How to Reap a Soul (and Fail Miserably)

Soul Management Bureau #1

by April Kelley

Love was never on my to-do list, but now that I have it, I’ll let the world burn before I let anything happen to him.
Grym

I’ve reaped souls for three hundred years without a single mistake. Until Elliot Coyne. I’m supposed to ferry him into the afterlife, not bring him back to life and turn him immortal.

Now HR is threatening me, the world is acting like it might explode, and my reaper brothers are stress-snacking like it’s Armageddon.

Even worse? My soul insists Elliot is my beloved. Reapers aren’t supposed to have those. Are they? Regardless, it’s wildly inconvenient.

Elliot
So I die, wake up immortal and able to walk between realms, not that I know what those actually are.

The guy responsible is an annoyingly hot reaper who apparently broke the universe just to keep me breathing.

We’re suddenly stuck together, hunted by his supernatural bosses, and if we fall for each other it might tear reality apart.

Love isn’t supposed to end the world. Yet here we are.

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, LGBT, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary, Romance

187 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 14, 2026

About the author

Living in Southwest Michigan, April resides with her husband and two kids. She has been an avid reader for several years. Writing her first story at the age of ten, the characters in her head still won't stop telling their stories. If April isn't reading or writing she can be found outside playing with the animals or taking a long walk in the woods.

If you wish to contact her email authoraprilkelley@gmail.com.

Please visit her website at authoraprilkelley.com

Reviews

[Eileen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was totally disappointed. Actually, I like her books, but this one could have been really something - thematically it's really cool -, BUT it's just nothing half and nothing whole. Logic gaps, some developments don't make sense, how and why are Grym and Elliott together now? They were just suddenly... Also how the two treated each other?! Wtf? Imagine that your beloved/mate, whatever, is in danger and instead of taking the person aside and trying to explain everything to them, you make one mistake after another, don't explain anything, just let them go and then wonder why they are afraid of you and don't want to talk to you because they think you're a crazy stalker... I expect more from adults!
The showdown was boring af too and doesn't make sense either.
I just miss the red thread, chronological, meaningful developments, elaborated characters and the worldbuilding is also pretty meager.
I'll give volume 2 a chance anyway, but I'm so disappointed right now and sorry, who stops reading 15 pages before the end and you only realize 3 days later that you should finish it after all... 😭💔🫣

And I'm really negatively surprised how many 4 and 5 star reviews the story got? Have we read different stories? Asking for a friend... 🤔😂😅

[Valeria Orlando · Rating 1 out of 5]

badly written, doesn't make sense for the most part
it's like it's a first draft and not a finished book
👎🏻

[Latecia Jennings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well folks...this was a VERY entertaining and quirky romance...indeed. A little OTT but entertaining. The premise of the reapers having their bonded soul mates was nice. So when Elliot and Grym met, it was nice and getting romantic....Then all the craziness began with the other reaper brothers, hellhounds. different realms, other beloveds, gods, etc. Entirely too much going on but I did enjoy reading. So I'm invested in knowing how this all will end...eventually. No biggie with the lil cliffhanger...I'm all in.

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

[Ashley Matics · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book because the premise sounded so fun, but it fell a little short for me. The writing felt like maybe this is the first book that the author has written and she’s still settling into her writing style. Not bad overall, but I wouldn’t read it again.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elliott is scheduled to ride the ferry to eternity but when he is hovering between life and the afterlife, he meets Grymley Reaper, his soul mate. He makes a decision to live.
Back at Gryms house he meets the rest of the reapers. They have to make a pact to keep Elliott safe because now he has met his soulmate that is a problem for the Reapers.
The book was cute, a nice easy read and I can't wait to see the other Reapers find their soul mates.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 81%. It’s all prelude, and not very interesting at that. Her earlier books were more entrancing, perhaps because they were fresher: this shtick is getting worn out. I won’t be reading any more books in this series

[notachance]

DNF 77% - I like the premise, but the writing really isn't great. eg "I think we should take it to the next level".

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, Quick Read

This book was cute I like the relationship between Grym and Elliot. I think that the overarching plot for this series is quite interesting as well and I’d love to see what happens. I just thought that there was a lot going on in this book and there wasn’t enough time to fully flush out all the different characters and things that happened.

[David Wickham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free from BookFunnel, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a solid 3.5. The writing could have been better, but I rounded up due to the characters and plot.

We have Grymley Reaper, who is actually a reaper or soul collector. Grymley is his real first name from when he was a stableboy way back in the day. He and his brother reapers all take the same name. As it turns out, reapers and most supernatural creatures aren't really allowed to fall in love. Grym finds his soulmate and tosses the rules out the window. He is called on to reap the soul of one Elliot Coyne. Elliot got way stoned and tried riding his friend's bike home. Nasty wreck and ended up in the hospital ER. He ran into a nativity scene and hit his head on something.

Grym was already in the hospital reaping the soul of an elderly man when one of his coworkers, Ossy, points him towards Elliot. They could tell something was different about him. As it turns out, he was Grym's soulmate.

This is where the story really starts. He's not allowed to have a soulmate, or beloved as the author calls them. There was a prediction that a reaper and his soulmate would destroy the Soul Management Bureau, which was where he and the other reapers worked. The plot really takes off here and it is very interesting. I just wish it was longer and better written. I've never read anything by this author before and maybe it's just her writing style. I'm not going to continue with the plot because I really don't want to give too much away.

There are some spicy times. They bond in every sense of the word. Grym's boss tells him to go bond. She has a vested interest in getting her own beloved so if Grym and Elliot don't end up cast in darkness for eternight somewhere, she has a shot.

I adored the characters. Elliot is a very responsible person trying to improve his life. He sort of went off the deep end after his mother's death and he's still picking up the pieces. Non-American readers won't really understand his concern with hospital bills. After his accident, he leave the ER and goes back to work. He needs the shifts. It's really a sad commentary on the state of healthcare in the US. Healthcare in the US isn't the greatest for those without good insurance.

I do recommend this and I'm looking forward to the second book, although it doesn't come out until December. I want it now!!

[Joyffree · Rating 4 out of 5]

” Kissed by Death. Nice.”

Fast-paced, light-hearted, quirky romance that just hit right
Who doesn't want true love?

Obviously, someone or the story wouldn’t work!

Grymley Reaper is, well, as his name insinuates, a Grim Reaper.
Currently, he has his sights on a promotion -
Yeah, the reaping business has an HR department and runs a bit like a corporation.
Who knew?
Anyway
One of the other reapers comes across Elliot in the ER after Elliot's amazing ride and battle against the plastic baby (you got to read it yourself) and realizes he is a Beloved.
Not just any beloved but Gryms

And that is where our adventure begins.

These two are so cute together!!!!
Elliot is all snark and no ducks given, while our Grym is more of a suit and tie workaholic. And he is a cuddler! Who knew reapers were such romantics?
Since they are fated, it's an insta-attraction love thing, so everything goes down pretty quickly
Not a whole lot of no's going on
But then, to Elliot, Grym is a tall drink of cool water

How to Reap a Soul sets up the series and introduces the main players.
The whole who's who and what's what - building the foundation for the series
Absolutely lovable cast!
Elliott's ex and his bestie, as well as the other reapers and demons, and OMG, wait till you meet the Hell Hound, were major players in the story. I loved the diverse personalities and “species.” 😉

The storyline moves quickly but is easy to follow:
Battle of love triggering the possible downfall of the world vs. the opposition 🤷‍♀️

There are several areas where I would have appreciated a bit more detail or filler, but in all honesty, the author did a solid job of providing the reader with just enough information to keep us guessing, flipping pages, and leaving us wanting more.
We end on a happy enough note for now :)
The war lies ahead of us


I had fun with the gang and am looking forward to the next in the series.
If you are looking for a fun read with the cutest romance and lovable characters that don't always follow the norm, then this is for you!

[Jeanette Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

April Kelley's "How to Reap a Soul (and Fail Miserably) is an exciting start to her Soul Management Bureau series. Fun, quickly read and full of snark. Quite tongue-in-cheek with some really quirky, laugh out loud characters. It's only 187 pages long, the author shoves a great bit of worldbuilding into these pages. But it didn't seem rushed. Maybe that's due to Ms. Kelley knowing that she was going to leave us with a cliffhanger.
Elliot had a wonderful life. He and his mom lived in an old, but well cared for farmhouse and they renovated the garage to be a woodshop. Then his mom died from a brain aneurysm. Overspending landed him in debt and he was pragmatically dealing with it, balancing three jobs. His only fun times were caring for his 102 year old neighbor, working with wood, and his nightly toke with his best friend, Joel. Riding a bicycle home, because he was too high to drive, landed him in the hospital, dying.
Grymley was a stableboy, a job he enjoyed. He also enjoyed fantasizing about Prince Jasper's bouncy bottom. Attempting to rescue the idiot royal's life in a swift moving river, he drowned and was given the choice, afterlife or becoming a Ferryman, a Reaper. Three hundred years later, he finds his Beloved, a soul he was meant to reap. Elliot Coyne.
There's a prophecy, Beloveds would destroy and restructure the afterlife. The head of HR, the demon, Donn, was against change. The only way to avoid HR Armageddon and the creation of immortals that could cross all the universe's realms was to destroy the Beloveds. And their reaper mates.
The afterlife as a corporate structure isn't a new concept. Neither are 'reapers in love'. But dragons, vampires, motor cycle clubs and magic folk aren't either. The Saint Lakes' universe and it's adjacent series(s) are delightful reads, and I can't wait for April Kelley to destroy the afterlife. Good, cheeky reading.
I received an advanced copy of this ebook from the author and this is my review.

[Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Soul Management Bureau series. This is a fun and light hearted read about the afterlife. This is the story of Grymley Reaper and Elliot Coyne. Grym has been a reapers for over 300 years. When he is assigned to Elliot's death, he finds his soulmate. This causes huge problems as reapers aren't supposed to have one. So instead of ferrying him into the afterlife Grym brings him back to life and turned him immortal. HR for the Soul Management Bureau and Donn, the god of death are not happy with this turn of events. Especially as there was a prophecy that foretold the coming of the beloved and the end of the Soul Management Bureau. Elliot was just your average young guy doing foolish things and drowning in debt. When a bike accident causes his death he meet Grym the reaper. Elliot is given the choice to move onto the afterlife or stay with Grym. Elliot chooses Grym. From there, the race is on. Working together to avoid the wrath of Donn, the god of death. This is their story. I received a complimentary advanced review copy of this book from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review. This book is well written and easy to read. I enjoyed seeing all their fellow reapers and the found family that they had formed. I loved the chemistry between Grym and Elliot. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. I really enjoyed this book.

[Katriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grym and Elliot are an unlikely pairing, then being destined for each other marks the destruction of the plans the demons put in place. In other words, them being together marks the end of the world. Neither man are walking away though, they are determined to seeing their relationship through and seeing what they can conquer along the way.

April Kelley is a new(ish)-to-me author, this is the first book I've read by them in quite a while and I have to say I thought they did a good job with writing this. I thought the concept was fresh and creative, the writing was detailed when it came to the world history, and I loved the characters. There were different characters that all contributed to the story and all had their own role, I enjoyed the differences between all of them.

I do think the pacing felt a bit off, at least it felt that way to be. The story had a slowed pacing and a slow burn at first, which I enjoyed, but then it seemed as though all of a sudden things were getting fast forwarded. Certain events happened in a way that felt a bit rushed and fast but I think it worked itself out in the end.

I'm curious to see how this series is going to continue seeing as how this one ended without a full conclusion to certain events.

[Book Hoarder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grymley of Shire jumped into a river to save his unworthy young prince but it did no good. When the strange woman standing on the bank teleported him to the shore, the prince was standing beside her. But both of their bodies were still in the river. He was the last or her blood relatives and she was turning her ferryman duties over to him.
Over three hundred years later, Grymley Reaper, as they were all called now, met his beloved in the hospital ER. Reapers were not supposed to have beloveds, fated mates, soulmates but here they were. There was something special about Elliot, if he bonded with Grym, not only would he become immortal, but he would be able to pass safely through other realms. But there was a prophecy that foretold the coming of the beloved and the end of the Soul Management Bureau. Not to mention Donn, the god of death, would send his demons or hellhounds after both of them.
This is a lighthearted romp through the afterlife. Great world and realm building. Quite a cast of characters including the 14 reapers in Grym’s section 14, Morganna his boss, a demon who switches sides and a hellhound who finds his beloved (also not allowed). Book one of a new series

[Kurohagi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am completely hooked on this new universe!
And I come away from this book eagerly awaiting the sequel.

In this first volume, the universe is slowly established, and we gradually discover all the mysteries of soul management.
I love the characters, human or less than human, they are endearing and funny... And very clumsy! Fortunately, the magic and attraction between Elliot and Grym is undeniable! Otherwise, Elliot would be right to be wary of all these invaders.
A fun book, with just the right amount of spice and full of love and friendship

----

J'ai totalement accroché à ce nouvel univers !
Et je sors de ce livre avec qu'une hâte avoir la suite.

Sur ce premier volume, l'univers est mis en place doucement, on découvre peu à peu toutes les arcanes de la gestion des âmes.
J'aime les personnages, humain ou moins humain, ils sont attachants et drôles... Et très maladroits ! Heureusement, que la magie et l'attirance entre Elliot et Grym est indéniable ! Sinon, Elliot aurait bien raison de se méfier de tous ces envahisseurs.
Un livre fun, juste ce qu'il faut de piment et plein d'amour et d'amitié.

[Ana Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never been more invested in a reaper story than this one!

I loved Grym. It sucks how he became a grim reaper though. It’s like they say, no good deed goes unpunished.

Being a reaper meant living an eternity alone with no one to love. Except, he found his soulmate, something that was forbidden by the god of death and could bring forth the apocalypse.

Elliot was just a normal twenty something who was drowning in debt. After a bike accident, he meets Grym and it’s given the choice to move on to the afterlife or stay with Grym. He chooses to stay and what ensues is a race against time to save themselves from the god of death.

Being soulmates can change the world as they know it and finding a solution is proving to be as deadly as death itself.

Elliot and Grym are determined to make their love possible and help their friends find their soulmates as well.


This book ends on a cliffhanger so stay tuned for book two! I’m super excited to see how the reaper brothers find their beloveds🥰

[Deb Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a hugely enjoyable start to a new series, blending high-stakes supernatural chaos with humour and heart. So delightfully over the top in the best way: a by-the-book reaper makes one “mistake” and accidentally breaks the universe for the sake of a human he can’t help but love. Grym’s long history as a reaper adds depth to the story, while Elliot’s sudden plunge into immortality and inter-realm travel keeps everything moving at a brisk, entertaining pace.

What really worked for me was the tone. Despite prophecies, divine interference and the threat of reality unraveling, the story stays light and fun, with sharp banter and a memorable supporting cast. The reapers, bureaucratic afterlife structures and shifting loyalties give the world a lot of personality, and the romance develops naturally amid the chaos. It’s a strong first book with engaging world building, great characters and plenty of promise for what’s to come. Highly Recommend
I received a free arc copy and this is my honest review

[Steve Pardue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elliot is a lively character whose antics are, to say the least, entertaining! After crashing headfirst into a nativity scene, Elliot ends up in the hospital, on the brink of crossing over to the afterlife. There, he meets Grym, a somewhat reluctant reaper whose job is to help souls, you guessed it, cross over. But who would have thought that a reaper could develop a soft spot for the soul he’s supposed to guide?

As we dive into this zany story, Grym presents Elliot with a choice: cross over to the afterlife or remain in eternal life. Although he’s supposed to guide Elliot through understanding his current state, things quickly spiral into total hilarity.

What follows is a whirlwind of comedic chaos. With Grym grappling with his newfound affection for Elliot, and vice versa, explaining death (or the lack thereof) becomes as tangled as a pair of headphones fresh out of your pocket. The humor, imagination, and witty banter between them and the other quirky characters are key parts of the magic in this fun read you won't want to miss.

[Rhonda Boone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Advance Copy received from Author

I will say this...a different approach to an "After Life" story. I did enjoy reading about Grim and Elliot journey. I will be honest, I am not usually fond of reading death and afterlife...but this read surprised me. Loved the snarky humor, definitely Elliot's friend Joel's analogy on pizza orders was enlightening with wisdom twists. I was captivated with the plot, entertaining characters and banter, intriguing storyline and as the their journey continues questions unveiled as to...what will happen with more beloved being discovered and will Donn unleashed more destruction on the Reapers and the world? I do recommend the read if your into paranormal and other worldly characters...

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't think a book about sudden deaths and grim reapers would be a good time, but here we are. Grym has been a reaper for 300 years and has stayed off HR's radar the whole time. Until Elliot. When Grym comes to collect him at the hospital after a biking accident, he's hit with the sudden realization that Elliot is his beloved (fated mate) and he will do whatever it takes to keep him safe. These 2 falling for each other has the potential to change life and death for everyone, and the powers that be can't let that happen. This is a fun book with a lot of nice world building. The idea of death having a fated mate is unique and I really enjoyed it. The story sets up pairings of other beloveds and reapers, which I'm looking forward to reading. Overall a fun time and I would recommend.

[bwrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original, Fun and Sexy

4.5 Stars Great premise, fun and endearing characters throughout. Supernatural/mythological tale with contemporary style, very relatable characters, a new take on 'fated mates' recognizing each other and finally relinquishing control, giving in to love and passion. Still room for improvement, world-building feels a bit rushed as if the author's enthusiasm for the story got ahead of her explanations of new myth. Still, understandable through context, perhaps another round editing/polish would have smoothed the way. Looking forward to the next book in the series, as our found family of soul mates restructure the known order of Life and Death in their universe, finding passion along the way, with the help of demons, hellhounds and Gods.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to Reap a Soul and Fail Miserably, by April Kelley, is a fun start to a new series featuring the Soul Management Bureau, and the reapers employed there to move the living into the afterlife. Things get complicated and messy when Grymley Reaper, a bit of a workaholic reaper, finds his soul mate when said mate dies. Except that’s not how things work at the Bureau and the domino effect of Murphy’s Law ensues. Wonderful characters, and new facets to this “world” introduced all through this first installment. Evenly paced, enjoyable reading. Looking forward to the next book. DISCLAIMER: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Fredicka · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐
This story started out very strong. It had fantastic pacing, interesting characters, a compelling story line that could be built upon; and then it just kind of fizzled. There came a point where Kelley was trying to introduce so much of what she wants to put into world building of the Soul Management Bureau serries world, that she forgot to tell Elliott and Gyrm's story.
Yes, this is an instant love kind of of world, so you don't expect a long build up. But you go from Elliott saying "no, no, no" on one page, to full steam ahead on the next. All with very little rhyme or reason other than story progression.
It also seams like this series is going to suffer from the "everything but the kitchen sink" type of paranormal fantasy. Like Kelley is going to try and include every kind of mythology, without doing any of it really well. Don't get me wrong I still plan on reading the next book.

[MyDoRyS · Rating 1 out of 5]

My reviews are my own. If you liked this book or not, I respect your opinion.  This is merely my opinion, so let's keep it courteous. My review is honest and voluntary.

Meh! First time reading this author and maybe last? Don't know why we needed to get so much into the drugs; maybe filler to make the book longer, but it was incredibly unnecessary for the reader to understand the MC was high. Maybe it is a me thing, but immaturity is a NO for me in adult stories, so I have a hard time caring about the story. I'll mark this one as a "not for me", because it looks like a lot of people actually enjoy it. 

On to my next adventure, Happy Readings!!!

[Guardian.angel54 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Reaper falls in love and creates afterlife chaos

I enjoyed this book so much more than I had expected. April Kelley is a new-to-me author and I was very intrigued by the idea of reapers and death and fated mates, and I wasn't disappointed. Grym and Elliott are a wonderful pairing. I really love the sassiness and snark and how Elliott responds to the news that he's the Beloved of a Reaper and the harbinger of a new era in the afterlife! The world building is spot on and the secondary characters are just as interesting as the MCs. This book does end in a HFN, kind of cliffhanger, and I'm really looking forward to the next book. Definitely recommend this - 5/5*

[Danielle Gypsy Soul · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this because the concept is right up my alley and sounded super interesting but unfortunately the execution was just meh. Not much character depth and it seemed like the author was throwing in as much as possible as far as the supernatural world and there wasn't enough time/space for that considering this is a fairly short book at 187 pages. The relationship between the MC's suffered as the author tried to introduce a bunch of characters and the world building of the Soul Management Bureau along with some other realms and gods. I was intrigued by a couple of the secondary characters so I may try the next book but no promises.

[Kendra T · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really cute. Elliot was a bit of a wild child, and Grym was a super regimented rule follower. Total opposites, but fate has a way of taking over. Once Grym sensed Elliot, he knew they were fated to be together. Lots of obstacles, including Elliot's desire not to be told what to do, but it was a very interesting story line. There is a general HEA for Elliot and Grym here, but the overall big plot storyline is definitely being carried over into other books. I'm looking forward to what comes next.

[stardragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grymley/Grym doing a good deed and trying to save the prince from drowning ends with both parties dying. While the prince moves on Grym ends up being a reaper of soul. For three hundred years not one mistake, until he meets Elliot his soulmate. A prophecy states that if a reaper meets his soulmate that all hell will break loose. This story is funny, romantic with plenty of drama. It ends in a cliffhanger but I can’t wait to get lost in the pages of the second book.

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It’s a wonderful story full of emotions ranging from heartbreaking to laughter all the way to fear. And above all love. Grymley Reaper has lived hundreds of years as a reaper, but only when he meets his beloved Elliot does his life find meaning. But the death god is against reapers finding their beloveds so it’s a fight for love as the reapers search for the beloveds. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

[Lee Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grym and Elliot

Grym is a reaper, he gets the dearly departed to where they need to go. Elliot is human. He works three jobs to pay his bills. When he gets into an accident, Grym meets him and discovers that he is his mate. Other forces want them apart, so it’s going to take work for them to gat their happy ever after. A great story that I really enjoyed reading. Highly Recommended