What do you think?
Rate this book
Hellhound Heat #1
Bad Demon
It was Fern Honeycutt’s eyes that gave her away. Not witch. All demon.
Her coven saw her as an abomination, handing her over to pure evil.
She escaped, but a lone female is an easy target. When breeder scouts start hanging around her store, the only way to protect herself is to break the rules she swore to uphold—adding a whole new problem.
Relic, an emotionless and arrogant hellhound, witnessed those crimes and now he’s stalking her. But the unpredictable beast is the only thing standing between her and mortal danger, so Fern chooses the lesser of two evils and plays dirty, forcing him to protect her.
However, the sinfully handsome Relic isn’t easily controlled. He surrounds her with a quiet dominance and easy affection that’s breaking through her pain—and as hard as she tries to protect her heart, he’s even more determined to claim it…
Her coven saw her as an abomination, handing her over to pure evil.
She escaped, but a lone female is an easy target. When breeder scouts start hanging around her store, the only way to protect herself is to break the rules she swore to uphold—adding a whole new problem.
Relic, an emotionless and arrogant hellhound, witnessed those crimes and now he’s stalking her. But the unpredictable beast is the only thing standing between her and mortal danger, so Fern chooses the lesser of two evils and plays dirty, forcing him to protect her.
However, the sinfully handsome Relic isn’t easily controlled. He surrounds her with a quiet dominance and easy affection that’s breaking through her pain—and as hard as she tries to protect her heart, he’s even more determined to claim it…
366 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 21, 2024
About the author
Sherilee Gray
84 books1,309 followersSherilee Gray is a kiwi girl and lives in beautiful New Zealand with her husband and their two children. When she isn't writing sexy contemporary and paranormal romance, searching for her next alpha hero on Pinterest, or fueling her voracious book addiction, she can be found dreaming of far off places with a mug of tea in one hand and a bar of chocolate in the other.
Sign up for Sherilee's newsletter for updates and giveaways: http://www.sherileegray.com/contactne...
Sign up for Sherilee's newsletter for updates and giveaways: http://www.sherileegray.com/contactne...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
![Profile Image for Carol [Goodreads Addict].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1626057011i/10717098._UX200_CR0,33,200,200_.jpg)
November 15, 2024
Bad Demon is book one in a brand new series by Sherilee Gray. This series will feature the Hellhounds who hide in the human world as the Devil Dogs MC. These men/hounds are all huge, alpha men who live life just a little bit on the wild side. When the hounds were created, they weren’t given emotions. But if or when they find their true mate, their emotions will emerge. I do want to warn you that this story is dark and quite twisted. It might have even been a bit too dark for me. Maybe I’m just losing my ability to handle some of the things that happened in this book which is most likely the case. But I know when I close my eyes tonight to sleep, I’ll still be seeing a couple of these scenes behind my eyes.
Relic is a six hundred year old, immortal Hellhound. In his world, six hundred isn’t that old. There were so many others in his club that were much older and deserved to find their mates before him. But fate had other plans. And when he was asked to accompany his female friend into a shop in a bad part of town, he was completely overwhelmed when he saw her, the shop owner. A little five foot tall thing with fiery red hair and he knew his world would never be the same again.
Fern Honeycutt had been hurt by those that were supposed to care for her. When she was seven years old, she was sold to someone who was so evil that there are simply no words. Eventually, though, many years later, she escaped. For five years she’s been free. Fern is part witch and part demon but the demon part of her is the strongest. She runs a little shop in a demon section of town. It was on a day that a regular customer of hers came in with a Hellhound protector and suddenly her world turned upside down.
Relic couldn’t stay away from Fern, even if he wanted to, which he doesn’t. He’ll insinuate himself into her life in any way possible until he can convince her to trust him enough to accept him as her mate. But she’s nowhere near that point yet. So he’ll just pose as her protector. These two have quite a path they must travel before things will work out for them but you need to discover that for yourself when you read this. I can honestly say that once you start, you won’t be able to put it down. I’ve really been looking forward to reading about these hounds. But as I said, this might have been just a bit over my boundaries of what I can handle. One thing is for certain, though, you can’t help but love these men. They are so over the top protective of their females. Relic will go to the ends of the earth for his mate, whether she wants him to or not. So buckle up everyone, and get ready for Relic and Fern.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
Relic is a six hundred year old, immortal Hellhound. In his world, six hundred isn’t that old. There were so many others in his club that were much older and deserved to find their mates before him. But fate had other plans. And when he was asked to accompany his female friend into a shop in a bad part of town, he was completely overwhelmed when he saw her, the shop owner. A little five foot tall thing with fiery red hair and he knew his world would never be the same again.
Fern Honeycutt had been hurt by those that were supposed to care for her. When she was seven years old, she was sold to someone who was so evil that there are simply no words. Eventually, though, many years later, she escaped. For five years she’s been free. Fern is part witch and part demon but the demon part of her is the strongest. She runs a little shop in a demon section of town. It was on a day that a regular customer of hers came in with a Hellhound protector and suddenly her world turned upside down.
Relic couldn’t stay away from Fern, even if he wanted to, which he doesn’t. He’ll insinuate himself into her life in any way possible until he can convince her to trust him enough to accept him as her mate. But she’s nowhere near that point yet. So he’ll just pose as her protector. These two have quite a path they must travel before things will work out for them but you need to discover that for yourself when you read this. I can honestly say that once you start, you won’t be able to put it down. I’ve really been looking forward to reading about these hounds. But as I said, this might have been just a bit over my boundaries of what I can handle. One thing is for certain, though, you can’t help but love these men. They are so over the top protective of their females. Relic will go to the ends of the earth for his mate, whether she wants him to or not. So buckle up everyone, and get ready for Relic and Fern.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
November 18, 2024
Yowzah!! The hell-hounds are here!! And Relic has set the bar high for over-the-top protective anti-heroes.
This was one dark, twisted tale with two characters that I LOVED! Fern’s story was so abhorrent that each time a bit of her history was revealed my emotions were wrecked. This storyline was both tragic and beautiful as Relic and Fern interact, grow closer, and travel through the obstacles along their way to what will surely be their station as a power couple in this world Ms.Gray has created.
I cannot wait to see what this author has in store for the rest of the hell-hounds. Bring on more of this dark, twisted and amazing world!
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
Steam
This was one dark, twisted tale with two characters that I LOVED! Fern’s story was so abhorrent that each time a bit of her history was revealed my emotions were wrecked. This storyline was both tragic and beautiful as Relic and Fern interact, grow closer, and travel through the obstacles along their way to what will surely be their station as a power couple in this world Ms.Gray has created.
I cannot wait to see what this author has in store for the rest of the hell-hounds. Bring on more of this dark, twisted and amazing world!
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
Steam
June 27, 2026
This time,i’m glad i had this freebie in my library…..and i found i had a few more like it,so double joy!
It deals with some heavy topics,so mind the triggers,but you know me….i like me some triggers.
And these were connected to the arsehole that was responsible for Fern’s torture,not to the Hellhound that started stalking her,so that’s good.
And the reason that Hellhound stalked her,was because he found out she’s his mate.
One thing you need to know is that while Hellhounds may not be known for having a lot of feelings,once they find their mate,they catch up on that…..
And Relic not only had to deal with his own feelings…..no,he could almost taste Fern’s fear,as well as the trauma she suffered.
So,what did this Hellhound do to make his mate feel better?
He gave her everything she needed,and more,so much more!
He pretended to be soulbound by her,while Hellhounds don’t even have a soul.
He gave her a safe place whenever she needed it.
He did his best to keep her as safe as possible.
He was gentle and patient…..yes,this Hellhound managed to be gentle!
Because his mate needed him to be,and he’d give her that until she was ready to see the truth.
There was more to his little mate then she seemed to be,though….and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Fern may have told him she was only part Demon,that she was also part witch,but he couldn’t see the witch part….
What he did see,was the trauma,and it made him mad as Hell!
If only she told him the who,the why and the how…..because he planned to make the ones responsible suffer twice the pain they’d inflicted on her!
But Fern was worried that if she told him,he’d turn away,disgusted.
And he was the first person that treated her with kindness,that cared about her wellbeing.
Even if she’d forced him to stay when she’d bound his soul to her…..
And there was more…..her tormentors weren’t done with her yet.
Would they be able to find her,and if so,what would they do???
She just started making friends…..having a life….surely they were safe,right??
She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if something happened to them,or worse to Relic…..
Sweet,and with a delicious sprinkle of spice once they got where they needed to be,this was a story i enjoyed.
The danger,with the triggers,added an extra layer that kept me on my toes.
The trauma was handled with care,and got the time it needed to be resolved.
The friends these two had,and found during the story,will have their own stories to tell,and they sound interesting enough to make me want to find out what those are.
It deals with some heavy topics,so mind the triggers,but you know me….i like me some triggers.
And these were connected to the arsehole that was responsible for Fern’s torture,not to the Hellhound that started stalking her,so that’s good.
And the reason that Hellhound stalked her,was because he found out she’s his mate.
One thing you need to know is that while Hellhounds may not be known for having a lot of feelings,once they find their mate,they catch up on that…..
And Relic not only had to deal with his own feelings…..no,he could almost taste Fern’s fear,as well as the trauma she suffered.
So,what did this Hellhound do to make his mate feel better?
He gave her everything she needed,and more,so much more!
He pretended to be soulbound by her,while Hellhounds don’t even have a soul.
He gave her a safe place whenever she needed it.
He did his best to keep her as safe as possible.
He was gentle and patient…..yes,this Hellhound managed to be gentle!
Because his mate needed him to be,and he’d give her that until she was ready to see the truth.
There was more to his little mate then she seemed to be,though….and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Fern may have told him she was only part Demon,that she was also part witch,but he couldn’t see the witch part….
What he did see,was the trauma,and it made him mad as Hell!
If only she told him the who,the why and the how…..because he planned to make the ones responsible suffer twice the pain they’d inflicted on her!
But Fern was worried that if she told him,he’d turn away,disgusted.
And he was the first person that treated her with kindness,that cared about her wellbeing.
Even if she’d forced him to stay when she’d bound his soul to her…..
And there was more…..her tormentors weren’t done with her yet.
Would they be able to find her,and if so,what would they do???
She just started making friends…..having a life….surely they were safe,right??
She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if something happened to them,or worse to Relic…..
Sweet,and with a delicious sprinkle of spice once they got where they needed to be,this was a story i enjoyed.
The danger,with the triggers,added an extra layer that kept me on my toes.
The trauma was handled with care,and got the time it needed to be resolved.
The friends these two had,and found during the story,will have their own stories to tell,and they sound interesting enough to make me want to find out what those are.
August 10, 2025
I am loving Sherilee Gray at the moment, everything I have read so far has been exquisite. The main heroine here, Fern, has been thrown in the hands of a vile creature, known as the Chemist, who has been experimenting on her since the tender age of seven. Despite her escape, she is left with the nightmares from the experience. Relic is the only born hellhound, part of the Devil Dogs MC. He is outspoken, a tad arrogant and of course, smitten with the fragile demon he meets.
This couple was adorable, loved Relic as he was so devoted to do his best as to make sure his mate feels safe and cared for. Despite Fern's stubbornness and reluctance for any connection, Relic is unyielding. He does not push her, he does not demand answers , he is there when she needs him and offers assistance with anything she may need. Patience and perseverance throughout this one on the MMC's behalf and frankly, it did pay off. It was beautiful when Fern slowly but surely started to open up to him and to the potential of having a connection that enriches her life.
This was a lovely slow - burn romance, one that deals with darker themes such as abandonment of a child, psychological as well as physical abuse. The element that stood out here though was Relic's experience of emotions as most hellhounds cannot experience feelings until they find their mate and Fern's struggle to open hear heart and embrace her future.
All in all, this was a fabulous experience for me and I hope others enjoy it as well.
This couple was adorable, loved Relic as he was so devoted to do his best as to make sure his mate feels safe and cared for. Despite Fern's stubbornness and reluctance for any connection, Relic is unyielding. He does not push her, he does not demand answers , he is there when she needs him and offers assistance with anything she may need. Patience and perseverance throughout this one on the MMC's behalf and frankly, it did pay off. It was beautiful when Fern slowly but surely started to open up to him and to the potential of having a connection that enriches her life.
This was a lovely slow - burn romance, one that deals with darker themes such as abandonment of a child, psychological as well as physical abuse. The element that stood out here though was Relic's experience of emotions as most hellhounds cannot experience feelings until they find their mate and Fern's struggle to open hear heart and embrace her future.
All in all, this was a fabulous experience for me and I hope others enjoy it as well.
November 12, 2024
RELIC🥳🥳
Oh my gosh, we finally get Relic’s story and it’s fantastic❣️ It sets us up after the Thornheart series but it can be read as a standalone, but if you’re like me and you love anything paranormal I’d recommend Knights of Hell to start, then Thornhearts and then Bad Demon😈
Relic is a hellhound and years younger than some of his brothers. When one of the Thornheart sisters asks him to accompany them to a not so great part of town, Relic immediately agrees to go with. However, the owner of the shop they are visiting affects him in a unique way. Fern is a mixed breed but no less kick butt and take names later type of female😍
I won’t say too much apart from this as I reckon it would all be spoilers….but I will say bring on the hellhounds🙌 Looking forward to more…I received an advanced copy and voluntarily leave my honest review❤️
Oh my gosh, we finally get Relic’s story and it’s fantastic❣️ It sets us up after the Thornheart series but it can be read as a standalone, but if you’re like me and you love anything paranormal I’d recommend Knights of Hell to start, then Thornhearts and then Bad Demon😈
Relic is a hellhound and years younger than some of his brothers. When one of the Thornheart sisters asks him to accompany them to a not so great part of town, Relic immediately agrees to go with. However, the owner of the shop they are visiting affects him in a unique way. Fern is a mixed breed but no less kick butt and take names later type of female😍
I won’t say too much apart from this as I reckon it would all be spoilers….but I will say bring on the hellhounds🙌 Looking forward to more…I received an advanced copy and voluntarily leave my honest review❤️
November 22, 2024
3.5/5
Ah Relic, you sly dog— ahem, hound, you.
The way Relic is so gentle with her 🥹
Besides a little stalking (Fern’s words), he’s the greenest flag if I ever saw one.
⚠️ Safety/TW⚠️
In my opinion, the author’s content warning was insufficient. Here is Sherilee Gray’s warning:
“BAD DEMON contains scenes that include medical and body horror, non con (not between the hero and heroine), extra large penetration, knotting, blood drinking, blood, gore, violence, explicit sex. Although I don’t consider Bad Demon to be a dark romance, there are dark themes and scenes that may be disturbing to some readers, so please proceed with caution.”
Non-consensual can mean many different situations. There are some non-consensual situations that I can handle and then there are some that I can’t. I felt like that warning was too broad. So, I’m going to supplement the author’s trigger warning with my own if you’re thinking about reading the book:
Rape (FMC, in flashback)*
- it’s not explicit like the sex scene but there’s enough detail that I could picture it, unfortunately. See below for the exact scene and context👇.
- I’d also consider forced/coerced sexual acts as rape which this book has
Mutilation
Non-consensual infection
Degradation
Torture of a child (off page, FMC has been a prisoner since she was 7)
Anxiety (OCD) (FMC, on page)
Disassociation (FMC, on page)
The rape scene was difficult and almost made me DNF, if I’m being honest. But I’d been looking forward to Relic and Fern’s story since we first saw them in A Bond in Flames. I continued and I’m glad I did. Relic is… 🥹🥹 he’s too precious. Now I just need Jag and Sutton 😩
*‼️Spoilers‼️ - rape scene below 👇
For me, personally, this was the hardest part to get through.
Here is the (what I consider) rape scene that almost made me DNF. The male is coerced into having sex with Fern. The reason is because The Chemist infected her with a disease and he wanted to see if it could be transmitted sexually. He would coerce males to have sex with her and they’d eventually die.
“He looked down at me. “I’m sorry,” he choked out. “It’s … it’s my brother.”
I said nothing. There was no stopping this. There was no fighting it. I was strapped down, sick from The Chemist’s virus and weak from blood loss after Ghoul almost drained me.
Shaking and crying, the male climbed on top of me. I turned my head away while he apologized over and over again as he forced himself inside me.
When it was done, he climbed off the bed and threw up. Grady grabbed him and dragged him from the room.”
Ah Relic, you sly dog— ahem, hound, you.
The way Relic is so gentle with her 🥹
Besides a little stalking (Fern’s words), he’s the greenest flag if I ever saw one.
⚠️ Safety/TW⚠️
In my opinion, the author’s content warning was insufficient. Here is Sherilee Gray’s warning:
“BAD DEMON contains scenes that include medical and body horror, non con (not between the hero and heroine), extra large penetration, knotting, blood drinking, blood, gore, violence, explicit sex. Although I don’t consider Bad Demon to be a dark romance, there are dark themes and scenes that may be disturbing to some readers, so please proceed with caution.”
Non-consensual can mean many different situations. There are some non-consensual situations that I can handle and then there are some that I can’t. I felt like that warning was too broad. So, I’m going to supplement the author’s trigger warning with my own if you’re thinking about reading the book:
Rape (FMC, in flashback)*
- it’s not explicit like the sex scene but there’s enough detail that I could picture it, unfortunately. See below for the exact scene and context👇.
- I’d also consider forced/coerced sexual acts as rape which this book has
Mutilation
Non-consensual infection
Degradation
Torture of a child (off page, FMC has been a prisoner since she was 7)
Anxiety (OCD) (FMC, on page)
Disassociation (FMC, on page)
The rape scene was difficult and almost made me DNF, if I’m being honest. But I’d been looking forward to Relic and Fern’s story since we first saw them in A Bond in Flames. I continued and I’m glad I did. Relic is… 🥹🥹 he’s too precious. Now I just need Jag and Sutton 😩
*‼️Spoilers‼️ - rape scene below 👇
For me, personally, this was the hardest part to get through.
Here is the (what I consider) rape scene that almost made me DNF. The male is coerced into having sex with Fern. The reason is because The Chemist infected her with a disease and he wanted to see if it could be transmitted sexually. He would coerce males to have sex with her and they’d eventually die.
“He looked down at me. “I’m sorry,” he choked out. “It’s … it’s my brother.”
I said nothing. There was no stopping this. There was no fighting it. I was strapped down, sick from The Chemist’s virus and weak from blood loss after Ghoul almost drained me.
Shaking and crying, the male climbed on top of me. I turned my head away while he apologized over and over again as he forced himself inside me.
When it was done, he climbed off the bed and threw up. Grady grabbed him and dragged him from the room.”
November 15, 2024
Content Warnings
This book does contain some potentially disturbing content which might be triggering. Even though these are not my triggers, it still wasn't easy to read certain things so keep that in mind.
TWs:
medical and body horror
non con (not between the hero and heroine)
extra large penetration, knotting, blood drinking, blood, gore, violence, explicit sex
Review:
I have been dying for Relic to get his story and Sherilee did not disappoint! This was simply amazing! Relic and Fern were amazing! The romance was heavy and spicy but there was also such depth to their relationship that made this story so fucking good. Relic is a flirt and tad bit arrogant on the outside (ok, a bit more than a tad 😅) but on the inside, he's kind and loyal to the bone. And after everything Fern went through, kindness and loyalty was exactly what she needed. I loved seeing familiar faces in the story (hounds and our lovely sister witches) but also some new faces (fingers crossed for a Jagger and Sutton book🤞🤞🤞)
I also loved the mental health/anxiety/trauma rep in this book. I think Sherilee Gray has done a really great job. It felt real and raw but also hopeful and inspiring. Healing.
Since I devoured this book in a day, completely lost in the story, I haven't actually highlighted any of my favourite quotes. This is the only quote I highlighted.
"She hissed, and my abs clenched. Those little fangs were doing things to me."
I found this so cute and I really loved Relic's easygoing and flirty personality.
A massive thank you to Sherilee Gray for providing me a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I almost screamed when I saw this in my inbox.
This book does contain some potentially disturbing content which might be triggering. Even though these are not my triggers, it still wasn't easy to read certain things so keep that in mind.
TWs:
medical and body horror
non con (not between the hero and heroine)
extra large penetration, knotting, blood drinking, blood, gore, violence, explicit sex
Review:
I have been dying for Relic to get his story and Sherilee did not disappoint! This was simply amazing! Relic and Fern were amazing! The romance was heavy and spicy but there was also such depth to their relationship that made this story so fucking good. Relic is a flirt and tad bit arrogant on the outside (ok, a bit more than a tad 😅) but on the inside, he's kind and loyal to the bone. And after everything Fern went through, kindness and loyalty was exactly what she needed. I loved seeing familiar faces in the story (hounds and our lovely sister witches) but also some new faces (fingers crossed for a Jagger and Sutton book🤞🤞🤞)
I also loved the mental health/anxiety/trauma rep in this book. I think Sherilee Gray has done a really great job. It felt real and raw but also hopeful and inspiring. Healing.
Since I devoured this book in a day, completely lost in the story, I haven't actually highlighted any of my favourite quotes. This is the only quote I highlighted.
"She hissed, and my abs clenched. Those little fangs were doing things to me."
I found this so cute and I really loved Relic's easygoing and flirty personality.
A massive thank you to Sherilee Gray for providing me a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I almost screamed when I saw this in my inbox.
November 13, 2024
Did I stay up till 1 am to finish this after I got an arc … yes, yes I did. No regrets, loved the anxiety rep and relic was such a good hero to read about.
November 18, 2024
Holy Hot Hounds of HeII, this was SO GOOD!! Dark and twisted and unputdownable!
I was so intrigued by Relic after reading the Thornheart Trials - I was very interested to see who would steal his heart.
The touch her and d1e has been a favorite trope of mine lately and this book has it BIG TIME. Relic is over-the-top (in the best way!), protective, growly, obsessive, and all sorts of delicious.
Fern was the perfect mate for Relic. Even though she wouldn’t admit it in the beginning. Seeing what she has been through in her life was heart-breaking. But knowing Relic was all-in for never letting anyone hurt her ever again? It was a beautiful thing to witness. *heart eyes* Fern didn’t want to fall for him. As much as she tried to fight it, she couldn’t. It’s hard to ignore the pull to the sinfully sexy beast. Their connection was too powerful.
The intense emotions I felt while reading this were brought out so easily by the author. Ms. Gray’s writing talent blows my mind every single time I read one of her books. I was so utterly satisfied after finishing this story. And very, very eager for the next one.
I was so intrigued by Relic after reading the Thornheart Trials - I was very interested to see who would steal his heart.
The touch her and d1e has been a favorite trope of mine lately and this book has it BIG TIME. Relic is over-the-top (in the best way!), protective, growly, obsessive, and all sorts of delicious.
Fern was the perfect mate for Relic. Even though she wouldn’t admit it in the beginning. Seeing what she has been through in her life was heart-breaking. But knowing Relic was all-in for never letting anyone hurt her ever again? It was a beautiful thing to witness. *heart eyes* Fern didn’t want to fall for him. As much as she tried to fight it, she couldn’t. It’s hard to ignore the pull to the sinfully sexy beast. Their connection was too powerful.
The intense emotions I felt while reading this were brought out so easily by the author. Ms. Gray’s writing talent blows my mind every single time I read one of her books. I was so utterly satisfied after finishing this story. And very, very eager for the next one.
January 8, 2025
This was exactly what I was in the mood for!
Booksta Reels strike again with another perfect recommendation! This was so good. Like dark and twisty and angsty! And the PINNING! And Relic!? I could have read this whole book from his POV and died happy. It was perfection. The pacing of the romance was perfection and the characters were amazing! the plot was dark and hard to read, some major trigger warnings for this one! But it just matched the energy of the book so well, it didn't feel dark for the sake of it. Authentically dark, which are words I've never thought to combine! I wish we got more about Relic's past. And the pacing of the other plot points were unconventional, but all worked out in the end, I just had to trust the process.
The spice was good and varied. Although I wish there was more reciprocating from Fern's side, as we only really got two scenes with Relic being the focus, and many many many more of her. So I wish there had been more balance there, but what there was written it was great.
I loved the world building, the varied types of fantasy creatures etc. I'm definitely going to read more from Sherilee Gray
Booksta Reels strike again with another perfect recommendation! This was so good. Like dark and twisty and angsty! And the PINNING! And Relic!? I could have read this whole book from his POV and died happy. It was perfection. The pacing of the romance was perfection and the characters were amazing! the plot was dark and hard to read, some major trigger warnings for this one! But it just matched the energy of the book so well, it didn't feel dark for the sake of it. Authentically dark, which are words I've never thought to combine! I wish we got more about Relic's past. And the pacing of the other plot points were unconventional, but all worked out in the end, I just had to trust the process.
The spice was good and varied. Although I wish there was more reciprocating from Fern's side, as we only really got two scenes with Relic being the focus, and many many many more of her. So I wish there had been more balance there, but what there was written it was great.
I loved the world building, the varied types of fantasy creatures etc. I'm definitely going to read more from Sherilee Gray
November 5, 2026
Loved this!!! But BEWARE!! You absolutely need to read and consider the content warnings first. And take them seriously. There is some very f***** up s*** that happens in here (not between mfc and mmc, but between mfc and another character). This will push those who have, in any way, even through mild association with someone else, ever been affected by SA to those limits.
And with that stated, I loved this. The last book of the Thornheart Trials is still currently my fav, but this is a close second right now. It does start out a little slow, there are some lags imo, but the story Sherilee tells between these two is just beautiful and so compelling.
And with that stated, I loved this. The last book of the Thornheart Trials is still currently my fav, but this is a close second right now. It does start out a little slow, there are some lags imo, but the story Sherilee tells between these two is just beautiful and so compelling.
January 22, 2026
I really loved this book! Demons, magic, drama and spice!
This was perfectly paced, the drama was in all the right places, the smut was sprinkled perfectly throughout! I loved the characters, even the ones the reader is meant to hate, I loved hating them!
The main story was finished and wrapped up in a perfect bow, while leaving a juicy little cliffhanger at the end, that leads perfectly into book two which I definitely will be reading!
This was perfectly paced, the drama was in all the right places, the smut was sprinkled perfectly throughout! I loved the characters, even the ones the reader is meant to hate, I loved hating them!
The main story was finished and wrapped up in a perfect bow, while leaving a juicy little cliffhanger at the end, that leads perfectly into book two which I definitely will be reading!
September 23, 2026
So I didn’t mean to get pulled into almost 20 book interconnected series in a paranormal universe, but here I am. I am locked in after this first dip into Sherilee Grey’s paranormal romances. This was a quick binge read, I was drawn in so quickly as our hero fell so hard and our heroine’s story gripped my attention. This is dark, so be aware of the trigger warnings. I love a fated mates where there’s internal and external hurdles to the relationship, this was well paced and even though I jumped into the third series in the overall universe I didn’t feel overwhelmed or out of the loop. I love Relic and Fern, they are balances for on another and I can’t wait to see more of them in the series. There’s plenty of forced proximity, found family, banter, and tension. There’s also appearances of miscommunication (actually very well handled, the reader was in on it and the eventual resolution paid off emotionally) and a third act “breakup” (trust there was not breakup where Relic was concerned).
October 1, 2026
Great read
I couldn't put this down. It captures you right from the start. Totally recommend and will need the second book now
I couldn't put this down. It captures you right from the start. Totally recommend and will need the second book now
November 24, 2024
This is a dark romance. The author claims in her content note that it’s not, but when you’ve got rape, captivity, torture, body mutilation, I’m not sure how that doesn’t qualify as a dark romance. I genuinely despise captivity/rape/torture of females in books, because it’s literally always just pages filled of the fmc suffering for years and then 99% of the time her captor dies a frustratingly quick death, which is exactly what happens in this book. I felt so badly for Fern and really empathized with her. I’m mostly upset because the author created this world of awesome hellhounds with so much potential for sexy romance and we get like one sex scene and like tons of pages filled with torture and female suffering instead. The biker aspect was weird and unbelievable so I just ignored that because biker hellhounds was just too dumb of a plot line for me. I loved Relic and his obsession with his mate, but the author did not deliver on the romantic aspect. Will never understand why authors use female pain and suffering to further a plot, then not even give us a satisfying end to their torturer. All that talk of Relic ripping out the limbs of whoever hurt her all for it to end in one minute. Why is it ok for all the women he scarred to suffer for so long and he just dies so quickly! Ugh. Was really excited for this book and I don’t read dark romance so I went into this specifically because the author said this wasn’t one, but I’m not sure how a book with the fmc being raped and getting her liver cut out of her isn’t dark? Last note, what the hell was that towards the end with Fern getting her powers back from Terra? That part severely lacked proper explanation, and felt really rushed. I don’t think I’ll read the next one unfortunately.
June 8, 2025
Sweet, suspenseful and sexy. Good stuff!
September 12, 2025
I would’ve liked it more if it was a bit more descriptive with appearances.
4.5
4.5
November 27, 2024
This was a mish+mash of genres. Motorcycle club, but make it fantasy/demons+witches.
The story wasn't bad, but it didn't wow me or inspire me to pick up the next book in the series.
This felt like an old school book. Like a Kristen Ashley/MC club book of the early 2010s.
The author says thus isn't a dark romance but has dark themes, I'm a bit here and there. It has rape, torture etc. Like it's not a daaaaaark, dark book, but it is also not just straight forward romance.
For me it's a personal preference but a book where the MMC is to be the knight in shining armour for the FMC, but she is then again snatched right under his nose especially after he'd promised touch-her-and-die just bums me out. The fact that Fern also hadn't really invested in a what-if-The-Chemist-gets-me-again escape plan, magical and even physical one, apart from warding and the crone in the cottage should have answers, irked me.
The highlight of the story is how Relic is with Fern in the bedroom. He was basically a considerate partner.
The lies of omissions/misdirection/deliberate miscommunication also killed the story for me.
So, wasn't the best, but it also wasn't bad.
The story wasn't bad, but it didn't wow me or inspire me to pick up the next book in the series.
This felt like an old school book. Like a Kristen Ashley/MC club book of the early 2010s.
The author says thus isn't a dark romance but has dark themes, I'm a bit here and there. It has rape, torture etc. Like it's not a daaaaaark, dark book, but it is also not just straight forward romance.
For me it's a personal preference but a book where the MMC is to be the knight in shining armour for the FMC, but she is then again snatched right under his nose especially after he'd promised touch-her-and-die just bums me out. The fact that Fern also hadn't really invested in a what-if-The-Chemist-gets-me-again escape plan, magical and even physical one, apart from warding and the crone in the cottage should have answers, irked me.
The highlight of the story is how Relic is with Fern in the bedroom. He was basically a considerate partner.
The lies of omissions/misdirection/deliberate miscommunication also killed the story for me.
So, wasn't the best, but it also wasn't bad.
July 29, 2025
3 Stars
Hoo boy, y'all this book is not for the faint of heart. I had an idea of what to expect from this series and author having read her other series but I wasn't expecting the level of fucked upness this one brought to the table.
Legit, I feel a bit traumatized after reading it ngl. 😂😭
And also, for reference I somehow missed the content warning at the beginning of the book (just skipped right over it like a moron) so I went in blind and found myself shook. 😂🤦🏻♀️ Because tbh even the content warning wouldn't have prepared me for what is detailed in the story tbh.🫣😳 And I've read some crazy dark content before, so I can tolerate and be completely unbothered by alot of awful shit in books but what happens in this book just bulldozed right over my comfort zone and left me a little disturbed lol
It might get a little spoilery so beware!
I adored Relic and I was so hyped for his book but I just found myself not vibing at all with the story or the romance between Relic and Fern. I can easily point to Ferns extreme trauma, distrust and the aforementioned fucked upness being partly to blame for that.
It was well written and well paced. I just wasn't expecting this story to be this disturbed when it came to the villain or what he'd done to the FMC. Like, I didn't expect this to be fluff or soft in any way because, as I said, I knew what to expect from this author. I simply didn't expect what did go down in this book. And I admittedly didn't really enjoy myself because the extreme nature of the abuse tbh.
The first half was pretty good even if I found Ferns distrust of Relic to be exhausting. But it was good, even with the horrible flashbacks into what Fern experienced.
But then idk something changed and I went from just enjoying the read to being annoyed at where the direction of the story was heading. I didn't enjoy experiencing the real time torture of Fern by the bad guy when he inevitably reappears. It was just plain horrific and gut wrenching tbh. And then introducing the next books FMC Sutton to help heal Fern was fine and it was fascinating watching her do her thang. But then I became immediately frustrated and annoyed by the turn of events once Fern is healed and awake.
Why? Because Sutton, who was also half witch and half demon, immediately recognized Fern as a "sister" before she began to heal her. So, once Fern wakes everyone's all tense and emotional, atleast Relic was, and Sutton just out of nowhere offers Fern to come stay with her and the coven. Right there, no preamble. And fine, fine. I can see why she'd immediately try to pull her into her coven because she's like them but they were strangers. Strangers! Regardless of whether or not she healed Fern or not. And Fern just immediately accepts her offers and leaves the safety of Relic and his den to go stay with an absolute stranger after being completely traumatized AGAIN by her abuser rather than leaning on him for support. I mean, I didn't even care how Fern was rambling on about how she blamed Relic for not coming for her when she was being held captive but then realized after being rescued he would've never left her willingly the way he did because he'd been summoned and literally disappeared from where he'd been with her before the bad guy grabbed her again. Completely out of his control, and Fern, as she leaves with Sutton, tries to reason that she understood he never meant to leave her and he had no choice in the matter and got back to her as fast as possible despite the time differences between earth and hell. And yet...she left with the stranger.
Just walked out and honestly that just threw me. Literally just scratching my head in disbelief because dude. DUDE. Fern was like the absolute most distrustful chick I've ever read in a book and she had every reason to be. But oh here comes a fellow witch/demon who saved her life and magically she can set aside all her usual distrust of strangers and their false kindness etc etc??? Ars we for real right now????
Like I get it, it was inserting the new chick Sutton into the story and introducing the new coven where I'm sure we'll meet others from as the series continues. But it was just not what I expected to happen and not something I felt was believable from the character we had come to know the entire book.
🙃 Anywayyyy! I didn't love this one. Could be a bit of the first book in a series meh and was definitely a me problem. I just couldn't get back into it the way I was in the early part of the book. I skimmed after 70% and just wanted to be done. The heaviness and dark content was not something I was particularly in the mood for but I was committed so I finished it. Loved Relic, liked what little we saw of Sutton so far, loved seeing more of the hounds. I did feel the end was bittersweet about who Ghoul ended up being.
Hoo boy, y'all this book is not for the faint of heart. I had an idea of what to expect from this series and author having read her other series but I wasn't expecting the level of fucked upness this one brought to the table.
Legit, I feel a bit traumatized after reading it ngl. 😂😭
And also, for reference I somehow missed the content warning at the beginning of the book (just skipped right over it like a moron) so I went in blind and found myself shook. 😂🤦🏻♀️ Because tbh even the content warning wouldn't have prepared me for what is detailed in the story tbh.🫣😳 And I've read some crazy dark content before, so I can tolerate and be completely unbothered by alot of awful shit in books but what happens in this book just bulldozed right over my comfort zone and left me a little disturbed lol
It might get a little spoilery so beware!
I adored Relic and I was so hyped for his book but I just found myself not vibing at all with the story or the romance between Relic and Fern. I can easily point to Ferns extreme trauma, distrust and the aforementioned fucked upness being partly to blame for that.
It was well written and well paced. I just wasn't expecting this story to be this disturbed when it came to the villain or what he'd done to the FMC. Like, I didn't expect this to be fluff or soft in any way because, as I said, I knew what to expect from this author. I simply didn't expect what did go down in this book. And I admittedly didn't really enjoy myself because the extreme nature of the abuse tbh.
The first half was pretty good even if I found Ferns distrust of Relic to be exhausting. But it was good, even with the horrible flashbacks into what Fern experienced.
But then idk something changed and I went from just enjoying the read to being annoyed at where the direction of the story was heading. I didn't enjoy experiencing the real time torture of Fern by the bad guy when he inevitably reappears. It was just plain horrific and gut wrenching tbh. And then introducing the next books FMC Sutton to help heal Fern was fine and it was fascinating watching her do her thang. But then I became immediately frustrated and annoyed by the turn of events once Fern is healed and awake.
Why? Because Sutton, who was also half witch and half demon, immediately recognized Fern as a "sister" before she began to heal her. So, once Fern wakes everyone's all tense and emotional, atleast Relic was, and Sutton just out of nowhere offers Fern to come stay with her and the coven. Right there, no preamble. And fine, fine. I can see why she'd immediately try to pull her into her coven because she's like them but they were strangers. Strangers! Regardless of whether or not she healed Fern or not. And Fern just immediately accepts her offers and leaves the safety of Relic and his den to go stay with an absolute stranger after being completely traumatized AGAIN by her abuser rather than leaning on him for support. I mean, I didn't even care how Fern was rambling on about how she blamed Relic for not coming for her when she was being held captive but then realized after being rescued he would've never left her willingly the way he did because he'd been summoned and literally disappeared from where he'd been with her before the bad guy grabbed her again. Completely out of his control, and Fern, as she leaves with Sutton, tries to reason that she understood he never meant to leave her and he had no choice in the matter and got back to her as fast as possible despite the time differences between earth and hell. And yet...she left with the stranger.
Just walked out and honestly that just threw me. Literally just scratching my head in disbelief because dude. DUDE. Fern was like the absolute most distrustful chick I've ever read in a book and she had every reason to be. But oh here comes a fellow witch/demon who saved her life and magically she can set aside all her usual distrust of strangers and their false kindness etc etc??? Ars we for real right now????
Like I get it, it was inserting the new chick Sutton into the story and introducing the new coven where I'm sure we'll meet others from as the series continues. But it was just not what I expected to happen and not something I felt was believable from the character we had come to know the entire book.
🙃 Anywayyyy! I didn't love this one. Could be a bit of the first book in a series meh and was definitely a me problem. I just couldn't get back into it the way I was in the early part of the book. I skimmed after 70% and just wanted to be done. The heaviness and dark content was not something I was particularly in the mood for but I was committed so I finished it. Loved Relic, liked what little we saw of Sutton so far, loved seeing more of the hounds. I did feel the end was bittersweet about who Ghoul ended up being.
November 20, 2024
Bad Demon is the first book in Sherilee Gray Hell On Wheels series and it was excellent!! Loved this couple more then I can say! Relic is one of Lucifers hell hounds and he's handsome, sexy and oh! So! Sweet! He is the first of his kind because he was born and not turned like the rest. He's a big mountain of hunky alpha male and when he meets the feisty, beautiful and mentally and emotionally scarred Fern a half witch demon who is a soul collector sparks fly! Fern has been on the run for the last 5 years from The chemist and the man who killed her mother. After finally escaping from them after years of physical and mental abuse and she's not going back! After killing a demon in exchange for information about her mothers people she thinks Relic is their to take her to hell. But Relic finds out real quick that Fern is his fated mate! He just needs her to see it! But when The chemist shows back up and they kidnap Fern they learn real quick that Relic is a beast and that he will find his mate and when he does they'll be real sorry. Fern's story tore me apart! What was done to her would break anyone! And her coping mechanisms are a lot like that of a person with OCD and they go through! I know because I have it too. Relic was amazing with her and shower scene in particular showed what a amazing guy he truly was!! I adore this man! This is one of my favorite couples of all time and I'm so glad they got their happily ever after! Can't wait for more of this series! Jag another brother hound and Sutton a witch should be next! I hope! Sherilee Gray is a fantastic writer and her characters all interesting and unique! This book had a dark theme but it also had love,friendship, and even humor at times like Fern calling Relic a Hell Hound Stalker or when he pretended she owned him and had to make her tea and other things. And the theme of family even if you aren't related. Having a bond and loyalty like that gives me the feels! And yes the sex scenes were fucking amazing and hot! I'm seriously thinking of getting a Hell hound of my own! They know what they're doing!!🔥🔥🔥😅 And this cover who ever did it! Hooked me as soon as I saw it! Nothing I love more then some hot tatted guy!! Lord they make my knees weak and my lady parts sing! Until next time Luv's😉💋
November 17, 2024
So much WOW! My mind was reeling late into the night as I stayed up finishing this book!! Relic is every fantasy guy all wrapped in the perfect eye-candy package. He's both a giant cinnamon roll and alpha protector that Fern never knew she needed. 😍Big...giant...yum.❤️🔥
The fates design fated mates-specifically the hellhounds-to be a protector, by nature, and once the male finds his mate he will love them unconditionally forever and ever. With that love also comes a fountain of emotions that will crack open wide, since the hellhounds were made with very few emotions to begin with. However, he will cherish you, worship you, take care of you in every way possible. That includes your best days and most importantly your worst days. Relic is so beyond what you can fathom as the perfect boyfriend when it comes to caring for Fern - my heart grew ten times bigger while reading this book. Seriously, I'm in awe of Sherilee and the perfection of male standards she creates for her characters. 🥰👌 Mortal men just won’t suffice the more I read her books. 😂
Fern Honeycutt is feisty and strong within her own rights. She's part demon and part witch, who’s survived without a coven or really anyone for years. Relic is one of the first to get close to her and once he does he doesn’t plan to leave her side. Even when she's grumpy and tries her hardest to push him away. Fern doesn't know how to take the overly clingy Relic at first, but soon, she can't seem to keep the big guy out of her mind. While their battle of wills is adorable, I love even more how Relic finds new ways to take care of his mate.
Do take to heart some of the CW's because they are dark, but on the other side, these two find a love together that is one of the sweetest I think Sherilee has ever written and that says a lot because I really, really liked Zinnia and Death in A Bond in Flames. Relic's definitely one of my top favorite guys and Fern is amazingly strong.
Now, I can’t wait for more of the hounds to fall for their mates as I'm so in love with this entire world.
The fates design fated mates-specifically the hellhounds-to be a protector, by nature, and once the male finds his mate he will love them unconditionally forever and ever. With that love also comes a fountain of emotions that will crack open wide, since the hellhounds were made with very few emotions to begin with. However, he will cherish you, worship you, take care of you in every way possible. That includes your best days and most importantly your worst days. Relic is so beyond what you can fathom as the perfect boyfriend when it comes to caring for Fern - my heart grew ten times bigger while reading this book. Seriously, I'm in awe of Sherilee and the perfection of male standards she creates for her characters. 🥰👌 Mortal men just won’t suffice the more I read her books. 😂
Fern Honeycutt is feisty and strong within her own rights. She's part demon and part witch, who’s survived without a coven or really anyone for years. Relic is one of the first to get close to her and once he does he doesn’t plan to leave her side. Even when she's grumpy and tries her hardest to push him away. Fern doesn't know how to take the overly clingy Relic at first, but soon, she can't seem to keep the big guy out of her mind. While their battle of wills is adorable, I love even more how Relic finds new ways to take care of his mate.
Do take to heart some of the CW's because they are dark, but on the other side, these two find a love together that is one of the sweetest I think Sherilee has ever written and that says a lot because I really, really liked Zinnia and Death in A Bond in Flames. Relic's definitely one of my top favorite guys and Fern is amazingly strong.
Now, I can’t wait for more of the hounds to fall for their mates as I'm so in love with this entire world.
September 29, 2025
3.5 Stars
I'm such a fan of Sherilee Gray! I love her interconnected book series that focus on different supernatural creatures.
❗SPOILERS❗
Fern was captive by a sadistic monster most of her life. Five years after escaping her personal hell, she lives her life looking over her shoulder. Relic is a hellhound and instantly can't stay away from her. Once he realizes they're mates, he withholds the information from her. He's scared she'll bolt if she knows the truth.
The world building in this book is decent. Since I'm familiar with this interconnected universe it was easy to follow along. The pacing is quick. I wish the book spent more time on Fern's demon heritage. It was the driving point in the beginning, and it gets brought up again at the end. The focus shifts to the villains of this book which are The Chemist and Grady.
Fern was an anxious and lost demon. She didn’t know who her father was. Relic, as all unmated hellhounds, had a limited understanding of emotions. Fern took back her power from her abuser and learns who her biological father is. Relic grows his emotional bandwidth. The two were definitely better together.
Fern and Relic's relationship was slow building. There was an instant attraction but no spice until around halfway through. I adored the way Relic didn't understand Fern's reactions in the beginning. He learned how to read her body language, and he tried his best to soothe her. Fern was adamant on protecting Relic even from herself.
I wanted more from Relic and Lothar's relationship. Since Relic gained full emotions he admitted to feeling different about his sire. I wanted a moment where he looked at Lothar and thought of him as his father.
These books are great if you want an easy supernatural read!
I'm such a fan of Sherilee Gray! I love her interconnected book series that focus on different supernatural creatures.
❗SPOILERS❗
Fern was captive by a sadistic monster most of her life. Five years after escaping her personal hell, she lives her life looking over her shoulder. Relic is a hellhound and instantly can't stay away from her. Once he realizes they're mates, he withholds the information from her. He's scared she'll bolt if she knows the truth.
The world building in this book is decent. Since I'm familiar with this interconnected universe it was easy to follow along. The pacing is quick. I wish the book spent more time on Fern's demon heritage. It was the driving point in the beginning, and it gets brought up again at the end. The focus shifts to the villains of this book which are The Chemist and Grady.
Fern was an anxious and lost demon. She didn’t know who her father was. Relic, as all unmated hellhounds, had a limited understanding of emotions. Fern took back her power from her abuser and learns who her biological father is. Relic grows his emotional bandwidth. The two were definitely better together.
Fern and Relic's relationship was slow building. There was an instant attraction but no spice until around halfway through. I adored the way Relic didn't understand Fern's reactions in the beginning. He learned how to read her body language, and he tried his best to soothe her. Fern was adamant on protecting Relic even from herself.
I wanted more from Relic and Lothar's relationship. Since Relic gained full emotions he admitted to feeling different about his sire. I wanted a moment where he looked at Lothar and thought of him as his father.
These books are great if you want an easy supernatural read!
November 20, 2024
A note to readers: there are several triggers in this story, so please be aware before diving in. While this isn't strictly a dark romance, there are certainly some darker elements in this book!
Right from the start, I was immediately drawn into Fern and Relic's story. Fern has such a tragic backstory, and her childhood was far from easy. She's a fierce and strong character, but beneath that tough exterior, she's also deeply vulnerable, constantly searching for a place where she truly belongs. Growing up, she didn't feel worthy of love or have anyone in her corner, so trust doesn't come easily for her.
Thankfully, Relic is incredibly patient and loyal when it comes to Fern. There are times throughout the story when I just wanted Fern to fully embrace her feelings for Relic, but I completely understood her hesitations. What I loved most about Relic was how gently and nonjudgmental he was towards Fern. He never tried to force her to change or act a certain way; instead, he patiently showed her that she was worthy of love. For so long, Fern had been conditioned to believe she was a bad person who didn't deserve anything good to happen to her--that she was toxic and unworthy of affection. But Relic's unwavering support helped her see otherwise.
And their chemistry? Off the charts!
A huge thank you to Sherilee Gray for providing this ARC, I was lucky enough to win this in a giveaway!
I'm guessing the next book focuses on Sutton and Jagger? I cannot wait to see their story unfold!
Right from the start, I was immediately drawn into Fern and Relic's story. Fern has such a tragic backstory, and her childhood was far from easy. She's a fierce and strong character, but beneath that tough exterior, she's also deeply vulnerable, constantly searching for a place where she truly belongs. Growing up, she didn't feel worthy of love or have anyone in her corner, so trust doesn't come easily for her.
Thankfully, Relic is incredibly patient and loyal when it comes to Fern. There are times throughout the story when I just wanted Fern to fully embrace her feelings for Relic, but I completely understood her hesitations. What I loved most about Relic was how gently and nonjudgmental he was towards Fern. He never tried to force her to change or act a certain way; instead, he patiently showed her that she was worthy of love. For so long, Fern had been conditioned to believe she was a bad person who didn't deserve anything good to happen to her--that she was toxic and unworthy of affection. But Relic's unwavering support helped her see otherwise.
And their chemistry? Off the charts!
A huge thank you to Sherilee Gray for providing this ARC, I was lucky enough to win this in a giveaway!
I'm guessing the next book focuses on Sutton and Jagger? I cannot wait to see their story unfold!
November 15, 2024
Delicious
I was given this beaut as an ARC, please adhere to trigger warning if easily triggered.
This is a dark Tale of finding love. As we have seen from Sherliee’s previous series (which I highly recommend by the way). This has been in the making for a long time. Relic is a special hellhound he has always been the glue and support for everyone.
He helps all the Thornheart witches Especially as Willow is his Alphas mate. This was also hilarious because he kept wanting a mate when he helped with some of the previous trials that The Thornheart witches coven went through. This tale Starts with tantalising details forming in Zinny and Mors story A-bond in flames, book 6 in the Thornheart series we get the start of the banter between Fern and Relic.
The world building in this book makes you feel like you are there in the dark forest, with the Crones cabin. The Hellhound biker bar with their underground fight pit and Dens, you can almost smell the drinks and debauchery the the herbs and spices in the apothecary shop,
Hellhounds sure do fall hard, the nicknames and shenanigans between the two main characters are no different. This has also left it wide open as to who the next book will be about … hmmm will it be Sutton and Jagger or Pheobe and Rune ? I can’t do this book enough justice with this review.. soooooo get reading 📖 and give this book its ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5 stars it so justly deserves.
I was given this beaut as an ARC, please adhere to trigger warning if easily triggered.
This is a dark Tale of finding love. As we have seen from Sherliee’s previous series (which I highly recommend by the way). This has been in the making for a long time. Relic is a special hellhound he has always been the glue and support for everyone.
He helps all the Thornheart witches Especially as Willow is his Alphas mate. This was also hilarious because he kept wanting a mate when he helped with some of the previous trials that The Thornheart witches coven went through. This tale Starts with tantalising details forming in Zinny and Mors story A-bond in flames, book 6 in the Thornheart series we get the start of the banter between Fern and Relic.
The world building in this book makes you feel like you are there in the dark forest, with the Crones cabin. The Hellhound biker bar with their underground fight pit and Dens, you can almost smell the drinks and debauchery the the herbs and spices in the apothecary shop,
Hellhounds sure do fall hard, the nicknames and shenanigans between the two main characters are no different. This has also left it wide open as to who the next book will be about … hmmm will it be Sutton and Jagger or Pheobe and Rune ? I can’t do this book enough justice with this review.. soooooo get reading 📖 and give this book its ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5 stars it so justly deserves.
June 10, 2025
This is a spin off from the Thornheart Trials series. As I was nearing the end of this book I realised it's another 5 star for Sherilee Gray, looks like she's earnt a place in my favourite authors list.
Relic is a solid support character in the Thornheart series, so getting his book first up was awesome. Loved him in Thornheart, love him even more now. He's so genuine, loyal and caring.
We actually get Relic & Fern's first meeting in A bond in flames. However it is retold again at the start of this book.
The way SG writes trauma, grief, pain. It's not superficial, it's deep rooted and emotional. It's what makes her books so good. These characters go through absolute hell and the emotional wounds are deep, not to mention the physical scars.
Each book is a journey of healing and finding inner strength, it's realistic in how it ebbs and flows, not an insta fix like so many fantasy books.
Fern has been brutally tortured for so much of her life, she thinks she's unlovable and has collected Relic's soul for protection against her tormentor. So she's oblivious to the signs they are mates. Relic is worried to scare her off, their relationship develops naturally, slowly earning trust, loyalty and love.
I love the nickname Relic has for Fern ~ Tinker bell or Tink.
New coven of witches with demon blood is introduced. Guessing the hell hounds will find their mates here.
Already set up for book 2 which is Sutton & Jagger aka "Charming" as Sutton calls him.
Relic is a solid support character in the Thornheart series, so getting his book first up was awesome. Loved him in Thornheart, love him even more now. He's so genuine, loyal and caring.
We actually get Relic & Fern's first meeting in A bond in flames. However it is retold again at the start of this book.
The way SG writes trauma, grief, pain. It's not superficial, it's deep rooted and emotional. It's what makes her books so good. These characters go through absolute hell and the emotional wounds are deep, not to mention the physical scars.
Each book is a journey of healing and finding inner strength, it's realistic in how it ebbs and flows, not an insta fix like so many fantasy books.
Fern has been brutally tortured for so much of her life, she thinks she's unlovable and has collected Relic's soul for protection against her tormentor. So she's oblivious to the signs they are mates. Relic is worried to scare her off, their relationship develops naturally, slowly earning trust, loyalty and love.
I love the nickname Relic has for Fern ~ Tinker bell or Tink.
New coven of witches with demon blood is introduced. Guessing the hell hounds will find their mates here.
Already set up for book 2 which is Sutton & Jagger aka "Charming" as Sutton calls him.
July 30, 2026
This book was a decent read, though there are some things that are a little odd and felt too contrived just to make something happen. The biggest one for me is when Relic is summoned to Hell yet Lucifer isn't even there, it was just a way to separate Relic from Fern so she could be captured.
This scene is also how we learn that time in Hell moves differently than on Earth, it sets up Relic was in Hell for 4 hours while Fern had been kidnapped for 4 days. Then in the epilogue they say Jag has been in Hell for three months and it must be torture for him to be away from his future mate. However, the first time it is mentioned, it has been 3 EARTH months. So if one day on Earth is roughly one hour in Hell, for him it has only been about 90 hours or 4 days.
I was a little unsure on who The Chemist was supposed to be. I get he is the villain of the novel, but why was he experimenting to create a virus and kill everyone? Just for funsies? Spreading it through sex also doesn't make a whole lot of sense if it is supposed to take effect within hours, there would be no time for anyone to spread it because they would get sick and die too quickly.
This scene is also how we learn that time in Hell moves differently than on Earth, it sets up Relic was in Hell for 4 hours while Fern had been kidnapped for 4 days. Then in the epilogue they say Jag has been in Hell for three months and it must be torture for him to be away from his future mate. However, the first time it is mentioned, it has been 3 EARTH months. So if one day on Earth is roughly one hour in Hell, for him it has only been about 90 hours or 4 days.
I was a little unsure on who The Chemist was supposed to be. I get he is the villain of the novel, but why was he experimenting to create a virus and kill everyone? Just for funsies? Spreading it through sex also doesn't make a whole lot of sense if it is supposed to take effect within hours, there would be no time for anyone to spread it because they would get sick and die too quickly.
September 18, 2026
A wild path for Relic and Fern
This is book one in the Hellhound Heat Book. I enjoyed reading the story and characters. Parts of the world did not make sense with the powers and protections. The bad guys seemed to always get to Estelle and other victims.
Estelle aka Fern is our lead female character. Her mom is a witch but she loved a demon. This caused problems at their coven and Fern is cast out. As a child she was given to an evil and vile person. What happened to Fern was just so awful. She was mentally and physically abused. I did not see any trigger warnings but the torture was spoken about on page, so I wanted to call it out because it is shocking.
Relic is a hell hound and part of a MC that protects the town. There are some strange and unexplained things happening, so Relic and his brothers are trying to figure out what or who is doing these evil deeds. The two main characters meet accidentally in Fern’s herb shop and neither of them understand the pull. I have to say that even though Relic is an alpha male and beast, he had the most patience for Fern. The author snuck in the slightly happy ending but it was touch and go. Read On!
This is book one in the Hellhound Heat Book. I enjoyed reading the story and characters. Parts of the world did not make sense with the powers and protections. The bad guys seemed to always get to Estelle and other victims.
Estelle aka Fern is our lead female character. Her mom is a witch but she loved a demon. This caused problems at their coven and Fern is cast out. As a child she was given to an evil and vile person. What happened to Fern was just so awful. She was mentally and physically abused. I did not see any trigger warnings but the torture was spoken about on page, so I wanted to call it out because it is shocking.
Relic is a hell hound and part of a MC that protects the town. There are some strange and unexplained things happening, so Relic and his brothers are trying to figure out what or who is doing these evil deeds. The two main characters meet accidentally in Fern’s herb shop and neither of them understand the pull. I have to say that even though Relic is an alpha male and beast, he had the most patience for Fern. The author snuck in the slightly happy ending but it was touch and go. Read On!
November 21, 2024
Rated 4.5 Stars
This book, man, this book took emotional upheaval to another level. I loved it but it needed to take it easy on my emotions let them breathe a little begore throwing something else at them.
Bad Demon was jam packed with mystery, suspense, steam, twists and turns among other other things. It was such an enjoyable read even with the difficult themes that it tackled.
It was definitely one of my highly anticipated reads. I've been looking forward to reading Relic's story pretty much sense he appeared on the page in the Thorneheart Trials series. His book was well worth the wait. I loved him. I loved how patient he was with Fern. How protective he was of her and took care of her. I loved Fern too. I loved how feisty and sassy she was. I loved watching her grow and come into her own. I wasn't fond of all of her decisions but I so enjoyed her journey, their journey.
This book was amazing, a great start to a new series. Yes, I highly recommend it. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
Copy provided by author
This book, man, this book took emotional upheaval to another level. I loved it but it needed to take it easy on my emotions let them breathe a little begore throwing something else at them.
Bad Demon was jam packed with mystery, suspense, steam, twists and turns among other other things. It was such an enjoyable read even with the difficult themes that it tackled.
It was definitely one of my highly anticipated reads. I've been looking forward to reading Relic's story pretty much sense he appeared on the page in the Thorneheart Trials series. His book was well worth the wait. I loved him. I loved how patient he was with Fern. How protective he was of her and took care of her. I loved Fern too. I loved how feisty and sassy she was. I loved watching her grow and come into her own. I wasn't fond of all of her decisions but I so enjoyed her journey, their journey.
This book was amazing, a great start to a new series. Yes, I highly recommend it. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
Copy provided by author
November 21, 2024
A heart-wrenching tale of resilience, growth and love. 💔😭
This book destroyed my heart while learning of Fern's horrendous experiences at the hands of an evil witch, who took pleasure from her pain. #freakingbastard 🤬
Then here comes our beloved and favorite (yes, he is our favorite) hellhound to save the day, by being the most swooning, protective, caring and hot AF hound there is... if I loved him before, now I adore him even more! 🤗🥰
Between Fern's fear and distrust of everybody and Relic's overwhelming protectiveness, this love story will pull all your heart stings in the most intense ways! #allthefreakingfeels 💔😭❤️😍🔥
I enjoyed every single minute of this fantastic book; sometimes shedding some tears, sometimes swooning and giggling as a teenager and, finally, with a satisfied heart, full of love for these two amazing beings... I just adore them! 🫂💕
Now, I'm so looking forward to the next book that, hopefully, will be about a witch and a hound that now follow each other on Nightscape! 😉🖤🔥
This book destroyed my heart while learning of Fern's horrendous experiences at the hands of an evil witch, who took pleasure from her pain. #freakingbastard 🤬
Then here comes our beloved and favorite (yes, he is our favorite) hellhound to save the day, by being the most swooning, protective, caring and hot AF hound there is... if I loved him before, now I adore him even more! 🤗🥰
Between Fern's fear and distrust of everybody and Relic's overwhelming protectiveness, this love story will pull all your heart stings in the most intense ways! #allthefreakingfeels 💔😭❤️😍🔥
I enjoyed every single minute of this fantastic book; sometimes shedding some tears, sometimes swooning and giggling as a teenager and, finally, with a satisfied heart, full of love for these two amazing beings... I just adore them! 🫂💕
Now, I'm so looking forward to the next book that, hopefully, will be about a witch and a hound that now follow each other on Nightscape! 😉🖤🔥
November 16, 2024
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I FREAKING loved this book!!!
Full review to come but it’s 1:30am and I just finished and need to fangirl about it.
I loved Fern & Relic so much & I’m kinda sad I read it so fast cause I need more of them in my life. But I’m also so keen for the next book & to see (redacted hounds name for spoilers) story.
Bad Demon & the Hell on Wheels series spins off from the Thornheart Trials series but you could totally read Bad Demon without having read Thornheart- although that’s one of my favourite series of all time & HIGHLY recommend checking it out if you haven’t already read it.
Fern & Relic’s chemistry was off the charts and I LOVED how devoted & supportive he was with her.
I loved this book so much and I’m gonna do a proper review later, when it’s not almost 2am & I’ve overcome the high of finishing an amazing book so I can actually string together a coherent sentence 😅
I FREAKING loved this book!!!
Full review to come but it’s 1:30am and I just finished and need to fangirl about it.
I loved Fern & Relic so much & I’m kinda sad I read it so fast cause I need more of them in my life. But I’m also so keen for the next book & to see (redacted hounds name for spoilers) story.
Bad Demon & the Hell on Wheels series spins off from the Thornheart Trials series but you could totally read Bad Demon without having read Thornheart- although that’s one of my favourite series of all time & HIGHLY recommend checking it out if you haven’t already read it.
Fern & Relic’s chemistry was off the charts and I LOVED how devoted & supportive he was with her.
I loved this book so much and I’m gonna do a proper review later, when it’s not almost 2am & I’ve overcome the high of finishing an amazing book so I can actually string together a coherent sentence 😅
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews