Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

by Jayde Scott (Goodreads Author)

3.6 of 5 stars 3.60 · rating details · 3,494 ratings · 449 reviews

Alternate Cover for ASIN B004YTI17M

The moment Amber starts her summer job in Scotland and sets eyes upon Aidan, her fate is sealed. Summoned by an ancient bond, she can never love another. Lost in the woods one night Amber enters Aidan's deadly world when she unknowingly participates in a paranormal race and promptly wins the first prize...a prize worth killing for.

In a wo...more

Kindle Edition, 374 pages

Published May 11th 2011 by Aurora Press (first published April 30th 2011)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

FREE Ebooks For Teens

28th out of 243 books — 303 voters

The Lady in Black

36th out of 154 books — 26 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jan 20, 2012 Warnie B. rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011, fantasy, vampires, young-adult, e-books, ghosts-and-spirits, scotland, hated-with-a-passion

Omg, no. I'm not sure why I even bothered to start this, except for it was $.99 and has like 8,000 five-star reviews. I can understand the $.99 part, but the five-star reviews? Nope. Must be from all those folks who love the Casts' House of Night series. Amber and Dallas are the absolute stupidest characters I've come across in a very long while, and the whole set-up is just...so badly done. It reads very much like a first draft to me, like Scott was just sort of coming up with things as she wen...more

26 likes · like · see review

May 31, 2011 Miss Reviewer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Head over to yabookscentral.com for more of my reviews.
I was torn between 4 and 5 stars. Everyone who knows me knows I don't give 5 stars easily. In the end, I decided it deserved five stars rather than four because it truly stands out from the crowd and was one of the most entertaining, action packed and funny books I've read in a long time. I'm not going to sum up the plot because others have done it before me. Here's what I liked and what I didn't like so much.
To begin with, the punctuation i...more Head over to yabookscentral.com for more of my reviews.
I was torn between 4 and 5 stars. Everyone who knows me knows I don't give 5 stars easily. In the end, I decided it deserved five stars rather than four because it truly stands out from the crowd and was one of the most entertaining, action packed and funny books I've read in a long time. I'm not going to sum up the plot because others have done it before me. Here's what I liked and what I didn't like so much.
To begin with, the punctuation is British English. This is a long book, think 430-450 print pages, with plenty of action. At less than a dollar, it was a bargain. I expected it to slow down in the middle, but instead, the pace picked up even more. There's so much plot, most authors would probably have turned this into three books. Even still, it doesn't read rushed. The world building is very well done. The characters are enticing, diverse and likeable. The plot kept me on edge. By chapter three, I was completely pulled in and couldn't stop reading.

+ excellent writing with an intrinsic plot and description
+ good editing with no grammar or spelling issues
+ the main character, Amber, wasn't your usual whiny heroine. She actually had a backbone. That's commendable nowadays when every book seems to feature someone who keeps moaning, whining, complaining and so forth
+ a very original plot with many new paranormal elements that haven't been done before. Yes, we had vampires already, but it's not all about them. We also have Shadows (a group of immortal warriors), succubi, a demi goddess, demons, ghosts, a fallen angel in the form of Lucifer's daughter.
+ it can be read as a stand alone novel because the story per se is rounded up and complete, with a few elements left open for further exploration in future books
+ it was one of the most hilarious books I've ever read, if not the most hilarious one
+ on the cover you see a girl in the middle of nowhere, lost, scared, but going on, still fighting. It suits the main character seventeen year old Amber. In a time when covers are often chosen for the sake of attracting readers rather than to tell the story of the book, this cover is a breath of fresh air.

- it's advertised as grade 8 and up. At times, the language was advanced, so I'm thinking more grade 9 and up.
- don't get me wrong, I liked Amber, but I felt Cass stole the show. I can't wait to read more about her.

Even though I usually reserve 5 stars for the classics out there, it really deserves 5, no question about that. Thoroughly recommended!(less)

22 likes · like · see review

Sep 08, 2012 Mercy Dragonslayer rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of those books--one of the LEADING of those books--where I just really can't say what I hated the most! Was it the moronic Amber who can't make up her mind about anything and whines like a neglected teakettle stuck in a time-loop? Was it the dumb, dumb, DUMB Aidan who, throughout the entire book, is sticking his face in beehives, tripping over his own feet, or serenading a girl he shared all of three words with? Was it the cardboard secondary characters, who sit around and twiddle th...more

12 likes · like · see review

Oct 29, 2012 Melanie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

Gah.

There are so many things that annoy me about this book. So I'm not going to go into it too much, otherwise it'll just turn into a rant.

It has all the cliches of a paranormal romance, and all the characters are quite flat. The lead - Amber - is supposed to be all strong-willed and adjusts to the idea of vampires/demons etc. very quickly, yet gets talked into stealing some jewels in about 30 seconds flat. She can't make up her mind about Aiden (gorgeous vampire cliche - check!) and seems to go...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 07, 2011 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. My thoughts? The cover was definitly an eye-catcher. That's what lead me to 'A Job From Hell' in the first place(it was b/c of the title too). And when I read the summary I made up my mind- Read it is. Once I was through half the book I realized this wasn't what I expected(in a good way). The most lovable thing is -what else?- the relationship. Amber and Aidan are great together. You have all the conflicts and humor(Bonus!). Also the wonderful characters- Cass and Kieran always getting on top of...more

9 likes · like · see review

Oct 07, 2011 Carly rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: could-not-be-bothered-finishing

Having just completed an epic fantasy series I have spent the past 3 hours trolling Goodreads to find a new series to sink my teeth into. That's right - 3 hours of going though the lists, reading the reviews and deciding if I felt like sticking with the historical/magical fantasy adventures or dipping back into the vampire genre of which there is a disgustingly high amount of seriously crappy reads that upset my inner hippy when I think about all the poor trees who gave their lives in the proces...more Having just completed an epic fantasy series I have spent the past 3 hours trolling Goodreads to find a new series to sink my teeth into. That's right - 3 hours of going though the lists, reading the reviews and deciding if I felt like sticking with the historical/magical fantasy adventures or dipping back into the vampire genre of which there is a disgustingly high amount of seriously crappy reads that upset my inner hippy when I think about all the poor trees who gave their lives in the process. There were many, many books that offered plots far more interesting to me at this moment however, the amount of excellent reviews for this book caught my eye and thus, I began the search for an ebook version.

Admittedly I have only read the first 15 pages, but I am dumbfounded, so much so that I have actually written a review (of the 200+ books I have read since I was lucky enough to come across Goodreads I think I may have possibly written 1 or 2 and they were nice ones)

Issue 1 - The mention of McDonalds. Really..3 mentions in the first 10 pages- are you being paid for these mentions Ms Scott? or is this a diabolical plot that, in the hopes that some mickyD honcho will read your book and offer you free cheeseburgers for life?

Issue 2 - The cab driver, you jump in a cab and they agree to drop you somewhere for $20 then, when you're 10 minutes from the location they dump you out on the side of the road AT NIGHT, offer no real explanation, won't even get out and get your bag from the trunk then ask for $30 instead of the aforementioned $20 ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? I'm from Australia, we are a laid back people but come on, do this to me and I will likely swear my head off at you, refuse payment, kick the side of your car door in then run like hell, hide in the bushes and hope to god you don't go American Psycho on me, but no, not our MC she just thinks to herself "well there's no point arguing" here mister, take my $30 even though I'm meant to be broke and working as a servant to scrape together enough money to pay my bills whilst studying. No, just no.

Issue 3 - Amber is meant to be a house keeper, WHY then would one of the occupants of the house whom she is there to serve 1.carry her bag for her and 2. tell Amber that because she must be tired, occupant/bosslady will serve her dinner in her room in 30 minutes?? huh?? again housekeeper no, but then little Amber has an internal sook about her ex, jumps in the shower then goes straight to sleep in the nude......yeh ok....

Issue 4 - Edward Cullen anyone??? really, what self respecting denizen of the night would lower themselves to to watch a girl sleep? Ok so she was nude but still.....

Issue 5 - some random old lady shows up, makes her breakfast, tells her not to bother cleaning up (helloooo did I mention that she is meant to be the housekeeper)as they have a dishwasher which, incidentally smells like lemons....offers no information helpful to her job then "mysteriously" mentions weirdos who hang around the front gates and stare at her..but she calls said weirdos are the house owners "friends" I don't make my friends hang out at my front gate (although I must admit it does appeal for some of them) then she takes off with a parting "if you need me, you know where to find me" hell, maybe my book is missing a page or two because at no point during this conversation did the random old lady say what her job capacity was OR where she lived/worked/housed her many cats and knitting. Also, I cant help but mention the part of the conversation where Amber says she needs to call her brother and random old lady's reply is "oh you have family that live around here, how nice"...... I spoke to my brother on the phone yesterday, he lives 3000km away...why does random old lady assume he lives nearby?

Issue 4 - Here's the real reason I felt the need to spend the last 20 minutes writing this...her bother calls, first she has a picture of him in a diaper as her called ID picture - really, a diaper, if i saw either of my brothers in a diaper I would go to my nearest surgeon and request an immediate eyeball transplant. Said diaper clad brother then suggests Amber should go into the woods, break into someones hut and make off with their loot. now, I don't know about you but I have to say that this confuses me deeply, particularly when she seemingly agrees to it and her only concern about the whole event would be that her ex boyfriend can then add "deception" to the list of reasons why they cant take their relationship to the next level...no I think the number one reason of abject stupidity would make all other reasons entirely superfluous. Stupid, diaper clad brother then somehow, suddenly arrives in the house with her - no knocking at the door, no one shows him in, he just appears in the kitchen...

This all happens in the first 14 pages and annoyed me enough that I stopped reading and came back to Goodreads to register my annoyance. but, being the sucker for punishment that I am, I feel it almost necessary to finish this book - If I could struggle and force my way through 3 of those awful house of night books then I can, by god finish this....in the words of the disgraced former Californian governor - I'll be back... (less)

25 likes · like · see review

Aug 05, 2011 Laila rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I saw this book I instantly wanted to read it, I love all of J. Scott's work because she fills each book with lots of plot and action, I'm a big fan and I think this book is great. It's funny, and if you can't laugh at it then maybe you're a little too uptight. It was made to be funny and I think any paranormal fan would like it.

19 likes · like · see review

Apr 18, 2013 Care added it · review of another edition

Shelves: dnf-never-again-hell-no, ya-vampires, ya-general-paranormal

No. Just no. Any idiot who lets their moronic "older" brother convince them that their future is all set if only she'd help in steal these jewels that are "hidden" in a shed/cabin/thing. Because after all anyone who hides them in such a shabby spot deserves to lose them. So that idiot deserves the shit that happens to her. It was all downhill from there. I finished because I wanted to answer the question 'WTF?' but that's it. I didn't like any of the characters, they were pretty flat and stereot...more

like · see review

Apr 14, 2013 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A fun, light read that you will instantly fall in love with. Amber is a great female character and Aidan balances her out well.

Amber is strong, level headed most of the time and ready to do take this job seriously. She is a little guilty she lied to her parents, let her brother talk her into stealing jewels but the fun comes are that. Aidan is someone she thinks is beyond her level, never in a million years would she think he'd be interested in her. When things start to get weird and she starts...more

like · see review

Apr 08, 2013 Tom rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, series, ya-paranormal

College is expensive, and many of us have had to take some odd summer jobs to pay for it. A few summers, I ended up counting mosquitoes in a government lab. Very strange, but not nearly as strange as the job seventeen-year-old Amber takes in Jayde Scott's excellent novel, "A Job From Hell."

Amber plans to study marketing at university. She has student loans lined up to cover tuition and fees, but if she plans to have money for expenses, she needs something else. It boils down to doing double-shif...more

like · see review

Apr 03, 2013 Charlotte Jones rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks

Let’s get this straight; this book, to me, was just like every other YA paranormal romance novel I have ever tried or completed reading. Although there were some aspects of the plot that could have been interesting, and the writing was interesting yet overall simple and a bit repetitive, I found the whole thing rather dull. I don’t usually like giving bad reviews, but all the way through reading this book, I fought the urge to just give up. I don’t feel like I’m being unfair to this novel as the...more Let’s get this straight; this book, to me, was just like every other YA paranormal romance novel I have ever tried or completed reading. Although there were some aspects of the plot that could have been interesting, and the writing was interesting yet overall simple and a bit repetitive, I found the whole thing rather dull. I don’t usually like giving bad reviews, but all the way through reading this book, I fought the urge to just give up. I don’t feel like I’m being unfair to this novel as there were some small aspects that I enjoyed, but apart from the slight positives, there were a lot of negatives.

Not to jump on the Twilight-hating bandwagon, but I found that there were a lot of similarities between A Job from Hell and the Twilight series. Blake was almost exactly the same as Jasper Cullen as he was a bit wild and quite a new vampire. Also Amber seemed very similar to Bella in a lot of ways, in that she was a clumsy, quite plain girl, and yet she falls for the typical hot and sexy supernatural guy.

The characters in this novel were the thing that really bugged me. Aiden, although at first seemed like the hot tough guy, he became very immature and always put himself in danger without thinking of the consequences. Amber was similar in that way, and I found her a very weak and sometimes tedious character, and of course, being YA, there was that insta-love trope that keeps popping up.

Another thing that annoyed me slightly throughout this book was the pop culture references. During the book, many films and books were mentioned, such as ‘Ghost’, ‘The Exorcist’ and even ‘Lord of the Rings’, in what seemed like completely inappropriate situations, which began to distract from the story quite a lot.

I’m happy in a way that I got this free on Kindle and to be honest, I was drawn to the cover. Despite it being quite a typical YA paranormal romance cover, I have to admit that it is gorgeous and I really like the dark colours. Another good thing about this, is despite it being about 360 pages long, I managed to finish this in one day as it is quite a fast-paced novel.

Overall, I would have to give A Job From Hell by Jayde Scott 2 out of 5 stars, as I was disappointed in the plot, especially the ending, and I found that I couldn’t relate to any of the characters. However, I am not usually a massive fan of this genre, and I think that anyone who enjoys YA paranormal romance would probably really like this book so I can’t say that it shouldn’t be read, but it is just definitely not the right kind of book for me.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 23, 2013 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a book. I think I have never read over 400p so fast in one day but I couldn't stop. There are just so many things happening in this book. First we have Amber, who takes a summer job. She is human, doesn't believe in vampire stuff. Then -----WHAM--- She meets her boss. Sexy Aidan, who isn't like Edward Cullen. Not at all. He is a man, a vampire, and a hot one at that. He and his brother Kieran, are the hottest guys I have read in books. Kieran is so different from Aidan. He is a player, conf...more

like · see review

Mar 15, 2013 Nuut added it · review of another edition Recommends it for: nobody.

WARNING: THE PICTURES AND MY REVIEW CONTAIN SWEAR WORDS. IF IT UPSETS YOU, DON'T READ IT.

"What do you think?" Asks me Goodreads. Well, I think....

REALLY. This book makes no sense whatsoever! I didn't even finish it, it was that bad. I found the title and the recommendation at the end of "Significance" (which is an awesome book, search it, read it, everybody!) and thought it might be good. BUT IT'S NOT.

The characters are shallow as an essex footballer talking about love & respect with Kati...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 10, 2013 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-supernatural, teen-fiction, vampires-dont-judge

I'm not sure what to make of this book. On the one hand, the comedy/one-liners were fantistics, I finished it and I plan on reading the next one. On the other hand though, it wasn't very good, there were holes in the characters and I didn't buy in to the romance. It just left me very confused but I still enjoyed reading it. Dear Goodreads, please give us half stars!!!!

Another reviwer said that it felt very much like a first draft, and I agree whole-heartedly with that. There were connections the...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 02, 2013 Vanessa Gerald rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites-2012-funny-hot-romantic

There is one thing I have to say about the ancient legends series:
you can't trust any of the characters. There are so many twists in the books that it's best to read all of them in order and keep an open mind. Really, don't judge too early. Don't rate this book until you have read at least the second one too.

A job from hell is sort of the beginning- the prelude. The REAL action starts with the next book and WOW it really picks up! You really get sucked in.
You think Kieran is hot? Wait till you m...more

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 30, 2012 Killedbydrapery rated it 3 of 5 stars

As far as vampire novels go, it's not all that different from most out in the market today. However, I appreciated heavily the fact that it wasn't all about vampires. The Shadows helped break things apart, and I definitely enjoyed the characters of Devon and Angel--they were refreshing and nice to read about. Keiran was amusing as all friggin get out, but Aiden himself was just not a good character.

I could poke more holes in him than swiss cheese. First, he reminded me of a cross between Twilig...more

like · see review

Dec 18, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was a little hesitant about getting this book but I am so glad I did because not only was it free, it was also nicely written! It had a great story line and although it's not the best book in the series, I would recommend it to everyone. It's mature enough for adults and not violent/too sexual for young adults. It's just right in all the right places.
Amber is a strong heroine with some flaws. For most of the time I was laughing out loud because in some parts I could really relate with her- (...more

like · see review

Nov 23, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ok, I love when I get a free read and it is a full novel rather than a novella or short story. This was a full novel and I like it.

This book was different in that it is a romance but never really got fully into the romance. It was hinted at and touched but never fully hit the mark. I liked Aiden but for being the leader of his coven wasn't really quite fully alpha enough for me. Don't get me wrong I liked his character but I think Kieran or the shadow characters would have fit alpha better. Ambe...more

like · see review

Nov 15, 2012 MJ rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A book from hell? Well maybe it's not that bad, but it's really not that good either.

While the idea for the story and even some of the characters in their base forms were pretty good - the writing really did it no justice.

There were times in the book where I had to stop and reread the section because I was sure I must have missed a paragraph or even a whole chapter. Obviously the writer has had this story in her head and knows all the ins and outs, though she seemed to fail to get it all on the...more

like · see review

Oct 26, 2012 Audrey rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: vamps

Okay... well, I did find the overall story kinda interesting... but it was so poorly put together that it made it difficult to read. Lets start with Amber. She's meant to be funny and determined but my goodness she flip flops more than a fish out of water!!! "I love Cameron but Aiden is so hot but Cameron only wants a break but Aiden doesn't want me right but but but..." MY GOD WOMAN! Make a decision!!! Aiden himself is the typical "good looking man with a complex"... Protecting Amber by not tel...more

like · see review

Oct 21, 2012 Felicitas rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-and-the-like, love-and-romance

I fell for the cover of this book. And the plot outline.
I still like the plot idea (and, a little bit, Aidan), but next time I'm on the verge of buying a book because of its cover, its blurp (and its good reviews on goodreads) I will go to Amazon first and read the entire opening chapter before I click „Buy“, not just the first two pages (because they were still okay, though a bit chatty).

The main character (already forgot her name, after two weeks!) was unbelievably shallow, gullible, boring a...more I fell for the cover of this book. And the plot outline.
I still like the plot idea (and, a little bit, Aidan), but next time I'm on the verge of buying a book because of its cover, its blurp (and its good reviews on goodreads) I will go to Amazon first and read the entire opening chapter before I click „Buy“, not just the first two pages (because they were still okay, though a bit chatty).

The main character (already forgot her name, after two weeks!) was unbelievably shallow, gullible, boring and wanna-be-ironic. I do not expect to find complex, realistic characters in fantasy literature (especially not written for YA) but SOME psychological coherence would have been nice. Here just the most extreme example:
Main character's brother (who also landed her the job at the spooky mansion in the highlands) phones main character to persuade her to break into a shed in the woods with him and to steal gems allegedly worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
She: Oh, nooooo! How can you!? The gems belong to someone else. Have you no sense of right and wrong? Mom and Dad would be soooo angry! You must be joking. (Thinks for a moment, or may be just blankly stares back at us from the pages of the book ...) Ok, let's do it. But only if I can pretend the entire time that I don't believe we are actually going to steal the gems and that I really had no choice in this.

There were so many holes regarding characterization, the character's motivation and overall consistency ((view spoiler)). Not only with regard to the main character, but also for the rest of the characters. (Whose dialog consisted of bickering most of the time, and not in a funny way, either.) Big, black holes – which sucked up most of what I liked about the book.

What I liked:
- Aidan, somehow (hope I remembered his name correctly). Although he was just standard hero material and his characterization was just as … incomplete and inconsistent as that of the other characters. But I fell for the “and then he tugged her chin under his head“ thing.
- Clare.
- The storyline. I really liked the idea of soul mates, the setting (young girl arrives at lonely, creepy mansion in the woods, dark mysteries to be unraveled, the Shadows, …), the story of Rebecca (who first seems to have been a tragic love lost, than turns out to have been a real bitch), the main character being able to see the dead (really can't remember her name – Tessa?), her journey to the Otherland. If only it had been done with more care!! (less)

like · see review

Sep 23, 2012 Vered rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.5 stars. Jayde Scott started this off brilliantly. Literally, I was almost breathless reading the opening chapters. A young woman arrives to work as the housekeeper in a creepy, remote mansion for a man who’s never around when she’s awake. The writing was good, the witty conversation great. And then it went kind of mushy after that. Not necessarily in a bad way, but just not up to the same strength as the beginning.

The storyline of A Job from Hell is pretty solid if not basic, with a few orig...more

like · see review

Aug 10, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Let me just say first this was a breath of fresh air!

It about a girl named Amber, she's 17, lives in London, just out of high school, her boyfriend just told her he needs a break, and she has no money for college. So she takes a job over the summer working as a housekeeper, at the McAllister mansion. In comes Aidan McAllister, her boss, only he doesn't seem old enough to even own a mansion, and of course he is beautiful. Things seem to be going fine she barely has to anything, Aidan is never ar...more

like · see review

Jul 15, 2012 Lily rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. So the story is about a girl named amber, who inadvertently comes into possession of a magical prize, the sight. So this here is where the story gets confusing because she she's things right away IE ghosts, but for through the rest of the story she sees none. Then she falls for her boss, Aidan. But still has feelings for Cameron i think there was a lack of show of the true feelings she felt for each she just kept going back and forth and then just decided she was in love with Aidan. Weird!

Anothe...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 12, 2012 D.M. Dutcher rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

MY GOD, STOP WITH THE FRICKIN' BANTERING! *deep breath* Okay, with that out of the way, this is a book with some nice ideas that rubbed me entirely the wrong way.

Amber has just been dumped off at a castle in Scotland to work as a housekeeper. It's clear she is out of her league, but that's okay because they are there to steal some diamonds from a hut. I'm not sure how Amber's brother even found that they were there, but okay. Unfortunately those diamonds are part of a puzzle that confers the ab...more MY GOD, STOP WITH THE FRICKIN' BANTERING! *deep breath* Okay, with that out of the way, this is a book with some nice ideas that rubbed me entirely the wrong way.

Amber has just been dumped off at a castle in Scotland to work as a housekeeper. It's clear she is out of her league, but that's okay because they are there to steal some diamonds from a hut. I'm not sure how Amber's brother even found that they were there, but okay. Unfortunately those diamonds are part of a puzzle that confers the ability to see and hear the dead, and by pure dumb luck, Amber manages to win that prize. Too bad the sexy vampire Aidan needs that prize so he can perform a ritual to remove his vampirism.

Now to explain my all-caps outburst. Every single character in the book banters and snarks every five seconds. It doesn't matter if the person has almost been killed, or is enduring a heroic trial in a supernatural land, they will not shut the hell up. When they don't banter, they have commitment issues. You think I exaggerate this, but I don't. I wanted to commit bodily harm on both Kieran and Cass halfway through the book due to this. When it's not banter, or commitment issues, it's slap-slap-kiss. Words cannot describe how annoying this gets. These are an assortment of hundreds year old immortals, and the daughter of Satan, and they don't know that you should shut up and stop arguing when someone is dying. The book drastically needs a "Dude, shut up!" character.

The plot starts out okay, but quickly gets tortured with a lot of irrelevant characters and an unclear purpose. I really wasn't sure what the Shadows were, for one, or how they truly related to the plot until they finally go out and say what their stake in it is 3/4 the way into the book. There's horrifically bad insta-love going on: Aidan sees Amber once in London and it's sweet fate despite really no reason to like her. He then arranges to get her alone in his castle, and I'm really not sure it was for good intentions originally: if she had never stumbled into the race, she'd probably be a vampire herself, regardless of her ideas on it. There's something called the Lore court, but it's not particularly developed well either. Cass particularly again is the daughter of Lucifer for goodness sakes, and that never even gets developed. Apparently the daughter of hell is quite friendly when you get to know her. It's just this fantastically uneven plot that needs far less banter and some actual set-up.

The characters? Eh. Amber acts stupidly, Aidan acts stupidly, pretty much everyone acts stupidly. The only characters that are interesting in concept never get developed: Blake for one could have shined, and I wanted more about Aidan's former love and master Rebecca. Many of the characters have no depth: Claire for one is just there, and Devon too.

Finally, good lord, you do THAT to Amber at the ending, and you don't even spare a few pages to go into the implications? The ending just stops, and while the book feels a little long, I wouldn't have minded a lot more added to the ending.

Honestly, this book annoyed me. I'm sure others might like it, but it just grated on me. (less)

5 likes · like · see review

Jul 05, 2012 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Paranormal and Vampire Romance Lovers

Shelves: fantasy-romance, paranormal-romance, vampire-romance

Amber, a young college student in London, has embarked on a temporary summer job in the Highlands of Scotland as a live-in housekeeper for a wealthy McAllister recluse. She's desperate to save up enough money for next year's college expenses, so is willing to overlook the tiny inconvenience that her brother has lined up a job for which she has no experience nor talent. Her brother is always getting her into sticky situations with his hair-brain schemes, and this summer is no different. After ju...more Amber, a young college student in London, has embarked on a temporary summer job in the Highlands of Scotland as a live-in housekeeper for a wealthy McAllister recluse. She's desperate to save up enough money for next year's college expenses, so is willing to overlook the tiny inconvenience that her brother has lined up a job for which she has no experience nor talent. Her brother is always getting her into sticky situations with his hair-brain schemes, and this summer is no different. After just a few days on the job, he is at it again with a half-baked proposal of stealing some genuine precious stones that he happened upon in an abandoned hut not far from her place of employment. As always, Amber is suckered into participating, if only to keep her little brother out of trouble. How was she to know that the "stones" were part of an interracial race held every 500 years by a succubus deity and that whomever succeeded in capturing the stones would be granted a "special talent" until the next race? Of course, this race only being known of in the paranormal society, which is ruled by the court of Lore has never been won by a human before. Thus far, the only participants have been vampires, all level of demons, and shadow people. All factions within the Lore either strive to win the stones themselves or control the one who claims victory all to further their own agendas. Amber has now become the target of creatures she could only imagine in her nightmares. All too soon Amber is forced to believe in the Lore when confronted by one of its main players, her current boss, Aidan McAllister. Aidan has hired and brought Amber to his home under the pretense of needing a housekeeper, keeping his real agenda hidden. He always expected Amber to become a pivotal and permanent fixture in his life, but never could he have dreamed in what capacity. Now, the turn of events demands he take a new path and risk all including the one he cannot live without,
Amber. Will she be strong enough to survive his world?
Jayde Scott writes an interesting paranormal adventure. Without doubt, "A Job From Hell" is much more of an adventure than what I would consider a romance. Yes, there is a fledgling attraction/romance between the heroine, Amber, and hero, Aidan, but the main focus of the story is the adventure the two undertake together. Throughout the entire book the two maybe share 2-3 kisses and besides their bland physical attraction to one another, the romance ends there. While on the romance scale this story weighs in at a 1-2, the adventure, mystery, and excitement weigh in at closer to a 3. I did enjoy this aspect of the story, but would not recommend it as a good Romance. The author does use an interesting writing technique switching narrators and points of view between the hero and heroine with each chapter, and I enjoyed this unique aspect. Overall, the story isn't what I usually look for in my romances of choice. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 28, 2011 Connie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.5 stars, maybe 3.75

Great premise and, for the most part, likable characters. Amber seriously got on my nerves. Sometimes she was really brave and smart, but other times she had the reasoning skills of a 2 yr. old. It's completely understandable that she'd have doubts and insecurities, but they were harped on so much that I thought probably 20 pages could have been saved by editing some of them out. That being said, when she was good she was very very good. I especially liked the scene in the S...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 30, 2011 Jaime Lester rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: quick-fun-read, paranormal-cluster-bleep

A Job From Hell is a quick, fun read. I really enjoyed all of the different immortals thrown into the book. The story is told from two seperate POVs. Amber, the first POV, is half good and half bad for me. Not my favorite but definitely not the worst. She has a tendancy toward bitching and whining and groaning and complaining that drives me up the wall, but she is also flippin funny and sarcastic and I love love that about her. The other POV is Aidan, Ambers "bond mate". I don't really know yet...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 31, 2011 Wendy is currently reading it · review of another edition

I only read the 20 pages, of the sample and i thought it was great and bought this book for 99 cent and so far it gets better and better. There is lots of action. Normally I don't like sarcastic people, but Amber is funny as she doesn't take herself all too seriously e.g. her being honest with herself that she has no clue about housekeeping but needs to scramble up some money to afford college. or her admitting to herself that she has not something fancy to wear and her clothes still smell of Mc...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 27, 2011 Sandra "Jeanz" rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Seventeen-year-old Amber stumbles into the paranormal world by chance when Dallas, her brother, sets her up with a summer job in Scotland. Dallas has secretly seen something in the woods that he thinks could make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. However instead of finding riches, Amber unknowingly stumbles her way into an ancient paranormal race. Amber also promptly manages to win the first prize. The prize is so greatly wanted in the paranormal world that many would kill to have it. Amber...more Seventeen-year-old Amber stumbles into the paranormal world by chance when Dallas, her brother, sets her up with a summer job in Scotland. Dallas has secretly seen something in the woods that he thinks could make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. However instead of finding riches, Amber unknowingly stumbles her way into an ancient paranormal race. Amber also promptly manages to win the first prize. The prize is so greatly wanted in the paranormal world that many would kill to have it. Amber, soon discovers her new boss, Aidan, didn’t employ her for her astounding housekeeping skills and he isn't who he claims to be either. Aidan is of course a vampire,as are the beautiful Claire and the humorous Keiran (Aidan's brother)
The surrounding, lurking, dark forces slowly conspire against Amber, her naivety and her increasing love for Aidan catapults her into a calamitous series of otherworldly events. With every immortal creature hunting for her, whom can she trust with her life? Should she really trust Aidan who seems to have feelings for her, or are the feelings he shows towards her merely a way to get her onside to do his bidding? Is Devon the one with her best interests at hurt, how can she tell looking into his deep, dark fathomless eyes. Is Angel a true friend, as she is the only other immortal around? Or is she trying to coerce Amber into doing what the Shadows want? Why is it the only one she seems to trust is Cass, the devils daughter?

I really, seriously, loved this book, it has humour, love and longing, the crazy dead ex, the gorgeous vampires, the sultry shadows, and of course the devils daughter who just happens to be the most direct and honest of the bunch of paranormals surrounding Amber! I enjoyed the suspense, even though you kind of know from the beginning that Aidan is a vampire. I enjoyed the concept of "The Shadows" they were a different kind of paranormal being than I have read before. All the twists and turns kept you wanting to read and puzzle along with Amber as to who she should really trust. I won't reveal spoilers but I will say at the end the book is left in such away that Amber is starting a whole new way of life, so there's plenty of scope for more Amber. Though I loved all the other characters too, maybe books from their points of view and their stories of how they came to be and now "live" would also be great.
I of course would recommend this series to fans of Charlaine Harris , Mary Janice Davidson , Dakota Cassidy, and Michele Bardsley this book is kind of Chick lit with a bit of bite thrown in ! (if you'll pardon the pun!) Definitely want to read more of Jayde Scott's books.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
The Free Book Cha...: A Job From Hell, by Jayde Scott	3	28	Jun 17, 2013 10:51am
The Challenge Fac...: ~♥ Kat ♥~ and Gwendolyn: A Job From Hell by Jayde Scott	4	28	Jan 05, 2013 03:44am

combine
Other Editions (4)

Videos About This Book

7 comments

Genres

Paranormal > Vampires

126 users

Young Adult

102 users

Fantasy > Paranormal

100 users

Fantasy

57 users

Romance

57 users

Romance > Paranormal Romance

40 users

Fantasy > Supernatural

27 users

Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

23 users

Fantasy > Magic

18 users

Paranormal > Demons

11 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Jayde Scott

Sign up to my newsletter at http://www.jaydescott.com for a chance to win one of 100 advanced reading copies of The Prophecy of Morganefaire Book One.

More about Jayde Scott...

Books by Jayde Scott

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About A Job From Hell

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from A Job From Hell

“Cass had a few points but, really, a vampire? Who believed in such a myth? What was Cass suggesting anyway? That I grab my rosary and head for the nearest church begging for holy water? Line my door and windows with salt? Sleep with a wooden stake under my pillow? Hang garlic bulbs from my bedroom door? Why was I even considering these options?” — 72 people liked it

“Great. You want me to steal from the local thug. What a delightful way to die.” — 61 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: A Job From Hell
avg rating	preview: A Job From Hell Goodreads rating: 3.60 (3494 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://gr-assets.com/book/show/13631102-a-job-from-hell?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1354317048l/13631102.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://gr-assets.com/book/show/13631102-a-job-from-hell?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]A Job From Hell by Jayde Scott[/url]

A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website