Okay so I read Samael suuuper quickly! It pulled me right in and I couldn’t put it down. I love the premise of the reaper going to get his assigned soul, as he has for as long as he can remember, but unexpectedly having a connection with his target and being forced to decide if he’ll follow the reaper code or save her. The attraction between Samael and Adrianne was intense and the mystery behind her impending death kept me guessing!

It’s just my personal preference that my favorite supernatural/fantasy books typically aren’t set in the real world or at least not modern time or the supernatural character isn’t exactly with the times. It didn’t take away from Samael at all though!

I just wanted a little more and feel like I still have a lot of questions. The book was fast paced and easy to read/get sucked into, but it got a little too fast in the end. And it took me a little bit to follow what was going on there. It looks like we may get more books in the world following Samael’s brothers, so maybe we’ll get more answers there. Like I said I did really enjoy reading it, and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to fill their paranormal romance craving without having to jump into a big series! I don’t always read sequels when they focus on different main characters, but I’m looking forward to seeing if books on Samael’s brothers come out!

Here’s my CAWPILE review breakdown for Samael. Overall I enjoyed the book and read it basically in one sitting! Samael and Adrianne’s relationship was addicting. Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Net Galley for the eARC!

Characters: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Writing: 7
Plot: 6
Intrigue: 6
Logic/relationships: 6
Enjoyment: 7

Average: 6.57/⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5 ⭐
Samael is a steamy, high-stakes paranormal romance that blends danger, redemption, and dark passion into a fast-paced, emotionally charged ride. N.J. Walters delivers a brooding, complex hero in Samael—a fallen angel with a tormented past—and pairs him with a strong, relatable heroine who challenges both his darkness and his destiny. The chemistry between them is intense, and the worldbuilding adds rich layers to the overarching series mythology without overwhelming new readers. With its blend of action, sensuality, and heart, Samael is a must-read for fans of dark paranormal romance.

The Grimm Reaper's son gets an ultimatum: be a more compassionate reaper or spend eternity trapped in limbo. To prove that he can do it, he's sent to the dead-end town of Redemption with little money and the knowledge that he has to reap a soul or he's lost. Sounds easy, except the soul belongs to Adrianne Sharp, who manages to capture his heart with her strength and resilience. Will Samael be able to fulfill his mission if it means destroying his heart?

I really wanted to like this one and kept chastising myself for not enjoying it more as I read, because the characters are interesting and it's a nice twist on Death falling in love. However, it never got past being 'nice' enough to keep my attention.
Samael is a fascinating character, but his need to keep things from Adrianne made it so that, even reading his side of things, the reader doesn't get to know him. I get that he and Adrianne are connected by fate, but he's too much of a mystery for my liking.
I think my main issue is the pacing. There's this sense of urgency in the characters that doesn't translate to the scenes. It's a rush to solve the mystery of the stalker and Samael's exile with a small-town, life-on-the-farm pace. It didn't work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled: Amara for the emotional read!

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Net Galley for this eARC in exchange for a honest review.

What I liked:
✅ Paranormal Romance
✅ Steamy Scenes (though not many)
✅ Protective MMC
✅ Quick Read

What I disliked:
❌ Not enough time for character development, but that can almost be expected in a shorter book.
❌ Anticlimactic ending

Overall:
I rated this book at 4 stars. I liked it but didn't love it. The book definitely had some good parts and I'd recommend it.

A life-long soul reaper, and son of Death himself, who has lost his compassionate touch is sent on his next assignment with the expectation to re-learn how to guide souls. Will the woman who returned to her hometown to tend to a lavender farm be the one who can soften his edges? Or will she be the one who breaks Samael further?

Told in dual perspective, this was an easy, engaging read. I couldn't put it down, and I have no regrets. The characters were likeable and had realistic traits. However, I wish Walters had given more of a physical description to Adrianne. It seemed as though there were ample descriptors for Samael, but not Adrianne.

I found myself changing what I thought would happen at the end of the book a number of times. This is not a very predictable story. It keeps you guessing without taking away from the themes. The focus is kept intact and all secondary themes support the main storyline.

