So damn sad. ( )

DNF this turned lucifer into a joke

Rating: 4.25/5

I never thought that one day I would say this, but I think that I'm having a serious case of "Sympathy For The Devil".

This book... Seriously, I have no idea how to write down my feelings about it. It tricked me so many times that I don't trust myself with my thoughts right now; the author did a fine job misleading me everytime I thought I knew which way the story was going, but then she would take an entirely different path, leaving me breathless and gasping until the very end.

And my GOD, what was that ending?! It should have been predictable, and yes I was rooting for him to have his way and for his plan to work, but he is the Devil, so why should he...

See? even now I'm confused..

It goes without saying that the story of Lucifer "Lou" and Gianna is one I'm not ready to forget anytime soon. ( )

What happens when Lucifer falls in love? Well, first you try to figure out why the hell he fell in love with this human.

Gianna could be very irritating. She was combative with Lucifer – or as she knows him, Louis – off the bat with really no provocation (that she knows of). He was rich and that was enough for her to be antagonistic toward him. At one point he even had to ask her, "What did I do to deserve that comment?" Yes, he's Lucifer, but she doesn't know that. She doesn't know much about him at first beyond him being rich and what his company does. Anything he did for her she'd get self-righteous and preachy.

She even responded to his declaration of love with a tantrum. His subsequent reaction was pretty bad, even though it was obvious he had no intention of following through, and yet I was still more annoyed with her. There is something really wrong when The Prince of Darkness irritates me less than his human girlfriend.

Lucifer (and his cohorts – Beelzebub, Mephistopheles, and Belial) was…what he is. A demon. The Devil. Author of All Evil. In short, they were gross. They reveled in murder, destruction and mayhem. Yawned at rape, and came up with a scheme to start a war that had me going

(of course, it was meant to be and the way they talked about it was uncomfortable). He could be rather inconsistent at times, kind of like a swinging pendulum. Yet, to my mind, Smith-Ready did a decent job of making Lucifer a somewhat relatable character on a human level (which is a good thing since the story is written in the first person from his point of view). Or maybe I felt that way because he seemed to be trying and Gianna was grating on my nerves. I'm not sure.

The biggest problem I had was with their love. Maybe, if this were any other romance novel, I would have believed in it. I think we got a little more show than the tell that seems to be the norm nowadays. But when you want me to believe that in something like six billion years and out of a gagillion women Lucifer has suddenly fallen head over heels, in soul-changing love, you better make me feel it. He sees her and there's something special, but I didn't get why. The sex they have is different but I didn't understand why it would be. They have conversations and are very abrasive with each other (mostly of her doing) and I just never understand how he's in love with her, or why she's in love with him. Why is he so ready to change his existence for her? Why does she attempt to push through all her fears for him? Make me understand!

There were some scenes that were pretty entertaining to read. Lucifer celebrating Christmas and meeting the family was definitely up there. The only other somewhat mentionable problem I had, and I fully admit that I may have been reading something into the story that wasn't there, but some the actions of the four main demons felt like a tacit insinuation that homosexuality is in some way wrong. I can't be sure if I was being over sensitive about it or not. There was a line later on that did make me think it may actually be an angel/demon thing and not a male/male thing. So that at least allowed me to feel better about it. Some people seem to have a problem with the amount of Theology in this book, but I'm not at all sure how that's a problem when one picks up a book about The Devil. I didn't think there was an inordinate amount in this story. It was pretty integral to where it was going. I don't know Angelology enough to know much of the liberties taken in this story, I'm sure there were plenty and that it will really grate on other people.

There are quite a few occurrences in the story that are pretty predictable. Things you see coming from the beginning and others that make themselves apparent later on. The ending manages to be predictable, somewhat clichéd, and unexpected at the same time. In my current, still-screwed-from-the-bar, emotional state I should have been a blubbery mess. But since I wasn't feeling their love like I should have been I kind of shrugged my shoulders and said, "Eh, it had to happen." I will say that the book seemed stronger in the end than it had previously. Even though there was no basis for it, I did buy into Lucifer's love for Gianna more through the end of the book. There is a happy ending of sorts, but I definitely know some people will not find it satisfying. I liked it because it mitigated what could have been completely clichéd and saccharine.

This was kind of a middle of the road book where I can't make a confident recommendation other than to read it for yourself. I can only say it was okay. The story was a good idea, but the execution was lacking. I think if the love story had been better, and the characters stronger, I would have really liked it. ( )

Set in Modern Day Washington D.C. Lucifer falls in love for the first time and must learn to deal with the transformative qualities of love.

Its really difficult to adequately explain this book. I mean, okay, the devil falls in love huh, but no really, it was an incredible book. A continuation of Milton’s Paradise Lost and yet the emotion is straight Dante.

At its core is a concept that I happen to believe. Love transforms. It stretches us. Makes us willing to do the other thing. Little loves are practice for the big loves. Big loves enable us to admit to the little loves. All love is a reflection of the primal love that binds the universe.

Hmmm…that probably won’t sell anyone will it. Well, the characters are incredibly well developed, believable, funny, poignant.

I mean okay, it reads like a joke, so Beelzebub, Mephistopheles, and Lucifer go into a bar…And then it happens. He hears her sing. Looses himself. Finds himself.

Lucifer is as he should be. The rebel questioning. In love with knowledge and the human mind. Has a problem with his relationship with God. Can’t even say dad’s name. Pretends it doesn’t bother him. Spends his time being evil because what else is there for him to do. He’s the devil.

Gianna, his beloved, is very cool, questioning Catholic, kind, generous, a punk rocker and a political advocate. He asks her where she wants to go, she chooses the Grand Canyon. Decks him when he crosses the line. Banters beautifully.

The author avoids stereotypes, tropes, and any particular religious line to deliver the kind of book you can read over and over again.
My housemate bought the e-version of the book and we ended up having to buy the hard copy. It is that good. ( )