Bride of Lucifer - The Bride Trials

Hell's Angel #2

by Emily Shore

“If I cannot be great in heaven, I will be infamous in hell.” ~Astraea
"Hell may need a Queen. But I need a bride.” ~Lucifer

Will one little angel win the heart of the Devil? And become Queen of Hell on Earth?

Astraea Eternity, Hell’s only angel, has entered the Bride Trials. Determined to make it to the honeymoon so she may cut off the head of the Devil and claim her rightful sword as heaven’s champion, Astraea will stop at nothing to win. But the more Lucifer offers her a glimpse into his world and himself, the more Astraea burns with lust for him. And not just when she’s in angel heat.
Whether inviting Astraea’s archangel brothers to stay in his home, revealing how their histories and traumas are more similar than believed, and “unaliving you if you touch her”, Lucifer proves the Devil is not so black as he is painted. And despite his work to bring her to her knees, he may just be falling for this little angel. If she wins his Trials, nothing will stop him from taking her as his Queen.
As the forces of heaven and hell and the threat of war ignite their ongoing hate-to-love romance, Astraea and Lucifer must battle their prejudices, their carnal appetites, and their own inner demons if they wish to walk through fire and rise from the ashes to reign as King and Queen of Hell forever.
With “burn the world for her” vibes blended with the spicy, the smoldering, and the salacious as only the ultimate rebel and playboy may give, this second installment in the Hell’s Angel series will have readers swooning and swearing their souls to a helluva book boyfriend. And Devil Daddy. Three cheers to Astraea for dancing with the Devil and keeping him on his toes.
From bestselling Kindle Vella author, Emily Shore, prepare for punishment, pain, and pleasure as you sink your teeth into Bride of Lucifer: The Bride Trials. And never let go.

Genres: Demons

521 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 11, 2022

About the author

Emily used to be the good little church-going girl who snuck peeks of smutty romance at the bookstore. Now, she proudly writes smut and has forsaken the religious cult of her past. Emily includes a trauma-healing theme loosely based on her own experiences in all her work.

In 2020, Emily found her voice while writing dark fantasy romance. In 2021, she rebranded on Kindle Vella and has been a Vella bestseller for two years. Her writing always features enemies to lovers with heroines who don't need a sword to be strong, monsters and villains with "burn the world for her" vibes, and trauma healing.

Emily's bestselling books on Kindle Vella include: The Sacrifice, Bride of Lucifer, Bride of the Corpse King, Courting Death and Destruction, and Grymm Beauty. Learn more at “Emily’s Vella Verse” on FB or connect with her on social media to learn how you can become a super fan and get super fan treats!

An abuse survivor and trained advocate, Emily has worked as an awareness speaker all over Minnesota. Identifying as bisexual and feminist, she loves to showcase sex and kink positivity and normalized LGBTQIA+ inclusivity.

When not writing enemies to lovers, Emily is addicted to the Enneagram, rewatching Schitts Creek, cuddling with her kitty, and spending time with her online sisterhood where she can exercise her big empath heart. She lives in Saint Paul with her husband and two daughters—one is a budding author.

Please subscribe to Emily’s newsletter at - www.emilybethshore.com - to keep up with her series projects, author promos, and prize contests. Or follow her on Tiktok at @authoremilybshore.

FUN FACTS ABOUT EMILY:
This list gives you a little peek into the crazy brain of this author. If you find yourself relating to any of these, reach out to me on any of my pages and we shall go forth and bond!

1. I am an extrovert with unlimited psychological energy. (I also stockpile Pinterest memes!)
2. HUGE Enneagram fan, so if you want to connect more, prepare to be asked to take the test so I can better understand you and speak your love language . (My tritype is 847 - which makes me Deadpool's female twin!)
3. My favorite authors on the YA side are Laini Taylor and Susan Dennard. My favorite authors on the adult side include: Amelia Hutchins *Queen*, Pam Godwin *Goddess*, and Elayna Gallea.
4. Up until 2020, I used to write strictly YA. I had a major identity transformation, wrote three books in three months (back to back), found my true VOICE, processed my identity, healed from past trauma, and came out as bisexual. Now, I love writing spicy fantasy romance and bridging the gap between the heterosexual and queer audience by offering them badass heroines taking on the dark alphas and literally *everyone* in my books is queer and polyamorous because #whychoose? It's normalized, it's respected, and it's beautiful!
5. My favorite film is The Princess Bride.
6. I am Disney-obsessed, especially Marvel and the Princess movement.
7. I started writing The Aviary over twelve years ago after a visit to Germany and learning about the Red-Light District. These books were evidence of my sexuality screaming to be let out.
8. My favorite Broadway is The Phantom of the Opera followed closely by The Scarlet Pimpernel.
9. Songs to describe me: Unbreakable by Fireflight, Warrior by Demi Lovato, Ready or Not by Brit Nicole and Lecrae, Speechless by Naomi Scott (Aladdin), Show Yourself by Idina Mendel (Frozen 2), This Is Me from The Greatest Showman, and The Sound of Silence.
10. I’m a mom to two little girls. I fight for a better world for them and for myself.

Reviews

[Lizzie Larrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness ... Emily promised a slow burn and the spice to come with this one and she delivered. Angel and Devil fought and fought but they finally gave in.

The Bride Trials were so well written. A way to find the inner fight/turmoil that Astraea fights with on a daily basis. As she battles her head and finally her 'heart'. You were constantly rooting for her through each of the trials and hoping she would finally let her walls come tumbling down. The way the Devil tried to help her through the last trials, knowing those would be so tough for her to battle through. The way he tried to replace memories to help her overcome her Envy. The way he took care of her and punished her but pushed her to push her Pride down too. The Devil gave her so much of himself and she is the only one who has been able to see and tame his monster.

She is his equal and the story pulls us with them and I am completely rooting for these 2. The fact that she is so strong and will always fight for save Lucifer is amazing.

The twist at the end with Lilith ( I called it as she was introduced in the Chambers) but I can't wait to see what implication this news will have.

The ending leaves us with so much anxiety but I am so ready to read book 3. I can't wait to see the lengths Lucifer will go to get Astraea to be by his side again. What is going to happen with Abaddon? Where is Sammy? So many questions...but I can't wait to read to find the answers.

[Bevany · Rating 4 out of 5]

So. Much. Spice. It's definitely a great book for smut lovers. The storyline continues to build and be great in this second book of the series. The book ends on a cliffhanger, but rejoice as book three is on its way.

[Cassee Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bride of Lucifer Part 2: The Bride Trials was a fantastic pick up from the first book. It begins in the same scene the previous book ends giving it a flawless start.

I love the relationship development for Lucifer and Astraea!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 I was ultimately rooting for them. The lust, the passion, the continuous steam build. I love how the author added the reality that sometimes it is not easy to love someone or admit your love to them/yourself. I think this really shows the characters growth over time to not only love each other but to love the weaknesses in theirselves for eachother.

The bride trials were amazingly written. Each one was in itself a challenge and brought forward the beauty of Astraeas strength at the end of the book.

“I do not wish to kill him. I will never kill him. I could never be envious of anyone else because no bride within heaven or earth or Hell on Earth could ever be worthy of wearing the crown of Lucifer’s Queen. But I do not have to be worthy. I am his equal. His perfect and imperfect equal in every way. I am the devil in him. He is the angel in me.” - Astraea

One cannot forget Sammy 🐍. I love him! He and Astraea become the closest of friends. He is her protector and guide. ❤️

“I don’t know what in the hell I did to deserve you, Sammy, but you are seriously my best friend.” “I know.” His eyes gleam, and those lips spread into that fangy smile I love so much... “You’re mine, too, sssweet angel,” -Sammy and Astraea

The ending 😱 My heart broke when “spoiler” took her. I hope there is another book because my heart is in shambles. 💔

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has the potential to be good. But it was definitely not ready to be published. There were typos and spelling mistakes all throughout. The story was okay. Like the first, it was so long and took forever to get to the point. It ended on another cliffhanger, but I’m over the series and won’t be reading further.

[Rieka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as I had hoped, the second book was even spicier and better than the first one. I love reading a series that each book grows better than the one before and this one puts the icing on the cake! From the storyline, to the many plot twists, and down to the commetary the author uses in her writing!

Astraea...She's is a badass MC. From her confidence down to her smart mouth! She isn't afraid to stand up to the devil and that drives him wild. With that being said...I need me some Lucifer!! He is the perfect match to Astraea!! Team Lufcifer to the max!!

I loved how drawn I was to each individual trial! The push, pull, and pain that Astraea endures is awful yet very drawing at the same time! I felt what she felt as she endured each one! There were many times that I wanted to hug her then a few lines later I was reminded of how much of a badass she is!

Still loving Sammy. I was worried for Sammy more times than I would like in this book though. If we lose Sammy, my heart will break!

[Bri Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some spelling/grammatical errors but God damn devil daddy did I love this book.

However the ending leaves me needing more story.
Abandon is meant to die according to the diviner
What happened to Sammy?
When is Lucifer and his siblings storming heaven?
Does Astraea fight her way back to Lucifer?
So many questions for Emily Shore!!!

[Samantha Piragis · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Hell’s only uncalled angel enters Lucifer’s Bride Trials…stakes are high and it’s a battle of life and death filled with cunning, wit, lust and passion.

I was granted an ARC of this series, and it’s a little (LOTS) higher than my normal spice level but I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down.

The story truly has a great plot line and I immediately dove into book 3.

[Elena · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah, see that cliffhanger right there is what iw as afraid of. If this turns into some love triangle bs, om done. I already hated abaddon constant existence in this story to begin with, but near the 300pg mark, it really was inking my nerves of his claim on her. And what peeved me off even more was her loyalty to the effer. Ugh.

And I just got my spoiler for the next book. Not happening. I'm dnf this story. Sorry, nope, not having it. I won't read a stupid love triangle bs, esp. If it's expanding to a 4th book.

[Natalie Endsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. It perfectly moved forward on everything that was built in book one! Way exceeded all my expectations!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, again, this series really isn’t for me, but the writing is good to the point I read the second book to hopefully find out the answers to some of the questions from book 1.

So, the actual bride trials start (and finish) in this book and Lucifer gets a bride…but it is NOT smooth sailing. We see that feelings, like real feelings have developed on both sides, but both these fools are stubborn so it’s kind of infuriating watching the back and forth between them. Additionally, we have more angels hanging around, including Abbadon, which makes shit super awkward. The “why choose” aspect gets kicked up a notch in this big, especially towards the end, which really pissed me off, especially after everything that happened.

We do get answers to the mutilated body mystery from book 1, we find out what our MFC is and who her parents are (sort of), we learn what happened to her and why she has such a personal beef with Lucifer. Everyone is still horny as fuck.

We meet new characters and a huge event happens at the end of the book that literally made me throw my iPad across my couch.

To be honest, I’ll probably end up reading the third book because I want to know what happens with our MFC and the love triangle that I hate with a burning, fiery passion. I mean, does anyone else not find Abbadon’s newfound sexual attraction to her creepy and gross? This dude has raised her since she was a baby and now all of a sudden he wants to bang her and she’s suddenly his mate? Eww, no. Talk about grooming…Lucifer might be a bit sadistic, but he’s a much better fit for her.

[Skyee Heart · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝘼𝙍𝘾
I dived head first from the cliff of Hell on Earth and thrust by the wind and rain but expect to meet the ocean, instead, I crashed into the rocks against which the surf crashes. Bleeding, bones cracking but not broken , I was mended ... perks of being a reader (not an angel obvs) I am somehow still in control of how much damage I want the book can cause... Kidding aside 🙃

Just as I thought I've seen everything, Astraea still surprised me and always left me in awe. My respect for this woman just grow with each flipped pages. 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

The twist 🙀 Didn't see that coming. I have long give up to try to predict what was coming next because WTH 🤣 . When Emily said I'm here to break your expectations and maybe your soul, 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘩 𝘮
𝘢𝘯 𝘐𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 🙈🙈🙈

𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝
- 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭
- 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦

𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘺𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯! 🔥

𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐑

"I. Love. You, Lucifer Morningstar. King of Hel on Earth. And al your damned tles."
"And I love you, Astraea Eternity." He bows his head to mine with a smile, li s his drenched wings, and sneaks his tail to coil around my clitoris. I hiss as he says, "Your tles wil be more numerous than
mine. Nothing and no being in any universe could ever break your pride. While you wil become Queen of Hel on Earth, know that, first and foremost, you wil always be queen of my heart."

Immediately read the book 3 because it's addicting, just like Astraea had said

[Renee Covell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fickle & frustrating FMC

Not sure how I feel about Astrea's fickle heart, but am hoping it doesn't end up as a throuple- there's too much power between the 3 of them for that & would be very cliche within this genre. On one hand, Astrea's pride & determination leads her to make somewhat impulsive, legs-threatening & altering decisions, but on the other, her continuous relationship indecision (inability to be "a one relationship woman") and her constant willingness to stray from one character to another(s) detracts from her position as the most powerful entity in the series. Would be more intriguing to watch her control her power & emotions and choose just one and lose something, or choose wrongly and need to make amends, or choose none and suffer the pain of the 7 deadly sins. It's the fickleness that detracts and is annoying within the two books that I've read so far. With this being stated, Shore's writing itself is an artistic, image-provoking, emotion-inducing success. I wish she'd just let the story flow as the characters develop instead of so strongly needing to interject some unnecessary drama into an otherwise outstanding series. Maybe this will all be settled in book 3, which I'm starting on now.

[Stephii Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the Bridal Trials beginning, we continue to see the layers of both Lucifer and Astrea come to the surface. An unrelenting power battle between the two continues, as we also see how prideful, stubborn, strong, and multifaceted they are. I think it's enticing how both characters often deflect their true intents, desires, and needs while bearing all to be seen. However, my favorite is that they both bring out what they represent in each other. "I am the devil in him. He is the angel in me." We get to see much more of the Abaddon often mentioned by Astrea, and let me say I am not a fan BUT I do love his intricate placement in the MC's paths while also learning more about his own. Emily Shore often says she is here to break all our expectations, and she doesn't lie! I found myself irritated, shocked and appeased consistently throughout this book, especially at the end of it. I can't wait to read the 3rd installment of this hellish series.

[Kayla Palmeter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book; here is my honest review.
If you saw my review of the first book, Bride of Lucifer, you'd know that I don't read a lot of books with BDSM themes, and my favorite part of the enemies-to-lovers trope comes after they fall in love. It should come as no surprise then that I LOVED this book. The Bride Trials themselves are inventive, captivating, and (honestly) pretty terrifying. Modeled after the 7 Deadly Sins, they are meant to weed out the weak and leave only the strongest to become Lucifer's Bride and the queen of hell. But in the background is the burning question of what nefarious scheme is unfolding in the shadows: who is killing the female citizens of hell, what is there endgame, and when will they strike next? I can't wait for book 3!

[Tiffany Auvil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Wonderful

“Stay with me. Finish the Trails. Be the one angel in my Hell. Stay, and I swear to worship you, my Hell’s angel. My sweetheart. Every night and through the dawn, I'll worship you and rewrite your scars because you are the one being in the universe who could ever give me the light I need to become the Morning Star again.”

Book 1 was excellent, and book 2 is just as good. Book 2 brings with it so much more story and a lot more spice. Not to mention the action. Emily does a beautiful job painting the picture. Not only can you feel what her characters are experiencing, but you can also clearly see it in your mind.

If you are a fan of dark romance, spice, and action, then this is a book you need to check out.

[Bree Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

drag me to hell on earth

This was a super interesting read. I absolutely loved Sammy being so present and getting to meet all of Astreas brothers was awesome. I definitely wouldn’t mind seeing more of Uriel’s budding relationship. The idea of the bride trials was super intriguing and I liked how it centered on the seven deadly sins. I love that Lucifer helped her get over her hesitation and really embrace who she was but let’s be real, the devil can’t be entirely wholesome - where’s the fun in that? Something I didn’t love (but to each their own) was there was a little too much world building and sometimes the plot was forgotten and in some cases the plot was skipped over entirely just to be picked up later in a ‘oh hey we didn’t forget about it’ way. It’ll be interesting to see how Abbadon and Lucifer handle the next part of this story.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the idea of the trials but I thought each one seemed kinda quick & thought there could’ve been more focus on each one to make them a bit longer. The taunting of Raphael with his fear of snakes made me laugh. The twins seemed like they could have lots of mischievous fun too that I wouldn’t mind seeing more of. The one thing I really didn’t like in this book was all the punishments & then them getting it on, cause I get some people like to be spanked in the heat of the moment as a kink but for me spankings/whippings as punishment are a huge turn-off & that would be the last thing on my mind if I’m in pain. Also this book isn’t labeled as being an omegaverse so I thought it odd that the angels go thru a heat. Looking forward to reading more into the twist at the end.

[Chey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Astraea, Hell's only angel, has entered the Bride Trials in order to complete her mission. But tensions and passions continue to heat up and Astraea and Lucifer try to keep their lust for each other on a simmer.

Emily Shore delivers a fantastic edition to the series with book two. I love Astraea and Lucifer and despite their physical connection being small, they have intense chemistry that let's you know they are absolutely dynamite together.

I love how the story is unfolding and the way the author has started developing the plot. You can see the arc taking place and I love when I can see that happen between books in a series.

Overall rating
5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
3.5 🌶🌶🌶

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

such an epic read

Oh that ending! It was perfect for the book but man am I glad book 3 is already out. I couldn’t imagine having to wait lol

The Bride trials were so good! Every time I thought they couldn’t get better they did! Emily is truly a genius at world building and character creation.

Throughout the whole book I went back and forth on my feelings for Abbadon and I still don’t know how I feel. I know what I want to happen and anything short of that I’ll be heartbroken. I have a feeling Emily will put me through the ringer just like she did the rest of the book-in the best way possible
4.5⭐️
5🌶️

[D K · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF…too repetitive!

I’m sorry to say I couldn’t finish this second book. The first one really intrigued me, and I was really looking forward to reding this one. Unfortunately, the interactions between the main characters becomes very repetitive and the FMC doesn’t show much growth. Her impulsiveness and childish behaviour gets tiring. Additionally, the fluidity of the story from one chapter to the other is very choppy. I will say, the story itself is interesting and intriguing, but because of the above mentioned, I found myself skipping over more and more until I just gave up.

[Jennifer Tabor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in this series was great. But in the second book all Hell breaks lose. These two just can't get enough of eachother with a love/hate relationship that will forever blaze a trail in your soul.
This book really let's us get to know and fall in love with the characters as we dive deeper into their story. Sexy, laugh out loud funny and fun seriously 🔥 🥵 . Your devil daddy is seriously turning up the heat. Definitely worth the read!!!

[kails · Rating 5 out of 5]

the spice like book 1- was amazing. being able to read Astraea go through the trials and come out the other end had me at the edge of my seat. she is SO bad ass (can i say that in a review?) anyways, i strive to someday be as headstrong and amazing as her. and can’t forget some love for lucy- always giving her the good… yk ;)
5/5

[Rhonda Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book.
The Bride Trials picks up where Bride of Lucifer left off providing a flawless transition between books.
Astraea has entered the Bride trials to help her complete her mission and gain her freedom. The trials get harder as they progress. Will Astraea win? I loved reading how Astraea and Lucifer's relationship continues to unfold.
This book is spicy  🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book of the Hell's Angels series. Oh my goodness, this book is fantastic. Continuing from the first book and as the plot unfolds, you see great character development, their evolving relationship and more of the history of each of the characters. Love the trials and the insane amount of spice. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it. Off to read the 3rd book.

[Sara Blankenship · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily absolutely delivered on this one. It is a slow wonderful burn, with the just right amount of spice. The way the devil and angel learn to love each other is breath taking. The bride trials are even more amazing. The way she slowly comes into herself is wonderful. I couldn’t put this book down. I cannot wait to see where Emily takes these characters in the third book!

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

After the wonderful world building in book 1, the bride trials took off with a bang. I absolutely loved this book, and so many scenes hit me right in the feels. I can't get the altar scene out of my head but the lake scene hit me emotionally.

Book 3 come at me. This is one of the most entertaining lucifer renditions I have read to date.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - my jaw dropped | that’s a 5 for me
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - like Sammy, I cannot lie 😏

I listened to False God by Taylor swift for the last 3 chapters on repeat (I have an obsession). This book as some of the dirtiest, filthiest shit I’ve ever read and I enjoyed every word.

On to book 3, see you in hell 😘

[Irish_I_was_reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book two of a series and yes, you must read book one. This book does start off where the first book ended. This book does end on a cliffhanger, but is more action packed than the first one.

This book follows, just like the first one, Lucifer and Astraea. Feelings are starting to emerge, and they finally do the tango. Astraea does learn something that haunts her.

[Alexis G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

Another amazing book by Emily and an excellent sequel to Astraea and Lucifer’s story. Full of devilish spice and a strong, resilient FMC you won’t be disappointed. There is definitely a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to see where it leads.

[Hey It’s SJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book much more than the first. I found the plot to be much more interesting. The trials were very original and I enjoyed her brothers coming to visit. The end was such a cliffhanger and I can’t wait for the next one. Overall would give 4.5 stars.