Reviews

Tween gets 5 Hearts from The Romance Studio

Astra is a butt kicking, demon destroying little thing, part angel, part devil or ‘tweener.’ With her partner Emo and others she fights the evil in the world. The many kings of hell are battling for supremacy both on earth and in the underworld. One of them, Prince Dialle, seems intent on possessing Astra’s body, something she doesn’t fight very hard!

Sam Cheever gives us a character in Astra Q. Phelps whose courage in the face of evil makes me hope this series continues for a long time. Whether she’s facing the devil’s highest prince, gargoyles or some of the creatures who are described as being as ugly as the evil within them, she finds shreds of humor. She also finds inhuman strength, usually with the help of her non-angelic side.

The world Ms. Cheever paints is a mix of now and the far distant future with speeding hover cars that drive on voice commands and household features we can only wish we had. Her descriptions of the players, the gunk and gore that are an expected result of battles with nasty inhuman creatures is excellent and gives us a sometimes all too vivid picture of the battles and the resultant mess. So many of the characters, I hope, will be regulars in this series. DD Raoul of the Strange Death unit in their world’s police department and Myra, Astra’s caffeine-addicted guardian angel are part of a great supporting cast. I adore this kind of fantasy. Ms. Cheever writes with class, humor and lots of fun while weaving an excellent story.

Tween gets 5 Enchantments from Enchanting Reviews

Astra. Q Phelps is a Tweener, which means she’s part of the two sides – angel and demon. Her job however means she gets rid of demons on a daily basis. Life is ho-hum, until the day she’s attacked by an entity she’s never encountered before. Next, she’s summoned by a devil prince, who is, pun intended, devilishly gorgeous and sexy. He wants her on the devil’s side when a battle that is brewing will explode. But that’s not the end of it. The Good side, along with the big Him, want Astra to help them too. Astra is caught in between. Who will she help? Or will she simply be an emissary between the camps?

And what to make of her powers which suddenly flare up? The devil prince wants her in his bed. Astra wants to be in his bed too, but at what cost? And what to make of the prophecy that may in fact imply that he is her fated love? Who will win in this struggle? Good or the devil camp? And who will Astra help? Will she be able to resist her prince? Or will she succumb to his brand of passion?

Prepare to awaken the devil in you. Otherwise, I have no explanation for how you can plug into the dark side of a desperate housewife, making her forget chores and relegate her family on the back burner, all for the sake of finishing this little jewel which is ‘TWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL. I read this story in one single day; unfortunately, I couldn’t make it in one single sitting as I wanted, since real life butted in.

This is what this book will do to you. Your Good side will lose, and you’ll fall maddeningly in the arms of Dialle, the devil prince, at the time as Astra. You’ll be sucked into their world, you’ll be rooting for them, you’ll hold your breath, scream, rave, cry too...laugh at puns, cry at injustice, melt at magic and love...

Rarely has a story captivated me as much as this one has. Ms.Cheever worked magic, there is no other way of stating it. Her magic is potent, realistic yet far-fetched, credible yet unbelievable; her characters lovable and you also want to kick their butt once or twice too! I don’t suppose I’ll come across another one as maddeningly addictive as this one! Hats off, Ms. Cheever! I gave this book an enthusiastic 5 Enchantments (and more if I could give it)!

Tween gets 4 Angels from Fallen Angel Reviews!

Sam Cheever has demonstrated that she has a very inventive imagination. In ‘Tween Heaven and Hell she has created a world where devils and demons freely walk the earth so angels have also come to earth to try to maintain a balance between good and evil. I really love the characters Ms. Cheever has created. Astra is a strong willed, foul mouthed, independent, quick thinking, master smarty pants and she isn’t going to get pushed around by the angels or the devils. Her main counter part is Prince Dialle who seems to have many of the more civilized traits Astra is lacking. He is polite but firm, gorgeous as only the most evil devils are, and his kisses seer Astra right down to her toes. This book is a must read if you love the paranormal tales with smart-alecky characters who careen from one problem to another. I suggest you don’t start reading this book unless you have some uninterrupted reading time, you will not want to stop once you start this story.

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Romance Reviews Today

Sam Cheever has written an action packed futuristic tale with angels and demons who are both trying to take over the world. Set in 2090, the future looks bleak for the Earth, but with a cool chick like Astra, I knew things would turn out all right in the end. Astra is stubborn, strong and won’t be killed without putting up a fight. This poor Tweener goes through so much that all I wanted to do was give her a big hug. She is in between worlds and doesn’t know which way is up most of the time. Dialle, who is a definite love interest for Astra, is a very sneaky devil! He is Astra’s equal in every way, but he is also selfish and at times only looks out for himself. But their relationship is open ended so I would be interested to see where they go if Cheever’s finished sequel, ‘TWEEN A DEVIL AND A HARD PLACE, is published.

‘TWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL also has some other intriguing characters such as Emo, Astra’s funny sidekick who has secrets of his own; Myra, an angel who looks out for Astra; and the ultimate villain, Nerul, who is very delusional and power hungry. I was pleasantly surprised by this imaginative story and how the creatures of Heaven and Hell seem as if they are in control but they can’t even keep peace between themselves. ‘TWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL is one story that is devilishly good!

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TwoLipsReviews Gives Tween a Hearty 4.5 Kisses!

"Astra Q. Phelps is half angel and half devil, or a Tweener, in the not too distant future of Earth. She and her partner Emo destroy devils. Astra is preparing to meet a new client when she is summoned to a Devil Court by Prince Dialle, one of the Royal Devils. Dialle and his followers need Astra to become a go between for them and the court of another devil named Nerul who believes that Dialle has kidnapped his son Nille. The angels want Astra to serve as a spy for them to keep an eye on the devils and Astra has no idea what is really going on. All she knows is that she has powers emerging that she never knew about and has no idea how to control, Dialle has designs on her body and her friends have secrets that come back to haunt her. And everyone seems to be in on some big secret but won’t let her in on it.

'Tween Heaven and Hell has to be one of the fastest paced and funny stories I have ever read. Sam Cheever has a wonderful talent that shines in this tale! The story starts at a run and never slows down through scene after thrilling scene. Told in first person, Astra has a smart mouth and speaks her mind, even when she shouldn’t. She is a spunky woman who has to work fast to keep up with the changes that are thrown at her from all sides. Dialle is a mysterious man who is not always clear on what side he is on. I found myself laughing even as I held my breath waiting to see where I would be led next. This is a marvelous story that I heartily recommend."

Review from EM Sky, of www.mindunbound.com

Sam Cheever's 'Tween Heaven and Hell is a wild and fun read, easily spanning the entire speculative fiction gamut, from science fiction to fantasy to a little light horror, with plenty of good laughs and some sex thrown in to boot. Think of it as an amusement park ride through the realms of darkness.

It has always been my unassailable policy not to spoil any plot lines, and I certainly won't let you down now. But Ms. Cheever's book makes it a bit of a challenge. For a romance novel, it has some especially twisted and intricate action.

In fact, you'll have to wait a bit between the steamy sections due to the enormous amount of intrigue and mystery built into the plot. That same intrigue prevents me from saying too much about the hero--the royal devil, Prince Dialle--except that he's a deliciously lusty fellow and almost too sexy for words.

As for Astra Q Phelps, our bold and lively heroine, she's the big sister I never had.

Despite her small stature, she is one tough demon-butt-kicking gal. If this Tweener--half angel, half devil--had been guarding my back in the hallways, high school would have presented a very different scenario...

I like her for her spunk, for her determination, for her blatant irreverence, and for the cheeky mouth that tends to get the better of her. The girl says what she thinks, let me tell you. But then again, she has to. It's her first line of defense against a world that goes from creepy to nightmarishly evil in a heartbeat.

On that note, I should mention that this is not a book for the squeamish. Most of the violence is the normal fallout of battle, but not all of it. Astra, after all, is a demon hunter. And Ms. Cheever's demons are... well... highly demonic. You could even call them "realistic," but I'd rather just call them "convincing." I'll sleep better.

So yes, it's a romance novel, but not exclusively. There's also plenty of futuristic high-tech gadgetry, tons of devils and demon spawn, a few angels with innocent but all-too-human vices (like coffee and cheesecake), and a good bit of gore. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then you will love this book.

But I couldn't possibly wrap this up without also mentioning Astra's loyal Tweener sidekick, Emo. More devil than angel, Emo "gets" his demon-hunting partner in a way that few others can. Who better to understand the trials of one half-angel, half-devil Tweener than another?

So if you're up for a kick-ass heroine, a few steamy men, and a walk on the dark side punctuated by a barrel full of laughs, pick up a copy of 'Tween Heaven and Hell on July 26th, and then wait anxiously for book two, 'Tween a Devil and His Hard Place. Ms. Cheever assures me it's already well in the works, so hopefully we won't have to wait long!

A Sultry Rating and 4 Stars from ecataromance.com!

"Definitely readers will be turning pages as fast as possible to get to the bottom of this mystery!"

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