What do you think?
Rate this book
Saved by Grace
Alel is a demon, and he is good at lying. The image he wears is a lie—no one can see his wings or barbed tail, nor can they see the horns peeking from a shag of hair salted with strands of white and pale gray. Half-starved, Alel is short and gangly and has lavender freckles dusted across his nose and cheeks. Lust created him along with all other incubi and succubae for one reason—to encourage humans to sin while feeding off of their sexual energy. Anything more than carnal acts is forbidden, but Alel yearns to be kissed, to bury his face in the crook of a lover’s neck and hold them until dawn.
When he meets a human named Jackson, who’s more interested in snuggling on the couch while watching movies and making out instead of one-night stands, Alel realizes dating Jackson would leave him famished, but he can’t resist the temptation.
As their relationship builds, Alel and Jackson explore the boundaries of both sexual and romantic intimacy. The more they’re together, the more they fall in love, but Alel knows if another demon ever catches him, he’ll be dragged back to hell for breaking taboo.
When he meets a human named Jackson, who’s more interested in snuggling on the couch while watching movies and making out instead of one-night stands, Alel realizes dating Jackson would leave him famished, but he can’t resist the temptation.
As their relationship builds, Alel and Jackson explore the boundaries of both sexual and romantic intimacy. The more they’re together, the more they fall in love, but Alel knows if another demon ever catches him, he’ll be dragged back to hell for breaking taboo.
ebook
First published December 3, 2018
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 19, 2019
(Trigger warning: attempted corrective rape)
Well...this was disappointing. Partly due to my unfulfilled expectations, but also partly because of how the ace rep was handled.
At first, I was excited to read a paranormal story about an ace-spectrum incubus, but after reading the book, I’m not sure how I feel about the handling of Alel as ace-spec. I was only sure that he was demisexual around 75% through; before then, he was portrayed as not necessarily wanting sex every minute/not feeling sexually attracted to every single person he met...which isn’t the definition of asexuality.
Also, I want to say that if anyone else was like me and expected this to be a story about a sex-averse ace...it’s not. More like Jackson has specific preferences for what kind of sex he likes, but even then he tells Alel he’d be okay with “more” at the end, so...I dunno. It felt like a "sex averse ace fake-out," so to speak, since Jackson goes from totally sex averse to increasingly comfortable with sex the more time he spends with Alel, and I'm just...tired. Authors, if you want to write about asexuals who have a lot of sex, fine, but can you at least be upfront about it from the beginning? I do not appreciate sex aversion being treated as a "romantic obstacle" that "can be overcome by love."
Not only are there sex scenes, but also, non-sexual activities were eroticized, which was...weird.
Friends. Non-ace authors. Sex-averse aces do not treat their favorite romantic activities as “equivalent” to sex.
It was so bizarre to read the massage scenes, for example, because they were written similarly to sex scenes. I basically felt like I was reading a sex scene with some words swapped out.
Again. Friends, non-ace authors, if you want to write sex scenes in your romances, just do so without a character who’s initially described as a sex-averse asexual. Misleading the reader isn’t appreciated.
I also want to note that I did not like how Jackson’s (initial) sex aversion was framed as the main romantic drama. Even though Alel was respectful of it, the narrative was framed in such a way as to convey the impression that Jackson’s sex aversion was a huge struggle for Alel to deal with. That is incredibly othering and alienating if you’re a sex-averse ace reader. It implies that sex-averse aces should expect their sex aversion to inevitably cause an issue in a romantic relationship, which is not uplifting, at all?
Also.
Let’s talk about the attempted corrective rape. (Under the cut)
Other notes:
- I’m not comfortable with the fact that Alel, who is described as extremely pale in his natural form, puts on a human glamor that makes him look like a black man. It kind of feels like blackface.
- I don’t know what happened to the copyediting for this book, but there were a lot of typos.
(PS: Hey, those reviews from people who were "relieved" the characters were gray-ace because "at least there were steamy scenes"? That is incredibly acephobic and disrespectful.)
Well...this was disappointing. Partly due to my unfulfilled expectations, but also partly because of how the ace rep was handled.
At first, I was excited to read a paranormal story about an ace-spectrum incubus, but after reading the book, I’m not sure how I feel about the handling of Alel as ace-spec. I was only sure that he was demisexual around 75% through; before then, he was portrayed as not necessarily wanting sex every minute/not feeling sexually attracted to every single person he met...which isn’t the definition of asexuality.
Also, I want to say that if anyone else was like me and expected this to be a story about a sex-averse ace...it’s not. More like Jackson has specific preferences for what kind of sex he likes, but even then he tells Alel he’d be okay with “more” at the end, so...I dunno. It felt like a "sex averse ace fake-out," so to speak, since Jackson goes from totally sex averse to increasingly comfortable with sex the more time he spends with Alel, and I'm just...tired. Authors, if you want to write about asexuals who have a lot of sex, fine, but can you at least be upfront about it from the beginning? I do not appreciate sex aversion being treated as a "romantic obstacle" that "can be overcome by love."
Not only are there sex scenes, but also, non-sexual activities were eroticized, which was...weird.
Friends. Non-ace authors. Sex-averse aces do not treat their favorite romantic activities as “equivalent” to sex.
It was so bizarre to read the massage scenes, for example, because they were written similarly to sex scenes. I basically felt like I was reading a sex scene with some words swapped out.
Again. Friends, non-ace authors, if you want to write sex scenes in your romances, just do so without a character who’s initially described as a sex-averse asexual. Misleading the reader isn’t appreciated.
I also want to note that I did not like how Jackson’s (initial) sex aversion was framed as the main romantic drama. Even though Alel was respectful of it, the narrative was framed in such a way as to convey the impression that Jackson’s sex aversion was a huge struggle for Alel to deal with. That is incredibly othering and alienating if you’re a sex-averse ace reader. It implies that sex-averse aces should expect their sex aversion to inevitably cause an issue in a romantic relationship, which is not uplifting, at all?
Also.
Let’s talk about the attempted corrective rape. (Under the cut)
Other notes:
- I’m not comfortable with the fact that Alel, who is described as extremely pale in his natural form, puts on a human glamor that makes him look like a black man. It kind of feels like blackface.
- I don’t know what happened to the copyediting for this book, but there were a lot of typos.
(PS: Hey, those reviews from people who were "relieved" the characters were gray-ace because "at least there were steamy scenes"? That is incredibly acephobic and disrespectful.)
December 3, 2018
The thing I loved most about Saved by Grace was the diversity of its characters. It was great to see representation from a broad spectrum of the LGBT community, and the book, as a whole, considered how easy it is to pigeon-hole things and set up 'rules', but how sometimes those expectations need to be re-examined and the rules broken in order for people to live their lives to the fullest and find happiness, in themselves and with others. I adored both the pairings in this tale, but particularly Alel and Jackson. I thought their relationship developed at a realistic pace, and they both grew as characters throughout the course of the story. There are plenty of sex scenes in this book, but all contributed to the plot, and the pacing didn't feel stunted because of them. Overall, this was an entertaining and thoughtful read and I would give it four stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 7, 2018
Alel is an incubus who has to feed off sexual desire and energy in order to survive or else he’ll starve – at least that’s what he was made to believe. He feeds because he has to, but yet it leaves him lonely and craving for the forbidden: affection and to be kissed. With a slight push into the right direction, he finds what he’s looking for in Jackson. However, belonging to the ace spectrum, Jackson cannot feed Alel as the incubus is used to – which might not necessarily be a bad thing at all!
The characters are set somewhere in the grey ace spectrum which still leaves plenty of room for explorations and steamy scenes. Their relationship is lovely and it’s so good to see how they eventually come to discover themselves and what they want while still respecting the wishes and needs of the respective other. All in all, every character is very likeable in their own way and their dynamics with eachother are great.
The characters are set somewhere in the grey ace spectrum which still leaves plenty of room for explorations and steamy scenes. Their relationship is lovely and it’s so good to see how they eventually come to discover themselves and what they want while still respecting the wishes and needs of the respective other. All in all, every character is very likeable in their own way and their dynamics with eachother are great.
December 8, 2018
This was a great story about angels and demons, and about them breaking all the rules! Alel is absolutely adorable, especially for an incubus, and when he falls in love with the human, Jackson, you just want to give him a hug because of how cute he is. Jackson’s guardian angel, Sariel, and Alel’s fellow incubus and friend, Naberius, are another great addition to the story. They have a big part in the story and I’m glad that everything works out in the end For all of them. This was overall a great story, that had an interesting plot and lovable characters.
December 10, 2018
Received from Netgalley. This is the 2nd book I’ve read from this author and I loved it. I liked the paranormal but what I liked most was the character growth of four misfits and the warm and fuzzy feeling this story leaves you with. Plenty of smutty moments, a little violence and a lot of romance.
December 8, 2021
3.5 / 5 Stars
Martina: ~ reads 'Die A-Karte', a book about an ace gay Dude and an allo Incubus who fall in love even though they shouldn't be able to work on paper ~
Die A-Karte: ~ becomes Martinas favourit book of all time ~
This book : ~ excists ~
Martina: I need to read Saved by Grace OR I WILL DIE!!!!!!!!
So now I have read Saved by Grace and I'm not sure if my love for A-Karte made my reading experience better or worse. I'm sorry if you're not german and don't know about A-Karte, but let me tell you, you're missing out. I'll not spoil anything but I can't not compare the two, especially since A-Karte made me very emotional for reasons I can't put into words, while Saved by Grace was good, sure, but it was also absolutly not written for me.
So there are a few things that Die A-Karte & Saved by Grace have in common.
1. The asexual human falls in love with a sex-demon who was supposed to have sex with him for reasons.
2. The sex-demon is very understanding and supportive.
3. They don't have penetrative sex.
4. The relationship gets exposed and one of them gets punished for it.
A-Karte features a sex-repulsed/sex-averse Asexual, meaning that they don't have ANY amount of sex and the ace is very very VERY clear about that. They are not masturbating together, the ace is not watching the other get off, they don't sexualize massages, they don't have weird scenes of wing play, they are just in love and it's beautiful.
Safed by Grace goes another route. At first I thought that the Ace was also repulsed/averse, but from the way it was written, I couldn't help but think that no, this dude is not averse. I AM averse/repulsed. Benedikt - the Ace of A-Karte - is averse/repulsed. But Jackson - the Ace of Saved by Grace? He is NOT averse/repulsed. He's not favourable. But he's also not averse. I'd label him indifferent, but I've also seen other people give him all kinds of other ace-spec orientations.
And see, this leads to one other thing that bothered me:
Why not spell it out?
The setting is NOT some Fantasy world or Sci-fi Utopia. You could have easily used the term asexual or Ace-Spec. I don't see why that decision was not made. Especially since it's VERY unclear wheater Alel is ace-spec too or not. There is evidence to support both. I've also seen people claim both are gray-ace, which I don't think, but see, this is what you get when you don't spell it out.
Even as an ace reader, I can't say with certainty which of them is which level of ace. And that's sad.
Which is kinda important if you want to make remarks about the rep. Because, if this dude was supposed to be averse/repulsed, I'd go and say: Wow, no, I feel this rep was horrible.
BUT if he were not averse, but indifferent, it would be a completly differnt story.
Because if Jackson was supposed to be indifferent, I'd go and say: Wow, this rep is great.
Same goes for Alel, but since I couldn't for the life of me decide on wheather or not he was ace-spec or not, I'll just focus on Jackson who's very confirmed ace-something.
I will just pretend, that Jackson was indifferent, because if he weren't I'd be raging. So anyways:
I LOVED what the book was going for. First of all, consent is sexy. And I'm very glad the book thinks so too. There are multible scenes where we discuss consent and I was very pleased about that. Like, say what you want, but if you claim this book is not doing the best it could to make consent look super sexy than you've not read the same book I have. Get out.
It shows in every interaction between every character. And not just in sexual situations. There are scenes were consent was not giving - the hug scene - and the other is like "Shit, fuck, sorry. It won't happen again."
People have boundaries for a reason. You can't just go and assume. Communication is important. And this book is doing a great job in that area. They talk a lot about what makes the other happy & about what they want in general and from each other. About the expectations and boundaries and it's doing a really great job to showcase that "Action & Attraction are not the same".
Reading about Alel & Jackson was really nice, because they have a really amazing and healthy relationship. They get together semi-fast, because the book is not very long, but I didn't feel like they rushed anything. In fact, the book confirms that they were actually dating for a long while, which honestly, I totally believed. The pacing just worked for me. I was really believing that those two were growing closer and getting to know each other better the more time we spend with them. What helps is that they don't go and announce their love for each other the second they meat. They DATE like normal people, they talk about what they are and if they wanna call each other 'Boyfriend' yet or nah.
There is a little bit of conflict about the sex thing but ... that was to be expected???? Like, if you did not see that coming after reading the blurb of this thing, that's on you.
You're getting exactly what you're promised.
I also loved the other two characters, or rather, I loved Sariel in particular. Even though it's a semi-spoiler, I'll go and use she/her pronouns for Sariel, because she deserves respect.
You see, her sub-plot was also interesting. Not my personal cup of tea, but good for her. Good for her. She as a character was really cool though and while I wasn't sure about her at the start, she grew on me very quickly. Her relationship arc was too rushed though. I just ... I just think she deserved better. I don't know. Maybe I would have ended up rooting for them if the book were longer, but I don't think so. I just wasn't sold on the ship. Especially since it gave us one of the weirdest sex-scenes I've read in a long while.
Not even that ultra weird sex-scene I read in a fanfic a long while ago would have been able to top the wing play thing that this book had going on. My reaction to it was a combination of 'wtf have I just read' and 'looooool, dying of laughter'. But since sex isn't my kind of thing anyway, someone that's not me might find it really cool or something.
So, let's some up what I loved real quick:
+ Amazing characters
+ Amazing ace representation
+ Fantastic Dialoge
+ Consent & Communication done just *chefs kiss*
+ Healthy, beautiful main ship
+ Self-Exploration & Self-Acceptance
So why is this losing stars? Well... it's ... ehm, ... : very erotic & sexualized.
Remember how I was talking about all the things Die A-Karte isn't doing? Well, this book does them. They kiss and it's the most erotic kissing ever, like, yeah, one's a sex-demon but did you have to make it so erotic???? At one point he even has to flee to the bathroom because his banana was this close to exploding.
Or another thing: They massage each other and they are both turned on so much they almost come in their pants, like ??? Have you ever gotten a massage???? It's nothing sexual! Can we please stop sexualizing massages? Please?I'm so tiered of it.
They don't have penetrative sex, but everything they do is still so extremly steamy & sexual it made me kinda uncomfortable at times. And no I'm not talking about the sex-jokes. They can make those as much as they want. They cann tell me about all the orgies they had. That's fine. But when it comes to the main couple, I would have prefered less. Less of what? Just less. It kinda felt like a lot of the stuff they did was a substitute for sex/anal penetration. Because you see, they kinda do have sex at one point. I hate that we only label penetration as 'real sex' because it's kinda stupid and disrepectful. And that's coming from me.
But anyways, while the demons banana has not entered the humans asshole, they have masturbated together, they have taken pictures of the masturbation, they have touched each other (& their bananas), and they have had - just like Sariel - sexual interactions through demon related parts. As in, of course the tail - the tail, not the banana - of a demon is a pleasure organ. Why wouldn't it be.
I was clearly not the target audience for this book and while there was a lot I appreciated and a lot that I loved the book for, I also couldn't help but feel really weird at times.
If anyone cares, I didn't mind the attempted corrective rape scene because it made absolut sense for the context. WHY is the corrective rape attempt happening? Because Lust is sure that he's got the best banana in the universe and his banana will make Alel realise that sex is better than love. And lust is more powerful than god. He's also trying to punish Alel for disobeying the rules and him - mostly him.
He is not trying to cure his aceness or anything. It's still fucked up, but it makes sense. What kind of punishment did you expect an EVIL DEMON OVERLORD and THE EMBODYMENT OF LUST to go for? Did you think he was gonna tickle him to death? Of course not.
There is also a lot of religous symbolism & disscusion of what's good and what's bad and honestly, it's got a lot going for it.
It was just not what I had wanted. But that's on me. Mostly.
I decided to give this 4 goodreads stars, because I think that if I weren't averse/repulsed, I would have loved the shit out of this. It's still not a perfect book. But it's also not as proplematic as some people claim.
Which is why I can reccomand this book to allos & aces who are either gray-ace, indifferent or favourable.
I don't think my fellow repulsed/averse people will have the best of times with this one.
Martina: ~ reads 'Die A-Karte', a book about an ace gay Dude and an allo Incubus who fall in love even though they shouldn't be able to work on paper ~
Die A-Karte: ~ becomes Martinas favourit book of all time ~
This book : ~ excists ~
Martina: I need to read Saved by Grace OR I WILL DIE!!!!!!!!
So now I have read Saved by Grace and I'm not sure if my love for A-Karte made my reading experience better or worse. I'm sorry if you're not german and don't know about A-Karte, but let me tell you, you're missing out. I'll not spoil anything but I can't not compare the two, especially since A-Karte made me very emotional for reasons I can't put into words, while Saved by Grace was good, sure, but it was also absolutly not written for me.
So there are a few things that Die A-Karte & Saved by Grace have in common.
1. The asexual human falls in love with a sex-demon who was supposed to have sex with him for reasons.
2. The sex-demon is very understanding and supportive.
3. They don't have penetrative sex.
4. The relationship gets exposed and one of them gets punished for it.
A-Karte features a sex-repulsed/sex-averse Asexual, meaning that they don't have ANY amount of sex and the ace is very very VERY clear about that. They are not masturbating together, the ace is not watching the other get off, they don't sexualize massages, they don't have weird scenes of wing play, they are just in love and it's beautiful.
Safed by Grace goes another route. At first I thought that the Ace was also repulsed/averse, but from the way it was written, I couldn't help but think that no, this dude is not averse. I AM averse/repulsed. Benedikt - the Ace of A-Karte - is averse/repulsed. But Jackson - the Ace of Saved by Grace? He is NOT averse/repulsed. He's not favourable. But he's also not averse. I'd label him indifferent, but I've also seen other people give him all kinds of other ace-spec orientations.
And see, this leads to one other thing that bothered me:
Why not spell it out?
The setting is NOT some Fantasy world or Sci-fi Utopia. You could have easily used the term asexual or Ace-Spec. I don't see why that decision was not made. Especially since it's VERY unclear wheater Alel is ace-spec too or not. There is evidence to support both. I've also seen people claim both are gray-ace, which I don't think, but see, this is what you get when you don't spell it out.
Even as an ace reader, I can't say with certainty which of them is which level of ace. And that's sad.
Which is kinda important if you want to make remarks about the rep. Because, if this dude was supposed to be averse/repulsed, I'd go and say: Wow, no, I feel this rep was horrible.
BUT if he were not averse, but indifferent, it would be a completly differnt story.
Because if Jackson was supposed to be indifferent, I'd go and say: Wow, this rep is great.
Same goes for Alel, but since I couldn't for the life of me decide on wheather or not he was ace-spec or not, I'll just focus on Jackson who's very confirmed ace-something.
I will just pretend, that Jackson was indifferent, because if he weren't I'd be raging. So anyways:
I LOVED what the book was going for. First of all, consent is sexy. And I'm very glad the book thinks so too. There are multible scenes where we discuss consent and I was very pleased about that. Like, say what you want, but if you claim this book is not doing the best it could to make consent look super sexy than you've not read the same book I have. Get out.
It shows in every interaction between every character. And not just in sexual situations. There are scenes were consent was not giving - the hug scene - and the other is like "Shit, fuck, sorry. It won't happen again."
People have boundaries for a reason. You can't just go and assume. Communication is important. And this book is doing a great job in that area. They talk a lot about what makes the other happy & about what they want in general and from each other. About the expectations and boundaries and it's doing a really great job to showcase that "Action & Attraction are not the same".
Reading about Alel & Jackson was really nice, because they have a really amazing and healthy relationship. They get together semi-fast, because the book is not very long, but I didn't feel like they rushed anything. In fact, the book confirms that they were actually dating for a long while, which honestly, I totally believed. The pacing just worked for me. I was really believing that those two were growing closer and getting to know each other better the more time we spend with them. What helps is that they don't go and announce their love for each other the second they meat. They DATE like normal people, they talk about what they are and if they wanna call each other 'Boyfriend' yet or nah.
There is a little bit of conflict about the sex thing but ... that was to be expected???? Like, if you did not see that coming after reading the blurb of this thing, that's on you.
You're getting exactly what you're promised.
I also loved the other two characters, or rather, I loved Sariel in particular. Even though it's a semi-spoiler, I'll go and use she/her pronouns for Sariel, because she deserves respect.
You see, her sub-plot was also interesting. Not my personal cup of tea, but good for her. Good for her. She as a character was really cool though and while I wasn't sure about her at the start, she grew on me very quickly. Her relationship arc was too rushed though. I just ... I just think she deserved better. I don't know. Maybe I would have ended up rooting for them if the book were longer, but I don't think so. I just wasn't sold on the ship. Especially since it gave us one of the weirdest sex-scenes I've read in a long while.
Not even that ultra weird sex-scene I read in a fanfic a long while ago would have been able to top the wing play thing that this book had going on. My reaction to it was a combination of 'wtf have I just read' and 'looooool, dying of laughter'. But since sex isn't my kind of thing anyway, someone that's not me might find it really cool or something.
So, let's some up what I loved real quick:
+ Amazing characters
+ Amazing ace representation
+ Fantastic Dialoge
+ Consent & Communication done just *chefs kiss*
+ Healthy, beautiful main ship
+ Self-Exploration & Self-Acceptance
So why is this losing stars? Well... it's ... ehm, ... : very erotic & sexualized.
Remember how I was talking about all the things Die A-Karte isn't doing? Well, this book does them. They kiss and it's the most erotic kissing ever, like, yeah, one's a sex-demon but did you have to make it so erotic???? At one point he even has to flee to the bathroom because his banana was this close to exploding.
Or another thing: They massage each other and they are both turned on so much they almost come in their pants, like ??? Have you ever gotten a massage???? It's nothing sexual! Can we please stop sexualizing massages? Please?I'm so tiered of it.
They don't have penetrative sex, but everything they do is still so extremly steamy & sexual it made me kinda uncomfortable at times. And no I'm not talking about the sex-jokes. They can make those as much as they want. They cann tell me about all the orgies they had. That's fine. But when it comes to the main couple, I would have prefered less. Less of what? Just less. It kinda felt like a lot of the stuff they did was a substitute for sex/anal penetration. Because you see, they kinda do have sex at one point. I hate that we only label penetration as 'real sex' because it's kinda stupid and disrepectful. And that's coming from me.
But anyways, while the demons banana has not entered the humans asshole, they have masturbated together, they have taken pictures of the masturbation, they have touched each other (& their bananas), and they have had - just like Sariel - sexual interactions through demon related parts. As in, of course the tail - the tail, not the banana - of a demon is a pleasure organ. Why wouldn't it be.
I was clearly not the target audience for this book and while there was a lot I appreciated and a lot that I loved the book for, I also couldn't help but feel really weird at times.
If anyone cares, I didn't mind the attempted corrective rape scene because it made absolut sense for the context. WHY is the corrective rape attempt happening? Because Lust is sure that he's got the best banana in the universe and his banana will make Alel realise that sex is better than love. And lust is more powerful than god. He's also trying to punish Alel for disobeying the rules and him - mostly him.
He is not trying to cure his aceness or anything. It's still fucked up, but it makes sense. What kind of punishment did you expect an EVIL DEMON OVERLORD and THE EMBODYMENT OF LUST to go for? Did you think he was gonna tickle him to death? Of course not.
There is also a lot of religous symbolism & disscusion of what's good and what's bad and honestly, it's got a lot going for it.
It was just not what I had wanted. But that's on me. Mostly.
I decided to give this 4 goodreads stars, because I think that if I weren't averse/repulsed, I would have loved the shit out of this. It's still not a perfect book. But it's also not as proplematic as some people claim.
Which is why I can reccomand this book to allos & aces who are either gray-ace, indifferent or favourable.
I don't think my fellow repulsed/averse people will have the best of times with this one.
February 19, 2020
Definitely my favourite of Bethel's works. The novel follows four characters and deals with asexuality as a healthy relationship factor rather than illogical through clever metaphors of relating love and sex to food eaten by a lust demon. It deals with the idea of forbidden relationships, sexual and romantic alike, and the struggles of 'good' versus 'evil' when the world is a very grey place. It also cleverly addresses non-binary and transgender identity through one character in particular. The dialogue is realistic and sweet, the descriptions are exceptional and rich, and the world-building is an interesting look into religion and myth that humans have created through time. I would absolutely recommend this novel to anyone.
March 28, 2021
Saved by Grace by Sita Bethel is an asexual erotic romance following Alel and Jackson as they fall in love. As an aspec reader, I actually enjoyed the asexual representation in this novel. It felt like Alel and Jackson were both possibly demi-sexual, though on varying parts of the spectrum.
While I can see how some people could possibly see it as a sex-adverse ace, I didn't quite feel like it was that case. It came off as someone who preferred sensual intimacy over the sexual intimacy, especially with someone he didn't have a bond with, and as he fell in love with Alel, the more he desired that intimacy as well. It didn't really feel like a romantic drama frame to me.
The sensual intimacy scenes, such as the back rubs, were rather sweet. While yes, it could be seen as a bit eroticized (I didn't find it so), when an incubus who feeds off of intimacy in any form (my interpretation of it) it would make sense why some might see it as such. To me, it was sensual intimacy, not an "equivalent to sex" moment.
There was a section toward the end that I am grateful to have received a warning for prior to getting into the first chapter - the trigger warning was underneath the copyright information. Am I weird for reading the copyright page just because? Well, this part I will put in spoilers due to the triggering nature of it.
tw: corrective rape
On a lighter note, there was another couple in this story, companion to Alel and Jackson's relationship. That relationship was rather endearing and adorable to read.
This was a truly enjoyable read and I would recommend to others, though I would say to exercise caution in case some things are too triggering for you. I'd put off reading it due to the trigger warning until I was in a better mental space. That said, it was still a good read.
While I can see how some people could possibly see it as a sex-adverse ace, I didn't quite feel like it was that case. It came off as someone who preferred sensual intimacy over the sexual intimacy, especially with someone he didn't have a bond with, and as he fell in love with Alel, the more he desired that intimacy as well. It didn't really feel like a romantic drama frame to me.
The sensual intimacy scenes, such as the back rubs, were rather sweet. While yes, it could be seen as a bit eroticized (I didn't find it so), when an incubus who feeds off of intimacy in any form (my interpretation of it) it would make sense why some might see it as such. To me, it was sensual intimacy, not an "equivalent to sex" moment.
There was a section toward the end that I am grateful to have received a warning for prior to getting into the first chapter - the trigger warning was underneath the copyright information. Am I weird for reading the copyright page just because? Well, this part I will put in spoilers due to the triggering nature of it.
tw: corrective rape
On a lighter note, there was another couple in this story, companion to Alel and Jackson's relationship. That relationship was rather endearing and adorable to read.
This was a truly enjoyable read and I would recommend to others, though I would say to exercise caution in case some things are too triggering for you. I'd put off reading it due to the trigger warning until I was in a better mental space. That said, it was still a good read.
April 3, 2019
I'm fast becoming a real fan of Sita Bethel's writing. Having read and enjoyed her novel 'Cold Like Snow', I was keen to read more and 'Saved by Grace' certainly lived up to my hopes and expectations.
For a fairly light 'erotic fantasy', this novel really pleased me in it's inclusion of not only LGBTQ+'themes, but also a closer look at both some less widely known aspects of the sexuality and gender identity spectrum. Here we have a human main character who is asexual (not all who identify as asexual have an aversion to sexual contact, some are more at the uninterested end of that particular section of spectrum); two demons who are both incubi yet have different levels of sexual need and indeed forbidden longing for emotional connection; and an androgynous angel who discovers a desire for sensual/sexual experience and the preference for clothing and other markers of appearance which are considered by our society to indicate femininity.
There is also some religious commentary which I found interesting, in that the angel and demons question things they have always believed and through taking risks and pushing boundaries, come to the conclusion that they have been told lies in order to control their behaviour. Of course they find themselves in deep trouble over all of this, yet through forming rule defying bonds of love and friendship, their collective strength allows them to prevail against higher powers out to punish and seperate them.
What I enjoy most about this novel, however, is not sexual, it's Sita Bethel's ability to write emotion so beautifully among what could so easily be something much lighter and much less engaging.
For example:
“The only truth I know is this— I want to see you every day, and I want to touch you.” He brushed his hand up Jackson’s cheek . “And when you die, I’ll sneak into to heaven and steal kisses from your mouth, and if God forbids it, He’ll have to destroy my soul because nothing short of oblivion will stop me.”
- which happens at approximately a third of the way into the book and really made me feel intensely.
If you enjoy this genre, I don't hesitate to recommend this novel - and this author's other work too - just be aware that there are scenes (or at least one) which could easily be distressing/triggering for those who have suffered sexual assault.
Thanks to Netgalley and Nine Star Press for a free digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
For a fairly light 'erotic fantasy', this novel really pleased me in it's inclusion of not only LGBTQ+'themes, but also a closer look at both some less widely known aspects of the sexuality and gender identity spectrum. Here we have a human main character who is asexual (not all who identify as asexual have an aversion to sexual contact, some are more at the uninterested end of that particular section of spectrum); two demons who are both incubi yet have different levels of sexual need and indeed forbidden longing for emotional connection; and an androgynous angel who discovers a desire for sensual/sexual experience and the preference for clothing and other markers of appearance which are considered by our society to indicate femininity.
There is also some religious commentary which I found interesting, in that the angel and demons question things they have always believed and through taking risks and pushing boundaries, come to the conclusion that they have been told lies in order to control their behaviour. Of course they find themselves in deep trouble over all of this, yet through forming rule defying bonds of love and friendship, their collective strength allows them to prevail against higher powers out to punish and seperate them.
What I enjoy most about this novel, however, is not sexual, it's Sita Bethel's ability to write emotion so beautifully among what could so easily be something much lighter and much less engaging.
For example:
“The only truth I know is this— I want to see you every day, and I want to touch you.” He brushed his hand up Jackson’s cheek . “And when you die, I’ll sneak into to heaven and steal kisses from your mouth, and if God forbids it, He’ll have to destroy my soul because nothing short of oblivion will stop me.”
- which happens at approximately a third of the way into the book and really made me feel intensely.
If you enjoy this genre, I don't hesitate to recommend this novel - and this author's other work too - just be aware that there are scenes (or at least one) which could easily be distressing/triggering for those who have suffered sexual assault.
Thanks to Netgalley and Nine Star Press for a free digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
November 22, 2021
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I looked forward to receiving this one, mainly due to the 'asexual' tag - asexuality is rarely represented. Though asexuality is a fluid spectrum, I had not expected so many sex scenes - more so than mainstream books I have previously read.
The pacing in the initial chapter felt rushed - it gave off an uncomfortable and disjointed feeling which quickly dove into erotica territory. I thought I had been sent the wrong book to review until it became apparent that Jackson's character may be asexual and romantic.
Without spoiling the dialogue between Alel and Jackson, romantic ace-spec readers who know the feeling of meeting and getting along well with a potential romantic interest to later realise that the potential partner is allosexual, may be able to relate more strongly with this relationship. The mixed (ace & allo) relationship is tested and readers get a glimpse into how both sides compromise for each other. Though it can be argued that it is more skewed towards a sex-favourable readership.
It may be useful to include trigger warnings for rape and an act of fellatio in later chapters. Additionally, there are a few typos throughout which may pull some readers out of the story.
The respectful request of pronouns in chapter 10 was refreshing and I am glad that was kept in this edit.
This book may be more suitable for demisensual and/or demisexual readers. For someone who is sex-averse, it may be useful to note that this book reads like erotica for the most part.
I looked forward to receiving this one, mainly due to the 'asexual' tag - asexuality is rarely represented. Though asexuality is a fluid spectrum, I had not expected so many sex scenes - more so than mainstream books I have previously read.
The pacing in the initial chapter felt rushed - it gave off an uncomfortable and disjointed feeling which quickly dove into erotica territory. I thought I had been sent the wrong book to review until it became apparent that Jackson's character may be asexual and romantic.
Without spoiling the dialogue between Alel and Jackson, romantic ace-spec readers who know the feeling of meeting and getting along well with a potential romantic interest to later realise that the potential partner is allosexual, may be able to relate more strongly with this relationship. The mixed (ace & allo) relationship is tested and readers get a glimpse into how both sides compromise for each other. Though it can be argued that it is more skewed towards a sex-favourable readership.
It may be useful to include trigger warnings for rape and an act of fellatio in later chapters. Additionally, there are a few typos throughout which may pull some readers out of the story.
The respectful request of pronouns in chapter 10 was refreshing and I am glad that was kept in this edit.
This book may be more suitable for demisensual and/or demisexual readers. For someone who is sex-averse, it may be useful to note that this book reads like erotica for the most part.
February 3, 2019
Saved by Grace is an interesting, engaging, feel-good book, and definitely worth a read. It’s a sweet and sexy romance, of course, and the characters draw you in and have you cheering for them in no time flat. But what really makes it stand out is the way the characters develop over the course of the story. It not only explores the grey areas of sexuality (how exactly can a human on the grey-ace spectrum and an incubus make a relationship work, anyhow?), but also follows the characters as they question whether they’re limited to the lives that have been assigned to them, or if they can dare to make themselves into something new – and where those possibilities can ultimately lead.
May 23, 2019
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley
~
Saved by Grace, by Sita Bethel
★☆☆☆☆
207 Pages
POV: 3rd person
Content Warning: violence, attempted rape
DNF'd at 3%
Nope. Sorry. Not for me.
First off, the first two paragraphs put me off immediately. A long list of bullet-point descriptions, an info-dump of a description of Alel, the demon, and how he looked. Then the constant repetition that Alel was a liar. Got it, thanks.
Then, jump straight into a threesome with a virgin. Repetitions about how cliched demons were. A demon sort-of raping another demon.
All within the first 3%.
Nope. Thanks, but no thanks.
Copy received through Netgalley
~
Saved by Grace, by Sita Bethel
★☆☆☆☆
207 Pages
POV: 3rd person
Content Warning: violence, attempted rape
DNF'd at 3%
Nope. Sorry. Not for me.
First off, the first two paragraphs put me off immediately. A long list of bullet-point descriptions, an info-dump of a description of Alel, the demon, and how he looked. Then the constant repetition that Alel was a liar. Got it, thanks.
Then, jump straight into a threesome with a virgin. Repetitions about how cliched demons were. A demon sort-of raping another demon.
All within the first 3%.
Nope. Thanks, but no thanks.
featured
March 31, 2024https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...
Jackson from Saved by Grace is acespec!
Jackson from Saved by Grace is acespec!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews