User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
DNF 9%
Yeah I'm only a few pages in and I already can't stand the annoying h, or the
snarky snark. Going to save myself from further eye rolls now and just give up.
k bye.
Rating: really liked it
I love the premises for this series and like most, I love a kick butt sassy, smart mouthed heroine. I'm not a prude when it comes to language by any means but I think like most things, there is a time and place for a well placed curse and this book has an excessive amount of them. Like, so over the top it is almost distracting and draws away from the story, which is too bad because like I said, this has a promising premises.
I'm debating whether or not to continue the series. I'm hoping the language will calm down because I think you can show sassy and tough without every other word coming out of her mouth being an f-bomb, you would think with two authors, they could come up with another way to express anger or sarcasm without all the language.
Rating: really liked it
With a sassy, constantly hungry, heroine and a sexy but grumpy hero, Reaper's Blood was an amazing and addictive read. An urban fantasy with a slow burn romance thrown in... what more could I ask for.
Tragic news has brought Salem Kaine back to town after 4 years away. Upon returning, due to her love of food, she dies. And her dormant supernatural gene gets activated and violá, she's alive again! But she's no longer just a human. She is a Reaper. A female one at that. She is a part of a society that is belongs just to the male species. The one person to find her at her worst and break the news of her new lifestyle is super sexy Alexander Graham Graves, III, best friend to Shepard (Salem's brother that died) and fellow Grimm Reaper. She is introduced to the whole new part of her world and many people close to her are supernaturals. Salem is an anomaly and it's best if she is kept as a secret until she gets to the bottom of her brother's death.
Salem is my spirit animal. She is so freaking hilarious and crazy. I LOVE HER!!! She is newly into her powers yet you can see that she is super powerful. Who doesn't love a heroine like that?! Her banter with Graves made me constantly crack up. They make the ultimate pair. They give off hate-ish vibes but they sexual tension is ever present and their lustiness towards each other basically leaks out of them. Tamsin, Salem's best friend, was the best supporting character. Their antics were hilarious especially the lies Tamsin came up with.
I did not want this book to end. It was too short. I liked blinked and it was done. Need more! March is so far away!
Rating: really liked it
I enjoy Hollie Jackson, so I decided to grab Reaper’s Blood on audio. This is a snarky first in the Grimm Brotherhood urban fantasy series featuring Salem Kaine.
Salem has no filter, thinks Hostess cupcakes are a food group and finds trouble. On her way into her hometown she swerves to avoid an animal and dies. Only she comes back as a Reaper. Or at least that is what Alexander Graham Graves, III, her brother’s best friend tell her. He is also a reaper.
Turns out the town Salem grew up in is a haven for all types of supernatural. Salem is stunned, but wants to keep what she is a secret so she can investigate her brother’s murder. She enlists Graves and her best friend, Tamsin who turns out to be a succubus.
The story delivers a little romance, a murder-mystery and trouble when the town council gets involved. Over the top humor, snark and danger await you.
Salem made me laugh, but also annoyed me. She says and acts how she thinks which gets her into trouble. Her personality at times is over the top, but there is room for growth and her instincts were good.
The chemistry between Salem and Graves is sizzling and looks like their relationship will be an overall ARC, along with mysteries and Salem’s unique skill set. Is she a reaper or more?
This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
Rating: really liked it
4,5 stars, I really loved this book, the banter between the main characters and het humor made it so good! The story is captivating and you really want to know what's going to happen!
Rating: really liked it
Hmm, I'm on the fence for this one...
The plot is good, the characters are fun and the setting is great. So what's the problem? Salem... I just really don't like her at all :(
You can have a snarky heroine and that's fine, or great even. Buuuuuuuut Salem is a tad overboard. It doesn't seem like there is another side to her, just the one mode, and that's a shame and in my opinion a missed opportunity.
So let's just review everything else :)
As stated the setting was good, all scenes and environments were clear and well described.
Pacing and flow were good, there was constantly something going on but without it being too much.
Graves and Tamsin felt real and believable, just like any other students you'd go to university with, well, except that they're supes ;)
Oh, and you've got to love the teensy bit excentric aunt :D
The book itself was well written with no (noticeable) errors and there is no sex described (if that is important to you).
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book and all in all it was enjoyable if only I liked Salem a bit more :( That said.. who knows, it might just be me ;)
If you like books with an unlikely hero(ine), some mystery and some romance, give it a go!
Rating: really liked it
Salem likes to eat, especially cupcakes. It's that exact love that gets her killed. Well, that and a huge animal that found its way onto the road.
She's dead but then she isn't anymore. First order of business? FIND THE CUPCAKES.
She gets caught in the act (attempting to rescue the cupcakes from her wrecked car) by none other than a grumpy guy with three first names who just so happens to be her dead brother's best friend and a reaper at that.
Salem's thrown into a world full of supernatural creatures who've been living undercover in her town for years and she has to figure out her own place among them while solving the mystery of her brother's death.
I LOOOOOOVE the vibes of this book. I couldn't help but think of Moonlight Falls (the Sims 3 neighbourhood) while reading. And the place names are so creative. My favourite is the Bitter Bean. IT'S JUST SO CUTE.
The bands mentioned are all top notch. I approve.
I love Salem and her endless eating. I feel like I'd probably die over food too, but in my case it would be my grandma's cherry pie. I'm also that person who would sooner save her books than herself if the building was on fire. I'd high five Salem but I can't do that through the screen :(
I like Graves too of course, in all his broody-ness, but the real stars of this book are crazy aunt Esme and Shep.
"Baaaaaaaad Salem." I died laughing every time. I need a blue demon sheep plushie. And an aunt who practices her shooting at midnight.
Tamsin's awesome. Feed on all the mortals girl.
I like Dom too (I blame the way he was described), typical of Salem to jump to conclusions so soon.
I didn't see the ending coming, not one bit. I should've but I didn't. After the ummm..."wake up" it was like a light bulb went off in my brain and I went "ohhhh, that's why that had to happen".
The villain...WHAT DID THEY EVER DO TO YOU? And poor lil sheep :(
This was so short, even though I stretched it throughout the afternoon/evening. The other two better be longer *waves fist in the air*.
Rating: really liked it
Original review
This book was provided by the authors through Wildfire Marketing Solutions in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Kel Carpenter, Meg Anne and Wildfire Marketing Solutions!
Reaper’s Blood is the first book in
The Grimm Brotherhood series and tells the story of Salem Kaine.
Reaper’s Blood is the second book I’ve read about reapers and I think it’s my favourite one so far. I really liked the story and I couldn’t stop reading. This book was so fast paced and well written! The story is amazing and I loved the characters.
Speaking of characters, let’s start with Salem. She’s such a badass woman, and she has no filter. She’s such a funny character and I enjoyed reading about her. Graves is another interesting character and I was interested in him from the beginning! I loved that Graves’ mum has OCD, I think these tiny representations are amazing in books.
Reaper’s Blood was such a great book and I couldn’t get enough of the story and the characters. I really loved this book and it’s definitely one of my favourite books of the year so far! I cannot wait to read the sequel,
Reaping Havoc!
Rating: really liked it
This was a fun and hilarious book, and I loved every second of it. This isn’t my usual type of fantasy book, but since there are grimm reapers in it, I decided to give it a read. And oh man how I really enjoyed it. I had a great time laughing out loud reading it.
The storyline was simple and easy to follow. It was basically about Salem who came back to her old hometown to search for her brother’s murderer, and also about her journey of trying to understand the whole supernatural world with the help of a mysterious stranger named Graves that happens to be her brother’s best friend. These two embarks on a journey of finding out who was behind the murder of Salem’s brother.
It was a very well-written story, and also an excellent one. As for the plot, it was so intriguing and full of mystery. The story was very well-plotted too, and there are so many mysteries regarding Salem’s brother’s death, and the werewolf attacks in the book. I feel like there was a connection there, but who was behind it still remain a mystery. As for the murderer, well that so unexpected and I hope the sequel will reveal more about what happened to Salem’s brother leading up to his death, and what was the murderer’s motive.
Trying to find the answers are what makes this story more enjoyable, and I can’t help but keep going on. I can’t even take a break because the story was very engaging, and I needed to know more about what was happening that made the current situation in the story so chaotic and deadly. I was really eager to find out the truth, and the ending left me with more questions. And I can’t wait for the sequel to reveal more about the murderer’s motive, the truth about the Gamma Rho’s president, the werewolf attacks, and what type of supernatural creature Salem actually is. I hope the sequel will be just as breathtaking as this one.
The characters are so fun and hilarious. They are the type of characters who will always entertain you, and you won’t get bored by them. Graves, Salem, and Tamsin...these three are the only characters that truly make this book alive with so many funny moments, even though the setting of the story kind of dull and scary.
Graves ever the serious reaper is so charming and a very swoon-worthy hero. I really admired his character. He was not only protective but he was also very helpful. He acted more of a leader and that just makes his character more intimidating than most. Despite how rough he can be, he was also sassy and very sarcastic. He is the type of person who will make others laugh with a very serious facial expression and without even trying to be funny. When he went into a strong and cold protective mode, I swooned. Graves does possessed so many great qualities, and his personality and attitude only makes him more likable. I was wondering if his character will have a little bit of change in the sequel—I mean in a good way. Anyway, I just can’t get enough of him, and I need more of Graves in the next book.
Salem is a very sassy and sarcastic heroine, perfectly fine for this type of story. I can’t blame her for acting so pissy throughout the whole book. If I were in her position, I would’ve done the same thing too. What I want to say is that, Salem is a very relatable person. I can relate to her in so many levels, and I understood why she asked too many questions and demanded answers. What she’d been through in the beginning of the story was tragic and traumatic for her, and yet she still managed to act normal. I admired her for being strong despite how confused she was about what she experienced.
Imagined that you were attacked by a scary creature and got into an accident, then you found out through a mysterious guy that you were actually a supernatural, and you just learned that supernatural world is real, and then trying to track down your brother’s murderer all in the span of less than 24 hours. I would’ve gone insane and get pissy too because no one ever told me this before. So I truly get why Salem acted the she is. But I expect her to have a great development in the sequel since she already lived up to her role as a reaper—the first female reaper in a clan full of male reapers. And I hope to see more of her training session with Graves. Salem is full of surprises, and I would like to think that she will be the one to save the supernatural world and the one who will change history. It would be very challenging for her after this since she is the first and only female reaper, and god knows how the reaper clan will treat her. I really liked her character, and her sarcasm always made me laugh so hard. I really needed that.
Tamsin, Dom, and James are the side characters the way I see it. But I wouldn’t be too surprise if the authors somehow upgrade their characters into the main ones. Tamsin is hilarious in a lot of ways, and oh man what a good laugh I had every time she opens her mouth to speak. The council scene had me wheezing, the way she made up her lies and then embarrassed Graves and Salem in front of the council was too funny. She surely knew how to light up a dull situation. I had a glimpse of what abilities she possessed after finding out that she is a succubus. As for Dom and James, well these two are still a mystery to me. Even though Salem said Dom wasn’t the one behind her brother’s death, but I still can’t rule him out yet. I feel like he hide something and that he’s not an overall a good guy. I had a right to be suspicious of him after the cemetery scene. And there was James, what a surprise he is. He doesn’t appeared too much in the story, but his been giving me a bad vibe. I need to learn more about him and why he did what he did.
There isn’t too much romance in the book, but I was grateful for that one hot scene between Graves and Salem. I knew somehow they will get together, but it takes time since both are still grieving the death of the one person they cared about. Plus, they were too busy with the supernatural stuff that they don’t have much time for romance. They are so compatible together, and I loved seeing closer they get the more they spend their time together. Their banter was hilarious, hence the reason why both of them are perfect together. Graves and Salem does have similar attitude and personality; both are sarcastic, stubborn, sometimes cold and sometimes sweet, easily annoyed, so determined, smart and obviously are great detectives. If they were to be in a relationship, I hope it will have a progress and have much better development.
This book was very interesting, perfect for fans who loves reading supernatural urban fantasy stories full of fun banters and hilarious moments. I hope to see more great actions and maybe some magic too, and also to learn more about the council roles in the next book. This book was filled with a lot of fun things and amazing adventure that will make you want to be part of it. I need more of Graves and Salem, and obviously Tamsin and her antics.
Rating: really liked it
There was no way I was going to let some kid from the Addams family know she’d just scared the ever-living crap out of me.
"Listen, Morticia, you don’t just sneak up on people in the middle of the woods. That’s a good way to go and get yourself killed.”
She blinked, a smile tilting up her lips. It was the creepiest fucking thing I’d ever seen. “That’s not my name.”
I scowled at her, anger swiftly replacing my fear. “Like I give two shits, kid.”
Sorry but word for word, this is what I imagine a narcissist or abuser's thought process to be like. And she doesn't get better.
It's not cute to be a complete insecure selfish asshole, even if it ends in character growth later on. No amount of mysterious family trauma justifies this behavior in adults.
Rating: really liked it
I read this because Kel Carpwrtwr's Twisted is the Crown series is one of my most favourite recent series. Sadly, this was nowhere near as good and didn't even feel like the same author, although I know this was co-wrote.
This is a light, shirt, fluffy read that was, for me, just okay.
I didn't really like the MC. She's one of those snarky types who is a bit obnoxious really and there doesn't seem to be a lot to her. But then, this isn't the sort of book with deep characterisation.
Graves is an okay love interest and they have some chemistry but I wasn't particularly engaged in it.
The plot was okay. It felt like, by the end of the book, there was the beginnings of something a bit more interesting coming, which might mean the second book is better than the first.
Rating: really liked it
So fun!I love the sass and moxy of this heroine. There have been so many times that I laughed out loud. I can't wait to see where this goes.
Rating: really liked it
Food. That’s really what women spend a lot of their day thinking about. (“Ugh, two hours until lunch?” “What am I doing for dinner?”) So really, can we blame Salem for being hangry and mad about dying…and not even being able to eat her cupcakes? After all, Salem herself says she has three modes: angry, hungry, and super angry. Totally worth crawling back into the car after her Hostess cupcakes to fix at least one of those problems. Right?
Salem could totally be my BFF. She’s brash, ballsy, totally has no filter, and why would she, as she experiences several WTF moments per day on her way to Reaperdom. Speaking of… let’s just get this out of the way now.
Read more at Wicked Cool Flight
Rating: really liked it
What do you do when your twin brother is murdered? You pack your stuff and go home, you know that pesky place you swore you would never go back to.
Only before you make it there, you'll risk your life for a Hostess Cupcake. Then you'll meet
Not-Morticia Mortica with all her creepyness, followed by a hella hot encounter with your brother's best friend, and to top off your return, you'll finally get a crash course in the supernatural.
Salem's personality is a hoot and her chemistry with Graves is off the charts. As the only female grimm, Salem knows the supernatural world harbours secrets, secrets she needs to uncover. But the answers she seeks come with a price.
Face-Paced, Witty, Electric and a brand new look on all that is supernatural, this book is a one sitting read if you have the time.
Rating: really liked it
If you love adventure, Witty banter and to be lost in a world unknown this is the book for you! Amazing! I really need the next book. These authors are amazing and I will never not say this! Please release the next one early. I loved it. Literally not a complaint at all.
