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!

This was decently enjoyable. I'm a sucker for a Grim Reaper (or reaper relation lol) story.

An MMC with a miserable life, an FMC who is pretty likable, and a scenario that is literally life and Death (get it?!)

Anyway, Samael is sent to a small town by Daddy Reaper "to learn empathy" or reap the consequences (again, pun queen!).

There is insta-lust/love, but it didn't make me stop reading. There are also some super questionable decisions made by both characters - but just suspend reality (this IS a paranormal romance).

There were some pacing issues, in my opinion, but when THE THING (no spoilers) finally started happening, the rest of the book flowed really quickly, but well.

I enjoyed how it all wrapped up, and I'm interested enough to read book 2 (about the brother of the MMC if the lead up is correct).

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for this gifted e-arc!

2.75 stars

Samael is the kind of book that has an interesting premise with a lot of potential. Death’s son getting knocked down a peg and finds out he has to reap the one woman he can’t stop thinking about? Say less. I expected that this story would have me in a chokehold; unfortunately, that was ultimately not the case.

Personally, I think this story would have benefitted with more showing and less telling. I just did not believe the instant connection/love between Samael and Adrienne, in spite of the fact that I was being told to believe it. Instalove is a difficult trope to pull off under the best of circumstances, and it just did not work for me this time.

And, this might be a little bit petty, but no one is wearing capri pants in the year of our Lord 2025 unless they are over the age of 65 or doing so ironically. I always lament when authors infuse fashion moments into the text that feel dated or inauthentic to a character’s age. This is one small example of how I just did not connect with the story at all.

Even though it wasn’t for me, this book might be for you. And it ends in an interesting place that opens up the story even more for future books.

An insta-lust, paranormal romance between the son of Death and the woman whose soul he is meant to reap . 3.5 🌟s

Samael Blackwell has been a reaper for a millennia and is used to death. Maybe a little too used to it. Sam has one chance to learn to reap with compassion or suffer the consequences. Dropped in the beyond-small-town of Redemption, Sam meets spirited Adrianne Sharp. Adrianne is hiding from a difficult past but her time is running out. Sam has never met anyone that affects him the way that Adrianne does but he can’t let his growing feelings interfere with Adrianne’s fate or he’ll lose his only chance to get his old life back.

This was a simple but fairly enjoyable read. Sam and Adrianne’s relationship is very insta-lust and attraction on both sides. The story hooks from the start with the attraction and tension, but also with a bit of mystery thrown in as well. There were some minor aspects of the story and descriptions overall that didn’t work for me. I did like Adrianne’s character. She has some rough moments but most of her actions and self-reflections show her growth from what she considers mistakes in her past. My favorite character was the curmudgeonly but lovable cat, Chester.

Many thanks to NetGalley, NJ Walters, and Entangled: Amara for the opportunity to read this in advance. All opinions are my own.

Samael is a fast-paced supernatural romance starring a woman who returns to her hometown to take over granny's lavender farm and avoid a stalker, and a reaper, who has to learn compassion.
This was a quick to love romance. I wish there had been more reaper and a bit more follow up with the stalker, however, it was an enjoyable read. 
Thank you @NetGalley and @Entangled_Publishing for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

If you’re into steamy paranormal romance with a dark twist, this one delivers big time. Samael is this broody, tormented demon who’s all alpha but has that hidden soft spot (you know the type), and I was totally here for it. The chemistry between him and the heroine crackles from the beginning, and it only gets hotter as the story goes on.

What I really liked is that even though there’s lots of heat, there’s also real emotion. Samael’s inner conflict, his past, and his struggle with redemption all added some solid depth. Plus, the world-building is intriguing—dark but not too heavy, with just enough danger to keep things interesting.

Definitely recommend if you’re into paranormal bad boys with a heart buried under centuries of guilt and smolder. Can’t wait to check out more from the series!

Samael is a Reaper. Adrianne is a human. When Samael’s father, THE Grim Reaper, decides Sam needs a lesson in compassion, he is dumped in the small town of Redemption with an assignment. His task? To reap Adrianne’s soul. The catch? He must learn to connect with her, but not interfere with her fate. If he fails, he will lose the freedom he has spent millennia enjoying and be banished to Shadowland for eternity. At first, Sam thinks this will be easy. Then he meets Adrianne and realizes it will be harder than he thinks. Adrianne is kind, caring, beautiful, and stubborn. She also has a secret. After coming home 6 months ago to take over her family’s lavender farm, her stalker her from Chicago has found her, and her life is in danger. As they spend more time together, Sam finds that his plan to reap her soul and return to his life is quickly falling apart. Instead of doing his job, he finds he wants to protect her. The harder he tries to stay on task, the more he is drawn to her and she to him. With her fate quickly approaching, can Sam complete his assignment? Or will he risk it all to try save her?

I really liked this book. It’s fast paced, and well written. It’s a quick read, but still had enough substance to feel like a longer novel. The story is engaging and keeps you guessing until the end. I liked that even though a major part of the plot is centered around Adrianne’s impending death, it does not come across heavy. It has a light-hearted feel without being cheesey. The characters are lovable and relatable. It was very easy to get into their point of view and relate to how they were feeling. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an enjoyable quick read with substance. This is the first book of it’s series and I can’t wait to read the next one!

TikTok review will be posted on 4/25/25

Book Rating: ⭐️ 3/5
Spice Rating: 🌶️ 2/5

This was a fun, quick read that follows the Grim Reaper’s son on a job...only for him to start questioning his very existence and find a renewed sense of purpose. While the plot wasn’t the most inventive (it definitely gave me Lucifer vibes), it was still enjoyable and had some genuinely funny moments.

My biggest issue was that the tone felt a bit juvenile at times, and some parts stretched believability, even for a fantasy. I found it odd that no one in the town questioned this mysterious man showing up and inserting himself into their lives with zero suspicion. Still, the spice was light but entertaining, and the characters had fun, engaging dialogue.

Overall, if you're in the mood for an easy paranormal fantasy read with some moral dilemmas and a touch of romance, this one is worth picking up.

4/5 stars! This is a PNR by author N.J. Walters. I disliked Samael for the first 20% of the book, but I think I was supposed to. How else is he going to get his big wake-up call and start being swoonworthy than being a prick up until meeting the FMC lol. Once he meets Adrianne, I was all in. This was steamy and sweet and an enjoyable read.

If you love the push/pull of not wanting to fall, but falling anyway, romance, this is definitely the book for you! It is written in dual character, third person POV. I am not typically a fan of third person POV, but the story line in this one kept me engaged. I am a junkie of paranormal romance.

This is a HEA with a strong /stoic MMC and a proud/exhausted FMC. The MMC is a reaper with all the world at his finger tips. He is trying to prove to his grim reaper daddy that he is deserving of his place and lifestyle. The FMC is a girl just trying to start over and make a positive place for herself. She is trying to outrun her traumatic past and live with the guilt of leaving her grandma. They are brought together by “devine intervention” and a stalker situation.

The main theme that I got out of this romance read, is that people and relationships are more important than any material thing or really anything else in existence. Love conquers all - familial love and chosen love.

There were definitely parts that made me laugh, talking to the crow, and parts that made me get teary eyed. The emotional aspect of this book is pretty high. I do wish the paranormal and magic elements were more prevalent. I would have liked to have know more of what Sam was capable of in the magic department. I also would have liked more back and forth between him and his dad. A little more meat as to why his dad did what he did. The action does pick up towards the end, but it was over before it really began. More struggle, more action, more tension is what I would have lived to see.

There are a couple spicy scenes, which really aren’t my thing. And their connection was instant even though it took a while for them to act on it and admit there was a connection, to themselves and each other.

Overall I would recommend this for those who are just starting in the paranormal world, or those just looking for a solid romance read. 2 thumbs up and looking forward to the next stand alone in this new series.

I did receive a digital ARC of this book, thank you Entangled Publishing and N.J. Walters