I always like when this author puts out a new series, but also, the 1st books tend to struggle to get the world going. This one is no different.
I LOVE the premise. Eternal aged reaper son of the big Grim Reaper. Sent to the lowly humans to find his humanity. As you see inside Samael's head, you can absolutely understand why he turned hard and cold to avoid the pain of loss over and over.
I like Adrianne and how much of a fighter she could be. She was stuck in an endless cycle of being stalked and fairly powerless to get out of it.

Connecting these two people and coming out the other side was okay. Not great. It was strange how Samael just drops in and is accepted by everyone. The ending was expected. I hope the brothers' stories bring in the variety I have seen in other series by this author.

**Samael** by N.J. Walters is a dark, addictive, and utterly captivating fantasy romance that gripped me from the first page and refused to let go! Samael is the perfect tortured antihero—brooding, powerful, and unexpectedly vulnerable—and Adrianne is a fierce, resilient heroine who steals the spotlight with her strength and heart. Their chemistry is magnetic, their connection soul-deep, and the stakes? Absolutely devastating. Walters masterfully blends emotion, danger, and a dash of the supernatural into a story that’s as romantic as it is haunting. I couldn’t put it down. This is redemption, romance, and fate done *right*! 💀❤️ #Samael #NetGalley

A book that blew my expectations!

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I had very little expectations when I got this book but it blew me away.

It’s written in 3rd POV which isn’t my go to and there was an initial POV shift that got me confused but once I got past my initial struggle I couldn’t put this book down!

While some parts felt like it went how I’d expected it to go there was still a huge chunk that caught me completely off guard.

Tropes:

🪦 Paranormal Romance
🪻 Opposites Attract
🪦 Family Drama
🪻 Trauma
🪦 Small Town Romance

Interesting story with some emotional moments, but the pacing felt uneven and I didn’t fully connect with the characters. Worth a read if you like darker, character-driven books.

Surprising romance between a human and an immortal; 4.5 scary stars
Ms. Walters can write the most angsty, tortured main male characters; no matter, we cannot help but fall for them and hope they get that seemingly out-of-reach HEA. When Samael is given his assignment, he has no idea that the choices he will make could change everything, including himself.
Sam has gotten complacent in his job as reaper; according to his father he lacks compassion. His father, Death gives him a new assignment with an ultimatum in which Sam is given his last chance. If he cannot show compassion to the dying in this case, he will be pulled back to Shadowland and remain there forever.
His father does have a sense of humor as he takes away all his fancy clothes, credit cards, car, everything and plops Samael down on the side of a rural road on a very hot day. Along comes Adrianne Sharp who offers him a ride into town, Redemption where she was headed. Sam ends up hitching a ride to her lavender farm and thus begins a very intriguing, scary at times, steamy story about Sam getting his compassion but will he lose something else? Death has three sons: Samael, Alexiares and Kieran. I am looking forward to the next brother’s book! I volunteered to review an ARC of it through Entangled and NetGalley. This book will haunt me for a while.

DNF (9%)

The idea of the book sounded interesting, but unfortunately the writing style wasn’t for me. There was a lot of unnecessary repetition like Samael mentioning multiple times how he missed his hot date during the same chapter.

The spice was low in this book (which is totally fine), and in my opinion, the stalker aspects were slightly lacking, I felt like something was missing. I still enjoyed this book though. It was quick, and easy to keep up with and the bed breaking scene was HAWT! Both of our main characters had to make some sacrifices and I am curious to see if there will be any consequences for that.
even though I enjoyed this book, it didn't leave me begging for more and I didn't feel a very strong connection to these characters.

I won’t lie, it took a minute for this one to hook me, but once it did I couldn’t stop. Samael, the son of Death himself, gets pulled into a mission far more personal and emotional than he expected. I loved the small town setting with the lavender farm and Adrianne’s less-than-enthused cat! These aspects made the thriller/suspense plot a bit lighter and not as intense. Overall, I enjoyed this read and was definitely surprised by how emotional the ending left me (yes, I may have teared up a little 👀).

That said, I gave it 4 stars mainly because the repeated “I can’t interfere” line wore a bit thin—especially since he kept slightly interfering within the investigation and in a romantic sense. I also found the third-person POV less immersive for me personally, though that’s more about preference than any fault in the writing.

Overall, this was a suspenseful, quick read with action, romance, and a hot reaper trying to learn empathy. If you like supernatural, forbidden connections, and a small-town stalker vibe, Samael is perfect for you!

A solid 4 star book.

A seemingly impossible task was given to the grim reapers son, Samael. Learn empathy or be stripped of your powers and banished to the shadow world for eternity.

Sam was dropped in a town called Redemption (fitting right?) where he had $500 and a job to do. With no way to contact the outside world, Sam got to work.

This was one of those “love can conquer all” stories. Thanks to entangled publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thanks to NetGalley as well!

This was so good. I loved the plot and characters. It was paced perfectly. I didn't wanna put it down and was on the edge of my seat! So spicy and good!

Samael was a refreshing paranormal romance with a compelling plot and emotionally layered characters. I really enjoyed the unique reaper mythology and the small-town charm of Redemption. Adrianne’s resilience and Sam’s internal struggle stood out as highlights for me.

Although the insta-love element wasn’t quite my favorite, the character development and the unexpected ending added depth and kept me engaged throughout. This story blends emotional stakes with a fast-paced plot that fans of paranormal romance will likely enjoy.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book had so much potential. The plot and the story blurb were really good and right up my alley. Unfortunately, the actual execution and playout of the story was very much lacking. It just felt a bit disappointing, every step of the way.

No real spice, despite the heat implied by the cover.
No real death and anger, despite the touch her and die rhetoric.
The characters felt shallow and I had a difficult time connecting with them.

Did the bad guy fall in love, yes? But I wanted more evil and more love.

Thanks for the early read.

Coming in under 300 pages, this is a quick read! He’s the son of death, no really he is! 🤣😂 and she is his assignment. His last chance to prove to his dad that he can do the job right. So naturally she’s about to throw a wrench in his plans. 😉

This story was a fun read. If you need a broody reaper and a cinnamon roll lavender farmer to fall in love, look no further. I enjoyed seeing these characters grow together.

As the son of Death and a reaper, Samael has lived through some things that have desensitized him to his job. His father feels like he needs to be reminded of some important values and sends him on an unexpected quest.

While on this quest he meets and is intrigued by a woman named Adrianne, who also happens to be the person he is there to ‘escort’.

The plot takes us through the interplay between them and the challenges that Samael needs to overcome. The pace was a little fast for me to truly believe in the development but the concept itself was interesting. Given a little more page space, I feel this story could better forge a connection to the reader.

I’d be curious to know how the other brothers fare.

Complementary copy received and voluntarily reviewed.

As the offspring of Death, Samael Blackwell represents an antihero for whom one's initial disdain gradually transforms into unwavering affection. With centuries of experience as a soul reaper, he possesses an abundance of swagger, yet displays limited patience for adhering to rules. Nevertheless, upon being banished to the town of Redemption, where he is granted a final chance for rehabilitation, complexities emerge swiftly. His ultimate task involves Adrianne Sharp, a resilient and enigmatic individual who bears the scars of unresolved trauma. The fascinating twist is that she is not merely his next soul, but the soul - the one with the potential to either pierce his armor or completely annihilate him.

Sam and Adrianne's chemistry is undeniable. Their dynamic teeters on the brink of forbidden and inevitable, with the stakes feeling authentic. Each moment they share intensifies tension - both romantic and existential. The overarching question is not simply will they unite, but whether they should. This is the book's greatest strength.

4 stars. I had not read a book with a similar concept before and really enjoyed it. It gave me "Lucifer" the TV show vibes which I loved. The big bad reaper suddenly develops feelings for the FMC and I liked how the author got straight to the plot.

Loved this, the suspense was awesome. When Sam loses his empathy, his father , death, decides he needs to relearn it so he drops him into no where were he meets a beautiful women that is in trouble. Sam is a reaper and she’s his next assignment.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you for allowing me to review

This is the start of a new series and I’m loving the unique world intro we got here!

Samael is a reaper, specifically the son of the grim reaper. He is probably a workaholic, but not in the reaper field. He seems to augment his reaper life by collecting real estate deals, playing the stock market, and appreciating women. After he plays a little too fast and loose with the rules, his dad “grounds him” by taking away his powers and sending him to a town called “Redemption” with little money or resources. It’s there that he meets Adrianne.

Adrianne is a great female lead - she’s got her own issues and baggage, yet she still stops to pick up a stranger on the side of the road in need of help. These two mange to somehow work through a few issues, begin a romance, and navigate small town gossip all in a short amount of time. I’m not gunna lie, I started the story not liking Samael one bit, but I trust this author and have never been let down before. The way he is able to protect Adrianne even when he knows he will be charged with taking her soul was something to behold. This story does involve stalking so if that’s an issue for a reader, that may be the only reason I’d say to stay away. Otherwise, buckle up because I’m sure this series will be a crazy ride!

The premise is interesting. A reaper being sent on a specific mission to learn empathy. Naturally, he falls for the woman he was sent to learn from. This is a very fast paced book in terms of relationship but the main conflict falls flat in my opinion.