Boyfriend From Hell (Falling Angels Saga, #1) by E. Van Lowe

Jun 10, 2011 Christopher rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm the editor and publisher of this book by the author of "Never Slow Dance With a Zombie." E. came to me because he wanted a new publisher and admired what I do. I read his manuscript and LOVED it. I'd never come across an edge-of-my-seat YA paranormal romance with humor before--well, outside of the later Harry Potter books if you count the romance elements. E. helped write and produce "The Cosby Show" with Bill Cosby, and wrote and produced many other sitcoms. He's now turning his talents to...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Booknut rated it 4 of 5 stars

"What happened to the good old days when mothers wore knee length skirts and spent all their time in the kitchen baking bread? Those mothers didn't care about dating, or questionnaires, or butts. All they cared about was how good their kitchens smelled. I suddenly had a taste for fresh baked bread.
She looked at me and smiled. "What do you say?"
"Sure," I replied weakly. "It'll be...fun. But let's order some cheesy bread."
It was as close as I was going to get to the good old days."

Every relationsh...more

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Sep 10, 2011 Donna (Girl Who Reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi-paranormal, for-review, young-adult

I really enjoyed this book. I had to put aside some of what I know to be true from my Christian education, but it wasn't so off the mark that it bothered me. Full review http://www.girl-who-reads.com/2011/09....

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Nov 11, 2011 Saewod Tice rated it 2 of 5 stars

Book Title: Boyfriend from Hell
Author: E Van Lowe
Published By: White Whisker Books
Recommended Age: 13+
Reviewed By: Saewod
Blog Reviewed For: Great Minds Think Aloud
Rating: 2 Ravens

“Fifteen year-old Megan Barnett and her single mom, Suze, have a special relationship—they are friends, close friends, who do almost everything together.

“But come on, guys, she’s my mother… Can I really tell her that while we’re snuggled up on the sofa watching Spider Man Three, I’m secretly undressing James Franco wit...more

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May 21, 2013 Brandee Price rated it 4 of 5 stars

Boyfriend From Hell was a fun read! It does feature a little darkness...Satan does make an appearance, after all. ;) But I enjoyed the story and getting to know all the characters.

Megan Barnett has a pretty sweet life. She has an awesome mom, great best friends, and a hot new guy just joined her mathlete team. But things begin to change the day her mom decides she'd like to have a boyfriend. Wait. What? Megan doesn't even have a boyfriend.

So, as Megan's mom, Suze, embarks on her quest to get a...more

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May 09, 2013 Lettee rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have had this book in my "Interesting Books to Read" list for a LONG time. I was going through the list a couple days ago and saw it. I decided to give it a try. It is really good! What surprised me the most was the way it's written. There isn't any grammatical errors that will cause you to stop and go WHAT?! or things that don't make sense throughout the story that I am finding a lot in other books lately. In this particular YA book you have a 15 year old girl who is extremely intelligent and...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-e-books, giveaway, favorites

Check out the book tour for all 3 books at my blog, click the button to go directly to it, and read some samples too

I enjoyed Boyfriend from Hell for the most part, I didn’t really connect with Megan at all, she was very immature in the beginning. She just didn’t ever seem to be happy for anyone else, like when her best friends Matt and Erin started to date, and when her mom wanted to date, and then started to. Well, I guess I should not have expected anything else, as she is 15, and I usually...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-on-kindle

“I have practiced that seductive smile in the mirror like a zillion times to perfection, and the first time I try using it on a real boy, I wind up looking like the Joker.” -pg. 14

“Let us pray. Dear almighty, please cast the satanic forces of evil from this house FOREVERRRR,” I cried, my voice booming. I looked up. Everyone was staring at me. “…Or, umm, we could sing happy birthday,” I mumbled sheepishly.

“...we high school girls dump friends over mature stuff like boys, and clothes, and gossip,...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Paula Phillips rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wanting a tale about Love and finding it in the wrong places and with the wrong people ? For as long as Megan can remember , it has just been her and her mum Suze. Their close relationship reminded me throughout the novel like Gilmore Girls with Rory and Lorelai. Something that many of us envy. When Suze decides it's time to start dating and getting out on the bandwagon , Megan is repulsed. How can her mum start dating and isn't she supposed to be the one dating as the daughter ? We read as Mega...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Loves To Dive rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fifteen year old Megan Barnett and her mom Suze have been best friends since Megan’s dad left ten years earlier; they love doing things with each other and tell each other everything. At least that was what Megan thought, until one day while polishing silver Suze tells her she has decided to start dating again. Megan doesn’t know how to deal with this, your mother doesn’t date and she most certainly doesn’t tell you about it. Imagine Megan’s surprise when, not only does her mom bring home a myst...more Fifteen year old Megan Barnett and her mom Suze have been best friends since Megan’s dad left ten years earlier; they love doing things with each other and tell each other everything. At least that was what Megan thought, until one day while polishing silver Suze tells her she has decided to start dating again. Megan doesn’t know how to deal with this, your mother doesn’t date and she most certainly doesn’t tell you about it. Imagine Megan’s surprise when, not only does her mom bring home a mysterious, hunky guy, but also Megan becomes involved with a new guy at school, too. Megan gets a bad vibe from her mom’s beau, Armando, and solicits the help of her two best friends to get to the bottom of the matter.

Things go from bad to worse, Megan and Suze’s relationship is tested to its limits. Megan’s friends think she has gone crazy. Megan discovers that being the bad girl is not always what it’s knocked up to be and she learns that kissing is a pleasant past time. What a lot for a girl to deal with, but Megan is up for the task.

Boyfriend From Hell is a fun, somewhat tongue in cheek story that starts with a laugh and keeps them coming throughout the entire book. Megan is a smart young lady, she’s in all the advanced classes and along with one of her best friend, Erin, is a true member of the geek squad. Megan is not one of the in crowd, whom she has dubbed The Poplarati. She is comfortable with who she is, but she wouldn’t mind possibly having a foot in the door. Her other best friend is Matt, an outstanding athlete, he actually is a member of The Poplarati, yet has been Megan’s best friend since they were five years old. The three friends do everything together and their bond is unbreakable, or least that’s what Megan thinks. She will find out that sometimes friends aren’t who we think they are, and she will also learn that new friends can come from strange relationships. She is wary of hunky Guy Matson when he starts flirting with her. After all, he is a strange mixture of geek and hunk. Who knew that even existed? I enjoyed Megan. She made me laugh more than once, and her tenacity appealed to me.

Like Megan, I was suspicious of Guy in the beginning; he seemed too good to be true. I give him credit for hanging in there though and he did introduce Megan to a whole new world. I would most definitely have been attracted to him when I was 15; he was a great mixture of good boy/bad boy. Who doesn’t like that in a guy?

The side characters gave us some good moments, as well. I didn’t like Erin as a friend, and she didn’t seem as loyal as she should have been. I enjoyed getting to know Suze and could feel for her since I was a single mom attempting to have a life of my own at one time as well. I can understand how she was attracted to Armando, who wouldn’t be? He was attractive, there was a bit of mystery about him and he seemed to be successful as an art dealer. Matt was an odd choice of best friend but he and Megan made it work.

This was just a fun book to read, it kept me engaged and I read it from beginning to end without putting it down. There is an interesting paranormal element going on that we get a hint at in the beginning and it builds to an exciting end that I didn’t completely see coming. I was a little shocked by the level of kissing that went on between Guy and Megan. I admit it has been a long time since I was 15, but it seemed pretty intense to me. There is no sex here; Megan is only 15 after all, as I mentioned some intense kissing but PG rated. There is a tiny bit of violence, nothing graphic, and what you would expect given the devil is involved (and no I didn’t just give anything away, look at the title). I would recommend this book to anyone, young or old, that enjoys a good chuckle, some demon action, a cute romance and even a tear or two.

Reviewed as a Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review team

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Feb 02, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Book Title: Boyfriend From Hell

Author: E. Van Lowe

Published By: White Whisker Books

Genre: Young Adult

Recommended Age: 13+

Reviewed By: Emily Tuley / AngelsCryHavoc

Blog Reviewed For: Great Minds Think Aloud Literary Community

Rating: 3.5 Ravens

This was hard to decide as the story and the basis were very good however, I had a few complaints on just a few things. Before I delve into those I want to touch on the other things that made me really enjoy this book and why it’s one of the first half point...more Book Title: Boyfriend From Hell

Author: E. Van Lowe

Published By: White Whisker Books

Genre: Young Adult

Recommended Age: 13+

Reviewed By: Emily Tuley / AngelsCryHavoc

Blog Reviewed For: Great Minds Think Aloud Literary Community

Rating: 3.5 Ravens

This was hard to decide as the story and the basis were very good however, I had a few complaints on just a few things. Before I delve into those I want to touch on the other things that made me really enjoy this book and why it’s one of the first half points I’ve EVER given in a review. The story of Megan and her mother was very realistic and touching on some levels. The close friendship between the single mom and only daughter kept a smile on my face as it’s often not the case with most books and the single parent a lot of times the child is rebellious of the parent seems detached, self centered and clueless. The disconnection of the family making it easier to pull the teen off on the adventure and not focus the story around the family at all. I was glad to see that the mother held a very significant part and that the story was about more than the teenage love affair. Megan was even at times that frustrating teenager that I myself wanted to ground and send to her room for a while cause of her attitude. Then when the reasons were shown it was even better in truth out of her anger and jealousy it showed that it was love she had for her friends and family causing her reactions and doing the things she was doing.

