“Am I on fire or is the prince of Hell just happy to see me?”

I was so excited to be approved for The Date From Hell! I loved getting to know Callie, a (no longer) mortal human with strong morals and Luke, the prince of Hell and literal son of the devil in Not Your Average Hot Guy. In the second book in the duology, Callie is on a mission to earn second chances for souls in hell. She hopes for a quick audience with Lucifer before a hot date night with Mr. Not Your Average Hot Guy, Luke. But when you make a deal with the devil, things don’t always go to plan. Callie and Luke end up on a grail quest, trying to save an equally devilish guy and devilishly handsome soul.

This fun story following legends, like King Arthur and the round table, with a side character cast for the ages, including a fainting Pygmy goat named Cupcake. A funny escape from reality that ties up warmly at the end.. A light-hearted read with a true paranormal happily ever after.

Check it out if you’re looking for
🔥 New Adult sci-fi fantasy
🔥 A smooth taking son of the devil, literally
🔥 A library-loving nerd using her obscure knowledge to quest for good
🔥 the ultimate euphemism, “crossing the intimacy Rubicon”

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this ARC! The Date From Hell will be on shelves April 5!

I really loved Not Your Average Hot Guy and was so excited to grab this sequel. The Date from Hell features our protagonists Callie and Luke, who are managing a semi long distance relationship between Lexington, KY and Hell. The travel isn't all that long between the two, but they are obviously worlds apart. I just find these characters really charming, and this was, like its predecessor, ultimately an adventure novel with some romance and fantasy threaded in. I'm still trying to understand Callie's situation, and this didn't actually answer those questions for me, but I enjoyed being along for the ride and I hope there's a third book in the series!

This is the second book in the Not Your Average Hot Guy duology and picks up soon after the events in the first book. Callie and Luke have been spending more time together - both on Earth and in Hell. Callie has big ideas for how to improve Hell and after proposing one such change to Lucifer, she and Luke find themselves tasked with chasing a wayward soul around the globe. If they can prove this soul can be redeemed, then Lucifer will consider their proposal. This soul - Sean - was a thief in his life and has no intention of stopping now that he's back to Earth. Instead, Sean wants to steal the Holy Grail. Now Callie, Luke, and their friends an enemies are chasing after Sean on his Grail quest - the outcome of which could have consequences of celestial importance. This was a great finish for Luke and Callie's story - it gave me everything I liked from the first book and a bit more romance. I'd categorize this as a paranormal rom-com romantic suspense. I loved the more in-depth look we get of Callie and Luke's relationship now that they're a few months into their dating and working together to win Lucifer's challenge. Some of the details that Lucifer throws their way are meant to test (and Lucifer is hoping, break) their bond, but they mostly bring Luke and Callie closer together which I really liked. I'm so glad we got to see more of the secondary characters from the first book as well. This had a good amount of puzzle-solving (as did the first) and I loved how the worlds of Heaven and Hell were more developed. I, just like the first one, wish we had more cutesy romance moments on page between Callie and Luke.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. Expected publication date is April 5, 2022

Callie has finally settled into a relationship with Luke the literal son of Satan and she's been thinking about some of the rules of well, hell, She persuades Lucifer to let her and Luke try to change the ways of Sean, a wayward soul and prove that people do deserve second chances. This turns into a quest as Sean doesn't play nicely and sets off for the Holy Grail. The charm here lies in the relationships between Callie. Luke, and like it or not, Lucifer. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's light,. it's fun, it's almost more YA than adult but I enjoyed it.

The Date from Hell is book two following Not Your Average Hot Guy. While you can read this book as a standalone, it's a duology. There are only two of these books and the second one wraps up the story. So, you can just read this one, but you shouldn't.

So, just what happens when you date the Prince of Hell? Oh, lord - it all happens! As Luke and Callie try to have a weekend to themselves, all Hell doesn't quite break loose, but they get to go on a quest to catch a soul. What could go wrong?

