I'll admit that it took me a while to get into this one. I normally don't read YA books, as I want my FMC and MMC to be a bit older, but this book wasn't too bad. I wasn't expecting to feel satisfied with the ending to this book, but here we are.

I do believe this book had a satisfying ending, though I would have hoped for more books in this universe. I believe there are unresolved items in the book that could be solved with a follow-up novel, but that's just me.

I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that there was almost no romance in this book at all. I normally read books with a lot of romance and smut, but this book didn't need any of that. It was just fine the way it was, which isn't something I'd normally say either.

I'm fine with how things ended with this novel, and don't believe there needs to be a direct sequel, though I wouldn't be surprised if we did end up getting a follow-up novel, all the same. I wouldn't mind a follow-up and would read it if one shows up.

The writing style is also blessedly simplistic, which is the obvious way to go if you're writing a YA book. Again, this is not a genre I'd normally go for but I love the eerie atmosphere of the book. I also don't normally go for books set in school settings but I enjoyed this book, strangely enough.

I'd recommend this book if you don't mind the lack of romance and smut. There is one scene where the FMC and MMC are discussing a pornographic scene that she was sent by the ghost but that's the extent of the sexual content unless you include the teasing the FMC gets for being a virgin.

Ok I have to be honest, I DNF’d this book at 60%.
I was really excited, because I liked the premise, it did not live up to my hopes, however.
So, our main character Rose’s college roommate dies in a tragic accident. Rose keeps seeing her ghost around, and runs into our MMC Val, who is a “seeker,” a type of witch hunter/finder. He believes that she had something to do with her roommate's death. Rose has some, honestly, very cool gifts. She can see people’s “shadows” which whisper their secrets and can tell if people are telling lies. I think that’s a very unique power and was excited to see how it was utilized. Aside from some minor lie detector tricks though, it didn’t really come into play. (At least as far as I got.)
Anyways, as the plot progresses and they attempt to solve the mystery of her roommate's death/murder, Rose and Val find themselves spending more time together.
I honestly couldn’t stand their dynamic. That may just be a me thing, I’m not a fan of the “innocent” FMC and Mysterious older bad boy MMC. That was the main reason I DNF’d this. I was very interested in the plot, and it was getting interesting, but their dialogue just felt really juvenile to me and I was cringing every time they had a conversation.

Overall, not a bad plot, I think maybe the two MC’s relationship would have felt more at home in like a YA/high school setting though.

Ability to see the dead? Check. Trying to solve her dead roommates murder? Also check. This was mysterious and fun and so great.

I related to this book so much, as someone who struggled with bullying and low self-esteem. This book tackles these topics in a supernatural murder mystery style that feels unique. The book follows Rose as she is in the middle of a murder mystery, when her roommate is drowned at a party. A party Rose doesn't remember attending.

The author does a great job keeping the reader in the dark about the paranormal and giving clues little by little as the story goes on and the Rose (MC) explores her potential and reflects on what she is capable of, you start to wonder if you should cheer her on or be afraid for her.

Death Becomes her is a great book and the plot and the romance makes you keep coming back for more. Something I did not realize is that this is more of a horror/scary book. It is not my typical read, however, I still greatly enjoyed reading Val and Roses' romance story. I also enjoyed the dynamics between Val, Rose and Dawn. Overall, I enjoyed this book and definitely recommend reading it. I will be counting the days until the next book comes out!

I had a hard time reading this and only got five chapters in before putting it down. The premise was really interesting, I liked how Rose’s personality was displayed, and I love the cover art, but the execution was ultimately lacking.

I just couldn’t get over the fact that in the first two chapters, we’re supposed to believe paramedics brought an unconscious girl back to her bedroom without waiting for her to sober up or taking her to at least a clinic. It made everything that followed feel unnatural to me.

Instead of having Rose’s actual thoughts or emotions about things, the narration frequently makes statements spelling things out as if this were a book for younger readers.

The language Rose uses to describe her brother is also used to describe the love interest, which made me feel uncomfortable.

Being very picky:
There were multiple grammatical/sentence structure errors that threw me out of the story. For example, all in Chapter 2:
“As I left the dorm, I rushed down the marbles steps in Birdsong Park, the well maintained square green area between Nightingale and Lark.” > How is she already in a park if she is in the process of leaving the dorm building? Should say “After I left the dorm” or have an action she did while still in the building/act of leaving.
“I dashed at him, and before he could even react, I lunged into a tight embrace.” > If he hasn’t reacted, how is she in his embrace? She would be embracing him.
“My brother took a deep, heavy sigh.” > you could say “he took a deep breath” maybe, but you “let out” a sigh. This was also third in a chain of back to back sighs after a previous “deep breath”.

Review: Death Becomes Her by Ina Harrington

This story pulled me in with its eerie atmosphere, layered mystery, and complex, quietly powerful main character. Rose’s ability to see the dead is both a curse and a key, and her struggle to escape her past while unraveling her roommate’s death felt raw and real.

The dark university setting, ghostly tension, and hints of ancient magic made the world feel lived-in and unsettling in the best way. I really loved the slow-burn dynamic between Rose and Val—it added just enough tension without distracting from the emotional weight of the story.

A haunting, emotionally charged paranormal mystery with found family, dark secrets, and a heroine you can’t help but root for. I’m already looking forward to book two.

Death Becomes Her presents a promising concept with an intriguing ghost, a semi-magical school setting, and a protagonist whose backstory offers real potential. The idea of magical houses within an otherwise non-magical school added a unique twist, and the haunting presence at the center of the plot was compelling enough to keep the pages turning.


However, the execution didn’t quite live up to the premise. The narrative voice felt overly juvenile—perhaps skewing too far into YA territory—and made it difficult to connect with the characters on a deeper level. The introduction of magic was chaotic and underdeveloped; by the end, I still didn’t have a clear sense of how the magic system worked or what its rules were. Additionally, the relationship between Rose and Val was muddled. Val’s personality, age, and maturity felt inconsistent, which made their dynamic hard to understand or invest in.


Overall, while Death Becomes Her has a few bright spots, it left me wishing for more clarity, stronger character development, and a more grounded magical framework.

Thank you NetGalley and Harrington Publishing the ARC!

3.5-3.75/5

This was such a unique and intriguing urban fantasy/paranormal story!

I thought this magic system was very cool and unique (and I always love coming across a new magic system that I haven't really seen before).

This is set in an English university and follows Rose, our main character and a loner. She can see the dead.

I loved how the characters interacted with each other and their dynamics, they were really fun. Especially when it came to solving the mystery of Rose's roommate. I think that's what made their relationships really shine.

There is also a touch of romance in this book!

This is the first book in a new series and I will certainly be coming back for the sequel!

And I think this cover is so pretty!

I don't want to say anything else because I feel like anything else will be crossing over into spoiler territory, but just know that I had a great time reading this (and was so close to giving it a 4/5, but some moments just felt a tad dragged out). I would definitely recommend. This is the kind of book that I think would be best if you knew as little as possible going in, let the mysteries and spooky whimsiness really surprise you.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Death Becomes Her was a compelling paranormal mystery, with an intriguing magic system and a romance sub-plot, which was the perfect amount for a book like this in my opinion.

Rose Walker is a social outcast, who moves from her small town in Colorado to Banecroft University in England. Rose has a life-long gift (or curse, depending on how you see it!) of being able to see the dead, and when just her roommate Eleanor dies, Rose finds her new beginning start to collapse before it’s truly even started.

At times I felt like the dialogue was a little drawn out and I wasn’t particularly engaged with the characters, although I really loved the dynamic between Rose, Val and Dawn as they worked together to unravel the mystery of what happened to Eleanor.

This book is the first instalment in the Death’s Legacy series, and whilst Death Becomes Her didn’t fully captivate my soul, it was a solid read and I look forward to finding out what comes next at Banecroft.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harrington Publishing for a complimentary early release copy of Death Becomes Her by Ina Harrington.

I didn’t really know what to expect going into Death Becomes Her, the premise sounded interesting but what mainly drew me in is the absolutely stunning book cover! I was also intrigued because it’s a mystery & thriller with fantasy elements and I just haven’t read many mystery fantasy novels. Death Becomes Her does not disappoint! I enjoyed all of our characters, I liked Rose and her brother Tyler, they made a good pair as an opposites attract kind of thing. I liked that they had positive relationship, I do however hope that we get more of Tyler in the next books. He seems like an interesting character, I liked how he stood up for Rose and was protective of her but I felt that we could have gotten just a bit more background with him. (I would love a perspective from Tyler!).

