✨Love her. Protect her. Reap her soul✨

Samael can’t change fate. It’s a cardinal rule—reap the souls, help humans pass to the afterlife, but never interfere with someone marked for death. Then again, he’s never met Adrianne Sharp. Back home from Chicago and hiding from her traumatic past, Adrianne has no idea that her days are numbered, nor that the man protecting her from her stalker has been sent to watch her die. Their connection is instant and earth-shattering, but as her st@lker closes in, Samael must decide: will he reap her soul? Or can he save it?

Look, I’ll be honest—Samael requires some serious suspension of disbelief. You’re telling me that a woman being actively stalked by a mysterious stranger would be remotely interested in a romantic and sexual relationship with, you guessed it, a mysterious stranger, less than two days after he shows up with no ID and no money in the town she moved to so she could, and let me reiterate this, ESCAPE HER STALKER?! It’s a hard sell, especially since the plot spans no more than a week—I prefer a solid slow burn to insta-love, and the timeline of the story, which takes place over a few days, doesn’t allow for the kind of believable tension or trust I was hoping for to develop.

That said, Samael reads like a Hallmark movie version of Lucifer, and once I forced my brain to shut up and get on board with the premise, I had a surprisingly fun time rooting for Sam to protect Adrianne, her little lavendar farm, her grumpy cat, and her complete lack of common sense and self-preservation. The ‘Grim Reaper seeking redemption’ angle, Walters’ straightforward prose, and the snappy (if somewhat Swiss cheesy) plot kept me turning the page, and though the story isn’t life changing, it’s quick, entertaining, and bingeable—a solid pick for thriller and paranormal romance readers alike.

3.5 stars

3.5 ⭐️

The grim reaper isn’t happy with how one of his sons, Samael, has been doing his job. He’s seemed to have lost all his empathy and dear old dad wants to change that. He sends Sam to a small town on a mission to reap a woman’s soul and prove to his father that he can dig deep to find that empathy once again.

Adrianne wanted to prove that she could make it in a big city and make a name for herself. She finds herself with a bit of a stalker problem and eventually moves back home once her grandma passes away.

I overall enjoyed the story of Sam and Adrianne but wanted a little more from it. The story of Adrianne’s stalker felt like it took over a lot of the book and Sam was almost an afterthought. I thought that this could have been a YA novel if the few spicy scenes had been taken out.

Thank you to the Entangled Publishing team for the ARC

Once I started I found it difficult to put down.
There is love, tension, mystery, slow burn that defies logic.
I loved the Reapers insight, it’s a first for me and I read a lot of fantasy.
I read a lot of controversial reviews about this book but I loved it, it hooked me right from the start.

Thanks to Entangled and Netgalley for letting me read it as an eARC.

4.5 stars.
This moved quickly in the beginning and got straight to the plot. I loved reading how the big bad reaper who didn’t care for anyone in the world suddenly developed feelings. So basically Samael made dad mad by not doing well at his job as a reaper, and not just any reaper, but the son of the grim reaper himself. Samael got dropped in the middle of nowhere with his powers locked down no money and no help. His mission: to learn compassion. Along comes Adrianne and complicates things. All Samael can think of is her and as a reaper he knows he is there to eventually collect her soul so he can’t get attached. Until he does…

I enjoyed this book it was fast, but appropriately paced. I also enjoyed the characters and the storyline. There were some minor redundancies, but nothing so dramatic that it took away from the book. In the story, we are introduced to Samael, a reaper and the son of Death who has become apathetic in his work and to the feelings of those he must reap. Death (aka his Dad) gives him a final chance in the small town of Redemption (oh, the irony) to learn how to be a better reaper and show compassion towards humans. While on this journey he meets Adrianne, a down to earth good person, who intrigues him in ways he doesn’t understand…but he is soon conflicted when he learns that she’s his next assignment. Adrianne has challenges that she has to face and Samael quickly has to learn his true priorities. Extra credit for Adrianne whose favorite movie is The Crow (with Brandon Lee) – I love that movie! Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the eARC.

Quick story about the reaper's son and what he is willing to do to save the woman that he has come to love. The story focused on Samael's actions and how little thought he placed into the lives of those individuals he was meant to guide over to the other side. We get a lot of action packed scenes in the book and some spice as well.

Thank you to Brittany and the Entangled team for the eARC!

Marked by Death, Saved by Love
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️/5
🪦This book surprised me in the best way. Samael, our reaper-turned-reluctant-hero, is as callous as you’d expect from someone who deals in death—but that cold demeanor slowly cracks, and what’s underneath is pure gold. His internal struggle not to care about Adrienne is one of the best parts of the book. He keeps telling himself he doesn’t care, but his actions (and the author’s clever use of language) betray him. It’s the perfect case of “bro’s in denial.”

The tension between Samael and Adrienne is so well done. There’s an initial attraction, but it’s not rushed into insta-love. It builds in a way that feels earned, even with the paranormal stakes at play. I especially loved the simplicity and emotional weight of a single hug between them—it was tender, intimate, and more powerful than most steamy scenes.

Adrienne isn’t just a love interest—she’s got her own arc, and there’s a genuine sense of mystery around her. Is she being stalked? What is she afraid of? And did Samael’s temporary humanity (thanks to his dad?) impact how deeply he connected with her?

The juxtaposition of Samael trying not to care, while slowly unraveling emotionally, is so satisfying. His charity work, his empathy, his realism—all of it makes his eventual vulnerability hit even harder. And that savory/spicy scene? I knew it was going to be a HEA, but it still brought me close to tears.

Samael’s father also had a surprisingly emotional arc. Watching him finally recognize his own coping mechanisms—and how they affected his son—was a standout moment that added depth beyond the romance.

If I had one small wish, it would be to see even more of Samael’s hidden romantic side. But even as it is, this book gave me tension, heartache, tenderness, and a beautifully-earned love story. 💀

Thank you to the author and Entangled for this ARC!

So good, I read it in 6 hours (I couldn't put it down!!).

Samael is one of the sons of Death, a Reaper, and his father isn't exactly happy with how he has been doing his job recently. His way to fix things? Drop Samael on the outskirts of the town of Redemption and have him learn compassion and empathy. He has one simple job: guide this soon-to-be-dead soul to the afterlife. Easy, right? Yea, that's what he thought...until he met Adrianne. The undeniable pull they have to each other that snapped into place the moment they first met. The catch? Adrianne has some dark secrets of her own. Oh, and she is the one who is going to die, the one Sam has to help pass. But can he put aside his feelings, or is he willing to give up everything for her?

I can't get over how fast I read this book (I think 6 hours is a personal record in how fast I read a book!). It was THAT good. Add in the fact that she has a stalker?!?! and I was SOLD. It had the perfect amount of suspense, romance, spice, and who can't forget the show-stopping, cantankerous, big grey cat 😂

The epilogue ending?! Book 2 needs to get here ASAP!

Being the son of Death cannot be easy and after thousands of years reaping souls, Samael Blackwell, has grown bored with it all to the dismay of his father. Giving him one last chance to show he does have compassion for those he reaps, Death sends him to the small town of Redemption. With little money and none of his usual Reaper powers he happens upon Adrianne Sharp. Adrianne is a little distant but kindspirited. But what seems like a chance meeting turns out not to be since it is her soul that he is meant to take.
Samael by NJ Walters was a good mix of suspense, paranormal and romance. I enjoyed the overall storyline and the mystery needing to solved. I liked the conflict and connection between Sam and Adrianne. The builded up towards the end is where I found myself most intrigued since there were many thrilling and emotional moments. The 3rd person POV worked well for this story since it has kinda an otherworldly feel. I definitely look forward to the rest of the series.
Thank you Entangled Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was suspenseful, sweet, steamy, fun and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

I actually enjoyed this book, and found it quite a cute and easy read! while it didn’t blow me away, it was still a fun little escape into the world of brooding immortals and fated romance.

The characters were likeable enough, even if they didn’t have a ton of depth. The romance was definitely on the insta-love side, which isn’t always my favorite — but hey, sometimes you just want your paranormal hotties to fall fast and hard, right? The plot was predictable, but it had a nice pace and the stalker-suspense element added just enough tension to keep me turning pages.

The ending felt a bit rushed (like, wait… that’s it?), but it did leave room for the rest of the series to build on. If you’re into quick, easy paranormal romances with a touch of danger and a lot of brooding, this one’s worth a go — just don’t expect anything groundbreaking.

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