The Road to Hell (Hell on Earth, Book 2) (Paperback)

by Jackie Kessler (Author)
Key Phrases: third sphere, flesh puppet, soul bond, Jackie Kessler, Jesse Harris, King of Hell (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Kessler's sizzling sequel to paranormal debut Hell's Belles puts ex-succubus Jezebel— the now-mortal Jesse Harris, a dancer at a strip club—stage center again. For a month after waking up in a hospital, the former 4,000-year-old, fifth-level succubus who used to seduce humans to claim their souls has been living a happy mortal life in New York with a devoted boyfriend, New York vice cop Paul Hamilton. So when Alecto, a Fury from hell, arrives and demands she return to hell to help Alecto's sister, Megaera (Jessie's former best friend who betrayed her), Jesse balks. Much of the rest of the book is spent convincing her to change her mind, with each sexy escapade topping the last, until (among other things) the demons go after Paul, and Jesse has to pull an Orpheus. Kessler's raunchy blend of heaven, hell and eros makes for a wild thrill ride, and hot, tough-talking Jesse has gumption and sass. (Nov.)
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Product Description
In Jackie Kessler's debut novel Hell's Belles, she introduced readers to Jesse Harris, a succubus-turned-human with a tart tongue, a way with a g-string, and a soft spot for sexy undercover cop Paul Hamilton. Now Jesse's back, and where she goes, Hell is sure to follow...

There's Nothing Worse Than A Demon With A Grudge

Jesse may no longer be a soul-stealing succubus, but she's got a Hell of a past. She'd love to come clean to her sweet, super-hot boyfriend Paul, but how exactly does a girl start that conversation? There's no name tag that reads: "I Used to Have Sex with Men before Taking Their Souls to the Lake of Fire--Ask Me How!" Just like some people are worth being monogamous for (shudder), some secrets are worth keeping. Like the fact that bad boy incubus Daunuan keeps popping up from the Underworld to put some toe-curling moves on her; that her former associates are trying to strong-arm her back into the fold; and that every supernatural entity on the planet seems to want to have a conversation with her in the bathroom. But someone in the Underworld isn't ready to play nice (go figure), and this time, the stakes are nothing less than Paul's immortal soul.

If Hell wants Jesse back so badly, they've got her. But payback's a bitch, and this bitch is about to rock Hell like a hurricane--or lose her soul trying...

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (November 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821781030
• ISBN-13: 978-0821781036
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #154,844 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 2 in The Hell on Earth Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seductive and Comical First-Person Narrative, November 10, 2007

By	Mel Odom (Moore, OK USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

THE ROAD TO HELL is newbie author Jackie Kessler's second foray into the paranormal romance field that's just burgeoning with vampires, werewolves, witches, and other supernatural things. Kessler has played a trump card that's going to be hard to beat. Her heroine, known in the mortal world - translation, our world, as Jesse Harris was actually a demon named Jezebel. From Hell. Yep, Hell - with a capital H. For four thousand years.

The story of how she became human - well, mostly - is told in the first novel, HELL'S BELLES. This one just came out and people should know it's out there. I've read both books. Couldn't help myself. The devil - or, at least, Jesse - made me do it.

In the mortal world, Jesse's main squeeze is vice detective Paul Hamilton, who has no clue about Jesse's otherworldly origins. To him, she's the most wonderful woman he's ever known. Except for that little faux pas she has of being a stripper at a gentlemen's club. And trust me, the gentlemen at that club don't exactly act gentlemanly, as the opening pages of the novel reveal.

And Jesse hasn't forgotten she was once a succubus of seduction. She enjoys sex in all forms. Stripping just kind of takes the edge off of no longer being a practicing demon. Or maybe it builds her appetite for when Paul comes home. After reading the books, I think it's probably a mixture of both.

What I can tell you with all certainty is that Kessler has created a spunky, foul-mouthed, straight-shooting, character that still maintains an endearing innocence even after four thousand years of sin. Jesse/Jezebel is a hoot. I should be ashamed for enjoying her ribald adventures so thoroughly. Probably I am. But Jesse (and Kessler) is a supreme provocateur and seductress. I claim being bespelled as my defense.

Kessler's prose and pacing are engrossing. Readers aren't going to be able to pick her books up and read casually. They're going to be hooked by the cleverness, whipped into a frenzy by the blatant eroticism and honesty, and left in a lather when the last page of a book is turned.

She reads like an old hand. She admits on her website to enjoying comic books and writing fan fiction. Still, you can sharpen your craft there, but Kessler writes like she's been through the finishing school for fiction writers.

Perhaps some of the characters don't come across on the page as strongly as they might, but there's no need. With Kessler holding the reins and the novel bolting like a thoroughbred with its tail on fire, you're simply not going to have time to give them that kind of consideration. They work. They have problems, goals, dreams, and desires (most of them sinful or sexual, of course).

And Jesse/Jezebel is a honest and appealing (in oh-so-many ways), that anyone who is even modestly intrigued by this kind of fiction is going to be swept away and dropkicked into a functionally realized world that makes its own macabre sense. The mythology, the way she redeemed demons - mostly, was intriguing. The background isn't why someone probably picks paranormal romance up, but those writers that pay attention to it really stand out in the field. Kessler is fast becoming one of those.

Though she hasn't given up all her demonic thoughts, Jesse strives to live life as a mortal woman because she loves Paul. The problem is that she escaped Hell (her job classification had been changed from Seductress to Betrayer and that didn't suit her nature at all). And now Hell has come looking for her.

Jesse's best friends try to bait her into returning to Hell. First through guilt (after all, her one-time best friend Meg - one of the Greek Erinyes, also called the Furies) has gone missing. And anything strong enough to make a Fury disappear has got to be considerable. These attempts are hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud several times. Don't do this in public, because trying to explain the erotically-laden plot, quips, puns, and jokes isn't meant for the public transport or water cooler crowd. Unless you're in an especially permissive public transport or water cooler crowd.

Then Dauuan, her one-time casual lover for thousands of years who knew best what she really wanted and craved, tries to seduce her into losing her newly-won soul. That, at times, had me in tears as I laughed at both of them dancing around their changed relationship.

Jesse decides that things in Hell must have truly gone to Hell with all of these things going wrong. But she avoids guilt, sympathy, and clever traps with aplomb.

Then, when nothing else has worked, Meg's sister Fury seduces Paul and strips his soul from him. She takes it to Hell. And Jesse now has no choice but to go there to rescue him.

The book, as long as it is, will be one of the quickest reads you've ever had. The events basically take place in one day, but it's a day that progresses at breakneck speed and with twists and turns and loops that a prize-winning rollercoaster would envy.

Read one of Kessler's books and she'll seduce you into her private fandom.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Delightfully Entertaining, October 31, 2007

By	loonigrrl (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

I'll admit that I almost didn't buy Jackie Kessler's second book in her Hell on Earth series. I really enjoyed the first one, Hell's Belles, but it had been a while since I read it and my interest had waned a bit. I'm just glad I gave this one a try because The Road to Hell is definitely as good as the first.

In fact, it may be even better. Reading about Jezebel, or Jesse, was like reading about an old friend. After only one book I already felt a sense of kinship and familiarity with her character- from her quirky, bawdy sense of humor to her witty dialogue and courage (and occasionally, her complete lack thereof)- that it really surprised me. The more I learned about Jesse, and the demons and other creatures from Hell, the more I wanted to read. I was truly disappointed when I finished the last page, it was just that entertaining.

In the Road to Hell, Jesse's troubles only seem to get worse. She no longer has a price on her head, but that doesn't seem to matter to the frighteningly powerful Fury who wants her help, the seductive incubus who wants her in his bed, and the vindictive Queen who wants her dead. Jesse also continues to struggle with adjusting to her new soul, her new human life and her relationship with her boyfriend, Paul. Did she make the right choice? Does Paul really love her? Should she go back to hell? Was it all worth it?

The Road to Hell kept me guessing and turning each page as fast as I could. Ms. Kessler's second novel is just as fun and delightfully entertaining as the first, and I definitely recommend it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than the first, November 8, 2007

By	M. Benno "likes2bake" (Northern NJ, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Kessler's latest entry in the paranormal romance field is distinctive and insightful. Her exploration of the hierarchy of Hell is interesting and gripping. The message that there is no "black" or "white" -- just shades of gray -- is not as simple as it sounds. And when Angels are taking over Succubi duties, and Duanuan is back to his old tricks, count me in. I enjoyed this book from first page to last -- it's not a typical paranormal romance. Delving into the concepts of good vs. evil, angel vs. demon, and Archangel vs. Fury, Kessler's writing is interesting and thought-provoking without being preachy or cloying. Oh yeah, and lots of great, sexy scenes. Count me in for book 3, "Hotter than Hell," in April 2008!