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When the bodies of murdered prostitutes start piling up in Whitechapel, Lilly knows it’s a fellow reaper gone rogue—a man the living call Jack the Ripper.
***
Lilly Gordon delivers death to unsuspecting souls, Fate’s decisions carried out with a simple touch. But when a woman is found brutally slain before her destined time to die, Jack, Lilly’s ex-lover and a fellow reaper, is fingered for the crime, the evidence undeniable.
As the only one who’s been close to Jack, Lilly finds herself dragged into the investigation by Lord Mason Archer, chancellor to the reapers. But Lilly and Mason have a past of their own, and the long hours spent in Mason’s company leave Lilly falling for the difficult man who not only infuriates her, but makes her heart race. With the latest victim mutilated beyond recognition, it seems the killings cannot get any more heinous—but there’s more than one force at work, and Lilly soon realizes there are things far worse than death and dismemberment when dealing with Jack the Ripper.
***Author’s Some scenes may not be appropriate for readers under the age of eighteen.***
***
Lilly Gordon delivers death to unsuspecting souls, Fate’s decisions carried out with a simple touch. But when a woman is found brutally slain before her destined time to die, Jack, Lilly’s ex-lover and a fellow reaper, is fingered for the crime, the evidence undeniable.
As the only one who’s been close to Jack, Lilly finds herself dragged into the investigation by Lord Mason Archer, chancellor to the reapers. But Lilly and Mason have a past of their own, and the long hours spent in Mason’s company leave Lilly falling for the difficult man who not only infuriates her, but makes her heart race. With the latest victim mutilated beyond recognition, it seems the killings cannot get any more heinous—but there’s more than one force at work, and Lilly soon realizes there are things far worse than death and dismemberment when dealing with Jack the Ripper.
***Author’s Some scenes may not be appropriate for readers under the age of eighteen.***
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 30, 2012
8 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
Calista Taylor
7 books94 followersCalista Taylor is an agented author of steampunk/gaslight romance and non-fiction, with a steampunk clothing craft book due out in September 2012 and now available for pre-order. When not running things over with a sewing machine or lacing herself into a corset, Calista can be found tapping away on her laptop, tormenting her characters, and riddling the streets of Victorian London with dead bodies and heaving bosoms. She’s also a creative cook who can't follow recipes, a versatile crafter, and a happy geek.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 4, 2018
In a word? Torture.
For the first book, I expected a bit more clarification about the world itself, the structure of her new status etc. It is clear that it is a Victorian setting, but the order is still unclear. There are Fates, Elders, counselors, lieutenants, trackers and reapers as well as other positions. I do not understand why she is a reaper if she hates it so much. Why was she chosen? Why hasn't she asked for another job if it is possible? If she is so miserable and sad while doing it, then why not just ask them to let her truly die? The story just gives me more and more unanswered questions.
The plot is disappointing. I expected some real action and mystery. But mostly it is just about the heroine's "relations" and her whining about her life. Boring.
The heroine is truly awful. She is whiny and annoying. First she says she is STILL absolutely in love with her Scottish lover, then she is hurt, because she was (is?) in love with Jack an he didn't share his secrets with her, then she is absolutely sure she is in love with Mason, but still has feeling for her Scottish lover. For the love of.. Can you just decide, please?! I am sure it was meant to portray her sensibility and loving nature, but right now all I can say is that she is falling in "love" with every man she sleeps with, because she is a weak person who needs a man "to hold her"and "protect her", which is the annoying part. It is a real mockery of "love". The whiny part comes when she is whining instead of helping with the investigation. She doesn't say anything she has seen (so why is she surprised when they extract it by force?), she doesn't help, instead just being whiny and weak - "Oh, I am so tired", "Oh, I don't want to see this", "Oh I hate my job" and of course "Oh, my heart won't survive this" and "Oh, my heart won't survive that". Gag.
