Member Reviews

I requested this book before I read the first book in the series, Not Your Average Hot Guy. I didn't really enjoy the first one. I tried to read this one, but I was just not interested in it. I hate to DNF books that I'm reviewing, but I dont' see myself ever picking this back up.

Was this review helpful?

“I’ll be there in a heartbeat, if you need me.”
“I know.”

OMG this book. Luke and Callie. I just fell deeper in love/obsessed with this couple and these books. Their irreverent (in the best possible) way and outstanding love story with all the challenges and trial it brings was one of the best series that I have read in a very long time.

Just read these books and enjoy.

Was this review helpful?

If you're looking for a light, fun action-adventure story, then this is the duology for you!

After saving the world in Not Your Average Hot Guy, Callie and Luke just want to have a nice date, but when your the prince of hell and your dear old dad is Lucifer, date nights don't really go according to plan. Instead, Luke and Callie find themselves chasing after the wayward soul, Sean, that they've been tasked with reforming. When old friends, foes, and the Holy Grail are thrown into the mix, our main duo may find that having a normal date is not easy.

All in all, this book is a fun one with hijinks and humor galore (there's also some not-so-fun moments but hey that's life). I really like how Luke and Callie's relationship has grown since book 1 - also it was kind of nice seeing them be a power couple to be reckoned with. Also the side characters are as great as ever and the addition of Sean to the mix was fun!

If you liked the first one, you really need to grab this one!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the eARC! I really appreciate it!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. This was the sequel to the first in the series which I found enjoyable. The author did not disappoint. This was a fun book to read, definitely a YA, and still relevant enough with the storyline to keep me engaged.

Was this review helpful?

Billed as adult romance, but written very YA. I picked this one up without realizing it was second in a series. I don’t think u need to have read the first to begin here. But, the book itself just wasn’t my cup of tea. Tone a bit too snarky, the set up a bit too overblown.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this book! It was just a good as the first and I really liked the high stakes adventure. Callie and Luke’s relationship did frustrate me at times though, I felt like they were constantly second guessing each other and their relationship. But that’s really the only complaint I have with the book. Other than that it really was a fun, wild ride and full of action packed scenes and lovable characters. Highly recommend it!

Was this review helpful?

The Date from Hell is a fun and romantic YA read. It's the second book in Gwenda Bond's 'Not Your Average Hot Guy' series and my favorite!

In this book, it picks up with Callie and Luke trying to have a normal, or as normal as possible, date night. Of course, Hell and Lucifer have other plans. They are tasked with finding the Holy Grail to redeem a wayward soul, Sean.

Callie and Luke are tested both physically and emotionally throughout this whole journey. I loved that even through the hard times, their love shines bright! Readers can expect witty banter, romance, and adventure.

I give The Date from Hell 4 stars. It is adventurous and captivating. I felt like it is the best in the series. Luke and Callie's relationship is charming and fun to read about!

Was this review helpful?

In The Date from Hell, the sequel to Not Your Average Hot Guy, New York Times bestselling author Gwenda Bond brings the journey of Callie, Luke, and their friends to a wonderful close. This is another laugh out loud, action packed romantic adventure you won’t want to miss.

After saving the world and stopping the apocalypse, Callie and Luke are looking forward to a quiet, romantic weekend together. When you’re human and dating the Prince of Hell, quiet moments are hard to come by. But their romantic weekend in Hell takes a turn when Lucifer tasks Callie and Luke with chasing a wayward soul around the world. If they can prove it’s possible to redeem a soul, Lucifer will allow the two of them to make some changes in Hell.

But this wayward soul, Sean, doesn’t have any interest in being redeemed. Instead, now that he’s back on Earth, he’s decided to take a leaf out of Callie and Luke’s book and wants to find the Holy Grail. Now Callie, Luke, and their friends—and enemies—must race Sean around the globe on a Grail quest and bring peace between Heaven and Hell before they can finally (maybe) get around to that date.

Was this review helpful?

I felt this book was slow to start. It was an interesting read. This book is a sequel. While I feel that it may be necessary to read the first in the series, there is enough back story to fill in the gaps. It follows the hero's journey format.

Luke (son of Lucifer) and Callie (a mere mortal) are in love, but he feels that she is too good for him. He is always second guessing their connection and waiting for the other shoe to drop.

This story is packed with biblical and mythical references. There are several characters that hold an important role. There are twists and turn. The heat is mild.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sending me this eARC! Given that I didn't love the first book, I didn't go into this with high expectations. However, my expectations still weren't met. I consistently forget that this is a new adult novel with 20-something-year-old characters, given that Callie refers to sex as "sexy-times" and it's just written very middle grade. All of this is not to say that the concept isn't really interesting, I just wish it had been done justice.

Was this review helpful?

The Date from Hell brings back Callie and Luke for a new adventure as Callie makes it her mission to change the universe. To prove the souls in hell are worthy of redemption, Callie and Luke are given three days to prove their theory and so their date from hell begins. Gwenda Bond has created such a unique adventure for Callie and Luke with such a great cast, bringing back Callie’s amazing family and best friend, Luke’s mom Lilith, the guardian Saraya and of course Porsoth, a demon who is just so absolutely endearing it’s adorable. And with the addition of characters like Sean, the soul they have to redeem too, this is just an amazing cast. I wish there had been more of Callie’s best friend Mags since they had such a great relationship too, but they show up for Callie and I just love seeing that. Luke too was so sweet in this, struggling with his strong feelings for Callie and if he deserved her, and I liked that vulnerability in him. In that same vein though, I missed some of the sexy arrogance from him. It got a little lost under this struggle. Callie was amazing though, keeping her feisty energy and I liked how she was worked through meshing her life with her boyfriend, the prince of hell, and her life in the mortal world. She is so genuine and earnest and I love seeing her work towards her goals. The chemistry between Luke and her too is sizzling. They are such a good couple, great at understanding each other’s needs, and I love how they balance each other. I think some of the energy from the first one was lost in this one, but the story itself was so original still, with the same wit and fun of the first. I really love Callie and Luke and enjoyed this sequel!

