The Reaper and the Cop

Hellsgate #1

by Mina Carter

Death’s big business. For Laney Larson, it’s a full time job.

The latest in a long line of Reapers, Laney hits Liberty, Oakwood expecting the usual ‘reap and run’ type of job. However the small town holds far more secrets than she expects, including a sexy cop who blindsides her reaper instincts - big time.

Liberty. It used to be a nice town until the things that go bump in the night moved in.

Detective Troy Regan moved to Liberty to claw back a little of his soul after working homicide in the big city. But the sleepy little town has problems of the paranormal kind and its police department has gone from calls about lost cats to Boggarts in the basement. Then the seriously nasty stuff moved in.

Troy’s not sure exactly what flavour of paranormal Laney is, but he doesn’t care. She’s tiny, delicate and gorgeous. When he finds a Lycan looming over her in an alley, all his protective instincts flare up. He needs to get her home, keep her safe… in his bed. But is she the answer he’s been looking for to fill the empty spot in his heart, or the most dangerous creature he’s ever met?

Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Novella, Fantasy, Shapeshifters

46 pages, ebook

First published February 28, 2014

About the author

Mina Carter is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of romance in many genres. She lives in the UK with her husband, daughter, a puppy who pays no attention to her whatsoever, and a bossy cat.

Reviews

[LIA Kh. · Rating 3 out of 5]

My inner voice : WHAT THE HELL.... Like 5 times. It's suddenly ended like that. Apparently it's a to be continued series. Dang it to moon and back :').
Okay the pace is really fast too fast, yea well duh, 46 pages, trying to explain it one go.
I really like the plot and the storyline, also the characters. So Mina Carter now officially my new favorite author.

Off to book 2.

[Monty Cupcake ☠ Queen of Bloodshed ☠ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short. Lady reaper book.

[Brittain *Needs a Nap and a Drink* · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was 46 pages and all of it pretty much nonsense. The sex scene takes up more time than the plot.

[Sue Ellen Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! The author definitely takes you for a run on your money with this one! She loves to make you think you have things figured out and then throws a turn into it. She gives you a little back story on the Reaper situation and how it is passed to the next person.

You have Laney who loves her job, a reaper, hey someone has to do it right. She is great at doing it and has never had the issues of persuading someone to only see what she wants them to see until now. When her job takes her to this little town she sees this human Troy. Something seems to be different about him, he shouldn’t be able to see her in the shade form. Little does she know this town is used to Paranormals by this time. Who doesn’t love a heroine that can take care of herself.

Troy is this sexy cop that has been dealing with the paranormal world for a while now but when he sees Laney he can not put his finger on what she truly is. When they both go chasing the same werewolf and she is injured he takes care of her in more than one way. Sexy, protective, and sweet at the same time, I need one of these!

I loved this book, even with the ending it has. Even though this was short read it definitely was a great story. I will have to go pick the authors brain on when the next one will come out because I want to know what is next for us especially with all the elements she has opened up for us in this beginning of the series.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read several of Mina Carters books and I like each new book better than the last lol. This was no different. First I love out of the box books and a reaper is perfect fit. Laney is in teh family business of reaping. Troy is a cop who knows about the supernatural creatures, well not all of them. Laney is looking for her next job and runs into Troy, instant attraction and lust. Troy knows Laney is other just doesnt know what that is exactly, until work comes calling. Now Laney has a town to take care of and the perfect man beside her.

My complaint was the story needed to be longer, I know there is room for more books and I am thrilled, I just felt this one would have benefited if it was a bit longer.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a quick, sexy, sassy read I’d definitely recommend checking out The Reaper and the Cop, the first in the Liberty Oakwood series. The pace of this piece was great; not too fast, and not too slow. I kept turning the pages, ready and excited to see what would happen next. Be warned though, the ending is abrupt, and definitely leaves you wanting more. Still, the writing is solid, the characters brilliantly written and the plot insanely intriguing.

We start off meeting Laney, a Reaper, who explains what being a Reaper really is all about. She’s fun, snarky, and definitely says exactly what’s on her mind. Tough as nails, independent, petite and curvy, Laney is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to combat. Laney is just going about her business when she sees Troy in a bar, and surprisingly he can see her too.

Troy Regan is a driven cop who is trying to figure out why the small town is being overrun with paranormals. Troy is a great example of an alpha male, he’s handsome, quick on his feet – especially where Laney is concerned – and from the moment he catches eyes with Laney, he feels protective over her. Personally, I’m not 100% convinced that Troy is completely human, but I suppose we’ll see.

Overall I give The Reaper and the Cop five stars, and am impatiently waiting for the next installment of the series.

***Review based on an ARC received on behalf of This Redhead LOVES Books Blog in exchange for an honest review***

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book of Mina's that I have read. I will be reading more.
Laney is tough and outspoken. I like this in a heroine. She has just the right amount of snark and not only knows it but is unapologetic about it. She knows who she is and what she is with few if any reservations. Troy is hot and sexy with a caring side. He is willing to follow his instincts to find the answers to his questions. Though protective, he has the ability to stay out of the way at times. He also knows what he wants and recognizes his emotions. This alone is interesting enough to make me keep reading.
Be sure to look out for a bit of nerd humor as well! Mina has lightly sprinkled this book with wonderful nerdy references that made me laugh as well as plenty of snark to keep my sarcastic sense of humor actively awaiting the next comment.

[Book Snob Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Mina Carter books. She's a reaper that gets called to town. When she gets there, one of the cops can see her even though he shouldn't be able to He is fully aware of all the Supernaturals in their town, but he's not sure what is drawing them there. These two have crazy chemistry together. And apparently she is staying in town for awhile to try and figure out what's going on.

[Chappy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh man, this was too short. I was just getting into the story and it's already over.

Not too many books feature a snarky, petite but uber-curvy Reaper of death as the heroine. Add in a sexy cop that knows too much about the paranormal world and you've got a recipe for steamy hotness.

[Stephaniec · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soooooo, I thought this was revised, re-edited and lengthened. There are spelling and grammar errors all over the place. Still read it and the next two so, there's that

[Debra Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Reaper and the Cop (Liberty Oakwood, #1) by Mina Carter is a Paranormal Suspense Adult Romance.
It is a short serial of about 40 or so pages.
No one writes serial shorts like Mina Carter! She always delivers a fantastic read that is superbly written. I know it is short. I know it is a serial. But! Wow!
The action is fast paced. The characters and world build have the perfect amount of information.
NO boring repetitiveness.
NO editing mistakes.
It moves at supersonic speed, grips you from the first word and holds you completely enthralled to the last word.
Here is a quote from the book just to give you an idea of what her writing is like.
"Forget taking a para as a lover, the most feral and primal species out there is plain old human."
I checked Amazon and it says book #2 is 87 pages for 2.99. I would like a little better deal if the page count is correct. However, I don't know if I can wait long enough for a deal to happen. It is just that great and I really loved it......

[Crina | booktwist_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original post on http://readingadd.blogspot.ro/

I read this because I have it, but is not so important for you to read it, just if you want to know how they met and stuff.

It’s a cute and hot novella, in which you can find both steamy romance and a kick-ass female lead that beat the s.ht out of a werewolf. I’m not a violent person but I really liked the times when she showed that she could take care of herself and do her job.

Plus the two of them and nice to see together, I like the tension between them and how in all that mix of feelings is needed just a spark and everything goes exploding. Interesting to see and if they won’t kill each other in the future, then they’ll have a hot, funny, rollercoaster relationship.


!Received this for a honest review!

[Danielle Peace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly this probably closer to a 4.5 star. I loved and hated this story. And by hated I mean the fact that it ended so quickly! Mina Carter did a fantastic job hooking me into this universe. Laney is spunky and hell on wheels, just the kind of character I love reading about. Troy is sexy and completely wins me over with his get down to business attitude and protective nature. And the chemistry between them is like fireworks.