The hero (Mason) is almost perfect. In the beginning it is very clear that he is in love with her and tends to her every whim. But then suddenly he is in denial about his feelings. Like one moment he is all "from the first moment I saw her I know she would bring me nothing but heartache, but I want her body and soul" and then suddenly "this is just casual relations, no heart involved ". He keeps switching from her being the love of his life to her being just a hookup. Totally unnecessary. Or just badly written. Depends on how you look at it, I guess.
So to sum up, I did not enjoy this book. It annoyed me more than entertained me.
Cover - 4
Plot - 1
Heroine - 1
Hero- 3.5
Romance - 1
Avoiding cliche - 2
Fluency - 2
Ending - 2
-------------
Overall - 2.0625
For the first book, I expected a bit more clarification about the world itself, the structure of her new status etc. It is clear that it is a Victorian setting, but the order is still unclear. There are Fates, Elders, counselors, lieutenants, trackers and reapers as well as other positions. I do not understand why she is a reaper if she hates it so much. Why was she chosen? Why hasn't she asked for another job if it is possible? If she is so miserable and sad while doing it, then why not just ask them to let her truly die? The story just gives me more and more unanswered questions.
The plot is disappointing. I expected some real action and mystery. But mostly it is just about the heroine's "relations" and her whining about her life. Boring.
The heroine is truly awful. She is whiny and annoying. First she says she is STILL absolutely in love with her Scottish lover, then she is hurt, because she was (is?) in love with Jack an he didn't share his secrets with her, then she is absolutely sure she is in love with Mason, but still has feeling for her Scottish lover. For the love of.. Can you just decide, please?! I am sure it was meant to portray her sensibility and loving nature, but right now all I can say is that she is falling in "love" with every man she sleeps with, because she is a weak person who needs a man "to hold her"and "protect her", which is the annoying part. It is a real mockery of "love". The whiny part comes when she is whining instead of helping with the investigation. She doesn't say anything she has seen (so why is she surprised when they extract it by force?), she doesn't help, instead just being whiny and weak - "Oh, I am so tired", "Oh, I don't want to see this", "Oh I hate my job" and of course "Oh, my heart won't survive this" and "Oh, my heart won't survive that". Gag.
The hero (Mason) is almost perfect. In the beginning it is very clear that he is in love with her and tends to her every whim. But then suddenly he is in denial about his feelings. Like one moment he is all "from the first moment I saw her I know she would bring me nothing but heartache, but I want her body and soul" and then suddenly "this is just casual relations, no heart involved ". He keeps switching from her being the love of his life to her being just a hookup. Totally unnecessary. Or just badly written. Depends on how you look at it, I guess.
So to sum up, I did not enjoy this book. It annoyed me more than entertained me.
Cover - 4
Plot - 1
Heroine - 1
Hero- 3.5
Romance - 1
Avoiding cliche - 2
Fluency - 2
Ending - 2
-------------
Overall - 2.0625
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2012
Ms. Taylor has really outdone herself with Jack - A Grim Reaper Romance. The quality of the writing is excellent, the characters are relatable and real, and the concept of Grim Reapers during the time of Jack the Ripper is fresh and exciting!
I've read both novels in the Viridis series and I thought the writing and characters were stronger in Jack. Lily is a good balance of delicate and strong willed, and Mason starts off a bit too cocky but ends up perfectly sweet. There is romance, but it doesn't dominate each scene. (But it's still plenty steamy!)
Like Viridis, we pick up in the early stages of our heroine and hero's relationship. They've been intimate but there is plenty of relationship left to develop. In this novel I can truly appreciate being dropped into the middle of Lily and Mason's relationship, since it is her past that drives the plot.
The ending (and villain) seemed an itty bit predictable, but the rest of the concept and plot were so fun that I didn't mind at all. And having read Viridis, I wasnt surprised to see a Scot come into the plot as a contender for Lily's affections.
I do wish we had more resolution about his fate... but maybe there will be a sequel in this series to focus on him...?
Final verdict: Ms. Taylor gets better and better, and Jack solidified my purchase of her future work. This novel is perfect for slipping away from reality on a rainy afternoon. I recommend it.