While I did enjoy reading this book, I wasn't reading it for it's worldbuilding or character development. Both were average at best, but I just ignored the bits that would normally bother me and enjoyed it for the fun, uncomplicated plot.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for sending me this book in exchange for my honest review.

You need to read Not Your Average Hot Guy, or this book will make zero sense. This picks up almost exactly where that book left off. And while NYAHG was light and fun and YA-esque, The Date From Hell was not that. I can’t call it a romance because while it’s the driving force behind the main characters actions, there’s nothing romantic about the story (and one spicy scene slapped in there). I’d describe it as a fantasy quest with a motley crew of characters. It took me way too long to read and I had to convince myself to finish. Sorry folks, but this book doesn’t know what it wants to be, and is not for me.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of The Date from Hell by Gwenda Bond.

This book is a sequel to, Not Your Average Hot Guy.
I did not realize when requesting this book. I did try to read it still. It follows Callie and Luke. I ended up DNF it.

Just like the first book, I really liked the sequel. This story starts off a little after the first book ends, and Callie is just making herself right at home. lol Of course her and Luke are still madly in love, and of course they get into more trouble, but I wouldn't have had it any different. I did predict the ending, but I'm glad because it ended just like I wanted too. I'm not sure there are going to be any more books in the series, but I really hope there is because I need more laughs in my life.

Thank you so much for my opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review! Gwenda Bond is a local author to me and I love her so much! Not Your Average Hot Guy was a stand out read for me last year so I was very excited to be invited to read this! I think this book was even better than the first one! The plot and characters are so unique and such a fun ride!

First off, read the first book - Not Your Average Hot Guy - if you decide to dive into this.

This book continues the story of Callie (regular human woman, well mostly) and Luke (prince of Hell). For me, it didn't work as well as the first book. It feels more chaotic and flail-y before it finally settles into being a Grail quest story in the second half. There are a lot of side characters who don't feel well developed and thrown together.

The thing that I liked most in the second half of NYAHG was the delving into lore, and those are the parts that work best here - where Bond spends time exploring mythological settings and placing her characters in opposition to established cosmological or mythological beings. I think this is a rich setting with so much potential.

Most of the rest of this was a slog for me. I wasn't connecting with the characters and didn't care much about what was happening. I almost DNF'ed, but kept going. It was ok. That said, I won't be spending my time reading any further books in the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy!

Let me start by saying that I loved the first book, it was fun, fast and I couldn't put it down. This was a continuation of Callie and Luke's relationship.. but I wouldn't have called this a romance. The Date from Hell was more of a fantasy/adventure/going on a quest and my partner was along for the ride with me?

There were many cute and fun moments, just not the book for me.

Fans of NOT YOUR AVERAGE HOT GUY will definitely enjoy this sequel, which features much of the same hellish hijinks and heavenly foibles. A lot of the "this feels way too much like fan-fic" issues from the first book were fixed here (not as many dated pop culture references, for instance) and the same characters from the first book all feature here, with at least one new character that brings lots of intrigue. But there is something that still doesn't feel fully fleshed out about Bond's writing and plot development. Again, an interesting premise that doesn't quite live up to the potential.

I was so pleasantly surprised by The Date from Hell by Gwenda Bond! It was a really great story mixed with hilariously funny humor and sweet moments it's definitely worth the read and will be very enjoyable.

3.5 stars. This is a generally fun, quirky story whose shining parts are definitely the characters. It's fast paced, clever, and has plenty of humor to offset some serious moments. This didn't feel terribly heavy on the romance, but I think readers will enjoy where Callie and Luke end up. I definitely recommend reading Not Your Average Hot Guy before reading this one for context.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing the ARC.

As a fan of Not Your Average Hot Guy, I was thrilled to discover that Gwenda Bond was releasing more of Callie and Luke's story. And I was not let down by this latest installment.

It has everything that the first novel had: hijinks galore, supernatural forces working for and against them, a quest to find a particular holy object that could make or break reality as they know it, and of course, romance between Luke and Callie.

A satisfying read, especially for people who were fans of the first one.

