Cheating Death

The House of Marchese Saga #1

by Sarah Reynolds

An Empath’s Guide to Hiding in Plain Sight
 
Let them approach first.

Keep your distance.

Get in, get out, and be forgettable.

I follow these rules until my hare-brained brother disappears alongside the chyld of an irresistibly handsome vampire. Grayson Marchese drags me into a new and dangerous world as his fake fiancée, but I’ll sit on his lap and wiggle all night if it brings Colton home.

Playing his mate? It’s almost too easy. Rescuing a venom-addicted jaguar with attitude for miles? All in a night’s work. Finding out I’m the fated mate to a huge cinnamon roll of a shifter? It’s certainly no hardship for this girl, but catching feelings for all of them? Well, that is unexpected. Now, if I can just convince the growly Alpha wolf that I’m more than just a pocket full of trouble.
 
If you enjoy...
•           An ancient vampire, falling for a sassy Southern girl
•           Rejected Mates, fated mates, and blood bonds
•           Fake Engagement
•           Forced Proximity
•           Mixed Mate-group of Shifters and Vampires
•           Delicious MF and MFMM Scenes
•           Suspense and Mystery
•           LGBTQ+ main characters
•           Multiple POVs
•           100K words with a light cliffy
 
Cheating Death is s a Why Choose Paranormal Romance containing MMFM scenes. The heroine has multiple romantic partners. 18+ readers only due to strong language and spicy content. A complete list of content warnings is available on the author's site.

Genres: Fantasy, Vampires, Shapeshifters, Paranormal, Why Choose, M M Romance, Romance

364 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 10, 2023

Reviews

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and engaging debut romcom-y/PNR that is chalk full of dialogue and interaction! You can tell that she took her time to really develop these characters and we get to see them interacting with each other through a lot of different scenes and scenarios, if def isn’t one note. I love interaction heavy RHs!

There isn’t a ton of magic in this one yet, but I really enjoyed what we did get. I loved the shadow magic and empath hs are a favorite of mine! This does have a real contemporary feel, I bet those who don’t typically like PNR would enjoy this one.

I do wish we had a more h centered story. This is for sure more of a poly romance than a RH (I’m more of a RH reader) and the h is not the main focus in the story. There are only 16 h POV chapters out of 48 which is really out of my comfort zone so I was surprised that I enjoyed this as much as I did. That I was still engaged with the story is a testament to the charming writing style.The last half is more centered around her than the first half was.

Overall: 3.5 rounded up to a 4 bc the author is very clear about what we’re getting and it really comes down to just not lining up exactly with my own personal preferences. I went into this knowing that I would struggle with the multi POV and vampires but there was enough I was curious about to make me want to try it anyways. I would for sure read more by this author and can’t wait to see how her craft grows and develops!

[KLynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75
I really only wanted to give this "polyamorous" book 3 stars because it contains my fastest growing pet peeve, but the story and writing were too good to knock it down.

What is my fastest growing pet peeve in books you ask? It's when authors use the "they/them" pronouns!!!!! IT DOES NOT TRANSLATE WELL! The amount of times I had to reread portions of the book because I thought I missed something due to it referencing a character in the plural form was ridiculous! Honestly, had this been revealed sooner in the book, it would have been an automatic dnf.

As much as I enjoyed the book, I'm not sure I will continue.

[Spasticnontastic · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Rebecca Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I JUST finished this INCREDIBLE 🤩 FIRST book by a NEW author & I was BLOWN AWAY 🤯!! (FYI, I’m not affiliated with the author and there are NO spoilers! 🙌🏻)

OK ✅! So let me FIRST 👆🏻tell you how this all went down! It’s NOT often anymore I post on FB looking for recs these days 😮! I just see sooooo many GREAT recs in different FB groups & I also have a FUN 🤗 time perusing 🐌 Amazon (I’m like a kid in a candy 🍭 store 😆!) And well, so I did this post looking for a Why Choose 🤷🏻‍♀️ that I would love as much as Psycho Shifters, Broken Bonds, Demons In My Bed, Forbidden Honor… and I got tons of comments of recs 👏🏻! But ONE stood out in particular because it was from Merri Bright, author of Lost Feather (The Forgotten Angel series)… which I remember seeing as a bestseller on Amazon! And then, she said THREE magic 🪄 things to me: Cheating Death by Sarah Reynolds is 1) AMAZEBALLS, 2) like Sookie Stackhouse, and 3) a RH!!! I was like um, yeah I’ll try that!! 🙌🏻

AND I AM SO GLAD I DID! 👏🏻🙌🏻👏🏻

Alright FIRST… this is a WHY CHOOSE that represents a poly lifestyle with LGBTQ characters & MFMM scenes. We alllll know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea ☕️, so just want to make sure you know that going into it because it is totally NOT cool 😠 to give an author a bad review for what a book is supposed to be (ok getting off my soapbox 📦 now 😆!)

So what if Sookie didn’t HAVE to choose?! 🤔🤔😁😁😁🥵🥵🔥🔥

THAT definitely should be the tagline to represent this book 👏🏻! That being said, it is DIFFERENT from Sookie… it is it’s OWN story in it’s OWN right and honestly ✌🏻, when I was reading it… I would have had NO idea it was a first book from a newbie author if I hadn’t looked her up on Amazon 😲! (Intended as a compliment, not a slight to newbie authors!)

OK!! ✅✅ So what is this book about and why the heck do I LOVE ❤️ it SO MUCH ?!!

The story kicks 🦵off in Las Vegas 🌆, in a world where sups are still in the closet … but territories are divided for Vamp Kings 🤴, Queens 👸, Empresses.. you get the drift! Our main FMC, Sunday ☀️ (like seriously love that name!,) works at an Auction house and has an eye 👁️ for antiquities. She’s also in her twenties, HILARIOUS 😂, and is s@xually confident 💋 (no blushing VCard here!) Her brother 👨, who sounds like a bit of a Jason Stackhouse… loveable 😍 playboy… has gone MISSING 😱! Both Sunday and her brother have “gifts” and Sunday decides to use them to get her brother back! But as soon as she walks into a Casino 🎰, owned by the STUNNING & HOT 🥵 VAMP 🧛‍♂️ Grayson Alexander Marchese (not gonna lie, with the number of funny lines in this book, I thought for sure we would hear it was pronounced “Mor-Cheese” 🧀 hahahaha, but alas it is not!)… she soon gets sucked 🩸 into a supernatural world with all kinds of COOL 😎 supernatural creatures 🧛 🐆 🐻 👹🐺!

There are soooooo many GREAT 🤩 things about this book! First off! I LOVED 💜 all the funny 😄 lines… I kid you not, I kept posting them on FB as I was reading them… not sure what I loved best….
“Please let him have found a woman with a skirt higher than her morals.”
“She’s fascinating to watch - tiny and cute like a pixie but swinging big d!ck energy like a mofo.”
“I’ve been swiping through public appearance pictures much longer than necessary, and I’ve yet to see him smile. He also seems to either be very tall or only pictured with short people.”
😂🤣😂🤣😂

And the lines just keep on coming y’all 😅! So FREAKING FUNNY 😂! Not only that, but the book is LOADED with likeable characters and multiple POVs … and a GREAT 👍🏻 plotline. And the STEAM 🥵! Pretty SPICY 🌶️! Our girl is the GLITTERLY ✨glue of the group, BUT there’s DEFINITELY relationships forming among the others … and readers who are FANS of sword-crossing ⚔️ in books... are gonna LOVE this 😍👏🏻🙌🏻!

So if you LOVED ❤️ Sookie and wished she ended up with ALLLLLL the guys 👧🧛🐆🐺, you are a WHY CHOOSE fan that likes a little MFMM 🍆, you love a bit of a Urban Fantasy 🤺/ PNR ❤️‍🔥 feel with GOOD 👍🏻 plotline movement & pace, a STREAMLINED page-turning 📖 read, AND you want to be part of helping a NEWBIE author making it to the Amazon Bestsellers 🏆 List (which I have NO DOUBT this book surely will!)…. give this a shot! It’s FREE on KU and you never know, it may be the House of SUPS (or as I like to call it... House of "Mor-Cheese" 🧀) for you!

‘Cheating Death (Book 1 of The House if Marchese Saga)’ by Author Sarah Reynolds

[⋆ ⁺ ˚ ✧ i am the Dracula, look into my eye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good—and exactly what I needed after DNFing a double digit number of PNR books with identical plots and characters.

A lot of time and attention is spent on the complex and varied relationship dynamics between all the characters. The insta-love and fake engagement are effortlessly woven into the story; nothing feels like a lazy shortcut or cheap setup. The spicy scenes aren’t repetitive to the point of tedium(!), and the dirty talk is hot as fuck.

Don’t agree that it starts slow. There are no info dumps and my ADHD brain found Reynolds’ writing snappy and engaging. I loved all the references and easter eggs—had to stop and google if I could buy that mug.

Some issues with tense and homonyms (“diffuse” instead of defuse, “plain” instead of plane). Some inconsistency with terminology (“child” vs. “chyld”) and capitalization (“House” vs. “house”). However, the only really disruptive proofreading errors have to do with quotation marks in the second half of the book (dropped, facing incorrectly, single instead of double, quote instead of apostrophe).

Overall, still a great read and highly recommended.

[Jennifer Rivera · Rating 2 out of 5]

not for me

I like my RH romances to be solely focused on the girl. To many love interests and attractions for me. To much focus on m/m attractions. Writing is good and the story is engaging, but not interested in the romances.

[Mary Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the blend of supernatural species. I love that everyone in the primary group is accepting of labels (or nonlabels) and supportive of one another in that regard. I also really love the main fmc, Sunday, who is feisty but so, so caring. Her ability to not hold grudges from hurt feelings is amazing. It's due in part to her empathic abilities, but also because she has suffered and knows what pain is like, so she is quick to extend grace when others lash out. I'm really looking forward to continuing the series!

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an epic first book in a new series! I read this book during finals week and boy did it get me through. The story follows empath Sunday as she is wisked up in an epic quest to find her trouble-prone brother. She has multiple love interests and the story is written from multiple perspectives to help the reader get to know each character quicker. So many plot twists and the depth of character development is astounding. Great plot, medium to high spice, loveable characters, but a cliff hanger that left me begging for the next book. Can't wait for book two!!!
ARC review

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

This book has raised so many questions that need answering! I am really enjoying the start of this series and can't wait for the next book!

[Simply Adventures · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheating Death: The House of Marchese Saga, Book One
Sarah Reynolds
MultiPOV

Spoilers Probably

Sunday/Trouble/Dominga: 25. Empath.* Dreamwalker. Bi.
Grayson Alexander Marchesee/Lexi/ Gray: Vampire. Bi.
Benjamin Haller/Ben: True Shifter(any animal) grew up in a wolf pack with Tomas. Bi.
Tomas Thorne/Tommy: Wolf Shifter. Bi.
Xaiver/Shadow/X: Jaguar Shifter. Shadowwalker. Part of Winston/Texas's court. Male but also mentions maybe NonBinary. Bi.


Colton: 27. Sundays Brother. Empath.*
Vivian: Vampire. Graysons Vampire Chyld
Gemma/Lily: Sunday/ Coltons Half sisters. Same Dad. Also have gifts.

* Sunday mentioned that they are empath. You learn in the book that they are supernatural, but they don't know exactly what they are.

This book MENTIONS & SHOWS true shifters who can turn into any animal they want. Shifters, which include a wide range of animals ( Kodak Bears, Wolves, Jaquars ). Witch. Vampires.

MENTIONS BUT DOESN'T SHOW Fae story mentions they left thousands of years ago & are in their own fae realm as they had issues when on earths. Elves. Maenad. Djinn. Angelic. Demigod. Demons.

Thoughts: So this book is very good on the world building and it touches base on a lot of different people / species that can have their own story lines in other books. For instance, Ben is a true shifter who can shift into anything but grew up in a wolf pack with Tomas who is an Alpha but gave up his position. Other vampire representatives have protection details that include kodiak bear shifters or jaguar shifters. Xavier is a Jaguar shifter who is hooked on venom & was sold to the Texas vampire rep Winston when he was young.


* I really love the pack band and make and the relationships between all of the members. I also love that sunday's sisters/family are part of the pact, and all the members 100% committed to that. Ie Xavier saying he will move to Mississippi event to protect the girls & Tomas being protective of them.

* I definitely do really like this book. It does have a few flaws but they're not that bad for instance Sundays childhood home is in an area known for flooding but she goes on a camping trip with Ben to seal their bond even though she knows that it was supposed to rain. And then they get stuck in/dealing with a flood.

SYNOPSIS:*These are ultimately for me so I can remember what the books are about quickly*

"A sleeping vampire is too big of a temptation to ignore. Imagine what I can do with a Sharpie and some Super Glue. Or glitter. It’s best I shape our relationship now. I want it to be prank-based, with a little making out to soften the edges. The way he fisted my hair and spit obscene words into my ear last night, I am a fan. If Ben is cool with it, I plan to pursue the fuck out of his ancient dominant ass."

So Sunday is an empath & Most of her family including her father Wade, brother Colton and half sisters Gemma/ Lily. They all have different degrees of gifts.for instance 5 year old Gemma and Lily can read people's minds.

This story starts because Sunday's brother Colton was visiting Texas from Mississippi & he went to the casinos. Winning a lot of money, and they thought that he was counting cards. He uses his gift when he plays poker. They put him in the casinos security room and sunday finds out that he's there So she goes to the casino to try to get him out by using her gifts. This Casino is owned by Grayson, who is a Vampire. He has a made Chyld named Vivian. His sexurity detail includes Tomas, who is an Alpha wolf shifter. His wolves mate is Grayson, but they kind of brush that aside & and aren't acting upon it. Ben is what's considered a true shifter. He grew up in Tomas wolf back in Alaska. When Tomas took The security Job would Grayson he went with him. When's sunday went to the casino, she talked to Vivian and she compelled her and told her that her brother would be back in a few days after they compelled him. Sunday realized that she was being compelled and came back to the casino where she found out there was A big poker game going on and she wanted to get to the owners So she could use her gift to try to get her brother out.she stumbled upon Ben who realized that Sunday was his mate. Long story short she bumps into Grayson and acts like his fake fiance. Vivian and Colton blink out of existence and the rest of the story is them teying to find them & not be killed in the process. They also meet Xavier, who is essentially a slave in Winston's group. At the end of the book there's a lot of unanswered questions and it does and on a cliff hanger but you do have the set up for the next book grayson has been essentially called back to italy to see his maker and he brings xavier with him. Oh, and while this is all going on Sunday bonds with Ben so they are mated, and Sunday has a bonded twice with Grayson if she bonds a third time she will be fully bonded to him. Tomas is starting to finally like Sunday, and his Wolf still likes Grayson and but it's okay with Sunday as she is linked with Grayson. Sunday is also interested in Xavier, who is interested in everyone too.

To add-on top of this Grayson Who is the vampire is supposed to be dead during the day until the sunsets but they soon find out that he is starting to Stir and wake up earlier and earlier.

[Cas ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

So… where can I pledge my allegiance to House Marchese?

This book is an incredible debut novel; it’s polished and intriguing and unique but familiar in the best ways that paranormal romances are. I was invested in the characters like they were going to be my new best friends; Sarah has a gift for making you like even the most unlikeably behaved grumpy wolves. 😉

I *adore* the relationship dynamics too, they’re a breath of fresh air. I read a lot of RH & as many poly romances as I can get my hands on but so few start with established bonds; while not conventional, the existing bond in this story adds such a richness. They don’t all just fall together instantly and lose their heads over the FMC or vice versa, it’s a beautiful blend of slow burn and instalove, fated mates and marriages of convenience.

Sunday is perfect. And I don’t mean that in the “oh she’s so perfect” flippant sense, I mean to me she’s the perfect FMC. She’s flawed, she’s working on herself, she has weak points that bolster her strengths. She’s fiercely loyal and protective but also fluid and willing to compromise, she doesn’t get too stuck on the details in a lot of things but takes the time to make everyone feel important in the ways that she’s noticed they need to feel it. She’s also a sassy little spitefire and witty to boot.

The love interests? I can’t gush about them without spoilers. You’ll just have to read it yourself. ♥️

(But Ben is my favorite 🤭)

[Merri Bright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Why choose romance, and Sookie Stackhouse books, and know for a FACT that series would have been better if Erik, Bill, and all the guys (what was the name of the smoking hot tiger shifter? omgyes) had just ended up together in Sookie's harem?
Well, guess what. Cheating Death is the book we all wished for/needed/deserved, and I cannot recommend it enough. SO. FUN. So hawt. It's an unfinished series, and I do not even care because I'm planning to re-read it anyway. This book is exactly my jam. Magic+Steam+Humor for DAYS.
10/10, plenty of steam even if it's a slow build harem.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great start

I liked this a lot more than I expected. Some really funny parts. I liked all the characters and it feels very natural. Its good that they are all working on their relationships with each other as well as the fact. Sunday is very likeable and relatable. Will definitely pick up the next book in the series

[loverexreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a chance to read an ARC of this and I have to recommend this. I made the mistake of trying to read it at work and I can't express how bad of an idea that was. The intimate scenes are very hot and if you're into fantasy romance this is the book for you

[lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

it’s okay

On the whole I enjoyed it, mostly. I get that Sunday learns all this stuff and her personality just rolls with it, but I would think she would have more questions and maybe some definite concerns that she would voice, rather than just “cool, I’m down.”

The middle part really loses some of the plot, and it’s mostly people just lusting after each other, with the plot only shifting forward a little bit. Really, I wanted a lot more plot and a lot less smut, and I generally enjoy smut. It’s like they lose sight of their goals. Also, I really didn’t like how her mate is looking at someone else and thinking about enjoying them before he cements the bond with her. He’s supposed to be in a frenzy to complete the bond, but he’s not. And there wasn’t a pay off to the mating bond, like stronger powers or whatever that was mentioned. I think there’s too much going on and too many people trying to be with too many people - it would have been better to gradually add bonds.

Also the pronouns thing was really clunky and almost felt like it was added after the fact, because all the pronouns weren’t correct later. It’s fine or whatever, but there probably should be a better way to introduce it. Also, I was pretty uncomfortable with smexy situations involving someone who was described as being emotionally 14, but 20 in age. How is that smexy?

[Helena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this. The book is well written for typical paranormal romance and contains tropes I like: powerful men attracted to a not-conventional woman who isn't short!!!!!! and isn't a fighter but has unique skills of her own, the men are obsessed with our FMC and the sex scenes are hot. It avoids many of the things that bug the eff out of me with many attempts at this kind of world - Reynolds describes actual fancy clothes, clothing styles that make sense for characters, and fitting cars and planes. (I rage quit books that tell me Victoria's Secrets is expensive underwear for the rich and famous)

But I ultimately didn't like it for the reasons a lot of reviewers like it: it spends a lot of time developing the dynamics of an actual poly relationship. I read purely for escapist fantasy and I honestly like the unrealistic and more shallow versions of this and/or reverse harems.

A common trope this book contains that I hate: the token juvenile/bratty relationship member in polycule/harem/pack/whatever. Maybe its my personal experience that makes me hate it - but being a brat isn't cute, it's passive aggressive and manipulative no matter how many times the brat/omega makes breakfast or 'soothes' someone with their presence. To me being passive aggressive is the opposite of sexy or attractive.

Those were things I didn't love, but I don't think would bother others. Unfortunately there was something I think is seriously problematic with our polycule: It is totally squicky that our bratty omega character (Xavier/X) is said at one point to be 'stuck at 14' in some aspects of their development because of being abused/addicted to vampire venom at that age. If that is true how is it at all okay for the rest of these adults to engage in a sexual relationship with this individual!?!? Even if they are twenty in age, if they are psychologically stuck at fourteen especially *because of being sexually abused and help captive by their abuser* how can they consent to a relationship. This kid needs therapy not a blow job.

[Bookworm Babe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The intro is a bit clunky, but it's an easy read from there. Lots of moving parts and side characters being introduced.
The sexual tension goes up & down & up & down again, leaving you a bit frustrated (even with all the satisfying going on for our FMC).
My biggest complaint of this book was the addition of a They/Them pronoun character. I have nothing against various pronouns or identities, but I do get repeatedly confused when reading they/ them. It gets so frustrating that it ruins the flow of the scene or, in this case, the entire book.
Each character is interesting and unique. The group dynamic is always on the verge of changing and kept me on my toes.
The terror during a shifted claiming attempt was realistic and refreshing.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites in 2022

I usually have a grain of skepticism when someone ravels about a book they just read, but I am so glad I gave this book a try. I read it in one sitting and will be following this author for the next book and any others she writes. Super excited for the next book.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow

I don’t know what else to say. From the blurb I was not expecting much but this book just went up to 3rd place out of the 352 books I have read this year. I will be waiting very impatiently for book 2.

[Sam Vargas · Rating 4 out of 5]

*received this book as an ARC*

Red-haired leading lady whose strong, independent, and finds herself in a reverse harem? That was the sell for me when finding out about Sarah Reynolds on TikTok (check her out at @author_sarah_reynolds).

I have to get this out of the way because yes, I enjoyed this book and rated it 4 stars. However, I struggled through the beginning. So for those of you who start out reading this book, and are struggling, I promise you, after the first few chapters, it gets better. My poor ADHD brain struggled with the amount of descriptive language in the beginning. It was too much for me and caused me to stumble reading. It was almost Tolkien-esque in a way. Description is great, but sometimes too much can be a hindrance to the reader and cause the flow of the writing to be caught up on long descriptions rather than characters or plot. If you are someone who struggles with overly descriptive language when reading, push through, and I promise you won't be upset.

The rest of the book did a much better job of showing rather than telling in a way that felt natural. Sarah built the characters, the plot, and the world, and had me flying through it ready to see what new piece of the puzzle would be revealed.

Sunday is a bubbly delight in the best way. She's strong, fiercely independent, protective of people, and in tune with her emotions and the emotions of those around her. Her character blossoms throughout the story, bringing you into her struggles and pain as she fights for her family and friends. I loved her quickly and was rooting for her the whole way.

The rest of her merry band of misfits are one of the better reverse harems I've seen written. They're individualistic, they don't all fall for our heroine immediately, and they each add to the plot and other characters. They aren't just add-ons to our girl Sunday, they are their own characters in the story which makes it far more interesting and allows the story to unfold in a way where you don't see every move coming.

This book does end on a cliffhanger so be ready. But as Sarah says, it's light.

The spice level in this book adds to the relationships, but it is not the main focus.

I am already salivating for book two because I have questions that need to be answered!

If you're into shifters, vamps, strong female leads, and ready for some emotional depth in a reverse harem, this book is for you. Seriously. Read it.

[Julianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF - Finished 100% of book one & 22% of book two

I absolutely LOVED the idea behind this story. I find it super interesting and unique. However, I personally did not enjoy the writing style.

The first book takes place over the course of like three days? Now, I am not someone that likes a lot of time jumps either.. but the amount of unnecessary "fluff" was kind of crazy.. I ended up skimming A LOT towards the end.. When I got to the second book it almost seemed WORSE. And since *minor spoiler* the main characters end up split up it just felt like it was dragging. I kept going because like I said, the story? the overall plot? soooo interesting. I just wanted MORE of it. Speed things up a little, the characters can get their rocks off later once people aren't in danger.

Also.. I didn't finish the series, but part of why I don't usually like when everyone in the harem is all with each other is because it seems to always be imbalanced. And that seemed to be the case in this story too. Everyone is involved with everyone which means some relationships are stronger than others which leaves others to be kind of left behind. That is the only reason I tend to avoid mm and this book was so much broader than simple mm. Grayson literally neglects the hell out of Tomas and it's pretty much abusive based on how it's described but.. I guess that's fine because for the most part he treats Sunday great and is totally obsessed with her. How about we just don't have Grayson and Tomas be a thing at all?

If there was a version of this story where everyone is focused on the fmc and there wasn't so much unnecessary fluff it would probably be in my top 3 favorite series. But this just wasn't it.

Side note: Why are we s3xualizing a traumatized male that is described as "stuck at the age of 14" uhm... ew? Especially when you add his bratty behavior. Being a brat is immature and rude, not cute.

[Kaylee Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked it!

The FMC, Sunday, was an entertaining mix of self-assured with a touch of socially clueless. She tends to let her mouth run away from her but thankfully nothing gave me second-hand embarrassment.

