Hell’s Belles has one of the most interesting and descriptive takes on Hell I’ve ever read. Considering our heroine is a former demon, that’s appropriate, but it was somewhat difficult to relate with her particular outlook.

Jezebel, yes, the one and only Jezebel, has loved her succubus life. She has sex with “deserving” men before taking their souls to Hell. The more Lust her souls have in them, the more they can be counted toward the Lust Department, rather than some other department of Hell. Quotas are rough, and the competition between the different departments is fierce.

However, a change has come for Hell which changes Jezebel’s job completely. She does the unthinkable and runs from Hell to a witch who can make her human so she can hide from the hounds of Hell which are sure to follow her to drag her back and make an example out of her.

Jessie isn’t exactly kind to the witch who helps her. She copies her face and credit cards, but ultimately leaves her unharmed. Alone and somewhat unfamiliar with how humans do things like eating, finding a place to live and a job, she meets a compelling man on the subway. Paul Hamilton almost seems to recognize her, but not for any reason that would make sense to him. He was her first and last case for her new job in Hell, and she feels terrible as a result. He gives her his phone number and tells her to call him anytime.

Luck seems to be with “Jesse,” as her first stop happens to be a strip club, the perfect job for a former succubus. It’s not the greatest hiding place from demons looking for the former succubus, however. Jesse is in trouble with a capital “T,” and she doesn’t know what to do. Especially since she wants to develop something with Paul – she’s not exactly sure about relationships, but she knows she wants his body in bed.

Jesse was a difficult heroine to like, because, well, she spends at least 70% of the time thinking about sex, and clearly as a demon her agenda is completely different than any normal human. She is immature emotionally and spends a lot of time in internal monologue with herself. It’s humorous at times because she doesn’t want to be a “good” person, but can’t seem to help herself.

Her relationship with Paul seemed the most forced aspect of the book. The book is told from first person point of view, so the reader knows zilch about him. He’s seen entirely through Jesse’s eyes, which makes it extremely difficult to work up any enthusiasm for him as a hero. I spent most of time wondering if he was some kind of pervert since he spends most of his time at the strip club.

I also had problems with the sequence of chapters in the story. A current event is told, and then in the next chapter an historical event in Jesse’s life is relayed. It made the flow very choppy and confusing at times. This book is not for those who like sweet and romantic language either. Jesse’s graphic thoughts and gutter language permeate the story. This wasn’t a problem for me, but just a caution for those who don’t enjoy that sort of thing.

Strangely, the most enjoyable part turned out to be the ultimate explanation of Hell and the roles everyone plays. I found this author’s ideas fascinating, and liked her world building in that department. The ultimate resolution for Jesse and Paul was entertaining also, which helped. There is another book in the works in this series, and I can’t say whether I’ll want to revisit Jess. Fantasy romance fans – as well as those who like their romance on the burning side – might want to give this a try, but with a $15.00 price tag, don’t say I didn’t warn you!