DNF’d at 5%. Let me tell you the issues.

I agree with another reviewer of this book: at 3% we have already heard Samael mention missing his date with the “hot real estate agent” three times.

In the same 3%, we get “he and his brothers had lost the closeness they’d once had.” And then the next page is” He and his brothers weren’t close, not like they’d once been, but they checked in on each other occasionally.”

4% in and reaping being in his blood has been mentioned twice already.

And then within 4 pages, it has been mentioned twice that Adrianne moved to Redemption 6 months ago.

I didn’t even make it through the first chapter and was so over the repetition. How did you publish this book when the majority of it is repeating the same thing over and over again as filler? Let me write something for you to publish 🤦🏻‍♀️

I won't lie, it started badly when the MMC mentioned 3 times a date with a <i>sexy real estate agent</i> that he was missing, but I guess the author couldn't find any other way to show us how disconnected from his important job he was. I can't find any other explanation.
I liked how it started. But I'm not from a small town in the US, so I'm having a hard time believing people would welcome so easily a mysterious man with no phone, no car, no credit card. I guess we're having a different small town in my country because we would be suspicious as fuck.

It was very insta-love, so not really my thing. Of course, the FMC was celibate for a while (because of the stalker but also, she always had short and few relationships before) while the MMC few pleasure in life is having sex with different women when he wishes to. I know, it's to show us how boring his life is but I'll never like this kind of MMC. He would have never taken an interest in the FMC in his own little world in Las Vegas but at the end of the book, she's the only valid reason for him to live? Okay, sure. I'm having a hard time believing in their love story.

I found the whole story with the stalker a little lacking. I had suspicions so when the stalker showed up, I was just like 'yay, finally'. The cops were nice but damn, how useless they were.

I might read the next book. I liked the MMC's 'choice' in the end even if it feels a little bitter for them. I just hope that his brother's books will be different from this one. Overall, this was an easy read, but very forgettable.

He was sent to reap her soul. But all he wants to do is protect her.

Samael by N.J. Walters is a gorgeously dark paranormal romance about a soul collector exiled to a quiet town as punishment—only to fall for the woman he was never meant to save.

Adrienne Sharp escaped a terrifying stalker in Chicago and now lives alone (unless you count Chester the curmudgeonly cat) on her late grandmother’s lavender farm, trying to find peace. But the day Samael arrives in Redemption, she finds a chilling note left on her truck—eerily similar to the ones her stalker used to leave.

She doesn’t know Samael was sent to collect her soul.
He doesn’t know how to walk away from someone he’s starting to care for.
What begins as duty turns into something impossible to ignore.

This book has it all: a broody immortal reaper, a fierce heroine fighting to reclaim her life, high-stakes longing, and a slow-burn romance wrapped in tension, danger, and fate.

Spicy. Gripping. Heartbreaking. Samael will leave you breathless.

Thank you N.J. Walters and Entangled Publishing for the eARC!

4 stars

Ms. Walters is a great storyteller who creates great worlds and unique characters. Samael is another winner in her world.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

3.5 Rating

Samael is a very fast-paced romance book. It does have some spicy scenes throughout the story, but not to the extreme or dark in nature.

The storyline is intriguing, following the GRIM REAPERS son on an assignment where everything he once thought he felt and knew, gets reinvented in his heart and mind.

This is not a slow-burn but a very quickly built love story.

The storyline is written in third person allowing the reader both points of view.

I would suggest this for New Adults because of the spicy scenes, although I felt the story was more of an advanced YA read if the spice was omitted.

This was such a fun read and a great book for people that are looking to get into paranormal romance. This book reads almost like a contemporary novel but with a paranormal twist. This would be a great bridge book for readers that normally read contemporary and looking to get into the paranormal. It was a short and quick read that put a smile on my face.

DNF at 54%

I dnfed right before what I assume will be a sex scene and truly I do not care enough about either character to want to see this through.

The actual story is good, I love the idea of a reaper being forced to spend time with the people he will be welcoming into the afterlife, knowing that his attachment will make him want to intervene.

The problem is that the writing is… stilted and quite awkward. A lot of the dialogue is very unnatural - thoughts or even comments on physical appearance come out of nowhere just to add the “sex appeal”? And none of these characters behave like I would imagine normal people would.

I wanted to like this, but the writing style/quality is unfortunately too much to ignore for another 46% of this book.

Content warnings (up through where I stopped):
Stalking (past and present), implied danger, mentions of death/dying (MMC is a literal reaper of death), general fear and anxiety over stalking

From the moment I cracked open "Samael," I remembered how much I loved this authors work.
The world N.J. Walters built, is a place where the line between life and death blurs, and the stakes are as high as is the emotions that drive the characters.

The story centers around Samael Blackwell, the son of Death, who finds himself in a rather precarious situation, sent to the town of Redemption to reap souls, he must navigate the complexities of love, duty, and sacrifice.

Samael is a character that tugged at my heartstrings right from the start. He’s not your typical grim reaper, oh no, he's flawed, desperate for a second chance, and bears the weight of centuries of mistakes on his shoulders. The author does an excellent job of showing his inner turmoil and growth throughout the story. I found myself rooting for him, hoping he would find a way to reconnect with his humanity, even as he struggled with the heartbreaking task laid out before him.

Adrianne Sharp, the assignment, is equally captivating. Strong and guarded, she’s a woman with her own demons, constantly running from a past that threatens to engulf her. The chemistry between her and Samael is palpable, igniting the pages with an intensity that had me gripped. Their connection is beautifully complex, fraught with the tension of duty versus desire, which kept me on the edge of my seat, and pulling an all nighter 😜

The author excels in weaving together themes of redemption and love that challenge the characters’ understanding of life and death.

As Samael’s mission unfolds, can he really find salvation through the loss of another?

The pacing of the story was just right, allowing for moments of tension, tenderness, and reflection. I felt every high and low alongside the characters. As the plot thickened and the stakes escalated, I couldn't put the book down. The twists and turns kept me guessing, and just when I thought I had everything figured out, the author skillfully turned the story on its head.

Overall, "Samael" is a poignant exploration of love and sacrifice that is equal parts heartbreaking and uplifting. The characters are unforgettable, their struggles relatable, and the blend of fantasy and reality creates a story that lingers long after the last page.

If you're in the mood for a story that tugs at your heart while immersing you in a richly crafted world, I highly recommend picking up "Samael." It’s a journey of love, life, death, and everything in between.

🦋

Review: SAMAEL by N.J. Walters https://bit.ly/3Yc8Sqm
Publication Date: 4/21/2025
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Cori
Rated: 4.5 Stars
I really loved this one. N.J. Walter’s SAMAEL is a unique twist on a reaper paranormal love story with lots of spice, danger and great characters. I felt very emotionally connected to Adrianne and Sam. It hooked me and I can’t wait for books for Sam’s brothers next. SAMAEL is not connected to any of her other series and this is the first book to start off this series. I highly recommend this book for paranormal romance lovers looking for an original storyline. I love N.J. Walters’ books.

*Review copy provided by Entangled in exchange for an honest review.

Kindle https://amzn.to/3Y9MEFo

Compassion without interference

Phew. This book. Clear your calendar before you start it - it was definitely an unputdownable, stay up too late, regret nothing in the morning kind of book. Adrianne and Samael were portrayed as such real and relatable messy beings as they tried to deal with a messy situation it felt like I was right there with them as the story unfolded. It had the perfect balance of danger, humor, love, real life issues, mystery, world building, evil, deep emotions, and spice. The push pull of the sexual tension and feelings slowly ramping up in conjunction with the ratcheting up of the danger was delicious perfection. Adrianne owns a lavender farm and e-business. She moved back to small town Redemption six months ago to escape a stalker. Samael is an immortal reaper and one of Death’s sons. The Grim Reaper believes Samael is not doing his job correctly and has tasked him to learn compassion while reaping or be banished to the Shadowland for eternity. To accomplish this, he is dropped off outside of Redemption on foot with limited resources. He soon encounters Adrianne and realizes she’s his assignment. He thinks it’ll be easy to walk the line of compassion without involvement and to reap Adrienne when her time comes but his growing feelings for her complicate everything. The story was well written and included engaging dialogue, three dimensional characters who grow, good world building, and a captivating storyline. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. 4.5 stars.

2⭐️2🌶️

First I would like to thank NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for allowing me an Advanced Ebook of this book. The thoughts are my own…

I wanted to like this book. The premise sounded amazing and the first 5 or so chapters promised the same. However, after those chapters the book became repetitive and instalove/attraction with no real connection. Plus the cop being like ohhh someone put a note in your truck and then did nothing to ensure her safety made me roll my eyes and her stalker color me surprised because sadly I wasn’t.

I will not be continuing this series.

Love her. Protect her. Reap her soul.

Samael by N.J Walters
Releases 4/21/2025

•Third person POV
•Paranormal romance
•Morally gray MMC
•Son of Grim Reaper

This book pleasantly surprised me! I am not one to usually read third person POV books but, I really enjoyed how this one was portrayed and how it played out. N.J. Walters did a wonderful job of letting us into Adrianne and Samael’s minds while still reading a general perspective!

The idea of this book grabbed my attention immediately as I love paranormal romance. “He was sent to end her story. But she just might rewrite his.” Jaw dropped. This was the moment I was immediately hooked!

I really enjoyed how we saw Samaels character develop throughout the story. Adrianne is an independent and strong heroine which I loved to see! She is trying to move on from her past but her past keeps creeping in, who better to be there to help than Samael! This steamy paranormal romance was just what I needed!

4 stars out of 5 stars
Thank you so much to Entangled publishing for this ARC!


Samael Blackwell is the son of Death-and he's officially out of chances. After centuries of reaping souls with zero regard for the rules, his father sends him to the dead-end town of Redemption. With only a few hundred bucks and the clothes on his back, Sam has one last shot to prove he can do the job right: reap with compassion, or lose everything.
It should've been easy. Find the soul. Finish the job. Walk away.
Then he meets Adrianne Sharp.
She's strong, guarded, and hiding from a past that refuses to stay buried. The connection between them is instant-and impossible.
Because Adrianne isn't just anyone. She's his assignment.
And her soul's on the clock.
To win back his old life, all Sam has to do is watch her die. But what if the cost of redemption...is her?
He was sent to end her story. But she just might rewrite his.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I flew through this - partially because the characters were so good and the plot was very straightforward and easy to follow. In some ways, I wish the story was a little more complicated, because there was really nothing for the reader to think about.

Both characters were likable and understandable. The side characters were solid, if a little 1 dimensional.

Love story with spice!

This was my first book my NJ Walters but I look forward to more. This was a very enjoyable read. This story jumps right in so for those looking for a quick read this may be for you. This was the perfect blend of romance and mystery for me. And the characters were enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this.

Thank you to NJ Walters and Entangled Publishing for the gifted ARC

Redemption, Protection, Love and suspense all tied up in a pretty paranormal package!

Samael, oldest of the 3 sons of the Grim Reaper himself, has kept himself detached from the humanity that surrounds him.  To his father he appears callous and unfeeling towards the plight of humankind, something which he cannot allow to stand. So he sets Samael up for his own kind "It's a wonderful life/trading places type shot at redemption.

Plopped down outside the tiny town of Redemption with his gifts muted and limited cash, Samael has to find his assignment, reap their soul and get out of Dodge.  However, Fate has decided to have another idea.

Adrianne, only returned to Redemption to hide out from her stalker.  She didn't want to take danger back home but with the death of her gran she has no-one left to be worried about.  With the work at the Lavender farm keeping her out of town, she thinks she's flying under the radar but it would appear her stalker is more tenacious than she gave them credit for!

Samael is way more than he appears.  That outwardly bored, callous façade hides a heart that actually feels too much and that final sacrifice he makes - OML!  The attraction is quick between these two, yes, but lots of love in real life is too.  When you find your person sometimes you just know - to heck with everyone else's opinion on how long it should take!

I enjoyed watching Sam become a likeable character.  It's more satisfying watching someone's character take shape and emerge from the armour they've erected around themselves. Adrianne is stronger than she thinks - she has started over more than once and even when she thinks she's cowering and in hiding, she's really just stocking up on willpower to face her stalker.

I can honestly say I did not identify the big bad before the reveal - it really came out of left field.  I thought the smexy times were appropriate and didn't take over the suspense of the story.  There were a few spicy scenes and I loved the bedbreaker!

The second story has been set up nicely and I can't wait to see what mishaps are awaiting Alex and his love!

🖤 Love her. Protect her. Reap her soul.
Samael Blackwell was sent to Redemption to do one thing: follow the rules and reap the soul…
But then she showed up.

✨ Samael by N.J. Walters is a haunting, heart-clenching fantasy romance full of forbidden longing, fated love, and the impossible question: Can you choose love when it means losing everything? 😭🔥

This book wrecked me—in the best way. Sam is the son of Death, cocky with a soft side he didn’t know existed. Adrianne? Broken but unbreakable. The connection between them is instant and doomed and soooo addictive.

This isn’t just a romance—it’s a battle between destiny and choice. And I was flipping pages like my soul depended on it. 🥀

—

🖤 Tropes to die for:

😤 Grumpy x Guarded

🧬 Fated Mates Vibes

👻 Supernatural Romance

💀 Soul Reaper MMC

🚫 Forbidden Love

🫀 He Falls First

🔥 Redemption Arc

🏡 Small Town with Big Secrets

🥵 Emotional, Steamy, & Unexpectedly Tender

—

#Samael #NJWalters #BlackwellBrothersRedemption #FantasyRomance #ParanormalRomance #GrimReaperRomance #HeFallsFirst #SoulmateVibes #AngstAndSteam #FatedButForbidden #EntangledPublishing #BookstagramRecs #literaryhavocreviews #RomanceBooksOfInstagram #SpicyFantasyReads #ReadersOfInstagram #BookTokRecs #RomanticFantasy #AprilReleases2025

The Grim Reaper’s son is sent to a quiet little town to learn compassion but plot twist, he ends up falling in love instead. The book had perfect balance of romance and thriller/mystery aspect. I loved their banter. I’m always a sucker for a good paranormal romance ✨bonus point for a grumpy sidekick 🐱

3.5! This was a Potato Chip Book. Or a CW show, if you will. There were hot people, the plot was 100 mph, I couldn’t look away. We’ve got small town vibes, he’s a reaper and her soul is his next to reap, suspense, family drama, body guard/protector, insta-lust!

Sam finds himself banished to Redemption, North Carolina, on assignment to learn empathy and compassion at the orders of his father, Death. Adrianne has returned home to Redemption from Chicago, attempting to escape her stalker who is slowly ruining her life. Adrianne and Sam find themselves as unlikely friends of sorts and their fates become intertwined. I enjoyed the suspenseful plot of Adrianne dealing with her stalker, with Sam as her protector. I do feel the insta-lust and quick I love yous took away from the romance a bit. I had no idea how this was going to end but the ending was satisfying!

🖤 Small town vibes
🖤 Suspense
🖤 Protector/body guard
🖤 Family drama
🌶️🌶️ (chapters: 13, 17, 22)

I loved the concept. Super interesting and hooked me from the start. I loved their chemistry and how it bloomed throughout the whole book

What's the son of the Grim Reaper to do when daddy's pissed at how he's handling the job and he's got one last shot to do it right?
Samael is thrown in Redemption with $500 and the boots on his feet. He never guessed his assignment would end up being his last...
Adrianne is on the run from a stalker and never expects the hot hitchhiker to throw her world upside down...
Romance, suspense, and alittle comedy don't forget Chester the cat..this book has it all for a great read.