Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond #bookreview #paranormal #romance #fantasy #newadult
Title: Not Your Average Hot Guy
Author: Gwenda Bond
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Publication Date: October 5, 2021
Page Count: 320
My rating: 3 stars
About the book:
A paranormal romantic comedy at the (possible) end of the world.
From New York Times bestselling author Gwenda Bond, Not Your Average Hot Guy is a hilarious romantic comedy about two people falling in love, while the fate of the world rests on their shoulders.
All Callie wanted was a quiet weekend with her best friend. She promised her mom she could handle running her family’s escape room business while her mom is out of town. Instead a Satanic cult shows up, claiming that the prop spell book in one of the rooms is the real deal, and they need it to summon the right hand of the devil. Naturally they take Callie and her friend, Mag, along with them. But when the summoning reveals a handsome demon in a leather jacket named Luke who offers to help Callie stop the cult from destroying the world, her night goes from weird to completely strange.
As the group tries to stay one step ahead of the cult, Callie finds herself drawn to the annoying (and annoyingly handsome) Luke. But what Callie doesn’t know is that Luke is none other than Luke Morningstar, Prince of Hell and son of the Devil himself. Callie never had time for love, and with the apocalypse coming closer, is there room for romance when all hell’s about to break loose?
Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond is the first book in the new paranormal romantic comedy series by the same title. The story in this one is told by changing the point of view between the two lead characters, Callie and Luke. It also will a series that continues in the next book with the same two characters so they would be best to start with this book and continue in order.
Callie is a recent college graduate who found that her degree wasn’t really worth a whole lot and has found herself working in her family’s escape room business instead of in her own career. Callie’s mother is leaving town for a few days and has left Callie in charge while she’s gone and Callie assures her she will be fine but of course her brother could be called if needed. Almost as soon as Callie’s mother is gone a strange group comes in to play Callie’s own creation, the hardest room they have to try to solve.
As Callie watches through the monitors though the group easily escapes and does so with an old grimoire Callie had found at an estate sale and used as a prop in the room. As Callie tries to stop them she finds the group are no ordinary players but a satanic cult trying to summon a demon. The next thing Callie knows she and Mag, her longtime friend and co-worker, are taken hostage. Before Callie knows it she and Mag are witnessing a demon appearing and she finds he’s actually rather cute. When the cult threaten the safety of the world by going after an ancient weapon Callie finds she has to trust in the demon, Luke, in order to save the world.
Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond isn’t a bad read at all but the first thing I would warn readers of with this one is it felt as if the characters were very young. The story is sort of a cheesy one, I suppose for the comedy side, but I didn’t mind that as much as having to continue to remind myself Callie was past college age making this new adult territory but I’ve read stories with a more mature feel in the young adult category. Even if this ended up only three stars from me though I would probably pick up the next to see where the story goes.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
Find this book online:
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10 Comments on “Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond #bookreview #paranormal #romance #fantasy #newadult”
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I love cheese, Carrie, but not in my books. Very fair review. ❤📚
I’m glad you liked it enough to give the next one in the series a try. I am not into paranormal that much, so this is definitely not for me. Cults, demon worshippers not my thing. Nice, honest review Carrie.
Thanks Carla!! I can understand that but I like rooting for the good side to win and of course these days a little fantasy is also good to forget the bad going on in our own world.
Haha Thanks Sandy! I don’t mind a little cheese in my books sometimes, good for some chuckles and I can always use more of those.😉
This one sounds cute and fun! I bet it’s a good one to listen to on audio.
Very nice review Carrie, I’ve also read this and had similar thoughts. It was ok, but you pointed out that it was a bit immature, and I think that’s what bothered me about the book too.
Thanks Wendy! If this one had been young adult and the protagonist a teen I probably would have scored it better but instead constantly thinking she’s in her mid twenties??
It was cute, I just kept thinking it was YA instead of adult though. Not sure if it’s on audio yet or not but it probably would be fun with the right narrators.
I can see that. I’ve noticed that’s how a lot of romcoms can be when they go more towards the cutesy route.
I was thinking that was probably what was happening with that feeling while reading.