Was this review helpful?

This was a wonderful follow up to Not Your Average Hot Guy! Callie and Luke are just trying to have a romantic date but Luke’s dad has to be a jerkface and have them chase someone around the world only to THEN go on an epic quest. I get that this is Lucifer’s nature and all but like let them be in love, buddy.
If you haven’t read Not Your Average Hot Guy, do so before reading The Date From Hell!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this galley. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Date from Hell picks up right where Not Your Average Hot Guy leaves off --- Callie and Luke saved the world from accidental apocalypse are hoping to have a normal date.

But Callie's pet project trying to determine if some souls sent to hell deserve a second chance turns into a deal with Lucifer that is filled with unexpected consequences and surprises.

This book was a bit slower than the first one for me but I think wrapped up the story line really well. We got to watch Callie & Luke take on another adventure while solidifying their love for one another.

Kudos to Gwenda for creating another super creative story line that was a continuation of the first novel without feeling repetitive!

Was this review helpful?

The Date From Hell is the sequel to Not Your Average Hot Guy and just like the previous book this one is full of witty, pop culture references and a mix of hell and heaven on earth. Now that Callie and Luke are officially dating, Callie can travel back and forth between earth and Hell and can enjoy Hell’s library. While reading the library’s volumes, Callie proposes the idea that some souls in Hell could be given a second chance. Always up for an entertaining challenge, Lucifer says he will grant their request if they complete a task of his and prove someone of his choosing is worthy of redemption.

Callie and Luke are still adorable together and are both in love with the other but they haven’t said the words out loud yet. They continue to have great chemistry and their connection has grown much deeper than before especially with their new challenge at hand. They learn what it means to put themselves in someone else’s shoes and put another person’s interests above their own. The secondary characters are still great and an integral part of the story especially with the addition of Sean. I really hoping there’s a third book cause I would love to see what Callie and Luke’s future looks like and what other wrenches Lucifer throws at them.

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

Was this review helpful?

Why are these books so fun?! I really enjoyed the first one, and this one too (though admittedly I did like the first one better). I wish the story had progressed along a little quicker though, as it felt a little rushed to me at the end.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I was really looking forward to the first book in this series and was ultimately disappointed. Still, I was looking forward to picking up the second book, and other folks had let me know they'd heard it worked better than the first. I'm very happy to confirm those rumors!

Some of my biggest issues with the first book are resolved or at least improved upon here: Callie is a fully-fleshed out person with thoughts besides trivia, and the writing style is much more consistent throughout. Since there's an external guide for the plot (Arthurian myth), there's fewer things dangling here and there, which means there's not a solution to all the woes that appears at 93% out of nowhere, too.

Still, this series reads far more YA to me than adult romance. A huge element of the plot is Luke not feeling worthy of Callie's love, but there's only cursory exploration given to why he might feel like this. It's what I'm going to call "cracked-door romance": not closed-door, but nothing more than an illusion at intent and a "yes, that was good" at the end. Combining some underdeveloped angst with low steam just really feels oriented towards a younger crowd.

There's no doubt that this book is a much neater product than its predecessor, and I encourage people who waffled on the first one to see if this works better for them.

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

Was this review helpful?

After saving the world and stopping the apocalypse, Callie and Luke are looking forward to a quiet, romantic weekend together. When you’re human and dating the Prince of Hell, quiet moments are hard to come by. But their romantic weekend in Hell takes a turn when Lucifer tasks Callie and Luke with chasing a wayward soul around the world. If they can prove it’s possible to redeem a soul, Lucifer will allow the two of them to make some changes in Hell.

But this wayward soul, Sean, doesn’t have any interest in being redeemed. Instead, now that he’s back on Earth, he’s decided to take a leaf out of Callie and Luke’s book and wants to find the Holy Grail. Now Callie, Luke, their friends—and enemies—must race Sean around the globe on a Grail quest and bring peace between Heaven and Hell before they can finally (maybe) get around to that date.

I love the first book. It was funny, sweet and romantic. The sequel is just as fun and sweet. I love the friends and plot so much. It was fast-paced and exciting. If you love the first book, you'll love the sequel too. Looking forward to reading more.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an arc.

Was this review helpful?

St. Martin's Griffin,
Thank You for the chance to read another amazing story by the best Gwenda!

I absolutely loved Not Your Average Hot Guy book one.
And when I seen the sequel to Not Your Average Hot Guy I had to read it.

Review:
This Paranormal/Fantasy Romance was phenomenal! Like seriously I loved reading about Callie and Luke again and being on this quest with them was great!
Our characters are so interesting, fun and they where so very developed. 
This book was fun and highly entertaining!
The world setting is carefully laid out with a remarkable plot line that will have readers turning those pages.
A funny, cute, entertaining and awesome story.
If you loved the first book you will definitely enjoy the second one!

Can't wait for this to be out in the world!

Was this review helpful?