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Promised to the Demons #1
Sympathy for the Demons
Stuck in a cabin with a demon, a villain, and the bat shifter I love? Nothing a little pastry can't smooth over...
I was a warlock’s familiar, but treated more like a maid than the magical assistant I was always meant to be. Now I’ve escaped him…and fallen right into the hands of two sexy new masters…
Lord Variel is a high demon who devours souls and binds them to serve him for all eternity. He’s nine hundred years old, eight feet tall, with serious muscles, horns, claws, a castle with a dungeon, and an attitude to match his reputation. But he’s also looking for a bride…and no one is good enough for him. He’s rejected every eligible demoness in the dark magical realms.
Bevan is my true love, a fellow familiar who helped me escape my master. We sealed our bond with an oath—I would be his magic apprentice for seven years—so that I could escape. I just never expected that he would accidentally have his soul devoured by Lord Variel after I made that promise. Now I’m bound to both of them. And I’m worried that Bevan himself is changing, slowly taking on some of Variel’s darkness…
What is a girl to do? I’m determined to free Bevan and myself from Lord Variel’s control…until I learn that an old witch showed Lord Variel a vision of his destined bride…and it's me.
SYMPATHY FOR THE DEMONS is a medium-burn paranormal romance when you just need to escape into sexy demons, delicious pastries and a sweet and determined heroine! By the way, you'll just have to keep reading to hear more about guy number three. ;)
I was a warlock’s familiar, but treated more like a maid than the magical assistant I was always meant to be. Now I’ve escaped him…and fallen right into the hands of two sexy new masters…
Lord Variel is a high demon who devours souls and binds them to serve him for all eternity. He’s nine hundred years old, eight feet tall, with serious muscles, horns, claws, a castle with a dungeon, and an attitude to match his reputation. But he’s also looking for a bride…and no one is good enough for him. He’s rejected every eligible demoness in the dark magical realms.
Bevan is my true love, a fellow familiar who helped me escape my master. We sealed our bond with an oath—I would be his magic apprentice for seven years—so that I could escape. I just never expected that he would accidentally have his soul devoured by Lord Variel after I made that promise. Now I’m bound to both of them. And I’m worried that Bevan himself is changing, slowly taking on some of Variel’s darkness…
What is a girl to do? I’m determined to free Bevan and myself from Lord Variel’s control…until I learn that an old witch showed Lord Variel a vision of his destined bride…and it's me.
SYMPATHY FOR THE DEMONS is a medium-burn paranormal romance when you just need to escape into sexy demons, delicious pastries and a sweet and determined heroine! By the way, you'll just have to keep reading to hear more about guy number three. ;)
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 27, 2020
232 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Lidiya Foxglove
61 books442 followersLidiya Foxglove grew up on a steady diet of fairy tales, folklore and fantasy and also reads way too much manga. Fantasy romance is her favorite thing in the world, but she likes it steamy. She also loves cats and tea--it's cliche for a reason!
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 2, 2020
Yikes.
This book is a continuation of another series by this author.
I picked up this book because the kernel of the idea about Jenny/Celeste and her recovery from being enslaved by a witch family sounds like a great read. Unfortunately, none of the other characters are likable in any way.
Bevan claims to “love” Jenny, so he enslaves her for 7 years in exchange for agreeing to teach her magic. What’s love without the total subjugation of one party to the will of another? Then Bevan is taken captive by the high demon, Lord Variel, so instead of freeing Jenny, Bevan demands that Jenny also be enslaved by Lord Variel and serve both men.
What is amusing is that Lord Variel knows that he is bad and struggles with being good, but Bevan thinks of himself as some kind of hero. What Bevan really wants is to steal Lord Variel’s power for himself, ostensibly so he can then enslave even more people than just Jenny.
This book is a continuation of another series by this author.
I picked up this book because the kernel of the idea about Jenny/Celeste and her recovery from being enslaved by a witch family sounds like a great read. Unfortunately, none of the other characters are likable in any way.
Bevan claims to “love” Jenny, so he enslaves her for 7 years in exchange for agreeing to teach her magic. What’s love without the total subjugation of one party to the will of another? Then Bevan is taken captive by the high demon, Lord Variel, so instead of freeing Jenny, Bevan demands that Jenny also be enslaved by Lord Variel and serve both men.
What is amusing is that Lord Variel knows that he is bad and struggles with being good, but Bevan thinks of himself as some kind of hero. What Bevan really wants is to steal Lord Variel’s power for himself, ostensibly so he can then enslave even more people than just Jenny.
November 29, 2020
I received a free copy of this book from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.
Sympathy for the Demons is the first book in a new series by this authors, it's set in the same world as some of her other series, but can be read as a standalone. I would advice to read at least the Paranormal House Flipper series first as I think the start might be a bit more difficult to follow without it. This was a fun start to this new series and I look forward to the next book.
Sympathy for the Demons is told from multiple points of view, we mostly get Jenny's point of view as well as two of her love interests Bevan and Lord Variel. In the Paranormal House Flippers series we already got some information about these characters and the plot for this series was set up. I had expected this one to start where the last Paranormal House Flippers book left off, but instead it started a while earlier and went over some of the events in that book again, but now from Jenny, Bevan and Lord Variel's point of views. This made the start a bit slow for me, but once that part was over it got a lot better.
Jenny/ Celeste was a great female main character. She has been treated horrible by her warlock, but instead of being jaded she's this bright and happy character. She sees the good in everyone and gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. She's a bit naive as she hasn't seen a lot of the world, but this fit her and I liked that she was aware of this too. I also liked reading about her passion for baking and cooking.
Bevan was great too and I liked seeing Jenny and Bevan's romance develop, they were such a sweet couple and I liked reading about them. Although I wasn't fully happy with the scene and what was behind it when they finally get physical together. Not their fault, but the fault of one of the other characters, which left a bit of a sour aftertaste. It was fun to see their romance develop and it was clear how much they care about one another.
My opinions about the other two guys are a bit mixed for now, but I think that will change in later books. Lord Variel is a demon who pretends to be evil, but he's a lot nicer than he likes to believe. Nevertheless he isn't a nice person by any means. He treats his servants badly, although I think he really does appreciate them too, he just doesn't show it. He's a bit grumpy and acts mean, it does feel like there is more behind it and I like how we get glimpses of it. It just wasn't enough for me to fully warm up to him yet, especially with something he does later in the book. I think we will see some big character development for him first before his relationship with Jenny goes somewhere.
I am not going to spoil who the third guy is as the blurb keeps that a secret too. I wasn't quite sure of him and we only see a bit more of him later in the book. As I haven't read the Witch Among Warlocks series and the Finishing School for Fairy Brides series I feel like I am missing some background information on his character. I might pick up those two series eventually. Either way he he has done some bad things and I feel like he will turn things around, but we aren't there yet. It will be interesting to see what happens to him next.
I am not sure yet how this will turn into a reverse harem, but I am interested to see how things develop in the next book. Bevan and Jenny's romance is mostly the focus of this one, but the start of Jenny's relationship with the other guys is set up as well.
I liked how we get to see more of the familiars in this book as well as spend some time in the magical realms. There author has written multiple series in this universe and I do feel like I am missing some background information on some things because I didn't read all of the series. Nevertheless they are written in a way that each series can be read without previous knowledge. There are certain parts of the worlds and world building that you only read about in other series and it feels like you get a more complete picture if you read the series in the order they are published.
To summarize: a solid start to this new series. I had fun reading this one. I really liked Jenny as a main character, with how sweet and happy she is and how she sees the best in people. I also liked her love for baking and cooking. Her relationship with Bevan was sweet and I liked them together. Bevan was a great guy, but I am not fully sure yet about the other two. The other two guys both feel like they have a lot more character development to go through before they're ready for romance and they've both done some bad things. It was fun to see a bit more of the familiars and spend time in the magical realms in this book. I do feel like I miss some knowledge by not having read all the other series set in this world, but you do get the most important information for this story. All in all a fun start to this new series and I look forward to book 2.
Sympathy for the Demons is the first book in a new series by this authors, it's set in the same world as some of her other series, but can be read as a standalone. I would advice to read at least the Paranormal House Flipper series first as I think the start might be a bit more difficult to follow without it. This was a fun start to this new series and I look forward to the next book.
Sympathy for the Demons is told from multiple points of view, we mostly get Jenny's point of view as well as two of her love interests Bevan and Lord Variel. In the Paranormal House Flippers series we already got some information about these characters and the plot for this series was set up. I had expected this one to start where the last Paranormal House Flippers book left off, but instead it started a while earlier and went over some of the events in that book again, but now from Jenny, Bevan and Lord Variel's point of views. This made the start a bit slow for me, but once that part was over it got a lot better.
Jenny/ Celeste was a great female main character. She has been treated horrible by her warlock, but instead of being jaded she's this bright and happy character. She sees the good in everyone and gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. She's a bit naive as she hasn't seen a lot of the world, but this fit her and I liked that she was aware of this too. I also liked reading about her passion for baking and cooking.
Bevan was great too and I liked seeing Jenny and Bevan's romance develop, they were such a sweet couple and I liked reading about them. Although I wasn't fully happy with the scene and what was behind it when they finally get physical together. Not their fault, but the fault of one of the other characters, which left a bit of a sour aftertaste. It was fun to see their romance develop and it was clear how much they care about one another.
My opinions about the other two guys are a bit mixed for now, but I think that will change in later books. Lord Variel is a demon who pretends to be evil, but he's a lot nicer than he likes to believe. Nevertheless he isn't a nice person by any means. He treats his servants badly, although I think he really does appreciate them too, he just doesn't show it. He's a bit grumpy and acts mean, it does feel like there is more behind it and I like how we get glimpses of it. It just wasn't enough for me to fully warm up to him yet, especially with something he does later in the book. I think we will see some big character development for him first before his relationship with Jenny goes somewhere.
I am not going to spoil who the third guy is as the blurb keeps that a secret too. I wasn't quite sure of him and we only see a bit more of him later in the book. As I haven't read the Witch Among Warlocks series and the Finishing School for Fairy Brides series I feel like I am missing some background information on his character. I might pick up those two series eventually. Either way he he has done some bad things and I feel like he will turn things around, but we aren't there yet. It will be interesting to see what happens to him next.
I am not sure yet how this will turn into a reverse harem, but I am interested to see how things develop in the next book. Bevan and Jenny's romance is mostly the focus of this one, but the start of Jenny's relationship with the other guys is set up as well.
I liked how we get to see more of the familiars in this book as well as spend some time in the magical realms. There author has written multiple series in this universe and I do feel like I am missing some background information on some things because I didn't read all of the series. Nevertheless they are written in a way that each series can be read without previous knowledge. There are certain parts of the worlds and world building that you only read about in other series and it feels like you get a more complete picture if you read the series in the order they are published.
To summarize: a solid start to this new series. I had fun reading this one. I really liked Jenny as a main character, with how sweet and happy she is and how she sees the best in people. I also liked her love for baking and cooking. Her relationship with Bevan was sweet and I liked them together. Bevan was a great guy, but I am not fully sure yet about the other two. The other two guys both feel like they have a lot more character development to go through before they're ready for romance and they've both done some bad things. It was fun to see a bit more of the familiars and spend time in the magical realms in this book. I do feel like I miss some knowledge by not having read all the other series set in this world, but you do get the most important information for this story. All in all a fun start to this new series and I look forward to book 2.
May 14, 2021
Love
Yup. Per usually I am loving this series. It is really fun to have a whole new story line set in the same world with fun cameos from the main characters of the other books.
Yup. Per usually I am loving this series. It is really fun to have a whole new story line set in the same world with fun cameos from the main characters of the other books.
December 8, 2020
Continues in the world of Paranormal House Flippers, but is it's own story.
This book was so much fun. We start with meeting Lord Variel the Devourer (if you didn't meet him in PHF), but in the, errrr, comfort of his own castle, and we see quite a different side to his life. He and his servants keep me laughing between his inner dialogue and just let's say, it's hard to get good help in Sinistral.
I also like that the author doesn't stick to the common witch's familiars. Jenny is a toad in her familiar form. Not where most author's start with their sweet and desirable main female characters. It's used to great affect both in sweetness and in humor. Jenny biggest, secret dream is of a loving man of her own, but she knows that as a familiar
and from the life that she has lived, that romantic love is not an option for her.
Our third main character, Bevan, is also a familiar, and he's lived a completely different life than Jenny and so many of their kind. Because his witch opened up the barrier between realms (in the series mentioned at the top of this review), he now finds himself overrun with familiars wanting to escape their warlock or witch, so when we meet him, his hands are quite full.
Ms Foxglove has many series set in the same world and I have loved them all. This first book of the Promised to the Demons does not disappoint. The world building is great with twists all it's own. There is humor, depth, romance, and more. I highly recommend not only this book but the other series from this author as well.
This book was so much fun. We start with meeting Lord Variel the Devourer (if you didn't meet him in PHF), but in the, errrr, comfort of his own castle, and we see quite a different side to his life. He and his servants keep me laughing between his inner dialogue and just let's say, it's hard to get good help in Sinistral.
I also like that the author doesn't stick to the common witch's familiars. Jenny is a toad in her familiar form. Not where most author's start with their sweet and desirable main female characters. It's used to great affect both in sweetness and in humor. Jenny biggest, secret dream is of a loving man of her own, but she knows that as a familiar
and from the life that she has lived, that romantic love is not an option for her.
Our third main character, Bevan, is also a familiar, and he's lived a completely different life than Jenny and so many of their kind. Because his witch opened up the barrier between realms (in the series mentioned at the top of this review), he now finds himself overrun with familiars wanting to escape their warlock or witch, so when we meet him, his hands are quite full.
Ms Foxglove has many series set in the same world and I have loved them all. This first book of the Promised to the Demons does not disappoint. The world building is great with twists all it's own. There is humor, depth, romance, and more. I highly recommend not only this book but the other series from this author as well.
November 28, 2020
☄️☄️ONE FUN-FILLED JOURNEY☄️☄️
Screaming skiddles scooby! Lidiya whipped this hot little number right on out, busting a move with all the pizzazz, exuberance and humor, serving up one fun-filled thrilling rollercoaster, grabbing you from the first sentence until the very last word, catapulting this gem to a whole new level. A churning vortex of separate struggles and challenging triumphs, baring the fruitful facts, dubious deals and electrifying escapades, blasting this baby into the eye of the storm, slamming it into a tailspin with astonishing results, melding this gem together seamlessly. Anarchy and serendipity descend in a flurry of callous decisions and clever strategy, broken perimeters, blurred lines and scattered barriers solidify as the limitations are explored and expanded, exposing the mischievous quirks and defying bents, blasting this little hotshot to life perfectly. The characters are authentic, complex and realistic with depth and qualities that add diversity, transforming into amazing personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and descriptions creating a colorful backdrop that makes the storyline pop. Remarkable job Lidiya, thanks for sharing this awesome little gem with us.
Screaming skiddles scooby! Lidiya whipped this hot little number right on out, busting a move with all the pizzazz, exuberance and humor, serving up one fun-filled thrilling rollercoaster, grabbing you from the first sentence until the very last word, catapulting this gem to a whole new level. A churning vortex of separate struggles and challenging triumphs, baring the fruitful facts, dubious deals and electrifying escapades, blasting this baby into the eye of the storm, slamming it into a tailspin with astonishing results, melding this gem together seamlessly. Anarchy and serendipity descend in a flurry of callous decisions and clever strategy, broken perimeters, blurred lines and scattered barriers solidify as the limitations are explored and expanded, exposing the mischievous quirks and defying bents, blasting this little hotshot to life perfectly. The characters are authentic, complex and realistic with depth and qualities that add diversity, transforming into amazing personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and descriptions creating a colorful backdrop that makes the storyline pop. Remarkable job Lidiya, thanks for sharing this awesome little gem with us.
November 30, 2020
The lines of good and evil blur
A great continuation to the Paranormal House Flippers series and the world At large that Lidiya Foxglove has created. We pick up right where we left off in the last book with Bevan’s soul being eaten by Variel the Devourer. He’s in love with Jenny and extremely worried about her being forced back to her warlock.
Everything about this story was perfection. Jenny, the purest soul I’ve ever come across seems to have a soft spot for the bad boys in her new life. She sees the good in everyone, even them. I see so much growth and potential in this series. And also a surprise that I did NOT see coming. But I love the layers it’s creating in the characters.
Can’t wait to see how sweet Jenny changes her loves for the better because I know it’s coming.
I RECEIVED AN ARC COPY OF THIS BOOK
A great continuation to the Paranormal House Flippers series and the world At large that Lidiya Foxglove has created. We pick up right where we left off in the last book with Bevan’s soul being eaten by Variel the Devourer. He’s in love with Jenny and extremely worried about her being forced back to her warlock.
Everything about this story was perfection. Jenny, the purest soul I’ve ever come across seems to have a soft spot for the bad boys in her new life. She sees the good in everyone, even them. I see so much growth and potential in this series. And also a surprise that I did NOT see coming. But I love the layers it’s creating in the characters.
Can’t wait to see how sweet Jenny changes her loves for the better because I know it’s coming.
I RECEIVED AN ARC COPY OF THIS BOOK
November 29, 2020
Another great read!
I love getting to come back to this wonderful world for another series. And this one focuses on the familiars! Woohoo! Jenny is just absolutely the perfect fmc for the situation and men she’s been paired with. I’ve giggled so much throughout this book and can’t wait to read the next one. I especially love how characters we’ve come to hate over the past books are getting a second chance. No, you don’t need to have read the previous series to read this one, but it does help to understand the entire situation and better understand some of the characters.
I love getting to come back to this wonderful world for another series. And this one focuses on the familiars! Woohoo! Jenny is just absolutely the perfect fmc for the situation and men she’s been paired with. I’ve giggled so much throughout this book and can’t wait to read the next one. I especially love how characters we’ve come to hate over the past books are getting a second chance. No, you don’t need to have read the previous series to read this one, but it does help to understand the entire situation and better understand some of the characters.
December 2, 2020
DNF - quit at 15%
I know this is a spin off from another series that I enjoyed, but I just didn’t get pulled into this story. I didn’t really get interested in Jenny -in the part I read. I do feel a new reader needs to read the origin series hat this sun off of, as the world building is in that series (Paranormal House Flippers).
At my age (approaching 60), life is way too short & my time is too important to force myself to read a book I'm not enjoying, especially when there are so many other books out there waiting to be read.
I know this is a spin off from another series that I enjoyed, but I just didn’t get pulled into this story. I didn’t really get interested in Jenny -in the part I read. I do feel a new reader needs to read the origin series hat this sun off of, as the world building is in that series (Paranormal House Flippers).
At my age (approaching 60), life is way too short & my time is too important to force myself to read a book I'm not enjoying, especially when there are so many other books out there waiting to be read.
February 5, 2022
Book 1
I downloaded this one because of the previous series where we had a witch who flipped houses and her familiar, got a goal of his own, and this is his story together with "Jenny" another familiar who broke free of their bond with their witches because they deserved more or wanted more.
We see 2 people fall in love and struggle to maintain their freedom when Lord Variel comes looking around the corner.
It's written in a fun and easy way which makes this book a perfect break from dark reads for instance or if you just need some cute read.
I downloaded this one because of the previous series where we had a witch who flipped houses and her familiar, got a goal of his own, and this is his story together with "Jenny" another familiar who broke free of their bond with their witches because they deserved more or wanted more.
We see 2 people fall in love and struggle to maintain their freedom when Lord Variel comes looking around the corner.
It's written in a fun and easy way which makes this book a perfect break from dark reads for instance or if you just need some cute read.
December 31, 2020
I was so excited to get my hands on Bevin's story after reading Helena's. We pick up from his point of view during the epic showdown at the end of Helena's tale. It is a nice change to see what he was thinking during all of this as well as allowing us to meet Jenny. There is also Lord Variel who cannot be forgotten since he is the demon in this tale. Add is a couple more twists and it makes for a great story set in the world we love only from the other side. Leads all the way to the cliff hanger ending that leaves you wanting so much more. A fantastic start to a new romance as well as a great continuation of the world we love. I totally loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.
July 3, 2021
I really loved the premise of this book, but I can't stand it. Its the same problem I have with all of Lidiya's books. She works so hard to make the heroine seem so bad. Lidiya always writes her stories where every single male character whose supposed to like the main girl says that she's nothing special or boring at one point in the book. One of the men in this book literally told the FMC that he thought he'd like more ethereal woman, but he actually liked her.
November 28, 2020
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
November 29, 2020
I enjoyed this storyline and the characters were interesting. I liked how innocent and naïve our little toad familiar is and the struggles that the demon goes through. I look forward to finding out what happens for them next. The world building is incredible and detailed, the magic is light and easy, it made this an easy and compelling read.
December 2, 2020
Sweet Fun Fantasy Romance
Ms Foxglove continues the magical world building of demons, witches and more. The focus on familiars, animal shape shifters. The plot furthers the Magical Houses Flippers series, so it would be good to have read it. The writing is hysterical and fascinating. Looking forward to the next installment.
Ms Foxglove continues the magical world building of demons, witches and more. The focus on familiars, animal shape shifters. The plot furthers the Magical Houses Flippers series, so it would be good to have read it. The writing is hysterical and fascinating. Looking forward to the next installment.
February 10, 2021
One of my favorite worlds
I have read all of the books from this world and I love them. Technically they can be read as stand alone series but they are so much better as a whole. Such a fun and interesting take on good/neutral/evil as well as angels/fae/demons. I can not wait for the next book in this series.
I have read all of the books from this world and I love them. Technically they can be read as stand alone series but they are so much better as a whole. Such a fun and interesting take on good/neutral/evil as well as angels/fae/demons. I can not wait for the next book in this series.
November 30, 2020
Sympathy for the Demons
I wasn't sure I would like this spin off series about the familiars. By the end of the book, I loved how Bevan grew into his own. I look forward to reading what happens next.
I wasn't sure I would like this spin off series about the familiars. By the end of the book, I loved how Bevan grew into his own. I look forward to reading what happens next.
December 4, 2020
Ends in as cliffhanger
This books has a different storyline than others in the same genre, which is refreshing. I can't decide which way I feel on it. I think it has a lot of potential, but will leave my verdict of the series til book 2.
This books has a different storyline than others in the same genre, which is refreshing. I can't decide which way I feel on it. I think it has a lot of potential, but will leave my verdict of the series til book 2.
January 15, 2021
I liked the start of Bevan and Jenny/Celeste's story. I was wondering how the connection to Lord Variel was going to play out and so far it's pleasantly entertaining. I can't wait to see the trouble the group gets up to in Faery.
November 28, 2020
Good character, plenty of action, and plot twists all work together to create a fun to read book.
January 5, 2021
Sooo Good!
Such a good continuation of this universe! Another epic series in it! I can't wait to read book 2! A slow burn,sweet and funny romance!
Such a good continuation of this universe! Another epic series in it! I can't wait to read book 2! A slow burn,sweet and funny romance!
March 27, 2021
Weird Start
This book was hard for me to get into even though I read the series leading to this one. It got better the more I read.
This book was hard for me to get into even though I read the series leading to this one. It got better the more I read.
March 27, 2021
3.5 rounded up. I thought the book was good, but not great. I liked the main characters but felt as though relationships moved really fast. There was more telling than showing.
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