I've already recommended this book multiple times, and look forward to reading book two!

Thank you Entangled Publishing for the ARC opportunity. This review has been left voluntarily.

Samael is a reaper and Death's son. In order to avoid being sent to the Shadowlands for eternity, he is sent to a small town called Redemption by his father to learn empathy. His assignment is to wait until death comes to a woman named Adrianne, who fled back to her roots from Chicago to avoid a stalker and escort her into the afterlife. The problem is that he starts to fall fast for this quirky, curly haired woman and must not interfere with her death in order to avoid his eternal damnation.

This was a very fast romance read with forced proximity trope and some spicy scenes. It kept me entertained throughout, and the characters were very lovable. It keeps you guessing who the stalker is and ends where book two can be picked up as this will be part of a trilogy. I really liked this story and would recommend it for a quick romance read.

Adrianne returns to her home town after dealing with a stalker and to find some peace in her life. Unfortunately for her Samael has been sent to the same town to learn some compassion by his father.
Their attraction is pretty much instantaneous which is not good for Samael as he has been sent to reap her soul.
I found the storyline gripping as he has to decide whether he can watch the inevitable happen or will he intervene which goes against everything he has been doing up to now.
It is fast paced and the characters are very good with some great dialogue between them.
This was a good start to a new series and I’m looking forward to more

Samael was an awesome start to a new series. It's a suspenseful read with steam and sweet moments. I especially loved the sweet moments they warmed my heart. I loved the setup of this story and for the most part how it was executed. However, I was a little on the fence with the romance, I'm not what it was about but I wasn't fully sold on it but I did enjoy this story, the characters and their journey. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what the next book brings.

It was interesting from the start. He seemed to wanna get to a date more than do his job as the grim reapers son. I liked that he got sent to a small town and the way he protects her just fits his character growth. I found it to be a quick read for me.

Samael is a supernatural romance about a reaper who is sent to small town Redemption to learn empathy and compassion. He meets Adrianne who has taken over her grandparents' lavender farm. They quickly find the chemistry between them is red hot.

Fairly fast paced the author kept my attention while developing the characters and story.

I greatly enjoyed her writing style and will be looking for more by the author.

Samael has become desensitizing and numb over his endless time as a reaper. When his behavior crosses the line, his boss (aka his dad), decides enough is enough. He needs to learn empathy again. He dumps him in a small town with no resources and tells him this is his last chance to get it right. But when the soul he’s meant to reap belongs to a woman who makes him feel more than he ever has, he has to choose between love or duty.

If you are a lover of small town romantic suspense with a paranormal element then you need to drop everything for this one. I’m not the world’s biggest fan of third person but I was so invested in this story I barely noticed. I fell for Adriane almost as hard as he did. Knowing her fate and how she would go was gut wrenching especially the more we got to know her.

I don’t want to give anything away because this book is meant to be experienced but that ending almost took me out! I was so nervous watching it all go down and the aftermath definitely left me with some questions. I’m curious to know more about his brothers as we only heard about them in this book and to see if we get more Sam and Adriane going forward.

I enjoyed this paranormal romance. I liked Samael and was intrigued by his predicament. I also enjoyed the reaper aspect. The “family business”, is a great storyline, especially to bring in the other brothers and their stories.
Samael’s struggle with his feelings for Adrianne against his mission to reap her was intense and enticing.
Overall this was a quick entertaining read and I am interested in reading the other brothers books.

I did officially DNF at 38%.

I was struggling with this book for awhile and had hopes that I could push through. I love a bodyguard romance. I love an insta love.

With all of that being said, there was something about this book that felt repetitive and frustrating. I just never managed to get into it.


ARC thanks to Entangled

I enjoyed how fast paced the story was but found the insta-love aspect to be heavy handed. All in all, an ok read though not very memorable.

Thank you to the author and Entangled Publishing for the Arc in exchange for my honest review.

*3.5 stars*

Solid start to the series…

A relationship with the son of Death? Samael and Adrianne’s story had me wondering all through it. How could they – a human and an immortal – possibly ever have a happily ever after? Grim Death as a father-in-law? I was intrigued and needed to find out how this played out.

Adrianne came home to find safety, to grieve her grandmother and to make up for the fact she didn’t do it sooner. Samael, on the other hand, was forced to Redemption by his father, who felt he wasn’t taking his duties as a reaper seriously enough. Meeting by accident (supposedly), taking each other at face value meant Adrianne was either going to have to trust him, or face things on her own. Samael made it clear that was completely up to her, but he knew what he hoped she’d do.

Steamy and mysterious, I liked the characters and the way the story unfolded. Adrianne was a balance - strong yet vulnerable, based in reality but also not afraid to hope. Samael, well he was learning that emotions weren’t the worst things to have as he became fascinated with the woman he was falling in love with. Both fighting against the attraction, both failing miserably...

A bit repetitious in spots, yet that didn’t take away from a plot that moved quickly to a satisfying HFN. There are still questions to answer about how their relationship continues and if Samael’s mysterious brothers will make an appearance. Will they live a long life or one that never ends? Sooo many questions and I look forward to finding the answers.

Samael is a Grim Reaper, and his father, Death, believes he needs more compassion, so he sends Samael to reap the soul of Adrienne. Adrieene has recently moved back to Redemption to escape her stalker, but she quickly realizes her efforts were in vain and the stalker has followed her there. When she meets Samael, there's an instant connection, but Samael is torn between his duty and his ever-growing feelings for Adrienne.

This is a quick and suspenseful paranormal romance, and I really liked the premise. The romance is a bit insta-love, which isn't my fave, but their chemistry is fantastic! It's clear that, in all his years of experience, Samael hasn't really felt deep and lasting feelings and connections until he meets Adrienne. I love his protector role and how devoted he is to keeping her safe. And Adrienne is so kind and good. Their love story and Adrienne's good-heartedness contrast the ugly things that are happening to her well.

This was an exciting start to the series, and I'm definitely curious about Sameal's brothers. I have a feeling that they'll be as swoon-worthy as this one. Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Samael and Adrianne❤️‍🩹

Wow, what a story🙌 Samael, is a wealthy businessman who just so happens to be an immortal reaper and son to the Grim Reaper. After reaping a soul as per his job, his father commands him to appear before him. He is concerned with his lack of compassion when reaping and guiding souls to the afterlife. He has been given a new assignment…should he fail he will be exiled😳

Adrianne is back in her home town of Redemption. But coming home has brought many emotions back for her, mainly of guilt and regret….but she’s also running from her old life too😢 A chance meeting with Sam puts them on a path determined by Fate. Will they be able to change Fate or is it too late?

Absolutely loved this story and I can’t wait to get to know Sam’s siblings next❣️ I received an advanced copy via Netgalley and I voluntarily leave my honest review❤️

Samael by N.J. Walters was a really fun read. The mystery kept me guessing until the end, and I liked how the story came together. I also thought making Samael a reaper was interesting — it’s not something I see a lot, so it made the book stand out. I am definitely considering adding more paranormal romances to my TBR list.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this incredible book.

I enjoyed getting to know Adrianne and Samuel and becoming immersed in their story.

I doubted Samael at the start, but as the story progressed I found myself falling more and more for the reaper and rooting for him and Adrianne to somehow escape their predetermined fates.

The ending was a huge shock for me! I cant wait to see what happens next and how Alexiares will play a part in the future.

Highly recommend!

Unfortunately, this book really was not for me :( I LOVE a dark romance, but to me, this wasn't necessarily dark... the MMC just felt really out of touch and detached. The insta-love made the relationship feel more like infatuation; I just didn't feel the love between our two characters. This book was the classic celibate female and man-whore combo, which can be fine every once in a while, but in this book it just didn't hit. I feel like if the circumstances were different, he would never have chosen her. The stalker plot line was boring to me. The ending was slightly better than the rest of the book, but still not great... nothing against this author at all! Her writing was great, but the story just was not for me!