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A Love This Grim
Our world, as you’ve never seen it before
As Death’s adopted daughter, Avalia has grown to learn the secrets of this life and the afterlife. But it’s both a blessing and a curse, as the human girl can never truly be a part of her father’s dominion, nor can she share her world with any mere mortal. True love is forever beyond her reach.
Which is fine for Ava -- she doesn’t believe in it anyway.
Resigned to her loneliness, fate delivers a cruel twist when Noric, her father’s most powerful reaper, strides into her manor one spring evening. She’d have to be a fool to give the beautiful death-dealer her heart. But the only way it wouldn’t belong to Noric is if that organ stopped beating.
Which, incidentally, is the crux of the issue.
When a mortal and an immortal fall in love, the end comes too soon for one, and the agony burns eternal, for the other.
As their desire intensifies and frustration builds, the question plagues Ava’s mind…
…Why, throughout her whole life, has Death never allowed his adoptive daughter to meet his reapers before?
As Death’s adopted daughter, Avalia has grown to learn the secrets of this life and the afterlife. But it’s both a blessing and a curse, as the human girl can never truly be a part of her father’s dominion, nor can she share her world with any mere mortal. True love is forever beyond her reach.
Which is fine for Ava -- she doesn’t believe in it anyway.
Resigned to her loneliness, fate delivers a cruel twist when Noric, her father’s most powerful reaper, strides into her manor one spring evening. She’d have to be a fool to give the beautiful death-dealer her heart. But the only way it wouldn’t belong to Noric is if that organ stopped beating.
Which, incidentally, is the crux of the issue.
When a mortal and an immortal fall in love, the end comes too soon for one, and the agony burns eternal, for the other.
As their desire intensifies and frustration builds, the question plagues Ava’s mind…
…Why, throughout her whole life, has Death never allowed his adoptive daughter to meet his reapers before?
404 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2025
About the author
Elora Morgan
5 books134 followersElora spends her free time pursuing fantasy. Nothing engages her mind like a fantastical new world -- except when that world contains lovers who initially despise one another. She reads and writes these angst-filled pairings from the East Coast of the U.S.
YA/NA ROMANCE | SCI-FI/FANTASY | ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@eloramorgan
Instagram: www.instagram.com/boundandcrowned
YA/NA ROMANCE | SCI-FI/FANTASY | ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@eloramorgan
Instagram: www.instagram.com/boundandcrowned
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Did Not Finish
December 27, 2025I tried to keep reading this. I just don’t care enough.
December 2, 2025
When Death’s reaper falls for his mortal daughter, love becomes the most dangerous choice of all.
Avalia has lived her whole life on the edges of two worlds, the human and the divine. Raised by Death but kept far from his grim reapers, she’s trained in ballet and survival, but never in love. She's used to questions without answers and a loneliness she can't explain. Then Noric arrives, and everything begins to shift.
He’s cold, disciplined, and terrifyingly loyal to her father. A reaper who’s never hesitated to take a soul. He should keep his distance. She should stay guarded. But the pull between them grows stronger with every moment. As secrets unravel, Avalia realizes her life isn't just hers to live. Her choices might change the balance between life and death.
With time running out, they fight to hold on to each other while the world begins to fracture. Noric would do anything to protect her. Avalia must decide who she really is and what she's willing to become. Their love isn’t safe. But it’s real. And it just might rewrite everything.
Avalia transforms from a girl bound by fate into a woman who owns it. Noric learns how to feel, how to stay, and how to love without fear. What begins as guarded tension becomes a fierce and grounded bond built on choice, sacrifice, and trust.
A steamy, high-stakes, forbidden, mortal-immortal, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, gothic paranormal romance. It’s about defying fate, reclaiming identity, and choosing love when it costs everything. At its heart, it’s about power, transformation, and two souls who refuse to break.
The Elevator Pitch: A mortal ballerina raised by Death is pulled into a cosmic game of fate when a reaper with ice in his veins and fire in his eyes arrives at her door. Their bond is forbidden, their love a spark against the rules of gods and time itself. A dark, emotionally charged paranormal romance where desire rewrites destiny and nothing stays buried forever.