Callie and Luke are back and trying to navigate their relationship in the space between the forces of good and evil. It took a bit longer for the action to really get going in this sequel, but once it did, I loved it. We got more of Callie sticking up to the devil, and more about the guardians as a whole, including Saraya the Rude. It was another fun read.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are of my own.

Y'all I was so excited to receive this book after finishing the first book. It's just as fun, outlandish, and cute as the first book. (Yes, this is my suggestion to read Not Your Average Hot Guy before this book.) This book picks up a little after the end of the first book, but we go on a different adventure with Callie and Luke. If you're looking for an intense, serious read with fully biblical strictness, this is not your book; however, if you're looking for ridiculously fun book this is your book!

Loves:

-CALLIE: I know I said I loved her in the first book, but I somehow love her even more in this one. Maybe because she’s a huge history nerd who loves reading and I somehow super identify with that (ignores history major degree hanging in my room…). But she manages to be just as endearing and sweet as the first book if not more so. Her belief in goodness and kindness just sets this book up so well as she’s dating the son of Hell.

-Luke: we get a bit more to the meat and bones of this man in this book. He grapples with serious internal struggles and that’s what really compelled me through this book. The plot was fine, but having Luke figure himself out was really wonderful.

-Side characters: we get a bunch of the same people from the first book and a few others (shout out to Sean--I love you). But in this book they have greater room to stretch and breathe making them more holistic characters. I think that with the enormous amount of plot in the books it takes the two to get a good grip on anyone.

-The twists and turns of this book and plot are SO GOOD. I did not see anything coming, personally, because you honestly just don’t know what to expect. Everything was set up so incredibly well and leads into each other. Plus when really anything is possible you can’t even begin to fathom where the outcome will come from or what elements are needed. Seriously amazing.

Meh:

-I adored the second half of the book more than the first and I think that’s because the second half is where the book settles. The first half isn’t bad, but it feels off with the pacing.

-There are some unclear elements of the plot that don’t seem to fit/end up being ignored. It wasn’t that bad because of just the intensity of the plot being so overwhelming, but it is something that has been nagging me.

Long story short, I do recommend reading this book. I 110000% recommend reading Not Your Average Hot Guy before but if walking into an already moving story is your thing go ahead. I found this book to be a satisfying closure to Callie and Luke’s story (that ending!!!!). I had such a fun time reading this book. It’s so wacky and FUN. I know I keep using that word, but it is! I so cannot wait to continue to read Gwenda Bond books. I’m really coming to love them!

I was given an ebook of this ARC by Netgalley in response to my honest opinion.

4 Stars.

Are you ready for a 3 day journey between reality and Hell, just to make a change?

This is not a Persephone and Hades retelling per se....
It's more of how The son of the devil; Luke was sent on a magical realism-esqe quest with his human (??) girlfriend of 1 month; Callie.

However, during this quest/journey Callie and Luke become challenged with having to turn a man whose been held prisoner in Hell for awhile (for unknown reasons) good again. The only kicker with this mysterious Sean guy is he is closer to Luke then Luke and Callie even realize.

If you're into second chances, minor smut, supernatural powers, quests/journeys with challenges, or romance then you will also enjoy this as much if not maybe more than I did.

I'm really liking this series with its setting and characters. I read the first one and liked it, and this one is a continuation of the story.

Callie and Luke are looking to spending more time together but instead have to go on a quest trying to redeem a lost soul. They have friends to aid them and enemies to foil them, and literally go all over the world in trying to succeed in time. It has funny moments, tender moments, and relationships that grow closer.

I'm looking forward to book 3.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for an ARC of The Date from Hell by Gwenda Bond.

While I enjoyed Not Your Average Hot Guy, it was ridiculous and not even on the list of top books I read in 2021. However, that first book was fun, and sometimes you really can't ask for much more than that. The Date from Hell was, predictably, pretty much the same as the first in the series. It was fun, and still reads like a YA title. I personally do not enjoy paranormal romance as much as I used to, but I do know several people that I would recommend this title to.