could count less than five romantic moments between the two main characters. This being my first paranormal romance, I expected something different, but I also expected to enjoy it, and sadly it was not the case. Romance has nothing to do with it really, I just think that all the elements of the book were poorly brought together. The plot really set my interest on following the story of the novel because I never read something like it, but between the forced dialogue and some cringe worthy moments involving the characters, I didn’t seem to understand what the author wanted to transmit with this book.

For me the book felt like a YA novel because sometimes the dialogue and some of the characters’ behavior seemed juvenile, but at the same time I found it difficult to read the characters and what they really wanted out of their storylines. Like for example Callie, the main character, she is a mortal girl but seems like she finds out about Hell and Heaven’s existence and doesn’t seem fazed about anything really. She came out as trying too hard to stand up to everyone in the book and it was clear that she was struggling, so it didn’t make sense at all to see that duality in her.

All in all, I wanted to keep on reading because I was interested in knowing how everything would end and I am hoping for the second book to offer the romance promised that we didn’t get in this one!