Now to touch on the topic of Guy I have to agree to an extent with a lot of others and some that I have talked and shared this book with. We wish there was a little more involvement with him aside from the small specs of him here and there it left him being almost obscure perhaps that was in preparation for the second book in this series and perhaps there we will see more of his roll within this series but, If not I’m a little torn as to the purpose of Guy at all other than that paranormal love interest of the heroine girl. Which leads to my final thing of happiness, I’m glad to see a girl that is so not so dependant upon a male or someone else to save her or help the situation rather I got to see not one but two very strong girls with two different backgrounds come together to make a united front against Satan as they try to save Megan’s mother as well as each other. Maudy the outcast girl was pulled in and I loved the way the author formed the unlikely friendship between the two girls and showed that true friendship is in the oddest places.

Between the risk of loosing everyone she loves, loosing her best friends and being stabbed in the back by one of them. It’s a paranormal tail that I really enjoyed and actually look forward to the next book . I just wish this one would have been a little longer and perhaps a little more detail however that lead to my 3.5 rating as it was a really good book and really great concept just needed a little more in the nudge of detail for me.
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Dec 16, 2011 Donna (BLHmistress) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I knew when I saw this title I had to read this book. Can you imagine after having a super close relationship with your mother for several years its just you and her then one day she decides she wants to date again. I can't honestly picture it not when I was a teenager anyway.

I enjoyed the relationship Megan had not just with her mother but with her best friends. Then this cute boy walks in her life, a bad boy who has her doing things she would never dream of doing.I could honestly feel her frus...more

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Sep 16, 2011 Andrea Guy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, bewitchingbooktours, paranormal, young-adult

This is a really unique YA story. E. Van Lowe has given readers a great twist on the paranormal. No vampires, mummies or holy ghosts here. Nope. Just the devil and he's looking for a bride!

Megan is not the most endearing heroine's. She's a bit spoiled and selfish when it comes to her mom, Suze getting back in the dating game. There are times when you really want to hit her, but her obnoxiousness and jealousy is real. Devil or not, I think most teenage girls would feel the same way she did if the...more

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Sep 15, 2011 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ok my peeps, we have a new hot book here on our hands and I mean smoking hot. I read this book in a day and a half it was that good, I even got caught at work having a peek into the next chapter, lol no worries though I was on my lunch break. When I started this book I though this would be a read for a younger generation but to my surprise this book totally sucked me in right from get go and didn't let go until I was done. No that's wrong, it still has a hold on me to the point I email Mr Lowe t...more Ok my peeps, we have a new hot book here on our hands and I mean smoking hot. I read this book in a day and a half it was that good, I even got caught at work having a peek into the next chapter, lol no worries though I was on my lunch break. When I started this book I though this would be a read for a younger generation but to my surprise this book totally sucked me in right from get go and didn't let go until I was done. No that's wrong, it still has a hold on me to the point I email Mr Lowe the Author and begged him to please let me be one of the bloggers to be able to read/review the second book in the series. Boyfriend From Hell has the first chapter of the next book at the end of it and I couldn't put it down. He said yes by the way lol so stay tuned for that review.

It was an easy book to read but don't read it to fast or you will miss some details that are very important. Megan and her mom are the very best of friends and when her mom says she is going to start dating, Megan has a very bad feeling about this, and not too long after her mom starts dating she is proved right about her bad feeling when her mom meets Armando, a very yummy handsome Italian art dealer...so they think that's what he is. Not long after mom meets Armando, Megan meets Guy a deliciously handsome new student at her school. Now they both have hot new men, but something is just not right about mom's and something about Megan's is a little of kilter as well.

Megan's best friends Matt and Erin think she is crazy when she has announced that she thinks her mom's boyfriend is Satan....yes Satan himself. So they give her a week to prove it or lose them forever. As Megan sets out to prove she is not crazy, all hell breaks loose, literally all hell breaks loose.
I really liked Megan, at first she come's off as a spoiled brat who is being selfish not wanting to give up her mom's attention or affection, but as the book goes on you start to really like her more and more. I love her strength and persistence trying to save her mom and the love she has for her. I know this feeling as my mom means so very much to me as well. This story will take you through all kinds of paths and just when you think you have this story all wrapped up and figured out the Author sends you down a totally different path you absolutely did not see coming. I loved all the twists and turns and roller coaster ride he takes you on with this book, it was an awesome ride. I will not give anymore away, you will just have to pick up your copy cause if I say anymore I will spoil it for you and we all know I hate being spoiled. This is a total must read. If you would like a preview of Mr. Lowe's book the first four chapters (pdf) of Boyfriend From Hell are available for free right now on my website. Readers can go to http://evanlowe.com/ and click on theBoyfriend From Hell Sample link to get it. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. (less)

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Sep 10, 2011 NebraskaIcebergs rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Even though horror is not my typical read, I’ve already started telling my adolescent siblings about Boyfriend from Hell. This book has something for both genders. It has romance, mixed in with the ups and downs of high school friendships and mother-daughter relationships. It has horror and mystery, mixed in with sports talk. Thrown in for good measure are chapters about a math club and competition, along with lots and lots and lots of humor. I enjoyed practically all of Boyfriend from Hell, whi...more Even though horror is not my typical read, I’ve already started telling my adolescent siblings about Boyfriend from Hell. This book has something for both genders. It has romance, mixed in with the ups and downs of high school friendships and mother-daughter relationships. It has horror and mystery, mixed in with sports talk. Thrown in for good measure are chapters about a math club and competition, along with lots and lots and lots of humor. I enjoyed practically all of Boyfriend from Hell, which means not only am I recommending it but I will also be watching for the sequel.

Fifteen-year-old Megan Barnett is a fairly typical teenage girl. She is smart enough to be a straight “A” student and on the math team. At the same time, she’s attracted to the cool, cute new boy at her high school. She has two best friends, whom she’s known almost all her life. She is equally close to her single mom. The special bonds she shares with all of them change when her mother starts to date. Yes, so far, Boyfriend from Hell sounds like a fairly typical teen romance. In a sense it is, with a whole lot of heart and humor combined.

If you think about the title, you’ll realize that there’s more to Boyfriend from Hell than meets the eye. E. Van Lowe isn’t writing about the dates where your date puts his foot in his mouth or spills food on your clothes or even about a late or no-show date. He also isn’t writing about the boyfriends who value their cars and ESPN ahead of their girlfriends or even those who put them down and push them around. No, at first sight, the mysterious man who enters her mom’s life acts like the perfect gentlemen. Okay, I know that’s how most bad guys start out. Yet Armando is the worst boyfriend imaginable; He is Satan, literally, and he’s seeking a bride who will also bear him a child. Think “Rosemary’s Baby” and you’ll feel the right amount of creepiness about Boyfriend from Hell.

At the start I noted that horror is not my typical read. The nice thing about Boyfriend from Hell is that the horror is subtle and amounts to a whole lot of foreshadowing, as in this example: “She is also one of my best friends. Well…. She was before our lives went to hell in a hand basket. Guess I shouldn’t use that word too freely around here. Hell, I mean.” For awhile, pretty much every chapter has a line like this, to the point that I did start to wonder if the foreshadowing was being overdone . Soon though , Megan discovers Armando’s true identity. Then the foreshadowing clues disappear and instead we’re left with a blood-curdling read as Megan tries to unmask him, confront him, and stop Satan from his evil plan.

Another nice thing about Boyfriend from Hell is that E. Van Lowe takes his time to develop the story, the characters, and even the settings. At first, the story is simply about Megan’s angst over her mother’s decision to start dating again. Megan’s closeness to her single mom resembles the one I share with my dad and so their intimacy often made me smile. Megan has known the boy next door since age five when he showed up with his mom to welcome Megan and her mom to the neighborhood. When his mom handed over a dish of her famous apple cheesecake burritos, Matt peeked out and said, “They’re good.” From then on, they were joined at the hip. She has known Erin since age nine when their teacher sat them next to one another. A week later, their teacher separated them but by then they were thick as thieves. These details add depth to Boyfriend from Hell. As does the friendship that Megan ultimately develops with Mariana. The friendship is interesting, because Megan at first only turns to Mariana after Erin and her have a fight. The fight occurs, after Megan accuses her mom’s boyfriend of being bad but initially doesn’t have any specific reasons except that a creepy old lady watches him. The descriptions also sucked me in, starting with this one on the very first page: “I knew we’d be slipping into our snuggies. That’s how Januaries are in the desert….” I love how cozy that image makes me feel.

My favorite thing about Boyfriend from Hell is the humor, which is mostly in the situations. For example, as open as Megan’s relationship is with her mother , she has limits. Does she want her mom to confide with her about being French kissed? When Megan thinks about how she can stop her mom from dating, she takes an idea from her friend. Her mom tried to keep her from riding in cars with boys by telling her horror stories. Megan decides to turn the tables by telling her a graphic horror story about some parent at her school who went on a date. Other times the humor is in the dialog. When Megan is having a little chat with Satan, he toys with her: “That was a delightful party. Holy water, crucifixes, prayers. You’re a regular Martha Stewart, aren’t you?” I couldn’t help it. Even though this is perhaps one of the creepiest chapters in the book, I laughed at their banter.