Avalia has lived her whole life on the edges of two worlds, the human and the divine. Raised by Death but kept far from his grim reapers, she’s trained in ballet and survival, but never in love. She's used to questions without answers and a loneliness she can't explain. Then Noric arrives, and everything begins to shift.
He’s cold, disciplined, and terrifyingly loyal to her father. A reaper who’s never hesitated to take a soul. He should keep his distance. She should stay guarded. But the pull between them grows stronger with every moment. As secrets unravel, Avalia realizes her life isn't just hers to live. Her choices might change the balance between life and death.
With time running out, they fight to hold on to each other while the world begins to fracture. Noric would do anything to protect her. Avalia must decide who she really is and what she's willing to become. Their love isn’t safe. But it’s real. And it just might rewrite everything.
Avalia transforms from a girl bound by fate into a woman who owns it. Noric learns how to feel, how to stay, and how to love without fear. What begins as guarded tension becomes a fierce and grounded bond built on choice, sacrifice, and trust.
A steamy, high-stakes, forbidden, mortal-immortal, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, gothic paranormal romance. It’s about defying fate, reclaiming identity, and choosing love when it costs everything. At its heart, it’s about power, transformation, and two souls who refuse to break.
The Elevator Pitch: A mortal ballerina raised by Death is pulled into a cosmic game of fate when a reaper with ice in his veins and fire in his eyes arrives at her door. Their bond is forbidden, their love a spark against the rules of gods and time itself. A dark, emotionally charged paranormal romance where desire rewrites destiny and nothing stays buried forever.
January 10, 2026
I physically could not bring myself to pick up this book and continue reading after I sat it down. I could not make myself care either. DNF.
March 17, 2026
Ever since Death adopted her, Avalia has grown up between the mortal world and the immortal afterlife. Though her father has been careful to keep her isolated from his reapers, one day he abruptly changes his mind, changing Ava's life forever. She immediately is taken with Death's head reaper, Noric, but as their relationship grows it creates ever growing consequences that they can't escape.
As a young woman in her early twenties, Ava lacks an overall goal for her life. This makes sense as to her unique upbringing has prevented her from fully feeling a part of the human world, and her mortality prevents her from being able to fully help her father. Her true passion is ballet, and while she is extremely skilled at it, she doesn't plan on pursuing dance as a career. This means when Noric enters her life, Ava's attraction to him is all consuming of her life. She makes many silly decisions that other early twenty-somethings would make, but she really needed some sort of goal to pursue other than Noric to make her seem more grounded in reality as a character. Instead her attraction became almost obsessive and almost predatory given her belief that Noric hates her.
I would have loved for a little more time to have been spent establishing the current emotional connection Ava had with Death and the ghosts she grew up with. These relationships are implied to be foundational in her life, and they have great importance on the plot. However, since the majority of the early book is spent with Ava creeping on Noric and dancing without interacting much with her family, it undercuts the emotional impact of the plot stakes later on.
Noric on the other hand, is an immortal having lived thousands of years. He is tasked with teaching Ava history, which is used to force proximity between the two of them, but unfortunately gives a weird vibe to their burgeoning relationship. He spends a lot of time being dismissive and mean to her, but then seems to abruptly change his mind, claiming to love her. This sudden switch from enemies to lover is jarring, and I personally couldn't really buy into it. He also starts acting very erratic for an ancient being, toggling between hot and cold and just generally seeming to not be completely invested in the relationship. But when the final ticking clock element finally arrives on the plot, we are supposed to believe that his love for Ava is complete and all-consuming.
In the end, the story definitely went in some unexpected directions. But without being completely sold on the core romance between Ava and Noric, it lacked the emotional punch to truly hit home.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
As a young woman in her early twenties, Ava lacks an overall goal for her life. This makes sense as to her unique upbringing has prevented her from fully feeling a part of the human world, and her mortality prevents her from being able to fully help her father. Her true passion is ballet, and while she is extremely skilled at it, she doesn't plan on pursuing dance as a career. This means when Noric enters her life, Ava's attraction to him is all consuming of her life. She makes many silly decisions that other early twenty-somethings would make, but she really needed some sort of goal to pursue other than Noric to make her seem more grounded in reality as a character. Instead her attraction became almost obsessive and almost predatory given her belief that Noric hates her.
I would have loved for a little more time to have been spent establishing the current emotional connection Ava had with Death and the ghosts she grew up with. These relationships are implied to be foundational in her life, and they have great importance on the plot. However, since the majority of the early book is spent with Ava creeping on Noric and dancing without interacting much with her family, it undercuts the emotional impact of the plot stakes later on.
Noric on the other hand, is an immortal having lived thousands of years. He is tasked with teaching Ava history, which is used to force proximity between the two of them, but unfortunately gives a weird vibe to their burgeoning relationship. He spends a lot of time being dismissive and mean to her, but then seems to abruptly change his mind, claiming to love her. This sudden switch from enemies to lover is jarring, and I personally couldn't really buy into it. He also starts acting very erratic for an ancient being, toggling between hot and cold and just generally seeming to not be completely invested in the relationship. But when the final ticking clock element finally arrives on the plot, we are supposed to believe that his love for Ava is complete and all-consuming.
In the end, the story definitely went in some unexpected directions. But without being completely sold on the core romance between Ava and Noric, it lacked the emotional punch to truly hit home.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 7, 2025
Ethereal, Emotional, and Utterly Consuming ⭐
A Forbidden-Love Paranormal Romance That Feels Like a Classic
This book is not your typical paranormal romance—it’s richer, heavier, and far more emotionally charged than most stories in the genre. It follows Death’s adoptive daughter and his High Reaper, two characters who begin their journey buried in loneliness and guarded emotions. From the very beginning, there is a deep pull between them—an attraction that is as forbidden as it is inevitable.
What stands out most is the writing style: it’s ethereal, poetic, and absolutely loaded with meaning. This isn’t a light, casual read you breeze through in an evening. Instead, it feels almost like a timeless classic—elegant, layered, and crafted with intention. Every scene carries emotional weight, every sentence feels purposeful.
The romance is intense, slow-building, and filled with yearning. As their bond deepens, so does the tension, and the forbidden nature of their connection only heightens the impact. The world-building is immersive, the characters are beautifully constructed, and the plot includes twists that keep you deeply invested.
This book is not for the faint of heart, but if you’re looking for a paranormal romance with depth, emotion, and stunning prose, it’s incredibly rewarding. A heavy read—but a deeply satisfying one.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A Forbidden-Love Paranormal Romance That Feels Like a Classic
This book is not your typical paranormal romance—it’s richer, heavier, and far more emotionally charged than most stories in the genre. It follows Death’s adoptive daughter and his High Reaper, two characters who begin their journey buried in loneliness and guarded emotions. From the very beginning, there is a deep pull between them—an attraction that is as forbidden as it is inevitable.
What stands out most is the writing style: it’s ethereal, poetic, and absolutely loaded with meaning. This isn’t a light, casual read you breeze through in an evening. Instead, it feels almost like a timeless classic—elegant, layered, and crafted with intention. Every scene carries emotional weight, every sentence feels purposeful.
The romance is intense, slow-building, and filled with yearning. As their bond deepens, so does the tension, and the forbidden nature of their connection only heightens the impact. The world-building is immersive, the characters are beautifully constructed, and the plot includes twists that keep you deeply invested.
This book is not for the faint of heart, but if you’re looking for a paranormal romance with depth, emotion, and stunning prose, it’s incredibly rewarding. A heavy read—but a deeply satisfying one.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 6, 2025
“Beautifully Broken… But Sometimes Just Too Grim.” 🖤💋🌑
A Love This Grim by Elora Morgan is a dark, emotional romance that dives deep into the shadows of love, loss, and redemption. Morgan’s writing is atmospheric and poetic — every sentence feels heavy with meaning, dripping with angst and longing. You can feel the pain and passion in every chapter.
That said, the story can be a lot at times — emotionally intense to the point of exhaustion. The pacing wavers, and there are moments where the darkness overshadows the love story itself. Still, when the connection between the characters shines through, it’s undeniably powerful. There’s a haunting beauty in the way Morgan explores love that hurts, heals, and haunts all at once.
✨ Tropes you’ll find:
💔 Broken characters finding love
🖤 Grumpy x grumpier
🔥 Enemies to lovers (but make it tragic)
🩸 Emotional scars
🌹 Beauty in the darkness
🌒 Redemption arc
💀 Love as salvation (and destruction)
A Love This Grim is intense, moody, and full of heartache. It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you like your romance dark, messy, and a little bit destructive — this one’s for you. Just… maybe have some comfort snacks ready. 🍫😅
A Love This Grim by Elora Morgan is a dark, emotional romance that dives deep into the shadows of love, loss, and redemption. Morgan’s writing is atmospheric and poetic — every sentence feels heavy with meaning, dripping with angst and longing. You can feel the pain and passion in every chapter.
That said, the story can be a lot at times — emotionally intense to the point of exhaustion. The pacing wavers, and there are moments where the darkness overshadows the love story itself. Still, when the connection between the characters shines through, it’s undeniably powerful. There’s a haunting beauty in the way Morgan explores love that hurts, heals, and haunts all at once.
✨ Tropes you’ll find:
💔 Broken characters finding love
🖤 Grumpy x grumpier
🔥 Enemies to lovers (but make it tragic)
🩸 Emotional scars
🌹 Beauty in the darkness
🌒 Redemption arc
💀 Love as salvation (and destruction)
A Love This Grim is intense, moody, and full of heartache. It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you like your romance dark, messy, and a little bit destructive — this one’s for you. Just… maybe have some comfort snacks ready. 🍫😅
March 8, 2026
This book was somewhat entertaining. I liked the characters. I especially liked Death and his Reapers. Avalia? I didn't dislike her, but I didn't love her either. Is that why I didn't completely fall under the love spell? I don't know, but I didn't.
I guess I didn't feel or see or understand the progression from Noric meeting Ava and thinking she was a spoiled brat to a few days later when Noric seems to become completely bewitched and potentially in love with her. I think it had something to do with watching her dance, but still… it didn't work for me.
However, I chose to overlook the unlikeliness of Noric's choice of "one true love" and I chose to go with it for the sake of the book. That helped. I still have a lot of questions, but none that take away from the story itself. At least not when you let it be what it wants to be.
This was an imaginative, love-at-almost-first-sight, love-against-all-odds, yet, low-angst, love story featuring a heroine that hasn't earned her place, a hero that has, and their friends and family who are ready to sacrifice themselves for either the girl they barely know or for the idea of true love.
I guess I didn't feel or see or understand the progression from Noric meeting Ava and thinking she was a spoiled brat to a few days later when Noric seems to become completely bewitched and potentially in love with her. I think it had something to do with watching her dance, but still… it didn't work for me.
However, I chose to overlook the unlikeliness of Noric's choice of "one true love" and I chose to go with it for the sake of the book. That helped. I still have a lot of questions, but none that take away from the story itself. At least not when you let it be what it wants to be.
This was an imaginative, love-at-almost-first-sight, love-against-all-odds, yet, low-angst, love story featuring a heroine that hasn't earned her place, a hero that has, and their friends and family who are ready to sacrifice themselves for either the girl they barely know or for the idea of true love.
December 26, 2025
In my opinion, this is a lighter take on Death and the Four Horseman. Ava was adopted by Death after he reaped her parents and tried to leave her with a foster family. Ava has grown up as no other mortal has, and when she finally meets the Four Horseman, it's no shock that she falls for one of them - Noric.
This book is very much a romance with a paranormal setting. All the characters are fully fleshed. I loved Eligius (Death) and the dynamic between Embrette and Hexley. The romance between Ava and Noric is sweet, formed by their love of music and dancing, and history lessons.
I did find the first half of this book very different to the second half, but Elora's writing is so fluid it's easy to follow. I really enjoyed the different takes on religion and historical events, and even though there is a lot of reference to death and reaping, the story is sweet and heart-warming.
This book is very much a romance with a paranormal setting. All the characters are fully fleshed. I loved Eligius (Death) and the dynamic between Embrette and Hexley. The romance between Ava and Noric is sweet, formed by their love of music and dancing, and history lessons.
I did find the first half of this book very different to the second half, but Elora's writing is so fluid it's easy to follow. I really enjoyed the different takes on religion and historical events, and even though there is a lot of reference to death and reaping, the story is sweet and heart-warming.
March 6, 2026
I really enjoyed this as a paranormal romance novel, it had that element that I was expecting in the genre and was hooked from the first page. I enjoyed the idea of Death's adopted daughter and going on the journey with the characters, the romance worked perfectly and was enjoying reading the romance grow. Elora Morgan has a strong writing style and was able to create something that I wanted and enjoyed in the genre. It was everything that I was hoping for and glad I was able to read this.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 12, 2026
Firstly, I love this cover, as well as the inside art and formatting—they really add to the gothic feel. While this isn’t strictly a gothic book, it definitely carries those vibes in both atmosphere and prose.
I loved the lore and the FMC’s attitude. The opening scene set the mood really well, and the MMC was actually quite fun to read. He wasn’t the typical shallow “shadow daddy.” Don’t get me wrong—he’s still firmly on the morally grey spectrum.
Overall, I enjoyed this read and found it felt quite mature, not YA at all.
I loved the lore and the FMC’s attitude. The opening scene set the mood really well, and the MMC was actually quite fun to read. He wasn’t the typical shallow “shadow daddy.” Don’t get me wrong—he’s still firmly on the morally grey spectrum.
Overall, I enjoyed this read and found it felt quite mature, not YA at all.
December 1, 2025
I was not expecting that plot twist! The entire last part of the book kept me up late as I had to know how it would end.
I think this is Elora’s most beautiful writing yet, and I wish I could spend more time with these characters. One of my favorite things about this story was the dynamics between them, their banter and their backstories.
More in-depth review to come once I’ve recovered!
I think this is Elora’s most beautiful writing yet, and I wish I could spend more time with these characters. One of my favorite things about this story was the dynamics between them, their banter and their backstories.
More in-depth review to come once I’ve recovered!
December 4, 2025
A forbidden romance between Death’s adoptive daughter, Avalia, and his most loyal reaper, Noric. Morgan’s writing style immerses you into a world where fate is defied and true love blooms where it shouldn’t. The world she creates is easy to imagine and place yourself within the pages to bear witness to a bond so strong.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 4, 2025
This book had me feeling EVERYTHING. I laughed and cried sooooooo much with this book. I fell in love with all of the characters, especially Avalia. She (and this book) will forever hold a special place in my heart. I have been a ballerina all my life and the way Avalia expresses herself and uses dance to feel and process her emotions is something I relate to deep in my heart. All the plot twists had me gasping and screaming. I will end up rereading this over and over as a comfort read <3
December 6, 2025
loved it !! love Avalia and Noric... this is their love story...a fun fast paced ragic love story... she's mortal and he's immortal.. she's a human raised by Death himself... the grim reaper...and Noric , he's the best reaper... a tragic love story or is it ? this is so good !!! the emotions you'll feel... you'll laugh , you'll cry out, it's all there ... and maybe a bit more !!!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 2, 2025
This was an interesting story which got rather emotional and intense at times. The writing was descriptive and I liked the relationship between the main characters.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 13, 2025
Really loved this, the concept, the characters, the world building, but there were times where I felt like I knew what the author meant, but she couldn’t find the right words to express that. Nevertheless, thoroughly enjoyed it.
March 14, 2026
Harder to read than I thought
It wasn't as good as I thought it would. Complicated when it didn't need to be... Just missing the bam moment for me to fall into the book.. which is a shame as I was looking forward to enjoying it.
It wasn't as good as I thought it would. Complicated when it didn't need to be... Just missing the bam moment for me to fall into the book.. which is a shame as I was looking forward to enjoying it.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews