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No Angel
When Sasha's boyfriend, Jay, is sucked through a fiery vortex to Hell, an angel reveals that Sasha's been chosen as the Champion of Virtue in the battle for his immortal soul. As a perennial offender on Santa's naughty list, Sasha can't believe she's anyone's idea of a girl fighting on the side of the angels. But if she doesn't save Jay, he'll be stuck in Hell forever!
Jay—aka Jevroth—isn't surprised to find himself back in Hell. His visa to visit the mortal plane expired three months ago, but to steal more time with Sasha he's been ignoring his mother's demands that he come home to spend time with his new stepfather: Lucifer.
Sasha has until dawn on the twenty-fifth of December to fight the Legions of Hell and rescue Jay, or be trapped there for eternity herself. But now she must decide if the lying son-of-a-demon is even worth saving...
33,000 words
Jay—aka Jevroth—isn't surprised to find himself back in Hell. His visa to visit the mortal plane expired three months ago, but to steal more time with Sasha he's been ignoring his mother's demands that he come home to spend time with his new stepfather: Lucifer.
Sasha has until dawn on the twenty-fifth of December to fight the Legions of Hell and rescue Jay, or be trapped there for eternity herself. But now she must decide if the lying son-of-a-demon is even worth saving...
33,000 words
100 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 16, 2010
80 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 6, 2015
That final redemption scene was a little over the top but I liked the rest of it. The action scenes in Hell were pretty cool and enjoyable and my favorite part. And I liked Lucifer of course. He made quite an impression which was incredibly remarkable considering he appeared for about two and a half minutes. I gotta say a story with him as a main character would've been Heaven. Probably literally.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2020
The idea was interesting and I liked Vivi Andrews series about superheroes and villains (well three out of four), so I thought this one would be just as enjoyable.
It wasn't.
In my opinion, there were two major problems in this novella. The first one is the pacing. Basically, the couple is already formed, get separated by demons. The heroin is send by angels on a quest to rescue the hero and they have only a few hours to escape hell or they'll be trapped forever. Except we didn't have time to really meet Jay, the hero, before he got kidnapped, so how could I be expected to get emotionally involved in his fate ? I kinda liked him though.
As for the heroin... well she's the main problem, as far as I'm concerned.
Basically, she's a moody teenager in the body of an adult female. She avoids her mom, is convinced that nobody understands her or likes her for herself and sulks for a good part of the story. Plus, the way she envisions her relationship with Jay isn't healthy. She "thinks" he's too good for her, while saying their relationship is lacking. And it has STRONG it-s-not-you-it-s-me-although-it-clearly-IS-you vibes. She wanted Superman, she got Clark Kent but she's disappointed because it's not enough for her... but luckily, it's truly a hot demon guy, so everything is ok.
Not for me, sorry.
It wasn't.
In my opinion, there were two major problems in this novella. The first one is the pacing. Basically, the couple is already formed, get separated by demons. The heroin is send by angels on a quest to rescue the hero and they have only a few hours to escape hell or they'll be trapped forever. Except we didn't have time to really meet Jay, the hero, before he got kidnapped, so how could I be expected to get emotionally involved in his fate ? I kinda liked him though.
As for the heroin... well she's the main problem, as far as I'm concerned.
Basically, she's a moody teenager in the body of an adult female. She avoids her mom, is convinced that nobody understands her or likes her for herself and sulks for a good part of the story. Plus, the way she envisions her relationship with Jay isn't healthy. She "thinks" he's too good for her, while saying their relationship is lacking. And it has STRONG it-s-not-you-it-s-me-although-it-clearly-IS-you vibes. She wanted Superman, she got Clark Kent but she's disappointed because it's not enough for her... but luckily, it's truly a hot demon guy, so everything is ok.
Not for me, sorry.
April 3, 2023
When Sasha's boyfriend, Jay, is sucked through a fiery vortex to Hell, an angel reveals that Sasha's been chosen as the Champion of Virtue in the battle for his immortal soul. As a perennial offender on Santa's naughty list, Sasha can't believe she's anyone's idea of a girl fighting on the side of the angels. But if she doesn't save Jay, he'll be stuck in Hell forever!
Jay—aka Jevroth—isn't surprised to find himself back in Hell. His visa to visit the mortal plane expired three months ago, but to steal more time with Sasha he's been ignoring his mother's demands that he come home to spend time with his new stepfather: Lucifer.
Sasha has until dawn on the twenty-fifth of December to fight the Legions of Hell and rescue Jay, or be trapped there for eternity herself. But now she must decide if the lying son-of-a-demon is even worth saving...
Heather's Notes
I actually liked this story. It was short and things moved fast, but it made sense and didn't leave you hanging in the end.
Jay—aka Jevroth—isn't surprised to find himself back in Hell. His visa to visit the mortal plane expired three months ago, but to steal more time with Sasha he's been ignoring his mother's demands that he come home to spend time with his new stepfather: Lucifer.
Sasha has until dawn on the twenty-fifth of December to fight the Legions of Hell and rescue Jay, or be trapped there for eternity herself. But now she must decide if the lying son-of-a-demon is even worth saving...
Heather's Notes
I actually liked this story. It was short and things moved fast, but it made sense and didn't leave you hanging in the end.
December 13, 2017
The romance in this one was really well done, it definitely helped that they were already dating at the beginning so there was less relationship developing to go once the novella got started. They already mostly knew each other, they just had to deal with the problem instead of deal with it AND fall in love. Also, I thought the world this was set in was SO interesting, I'm hoping there's a series connected to it I can find.
August 25, 2011
I held off on buying the holiday anthologies that Carina put out last year, instead choosing to pick up a few of the individual novellas instead. Most of the time, I actually prefer this method rather than purchasing whole collections that often leave me more disappointed than not. This way, I can pick and choose what I want to read and better my odds at finding a gem. With this one, I came out a winner.
The story opens with Sasha on Christmas Eve, braving grocery store crowds to pick up a missing ingredient for the baking bonanza she has planned to surprise her boyfriend with. She’s running late because the store is a zoo, and has a less than pleasant experience when she’s recognized. See, her mother is considered Hollywood royalty, and though Sasha isn’t an actress, she’s treated in much the same way. It’s a role she’s tired of, since she can rarely be certain if someone wants to know her for her rather than her family connections. Her boyfriend is one of the few who doesn’t seem to care who she is. Jay is a good man, more low-key than the bad boys she usually dates, but Sasha is worried that his repeated refusals to spend Christmas with her family mean there’s bad news on the horizon. Especially since he told her they needed to talk. Little does she know that Jay isn’t exactly what he seems. He’s half-demon, and as such, isn’t allowed to be on the mortal plane for Christmas. In fact, he was supposed to be back in Hell months ago, but he’s ignored various summons in favor of staying with Sasha. Now, though, he knows he needs to tell her the truth, but before he can, a vortex opens in Sasha’s kitchen and sucks him straight to Hell. Sasha is then visited by an angel who lays upon her the responsibility of retrieving Jay before dawn, or losing him forever.
Comedy is always a tricky sell, because humor often translates so differently to paper. I’ve not always had the best luck when I’ve tried it out, but this time, I got lucky. Where most holiday stories tend to be saccharine sweet, this one was plucky, smart, and kickass.
The author’s voice is suitably sarcastic and sharp, befitting both of her leads, and the pacing is brisk and compelling. I could have easily read another 30k without batting an eyelash. Both the characters and the situation were that entertaining.
I especially loved the heroine. Sasha disdains the superficiality of the world she was born into, choosing to be a stuntwoman rather than an actress. She has a propensity for falling for bad boys, but her latest boyfriend, Jay, seems the antithesis of that. She met him in a library, and she often thinks that he’s actually too good for her. However, he sees past all the crap that comes with being her, and for that alone, he should be a keeper. Her reactions throughout the story reflect this front she wears like armor, when in actuality, she’s as scared and vulnerable as anybody else. It never gets in her way, however, and her consistent bravery and fast thinking made her incredibly easy to root for.
Jay’s a little harder to get a grasp on, but that’s due mostly to the duality of his nature, the fact that he’s kept so much hidden from Sasha, and the slightly sketchy world-building that doesn’t really provide all the answers I needed. My first perceptions of him are colored by Sasha’s thoughts, and it takes a while for those to smooth away to allow his real personality to shine through. When it does, he’s every inch the hero he actually wants to be, even if he’s just a little tarnished. It’s the tarnish that makes him so fascinating.
Knowing I can trust this author’s voice makes me eager to delve into her backlist. I know she’s published with Samhain at the very least. I’ll probably start there. Because when a story is this well-written, with characters that are real in spite of its supernatural setting and such excellent pacing, there’s no way I can stop at reading just one.
The story opens with Sasha on Christmas Eve, braving grocery store crowds to pick up a missing ingredient for the baking bonanza she has planned to surprise her boyfriend with. She’s running late because the store is a zoo, and has a less than pleasant experience when she’s recognized. See, her mother is considered Hollywood royalty, and though Sasha isn’t an actress, she’s treated in much the same way. It’s a role she’s tired of, since she can rarely be certain if someone wants to know her for her rather than her family connections. Her boyfriend is one of the few who doesn’t seem to care who she is. Jay is a good man, more low-key than the bad boys she usually dates, but Sasha is worried that his repeated refusals to spend Christmas with her family mean there’s bad news on the horizon. Especially since he told her they needed to talk. Little does she know that Jay isn’t exactly what he seems. He’s half-demon, and as such, isn’t allowed to be on the mortal plane for Christmas. In fact, he was supposed to be back in Hell months ago, but he’s ignored various summons in favor of staying with Sasha. Now, though, he knows he needs to tell her the truth, but before he can, a vortex opens in Sasha’s kitchen and sucks him straight to Hell. Sasha is then visited by an angel who lays upon her the responsibility of retrieving Jay before dawn, or losing him forever.
Comedy is always a tricky sell, because humor often translates so differently to paper. I’ve not always had the best luck when I’ve tried it out, but this time, I got lucky. Where most holiday stories tend to be saccharine sweet, this one was plucky, smart, and kickass.
The author’s voice is suitably sarcastic and sharp, befitting both of her leads, and the pacing is brisk and compelling. I could have easily read another 30k without batting an eyelash. Both the characters and the situation were that entertaining.
I especially loved the heroine. Sasha disdains the superficiality of the world she was born into, choosing to be a stuntwoman rather than an actress. She has a propensity for falling for bad boys, but her latest boyfriend, Jay, seems the antithesis of that. She met him in a library, and she often thinks that he’s actually too good for her. However, he sees past all the crap that comes with being her, and for that alone, he should be a keeper. Her reactions throughout the story reflect this front she wears like armor, when in actuality, she’s as scared and vulnerable as anybody else. It never gets in her way, however, and her consistent bravery and fast thinking made her incredibly easy to root for.
Jay’s a little harder to get a grasp on, but that’s due mostly to the duality of his nature, the fact that he’s kept so much hidden from Sasha, and the slightly sketchy world-building that doesn’t really provide all the answers I needed. My first perceptions of him are colored by Sasha’s thoughts, and it takes a while for those to smooth away to allow his real personality to shine through. When it does, he’s every inch the hero he actually wants to be, even if he’s just a little tarnished. It’s the tarnish that makes him so fascinating.
Knowing I can trust this author’s voice makes me eager to delve into her backlist. I know she’s published with Samhain at the very least. I’ll probably start there. Because when a story is this well-written, with characters that are real in spite of its supernatural setting and such excellent pacing, there’s no way I can stop at reading just one.
December 7, 2010
Review can be found at my blog here: http://lifeaccording2nicole.blogspot....
Publisher: Carina Press
Publish Date: 12/6/10
How I got this book: Net Galley
Sasha has been arguing with her boyfriend for weeks now about coming to her family's home for Christmas to meet her parents. When he hums and haws about it, delaying any sort of actual commitment, Sasha knows that things probably won’t last between them. Little does she know, Jay is keeping a big secret from her. He is part demon, and has been summoned back to hell to visit his mother and new step-dad, Lucifer himself.
When Jay gets sucked into a portal straight to hell, Sasha thinks that is most definitely the end of things between them. A visit from an angel changes everything though, and armed with two angel guns, she sets off for hell, determined to being the human Jay back to earth.
She journeys through hell, finding Jay and doing everything in his power to bring him back to her, regardless of his lies and parentage. But come Christmas morning, will Jay have enough good in him to be redeemed, and can Sasha’s love possibly save him?
Andrews creates an amazing hell dimension with this one, and had me actually liking Lucifer, laughing at Jay’s mom, and rooting for the half-demon! The journey that Sasha and Jay went on together in hell is hilarious, light hearted and just plain fun. I loved the different demons they ran into, the situations they found themselves in and the hilarity that ensued.
