A Beginner's Guide to Sea Monsters, Messenger Angels, and Other Management Mishaps (Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures Book 8) by Shannon Mae

We are back to Demonic Disasters & Afterlife Adventures series from Shannon Mae with A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO SEA MONSTERS, MESSENGER ANGELS, & OTHER MANAGEMENT MISHAPS. Gabriel is an archangel that doesn't know anything other than doing his heavenly job. But when he's paired with the adventure-loving demon Leviathan, he gets a chance to experience all sorts of mortal pleasures, and fall in love.


From the blurb:

Gabriel:
Gabriel is the Divine Herald, the messenger of the Lord, the Angel of Revelation… and he's currently losing ground to social media. (Really, how is he supposed to compete with that ticking app?) When the afterlife’s management team forces him into a “professional development partnership” with a demon, Gabriel is horrified—until he meets Leviathan, a sea monster with tattoos, tentacles, and a knack for helping him connect with mortals.

Levi:
Leviathan has no interest in going back to the underworld. He’d much rather spend his time topside with his octopus sidekick and now, apparently, one very uptight angel. Teaching Gabriel about mortal pleasures—food, coffee, books, and other things (that require less clothes)—is the best adventure Levi’s had in centuries.

But as they both start to enjoy their unexpected partnership, one problem remains: what happens when the leadership team decides the partnership is over? Levi isn’t about to give up his angel, and Gabriel isn’t sure he wants to return to Heaven without his demon.

Tags: Featuring one grumpy angel and one cheery sea monster demon; accidental stroke of genius from the leadership team (very accidental); Mt. Everest is overrated, but mortal coffee is divine; even angels enjoy a good book; Gabriel discovers the joys of food, and other mortal pleasures (wink, wink); Levi has tentacles, and Gabriel definitely approves.


SNik's review:

Fifth in series (Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures). Paranormal. Fated mates. Found family. Dual POV. 

Gabriel is an archangel and divine messenger that is abruptly told to partner with Leviathan, demon of envy and chaos in order to more efficiently deliver his messages. While Levi is happy to show the buttoned up angel mortal pleasures, he finds that he may want to keep Gabriel as an adventure buddy for forever. 

Shannon Mae really knows how to write cinnamon roll demons, and Levi is no exception. Levi introduces Gabriel to all sorts of fun and experiences, but kindly and with caring so there is never any doubt that his affection is true. And Gabriel appreciates Levi and is genuinely naive and sweet and he has no qualms about Levi being a demon. This was a cute story with Gabriel and Levi easily falling into a relationship they can’t imagine the future without. Plenty of spice, sweetness, character cameos, and story where a dedicated demon loves a straight-laced angel unapologetically.

Molly Otto's review:

Shannon is back to the Demonic Disasters & Everlife Adventures series this time with archangel Gabriel and sea monster Leviathan who has enjoyed his time thoroughly topside. The unlikely pair get teamed up to be more 'efficient' in delivering their messages. Yeah, so management definitely screwed this one up in the best way possible. It allows these two souls to have the chance to bond and see the other in a new light. Shannon just has a gift of writing cinnamon roll 'bad' guys finding and doing what is necessary for their mates. It was fun seeing these two open up to one another, and when faced with the choice will always pick each other and therefore pushing the fates more to where they belong.

What makes this series, so bloody brilliant is the overall plot throughout the entire series that keeps you needing more to see how it all ends. Technically they can still be read as standalones in my opinion, but a better experience when read all books.

Jacqueleen the Reading Queen's review:

"𝙶𝚊𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚕 𝚑𝚒𝚖𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚛𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚘𝚏 𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚕𝚢 𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚜, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝙷𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚘𝚍, 𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚔, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚢."

Tentacles for the win!! I love that in this book we got to know the man behind the perfect angel visage. Gabriel has always appeared as a pretty wound tight angel. He is dedicated to his duty as messenger angel and rarely has time for any other pursuits. To be fair, Gabriel's fellow angels do keep him busy with all their blathering messages, many of which are ridiculous. Thank goodness he ended up with Levi who put a stop to much of the nonsense!

"𝚆𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗. 𝙻𝚎𝚟𝚒 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝙶𝚊𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚕. 𝙷𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝. 𝚈𝚎𝚜, 𝚑𝚎'𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚕, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑... 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗."

I absolutely loved watching Levi and Gabriel interact. It was so cute, seeing Gabriel emerge from his shell. Levi was never pushy, but he was determined to get Gabriel out of his comfort zone and show him all the earthly plane had to offer. It didn't hurt that Gabriel was also the most gorgeous angel Levi had ever seen or that when he got the man wrapped up in his tentacles it was magic. And the white speedo! I swear I could picture it just from how Archer sets the scene!

"𝙻𝚎𝚟𝚒 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝚊 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝙶𝚊𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚕'𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚖, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚕 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚖, 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚋𝚋𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚎𝚣𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚝. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎. 𝙻𝚎𝚟𝚒 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚒𝚝, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚎𝚝 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚍𝚊𝚢, 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚊𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎."

It was sweet seeing these two opposites fall in love. It was even better seeing them both willing to fight for the relationship that had come to mean the world to them both. I really enjoy this series by Shannon Mae and though I am DYING for Lucy and Yah's story, I hope we get a few more couples before then because I am not ready for this series to end!

A Beginner's Guide to Sea Monsters, Messenger Angels, and Other Management Mishaps (Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures Book 8) is currently available as an e-book and paperback and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription