Serendipity

Damnation MC #1

by Grace McGinty

From Purgatory To Damnation.

Some one-night stands are bad, and some are just epic moments of fail. Two pump chumps, three-inch champions, guys who still live in the basement of their Mom's house; these are bad. Having sex with a slumming Archangel and ending up in Purgatory? Way, way worse.

After being rescued from Purgatory by an unlikely ally, Serendipity thought she could go back to living out her immortal years in relative obscurity. But then her stomach begins to swell, and she has to face the fact that she'd become impossibly pregnant. For the first time in her long life, she felt real fear.

Smuggled into the protection of Damnation MC, an Outlaw Motorcycle Club with more than a few secrets of their own and members that make her distracted, feeling shit she has no time or right to feel.
Judas, dark and mysterious, the President of the MC has no time for Sera or her problems.
Cain, his tattooed exterior hiding a damaged heart.
Solomon, a ladies man with a beautiful face and a blood-soaked past.
Goliath, crazed and brutal, who hates women and seemed to hate Serendipity in particular.

Now Sera has to decide if she can trust them, or if the only person she could can trust to save her child is herself.

SERENDIPITY is a spin-off of the Hell's Redemption Trilogy but can be read stand-alone. This is Book 1 in the Damnation MC Duology. SERENDIPITY is a Reverse Harem romance, contains M/M scenes, some scenes that may make readers uncomfortable, enough profanity to make a nun blush and ends on a cliffhanger.

Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, M M Romance, Why Choose, Paranormal Romance, Angels

248 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 14, 2020

About the author

When I was nine, my grandmother and her friends used to read and swap Harlequin Mills and Boons novels. When I was busted reading one, they started sneaking me boxes full of strong heroines and rugged men. Thus started a long love affair with the romance genre.
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Then I discovered urban fantasy, and fell in love with broody Alphas and sexy paranormals, and combining them together was a no brainer.
​
Then I discovered Reverse Harem.... Oh my. Why choose, am I right?

Reviews

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
This RH was EVERYTHING I needed. Angels, MC's, Horsemen.
This book has been on my TBR for a while and I'm glad that I finally had the chance to read it. Cain was hands down my favourite character out of all of them.
That last chapter had me in shock. Can't wait to read the next book.

[Jai M {Cat Crazy Dragon } · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable, standard, not enough to make it stand out.

Can be read as a stand-alone, but better if read after the other’s, has interconnecting characters appear, but more importantly, it has continuing details from previous books.

Not good, not bad.
Too many standard tropes, but not as bad as so many others.
It was all very predictable and followed the stereotypical script.
Little to no humour.

At one point the FMC acknowledged some of the stereotypes and tried to claim that this was reality, and while it brought to mind a RH story, was more complicated and didn’t fit the expected formula…only it did 😕

There were some interesting bits, enough for me to be able to finish, and it was written well enough I didn’t feel the need to do much skimming.
But still, I wont ever be reading it again, and despite the fact it ended on an abrupt cliffhanger that felt more like a ‘part 1’ ender, rather than a book ender, I doubt I will continue.

Though it’s possible I may change my mind and eventually check it out 🤷‍♀️

[✧ FLINN ✧ (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not wowed by this, pretty sure that it's not my cup of tea.

Hell I'm not a MC type of girl but I'll give it a go

[Soph]

It’s me not you . I won’t leave star review because I didn’t finish it. I just wasn’t in the mood for this book. I. I will
Probably pick it up later.

Read if you like

⚜️RH
⚜️four horseman genre
⚜️M/M themes
⚜️pregnant MC
⚜️fantasy
⚜️MC club / biker
⚜️linked to other series in a “multi series in same world thing “
⚜️tough on the outside but total softies on the inside harem
⚜️super duper protective alpha harem
⚜️fated mates
⚜️tortured MC background / only dream/ nightmare references to the trauma that I could see
⚜️angelic references

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

OH MY GOSH!! That cliffhanger left me with my mouth open and saying “what the hell”! I need the second book like now!!

[Noemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy moly. I just finished the book, and I'm having a book hangover. That cliffhanger... I need the next book ASAP.

Sera is a Nephlim who got pregnant after a one-night stand with an archangel. The asshole dumped her in purgatory for five years. After escaping, a friend leads her to a MC where she meets 4 hot guys who are still recovering from a loss, and who might not be as humans as she originally thought. She slowly helps them heal and look forward to a happy future, but it is hard for all of them to leave the past behind. Especially when angels and archangels are knocking at the MC door to destroy or save Sera's unborn child. When in the mix you also add a sexy killer who has the hots for Sera, and two adorable kids who can make people smile, you are in for a wild ride.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Give this Book a 3.5-4/5 Star Rating, Listing as 4.

This is Book 1 in the Damnation MC Duology.
This is a part of the Hell’s Redemption Series Universe.
Serendipity is a spin-off but apparently it can be read as a stand-alone.
But I beg to differ, I haven’t read the Hell’s Redemption Trilogy yet, but reading this Highly Recommended book first, I was definitely confused the first half of the book in regards to Sera.
But the reader isn’t given much detail on a lot of things throughout.
The author kinda blatantly disregards the fact that a new reader would have no forkin clue on what is going on nor what the universe is like.
It’s apparent that you’re supposed to go in already knowing what’s going on.
So can this truly be read as a Standalone? Not to me no, if anything I would assume the 3rd book of the Hell’s Redemption Series needs to be read first at least before starting this.

Other than that, I’m intrigued by this book enough to be quite interested in the next book, as well as in the MC’s itself (I already have a character in mind that needs his own book 😆).
I will start reading Providence (Book 2) after I finish this review.

Cliffhanger(?): Yes.

Relationship Type: Not quite sure if it’s MMFMM or MMFMMM?
M/M(?): Very Little, it’s there, but feels more like it was a tad bit forced. 1.5-2/5
Heat: 3-3.5/5
Pacing: The pacing is okay, but at some points it’s a bit confusing to be honest.
Drama: 3.5/5
Suspense: 3/5

[Heather Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

good

While reading the redeemable series isn’t required for this - it is strongly recommended. I mean, STRONGLY. It can stand alone, but you’ll be missing a ton of backstory, as well as what actually led up to this point.

Aside, this is a good story that flows fairly well. Brutal cliffhanger.

PNR RH, MMFMMM, first person, multiple POV.

[Sam&Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book!
It’s a spin off from the Hells Redemption series so definitely read that first. The main character, Serendipity is rescued in one of the Redemption books and this one picks up immediately after her rescue. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this entire series! Everything about it was amazing from the quirky immortal characters to the plot line (also continued from Redemption series) to the super hot steamy scenes.
My only warning is be prepared with book #2 (Providence) in hand because unlike the Hells Redemption series where each book is a different character, Serendipity ends in a JAW DROPPING WTF CLIFFHANGER!!! So if you are like me & think your going to sleep once you finish book 1, THINK AGAIN!! I had to read several chapters of Providence before I could breathe enough to take a break.
As much as I HATE cliffhangers, this one was pretty good and resolves pretty quickly in book2, so luckily I had it on hand & ready to go!
This is a great 2-book series focused on Serendipity and her harem of Horsemen & Killers.

[Gemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book 5 star read

This book was amazing MC meets Supernatural beings 💜 my favourite. Serendipity is a Woman who is on the run from a powerful being who has knocked her up. She is Placed in the care of the Damnation MC a motorcycle gang where 4 of its top members are the 4 horsemen at the Apocalypse. But these 4 horsemen are broken and in need of a little bit of excitement in in their lives so when Sera gets put into their care she brings a lot of craziness and a little bit of love to them all. I loved this book because of it's Muscle, Growley men and Sera who is lighthearted but also a bit of a bad-ass heroine when she's not crying and making the men around her crazy with baby hormones and getting arrested in baby boutiques. Can't wait for more.

[Hope Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book right here had you crying, sweating, laughing and absolutely in love with the characters! You don't HAVE to have read the hells redemption series but I do highly recommend it. But this book had you loving each character for their own reasons and even had you loving the side characters because it was so beautifully written. This book is on my top 10 list of all time.
Strong female lead 🖒
Bada** motorcycle club 🖒
Men with dark pasts 🖒
Funny pregnancy moments 🖒
Sexy men with tattoos and their own individual personalities 🖒
Angels?!?!?!?! 🖒
Please please read! It won't disappoint.

[Nicole Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a first by this author for me and I absolutely loved it. I have had a hard time trying to find a good paranormal MC book!!! This one was absolutely Amazing

This book is about Serendipity(Sera) She was saved and brought to a member of the Damnation MC for protection. She is very pregnant and needs to be in hiding!! I won’t go into to much detail because I don’t want to spoil it!! BUT READ THIS BOOK ITS AMAZING!!!

I need book 2 like YESTERDAY!! I can’t wait to continue this story

[Tashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

🔥🔥🔥

Absolutely adored this book and the guys omg hot !! Loved dippy as well very well written and look forward to next book

[Eye in Bookland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesante y adictiva, con buenos personajes. ¡Y ese final! Definitivamente lo tienen que leer cuando tengan el segundo a la mano.

[Alberta]

After 65%, I cannot do it anymore. Everything is drawn out from the plot to the internal dialogues.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wasn’t expecting this

I was pleasantly surprised when I began to read this. Loved it from beginning to the f**king cliffhanger but it was definitely worth it. Can’t wait for book 2.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord give me strength!!!! My heart could not handle this book😍😍. I cried 3 times while reading this....that's how good it is.

Sera is a kickass woman who has a heart of gold and reading her story just makes me feel warm and loved. Seeing how far she has come since I first met her is one of the best things about her story.

The Men..... you think you have them figured out one minute, the next your head is spinning trying to keep up with them. The pain and love you feel reading this is so strong, I cried over these men the most. Loved that I was continually on my toes and wondering how they would suprise me next.

Side note: you don't have to read Hell's Redemption or The Fallen beforehand, but I personally would recommend you do. Especially to see where Sera first started and how far she has come.

5/5 for keeping me at the edge of my seat, making my heart hurt in the best way and making me giggle till my partner told me shush😍😂

[Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is 3.5 stars for me rounded up. An enjoyable read that left me just a little bit to be desired.

I’ve been working my way through this author’s backlog since reading her Dark River series and then seeing how a bunch of them come together in Eden Academy. I will say I liked this duet more so than Hell’s Redemption.

The characters were great, and I liked how the story started out with the prologue and Luc coming in. Even after finishing the two books though, I still wonder what his intentions were with picking these guys. Is there something that they’re leading up towards?

I really liked Serendipity! She was a cool character. Though I do feel like I am missing something from her backstory. I still haven’t read Hope’s book, I feel like there might be something there? Cain and Solomon were my two favorites. I really felt for Sol especially when he tells us his story of Laura. It feels like he felt second best to Judas with her, even though they all did end up together. The way he told the story, it would’ve made more sense for her to end up with only one of them.

Which brings me to the one part I really didn’t like, Laura and their backstory. I know 30 or so years have passed since her and Max’s death, but the grief in Judas and Goliath especially was still there. It hurt my heart for Sera because idk, it felt like even when they slowly started to accept their feelings (not Goliath), she was always second to the memory of their first great love. This is totally a me thing, I just wanted Sera to be their one and only great love ever lol. Even after I finished book 2, I still felt like Goliath hadn’t totally come around and given Sera all his love.

The addition of Marco was great, and I love Sammie and Cara, I just wanted a bit more backstory on his relationship with Sera. I felt like I was missing something from their past.

Also, I loved seeing Luc and Ace again. Loved seeing the other Fallen as well, and Eli! I liked the setting of the MC, that was well done. And Trigger, GOD i can’t wait for his story!!

[Lexie Winston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of Grace Mcginty and she hasn’t let me down. This story featured a couple of familiar faces from past stories but brief glimpse. Instead this was a new bunch of characters for us to fall in love with. Hard as rock MC males and a tired beaten down MFC who worked her way into their hearts. With smoking hot scenes, some funny, and some super sweet the story has a wide variety of depth and I can not wait to see what more is to come of it.

[Aislinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serendipity is one of McGinty’s earlier books, so keep an open mind as you work through this duet. It tells the story of the Four Horsemen (Cain, Goliath, Solomon, and Judas) and their relationship with Serendipity, a half human, half angel being. Serendipity is a pretty slow book overall, and relies heavily on the previous series (Hell’s Redemption) as it introduces characters and sets up the world. You could read this without reading the previous series but I would advise against it. As it is, I read Hell’s Redemption 5 months ago and struggled with remembering who-was-who and the world that McGinty had previously built. With that being said, it’s my fault for not reading the other series before starting this one (like, right before starting this one) and I happen to love the intertwined nature of McGinty’s writing, so I don’t hold it against her. I will say, however, that I think the world could have been fleshed out a little more in this book. It was hard for me to fully feel present in the story when I struggled so much with the surrounding world, and I think if there was more time spent explaining where we were and who-was-who, that I would’ve enjoyed the story more.

As far as the characters go, I really liked the Brotherhood and their growing relationship with Sera. Sera understands that the men have a history with another woman, and not a pretty one at that, and I really admired that she gave them space and time to work through things. This was especially prevalent with Goliath, who starts off completely against women and ends up slowly (emphasis on slow) coming around to Sera. All in all, each of the Horsemen come to care very deeply for Sera and I’m looking forward to seeing them grow.

Towards the latter half of the book is when we’re introduced to the fifth, and last, member of the harem: Marco. What I like about Marco is that he is human. Not only that, but he is also mute. McGinty frequently creates characters with disabilities and it is one of the things I really enjoy about her as an author. The diversity with characters is refreshing and Marco is not an exception! In addition to communicating via ASL, Marco poses a challenge to the harem as being the only mortal in the mix, but I think that it makes the relationship all the more real. I also love that he brought two kids into the mix, because we get to see all of the men come to love the children like their own. The Four Horsemen might be damned souls, but they love fiercely and are extremely loyal to these children, which I loved reading about.

Overall not a bad read. I’m excited to see the story progress and learn more about the world of angels and demons in the sequel!

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited to get into this spin off series that follows Serendipity after her stent in Purgatory and while it was a pleasant read, I have to admit it dragged in spots and wasn't as steamy as I have come to expect out of a Grace McGinty book.

General gist with spoilers: Serendipity has been placed in the protection of Cain and the Damnation MC after Hope helps save her from Purgatory...where she was being held after being impregnated by Uriel, an Archangel. However this book starts out with the guys' story of losing the loves of their lives, their wife and young child, due to a rival MC gang, so needless to say they aren't excited to be playing host to a beautiful pregnant woman for fear of the past replaying. The book basically follows their journey in each one discovering their love for her, and is a medium-burn story. There is a pretty awesome scene between Cain, Solomon, and Serendipity at one point, and a humorous but steamy motorcycle incident, but otherwise the rest of the book is a lot of 'downtown' stuff for the most part making it feel very much like a slow-burn. Marco and the kids, as well as Eli, Hope, and a few of the angels, reappear in this story, which pulled at my heartstrings. And the story ends on a pretty big cliffhanger.

--Rating - 3 stars - not as intense as a typical Grace book, but a nice read nonetheless
--Steam - 3 stars - subpar for Grace McGinty, but enough to keep the story spicy
--Storyline - 3 stars - interesting, but slow ... SO SLOW
--Plot Twists - 4 stars - that last one really gets ya
--Emotional Pull - 2 stars - there's no tears here, but moments will make your heart swell
--Writing - 4 stars - writing itself was comfortable to read
--Denouement - N/A
--Cliffhanger? - YES
--HEA? - TBD

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars--this review is for the duet because I read them quickly, back to back.

I didn't like this series as much as others from this author, but it was still an interesting premise. It definitely isn't a standalone if you don't want to be confused; it's a good idea to read at least the last of the Hell's Redemption books so you get the introduction to Serendipity. I think it was a mistake not to write that into this story since it's so important to the storyline of this book.

I always like reading stories with characters from hell, fallen angels, horsemen, etc so I'm glad to have gotten another series to try out. I liked Sera, even though she was somewhat of an enigma of a character. She has lived so long, but is nothing like what most immortals are portrayed as in terms of wealth, being bored, etc. I had a hard time connecting with her honestly; I felt like her personality was never quite pinned down. I liked the addition of the baby simply because I don't read a lot of romance novels with pregnancy. Marco's kids stole the show once they arrived, especially Cara.

Overall, I really like this author so I'm glad I gave it a shot, but it's not my favorite of her works.

[*-The Pink Dahlia -* · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story has an interesting plot.

A pregnant woman desperately needing refuge is brought to a motorcycle gang clubhouse, in the hope that they will offer her protection.
Serendipity is beautiful, but broken. Vulnerable and in need of help.

And the men she has come to ask for assistance? Well, they’re not really men at all.

There’s virtually zero steam in this first book.

I had not read any other books or spin offs before this, and I felt like I was dropped in the deep end a little with no context on a few occasions.
There’s clearly other books in another series somewhere because there are inside jokes and references that were not explained and made no sense.
So that was a bit irritating.

It also felt like I was supposed to know the relationship that certain characters had towards each other, which I did not.

So - to recap. The story is unique, but not well executed in terms of the writing, as far as I’m concerned. It should have been made clear that reading previous series was advised to have context.

Yes, you get the gist, but like I say, it felt like watching the sequel of a movie - you know you’re missing something prior to this.

[Carol Rupprecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I've read by Grace, and I'm in love with her writing! I haven't read very many MC books, especially ones with paranormal characters. The blend between paranormal and MC in this was amazing and the backstory made it believable. All of the characters in this book have experienced so much in their lives, and it was interesting to see how each handled their situation differently. Grace did a phenomenal job of making her characters seem real and relatable despite their paranormal attributes. Even the four horsemen are susceptible to heartbreak and being vulnerable. Love, loss, death, abuse, and PTSD are centered topics in this book reinforcing the realness of the characters. These topics are ones that everyone is aware of even if they have not experienced them before. The pregnancy is a nice little twist that you'd think would cause more complications than anything between Serendipity  and the guys, but it just makes them care for her even more. Sit back, relax, and watch as one pregnant nephilim and the four horsemen connect and heal each other's hearts.

[Siona · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay okay okayyyyy
Serendipity was something else! I liked Cain and Solomon, and Goliath and Judas eventually ;)
i felt some typa way about Serendipity...i liked her in some instances but other times i found her lackinggg majorly.
*spoilers*

especially learning that she’s been alive for soooo long...she just did not seem like she’d had AT ALL. Like you would expect a person that has lived a while to be strong / wise? And most times she was the opposite...Idk
I wanted to connect to her more but just didn’t really..

And with the supernatural aspect...I feel like it was also a bit wanting? Like the angel names were just thrown around and we (the readers) were just expected to know the background.. I felt like i was missing something but this is the first in the series so ??


This had a lot of potential and for the most part, was enjoyable. I got stuck on the second book though...I’m halfway through it but have lost interest unfortunately :(
I do want to see how it all ends so hopefully I’ll come back to it eventually.

[Silverlining2k6 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this!

I feel like the author sat down and really thought about what characteristics would make five MMCs perfect for the FMC (and vice-versa) and then reverse engineered the result into Serephina and the Damnations (tell me that wouldn't make an amazing band name).

The Horsemen have spent the decades since they became immortal merely existing - using nameless sex, or violence, or even rescuing strays as the only way of feeling something. Refusing to get close to anyone, to avoid a repeat of what happened with Laura and their son. Sera has existed for thousands of years, also avoiding connections, because she's outlived anyone she's ever cared about. In each other, they can love again without fearing loss.

I don't even know which of the MMCs is my favorite. Cain, the gentle giant with a need to save the defenseless? Soloman, the flirtatious charmer with great hair? Goliath, the one who claims to hate women and have no heart, yet is always the first to stand between Sera and danger. I just really like all of these guys.

[Mr D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly Brilliant!

The book starts with the funeral of a woman called Laura and baby, she was in a poly relationship with the Prez and three of the club’s officers. As the men stand over the grave raw in their grief a stranger approaches them offering them the opportunity for revenge. Naturally the offer has strings attached.

One day one of the four men brings a woman to the MC, although she’s undoubtedly beautiful she’s also pregnant and running for her life. Sera (Serendipity) is a painful reminder of what they lost but she needs help.

This is an MC RH Romance with a supernatural twist. It’s very well written, but that normal for this author and it flows smoothly. The characters are all well rounded too. I genuinely didn’t want to stop and put it down. So if you enjoy your urban fantasy with some bad boy bikers and a supernatural approach then I’d be surprised if you didn’t love this duet. A 6 star kind of story.

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had so much potential, but half way through I just couldn't continue anymore.
Everything the reader needed to know about the main characters was info dumped in the first couple of chapters and it's not unusual, but it just takes out all the mystery, all the intrigue in figuring out what they are, what their pasts looked like. It tells the reader what kind of person they are, what they're supposed to feel about them. Maybe it works with people, but it just doesn't work with me. Like, when a big thing happened, and I won't say what it is, I know it was supposed to be tense and terrifying and uncertain of how it was going to go, but I already knew what they were, already knew what they could withstand, so it was just boring.
That coupled with some minor things that didn't make sense writing wise, I just can't be bothered to finish this.

[beth m · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dippy?

You could’ve come up with a better nickname than dippy. Maybe Ren, Seren, Ser, crap I’ll even take Itty. This book was a great idea and it was nice to see other characters from previous stories. With that said, this book needs better editors. It’s as if the author forgot who’s view it was speaking from. One scenario the guy said he’d mentally punched himself in the vagina... 🧐🧐🧐.

Serendipity the FMC wasn’t exactly my favorite she’s thousands of years old and there isn’t really much to her. No cool magic or anything. Even then, she doesn’t have a cool/interesting backstory and it sounds like she loses some of her memories from back in the day... pepper in the fact she comes to the guys as a victim of abuse mentally and physically and the first thing she wants to do when she sees the guys is climb them like a tree. At least build up a little to it. Idk.

[Daisy Sauceda · Rating 5 out of 5]

**This book does talk about abuse in all ways and a bit dark so if you have triggers beware. **

This was the first book I have read by Grace McGinty and I loved it. This book is slightly different than some other mc books at their. This one starts out with you knowing that the main guys love one lady. Then the unthinkable happens and their lives change forever. Due to this they vow to help any woman in need. They never get close until Serendipity shows up. The guys fight this feeling at first but slowly things change. There are moments when things are iffy. However, you do get their points of view and why they are fighting. Then they realize that they are willing to fight for her. She has the power to break them and not even realize it. There are some really hot moments throughout this book. There are also some heartbreaking too, so be prepared to go through a several emotions when reading.