Damned If I Do: the sexiest paranormal romcom that's the perfect spooky season read

by Alexandria Bellefleur

A devilishly sexy second-chance romance that's hot as hell. If you love Jenna Levine, Supernatural, or Lex Croucher, this paranormal romcom will be your new obsession!

The devil works hard, but her ex works harder...

Centuries ago, Effie MacLeod made a deal with Lucifer himself. Now she’s the devil’s right-hand woman, engaged to a dangerously seductive prince of Hell, and on the brink of the infernal promotion she deserves.

There’s just one tiny problem.She’s already married.

Effie’s sixteenth-century husband, Finn, has been reincarnated over and over again — and their vows have followed him into every lifetime. To secure her glittering future in Hell, Effie needs him to renounce their marriage once and for all.

Unfortunately, this version of Finn doesn’t remember her.

Even more unfortunately, he still won’t give her a divorce.

Forced to stay in small-town Georgia until she can change his mind, Effie is determined to ignore the spark between them. But as Finn’s lost memories begin to surface, so do the feelings Effie buried centuries ago.

Because in Hell, happily-ever-after comes with terms and conditions. And Lucifer has his own reasons for keeping Effie and Finn apart...

Tropes

Second-chance romance
Reincarnated lovers
Deal with the Devil
Forced proximity
Morally grey FMC
Paranormal romcom

Praise for Alexandria Bellefleur

'The perfect paranormal romance!' Jenna Levine, bestselling author of My Roommate is a Vampire

'Sexy as hell!' B.K. Borison, bestselling author of Good Spirits

'Full of sexy snark and sizzling chemistry' Lana Ferguson, bestselling author of The Fake Mate

Alexandria Bellefleur 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Adult, LGBT, Audiobook

Audible Audio

First published September 22, 2026

About the author

Alexandria Bellefleur is a bestselling and award-winning author of swoony contemporary romance often featuring loveable grumps and the sunshine characters who bring them to their knees. A Pacific Northwesterner at heart, Alexandria has a weakness for good coffee, Pike IPA, and Voodoo Doughnuts. Her special skills include finding the best Pad Thai in every city she visits, remembering faces but not names, falling asleep in movie theaters, and keeping cool while reading smutty books in public. Her debut novel, Written in the Stars, was a 2021 Lambda Literary Award winner and a 2020 winner of The Ripped Bodice Awards for Excellence in Romantic Fiction.

Reviews

[ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you so much to netgalley for this arc!!

4.5⭐️
oh my god. this was wonderful. i absolutely LOVE alexandria bellefleur (the devil she knows, book one, was one of my favourite books of last year) so i knew this was going to be a banger. i have such a soft spot for stories involving the afterlife for some reason, especially if they almost poke fun at themselves, and this delivered massively in that aspect. the writing was compulsively readable (i read this in one sitting!!), the romance was adorable, the female lead was incredibly funny with a very strong backbone which i always appreciate, and i found the plot line itself to be very unique. i loved this so so much, would highly recommend!!

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

a demoness walks into a bar….to confront the bartender and ask for a divorce from their marriage—and soul bond— from several lifetimes ago that he has no memory of seeing as he’s reincarnated numerous times since??? all so she can marry her now fiancé??? ALEXANDRIA BELLEFLEUR I PRAISE YOU FOR THIS

finn’s dreams are just the dead wife montage from a thriller movie but like if the camera slipped

finn: you’re telling me this hot demon lady who just walked into the bar is my wife??? (separated by several centuries of reincarnation) YIPPEE

HOMESICK FOR ANOTHER LIFE…AND FOR HER???! I AM CHOMPING AT THE BIT

thank you to edelweiss and the publisher for the advance copy. full review to come.

Bookstagram | Blog

[lost in epilogue | ཐི༏ཋྀ​​݁ ₊ ݁ . · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

“Don’t let your fiancé stop you from finding your long-lost, reincarnated husband?”

rating: 4.25★
ahhhh this was so much fun and also so heartfelt!!! i love them!!

effie and finn's love story was just so 🥹 you've got hopeful young love that creates an eternal soul bond to find each other in every lifetime, and it's not hard to see why. every time they're together the chemistry just SPARKS. the banter was bantering and bellefleur just kept delivering witty quips and hellish entendres that kept the energy up.

effie: sassy, determined, secretly cares SO MUCH! finn: loverboy, patient, just as stubborn and DOWN BAD FOR HIS LADY. also bi4bi again??? bellefleur, you spoil us too much 💖

then you get to the vulnerable scenes and you can't help but feel sm for both of their characters 😭 the backstory was so sweet and emotional, and their endless devotion to each other was just TRES ROMANTIQUE. plus a little bit of the fall festivities make this the perfect little paranormal romance intro into the autumnal season 🍂

i couldn't put this one down and it was so easy to devour it in 2 sittings. besides the main couple, i'm enjoying the expansion on this paranormal world a lot (gnorman!!) i am SO intrigued to see which character from this chaotic underworld is going to step into the spotlight for the next book 👀

“This whole time, I’ve been looking for a place, when what I was really searching for was you.”

an honest arc review <3

[Eleanor · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Damned If I Do is a paranormal romance full of yearning and so much longing. The story follows Effie, who, after receiving a proposal from her fellow demon boyfriend, must go on to face her past and reunite with her reincarnated husband, Finn, so they can renounce their vows once and for all. This was by far one of the most passionate and sensual romances I've ever read! I absolutely loved how Effie and Finn came back to each other and were so desperate to make things work. The two had so much history, and it was just lovely to see how that translated into their unwavering loyalty and pining for one another. Beyond the desire, the paranormal elements and plot were fun and engaging; I loved exploring both Effie's and Finn's worlds and seeing them collide. Full of craving and heartfelt emotion, this romance was well worth the read!

What to expect:
🐍Second Chance🐍
❤️Bi4Bi❤️
🐍Forced Proximity🐍
❤️Demon x Human❤️
🐍All the Yearning🐍
❤️Small Town❤️
🐍PNR Rom-Com🐍

~Many thanks to Berkley Romance for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

4.5 ☆

”Everyone talks about sparks, but he’s holding out for a love that sets his soul on fire.”

i’m not a second chance girl, but even i couldn’t deny that Effie and Finn were meant for each other. the way he loved her through all of his reincarnations, even without his memories? bye, invite me to the wedding.

Effie’s emotions were so clear to see, despite her trying to convince everyone else that she was nothing more than a demon. Finn was just so attractive in every way? words can’t describe how much i loved them together. i hope the author continues to write more stories following the other demons, there’s so much potential there to make more fun romances in this world.

➙ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Berkley Publishing Group for the arc, all opinions are my own.

[Minna · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Oh my god.” She toed out of her boots. “You are insufferable.”

He grinned. “And yet, here you are, suffering me.”

AHHHHHHHHH be prepared to be sick and tired of me because this review is just gonna be a whole lot of screaming and crying. This is my second book by Alexandria Bellefleur and let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint, if anything it went beyond all my expectations. I literally could NOT put this book down and was reading it any spare moment I had. I was so excited for a fun paranormal romance (which it was) but what did I also get? A bunch of moments of me CRYING and my heart aching for these characters, while my jaw dropping at the mouth on this man, because o m g? Finn had me BLUSHING.

Without giving too much of the story away, Effie is a demon who has been suddenly proposed to by her demon boyfriend, but it turns out she’s still technically married to her human Scottish husband, Finn, from 500 years ago. She needs to have him renounce his vows in order for her to marry again, and Finn, who has been on an endless cycle of reincarnation with no memory of her, refuses. And the story takes off from there!

*Plays Stop the Wedding! by Ashe*
(this was literally playing in my brain on repeat for a good chunk of this book)

I know that might all sound a bit confusing, but honestly the less you know the better. The more you read, the more you get to find out about how this all came to be and learn about Effie’s story and what exactly happened to her and her marriage with Finn all those centuries ago. While this book had me cackling and kicking my feet every other page, it also had my chest hurting and tears sprouting out of my dang eyes. I was not expecting to cry so much for this story 😭

That all being said, if you want to read a novel that will have your heart aching for the characters, screaaaaming at their back and forth bantering and chemistry (🔥🔥🔥), blushing at the dang mouth on this man, and crying for all their tender moments together, you have to pick up this book. This was a love story you couldn’t help but hope and root for their happy ending, and boy did I have the dumbest grin on my face when I reached the end.

Honestly, I could’ve read another 100 pages for these characters, that’s how much I LOVED this one. I can’t wait to read whatever else she decides to write next, but will be reading her backlog in the meantime :)

Thank you so much to berkley for the e-arc! Damned If I Do is out September 22nd! <3


_________________________________
my chest HURTS I love them so freaking much 😭😭😭

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book slaps.

i saw that it had some really good early ratings already, and i wanted to give her a whirl (paranormal romance is peak in october), and im SO GLAD that i did. this book is both heavy and light; think second chance romance but you didnt know that your partner was still alive.

the romance / banter is excellent, the progression of the relationship is wonderful, and it almost made me cry several times. genuinely such a good, cute, short read.

**thank you to Berkley for the gifted copy**

[EmJustReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I might sell MY soul for an audiobook of this. IMAGINE the accents — that would be lovely.

You know the old saying: “Don’t let your fiancé stop you from finding your long lost reincarnated husband”

This story was hilarious while also showing all consuming love.

Effie is a demon in hell who is basically on probation, and is sidelined to stirring the pot and making people upset online. She finds out she can’t marry her fiance who is a Prince of Hell, because 400+ years ago she made a vow with her husband at the time, that their souls would always find each other.

I don’t want to spoil anything - even though you probably know what to expect considering this fits in the romance category. But this story is amazing

-Its funny: Gnorman
-Hot: causing a minor meteorological event
-Sweet: Finn’s POV (dreams)
-Charming: Silver Springs & rooster themed hotel

The only criticism I have is that the resolution seemed too easy/ simple. But overall I loved this and I’m so happy I read it. It makes me extra grateful for the love in my life.

Thank you to Berkley and the author for the ARC through NetGalley

[Lychee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wasnt sold on the premise of this book, I’m not really a fan of a small town romance, but I think I am into the idea of someone being obsessed w me over multiple reincarnations

[Kimberlyyyreads · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

Thank you to Berkley and their Influencer Hub for Underrepresented Voices for the e-arc!

WOW, let me just say I'm really caught off guard.

For the last year, I've had a tough relationship with Alexandria's books, especially after reading Playing for Keeps and being completely disappointed. I came into reading this book with absolutely no expectations and a very critical perspective and to my surprise I seriously enjoyed this book.

FR don't let your fiance get in the way of finding your long-lost reincarnated husband because I promise you the results will gag you.

Effie, living a long life as a demon is no stranger to chaos and loss. After selling her soul to Lucifer, she's learned what it costs to love. Therefore, she's not interested in such mundane things. This all changes for her when she discovers that she's still bound the her sixteenth-century Scottish husband, Finn, who has lived his life through multiple reincarnations and has no recollection of her nor the life they lived.

On a mission to find Finn and get him to renounce his vows, Effie is caught off-guard by his unwillingness to divorce her. Instead, Finn requests an entire month of her time and her memories of their shared marriage in exchange, he'll renounce the vows when their time has come to an end.

Effie overtime is reminded of the love she once shared with Finley, as she gets to know this new version of him and rediscovers all the reasons why she once loved him so passionately and is left with the decision that will not only change her life but Finley's as well.

The angst in this book was really well incorporated, I usually do not enjoy books that have some kind of memory loss trope to the plot but I thought it was great. It really made me feel for both Effie and Finn and had me rooting for their reconciliation. There are some surprise tropes in here as well which I absolutely loved, I think they added more depth to these characters and really showcased their development throughout the book.

Overall, I am really satisfied with how this book went! Both main characters in this book are bisexual which I loved as a fellow bisexual. And their relationship felt very authentic and made me feel invested in their stories which I feel is improvement from other books Alexandria has written.

I hope that this kind of style and writing continues for Alexandria's future works, I strongly believe that authors can always improve from their past work. I remain weary of future works but whole heartedly hope we can see more growth from this author!

P.S. Shockingly this book did not have any Taylor Swift mentions (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) which was another shocking factor because other works of Alexandria's are filled to the brim with Taylor Swift references. If this is the case, I hope it she continues to stay away from them because it was truly refreshing.

TW: Book has trigger warnings for topics of infertility and traumatic childbirth.

[jordan · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

homesick for a life that isn’t his anymore.
homesick for a woman he doesn’t remember loving.
homesick for a home that was never a place.

he forgot the life.
he forgot the woman.
he forgot the home.

and yet his soul STILL YEARNED FOR HERS???

EXCUSE ME??? yeah no. i am SICKK. (complimentary)

“whatever happens to me, wherever you go, whether we’re together or apart, i swear to you, i will love you with every breath i take, be it in this body or the next or the one after that. because you’re not just the love of my life, effie, you’re the love of all of them.”

UNWELL.

[taylor ❤️‍&#x1f525; · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘤é 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨-𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵, 𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥?”

this is the second book i've read by alexandria bellefleur and good GOD it is by far the best?? we've got effie, a fiery, secretly soft demon girl who has to convince her first love and husband of 400+ years to renounce his vows of eternity together so she can enter a socially advantageous marriage with a prince of hell. the problem? her husband fin has reincarnated multiple times since their marriage, doesn't remember as hell and is stubborn and steadfast in remembering their past and giving the marriage a real shot.

you'll laugh, you'll cry and you will absolutely drool over the man that fin is because that mouth? my god 😮‍💨

𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘶𝘳, 𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘦-𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸. 🖤

[Melissa · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

4.25/5 ⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️

Happy Bi Visibility Day (9/23) to these two bi babes! 💗💜💙

Damned If I Do picks up more or less where The Devil She Knows leaves off, but this time we get a completely new story with Effie and Finn.

Effie has been a demon since selling her soul in the 1500s. Finn is the reincarnation of the lover/husband she left behind after making that deal. He doesn’t remember her. Or does he? 👀

Now Effie is trying to marry a Prince of Hell, except there’s one tiny problem: apparently her marriage vows from the 1500s are STILL VALID, and she needs her currently reincarnated husband to agree to a divorce. 🤣 Naturally, Finn is not particularly interested in making this easy for her.

Anyway, you can probably see where this is going. 😂

The banter was fun, the spice was great, and I really loved watching Effie and Finn’s history slowly unfold while they figured out what exactly they are to each other in this lifetime. I also really enjoyed the connections to the first book. There was enough crossover to make it feel like we were back in the same world, while Effie and Finn’s story was completely their own.

Alexandria Bellefleur is so good at writing characters who feel fully developed and well-rounded, and that’s always one of my favorite things about her books. Even with demons, reincarnation, Hell bureaucracy, centuries-old marriages, and Lucifer meddling in everyone’s business, the characters and their relationships are what make the story work.

Fun, sexy, a little ridiculous in the best way, and another Alexandria Bellefleur book I thoroughly enjoyed. 😈❤️

Thanks to Alexandria, Berkley, and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Katie’s Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
I was a little unsure going into this but I ended up LOVING it? A demon realizes that the man she was married to almost five hundred years ago is still living, his soul reincarnated and oh- their marriage is still valid! So she packs up her bags and heads to Silver Springs to get him to undo his vows

Effie and Finn were adorable. Even though they both know that THIS Finn is not the original Finn, they can't help but be drawn to each other. I loved getting to hear about their first life in Scotland together- it was so heartbreaking in the best way? The love literally strong enough to survive hundreds of years and multiple reincarnations so that they could find each other again

But also seeing them fall for each other in the current life. Going hiking together and making dinner and breakfast- they had some cute cozy moments where you can see Effie settling into the small town life with Finn

Also the world building here was pretty easy to follow while also being quite fun. The fact that hell has all these bureaucratic departments and some demons are relegated o being internet trolls? So fun

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Readaholic Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

What to expect in Damned if I do:
-fated mates
-paranormal rom-com
-demon x human
-forced proximity
-yearning

Effie, a demon in Hell has just accepted a marriage proposal from her boyfriend. She's not marrying for love (she's had enough of that to last a lifetime), but rather for strength. All seems well enough until she's informed that she's still bound and married to her reincarnated husband Finn. She has to find him and have him revoke his vows in order to break their bond. There's only one teeny-tiny problem...when Finn sees her he refuses to revoke his vows and instead wants to get to know Effie. Will Effie convince him to let her go and if not, how does a relationship between them (he's mortal and she's immortal) even work???

I went into Damned if I do without knowing too much about this book and ended up reading half of it in one sitting! I love Alexandria Bellefleur's writing and I immediately connected with Finn and Effie. Their banter was funny and so sweet. Finn was such a golden retreiver, but at the same time would go to any length to keep Effie safe and I loved these two together. I'm a sucker for fated mates and the connection between Effie and Finn was so beautiful. Clearly I was rooting for these two to end up together. And yes, I did have tears in my eyes on a few occasions.

Highly recommend this fated mates paranormal rom-com!

*favorite chapter: Finn's interlude

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

[paux ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

─── 3 starts ᯓ★ˎˊ˗

❝ Don’t let your fiancé stop you from finding your long-lost, reincarnated husband?❞

⋆˙⟡ it was an easy read and very entertaining, it was so predictable the end and what was going to happen so yeah if you want a paranormal cozy romance this is a great choice

[millena · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ ok this was funnnn i’m on such a roll with paranormal romances and that’s basically a miracle

[Marrissa Horton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best surprise, it was my first book by Alexandria! I was hooked from beginning to end. The writing, wit, characters, depiction of hell and the demons, and most importantly the romance, were all executed flawlessly. The connection between Effie and Finn was obvious, and it was so bittersweet how he knew she was his missing piece, even though he had no memories of her. Second chance is my favorite, and I love that this was that but with its own spin.

Emma Wilder narrated the audiobook and was perfect, she made me love it all even more.

[thebookish.dragon · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Format: 📱& 📖
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Series: Standalone


I loved this way more than I was anticipating!

I am an absolute Dum Dum (sucker 🍭) for paranormal romances like this that involve demons or vampires or witches (sincerely, give me a paranormal pun and I’m gonna read it) so when I saw this book in the future release lists I KNEW I had to read it. It was even better than I could have hoped 🥹

Effie is my sassy, toxic demon FMC. Sold her soul to the devil hundreds of years ago and is now suffering the super boring consequences of helping a fellow demon escape her indentureship and become a human again. Finn is my clueless small-town bartender (human) who is stuck in an endless reincarnation cycle because he soul-tied himself to Effie before she made her demon deal. And he’s a single dad!! 🥺 Beatrix is the cutest little fictional baby ever.

Effie has to get her 400+ year marriage annulled so she can marry her new demon fiancé. The only problem? Finn doesn’t remember her or their ancient marriage. How can she get him to renounce her so she can go home to hell? 😩

She can’t. He’s hot and he wants her. Now she has to resist falling in love with him again. Chaos ensues 😌


Notable tropes & themes —


😈 forced proximity
😈 second chance romance
😈 “I gotta get divorced so I can get married”
😈 corporate doldrums, but in Hell
😈 she’s a 500 year old (ish) demon and he’s a clueless human
😈 single dad
😈 bartender vs corporate rage bait demon



I received this eARC and physical proof copy from Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley as an opportunity to read and give my honest review.

[BookishKB]

😈💍 Damned If I Do 💍😈

📖 Bookish Thoughts

My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.

✨ What to Expect
• Queer Romance
• Demons & Hell
• Small Town
• Forced Proximity
• Reincarnation
• Paranormal Romance
_ _ _ _

📅 Pub Date: September 22, 2026
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[Leanna · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

I was pretty upset to find out this was actually the second in an interconnected standalone series. I don't care if they can technically be read out of order... it should be advertised as a second book (since they are in the same world and the plot of book one was mentioned in this one). The premise was really unique and the chemistry really believable. Bonus the MMC obsessed with her in every lifetime was peak yearning. Even though I enjoyed, nothing was really pulling me back to wanting to read, like something was missing.

thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the arc!

[Annie K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Bellefleur’s writing style. Everything I’ve read from her has been fast-paced and addictive, so when I saw this one, I had to request it. And wow, I was not disappointed.

The first 10% is a little slow as it sets the scene and establishes the world-building, but once the story gets going, it really takes off. What follows is an incredible second-chance romance that spans centuries and multiple lives, and I was completely invested.

I loved how Finn was instantly drawn to Effie without quite understanding why. Their banter was funny, witty, and full of chemistry. And the spicy scenes? Whew. They definitely delivered. The romance was incredibly sweet overall, and I’m always a fan of a man who falls hard. Finn was absolutely down bad, and I loved every minute of it.

The magical realism added so much whimsy and charm to the story and made the overall vibe really fun. I will say that some of the magical elements at the end were a little confusing. I’m still not entirely sure what happened, but honestly, I was so invested in the romance that it didn’t bother me much.

Overall, this was a fun, engaging read with a strong romance at its core. Even when a few things didn’t quite land for me, the relationship between Finn and Effie was compelling enough that I didn’t mind.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am obsessed!!! Zero-notes perfection. I was a bit worried when I read in the description that the FMC is engaged, but it is totally not a problem. No spoilers, so read the book to understand!

The build-up to the romance is amazing; there is slow burn, obvious chemistry, and banter. The side characters are so fun. The story is emotional and beautiful. Damned If I Do is a fantastic paranormal romance. I loved that the book is sex positive as well.

I recommend it to all romance lovers.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really cute but I didn't fall in love with it the way that I wanted to. It did carry that Bellefleur charm that I do love though, and the characters were sassy, so there was that. It was pretty on par with the first book but I think I just wanted a little bit more.

Effie is a demon who, after getting engaged, discovers that she is still married - leftover from her human days. In order to move on, she needs to get her human husband to renounce their vows. But how do you ask is this man still alive? Well reincarnation of course. Loopholes and soul promising has led this man to be reincarnated for centuries while still being married (unknowingly) to a demon. The plot was funny by itself, and I really liked Effie. She was haunted by her past (and now had to confront it) and she just wanted to move on. But once Effie got to Silver Springs, this is where the story started to go a little sideways for me. Why? Well mainly because the husband in question just accepted her story at face value with little to no shock value. I get that the author probably wanted to move the plot along and get to the lovey stuff, but it felt unbelievable to me and took me a little out of it. I could not understand why Finn was so gung ho to not give Effie what she wanted.

Their path back to each other was cute and their backstory was heartbreaking. I thought that the book lived the best in these moments. I actually forgot that Effie was a demon because she's not very demonic, nor is her demoness played with that much. The demons in this universe are very tame - even when it came to the end scene. The entire time reading I felt like there was something missing and that's what kept me from rating it higher then 3 stars.

[emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

huge fan of this demon romance thing alexandria bellefleur has been doing lately. full rtc

[rose ✨ · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

“yeah, well, what’s that saying? don’t let your fiancé stop you from finding your long-lost, reincarnated husband?”

after (nearly) five hundred years as a demon, effie is engaged to a prince of hell. it’s the perfect political marriage; there’s just one little problem: effie is already married, and the office of internal infernal affairs is going to need her to take care of that before she can get married again. while she’s spent the last few centuries making deals and instigating fights on twitter and reddit, her long-lost husband has been reincarnated again and again with no memory of his past lives.

damned if i do is set in the same universe as the devil she knows, so some readers may remember effie. here she’s facing the consequences of her decision in TDSK, and finn immediately complicates things further by refusing to renounce his vows when she pops up to small-town georgia to request a divorce. finn wants his memories back, but effie just wants to get this over with—or so she tells herself, but the more time she spends with finn, the harder it is to pretend.

honestly, this was so much fun. chock full of clichés (and a couple of romance tropes i really don’t care for) and yet still so cute. i AM disappointed that we didn’t get any “demon walks into a bar” jokes, but i guess i can’t have everything. and i loved how blasé finn was about the whole reveal. dude did not give one singular fuck about his wife being a literal demon from hell or the whole reincarnation thing. he is a Wife Guy™ and honestly? i get it. i might be a little bit in love with effie too.

i do wish the small town ambiance hadn’t been abandoned by the end of the book. we’re introduced to several background characters early on who i assumed would at least pop up again towards the end of the story, but instead the world seems to shrink down to effie and finn (and assorted demons, of course). still, i hope alexandria bellefleur revisits this series in the future; i love the politics of hell and i’m very curious to see how the events of this book change things.

perfect for fans of small towns with hot bartenders, love across lifetimes, and b.k. borison’s ghosted series!

i received an ARC from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions!!

Effie is a demon who messed up with her boss, big time! Shes been demoted to life as an internet troll instead of harvesting souls for helping out another demon earn her soul back. But she also gets engaged to a prince of Hell, so yay for silver linings!!

Unfortunately for Effie, she’s already married and needs a quick revoking from her first hubby who unbeknownst to her has been reincarnated over and over again. He has zero memories of her or any of his lifetimes and she has a short window to become single again.

This book was very funny and spicy! I was not expecting it to impact me so emotionally but I really felt for Effie and all that she had to sacrifice. She desperately loved Finn and I can’t even imagine how awful it must’ve been to live with that decision for so long. The small town setting was cute and I felt the ending wrapped up everything nicely if not a little too easily. But given what these two had to go through, they earned it!

[monica • · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Mythili]

It is funny that everyone in the book thinks the main couple's story is like any number of romantic comedies except the one that is it influenced by, aka Sweet Home Alabama.

[cee · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

“Don’t let your fiancé stop you from finding your long-lost, reincarnated husband?”

This was okay, I liked the romance and the reincarnation stuff; some of the banter was funny. I found the supernatural aspect a bit of a let down, though, it was anticlimactic for how much it's built up.