(note: you will especially love this if you watched/enjoyed Dead Like Me)
I've read both novels in the Viridis series and I thought the writing and characters were stronger in Jack. Lily is a good balance of delicate and strong willed, and Mason starts off a bit too cocky but ends up perfectly sweet. There is romance, but it doesn't dominate each scene. (But it's still plenty steamy!)
Like Viridis, we pick up in the early stages of our heroine and hero's relationship. They've been intimate but there is plenty of relationship left to develop. In this novel I can truly appreciate being dropped into the middle of Lily and Mason's relationship, since it is her past that drives the plot.
The ending (and villain) seemed an itty bit predictable, but the rest of the concept and plot were so fun that I didn't mind at all. And having read Viridis, I wasnt surprised to see a Scot come into the plot as a contender for Lily's affections.
I do wish we had more resolution about his fate... but maybe there will be a sequel in this series to focus on him...?
Final verdict: Ms. Taylor gets better and better, and Jack solidified my purchase of her future work. This novel is perfect for slipping away from reality on a rainy afternoon. I recommend it.
(note: you will especially love this if you watched/enjoyed Dead Like Me)
May 14, 2012
Wow. Where to begin? I absolutely loved these characters and their world. Lilly is a young woman who is new to the afterlife, having died giving birth to her only daughter. She is both vulnerable and strong as she adjusts to the sometimes harsh realities of being a reaper of souls--a job she carries out with mercy and a light touch. And even though one of her past lovers may be a horrific murderer (a story thread which is handled tastefully and with great delicacy, so that even this scardy-cat reader didn't feel uncomfortable in the crime scenes), the story is really Lilly's deep down, as she comes into her own through incredibly difficult personal trials--and intoxicating, mind-blowing love.
For me, that's what makes JACK a cut above a lot of romances and thrillers out there; it's about a living, breathing, faulted person, not a mental construct or a tinker-toy puzzle. Lilly felt real and deeply emotional, just like life. I could totally identify with her struggle to sort out her feelings and priorities as she tries to do right by her loved ones--and let me tell you, the men in her life are h-h-h-ot and sensual (Ahem. You may find yourself breathing hard and unable to see the page), wonderfully heroic and deeply caring in different ways--any woman would love to have Lilly's romantic dilemma! I hope more stories will be set in this world. I want to see each man in Lilly's life find happiness in love, or at least a hot interlude or three. :-)
For me, that's what makes JACK a cut above a lot of romances and thrillers out there; it's about a living, breathing, faulted person, not a mental construct or a tinker-toy puzzle. Lilly felt real and deeply emotional, just like life. I could totally identify with her struggle to sort out her feelings and priorities as she tries to do right by her loved ones--and let me tell you, the men in her life are h-h-h-ot and sensual (Ahem. You may find yourself breathing hard and unable to see the page), wonderfully heroic and deeply caring in different ways--any woman would love to have Lilly's romantic dilemma! I hope more stories will be set in this world. I want to see each man in Lilly's life find happiness in love, or at least a hot interlude or three. :-)
October 8, 2014
Although most of the time I wanted to either throttle Lilly or hit my own head against a wall in frustration, the story was interesting enough to keep reading. Though not so interesting to make me love it.
Needless to say, my favorite character was Mason. He was a little frustrating at times but also sexy, hot, sweet, protective and strong.
I also liked Pierce. He kind of reminded me of Asher from the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by L.K. Hamilton. I found it adorable how fond of Mason he was. Cute!
Corwin was just plain boring, boring and more boring. And also annoying. Made me yawn and want to just punch him in the face. Lilly was mostly whiny, whiny, annoying, and again whiny. It really annoyed me that she always questioned everything Mason did or said and she doubted his feelings for her even after the pains he's gone through for her. I annoyed me that she just couldn't see past her nose and couldn't put her past behind and see that Corwin was not for her and was just boring boring boring.... Yawn!
Stephan and Nelson were seriously creepy. I can't decide who was the most creepy and evil of them two.
Jack... He sure did horrible things. Yes, it was because he felt guilty of making his son suffer (although it wasn't his fault), but still he could have stopped sooner.
I pitied him in the end, but still he was rightly punished for the horrible things he'd done.
Needless to say, my favorite character was Mason. He was a little frustrating at times but also sexy, hot, sweet, protective and strong.
I also liked Pierce. He kind of reminded me of Asher from the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by L.K. Hamilton. I found it adorable how fond of Mason he was. Cute!
Corwin was just plain boring, boring and more boring. And also annoying. Made me yawn and want to just punch him in the face. Lilly was mostly whiny, whiny, annoying, and again whiny. It really annoyed me that she always questioned everything Mason did or said and she doubted his feelings for her even after the pains he's gone through for her. I annoyed me that she just couldn't see past her nose and couldn't put her past behind and see that Corwin was not for her and was just boring boring boring.... Yawn!
Stephan and Nelson were seriously creepy. I can't decide who was the most creepy and evil of them two.
Jack... He sure did horrible things. Yes, it was because he felt guilty of making his son suffer (although it wasn't his fault), but still he could have stopped sooner.
I pitied him in the end, but still he was rightly punished for the horrible things he'd done.
May 26, 2012
Cali has done it again! Jack has a fabulous plot with intriguing characters who are faced with such difficult choices! A great steamy read!
February 11, 2020
This story is an interesting twist on an old tale. The author uses facts from the actual Jack the Ripper murders and threads them through a fictional retelling.
I appreciated the diversity of the reapers, I don't often read about female reapers and it added a cool twist. This story has closed door sex scenes, not overly gruesome descriptions of death scenes and the development of personalities worked.
The ending felt a little too rushed and I am left with questions about the.strong secondary characters and will search to see if they have tales of their own.
I appreciated the diversity of the reapers, I don't often read about female reapers and it added a cool twist. This story has closed door sex scenes, not overly gruesome descriptions of death scenes and the development of personalities worked.
The ending felt a little too rushed and I am left with questions about the.strong secondary characters and will search to see if they have tales of their own.
November 5, 2018
Not my cup of tea.
I tried really hard to like this but I was bored.
I think this also needs to be shelved as a historical romance. I did think it was somewhat historical from the type of murders being like jack the ripper but didn't really sink in until I was reading it. I will say this is an interesting twist of the famous Jack the Ripper murders,
I tried really hard to like this but I was bored.
I think this also needs to be shelved as a historical romance. I did think it was somewhat historical from the type of murders being like jack the ripper but didn't really sink in until I was reading it. I will say this is an interesting twist of the famous Jack the Ripper murders,
August 24, 2017
This is a very clever twist on the Jack The Ripper story, fantasy combined with true events from the actual crimes. Suspenseful, fantastical with lots of twists and suspects though it mainly points to one. I enjoyed this far more than I expected being historic in time frame, I have read a few books on this story of an early serial killer each different some based on truth, all have a unique take on what happened. This doesn't profess to be a true story though the facts and injuries by the victims is based on the truth, but this is a fantasy, Reapers are those who have died but instead of going to heaven are given a chance to "live". They are changed from how they looked alive so they can mix in the real world without being recognised should they meet anyone they knew, the concept being they have to touch those who are due to die to release their souls. There is a leadership, and there is more freedom on behaviour to the stricter code of those times. I found it an interesting and quite intriguing read, the mystery of who was committing these crimes and who the strange Stephan is who just seems to keep appearing and can see what the reapers are. The romantic triangle just adds another element to the story with the which guy will she choose in the end. Murder mystery, fantasy and romance all mixed in together to give a fast pace story with a great flow and a few bad guys in with the good. I feel there is something for most readers to find to there liking in this book and not a lot to dislike about it, I personally found it a great read though very different from Cali's usual stories.
November 4, 2016
This is book one in a Grim Reaper Romance series
Suddenly bodies of murdered prostitutes are piling up in Whitechapel, London. Lilly knows it’s a fellow reaper gone rogue. A man that the living call Jack the Ripper.
Meet Lilly Gordon. Lilly delivers death to unsuspecting souls. When Fate makes it's decision which are carried out with a simple touch. Suddenly a woman's body is found. It's brutally slain before her destined time to die. Jack is the lovely Lilly’s ex-lover and a also fellow reaper, is prime suspect for the crime, the evidence undeniable.
As the only reaper who’s been close to Jack. Lilly suddenly finds herself dragged feet first into the investigation by Lord Mason Archer. Mason is chancellor to the reapers. Lilly and Mason also have a past of their own, but the long hours Lilly spends in Mason’s company leave Lilly falling for the difficult man. Mason the one person who not only infuriates her, but he makes Lilly's heart race. Now with the latest victim's body mutilated beyond recognition; it definitely seems that the killings cannot get any more heinous. There has to be more than one force at work. Lilly then soon realizes there are things far worse than death and the total dismemberment when dealing with Jack the Ripper.
I love Cali MacKay but i couldn't really get into this book and it takes a lot to leave such low markings on such an awesome authors books.
Sadly I have to give this 3*s
Suddenly bodies of murdered prostitutes are piling up in Whitechapel, London. Lilly knows it’s a fellow reaper gone rogue. A man that the living call Jack the Ripper.
Meet Lilly Gordon. Lilly delivers death to unsuspecting souls. When Fate makes it's decision which are carried out with a simple touch. Suddenly a woman's body is found. It's brutally slain before her destined time to die. Jack is the lovely Lilly’s ex-lover and a also fellow reaper, is prime suspect for the crime, the evidence undeniable.
As the only reaper who’s been close to Jack. Lilly suddenly finds herself dragged feet first into the investigation by Lord Mason Archer. Mason is chancellor to the reapers. Lilly and Mason also have a past of their own, but the long hours Lilly spends in Mason’s company leave Lilly falling for the difficult man. Mason the one person who not only infuriates her, but he makes Lilly's heart race. Now with the latest victim's body mutilated beyond recognition; it definitely seems that the killings cannot get any more heinous. There has to be more than one force at work. Lilly then soon realizes there are things far worse than death and the total dismemberment when dealing with Jack the Ripper.
I love Cali MacKay but i couldn't really get into this book and it takes a lot to leave such low markings on such an awesome authors books.
Sadly I have to give this 3*s
February 26, 2014
I beta read this book for Calista and was enjoying her usual simple, clean style and was expecting the romance aspect of the book to solve itself in one way... and surprise! Guess what? Totally happened in a different way. A way that made sense and felt right to me as a reader. (Can't tell you or it will spoil it for you.) I love it when a book does that. There were a couple of twists in this book, actually. A couple of them had me with hand over my mouth going "Nooooo!" ;)
Basically, this is a retelling of the Jack the Ripper murders, but taken from a different point of view. Was Jack really human? Did he commit the murders? And why? Who else was involved? Were other people chasing him as well as the police? An interesting take on the murders, this story is set in the 1800s and also includes a romance storyline which is full of its own twists and turns.
An enjoyable read.
Merged review:
A very cool story that takes another approach on the Jack the Ripper stories. What if he was a grim reaper? What if he went bad? What if...well, I can't get into that or I'll spoil the mystery of the story. Laced with real details from the murders, this tale is spun around reapers and love.
Basically, this is a retelling of the Jack the Ripper murders, but taken from a different point of view. Was Jack really human? Did he commit the murders? And why? Who else was involved? Were other people chasing him as well as the police? An interesting take on the murders, this story is set in the 1800s and also includes a romance storyline which is full of its own twists and turns.
An enjoyable read.
Merged review:
A very cool story that takes another approach on the Jack the Ripper stories. What if he was a grim reaper? What if he went bad? What if...well, I can't get into that or I'll spoil the mystery of the story. Laced with real details from the murders, this tale is spun around reapers and love.
January 23, 2013
When it comes to the story of Jack The Ripper, I am always drawn to it. What was the motivation behind his violence. This story plays well, however, I did not have a clue who did the murders even though someone had said it was predictable for them. A good read even though Lilly was torn between her love in her living life and her love in the reaper one. I only hope she stays with Mason he has been through so much with her and has changed so much due to her. Corwin is good to her but it was the past and would have been in the past if Damon did not fool with their fates. I would read a second book if there is one to come.
December 6, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. This story has Lilly & Mason who are grim reapers, they are supposed to reap people's souls before the die to ease their passing. When there is violent murder, they are told they have to investigate. I found it very interesting combination of a love story and a crime story.
I decided to read this after reading the short story "For One Last Kiss" that I found free on Amazon. This story makes a few references to that story.
I decided to read this after reading the short story "For One Last Kiss" that I found free on Amazon. This story makes a few references to that story.
August 6, 2016
Wow! I am a contemporary romance fan but I started out a paranormal romance fan. I love Cali's Mermaid Isle and Highland series and after devouring those books I wanted to read one of her early paranormal books. "Jack" is a twist on the Jack The Ripper killings.
This book had me in emotional turmoil. From lost loves and lives I was conflicted on how I wanted the outcome to unfold. This book was not predictable It made me a nervous wreck and I loved it! LOL. Kudos to Cali for thinking outside the box on this one although I could not sleep until I finished the book.
This book had me in emotional turmoil. From lost loves and lives I was conflicted on how I wanted the outcome to unfold. This book was not predictable It made me a nervous wreck and I loved it! LOL. Kudos to Cali for thinking outside the box on this one although I could not sleep until I finished the book.
July 9, 2012
As amazing as this may seem, Calista Taylor has used an old tale, one that any reader with an interest in crime or suspense or mystery has surely already read and probably more than once. Somehow she has managed to create something different and even though the reader still anticipates the outcome, there is suspense, intrigue, romance and ... at the end, an unexpected twist.
December 28, 2012
The book was wonderful and I loved the different take on Jack the Ripper (a mystery that has always fascinated me). The only problem that prevents me from giving this five stars is the redundancy of "(S)he loves me/(s)he loves me not," and "(S)he is going to break my heart." It was annoying after the umpteenth reference to it, and the love triangle. It was very reminiscent of the Viridis series.
June 12, 2013
I read it a long time ago, before it was officially released, so I can't offer a detailed review but I remember that I liked it. I especially liked the grim reaper aspect--it reminded me of that short-lived "Dead Like Me" show, which is cool cause I liked the show--and the Jack the Ripper setting was very interesting.
December 18, 2022
ok I read the first 5 chapters at the end of the prequel novella. This wasn't too bad but wasn't great. The female lead Lilley was just kind of stupid and was more interested in protecting all her possible suitors than solving the problems. They were all trying to protect her. All the protecting was a bit boring I wanted to solve the murder mystery and have her commit to someone.
July 16, 2012
Overall it was a good story but at times seemed to drag and at others, move too quickly. Also, though I understand her being torn between two men.. I got tired of her whining. I don't feel I wasted my time but that it was merely a way to have passed it. Nothing special.
March 15, 2013
i couldn't put this book down. i love things with jack the ripper and the twist on it in this book is great and just love the mix of reapers and romance in with it. fantastic book! reccomend it to anyone and everyone.
May 26, 2017
What a Thrilling Experience!
This was such a great book. The detail in the storyline was amazing. I loved the Reaper idea. It would be interesting to think they exist too. The characters were so well-written and intriguing. Almost believable to be realistic! Must Read..
This was such a great book. The detail in the storyline was amazing. I loved the Reaper idea. It would be interesting to think they exist too. The characters were so well-written and intriguing. Almost believable to be realistic! Must Read..
November 20, 2012
I'm not generally a reader of romance, but Calista Taylor creates wonderful worlds that I enjoy visiting. The characters are believable and the mystery kept me guessing.
July 18, 2014
I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK I'm not big on romance books but THIS WAS GOOD!!!! Not much for the ending so I hope she writes a second book.
March 20, 2015
The sex never felt like romance and it was way too dark for my tastes. Based on Jack the Ripper with rape included:(
October 14, 2012
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood....
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews