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A review by teaand_tomes
For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn

medium-paced

3.0

Thank you Jaysea Lynn, Saga Press Books #SagaSaysCrew, and Simon Maverick for the free gifts! 

This book had a killer premise (pun fully intended): a snarky, terminally ill woman dies, ends up in a weirdly whimsical Afterlife, and finds herself managing chaos at the gates of Hell like it’s a customer service desk. Honestly? That concept hooked me instantly. 

There’s a lot to enjoy here: Lily is a likable, layered character, and her arc from grief to agency is one of the strongest parts of the book. Her dynamic with Bel, the demon general with the voice of sin, is slow-burn and sweet, with an emotional intimacy that builds gradually. Their chemistry is quiet but real. 

However, the execution was a little uneven for me. The tone fluctuates between deeply emotional introspection (Lily’s cancer diagnosis and death are treated with sensitivity) and quirky dark comedy (think “The Good Place” meets Supernatural), but it doesn’t always find a consistent balance. Some emotional beats felt undercut by humor, while others felt out of place given the story’s otherwise light-hearted rhythm. 

Additionally, the main conflict—the ominous threat to the Afterlife—was too vague and offscreen to generate real tension. We’re told a lot about this danger, but we don’t feel it unfold in real-time. When the characters refer to it later as if we’ve been through a war, it doesn’t quite land, since we were never actually in the trenches with them. 

Despite that, the narration was a highlight. Elena Wolfe captures Lily’s compassion and resilience beautifully, while Sean Masters’s deep, smooth tone was spot-on for Bel. They brought warmth and personality to the characters in a way the text alone didn’t always deliver. 

This was a creative and thoughtful debut with standout narration and heart. The plot pacing and tonal swings didn’t fully work for me, but fans of cozy underworld vibes, grumpy/sunshine dynamics, and character-driven romantasy may still find plenty to love.
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