Big thanks to This Redhead LOVES books for giving me an ARC copy to review!

[Nichole ~Bookaholic~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun listen..... The audio was 1hr 35min so pretty short, Laney is a reaper who ends up stopping in Liberty Oakwood and runs into detective Troy Regan and the sparks fly. Snarky, funny, hot and just to damn sort. Hope the author continues this series

[Jennifer James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucky enough to get to do a beta read on this bad boy. Loved it. :)

Wanted MORE! MORE MORE MORE. :D

Really fun story.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost like a teaser rather than a shorty. Enjoyed it and now I want more!

[Alisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good! But I didn't realize it was a short story :0(

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I shall review this fully when at home

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book one of the Hellsgate series and the main character is Laney Larson, who comes from a long line of Reapers. It skipped her parent’s generation and she was chosen instead of her two brothers, leaving them to not even speaking to her! Her job as a Reaper is full time, every day of the year, but at least she is dealing usually with the run of violent deaths, not children. Her Grimm has pulled her towards the small town of Liberty, where she expects just the usual reap and go on to the next town. What she didn’t expect was a Lycan attack and a young and sexy detective who had something unusual about him, that could see through her normal Reaper glamour. She hasn’t been with anyone for over a year. Her job doesn’t make anything more than the occasional one night stand possible. She travels to a cop bar to look for an officer to follow along to crime scenes, not one that is older, comfortable and too close to retirement, but a younger, more driven and keener detective. The one she finds walking out of the bathroom with a lone Lycan is Troy Regan. On spotting her, the Lycan left straight away. He and his partner John have been introduced to some of the kinds of paranormals about, by a witch in town. Laney can sense a larger paranormal presence in the town, but isn’t sure why.

When the sole Lycan tries to jump her in an alley, she realises he is possibly a scout for a larger pack. She can handle a single Lycan on her own, but a pack is something else! She battles against the Lycan, only for Troy to come across her, with the werewolf on top of her, and his protective side needs to rescue her and keep her safe! He doesn’t know exactly what she is, but she is tiny and gorgeous, so he has to step in. He had grown tired of the big city and had moved back home, but his old town is dealing with waves of dangerous paranormals. Many he knows nothing about. Her Grimm has left her to it by herself and she is knocked about quite a bit, leaving her a bit woozy and Troy wants to take her to the hospital, but she refuses. He takes her to his home and looks after her, even ending up in bed together for a steamy session, better than anything he has ever experienced. Laney knows he is human, but there must be something more in his blood and his family’s past, for him to be able to see the real her, when she was hiding in the Shade, the space been the human realm and the other side. When John’s wife phones to ask where he is, it turns out the pair have a much greater problem to face, than they could ever have imagined. A fascinating tale of a really strong woman who finds an ally and lover in her latest job location. He still has questions about what she is exactly, but she also has the same to find out about him. There is more than the normal attraction between the two and I can’t wait to find out what they get up to in the next book in the series. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Blake · Rating 1 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

I liked the MC unless she was intimately involved with love interest, then I disliked her. - See spoiler.
I went off the love interest as the book progressed. - See spoiler.

I liked the world building, it could have been a great Urban fantasy.

Yet another book that for me, would have been better if it was just Urban Fantasy, and had no romance (or even a slow burn romance).... not that there was anything particularity romantic about the romance, not for me. But then I'm not into lust and screw on first meeting, (after she's just fought for her life and has injuries to) then later the LI hunting her down, cuffing her without asking and then 'controlling' the sex.
Total turn off for me and made me dislike the LI and also the MC for just going along with it. The meet and screw, I could stomach, but the controlling sex, to make him feel more equal to her (authors own words) after she put down a lycan in front of him... man's pathetic.

First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: No

Would you recommend?: No


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[E.G. Manetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a nice change from trope standards, the heroine, Laney, is the dark and dangerous supernatural and Troy, the hero, is an 'ordinary' human. Albeit a cop, but at least he's not a billionaire. At 37 pages, its more a short-story than a novella and it does a nice job of quickly introducing the alternate universe of Liberty Oakwood and the beginning of the romance between the two main characters. Definitely an insta-love story justified by paranormal hormones, and for those who like a sassy heroine given to snark, Laney will work for you. Although enjoyable, the brief story gives half the page count to fighting and sex leaving very little time to get to know the characters. I may move on with the series at some point, but I wasn't left with an overwhelming need to read the next one right away.

3.5 stars.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Off to a Great Start . . .

Here is a witty, laughable story to draw the reader in, especially with the likable characters we meet. This is a series that will end with a cliffhanger, so brace yourself. It will leave you yearning to know more, and that’s what it’s supposed to do, keep you coming back and having fun!

Laney Larson, a grim reaper, comes to town ready to do her job and leave again. But the Lycan who comes after her in the alley isn’t what she is there for. He turns out to be scoping out the area for a full-scale invasion, so Laney is unwilling to leave the town open to attack. She meets Detective Troy Regan as he arrives to rescue her – fighting off the desire to take her home, keep her safe, and make her his. But, uh… how can he “see” her when he’s not supposed to be able to do that? The stage is set for us to see what surprises these characters can provide.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short and fun read and is part of a series ending on a cliffhanger.
Book #1 introduces Laney Larson grim reaper extraordinaire. Following her grimmie sense to the small town of Liberty she is ready to reap some souls!
Being attacked by a Lycan wasn’t part of the plan as was meeting detective Troy Regan who jumps in to assist her. The attraction is of course immediate between the two.
A very engaging paranormal romance ensues and I enjoyed the authors’ well written narrative, great characters and the infusion of action and imaginative world building to round things off.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun, cheeky, super quick read. It has a snarky, sassy, kick ass reaper heroine that is extremely likable. There is also a cool cop with a special ability. The story is very well written as well. It has twists just when you think you have it figured out.
The only complaint I have is that the book was way too short. :) :) :) I could have kept reading & reading & reading.
I recommend this book & all other written by the remarkable Mina Carter.

[Jamoz23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cannot2021 UPDATED REVIEW
Great to have this book extended and Ms Carter made a great job of keeping the characters likeable.
Cannot wait for the next book.

ORIGINAL REVIEW 2017 under a different series title.
Unfortunately just too short to be really enjoyable but a great lead in to a new series.
Loved the kickass Laney, what a career she has and Troy was ooh la la. Protective, strong even though he is only human. wait for the next book.

[Dar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh I just loved this! The characters had me hooked from the beginning with their attitude and witty dialogue. The first person writing felt like they were having a conversation with me to explain their thoughts while still in the moment when the action happened. This serial starter definitely has me hooked!

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Packed with Action and Snark

I love it when the small, unassuming woman turns out to be the biggest bad in town. Laney is completely kick-butt, taking on lycans and trading jabs with Troy with equal aplomb. Heads up, this book is the start of a serial, and it leaves you in the most delicious cliff hanger… I’ve got to read them all!

[Taaibah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action with a side of steeeeeammm…

A pretty good read… Love the main characters and the storyline…
Some hot and steamy romance, ad some wicked action….
I enjoyed this book and look forward to following Laney and Troy’s adventure, both within the town and on the more personal (and steamy) level

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couple of issues with this one that ended with reduced star status...
1) I was tricked into reading a novella. This sounded so good. Why was it so short?
2) Use of the word mons in an otherwise steamy scene/sentence. Ugh.
3) Editing mistakes
It was a good story, don't get me wrong, but where was the rest of it? Are the rest of the series novellas?

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

A prequel story originally published in the Wicked after Dark anthology. A reaper arrives in a small town on her Grimm's summons only to find out there's a lot more going on than she thought. Steamy yet romantic with lots of smart banter and plenty of action.
Well worth the read.