I totally went into this book blind *I listened to audiobook and followed along in the physical book*. But I did like it! This was my first demon romance so I enjoyed it! The narrator was amazing, I didn’t get bored. It was funny and some of the twists were great! Ash is so sweet and awkward it’s just adorable.

My Funny Demon Valentine
Hell Bent, Book 1

I Picked Up This Book Because: The title.

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: Netgalley
Dates Read: 3/9/25 - 3/13/25
Rating: 3 Stars
Narrator(s): Kristen Leigh


The Characters:

Eva:
Ash:
Bell, Mep, 3rd brother’s name I can’t remember a.t.m., Eva’s Mother (Diane) and Father

The Story:
I didn't like it, but I didn't hate it either. I liked Eva and Ash. They had very strong chemistry. I like the way the mystery unfolded in the end. There was a lot of material that maybe was filler or maybe was set up for the next book, but I found it unnecessary and boring. It did not move this story forward.

I loved this book and the audio! It was genuinely funny at times and I would accidentally laugh audibly at work. I'm excited to keep reading this series. Amazing author and fantastic narrator!

Rating 4⭐
Spice 😈😈

ARC REVIEW

I had a lot of fun with the story! A meet cute between the MMC and FMC, where they instantly felt an attractive. It was funny, had good banter, and the smut.... OOO the smut was good, (good be better but I'm not complaining)

I didn't understand where the story was heading, but once it got there it made sense...granted I felt it was more of a plot convenience (Eva being a Nephilim and her dad being a fallen angel; THEE Dan (Daniel) Gregory/Grigori, which soo gave me Lauren Kate Fallen vibes right here) I'm not going into too deep into that, because I was here for the vibes.

I'm more concern about this curse Asmodeus has. Like its temporary lifted time to time, but when will it really be broken? That's the real question. That's the one subplot I don't really understand, and they don't even bother to try to remove the curse fully? Soooo yea, there's that.

I received an ARC through Netgallery by the publisher

My Funny Demon Valentine was pure lighthearted fun! I loved Ash and Evas characters and could not put down this wild ride. I was intrigued from start to finish, with plenty of giggling and heel kicking. I immediately had to purchase physical copies of books one and two because I know I am going to want to revisit these characters time and time again. I can definitely see the Hell Bent series becoming comfort reads for me as I am just having such a good time in this world. The characters are all perfectly developed to the story and while the world building isn't the best, it's definitely not why I picked this book up. The spice however, is top notch. It honestly reminded me of a playful Black Dagger Brotherhood and let me tell you, I am here for it. I can't wait for more.

The audio book was incredibly well done and I loved the inflections that the narrator used for each of the characters. Her ability to translate the high-tension moments with the fun and carefree vibe of the story was extremely well done and only enhanced my reading experience.

Such a fun listen. Narrator was great! Yes it is tropes we have seen before but it was such a fun easy read that I recommend to anybody wanting a nice paranormal romance. I love listening to these types of books because it just makes the story and banter so much better and this was no exception!

This was such a fun listen. I'm a sucker for a paranormal popcorn romance, and this delivered. Is it tropes we've seen before? sure, but it's a good time, and sets up for more to come! Will definitely finish the series!

𝗠𝘆 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘣𝘺 𝘈𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘢 𝘈𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳
★ ★ ★ ★ ✬
Narrator(s): Kirsten Leigh
Length: 10h 46m
Source: ALC - NetGalley, RBmedia
Release Date: January 21, 2025

Y’all!
I was so pleasantly surprised by this fun little paranormal romance!! It was SO FUNNY at parts, especially because of the four demon blood brothers. They cracked me up so much!!

I really enjoyed both Eva and Ash. He was so cute as he fumbled through his feelings and thoughts. And Eva was a pretty awesome FMC because she was flawed and cautious but also endearingly courageous and powerful. Their dynamics were hot and heavy in the beginning and then we got some nice development.

I did find the whole part with Eva’s parents a bit TOO overshadowing to everything else. That part was so big it felt like it overtook the romance…and then the ending. I know this is an interconnected series but I feel like we don’t get enough relationship in the end.

NARRATION:
Kirsten Leigh was a fantastic narrator! I really enjoyed her voice and I had zero issues at 2x speed. Although it would have been twice as good if we had gotten a male narrator. Considering the amount of POV shifts, it would’ve been so helpful.

♡ paranormal romance
♥ demons, angels, and nephilim
♡ insta-lust
♥ POC fmc
♡ hilarious banter
♥ HFN

{I was gifted a complimentary copy of this audiobook. All reviews are my own. Any quote mentioned is subject to change.}

Thank you NetGalley and the author for the audio arc. 3.5 rounded up, this is the kind of book that is my guilty pleasure and a great palate cleanser from my usual read. This reminds me a lot of "the villains apprentice" but with more spicy. The beginning was a little cringe but got better for me as the book went on. The narrator was great and really brought the story to life. I enjoyed the original premise (I don't see Angels/demons done very often), the spice was good and the characters grew on me. Hoping to listen to the next book soon because I can't get enough of ash/Eva.

This was a fun and interesting story. I was intrigued since the beginning. At the end of the book, I was sad for her father. I hope they reconcile in another book. Mature language and explicit sex. Looking forward to book 2.

I received the audiobook for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

This book was cute and funny. I really enjoyed that the FMC and MMC were both into music and that music was a big part of book.

It was fast paced and enjoyable. I loved getting to know all the characters.

The relationship between the FMC and her parents was so sweet. I loved those parts.

The twist at the end was expected but the show down was shocking to me.

I would definitely recommend this book for romcom lovers.

The narrator did a great job portraying the characters.

I ARC reviewed the book as well and I enjoyed the audio! I wish I would have had the audio first, I think I enjoyed the story, banter and characters more through the audiobook. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

Oh this book was a breath of fresh air for my paranormal loving heart. I loved Ash and his brothers the mystery with Eva who is the ONLY female in 3000 Years to see through Ash’s curse. The story pace was extremely fast in a good way and I couldn’t put it down. I loved the multi povs as well and Im adding rest of the series to my tbr. I throughly enjoyed this one and highly recommended the audiobook.

Narrator Kirsten Leigh is a great fit for this series.

I received this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Promising 'funny' and 'steamy,' 'My Funny Demon Valentine' unfortunately delivered neither. The humor fell flat, relying on tired demon tropes, and the romance felt rushed and unconvincing. The 'clothes-ripping-hot' scenes were more awkward than anything, and the plot, a supposed 'supernatural clusterf**k,' devolved into a messy, confusing tangle. Also, the constant swearing felt less edgy and more like filler. The concept had potential, but the execution was a chaotic disappointment. 💔

This was an entertaining read.

Aurora is a new to me author and I vow to read everything she writes/has written.

I requested this on a whim and I'm so glad that I did. I experienced all of the emotions while reading this story. I love the redemption arc and this was really really well written.

I don't think I'd have finished the book if I hadn't listened to this on audiobook but the narrator did a great job with the various characters and voices and banter.I was thrown slightly by the majority of the book being from two characters POV and then random other POVs showing up here and there.

I liked the premise, but honestly my main beef was that once you've told us they're demons, you don't need to KEEP emphasizing it! Just have them act like demons! It was like this with a lot of parts of the book, Eva's ass, Bel's temper, Meph's tattoos. How hot everyone was.

Three stars because I wanted to like it? And the concept was fun, the characters are fun, but I also got reallllly annoyed 3/4 of the way through the book and was rolling my eyes a lot.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook!

The language used in this book read more YA than NA in my opinion. This made the characters sound and act more like teenagers than adults, and made the sex scenes feel uncomfortable. While it is overall well-written, I think that Ascher should have cut the sex scenes and written it for a YA audience.

I also didn't buy the relationship between Ash and Eva. The bonding we see on page is mostly sex, and all the actual in-depth bonding occurs off-page, and we're just told about it. So yeah... their relationship isn't that convincing to me.

The mythology system was my favourite part about this book. I'm always interested in how different people interpret Abrahamic mythology, and the way Ascher did it was unique. I'm interested to see how she develops it in following books.

What happens when a crew of Demon Escape, hell, and come to earth Party and enjoy life?

Well, in Aurora Asher’s My Funny Demon Valentine, you get some trash clubs a lot of horned up humans and a curse breaking love match!

I was pretty excited when Kensington started mass rereleasing this series since I had seen a lot of hype for it back in the day and was very curious- so you know when an ALC popped up, I had to have it!

I feel like the best way to describe this book is a contemporary romance. The features demon heroes within a real world timeline. Personally, I like a bit more of a fantasy element with my demons, monsters and fae- but these characters were compelling and the romance between Asmodeus, the jazz loving Prince of Hell and Evangeline felt like a valid connection. I also really loved the inclusion of the chosen brothers of Asmodeus who added a fun and lighthearted element to the story.

The narration completed by Kristen Leigh has a very lighthearted feel and it’s easy to listen to. She does a good job doing subtle variations for the differing characters. I found that the narration not only fit the story and added to its contemporary/funky vibe.

Thanks to RBmedia for my ALC via NetGalley.

Spice: 🌶🌶🌶🌶

Thank you to NetGalley, RB Media, Recorded Books, Kensington Books, Aurora Ascher, and Kirsten Leigh (audio narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of My Funny Demon Valentine in exchange for an honest review.

My Funny Demon Valentine is the first book in the Hell Bent series, interconnected novels featuring various FMC and MMC's with a paranormal, hellish twist. This novel has a spicy scene approximately every ten percent of the book, give or take (for the first 50%, then there's some serious plot, then spice again near the end), and has an air of seriousness around the plot, but also has the kind of humor that makes me laugh aloud. This book is an absolutely adorable pleasure.

The story follows Evangeline, or Eva for short, when she encounters, basically what she deems as the hottest man in the universe, at a bar. She also sees some other paranormal things and thinks it was just a strange hallucination. It wasn't; Eva has the sight, and her sights are on Prince of Hell Asmodeus, or Ash for short. With a curse of unfeeling, he and his brothers look to make a place for themselves on Earth after escaping the confines of Hell. The guy is awkward, not knowing many of the human norms, which is off-putting for Eva, but hey, hot is hot!

The two hit it off rather quickly and bond over shared music taste. Of course, Asmodeus is a demon, and there are some ramifications to come: about his true form, his escape from Hell, and Eva's sight, leading to more serious issues in the plot progression.

Mist is a demon sent to get the four brothers and bring them back to Hell. After battling Ash, as well as an unexpected being, Mist relents to wanting his own "pet" human. His story is next!

I absolutely loved this novel! It has great writing craft, quippy dialogue, humor cleverly added amongst the serious scenes, and plenty of spice. A super enjoyable paranormal romance read sure to please. I am hooked and ready to read the rest of the Hell Bent series!

My Funny Demon Valentine is one hell of a supernatural ride. Kirsten Leigh is fantastic at narrating this devilishly spicy and addictive romance.

Eva and Ash are from different worlds, but music brings them together! Ash might be a demon, and Eva should be afraid, but she can't help but want to spend more time with him. As she gets involved in his world along with his brothers, she discovers more than she bargained for....at least it's not all bad. She does get the benefit of sleeping with a hot demon.

I thought it was such a fun read and highly recommend this to readers/listeners who enjoy comedy, romance, fantasy, and spicy scenes!