Hell in a Handbasket

Angela's Coven by Bruce Jenvey

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review. 

Summary: Reggie Sinclair is an aging British rock star living in New York City who has just found out he is terminally ill. He also has a very dark secret: When he was still an undiscovered teenager, he sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for his great fame and success. As his life draws to an end, he prepares to face the inevitable until he stumbles upon a very enchanting, modern-day witch named Angela, and her untraditional coven.

Angela gradually introduces Reggie to her world of old school Witchcraft with its roots in alchemy and ‘natural chemistry’ dating to the Dark Ages. As their relationship grows, they devise a plan to break Reggie’s contract and save his soul.

This is a story of the struggle between good and evil with a cast of characters that ranges from guardian angels to young witches-in-training. Together, they have to come to terms with the uncertainties of love, loss, and life decisions to save Reggie from an unbearable eternity. Here is a plot filled with unexpected twists and surprises to the very last page that will also cast an entirely different light on anything you may have ever considered as faith!

Review: A humorous and tragic tale of selling your soul to the devil.

I liked Reggie Sinclair. He was funny and had a great sense of humor. Sometimes though, it did feel like he was trying too hard. I also get that people do really seem to like him. And then of course the beautiful witch falls for Reggie. It feels a bit too much like wish fulfillment. Love comes for Angela and Reggie and although I am happy they found each other, it happens much too fast. I do really like Reggie’s decision at the end of the book when it came to Angela. It was unexpected, but it was the right decision.

I know Reggie sold his soul to the devil and that is bad, but Hell, Satan, Ajax, and the hatred of Shakespeare are much funnier than they probably should be. I could almost think of Hell as a bumbling place even though people do die during this book in the course of their mission to break the contract. Reggie’s lineage adds some extra spice to the book. I didn’t like how immature the witches were. They aren’t children yet were acting no better than teenagers. A little more seriousness would have been good.

Rating:






Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those that enjoy humorous supernatural novels.