Straight to Hell/Straight to Heaven Dual Review:
The moment Lilith Straight dies, the Devil appears to claim her soul and cash in on a family curse. Now, Lilith has no choice but to work for him. The job is bad, the boss is worse and she can’t imagine how she’ll explain her new reincarnation to her eight-year-old daughter. But then an arrogant, yet oh so yummy, incubus shows up…and hell heats up just a little more.
Straight to Heaven Blurb:
Hell’s newest employee, Lilith Straight, thinks she’s got a handle on her job as the Devil’s temptress until she finds herself going horns-to-halo with a guardian angel who’s determined to rescue Lilith’s next victim. To make matters worse, William Darcy, the hottest demon in hell, is trying to undermine Lilith’s mission with a few temptations of his own.
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed both of these books. I thought they were cute and fun. Perfect for the beach or a vacation! I liked Lilith as a character, especially her love for her daughter. I might not have always agreed with her decisions, but I respected her as a character, so it worked for me. Also, the secondary characters were great. I loved the variety of secondary characters, with my favourites being Mr. Clerk and Ariel.
I liked the premise of the story and the way the afterlife is portrayed. I enjoyed how Hell was hidden under a polish veneer, but it's denizens couldn't always hide their true faces. I also enjoyed Lilith's struggle with morality. Can someone who does bad things (and works for the devil) be a good person? Lilith makes me believe that maybe they can.
And then there's Mr. Darcy, Lilith's oh-so-sexy coworker. A very attractive reminder than sometimes the flaws make the man.
On the Cover:
The covers and cute and fun, much like the books. But man, those ladies have wonky shaped bodies!
Favourite Character:
This one is a toss-up between Mr. Clerk and Ariel. I love Mr. Clerk and his fashionable, tragic existence. And Ariel is an interesting character. Despite all her flaws, she is a lot of fun and an awesome cousin to Grace.
Rating: 4 Hearts
Source: I was provided with ecopies of both books for review as part of the blog tour.
Where to find Straight to Hell: Goodreads | Kindle | Smashwords
Where to Find Straight to Heaven: Goodreads | Kindle | Smashwords
Stalk the Author: Goodreads | Website | Twitter
Bonus: Interview with Lilith Straight
Hello Lilith and welcome to Megan Likes Books! I’m very excited to have you on the blog today!
Excellent! I have 10 questions for you today, so let’s get started!
1. Let’s get right to the good stuff. What is the biggest way your life as changed after being hit by a car and dying?
Well,
it’s certainly changed in a lot of ways, but I guess the biggest (and
worst) difference is that I feel like someone is always looking over my
shoulder. I mean, there are doorways to Hell all over my house, and the
demons think they can pop in on me no matter what I’m doing! They have
no sense of boundaries. Sometimes, I feel like an animal in a cage at
the zoo. But if I try to pop in on them, they get very cranky. Double standards play a big part in the life of Hell.
2. Describe yourself in 5 words. Hmmm.
Mother,
fashionista… Well, I guess I should add succubus as well, even though I
really don’t want to. And, I guess if I’m being honest, ‘lonely’.
See, now that I work for Hell, there’s no one I can discuss my new life
with. After all, I’m not about to break the news to my friends or my
family. Okay, now there’s one word left. Unlucky? Yes, I guess I’ll
go with that. Since becoming Hell’s newest employee, I can’t help but
feel sorry for myself. Although ‘loved’ might be better since I know my
family loves me. Even though it’s not okay for a succubus to love, I’m
pretty sure there’s no rules in my contract that say other people can’t
love me.
3. What is your favourite thing to do with your daughter Grace and niece Ariel?
We
have this tradition that we do every Friday night. We all get into our
pajamas and watch a Disney movie. If we’ve seen the movie too many
times, then I turn off the sound and we fill in the dialogue ourselves.
I realize that doesn’t sound like anything amazing, but after a long
week, it’s the one thing we all look forward to. Even Ariel. Also,
this is the one time that I allow the girls to eat junk food (and I
sneak a bit of it myself as well!)
4. What are your hopes for the future for Grace and Ariel?
I
want Grace out of this ridiculous contract with the Devil. That is my
single goal for that child. After that, I hope she goes to college and
gets a degree that is more marketable than mine (women’s studies). I
hope Ariel does the same thing, but I’d be happy if that girl if becomes
a gas station attendant as long as she stays away from drugs, unlike
her mother. Oh, and I want them both to marry good men. Men like Tommy
and not Dr. Ted.
5. I
understand you’ve been through a divorce recently. What was the most
difficult aspect of that? Has anything positive come from it?
Okay,
don’t even get me started on Dr. Theodore Dempsey, my cheating
ex-husband! Ugh. The most difficult part? That would have to be
trying not to tell Grace was a moronic, pig-headed, jerk her father is.
Believe me, I want to. But Grace thinks her dad is godlike, and I
don’t want to spoil that for her. And, yes, something positive has come
from it. The fact that I no longer have to share a bed with a guy who
used to lecture me on things like the best way to add milk to cereal.
Believe me, Ted has a system for everything. Like I said, don’t even get me started on that man.
6. What is the most important thing you have learned from your mother?
We didn’t see much of each other when I was growing up, so this is something I learned after she
was dead. And that is, you might have to act like a monster in order
to protect the ones you love. I’d grown up thinking that my mother had
abandoned me because she couldn’t be bothered with a baby, but that
wasn’t it at all. Now that I understand that she was trying to keep me
safe from her demon overlord, I know that my mother went to a lot of
trouble to pick the right doorstep to leave me on. I love her for
that. I can only hope I can do as much for Grace without hurting too
many more people in the process.
7. What is your biggest hope for the future?
That
I will get out of my damn contract! That’s number one, of course.
Number two would be to start dating William; although, he needs to get
off the idea that a physical relationship is better than an emotional
one. I’d also like to convince Patrick Clerk to wear something other than
white. I want to see my stepsister get a job, and also have her get
together with Tommy. Whew! This is a long, probably impossible, list,
but I do love to dream.
8. Biggest fear?
Miss
Spry when she’s really, really angry. That and having Grace take my
position as the next succubus. Both of these things give me night
sweats.
9. Favourite fashion designer? (I’m a Dior girl myself)
Oh,
Dior is excellent! If I haven’t gotten out of my contract by this
fall, I’m planning on using the otherworld doorways to see their
spring/summer show in Paris. I mean, Hell has to have some benefits,
right? Anyway, I’ll go with Ralph Lauren as my favorite. Jasmine says
it’s because I’m old and boring, but Lauren has that classic style I
love. If I don’t know what to wear, I’ll grab my favorite Lauren slacks
and a top and I know that I’ll look put together. On the other hand,
if I’m feeling more playful, I’ll go with Dolce & Gabbana. D&G
bags are my favorites!
10. Last question. Curveball! How do you feel about aliens?
Lol.
Okay, until a few months ago, I didn’t even believe in demons and
angels, so after that experience, I think that anything’s possible. It
would be just my luck, though, that another relative of mine made a deal
with space aliens, and I’ll soon find out that I’m next in line to get
probed or something.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Thank you! It was a pleasure to be here.
Author Bio
Michelle Scott received her MFA from Wayne State University. Her stories have appeared in such places as Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, All Possible Worlds and Realms. Her fantasy novel, The Dragons of Hazlett was nominated for a 2009 EPPIE Award. Michelle’s YA novels include the vampire romance, Blood Sisters, and the fantasy Uncommon Magic. Her latest fantasy novel, An Anthem for the Battle Lands, was recently released from Mundania Press, LLC. Michelle lives in southeast Michigan with her husband and three children.
Thanks so much for hosting me today! I loved the interview, and really appreciate your kind words :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a super cute, fun series! The covers make me chuckle! Great interview as well the characters sound like a lot of fun!
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