Val and Rose are a good pairing, I was a bit iffy about Val when things were first introduced but as the story goes on he really did grow on me! The broody mysterious personality of Val and the anxious & clueless personality of Rose worked well together. Both of them have some funny and cute scenes that made me smile, I definitely ship them together! The romance between them is teased a bit in this book but this series is definitely going to be a slow, slow kind of burn. The teasing tension between them is there though so it’s definitely worth it! I did find it just a bit repetitive that Val was so dodgy about things but I’m eager to learn more about him in future books.

The dynamic between Rose, Val, and Dawn is nice! I liked their whole group dynamic but I really hope Dawn is more included in the story in the next book. I loved her character but I would have loved to see her be a bit more involved with things.

The plot was intriguing, I found the mystery and fantasy elements to be interesting. I really liked Rose’s abilities and found them unique. This book was a page turner and it goes by rather quickly, there are so many things I found enjoyable about thing book. The characters, romance, friendships, abilities, and much more. While I did enjoy the story overall I think some of the fantasy elements with the mage seekers, veil, and the ending went a bit over my head. I still have some questions and stuff I feel a bit clueless about but I still had a pleasant reading experience with Death Becomes her. I would definitely be interested to see what the next installments would include, I need more of Val and Rose immediately! As a side note, The authors note and you matter message are so sweet. I really recommend reading them! This book touches on topics of bullying, grief, mental health, and self harm. Please read with caution if you are sensitive to those topics!

This book this book was bluntly refreshing I have so many emojis in my head for this lol it was juicy I live every single page

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I have felt all the things while reading Death Becomes Her. Most of all, I feel that this is a story that needs to be talked about.

This story covers urban fantasy and paranormal murder mystery. Read the blurb for full details, but Rose is a college student with witchy powers. After her roommate dies, she begins to experience hauntings that become increasingly dangerous. For everyone’s safety, Rose needs to figure out what happened to her roommate in order to bring peace to the dead.

My hot-take is that ghost stories are hard to write well. Without just the right flair, they can either be cliché, or turn into a Scooby Doo mystery. Ina nailed it. Seriously. This book is scary…and you are immersed so wonderfully that it is not campy or silly.

Can we talk about the romance subplot? It is more of a side quest, and it is the slowest of slow burns. And yet…what a gift to read Rose and Val’s story. I so appreciate that the romance element does not distract from the horror of the story. More like the sprinkles on top of the donut, the story would have been fine without it, but look at the added beauty.

Every girl needs a best friend - and Dawn is a TREASURE. Seriously. Ina writes secondary characters that add layers of depth to the story without becoming too much. Dawn is vibrant, special, and hilarious, adding lighter notes to an often dark story.

It’s one thing to be able to emulate real-world experience through writing and another to make real the unreal. To die, to be haunted, to experience the paranormal. All of these sensations are brought to life, giving me chills goosebumps along the way. Thank you, Ina, for writing such a wonderful story. I can’t wait for my paperback in August!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

Death Becomes Her was a fast-paced, entertaining book and a promising start to a new series. It features mysteries, horror elements, LGBTQ representation, and an interesting magical system and world. I definitely enjoyed reading Death Becomes Her, and once I started, I ended up flying through it in about two days (which I think is a testament to how engaged I was)!

From the premise and the comparisons, I was definitely intrigued, but I didn’t really know what to expect. I’ll admit that, initially, the writing style and narrative voice took me a bit to get into. I mainly felt that it sounded more juvenile than I expected, considering these characters are in university and it’s labeled as New Adult on NetGalley. The “younger” tone of the book is definitely consistent to the end, but I began thinking of it as Young Adult. Once I made that distinction in my head, I had a really good time reading. I enjoyed learning about the magical world, getting to know the characters, and seeing their feelings for each other evolve. I was also pleasantly surprised that the author focused more on world-building, solving the mysteries, and self-discovery rather than the romance!

Overall, I thought the world and characters were well-developed and that Death Becomes Her was a good introduction to a new series. If the premise sounds like something you’d enjoy, I definitely recommend giving this book a try!

Rose Walker has always been able to see the dead.

Determined to leave that part of her life behind, she leaves her small Colorado town. She accepts a scholarship to Banecroft University in England, where no one there knows about her ability.

But when Rose’s roommate, Eleanor, dies under mysterious circumstances, her hopes of leaving her past behind are broken, crushed, stomped on. Haunted by Eleanor’s ghost and missing memories from the night of her roommate's death, Rose doesn’t know if her friend’s spirit seeks answers—or revenge, and let me tell you, neither do we. She’s not at all friendly, but neither would I be if I were murdered.

Desperate for the truth, Rose teams up with her new friend, Dawn, and a dangerously sexy and charming Mage Seeker, Val, who forces her to question everything she thought she knew about her abilities, despite not knowing very much. But when another student is attacked, it’s clear that her roommate’s death is just the beginning, and time is short.

I get absolutely giddy over a paranormal mystery, especially when it comes to paranormal themes in general, but a paranormal mystery? Count me in. Therefore, I was confident I would thoroughly enjoy this story, and I did. It's the perfect package of self-discovery, first love, and magic!

First of all, I had beef with Rose at the beginning. She doesn’t like being called a witch, and I understand her perspective, but what I would do to be a present-day witch and be called a witch is a dream. Poor Rose, she came to England to escape her past, she was thrown through the wringer, and she wasn’t even my favourite character. The guilt weighed heavily on my heart. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed her character, and with this being the first of a series, she was written in a way that she has room for development, and I’m going to be here for her all the way. She’s going to have her moment of badassery, and I cannot wait. The character that holds my heart was Dawn, Val was high up there too, but Dawn. Girl, she crushed it with the vibes. A girl’s girl. You know there’s more to her, and you’re just waiting for it, and then the emotions. They hit hard. She was a great character. Would love it if she were my friend. I could go on about the characters, because they each had something to love, but you’ll have to see for yourself!

I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline. It was spot on with the mystery; I didn’t know what to expect, and even as the story progressed, I was completely immersed, struggling to put it down. It just kept getting more and more chilling, and even a little grotesque with a hint of naive, first love. The first love was spot on; it was cute without trying to be cute. We’ve all been in this girl's position with the first love, you know, so completely relatable. What wasn’t relatable, though, was Rose’s battles with the dead. Give the girl a break. Luckily, she had Val there for some guidance; he was a typical prick, though, but a caring one. Their dynamic was enjoyable! The way they journeyed through this outrageous situation was quite inspiring. Once I got to the end, you would have had to pull the book out of my cold, dead hands to get it away from me. I couldn’t stop reading.

I’m so glad this is the first novel in the Death’s Legacy series; it would be impossible to end there. Rose needs her moment of badassery, she had a bit of one, but this girl is a strong woman; she will be delivering more, and I can’t wait.

Thank you so much, Ina… for the hole in my chest while I wait for the next book in the series to come out.

Descriptors/Tropes:
Paranormal Mystery
LGBTQ+ Representation
Slow Burn Romance
Witches, Magic, Death
Coming of Age
Vulnerable FMC
Supportive, will call out your BS Bestie

I am a scaredy cat when it comes to anything that could potentially have horror in it. Glad to report I was not scared completely, and was so thoroughly into this book that I could not put it down.

Rose breathed life into my soul because her reactions felt authentic. If I were in her shoes, as much as I would want to be this badass FMC off the get, I would probably be in a bathroom screaming my head off if my dead roommate manifested. She spent her life with the shit end of a stick, repressing herself and her powers to try and be normal.

In comes Val, who, for the first time in Rose’s life, feels like someone believes her. Val is a sour patch kid, he does/says something completely dickish then he’s sweet. Tattooed, Broody, Chain pants, rides a motorcycle, but not invincible.. Oh, did I mention he has a hero complex? The perfect MMC to complement our FMC.

Now, my favorite character, Dawn. I will protect her with my life, if anyone hurts her…. I swear…. She is the epitome of someone who accepts you for who you are and will tell you how it is. She brings so much humor to the story, and watching her interact with Val & Rose is iconic. I want more banter, more of her story, and everything just her. This book has LGBTQ+ representation, which made my heart soar.

Usually, when reading a mystery, I can figure out who the culprit is quickly, but I could not with this book. It felt like I was doing quadratic equations in my head. While figuring out what happened to Eleanor is the main mystery, we see other potential stories being unlocked, and what mysteries lie with them?? I honestly cannot wait to see the direction Ina goes with this series.

Ina & Netgalley- Thank you so much for the ARC copy!

Netgalley Arc Read
Rose Walker has always been able to see the dead.
Determined to leave that part of her life behind, she accepts a scholarship to Banecroft University in England, far from her small, judgmental Colorado town. No one there knows about her gift—or the past she’s desperate to forget.

But when Rose’s roommate, Eleanor, dies under mysterious circumstances, her new beginning shatters. Haunted by Eleanor’s ghost and missing memories from the night of her death, Rose doesn’t know if her friend’s spirit seeks answers—or revenge.

I had a lot of fun with this book! I didn’t know what to expect going into the book, but I was thoroughly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I did find the first half of the book kind of slow, but once I hit the 50% mark, it was like a rollercoaster of a story. I’m interested to see where this series goes. A couple of the chapters had me like "whoaaa” because I wasn’t expecting them.
I felt bad for Rose, trying to run from her past in a new city/school where nobody knows her except for her twin, and all it does is bite her in the arse. Though, she seems to be able to surround herself with a few people who have her best interests in mind. I found myself flip flopping between loving and disliking the characters. Ina did a great job at making me second guess Val’s intentions with Rose. I found myself doubting him just like Rose was as I was reading. I love Dawn, I think she’s someone that everyone needs in their life. A person who’s 100% in your corner no matter what. I’m hopeful to see further character growth as the series goes on.
I wish the book went further into the magic system. I kept hoping it would get further in depth as it went along, that maybe Val would give further details or more would be explained but it didn’t. I’m hopeful that as the series goes forward we learn more about how everything works and we see how Rose grows into herself as she learns.

Haunted. Heart-wrenching. Hot damn.

Let’s get real: Death Becomes Her didn’t just grip me—it shoved the supernatural under my skin and refused to let go. I started reading and suddenly every other book in the world felt like filler.

If you’re into paranormal fantasy stitched with mystery, emotional stakes, and just enough romantic tension to keep the pages turning—you’ve found your match. Rose Walker’s journey is beautifully broken, haunting, and unapologetically human.

⚠️ Trigger Warnings
- Ghosts & death
- Grief, guilt, trauma
- Suspicious roommate demise
- Magic and academic eeriness
- Slow-burn romance
- Mental and emotional distress

🌀 Synopsis
Rose Walker has always seen dead people. She’s desperate to escape—so she leaps across the pond to Banecroft University in England. It’s a fairy-tale escape… until her roommate Eleanor dies under mysterious circumstances. Now Rose is literally haunted, stuck with missing memories and a ghost that might be out for justice.

She reluctantly teams up with Dawn—a clever, guarded friend—and Val, a dangerously charming Mage Seeker who upends everything Rose thought she knew about her powers…and herself. When more students get attacked, it becomes crystal clear: Eleanor was only the beginning.

This is dark academia meets ghost-story mystery, layered with first-love whispers and a heroine worth rooting for.

📝 Favourite Quote
“Was it my fault, again?”
That line stopped me cold. It speaks volumes—guilt, fear, doubt—without shouting. It’s a question Rose carries like a knot in her chest, and it stuck.

🔍 What to Expect
- A haunting paranormal mystery
- Deep grief and complicated guilt
- Clever magic in a gothic school setting
- An emotional slow-burn romance
- Friends who feel more real than most
- Twists you won’t see coming
-A heroine grappling with trauma—and choosing to fight

💭 Final Thoughts
Death Becomes Her crystalizes everything I adore in dark fantasy: a heroine who’s fragile and fierce, a story that creeps rather than slashes, and an emotional core that hits just right. Rose isn’t flawless—she’s feeling her way forward. And that makes her compelling as hell.

Dawn stole my heart—sharp, supportive, secretly hacking her own mystery. Val’s arrogance was offset by depth I didn’t expect. Together, they carried Rose through hallways of death, memory gaps, and growing power.

I couldn’t stop turning pages. The tension, the stakes, the raw emotional beats—they were perfectly crafted. Rose’s question—“Was it my fault, again?”—isn’t just a line. It’s the pulse of the plot.

And yes, I’ll be here for every subsequent book. Rose isn’t done growing. Neither am I in my excitement to see what happens next.

🔮 What’s Next from Ina Harrington
This is the first installment in the Death’s Legacy series. With the emotional and magical ground laid here, I can’t wait to see Rose evolve—and the secrets Banecroft reveal.

⭐ Final Rating
★★★★★ (5/5)
Would hand over my soul and borrow someone else’s to binge book two.

📢 Call to Action
If you’re craving a ghost story with guts, grief-soaked emotions, and a heroine learning to wield her pain as power—Death Becomes Her is your jam.