As for what I didn’t like, there isn’t much. The battle scenes with Satan bordered on being too violent. Like in typical horror movies, the bruised and bleeding heroines seem to recharge ridiculously quick. Remember, we’re reading about humans; not machines. Otherwise, there were two twists that left me feeling betrayed. As I noted earlier, foreshadowing was strong in Boyfriend from Hell and so prepared me for the revelation that Armando was Satan. Unfortunately, the two twists felt like bombs. I’m not even sure they’re good surprises.

Sample chapters of Boyfriend from Hell are already available online. Check them out and then look for Boyfriend from Hell at your local library. Boyfriend from Hell was released a week ago and so should already be on shelves near you. Be prepared to laugh and smile, but also to feel chilled. Be sure to keep your loved one nearby as you flip pages.(less)

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Jul 12, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was excited to get an ARC of this book to read and I wasn't disappointed. It was a quick and fun read!

Megan and her mom are great friends! They have been since Megan's father left when Megan was little. As Megan is getting older however, she is finding it harder to talk to her mom about certain things....like boys. Suze however wants to talk to Megan about dating, especially since Suze is starting to date again. Megan tries to be supportive when Suze starts dating Armand but there is soon ten...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Nikki rated it 4 of 5 stars

I always enjoy a fun paranormal YA read, and Boyfriend From Hell by E. Van Lowe certainly came through on both the fun and the paranormal. Ever since she was a little girl and her father left, Megan and her mom Suze have been closer than mother and daughter- they’ve been each other’s best friends. For years, their routine consisted of hunting down old treasures at various types of sales, cooking dinner together, settling in front of the TV to watch chick-flicks, and just spending a lot of time b...more I always enjoy a fun paranormal YA read, and Boyfriend From Hell by E. Van Lowe certainly came through on both the fun and the paranormal. Ever since she was a little girl and her father left, Megan and her mom Suze have been closer than mother and daughter- they’ve been each other’s best friends. For years, their routine consisted of hunting down old treasures at various types of sales, cooking dinner together, settling in front of the TV to watch chick-flicks, and just spending a lot of time bonding. But now, Megan is 15, and starting to feel uncomfortable talking to her mom about boys, just when her Mom REALLY wants to start talking about them. Suze decides she’s ready to get back into the dating game, and who better to share that news with than her best friend? Megan doesn’t take it very well when her mom starts dating the handsome, exotic Armand, although she tries to put on a supportive show at first. But her mistrust of the man rears its ugly head and causes all sorts of friction between mother and daughter.Meanwhile, Megan meets her own sexy stranger- bad-boy GuyMatson, and experiences her first whirlwind adventure of falling in love. Unfortunately, one of these two new love interests is the Devil himself, and unless Megan can find a way to stop him, either her or her mom will become the new bride of Satan.

The one thing I want to point out is that Megan is very annoying the first half of the book. You will want to throttle her several times before page 100. But I also want to point out that she HAS to be this way to be a realistic character within the confines of the story. She is a teenager in love for the first time, which is confusing enough, but to top it off, her mother- the one person that she always had completely by her side- is now suddenly splitting her attention between Megan and her new love interest. Megan can’t possibly react to this in a manner other than which she does and still be seen as a realistic teenager. Add to all of that the fact that Megan’s other two best friends- those her own age- are now an item, and you can kind of see how Megan is reduced to a whining, petty, jealous child. She does redeem herself though, so cut her some slack until you get past her initial poor behavior.

Boyfriend From Hell is the first book in a new series, and it does a good job of providing a strong basis for future stories. The main issue is resolved, so you’re not left with a massive cliff-hanger, but it does hint to future problems for Megan just enough to make me want to continue reading the series. It’s a fast read that is a kind of a cross between Gilmore Girls, Charmed, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.(less)

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May 21, 2013 Zachary Flye rated it 3 of 5 stars

Originally posted on my blog, Zach's YA Reviews (zachsyareviews.com)

Review:

Characters: The characters in this book seem unreal, and I'm not talking about the good kind either. These characters seem to conform to the whim of the author rather than setting themselves as unique characters with original personalities, instead they change so much that it's hard to keep up with what truly makes them unique and special. It was weird reading from the first person perspective because as soon as Megan, th...more Originally posted on my blog, Zach's YA Reviews (zachsyareviews.com)

Review:

Characters: The characters in this book seem unreal, and I'm not talking about the good kind either. These characters seem to conform to the whim of the author rather than setting themselves as unique characters with original personalities, instead they change so much that it's hard to keep up with what truly makes them unique and special. It was weird reading from the first person perspective because as soon as Megan, the protagonist, did something that would have been out of character for herself she would acknowledge it and then move on as though by realizing it, it made up for the sudden character change. I know it sounds weird, but these characters had no minds of their own and they seemed to be wholly controlled by the author's plan, no matter how uncharacteristic it may seem.

Romance: The romance, seemed not only a bit rushed, not quite an insta-love though, but somewhere in between that and a slow burn. In addition to it's weird growth, the romance kind of fades in and out of the story. There's even a point when the love interest is barely mentioned for a long stretch of time only to come back randomly. There's no real love triangle in this book but there are plenty of hints to a more distasteful one that popped up every now and again.

World-Building: The world-building may have been the saving grace, no pun intended, of this book. While I'm a sucker for angel lore books, this one is wholly unique as for most of the book there was no reference or even a hint of foreshadowing to the paranormal, in fact when there was finally a bit of paranormal activity going on it had less to do with angels and more to do with Satan, who yes I know is a fallen angel, but I'm hoping you get what I mean. The description is a bit misleading as implies that both Megan's and her mother's boyfriend are prospectively the devil incarnate, however it's very clear when that plot point is even referenced which one is carrying the pitchfork. Also, some chapters open up with random flashbacks, that have no reason of being there except to be vaguely referenced much later on.

Predictability: While I can say that most of this book is predictable, I cannot say that the rest is unpredictable, because that would imply that it made sense. Honestly the parts of this book that caught me off-guard were random at best, things were revealed that not only seemed to come out of no where but didn't seem to fit the character or really the storyline at all. I have to say it was a bit weird to read one chapter and have the next begin with something that seems so ludicrous that I have to read it a few times to realize that I made no mistake in what I read.

Ending: The ending was also a bit off, it seemed pretty rushed yet it dragged on for a while after the final confrontation. It tried wrapping things up but it was choppy and didn't really make sense since the events that were taking place seemed so out of place that it wasn't like I was reading an ending but more of a last minute epilogue.

Rating:

After all that I was sure I was going to rate this 1.5 crests, but in actuality I enjoyed the story a lot. It's kind of like a guilty pleasure, while the writing is ridiculous and the characters are puppets to the whims of the author with no real personalities of their own, the story is addicting and fun to read if only to laugh over the absurd writing and plot.

Question: In honor of this series being my new guilty pleasure, What's your guilty pleasure book or book series?

P.S. Do you guys like that I'm asking a question at the end of my reviews? I thought it would be a fun way to comment on reviews and a great way to learn more about you guys! :)
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Dec 14, 2012 Mpb marked it as to-read

Shelves: wishlist

Goodreads Synopsis:

Fifteen year-old Megan Barnett and her single mom, Suze, have a special relationship—they are friends, close friends, who do almost everything together.

“But come on, guys, she’s my mother… Can I really tell her that while we’re snuggled up on the sofa watching Spider Man Three, I’m secretly undressing James Franco with my eyes? Of course not…”

The special bond takes a turn for the worse when Suze decides to start dating again. She hasn’t had a man in her life since Megan’s fa...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Cocktails and Books rated it 3 of 5 stars

Megan Barnett and her mother, Suze, are best friends. Megan has always been able to share her secrets with her mother and enjoyed all the special girl outings the two went on...no matter what they were. But when her mother decides to dip her toe in the dating pool, Megan sees her life as she knows it changing and not for the better.

While Megan's plans to undermine her mother's first online boyfriend seem to work, she's not so lucky with suave, handsome and mysterious Armando. Being an art dealer...more Megan Barnett and her mother, Suze, are best friends. Megan has always been able to share her secrets with her mother and enjoyed all the special girl outings the two went on...no matter what they were. But when her mother decides to dip her toe in the dating pool, Megan sees her life as she knows it changing and not for the better.

While Megan's plans to undermine her mother's first online boyfriend seem to work, she's not so lucky with suave, handsome and mysterious Armando. Being an art dealer, he has an immediate connection with Suze, but Megan feels like something is off with him.

She soon becomes obsessed with coming between Suze and Amando. She's so obsessed that she begins alienating her long time best friends, Matt and Erica. But her obsession does start to reveal that maybe, just maybe her suspicions were correct and Armando really is the boyfriend from hell.

I'm a bit on the fence about this one. Depending on how I look at this, it could be a really good book or one that could be passed up. Why, do you ask?

The premise was good:
Megan having issues with her mom now starting to date and then finding a man who was too good to be true was what any teenager would feel. It begs the questions: where will I fit in with my mom's new life.
Megan feeling things were a bit off with "too good to be true" Armando. Armando was a little to slick and that truly would raise alarm in anyone.
Megan having issues with her two best friends dating....again completely understandable. The dynamics of their little threesome has changed and left Megan wondering where she fit it.
But even with those key plot points pointing us towards a really good book, I got lost in the schizophrenia type twists and turns Megan would make with her thought processes and decisions. Now, I realize she was fifteen and at that age none of us made the wisest decisions, but hers just seemed over the top (ex: she wouldn't sneak out of the house to go meet with ultra hot Guy because she wasn't sure about him, but she'll sneak out of the house to see what's happening at Armando's house where she suspects he's up to no good).

My other issue was with the Guy storyline. It almost felt as if he should have had a more vital part to the whole storyline, but instead he was pushed back to a bit part and left to give us a tiny explanation at the very end.

Now, this is my very adult point of view. I may expect a bit more of my good versus evil showdowns, but that's not to say a YA reader in the appropriate age bracket would not adore this story. It for that teen audience and their ability to connect and appreciate Megan more than I could that I give the three cocktail rating.

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Aug 24, 2011 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book defies the traditions of the paranormal romance realm and delves into the deep end. With shocking twists at every turn, the main character, Megan feels like she doesn’t know who is who anymore or what is going on, as her life totally changes once her mom starts dating. The man seems perfect, almost too good to be true, (in her mom’s eyes, at least) until she digs up some serious dirt on him. Not your average dirt either. But no one believes her, because it sounds too crazy. Who would b...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Mello ❣ Illium ✮Harry✮ ☀Myrnin☀ Torin Ichimaru rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, gotta-love-bad-boys, angels, august-december-reading-challenge, demons, mello-s-october-challenge, paranormal-romance, witches

I stayed up late to finish this, mostly because I wanted to get through it. It was an alright book. Definitely not anything special, but it had some funny moments and I didn't hate it.

I didn't connect with any of the characters and really wasn't caring about what would happen to Megan. First, she was incredibly selfish about her mom getting into the dating game. Then, after her kiss with Guy, she turned into a bitch. (view spoiler)...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Lindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-ebook-challenge, ya-paranormal, blog-review

Boyfriend From Hell by E. Van Lowe is an excellent read. It stands out in the Young Adult genre as a book that has the perfect balance of fun, fantasy, mystery, humor, and romance, which harmoniously blend together to create a highly entertaining fast-paced read. The protagonist Megan is a typical 15 year old full of angst. She has a very special relationship with her single mother Suze, and her childhood friends Erin and Matt. However, Megan becomes conflicted when Suze wants to get back into t...more Boyfriend From Hell by E. Van Lowe is an excellent read. It stands out in the Young Adult genre as a book that has the perfect balance of fun, fantasy, mystery, humor, and romance, which harmoniously blend together to create a highly entertaining fast-paced read. The protagonist Megan is a typical 15 year old full of angst. She has a very special relationship with her single mother Suze, and her childhood friends Erin and Matt. However, Megan becomes conflicted when Suze wants to get back into the dating world. At the same time that Suze begins dating, Megan meets the dark and dreamy Guy Matson. As daughter and mother enter a new phase in their lives, nothing will ever be the same again.

There are many reasons that I enjoyed Boyfriend From Hell. First, the storyline was entertaining and executed beautifully. Megan came across as an authentic teenager, from the way she spoke, the way she acted, and the way she thought. Many times in YA stories, the character doesn't have the voice of a teenager, and instead sounds like an adult trying to sound like a teenager, or slang is overused and the story becomes lacking in believability. Another aspect of the story I enjoyed was the humor. I kept catching myself smiling or chuckling when I was reading. Several times I was asked, "what's so funny?" Well, this story had me cracking up. Also, while Megan had a love interest in Boyfriend From Hell, it did not detract in any way from the rest of the story. I enjoyed a few plot twists and I loved the way Mr. Van Lowe ended the story. My interest was piqued, and I cannot wait to see how the sequel unfolds.

I highly recommend Boyfriend From Hell, if you're looking for a fun, entertaining, fast paced YA paranormal read. This story has a wide range of appeal, and a little bit of everything which will attract both young adult, as well as adult readers. The bottom line is I give Boyfriend From Hell 4 1/2 Fun Humor-Filled Stars!

For more reviews go to http://www.abookishescape.com (less)

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Jan 04, 2013 Tammy rated it 5 of 5 stars

When the book opens we are introduced to our main character/heroine in training Megan Barnett. Megan is a fifteen year old high school student who lives with her mom, Suze in a sheltered existence. Her two best friends are Erin and Matt. Her world seems perfect until Suze wants to start dating again. What is up with that? And now, Erin and Matt are dating each other! Megan is starting to feel left out, alone and just a bit jealous. Enter the handsome and too good to be true Guy. He is smart, sex...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Lesley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: on-the-kindle

I was given a copy of Boyfriend From Hell in exchange for a fair review.

Books with Satanism are not one of my usual genres, so I don't think it would be a book that I would have picked off the library shelves to read. However, I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised to find that the writing was excellent, the characters were well developed throughout the book and the story came full circle into a nice, somewhat unpredictable ending for me.

Megan and her mom Suze are best friends. Ever since...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Fallon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: angels, kindle, paranormal, pnr, series, young-adult, demons

This was a cute little book. I found it rather entertaining, it has funny aspects to it especially in the beginning. I found the writing very enjoyable as well and the story ok. By reading the description of the book I already knew what was going to happen, it was the who that was in question and that became obvious fairly quickly, BUT there were still some surprises in the end. Megan is a somewhat typical fifteen year old, she is a cute and smart girl who would rather been on a math team than s...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, signed, books-i-own

3.5 stars
Hmmm, I enjoyed reading Boyfriend from Hell and I was hooked from the beginning but as I started getting into the book - about half way - my interest was losing but something kept me reading. E. Van Lowe did a great job of putting humour into this book and he had me laughing aloud!
I have rated Boyfriend from Hell as 3.5 stars because I felt as when I was reading near to the end of the novel that there were some things that were unexplained and when there were action-y scenes with Arman...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Jill Swanson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, arc-and-giveaway, blog-review

I have a great interview with the author, E. Van Lowe, up on my blog along with my review!
http://littlehyuts.blogspot.com/

Boyfriend From Hell warrants a definite fours stars from me!
E. has an excellent writing style that keeps you engaged through out the whole book. He uses an excellent mixture of humor and drama to weave together a riveting tale.
The paranormal aspect of the story starts off light. You get a hint of the other worldly and it slowly builds until the action packed conclusion. This...more I have a great interview with the author, E. Van Lowe, up on my blog along with my review!
http://littlehyuts.blogspot.com/

Boyfriend From Hell warrants a definite fours stars from me!
E. has an excellent writing style that keeps you engaged through out the whole book. He uses an excellent mixture of humor and drama to weave together a riveting tale.
The paranormal aspect of the story starts off light. You get a hint of the other worldly and it slowly builds until the action packed conclusion. This book is a definite page turner, one that I couldn't put down.
E's characters are wonderfully constructed and delightfully realistic. I loved that the main character, Megan, was intelligent and full of whit.
Megan's relationship with her mother was one of my favorite aspects of the book. Their relationship is so endearing and spot on for that of a single mom and her teenage daughter.
You feel their bond and the heart ache that comes when that bond wavers even the slightest bit.
The story moved along quickly and there was never a dull moment. From Guy's first appearance to the shocking end events.
I won't give anything away, but there is a definite "Oh my goodness" moment near the end. E. has crafted the twists in the plot perfectly!
The only thing I have reservations about is Guy's part in Megan's life. As a character he is so great and has so much potential, yet we really did not see too much of him through out the story. I would love to have seen more of the budding romance between him and Megan and more on his background as well. However, I have a feeling he will be prominent in book two. So as far as Guy being used to set the stage for book two, I think it was well played. Certainly left me wanting to know more!
Besides, this book was more about Megan overcoming her obstacles and saving those she loved. You certainly shouldn't be late to fight the devil because you are snogging in the hallway ^^
Which by the way, I was happy to see that E. kept the romance to that befitting a fifteen year old. I am never too fond of books that have heated romance when the characters are supposedly young teens.
I can not wait to read the sequel and upcoming books in this series!
I would highly recommend this book to Young Adult readers who love light humor, romance and the paranormal! (less)

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Jun 21, 2012 DemonKitty003 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not bad but yet there was little to be excited about. I easily connected with Megan since I know personaly how it is like to have a mother and no father there. And when the mother starts dating, I really enjoyed how Megan tried to ruin it. I'd do the same to get my mother away from anyone. Then the roll switched, how the mother didn't want Megan near Guy.

Pay back can be a real pain in the ass. If I was Megan, I'd ignore my mother's word and see the dude (or angel in this case). The mother needs...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Sapphyria rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a pretty good YA book. When Megan's mom, who's been single for as long as Megan can remember, decides to start dating, Megan's not quite sure that's a good idea. I love the tight relationship that Megan and her mom, Suze, have in this book. When Suze dates her first guy, Megan is not at all impressed by him. Megan send a small prayer, wishing her mom to find someone worthy of her. Shortly thereafter Guy, a new guy to Megan's school, who is hotter than sin itself, comes to town and has h...more

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