In the beginning I was worried that I wouldn’t like Sasha’s character, she did a lot of moaning and crying, but as they story progressed, she started kicking butt and taking names, and I found myself liking her more and more. Jay was fabulous, and I found myself liking him from the get-go. Half-demon or not, I found myself rooting for him, hoping he would be good enough to be redeemed.
There was one thing that continually confused me throughout the story however, and it caused me to sit back and scratch my head for a bit, wondering if I just misread something, or read too much into something. Sasha refers to her mother as the angel of Hollywood, and in her world, angels are known figures. Throughout the beginning of the story, I just assumed that her mother was an angel, imagine my surprise when I found out she wasn’t. *Scratches Head* Hum, yup, still a little confused about that one!
But, other than that little mind boggle, I really enjoyed this story. The action was packed, the characters were fun, the comedy was spot on and the plot well done. For everyone out there on the angel lovin’ bandwagon, this is a great little read!
This story can be found as a standalone novella, or can be purchased as part of the Carina Press Winter Wishes anthology with the other paranormal greats Vivian Arend and Moira Rogers.
All in all, I give No Angels 3 out of 5 trips to hell!
Publisher: Carina Press
Publish Date: 12/6/10
How I got this book: Net Galley
Sasha has been arguing with her boyfriend for weeks now about coming to her family's home for Christmas to meet her parents. When he hums and haws about it, delaying any sort of actual commitment, Sasha knows that things probably won’t last between them. Little does she know, Jay is keeping a big secret from her. He is part demon, and has been summoned back to hell to visit his mother and new step-dad, Lucifer himself.
When Jay gets sucked into a portal straight to hell, Sasha thinks that is most definitely the end of things between them. A visit from an angel changes everything though, and armed with two angel guns, she sets off for hell, determined to being the human Jay back to earth.
She journeys through hell, finding Jay and doing everything in his power to bring him back to her, regardless of his lies and parentage. But come Christmas morning, will Jay have enough good in him to be redeemed, and can Sasha’s love possibly save him?
Andrews creates an amazing hell dimension with this one, and had me actually liking Lucifer, laughing at Jay’s mom, and rooting for the half-demon! The journey that Sasha and Jay went on together in hell is hilarious, light hearted and just plain fun. I loved the different demons they ran into, the situations they found themselves in and the hilarity that ensued.
In the beginning I was worried that I wouldn’t like Sasha’s character, she did a lot of moaning and crying, but as they story progressed, she started kicking butt and taking names, and I found myself liking her more and more. Jay was fabulous, and I found myself liking him from the get-go. Half-demon or not, I found myself rooting for him, hoping he would be good enough to be redeemed.
There was one thing that continually confused me throughout the story however, and it caused me to sit back and scratch my head for a bit, wondering if I just misread something, or read too much into something. Sasha refers to her mother as the angel of Hollywood, and in her world, angels are known figures. Throughout the beginning of the story, I just assumed that her mother was an angel, imagine my surprise when I found out she wasn’t. *Scratches Head* Hum, yup, still a little confused about that one!
But, other than that little mind boggle, I really enjoyed this story. The action was packed, the characters were fun, the comedy was spot on and the plot well done. For everyone out there on the angel lovin’ bandwagon, this is a great little read!
This story can be found as a standalone novella, or can be purchased as part of the Carina Press Winter Wishes anthology with the other paranormal greats Vivian Arend and Moira Rogers.
All in all, I give No Angels 3 out of 5 trips to hell!
December 22, 2011
When Sasha's boyfriend refuses to spend Christmas with her family and tells her that they "need to talk" she assumes the worst and thinks she is about to be dumped on Christmas eve. But before Jay can tell her his big secret she gets to witness as he is sucked into hell. Sasha is given the option of entering hell to try and rescue him but if she fails she will find herself trapped there with him. When she discovers his secret she'll have to decide if she even wants to save him after all the lies he has told her.
This is the first story I've read by Vivi Andrews and although it wasn't my favourite story in the Winter Wishes anthology I liked it enough to check out more of her work in the future. I really liked Jay's character, I enjoyed the scenes in hell with him and his family - his mother really is a piece of work but I was surprised to find myself quite liking his step dad. I didn't really like Sasha all that much though, she was constantly complaining that Jay was too good for her and that she preferred bad boys but if that was the case I couldn't see why she even wanted to be with him in the first place. It made it difficult to believe in their relationship, although I did see more of a connection between them towards the end of the book once she has discovered his secret. I also started to like Sasha a lot more when she stepped up to fight the demons and rescue her man. No Angel has humour, action and was a fun quick read.
This is the first story I've read by Vivi Andrews and although it wasn't my favourite story in the Winter Wishes anthology I liked it enough to check out more of her work in the future. I really liked Jay's character, I enjoyed the scenes in hell with him and his family - his mother really is a piece of work but I was surprised to find myself quite liking his step dad. I didn't really like Sasha all that much though, she was constantly complaining that Jay was too good for her and that she preferred bad boys but if that was the case I couldn't see why she even wanted to be with him in the first place. It made it difficult to believe in their relationship, although I did see more of a connection between them towards the end of the book once she has discovered his secret. I also started to like Sasha a lot more when she stepped up to fight the demons and rescue her man. No Angel has humour, action and was a fun quick read.
December 18, 2010
This review was originally posted as part of a review of the anthology Winter Wishes on Vampire Book Club.
I loved this story. Hands-down the best of the three. No Angel was my first glimpse at Vivi Andrews’ writing, and I’ll definitely be seeking out more of her novels and novellas after this one.
No Angel was romantic and sweet focusing on the redemptive power of love. When a half-demon is called back into hell by his mother — Lucifer’s wife — he fears he has lost his only chance at love. He hadn’t intended to fall in love with a mortal, he tried hard to be good for her, but he never told her about his demonic side.
When he’s pulled away before his lover’s eyes, she is given the chance to descend to hell and save him. Can she redeem this demonspawn and will she want to once she knows what he’s been hiding?
I loved this story. Hands-down the best of the three. No Angel was my first glimpse at Vivi Andrews’ writing, and I’ll definitely be seeking out more of her novels and novellas after this one.
No Angel was romantic and sweet focusing on the redemptive power of love. When a half-demon is called back into hell by his mother — Lucifer’s wife — he fears he has lost his only chance at love. He hadn’t intended to fall in love with a mortal, he tried hard to be good for her, but he never told her about his demonic side.
When he’s pulled away before his lover’s eyes, she is given the chance to descend to hell and save him. Can she redeem this demonspawn and will she want to once she knows what he’s been hiding?
November 25, 2010
I received an ARC of this through NetGalley. Stories are available as the anthology Winter Wishes or separately.
Sasha, a Hollywood stunt double, wants to bring her boyfriend Jay home to meet her mother for Christmas. Jay doesn't know how to tell Sasha that the reason he can't is because he's a half-demon. Before he gets the chance, he's abducted to Hell... and Sasha is charged by an angelic visitor to retrieve him.
I'm not normally a fan of the angels, demons, Christmas sweetness shtick, but the story is so vivid and funny and smart that I was sucked in despite myself. Very nicely done.
Sasha, a Hollywood stunt double, wants to bring her boyfriend Jay home to meet her mother for Christmas. Jay doesn't know how to tell Sasha that the reason he can't is because he's a half-demon. Before he gets the chance, he's abducted to Hell... and Sasha is charged by an angelic visitor to retrieve him.
I'm not normally a fan of the angels, demons, Christmas sweetness shtick, but the story is so vivid and funny and smart that I was sucked in despite myself. Very nicely done.
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February 28, 2011Ms. Andrews is a genius. In NO ANGEL, she's written a versatile, take-me-anywhere story that you can read on a beach, on an airplane, or in a hospital waiting room. The fast-paced romantic adventure is light and comic without being inconsequential; the world-building is intriguing and creative without demanding a great deal of attention on the reader's part. You won't need to keep track of a dozen plot threads or settings here. Ms. Andrews makes it easy on her readers, and that's a skill possessed by far too few writers in any genre.
If you like Jennie Cruisie, try Vivi Andrews, and keep your eyes peeled for more offerings from this young, Golden-Heart-winning star. I know I will!
If you like Jennie Cruisie, try Vivi Andrews, and keep your eyes peeled for more offerings from this young, Golden-Heart-winning star. I know I will!
June 2, 2015
Full review posted on anthology Winter Wishes page
December 8, 2010
Part of the anthology Winter Wishes, which I received courtesy of Netgalley.
Cute paranormal holiday read. Nice bits of humor.
Cute paranormal holiday read. Nice bits of humor.
August 4, 2012
Great Christmas romance about a half-demon and a half-angel who redeem each other.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews