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litas_reads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
It's one of my favorite song that gave Marie Sexton the inspiration for that story so of course I knew I'd enjoy it.
ellelainey's review against another edition
5.0
Book – Damned If You Do
Author – Marie Sexton
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 123
Cover – Gorgeous!
POV – 3rd person, one character
Would I read it again – Yes!
Genre – LGBT, Fantasy, Paranormal, Demons
** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **
Damned If You Do is a beautiful story about defying the odds, following your heart and fighting for what you believe in.
The story revolves around Abaddon, who is described as 'a devil', though I fathom it to mean the same as a demon, lesser than Satan and not nearly powerful enough to make his own decisions about things. He's in a bit of trouble, because he's behind on his soul acquisition quota and has been for a while, but when he goes scouting for a suitable soul, he stumbles across the brightest and purest soul, in Seth, who is a blind musician for a revivalist church that travel throughout the Bible Belt.
What follows is a surprisingly tender, sweet and sometimes funny story about how Seth can see more than a person with full sight and how Abaddon is the worst devil to ever exist.
I loved the characterisation of both main characters. Seth is warm, trusting, but not naive, and simply shines with beauty in all facets of his life. Abaddon is deceptively tender and caring, more interested in skating by in his job than suckering innocent people into devilish deals. I loved the way that their characters grew and that we were told a little more about who they were as the story progressed, both through their own thoughts/admissions, as well as through the eyes of others. The chemistry between them was sweet and simmering at the same time, something that definitely kept me interested all the way through. It had a subtlety about it, as well as a growing build of anticipation.
I liked the minor characters of Zed and Baphomet and how their parts were minor but pivotal to the story.
The writing was right up my alley. It had all the description, attention to detail, and the feeling and heart that I love from stories. The important things were shown in what I call 'real time' – aka, with the right attention, time and dedication to the description and exploration of the scenes – while the minor events were shown in perfect proportion, not taking up too much space, but not being glossed over or ignored, either. It was nice to see that some of the most important clues we were given about the story happened in these small moments.
Overall, it was just fantastic. I cried multiple times. I will re-read it multiple times and I'll be buying it on paperback, if it exists. Seth captured my heart with his faith and his innocence, and won't be letting go any time soon, while Abaddon offered the humour and the tenderness that meant this is a story to remember.
~
Favourite Quote
“He was overwhelmed by the tenderness that filled him. There was something so wonderful about knowing that Seth knew him for what he really as, and yet seeing Seth still standing there, not asking for anything at all. Just waiting, as if having a little chat with a devil on a bright Sunday morning in the deep woods of Alabama was the most natural thing in the world.”
“He'd feel this pain for an eternity. It was a worse punishment than living in Hell.”
Author – Marie Sexton
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 123
Cover – Gorgeous!
POV – 3rd person, one character
Would I read it again – Yes!
Genre – LGBT, Fantasy, Paranormal, Demons
** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **
Damned If You Do is a beautiful story about defying the odds, following your heart and fighting for what you believe in.
The story revolves around Abaddon, who is described as 'a devil', though I fathom it to mean the same as a demon, lesser than Satan and not nearly powerful enough to make his own decisions about things. He's in a bit of trouble, because he's behind on his soul acquisition quota and has been for a while, but when he goes scouting for a suitable soul, he stumbles across the brightest and purest soul, in Seth, who is a blind musician for a revivalist church that travel throughout the Bible Belt.
What follows is a surprisingly tender, sweet and sometimes funny story about how Seth can see more than a person with full sight and how Abaddon is the worst devil to ever exist.
I loved the characterisation of both main characters. Seth is warm, trusting, but not naive, and simply shines with beauty in all facets of his life. Abaddon is deceptively tender and caring, more interested in skating by in his job than suckering innocent people into devilish deals. I loved the way that their characters grew and that we were told a little more about who they were as the story progressed, both through their own thoughts/admissions, as well as through the eyes of others. The chemistry between them was sweet and simmering at the same time, something that definitely kept me interested all the way through. It had a subtlety about it, as well as a growing build of anticipation.
I liked the minor characters of Zed and Baphomet and how their parts were minor but pivotal to the story.
The writing was right up my alley. It had all the description, attention to detail, and the feeling and heart that I love from stories. The important things were shown in what I call 'real time' – aka, with the right attention, time and dedication to the description and exploration of the scenes – while the minor events were shown in perfect proportion, not taking up too much space, but not being glossed over or ignored, either. It was nice to see that some of the most important clues we were given about the story happened in these small moments.
Overall, it was just fantastic. I cried multiple times. I will re-read it multiple times and I'll be buying it on paperback, if it exists. Seth captured my heart with his faith and his innocence, and won't be letting go any time soon, while Abaddon offered the humour and the tenderness that meant this is a story to remember.
~
Favourite Quote
“He was overwhelmed by the tenderness that filled him. There was something so wonderful about knowing that Seth knew him for what he really as, and yet seeing Seth still standing there, not asking for anything at all. Just waiting, as if having a little chat with a devil on a bright Sunday morning in the deep woods of Alabama was the most natural thing in the world.”
“He'd feel this pain for an eternity. It was a worse punishment than living in Hell.”
liza5326's review against another edition
4.0
How can a demon trying to get your soul and a traveling evangelical be so damn cute and end up a great story? This was really a nice and funny short story, sweet and just enough heat to keep it interesting. I loved Abbadon and Seth.
crtsjffrsn's review against another edition
3.0
Abaddon is down to his last chance. If he doesn't do something to meet his quota for soul collection soon, he'll be demoted a less than desirable job. He needs a big score. And he knows just where to get it.
Traveling to "the Bible Belt," Abaddon quickly finds Seth, a blind musician who is part of a traveling revival. His purity quickly draws Abaddon in. Seth's soul would be an ultimate score. But Abaddon is drawn to Seth in other ways too--ways that make his task more difficult to complete than he expected.
But there's something about Seth that Abaddon can't quite figure out. There's more to Seth's story than Seth himself might even know. At the end of it all, will Abaddon be able to collect Seth's soul knowing what it means for him? Or will be willing to walk away to save Seth while sacrificing himself to an eternity of one of the worst jobs in Hell?
---
The opening here is right out of Charlie Daniels song--and it didn't strike me as a particularly original approach. Sadly, that really colored the way I read the rest of the book. It took a long time for me to get past that and into the story, which is actually an interesting one. Had it not been for that scene, I feel like it would have been easier to connect with the story. It was more distracting than anything else.
Abaddon and Seth certainly experience a quick-build relationship. It borders a bit on unbelievable, but as the rest of the story unfolds, it all ends up making sense.
If you're looking for something that will let you just sort of roll with the story, this book would be one of those. It's not going to require you to think too much, and it's likely to keep you entertained.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
Traveling to "the Bible Belt," Abaddon quickly finds Seth, a blind musician who is part of a traveling revival. His purity quickly draws Abaddon in. Seth's soul would be an ultimate score. But Abaddon is drawn to Seth in other ways too--ways that make his task more difficult to complete than he expected.
But there's something about Seth that Abaddon can't quite figure out. There's more to Seth's story than Seth himself might even know. At the end of it all, will Abaddon be able to collect Seth's soul knowing what it means for him? Or will be willing to walk away to save Seth while sacrificing himself to an eternity of one of the worst jobs in Hell?
---
The opening here is right out of Charlie Daniels song--and it didn't strike me as a particularly original approach. Sadly, that really colored the way I read the rest of the book. It took a long time for me to get past that and into the story, which is actually an interesting one. Had it not been for that scene, I feel like it would have been easier to connect with the story. It was more distracting than anything else.
Abaddon and Seth certainly experience a quick-build relationship. It borders a bit on unbelievable, but as the rest of the story unfolds, it all ends up making sense.
If you're looking for something that will let you just sort of roll with the story, this book would be one of those. It's not going to require you to think too much, and it's likely to keep you entertained.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
lilybear's review
3.0
It was interesting enough. Kind of predictable and not nearly as devilish as one might hope from the title. In fact it was a little overly sweet and fluffy. Abaddon truly made the worst devil in hell. Which was kind of the point. A tale of love and redemption.
smartie_chan's review against another edition
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer and Death
alexrambles's review against another edition
5.0
Damned if you Do was just so Damned ADORABLE! This has got to be the cutest gay demon romance I've ever read. To be perfectly honest, I'm usually not a fan of demons and angels in romantic fiction. Something about it always feels way too moral-based to me, and therefore judge-y. But this book? This book did NONE of that. Abbaddon (I can't believe I'm saying this) was adorable. What, you say? A demon cruising for souls, adorable? You bet your bible belt he is! The only thing cuter than Abbaddon is Seth and his mixture of desire and honest good-heartedness. The twist, when you find it out, is definitely NOT something I saw coming, and I was genuinely upset when I found out. I got teary towards the end, for many reasons, but the way Sexton ended the book was just absolutely perfect. Literally a ride-off-into-the-sunset ending, complete with an old truck and a bucket list on the dash.
All in all, this is one of the best romances that I have read in a really long time
All in all, this is one of the best romances that I have read in a really long time
maya56's review against another edition
4.0
More emotional than I anticipated... which is a good thing.
bfdbookblog's review against another edition
4.0
I am usually quite leery about reading a book with any kind of religious plot line; there is just too much that can go wrong. But I love Marie Sexton so of course I had to read this. The writing was as good as it always is with her books. She threw a bit of religious satirical humor in that wasn’t offensive but entertaining (which is usually hard to pull off with me) – especially with the revival. This is a very sweet story of Good (God) vs. Evil (the Devil) that surprised me as much as it delighted me. I would have liked it to be a bit longer but this is still complete as is.
I read someone else’s review comparing the initial scene between Seth and Abaddon to Charlie Daniel’s Devil Went Down to Georgia. I didn’t catch that at first but it’s totally accurate. The exchanges between Seth and Abaddon are entertaining at first but become a bit emotional by the end. The romance between the two as well as the true goodness of both men is endearing.
There were a couple of pretty great side characters that helped complete the story. Definitely worth the read!
I read someone else’s review comparing the initial scene between Seth and Abaddon to Charlie Daniel’s Devil Went Down to Georgia. I didn’t catch that at first but it’s totally accurate. The exchanges between Seth and Abaddon are entertaining at first but become a bit emotional by the end. The romance between the two as well as the true goodness of both men is endearing.
There were a couple of pretty great side characters that helped complete the story. Definitely worth the read!
fredbooklover's review against another edition
5.0
This is a 4.5 stars review round up to 5
When heaven and hell are meeting; you can expect fireworks! Damned if you do is taking us on a journey between heaven and hell and provide an exquisite and fun read. It is a quick read and I was left begging for more!!!
Abaddon is no ordinary demon. He is a soul recruiter and has to meet his soul quota to keep his current job or he will be downgraded to a lesser role in hell. When he met Seth; he became like a child in a candy store. Seth has this light surrounding him. He is always talking about god and has total faith in him. Abbadon knew that if he would be able to recruit Seth, his quota will be filled right away and he even might get a promotion. He decided to go for it and try to get Seth soul.
When it is a quick read like this one, it is not an easy task to write a review and to avoid the trap of giving out spoilers. Seth is blind since he is 19; he can’t see Abaddon, but he can sense his energy. At their first meeting, there was an instant chemistry between both of them. Abaddon is not a usual demon, he is scrupulous and has not lost all of his humanity. That’s what is making him a lousy demon. I must admit that he is a likable character. I really enjoyed the friendship between him and another demon: Baphomet. In hell, friendship should not be existing so they have to act as if they are hating each other. Emotions toward Seth begin to develop in Abaddon heart and he knew that he was screwed.
Seth is part of a Pentecostal tent revival and is playing music with them. He is always on the move from one site to another. He is still a virgin and even though he is blind, he is attracted to Abbadon. Abbadon told him from the get-go that he wanted his soul, Seth thought it was a metaphorical figure. That is until Abbadon began showing in different cities to chat with him and Seth had not told him where he was going. At Seth Request, Abbadon is assisting to the Revival ceremony, but he is not welcomed with open arms. Zed is making sure that Abbadon can’t have too many private moments with Seth. Feelings started to develop between them and that is here that I am stopping my review. I refuse to give away any spoilers!! I really love how the story is finishing and I love how the snakes were appearing in the middle of the Revival ceremony. A lot of unique elements with some humor, I could not ask for anything more!
A surprisingly amazing story that I strongly recommend to every soul out there! It is refreshing and creative!
* I was gifted this ebook by Jeep Diva in exchange for an honest review.
When heaven and hell are meeting; you can expect fireworks! Damned if you do is taking us on a journey between heaven and hell and provide an exquisite and fun read. It is a quick read and I was left begging for more!!!
Abaddon is no ordinary demon. He is a soul recruiter and has to meet his soul quota to keep his current job or he will be downgraded to a lesser role in hell. When he met Seth; he became like a child in a candy store. Seth has this light surrounding him. He is always talking about god and has total faith in him. Abbadon knew that if he would be able to recruit Seth, his quota will be filled right away and he even might get a promotion. He decided to go for it and try to get Seth soul.
When it is a quick read like this one, it is not an easy task to write a review and to avoid the trap of giving out spoilers. Seth is blind since he is 19; he can’t see Abaddon, but he can sense his energy. At their first meeting, there was an instant chemistry between both of them. Abaddon is not a usual demon, he is scrupulous and has not lost all of his humanity. That’s what is making him a lousy demon. I must admit that he is a likable character. I really enjoyed the friendship between him and another demon: Baphomet. In hell, friendship should not be existing so they have to act as if they are hating each other. Emotions toward Seth begin to develop in Abaddon heart and he knew that he was screwed.
Seth is part of a Pentecostal tent revival and is playing music with them. He is always on the move from one site to another. He is still a virgin and even though he is blind, he is attracted to Abbadon. Abbadon told him from the get-go that he wanted his soul, Seth thought it was a metaphorical figure. That is until Abbadon began showing in different cities to chat with him and Seth had not told him where he was going. At Seth Request, Abbadon is assisting to the Revival ceremony, but he is not welcomed with open arms. Zed is making sure that Abbadon can’t have too many private moments with Seth. Feelings started to develop between them and that is here that I am stopping my review. I refuse to give away any spoilers!! I really love how the story is finishing and I love how the snakes were appearing in the middle of the Revival ceremony. A lot of unique elements with some humor, I could not ask for anything more!
A surprisingly amazing story that I strongly recommend to every soul out there! It is refreshing and creative!
* I was gifted this ebook by Jeep Diva in exchange for an honest review.