Would recommend for someone interested in:
☀️ Paranormal with several species (vampires, shifters, demons, etc)
☀️ FMC who doesn't quite know what she is
☀️ Reverse Harem/Why Choose
☀️ Polyamorous (if MM is not your thing you won't like this one)
☀️ Funny/awkward FMC
☀️ Fated mates

There were a few editing issues but nothing that pulled me out of the story. Will hide behind a spoiler tag just in case:

☀️ Xavier decides to test out they/them pronouns. The author is great at following this but towards the end of the book there are a couple he/hims slipped in which I think is just a result of missed editing.
☀️ Random misuse of words but nothing major.
☀️ There is a scene where Xavier doesn't come straight home during a flood and everyone is worried sick. Sunday ends up yelling at him and saying "you're so selfish!" which seemed WAAAY out of character for her. I would expect her to say something like "that was so selfish" or "I can't believe you would do something so selfish" implying the action itself was a selfish one, but directly calling drug-recovering, abuse-recovering Xavier selfish seemed odd coming from her.


Excited for book 2!

[Josmely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book was fantastic from the first page to the last. I was sucked into the story and it didn't let me go, I found it hard to stop reading.

I loved every single character, the plot was amazing and so was the writing. I was impressed how this entire book took place within 3 day I think and bc of the authors writing and everything that was happening it didn't feel it. Bc it was happening in such a short amount of time I expected it to feel a bit rushed but it actually felt the opposite of that.

I feel like we got to know Sunday very well and the other characters too. Now Sundays relationship with Grayson, Xavier, Ben and Tomas were completely different from each other. Some connections happened faster then others but in no way did they feel rushed. The author did an amazing job when it comes to their chemistry and connections. Also their banter was sooo good they had me dying laughing at some points.

There's a lot happening in this book also a lot of new information learned every couple of chapters it seems. There was some action, blood, sweet moments, fights, crying, funny moments i feel like we got everything you could want in a book.

NOW I lovedddd that we got a character that went by the pronouns they/them. When Sunday questioned them about what they prefer to go by and the fact that everyone respected their choice was freaking amazing to me. Those types of conversations and inclusion i don't think I've ever seen in a book so it was truly truly amazing to see.

[Angelena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings, on one hand the premise of the story is interesting and I happily finished it in a day, but on the other hand there are some glaring issues. First off I think Sarah Reynolds tried to pack too much into this book, it felt a bit like a stream of conciousnesses instead of a organized plot and some things didnt feel neccessary or maybe should have been saved for a future book as it felt like we kept changing destinations and getting too much new info with too little explanation. 2nd, right now all members of the pack are very disjointed, hopefully thatll be resolved soon but right now it feels more like a train wreck that a poly relationship. Lastly, theres Xavier and his age/maturity. We know he's 20 years old, but when his character is first introduced hes described as barely an adult and refferred to as a boy. Then later it's said/implied that his mental maturity was stunted at 14...considering hes shaping up to be a love intrest that just give a really creepy and icky vibe to the whole group. (FYI. Sunday is 25, Ben & Tomas are older than her, and Gray is ancient) Ive noticed a few times that the author will just casually throw in a very intense scene/subject or puts in dialougue that gives me the urge to side eye someone. Nothing that crosses into problematic and fingers-crossed it stays that way, I'm optomisitically hoping that I was just a bit extra sensetive when reading.

[Kayley · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 62%

Idk how to feel about this one. I think the plot is interesting, and the characters are pretty well built already. I didn't think I would mind the poly angle some of the other reviews complained about, as a lot of the RH's I've read recently tend to dabble into it. However, this is pure poly at this point. One of the MMCs appears to actually have no interest at all in the FMC. Maybe I am wrong there, but it doesn't even seem like a slow burn. He is clearly in love with one of the other MMCs and seems to want another, but no interest beyond platonic, reluctant acceptance seems to be given to the FMC. It really is just a hodge-podge of relationships, not a harem.

Greyson was also my favorite, but suddenly his personality switched like 30% in? Nothing bad, but he just seemed all of a sudden really nice and PC. Which is good...but also feels a little forced. Then the FMC also had a character switch, hers was just more gradual. Truthfully what made me stop reading, was her random country switch. It was mentioned before how she mellows out her accent on purpose. But then all of a sudden, it was "yer gonna be sweatin' like a stuck pig." I feel like this was intended to show that she felt more comfortable (with the guys she literally met two days ago) but as someone from the south, it read as someone putting on an accent to be cute.

This isn't an eloquent review, just putting my thoughts out there. Not for me, too many misses. But might be for you.

[mspotts · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNFing @61% because of tropes I personally dislike, however this book is very well written and way above the usual RH/poly style.

Things I liked:
- The heroine was smart and resourceful at first
- Great world-building and research. It had this fun, urban fantasy feel that I loved. The True Blood comparisons are definitely accurate.
- The characters, particularly Gray, were well-developed with actual back stories and depth.
- Non-binary inclusion (even if the scene where the new pronouns were introduced felt a little forced)

Things I disliked:
- An imbalanced/mate bond. A mate bond with one shifter MMC is introduced fairly early on and while he instantly adores her, the FMC is more interested in spending time with the "less emotionally available" men.
- The heroine went from being smart and resourceful to being a bit of a sassy brat.
- As is often the case for me, I struggle with romance heroines that act too thirsty or men obsessed.
- The pecking order in this AU has vamps on top and everyone else below. I wasn't a fan of that vibe

Overall, this was a crazy good debut for a new author. It's a shame the book doesn't appeal to me personally but I 100% get why it's on so many others' fav list.

[Amber Hoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunday Prescott has always known her famuly was a little "extra". She did not know how many other "extra" beings were around her....like Vampires and Shifters....until she has to rescue her brother Colton from yet another one of his adventures.

I enjoyed the way the storyline unfolded. Cheating Death is a modern day story that primarily takes place in Nevada and Mississippi. Instead of having every tiny detail about the characters or the realm mapped out for you in the beginning, the reader learns about them naturally. The different personalities of the 5 main characters are refreshing and entertaining. Besides being some sort of super natural beings, the main characters also include a thick and curvy woman and a non binary character. There is a mild to medium amount of spicy scenes that include MMFM and different super natural species mingling. This is book 1 of a 3 book Saga....which means when you are done with this one you will be left will a ton of questions that are hopefully answered in Book 2!

This is an enjoyable and easy read. I recommend Cheating Death to people who like Paranormal Romance, Why Choose, Modern characters, curvy female leads, vampires and shifter characters in their books!

[Amanda Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can honestly say I enjoyed this book, it's giving Reverse Harem True Blood vibes, and I'm here for it. Sunday is a very interesting character; millennial vibes all the way with her ease of rolling with the major life changes that she encounters very quickly in this book. I enjoy the male/they characters as well, they are written well, and I enjoy the difference in their personalities; I genuinely appreciate that this book is multiple POV, I feel like we get more from the male/they characters than Sunday and I really appreciate that a great deal. Now, for the part that maybe drove me a 🤏🤏 bit bananas: Soooo much internal monologue, I feel like 70% of the book is internal musings for each of the characters, now I know this may genuinely be a part of building the back story for the characters, and will possibly be different in the 2nd book, and I'm hoping it is because the actual plot felt a little bit stagnant because of all of the internal thoughts. I genuinely enjoy the book, Sunday is delightful and I'm excited to see if what I think she is, is correct.

[TheheartofBrigid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheating Death is the first book in The House of Marchese Saga written by Sarah Reynolds.

💜 fated mates
💜 forced proximity
💜 vampires, shifters, and magic, oh my!
💜 mysteries
💜 🌶🌶🌶 spice

You ever had one of those days that there no amount of coffee that can help? Yeah, Sunday was having none of those days. After she was up half the night trying to get in touch with her brother, now she’s at work trying to call hospitals and police departments to see if he turned up at any of those places. You see, he’s in town visiting with his friend and he tends to get himself into a pinch every once in awhile. What Sunday doesn’t expect is her brother’s antics flipping her world completely upside down.

This is an unexpectedly fun and twisty journey. I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this. I was pleasantly surprised and elated to find another author that I really enjoy. Sunday is not your typical main female character and it is refreshing. This book does end on a hit of a cliffhanger and I can’t wait until the next book gets here so I can read what happens next.