I’ve been getting more into paranormal romances lately and have been particularly drawn to those with demons. My Funny Demon Valentine by Aurora Ascher is the first I’ve read with a demon, and though it went in some completely unexpected directions, I really enjoyed it. It was first published in 2021, but the reprint is out today. It’s the first in the Hell Bent series, all of which is being republished over the next year.

Why I Chose This Book:
I first heard about My Funny Demon Valentine in the Buzz Books 2024: Romance sampler, which highlighted over 20 upcoming romance publications. I was instantly intrigued. First, it stars a demon, which I’ve been getting interested in recently. Second, that demon loves music. What a fun combination!

What I Liked:
- Four demon “brothers” escaped from Hell to live on Earth
- Asmodeus (Ash) was cursed thousands of years ago to be all but invisible to others and have all his sense dulled; hearing is the only sense working well
- Thus, he loves music!
- Ash and Eva, a human musician who actually sees him somehow, instantly hit it off
- But Ash and his brothers are being hunted! Danger!
- Eva gets embroiled into all of their issues…
- Multiple perspectives (Ash; Eva; her parents; his brothers)
- Kind of campy but tons of fun

Rather than just a romance, My Funny Demon Valentine has elements that reminded me of horror comedy: These four demons have escaped from Hell, they’re being tracked by gargoyles and the Hunter, and they need special blood to evade their captors. Meanwhile, one of the group, Asmodeus, has spent the last 3,000 years cursed to have suppressed senses and be practically invisible to others. He loves music, though, and is drawn to a musician he’s just met, Eva. What’s more, she can actually see him. (Why? You’ll find out!)

Final Thoughts
My Funny Demon Valentine goes from a cute and sexy paranormal romance to a book with our characters on the run and facing shocking revelations. It’s campy, spicy, and a ton of fun to read. This is also the first in the Hell Bent series – already published independently and being republished by Kensington over the next year. I’m excited to continue the whole series! The next book is My Demon Hunter, coming out this March.

Gave this book a 5⭐️ because it honestly shocked me. I thought it was going in one direction, and it completely changed course. I could not put it down and whenever I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about what I had just read and couldn’t wait to get back to it.

I am such a fan of this rom com monster romance lol for fans of ice planet barbarians and Mead Mishaps, yall would enjoy this! Lol I want more, please

The romance in this book isn’t just about hearts and promises—it’s fate entwined with danger, longing tangled with power. Every stolen glance and whispered word carries weight, set against a world as alluring as it is treacherous. I loved it!

3.5 ⭐️ | 3 🌶️

Thank you Kensington Publishing for the e-arc!

This was definitely a very entertaining read, the banter and dialogue between the MCs and all the side characters was super entertaining! The overall premise of the realms and how the demons ended up where they are was also really interesting!

I definitely enjoyed the relationship between the MCs eventually but it was very insta-love for my liking. Eventually the draw to one another is explained but even considering that, it was fast. So took a minute to really feel like I’d caught up to where they seemed to be.

The story is fast paced and really funny (albeit a bit choppy at times). I enjoyed the musical elements and the role it plays in the MMCs story. Overall, I had a good time with this one!

This first of what I assume is a several book long series does a great job world-building, introducing somehow “nice” demon “brothers,” and starting what is likely several fated mate stories with Eva & Ash.

Ash is a demon who has been cursed. He’s made some mistakes in the past, which sent this lust demon into invisible territory. Any women who may want him find him uninteresting or essentially not there, except for Eva. Eva spots Ash on a night when he and his brothers have escaped from hell and can’t seem to get him out of her thoughts. Ash, on the other hand, assumes she is just interested in his brothers, as usual. When a shootout/turned paranormal fight breaks out, Ash saves Eva but unfortunately exposes her to his world.

Eva, through some twist of fate, has been predisposed to weird beliefs by her atypical parents. This, plus her undeniable attraction to Ash puts here firmly in like with him, with or without a second form she may have seen. These two sizzle as they dance around trust issues and other baggage. This story definitely had me rooting for the bag guys, which is a fun and new way of framing a love story. I enjoyed the HEA standalone nature of the story, but also liked the additional characters introduced here (I assume they all get paired off in the future).

This was a fun romcom. I loved the banter between the brothers, and it even had some demon lore in there which I found interesting. I thought it would be more of a fun mindless read, but it actually had more "substance" to the story, which was a nice surprise!

I might just continue this series! It's a nice palette cleanser from the fantasy or thriller books I usually read.

Okay my primary question is: in a world full of monster romances, HOW has this series never crossed my path before??? I know the series was originally indie pub, and this edition is the newly edited version for the trad pub, and though the rest of the books are coming out trad soon, I literally finished the book and turned around and got ALL the other indie copies immediately, because I just can’t wait that long for the rest of them to come out!! This was so fun, so heartwarming, with such innovative character details and fantastical worldbuilding for a well-executed urban fantasy. Ash is sexy and sensitive and a musician, which we adore, and Eva is an amazing FMC whose growth in agency, compassion, and confidence is so enjoyable to watch throughout the book. Plus, the side characters are hilarious and I am so excited to read all their individual books. Cannot recommend this enough! 4⭐

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel before release day!

From the first page I was obsessed! While I thought this was a demon romance on valentines day but I was pleasantly surprised when there was more to the plot than demon smut.

This book was an emotional rollercoaster—funny, steamy, adventurous, and full of twists that kept me hooked. I found myself cheering for Eva and Ash while cursing those trying to keep them apart, and embracing Eva's mother for her warm acceptance of Ash and the demon brothers. The characters, especially the loyalty between the demon brothers, were the story's biggest strength, and I loved the depth of their relationships. Though demons arent usually my thing, I was drawn in by the characters and humor. Eva, a bold musician, was perfect for Asmodeus, and the multiple POVs, though not my favorite, worked well here. This series isn’t standalone, but it’s worth it, and I’m excited for the next books

4⭐
Asmodeus - Prince of Hell, Demon of Lust - has escaped Hell with his two brothers, & all he wants to just play Jazz. Oh & he's cursed.
Evangeline Gregory is just a regular, degular human who works at a Jazz Bar. You can see where this could possibly go, yes?

I think this book may be my whole personality now - Love!

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was OK. The banter was funny. I didn’t dislike the characters. I just struggled to connect I think. I didn’t draw me in and keep me wanting to read more, but I mean it wasn’t a bad read either.

🖤Demons, Angels, and Humans oh my!
☠️Insta-Love
🖤Good vs Evil
☠️Found Family
🖤Paranormal Rom-Com
☠️Secrets & Curses

This experience reminded me of my fondness for some of Christopher Moore’s series, particularly the “Bloodsucking Fiends” and the “Grim Reaper” collections. I found the humour and storyline combined with the delightful absurdity it presents, thoroughly enjoyable and it made for a fun little break in-between high fantasy and my recent heavy reads. I cannot wait for more entries in the series so I can continue to laugh at the brotherly banter, but more importantly to see the direction taken in this story.

(Amazon Review Is Pending)

4⭐️ 3🌶️

This was a fun themed romance. I enjoyed the storyline. The FMC Eva was strong willed and didn’t let people walk over her which I liked. Her mom cracked me up! The MMC Ash was much sweeter than you would expect considering what his is. The ending didn’t surprise me as it’s what made the most sense based on where the story was going. Overall this was cute, and fun. I’d even say perfect for the month of love ☺️

This book was so much fun! I really enjoyed the characters and I thought that the demons were hilarious. I loved seeing them try to fit in with human society. The romance in this was so cute and I loved how it developed. I really enjoyed the storyline and I can’t wait to see where the rest of this series goes.

No way a masterpiece in its genre. But my Gods is it not so much fun. This book knows what it is and it does it in the silliest way. I had a wonderful time. It's spicy because duh of course the Lust Demon romance is going to be. It's humor wasn't always for me but it definitely hit on some moments. An adorable love story to say the least.
Oddly enough, I was super invested in the parents love story more at the end. This is a series so crossing my fingers on a prequel/sequel <3

While this book. My funny valentine demon, didn’t turn out to by my cup of tea, I can say with confidence that the story had a lot of good parts to it.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked Eva and and thought that she was enduring as a FMC. The world building was fun and modern. I really liked Ash. His relationship with Eva was super sweet and I loved how protective he was of her. The brothers were absolutely hilarious, their quips to each other had me giggling out loud. They were so protective of each other and even though they didn't show it in the majority of the book, it really shined when it mattered. I liked the little twist at the end and liked that it slid more pieces into place. Side note Eva's mom Jackie is my favorite character in the whole book. And I felt bad for the way that things turned out for her.

I picked this up because I wanted a silly bubblegum valentines read and I got SO MUCH more than I expected!!

My Funny Demon Valentine is a laugh-out-loud story of Ash, a demon who has recently escaped Hell and trying to adjust to Earth while suffering from an ancient curse that means no one who could even potentially be attracted to him can see him as anything but boring and bland, and jazz musician Eva who is the only one in thousands of years to see him properly.

The two start dating and making sweet music together (😉) before all Hell breaks loose - literally. Ash and his brothers are being hunted down to be dragged back to Hell and now Eva is caught up in the drama and danger and discovers her new boyfie is actually a 7 foot tall red dude with horns and wings.

I did not expect the fantasy elements and plot of this book to be so good. This was clearly very well thought out and while drawing on existing characters/legends, Ascher has put such an original spin on this that it feels fresh and original.

I loved the relationship between Eva and her mum, it was sooooooooo lovely to see open and honest communication between them. On the subject of relationships, the BROTHERS! Omg I loved their dynamic so much. The banter had me in stitches, and the name calling just felt so realistic I loved it so much.

So this read has gone from something I thought would be a little bit of fun on Valentine’s Day to an “omg when and where can I get the rest of this series because I NEED all the other demons stories immediately”

Thank you so much NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and Aurora Ascher for the privilege of reading this as an ARC!