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Breaking Hell's Rules
A sex demon falls for the ultimate forbidden fruit in this M/M paranormal romance.
When genderqueer succubus Reth meets their soul quota and gains freedom from Hell, they decide to take up residence in New Orleans. Immediately, they exchange their female body for a hunky, tattooed male one. Too bad the body comes with an ex-boyfriend, Jude, and a joint lease.
Jude is walking around with a black eye and a bad attitude, and he refuses to believe Reth is a demon. Plus, he won’t move out. Reth doesn’t want to take Jude’s soul, so they show him some succubus action minus the soul-grabbing, hoping to scare him off.
What they didn’t expect was to develop feelings for the mortal. And they never could have predicted just how pure Jude’s soul would be. When Reth unwittingly commits a sin against Lucifer, they’ll need Jude’s help to avoid an eternity of suffering…for them both.
Word count: 25,000
When genderqueer succubus Reth meets their soul quota and gains freedom from Hell, they decide to take up residence in New Orleans. Immediately, they exchange their female body for a hunky, tattooed male one. Too bad the body comes with an ex-boyfriend, Jude, and a joint lease.
Jude is walking around with a black eye and a bad attitude, and he refuses to believe Reth is a demon. Plus, he won’t move out. Reth doesn’t want to take Jude’s soul, so they show him some succubus action minus the soul-grabbing, hoping to scare him off.
What they didn’t expect was to develop feelings for the mortal. And they never could have predicted just how pure Jude’s soul would be. When Reth unwittingly commits a sin against Lucifer, they’ll need Jude’s help to avoid an eternity of suffering…for them both.
Word count: 25,000
74 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 10, 2016
3 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
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November 28, 2016♥4 Hearts♥
This was way cuter than I expected. I kinda loved this even though one thing bugged me throughout.
I’ll get this out early so the review makes sense. The only thing that bugged me about this book was Reth using the pronouns “they” and “their” when referring to themselves. I really liked that succubus are gender neutral but it got confusing when Reth was with Jude or anyone else and would say “on their hands and knees on the pavement outside Jude's apartment.” When they were now alone but had just been with someone else. So that got confusing and a bit irritating at first, but it was not enough to take me out of the story.
Okay then, let’s see if I can keep this short-ish and sweet, just like the book.
Reth is a succubus, a demon who steals the dark souls of sinners by having sex with them to fill their quota for Lilith down in hell. Reth is tired of being in servitude, they have one last soul to take and wants their freedom. When they find a tattooed man with a dark soul, they literally fuck the man into hell and then take over his form. This form comes with a name – Tyler – and this form comes with a boyfriend named Jude.
I adored Jude. He is a man after my own hopeless romantic heart. Jude is strong, but Jude is a romantic who just wants someone one to fuck him into the mattress with crazy passion and then cuddle the hell out of him after as his partner takes the weight of the world off Jude's shoulders. You see, Tyler was not a good guy or a boyfriend as the bruise on Jude's face suggests when we meet him, but when Reth sends Tyler's soul to hell and takes over his human skin... how is Jude to know the difference when Tyler comes home?
With shows like Lucifer and Supernatural in popular rotation Breaking Hell’s Rules was fun to read. You have the demon who is done with hell and just wants to live freely. You have Jude who doesn’t know the power he holds and always falls for the wrong guy and you have a cast of characters who are never what they seem. You have the total opposites attract vibe (which I LOVE) with a bit of heaven and hell tossed in and I am hooked, book and sinker!
*swoon*
So, back to the review at hand. Reth likes their new body, they want to keep it and when they meet Jude, they decide that Jude needs to move out but Jude ain’t having it. It’s Jude’s place and Tyler needs to get with the program…only this isn’t Tyler anymore.
It was so much fun watching Reth tell Jude who they are and the only way they can show Jude what their true form looks like is to have sex, but having sex with Reth makes you lose your soul so… yeah, I am not giving that any of that away.
Nope.
Nuh-uh.
I’ll stop here to not go into spoilers but this was fun. There are demons, angels, hellhounds and the fires of hell. There is flesh burning semen, salt across doorways and windows and there is an oddly but perfectly matched couple who will give up everything for the one thing they’ve never had.
Breaking Hell’s Rules was super fun, super sexy, super sweet and just a joy to read. I loved Reth. I adored Jude and I even have a high five in me for Brett because he is Brett. I loved the hell out of the end and yeah, this was MUCH better than I expected.
This was way cuter than I expected. I kinda loved this even though one thing bugged me throughout.
I’ll get this out early so the review makes sense. The only thing that bugged me about this book was Reth using the pronouns “they” and “their” when referring to themselves. I really liked that succubus are gender neutral but it got confusing when Reth was with Jude or anyone else and would say “on their hands and knees on the pavement outside Jude's apartment.” When they were now alone but had just been with someone else. So that got confusing and a bit irritating at first, but it was not enough to take me out of the story.
Okay then, let’s see if I can keep this short-ish and sweet, just like the book.
Reth is a succubus, a demon who steals the dark souls of sinners by having sex with them to fill their quota for Lilith down in hell. Reth is tired of being in servitude, they have one last soul to take and wants their freedom. When they find a tattooed man with a dark soul, they literally fuck the man into hell and then take over his form. This form comes with a name – Tyler – and this form comes with a boyfriend named Jude.
"So what are you, a gay sex demon?"
I adored Jude. He is a man after my own hopeless romantic heart. Jude is strong, but Jude is a romantic who just wants someone one to fuck him into the mattress with crazy passion and then cuddle the hell out of him after as his partner takes the weight of the world off Jude's shoulders. You see, Tyler was not a good guy or a boyfriend as the bruise on Jude's face suggests when we meet him, but when Reth sends Tyler's soul to hell and takes over his human skin... how is Jude to know the difference when Tyler comes home?
With shows like Lucifer and Supernatural in popular rotation Breaking Hell’s Rules was fun to read. You have the demon who is done with hell and just wants to live freely. You have Jude who doesn’t know the power he holds and always falls for the wrong guy and you have a cast of characters who are never what they seem. You have the total opposites attract vibe (which I LOVE) with a bit of heaven and hell tossed in and I am hooked, book and sinker!
*swoon*
So, back to the review at hand. Reth likes their new body, they want to keep it and when they meet Jude, they decide that Jude needs to move out but Jude ain’t having it. It’s Jude’s place and Tyler needs to get with the program…only this isn’t Tyler anymore.
After being forced to leave Heaven on the back of Lucifer's bad choice so many centuries ago, Reth was finally done with Hell, and while the future was uncertain, there was one thing that was crystal clear: they weren't going to be obligated again for anything.
It was so much fun watching Reth tell Jude who they are and the only way they can show Jude what their true form looks like is to have sex, but having sex with Reth makes you lose your soul so… yeah, I am not giving that any of that away.
Nope.
Nuh-uh.
I’ll stop here to not go into spoilers but this was fun. There are demons, angels, hellhounds and the fires of hell. There is flesh burning semen, salt across doorways and windows and there is an oddly but perfectly matched couple who will give up everything for the one thing they’ve never had.
Breaking Hell’s Rules was super fun, super sexy, super sweet and just a joy to read. I loved Reth. I adored Jude and I even have a high five in me for Brett because he is Brett. I loved the hell out of the end and yeah, this was MUCH better than I expected.
October 1, 2016
*I received an ARC in exchange of an honest review.*
It's more like 3.5 stars. The story is good, but I had a hard time getting everything right in my mind because of the lack of a backstory. There was no mention of the demon part of the story, assuming us to know it all. But that is my only issue. There were only a couple typos, which I'm sure would be taken out in the final version. The plot was moving at a hurried pace, but I guess that's the maximum the author could have written in that word length.
I had a good enough time reading it, but this is not one that I will revisit.
It's more like 3.5 stars. The story is good, but I had a hard time getting everything right in my mind because of the lack of a backstory. There was no mention of the demon part of the story, assuming us to know it all. But that is my only issue. There were only a couple typos, which I'm sure would be taken out in the final version. The plot was moving at a hurried pace, but I guess that's the maximum the author could have written in that word length.
I had a good enough time reading it, but this is not one that I will revisit.
October 23, 2016
This story was a mixed bag for me. Some of it I liked a lot but some parts didn’t work for me. I loved the concept of the story and all of the paranormal characters that were in it. I thought it was a really unique idea for a book and the plot drew me in right away. One of my issues though came up right away and that was that Reth was supposed to have no gender and therefore was referred to as “they” or “their”. It kept confusing me and pulling me out of the story. I would have to re-read sentences to figure out if “they” was Reth alone or Reth and Jude. It also didn’t make a lot of sense to me plot wise because initially Reth explains that gender is just for humans but then every other paranormal creature in the story, including another succubus, are all assigned a gender and called “he” or “she”.
The biggest issue though was that I just didn’t feel any connection or love between the two MC’s. There was a lot of telling me that they loved each other but not a lot of showing. None of it felt believable to me. Jude barely batted an eye to find out his boyfriend was dead and his body was now possessed by a demon.
There were a host of great side characters in this and I especially enjoyed the hellhounds. It’s a cool world that the author has created and I’d like to see this turn into a series so we could see what happens to some of these creatures.
There were parts of this I really liked and then the above mentioned things that didn’t work for me. Overall I would say it was a good read and I liked it well enough to check out some more works by this author. If you’re looking for something outside the norm this would be a good pick.
The biggest issue though was that I just didn’t feel any connection or love between the two MC’s. There was a lot of telling me that they loved each other but not a lot of showing. None of it felt believable to me. Jude barely batted an eye to find out his boyfriend was dead and his body was now possessed by a demon.
There were a host of great side characters in this and I especially enjoyed the hellhounds. It’s a cool world that the author has created and I’d like to see this turn into a series so we could see what happens to some of these creatures.
There were parts of this I really liked and then the above mentioned things that didn’t work for me. Overall I would say it was a good read and I liked it well enough to check out some more works by this author. If you’re looking for something outside the norm this would be a good pick.
October 25, 2016
Loved it. Fantastic writing and highly enjoyable story/characters. A bit fast at the end but still loved it. I want more!
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June 21, 2017DNF @ 46%. The writing, the plot, the dialogue, the characters. Oh, my!. It's really a perfect storm for a disaster of a read. This was even a short read and I couldn't torture myself anymore through the sophomoric story.
September 19, 2016
This is indeed an entertaining story of a demon who should never have gone to hell. He has finished collecting souls for Lucifer and Lilith. Reth believes himself free. Jude has an abusive boyfriend. The very one whose body is taken over by Reth for his new life. A mixture and questioning of the forever question of is there Hell or Heaven? Even Reth is not sure because he has preyed for deliverance from burning in hell and God hasn't answered him since he was cast out of heaven with Lucifer and his other entourage. With twists and turns an HEA is due Reth and Jude. Good read. I was given this book free in order to give an honest and unbiased review.
September 18, 2016
*Although I received a free ARC of this copy, my thoughts and opinions are 100% my own*
Having read many (if not all) of Lyssa Dering's books, I can confidently state that "Breaking Hell's Rules" is not only my favorite, but is, perhaps, her best so far. It's somewhat ironic because I had planned to pass this one altogether.
I remember seeing it on Amazon and being put off by the hefty price in relation to the skimpy page count...however, I now believe Dering must be some sort of Mary Poppins-esque magician who can pack a fully-formed, 300 page book into a miniscule 23 pages...or someone somewhere needs to relearn their numbers.
Seriously though, page after page the characters develop and evolve, the story unfolds organically and compellingly, and every emotion gets pulled out of you effortlessly. It's entertaining and touching (and also, a little HOT). Really, what more can you ask? Oh, I know- more please!
Having read many (if not all) of Lyssa Dering's books, I can confidently state that "Breaking Hell's Rules" is not only my favorite, but is, perhaps, her best so far. It's somewhat ironic because I had planned to pass this one altogether.
I remember seeing it on Amazon and being put off by the hefty price in relation to the skimpy page count...however, I now believe Dering must be some sort of Mary Poppins-esque magician who can pack a fully-formed, 300 page book into a miniscule 23 pages...or someone somewhere needs to relearn their numbers.
Seriously though, page after page the characters develop and evolve, the story unfolds organically and compellingly, and every emotion gets pulled out of you effortlessly. It's entertaining and touching (and also, a little HOT). Really, what more can you ask? Oh, I know- more please!
September 22, 2016
I wasn't sure if this was the book for me when I started reading but became hooked. The writing is so good that you keep going. The story is amazing and you soon want it to go on forever! This is one of the most addictive books in have read in a while. Reth makes you feel for him which is your guilty pleasure. I suggest you give this book a read you won't be disappointed I wasn't.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
July 25, 2017
Ok so ,,
The author followed me on Twitter and I was like hm her books look interesting so I thought I'd ask for a copy (u know just to see if she had any spare ones lying around lol) , she didn't have any but said that if I signed up for the mailing list I'd get one free (u can also sign up and choose one of her books it's free and really easy!)
So I chose this one bc fangs like me wasn't available (the one that I thought seemed most interesting).
I actually liked this one ,, it was short (obviously) but really a good story, I also liked the characters.. Obviously if it had been longer , a deeper connection could have been made to the story and characters, ,,
It was over all a very quick and fun, easy read ..
I haven't read much supernatural stories lately but this one was interesting,, tired of werewolves and stuff so it was nice to read about demons and angels
Also I'm not sure if I've read a book with a main who uses the "they/them" pronouns,, first time for everything!!
Summary; Fun, quick, easy read ,,, not much on the emotional connection front but yea
Might read other books by the author sometime.. We'll see!
The author followed me on Twitter and I was like hm her books look interesting so I thought I'd ask for a copy (u know just to see if she had any spare ones lying around lol) , she didn't have any but said that if I signed up for the mailing list I'd get one free (u can also sign up and choose one of her books it's free and really easy!)
So I chose this one bc fangs like me wasn't available (the one that I thought seemed most interesting).
I actually liked this one ,, it was short (obviously) but really a good story, I also liked the characters.. Obviously if it had been longer , a deeper connection could have been made to the story and characters, ,,
It was over all a very quick and fun, easy read ..
I haven't read much supernatural stories lately but this one was interesting,, tired of werewolves and stuff so it was nice to read about demons and angels
Also I'm not sure if I've read a book with a main who uses the "they/them" pronouns,, first time for everything!!
Summary; Fun, quick, easy read ,,, not much on the emotional connection front but yea
Might read other books by the author sometime.. We'll see!
May 19, 2017
This was a very well written romance which centers around Reth (succubus Demon) and Jude, who has a soul that's so bright and pure. I loved how Jude was a no nonsense kind of guy. He spoke his mind was and didn't let Reth's Demon form scare him. Reth was also pretty open and honest with him when questions were asked. I enjoyed the world building along with the side characters of the story. I was pulled into this tale because I like demons since they seem to fascinate me (as do vampires and shifters). This was a short, creative read that I'd definitely recommend. :)
June 3, 2017
From the reviews I'd read and the cover blurb this one should have been a 4 stars at least but instead I came away thinking I must have missed something because it just didn't hit the spot. Came pretty close, though, so it gets an "I liked it" instead of a "meh, why bother?" grade. Also putting it on my read-again-someday list because who knows, a second look could be just the thing to change my mind... and this review.
November 1, 2016
Teaser
What I tend to enjoy about paranormal reads is that they expand our reality and believability. With Lyssa Dering's Breaking Hell's Rules, about a succubus, she mixes both worlds and makes you question what you yourself might do given certain circumstances.
Read Full Review at Kimmers' Erotic Book Banter
http://bit.ly/2fdjQ6V
What I tend to enjoy about paranormal reads is that they expand our reality and believability. With Lyssa Dering's Breaking Hell's Rules, about a succubus, she mixes both worlds and makes you question what you yourself might do given certain circumstances.
Read Full Review at Kimmers' Erotic Book Banter
http://bit.ly/2fdjQ6V
June 14, 2017
Cute little short story about demons, angels, and love.
October 10, 2016
Jude and Reth`s story is amazing in so many ways how did the author pack so much in to such a short story.
I love the chemistry between Jude and Reth from the start they were sweet and hot together. The book is well written with enough background story to be interesting.
A fun hot enjoyable read from start to end I will be looking for more book by Lyssa Dering, Highly recommend.
I was given an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I love the chemistry between Jude and Reth from the start they were sweet and hot together. The book is well written with enough background story to be interesting.
A fun hot enjoyable read from start to end I will be looking for more book by Lyssa Dering, Highly recommend.
I was given an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
October 11, 2016
Bottom line: if you’re going to fall in love with a demon, make sure they're reasonable and bad at their job.
I wanted to give this book 4.5 stars but couldn't. I really only have one minor problem.
The story was cute. Sex scenes varied from sweet/tender to hot/ hard/ rough. Overall, I thought the relationship between Reth and Jude was cute if somewhat creepy at times (Reth is a demon, so things are bound to be a bit odd, I suppose). There was a lot of humor in the book, which made it a fun read. The author took things seriously enough to believe, but not serious to the point of exhaustion.
I did want to see a bit more development in the side characters. I *sort of* felt Lilith's presence before she appeared, but I wanted more from her since she seemed to be the book's main antagonist. There was never a whole lot of menace or danger. This might be a me thing, but I love villains. I'm always sad when they're not much of a presence in the book.
I wanted to give this book 4.5 stars but couldn't. I really only have one minor problem.
The story was cute. Sex scenes varied from sweet/tender to hot/ hard/ rough. Overall, I thought the relationship between Reth and Jude was cute if somewhat creepy at times (Reth is a demon, so things are bound to be a bit odd, I suppose). There was a lot of humor in the book, which made it a fun read. The author took things seriously enough to believe, but not serious to the point of exhaustion.
I did want to see a bit more development in the side characters. I *sort of* felt Lilith's presence before she appeared, but I wanted more from her since she seemed to be the book's main antagonist. There was never a whole lot of menace or danger. This might be a me thing, but I love villains. I'm always sad when they're not much of a presence in the book.
October 10, 2016
3.5 stars
Demons & Angels, evil vs. good- this quick read has them both. The heat between these two guys was great I only wish we had a little more backstory. Reth, the demon, is able to jump into human bodies and take over, actually killing the human. Taking over his last body and settling down he meets Jude, the one man that he can truly love. I do love stories set in my favorite city, New Orleans.
Demons & Angels, evil vs. good- this quick read has them both. The heat between these two guys was great I only wish we had a little more backstory. Reth, the demon, is able to jump into human bodies and take over, actually killing the human. Taking over his last body and settling down he meets Jude, the one man that he can truly love. I do love stories set in my favorite city, New Orleans.
March 24, 2017
Kindle Unlimited
Short and cute
Short and cute
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews