4 out of 5 Stars
Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours for inviting me on the tour!
Synopsis
Some people have school spirit.
Shelby Black has real ones.
Shelby Black has spent the past six months training to be an exorcist. Her great-uncle Roy―a Catholic priest―has put her through exorcist boot camp hell, hoping to develop her talent, but ohmygod, he still doesn’t trust her to do an exorcism on her own.
High school is hard enough without having to explain that you fight demons for a living, so Shelby keeps her extracurricular activity to herself. The last thing she wants is for her crush, Spencer, to find out what she does in her off time.
But Shelby knows how to keep a secret―even a big one. Like the fact that her mom left under mysterious circumstances and it’s all her fault. Shelby is hellbent on finding her mom, no matter what it costs her―even if what it ends up costing her is her soul AND a relationship with Spencer.
My Thoughts
This book was very “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”! How do you deal with the perils of high school, trying to start a relationship AND exorcising demons?? I couldn’t even imagine! I couldn’t even handle just going to class and dealing with boys!
I enjoyed the budding relationship between Shelby and Spencer, I thought that the awkward moments and dialogue between them were very authentic, I could almost feel the butterflies and electricity between the two, remembering those first moments of glances and “accidental” touches with old love’s myself!
“He doesn’t move his leg, not for the next forty minutes while we work through the practice questions. It’s distracting, for sure, but I try to pay attention. But, it’s hard because I hate geometry, and also, our legs are touching!”
My one complaint would be Shelby coming clean about being an exorcist. It was a little weird. The whole situation came out of nowhere, it’s not really addressed properly, and then Spencer just says,
“You’re a demon hunter?”
“”I, uh, I just need a minute to think.”
….Really? I won’t give too much away, it all kind of makes sense… but, this scene was just a little lack luster to me.
The relationship between Shelby and her Uncle Roy was adorable. He’s such a sweet man, no matter how hard he is on her with her training, and obviously she agrees with the amount of care she puts into looking after his health even when they aren’t getting along. I really want to know how old Uncle Roy really was though, because Shelby likes to make comments about him being around for centuries and such and I started thinking, is this just typical teenage exaggeration, or is there something to the exorcist life that I’m missing??
All in all a charming YA supernatural gem and I would definitely recommend it
Author Bio
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When Life Gives you Demons is Best Served with a Blue Devil Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 oz. Tequila
- dash of Blue Curacao
- ½ oz. Lemon juice
- dash of Rose’s Lime
Direction
- Add all ingredients except Blue Curacao to shaker filled with ice
- Shake ingredients until cold
- Pour in galls
- Add Blue Curacao, pouring into the middle
- CHEERS!!
Cheers!! I have never had tequila shots…
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Well, you’ll have to try some when we go to Mexico. 😉😂🍻
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Yayyyyy
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🤣🤣🤣🤣 the drink!!
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You like my lemon?? 😂😂 The best part is that I did this at about 6am this morning! 😂😂
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6:00 am??? Jeez! Lol. Talk about starting the day right. 😂
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Well, I had my book club meeting and didn’t get a chance so I had to wake up and do it before I put the review out this morning. THE THINGS I DO FOR YOU PEOPLE! 😉🤣🍻
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All for us…. commitment! Lol
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Damn straight! 👍😀🍻
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Suffer for your art dahling 😂
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So true! I’m suffering right now! 😂😂
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I wonder if the cover is based of that meme where they confused Lemons with Demons….
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Lol! Could be! 😂
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This sounds very entertaining! Great review! 🙂
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Thank you!! 👍🍻
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You got super creative with that drink, and it’s the cutest one I’ve ever seen! 😂 I love it! This book title reminds me of When Life Gives You Lululemons that I read recently! It was a totally different type of book! But your drink would have still fit it I think! 😂 Fantastic review, always so enjoyable.
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I got pretty creative with this one! Ha ha!! That cover is such an inspiration!! 💖💖😀
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My daughter was/is a Buffy fan and would probably enjoy this book. Thanks for the review and recommendation. The cover is clever but made me think it was non-fiction. That could be a challenge for the author. And that drink is just too adorable!
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I never even thought of people thinking it was non-fiction! Well, hopefully the author takes a look at my comments to see that! The cover (and the name) were definitely What drew me in! It’s definitely just a supernatural YA novel!
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I’m loving the Buffy vibes! The drink tho. Things I never thought I’d say: the lemon is adorable lmao
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Ha ha!! Isn’t it?? The things my sleep deprived brain comes up with! 😂😂 The book was a lot of fun, so I thought it deserved a fun drink! 😉
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Sounds like a fun read… was definitely getting the Buffy vibe from your review.
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It was fun! 😀💖
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See…I figured as much: I didn’t see a post from you appear in the reader today, so I decided I take a trip to your blog myself. Glad I did else I would have missed out on this post (really WordPress…please get your act together..ugh…)
Anyways: you do realise you are talking to an extreme Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan here right? And that even the mere mention of her in this post already was enough to convince me to go check this out right? Erm…right
Then of course there is that drink….LOL 😂😂😂😂😂
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Ha ha!! Yay, a two for!! 😂😂 I’m really doing a number on your reading list lately! #SorryNotSorry
And, yes WordPress!! Get your act together!! 😒
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Lol…you are not the only one. A post from Kim earlier today also did this. So I guess I kind of blame you both…in a totally good way of course 😂😂
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Ha ha! So, on your list we’re both “Naughty” AND “Nice!!…. I don’t know why I just likened you to Santa Clause…. 😂😂😂🎅
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Haha….I don’t know either….maybe this is the point where I should start being scared? 🤔🤔
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… It took this long?? Man…im losing my touch…😒😉😅
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Haha….naw…I just don’t scare easily (must be all those horrormovies that I watch 😂😂).
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Do I Take the Blue Devil shot before or after reading the book ?
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Hmmm… Good questions. Before would help you cleanse yourself of your demons before reading the book… But, after would mean that you still had the ABILITY to read the book! 😂😂🍻
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I enjoy books that have either a family or mentor relationships, I quite like the sound of her Uncle being her teacher. 😊👌 Lovely review, a cute YA sounds like a fun summer read.
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The relationship between her and her uncle was one of my favourite things in the story! I hope I get to read the next one when she finishes it!
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This sounds like such a fun read! 🙂 xx
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It really was!! ❤️❤️
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Aw this one sounds cute! I was a huge Buffy fan back in the day so it’s nice that this one might bring me back to my teenage days in more ways than one 🙂 Also, the cocktail looks yuuuummmmyy! (esp on this HOT Friday) 😀
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Try it out!! It was a really easy, fun read and would be GREAT with that cocktail on a hot day!! 💖💖🍻
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Fun cover and love the family dynamics! ♥️ I’m a big Buffy fan and love the idea of a heroine fighting demons!
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If you like Buffy, I feel like you’d enjoy this one! It’s got a bit of a younger feeling to it, but it was really cute and I lived the relationship between Shelby and her uncle!
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As I was reading the blurb, I was thinking “soooo, it’s like Buffy The Vampire Slayer?”, and that was the very first sentence of your review 😂😂😂 great minds!! I love the cover art, though, it’s so striking!!
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I LOVED the cover art! And VERY Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but, early Buffy. More of a high school vibe. It was good!
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