Jaysea Lynn

They told her to go to Hell.
She’ll go on her own terms.

Lily is less than thrilled about her arrival to the Afterlife, but what awaits her is more fantastical than she ever could have imagined. Deities wait in line at the coffee shop. Fae flit between realms. Souls find ways to make death a beginning.
As Lily explores everything the Afterlife has to offer, she finds herself drawn to a place most people would rather avoid at all costs: Hell.
What she discovers there subverts everything she’s ever learned, and Lily realizes the demons working at the gate to guide souls need help—badly. Armed with years of customer service experience and pent-up sarcasm, Lily carves out a place for herself among the demons, confronting, sassing, and aiding the spectrum of humanity to redefine justice and redemption.
A chance meeting with Bel, a demon general with a distractingly sexy voice, sparks an immediate and deeply healing friendship. However, the undeniable heat between them simmers, and it’s only a matter of time before it combusts.
Meanwhile, something stirs beyond the boundaries of their world, threatening to destroy everything they’ve ever known and everything that could be… unless they fight like Hell to stop it.

For Whom the Belle Tolls

I stumbled across this book by accident. I vaguely remembered seeing some of Jaysea’s TikTok’s, but was not a follower. This book was recommended on someone’s monthly wrap-up, and I am so grateful because this was amazing. 

As someone who grew up in a Baptist Christian (read: Fire and Brimstone) community, and spent most of their childhood having existential dread panic attacks in the top bunk of a bunk-bed because God was going to punish them for messing up (read: for being a child), this was a wholly cathartic experience. 

I loved the commentary on predatory religious practices and their ingrained misogyny. I loved the found family and the riotous humor. I loved the idea that there’s peace to be found for all of us after death, no matter what we believe. 

As long as we’re good. As long as we try. Which, of course, is all that anyone can do. 

Highly, highly recommend this book and anything else Jaysea sees fit to bless us with in the future.

Catherine

The Perfect Balm for Religious Trauma

I stumbled across this book by accident. I vaguely remembered seeing some of Jaysea’s TikTok’s, but was not a follower. This book was recommended on someone’s monthly wrap-up, and I am so grateful because this was amazing. 

As someone who grew up in a Baptist Christian (read: Fire and Brimstone) community, and spent most of their childhood having existential dread panic attacks in the top bunk of a bunk-bed because God was going to punish them for messing up (read: for being a child), this was a wholly cathartic experience. 

I loved the commentary on predatory religious practices and their ingrained misogyny. I loved the found family and the riotous humor. I loved the idea that there’s peace to be found for all of us after death, no matter what we believe. 

As long as we’re good. As long as we try. Which, of course, is all that anyone can do. 

Highly, highly recommend this book and anything else Jaysea sees fit to bless us with in the future.




I was pretty disappointed ngl. There was literally no reason this needed to be a fantasy story. It was primarily about the main character “finding herself” and “choosing happiness”. I liked the authors style of writing but this story had very few exciting things happen for being over 600 pages. It was very quaint with basically no fighting or politics of any kind. Not my cup of tea.

Anna

I followed the TikTok series Hells Belles religiously and not an episode aired that didn't hit me in the feels.  I raged, laughed, cried and healed watching Lily, Bel and the gang's escapades through Hell.  Now we get to see the beginning - How did Lily and Bel meet?

The background story of how Lily ends up in the afterlife and subsequently ends up running the Hellp Desk is sad and hilarious at the same time.  The instant bond she has with the demons in Hell, the vindication she feels being able to speak to the hellp desk patrons exactly the way they deserve to be treated is intensely satisfying.  Lily has this tough, no nonsense façade with the customers but she is such an empathetic character, she feels deeply, loves intensely and is loyal to a fault.

So many intense and deeply rooted topics are dealt with, often with a dose of dark humour but always with tender care.  The found family vibes are strong from the beginning and learning more about the blueprint of Hell actually made it come to life so much more.  

I really enjoyed the way all the major religions/belief systems are represented and none are safe from some pointed questions and gentle barbs.  The characters and world are inclusive and welcoming.  I loved the way that the character's orientations are never made to feel like a "thing".  They are who they are, they love who they love. End of.  Our two MC's are both essentially Bi/Pan and neither are made to feel less than because they have a past (Bel is waaaaay older than Lily, so it would be expected that he'd have a laundry list of partners!)

Lily is certainly not like other girls but she's not making herself out to be the star, she just literally carved out a life in the afterlife and she's not trying to get famous/gain power or belittle anyone.  She just wants to be seen/heard/loved.  For all there is spice in the book, it's not overdone and there are actually sections of the book where the characters are separated for "reasons" and it's clear that time doesn't exactly mirror Earth, so it's hard to tell how quickly/slowly things are happening.

There are some great secondary characters like Lev (think Sheldon from BBT), gate demons, Persephone, Lucifer, et al and they all worked and engaged well with the story. 

I'm on tenterhooks awaiting book 2 which is Penny and Greg's story!

Nicola Sarah Brooks

I followed the TikTok series Hells Belles religiously and not an episode aired that didn't hit me in the feels.  I raged, laughed, cried and healed watching Lily, Bel and the gang's escapades through Hell.  Now we get to see the beginning - How did Lily and Bel meet?

The background story of how Lily ends up in the afterlife and subsequently ends up running the Hellp Desk is sad and hilarious at the same time.  The instant bond she has with the demons in Hell, the vindication she feels being able to speak to the hellp desk patrons exactly the way they deserve to be treated is intensely satisfying.  Lily has this tough, no nonsense façade with the customers but she is such an empathetic character, she feels deeply, loves intensely and is loyal to a fault.

So many intense and deeply rooted topics are dealt with, often with a dose of dark humour but always with tender care.  The found family vibes are strong from the beginning and learning more about the blueprint of Hell actually made it come to life so much more.  

I really enjoyed the way all the major religions/belief systems are represented and none are safe from some pointed questions and gentle barbs.  The characters and world are inclusive and welcoming.  I loved the way that the character's orientations are never made to feel like a "thing".  They are who they are, they love who they love. End of.  Our two MC's are both essentially Bi/Pan and neither are made to feel less than because they have a past (Bel is waaaaay older than Lily, so it would be expected that he'd have a laundry list of partners!)

Lily is certainly not like other girls but she's not making herself out to be the star, she just literally carved out a life in the afterlife and she's not trying to get famous/gain power or belittle anyone.  She just wants to be seen/heard/loved.  For all there is spice in the book, it's not overdone and there are actually sections of the book where the characters are separated for "reasons" and it's clear that time doesn't exactly mirror Earth, so it's hard to tell how quickly/slowly things are happening.

There are some great secondary characters like Lev (think Sheldon from BBT), gate demons, Persephone, Lucifer, et al and they all worked and engaged well with the story. 

I'm on tenterhooks awaiting book 2 which is Penny and Greg's story!

Loved seeing the origin of Hell’s Belles but it was a pretty sappy love story overall.

For Whom the Belle Tolls

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