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A Date with Death: A Novel
Instant national bestseller.
When the Grim Reaper develops feelings for the children’s librarian whose soul he is supposed to collect, he finds that with feelings comes something far worse than death—life.
Helena Hart isn’t having the best night. Her date just ditched her, her Halloween costume bombed, and her only sympathetic ear is a dead silent partygoer in a Grim Reaper get-up. But when she falls off a balcony and he catches her with a very real skeletal hand, she realizes he may not be a party guest at all. Before she can process the near-death experience, he vanishes, leaving her to wonder if she hallucinated the whole thing.
Grim isn’t supposed to save souls. He’s supposed to reap them. And while he’s not sure why he spared Helena, he does know that if his superiors find out, he’s as good as dust—which is saying something for a guy who’s mostly bones. But keeping away from Helena is proving harder than expected—especially when she isn’t the least bit afraid of his monstrous form.
Worse, to his horror, Helena makes him feel. And for a reaper, feeling is a fate far more dangerous than death.
When the Grim Reaper develops feelings for the children’s librarian whose soul he is supposed to collect, he finds that with feelings comes something far worse than death—life.
Helena Hart isn’t having the best night. Her date just ditched her, her Halloween costume bombed, and her only sympathetic ear is a dead silent partygoer in a Grim Reaper get-up. But when she falls off a balcony and he catches her with a very real skeletal hand, she realizes he may not be a party guest at all. Before she can process the near-death experience, he vanishes, leaving her to wonder if she hallucinated the whole thing.
Grim isn’t supposed to save souls. He’s supposed to reap them. And while he’s not sure why he spared Helena, he does know that if his superiors find out, he’s as good as dust—which is saying something for a guy who’s mostly bones. But keeping away from Helena is proving harder than expected—especially when she isn’t the least bit afraid of his monstrous form.
Worse, to his horror, Helena makes him feel. And for a reaper, feeling is a fate far more dangerous than death.
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Published July 14, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 412 reviews
July 27, 2026
I think I must be the absolute worst nightmare of a reader for this book. I almost DNF'd so many times, but frankly, I kept going out of sheer, "How much more can she possibly get wrong?" angle.
The premise is a delight. The Grim Reaper inexplicably saves the life of the children's librarian whose soul he's supposed to harvest, kicking off an escalating series of misadventures in which he tries to keep her from dying so no one realizes he's to blame for the quota shortage.
Great right?
Except a few major problems.
The first of which is the library. Just.. this library. I'm not entirely convinced that this library was not supposed to be a retail environment and the author simply did a CTRL+F to replace all the nouns with library nouns. It is treated as odd if the children's librarian is found in the adult section. Pages and assistants are assigned to specific areas and apparently do not cross these department lines. This is not how any library I have worked in has functioned.
There are several other oddities, as well. The budget allows for a dedicated archivist, but not for extra glue sticks. They have done a brand new teen center in the basement, but then we are told that there is constant, ongoing plumbing issues, which raises some questions about the teen center, its new furniture, and its collection. And don't get me started on the bookmobile.
And then there's Helena herself, whose characterization is one that is told to us rather than one we read about. We're told consistently that she likes to see the good in people, but she is full on slut shaming the unknown woman the guy she's on a first date with talks up. She's a children's librarian, we are told repeatedly, but we don't see her in the children's section until page 300. One of the ways she shames people is by saying, "I bet they haven't even read Shakespeare. Or Keats." Which is a very odd way of shaming someone, given librarians take many paths to librarianship, and someone whose BS is in Stats is just as good a librarian as one who has a BA in English. She never seems to take much joy in her job. There's no affection in her constant complaints about it -- it is simply bitching.
The depiction of the library is, frankly, what I imagine someone who has fond memories of the Story Times they went to would think up for a story like this. (Which would also explain why the most recent children's book Helena mentions came out in 2003.) It doesn't seem like actual research of how libraries run or what it's like to work in one was involved. Just Manic Pixie Dream Librarian.
Helena's ukulele (because of course she plays a ukulele) is "covered in glittery stickers," Grim says as he stares at the strings. Which means they're on the top. Which dulls the resonance. Grim supposedly plays guitar at an expert level; it's the sort of detail I'd expect him to notice.
Grim's 1969 Pontiac Judge with an original interior doesn't have a shoulder harness, despite those being federally mandated in all cars produced in the United States starting in the 1968 model year.
It is claimed the clock strikes 13 at the end of "As The World Falls Down" from the Labyrinth soundtrack. It does not.
And so on.
Grim, too, is more of a collection of vibes than anything else. My Chemical Romance, guitars, Shadow Daddy powers. In fact, this entire book is what one would expect from a novel that is built around aesthetic rather than actual character work.
And that's probably why the entire romance ultimately falls flat for me. The only reason Grim seems to fall for Helena is, "She's not afraid of me." And Helena? Helena, in her own words, has a tendency to fall for any guy who gives her the time of day. So why these two? Because they're built around "Grumpy" and "Sunshine" aesthetic, despite consistently displaying behaviors that contradict the stated traits.
Again, maybe I am simply the worst possible reader for this book. I have the exact intersection of weird knowledge and life experiences to see every spot where the author could have done a bit more research. But, at the same time, I also caught enough very simple-to-check factual errors that I'm left wondering what factual errors are in there that I didn't catch.
The premise is a delight. The Grim Reaper inexplicably saves the life of the children's librarian whose soul he's supposed to harvest, kicking off an escalating series of misadventures in which he tries to keep her from dying so no one realizes he's to blame for the quota shortage.
Great right?
Except a few major problems.
The first of which is the library. Just.. this library. I'm not entirely convinced that this library was not supposed to be a retail environment and the author simply did a CTRL+F to replace all the nouns with library nouns. It is treated as odd if the children's librarian is found in the adult section. Pages and assistants are assigned to specific areas and apparently do not cross these department lines. This is not how any library I have worked in has functioned.
There are several other oddities, as well. The budget allows for a dedicated archivist, but not for extra glue sticks. They have done a brand new teen center in the basement, but then we are told that there is constant, ongoing plumbing issues, which raises some questions about the teen center, its new furniture, and its collection. And don't get me started on the bookmobile.
And then there's Helena herself, whose characterization is one that is told to us rather than one we read about. We're told consistently that she likes to see the good in people, but she is full on slut shaming the unknown woman the guy she's on a first date with talks up. She's a children's librarian, we are told repeatedly, but we don't see her in the children's section until page 300. One of the ways she shames people is by saying, "I bet they haven't even read Shakespeare. Or Keats." Which is a very odd way of shaming someone, given librarians take many paths to librarianship, and someone whose BS is in Stats is just as good a librarian as one who has a BA in English. She never seems to take much joy in her job. There's no affection in her constant complaints about it -- it is simply bitching.
The depiction of the library is, frankly, what I imagine someone who has fond memories of the Story Times they went to would think up for a story like this. (Which would also explain why the most recent children's book Helena mentions came out in 2003.) It doesn't seem like actual research of how libraries run or what it's like to work in one was involved. Just Manic Pixie Dream Librarian.
Helena's ukulele (because of course she plays a ukulele) is "covered in glittery stickers," Grim says as he stares at the strings. Which means they're on the top. Which dulls the resonance. Grim supposedly plays guitar at an expert level; it's the sort of detail I'd expect him to notice.
Grim's 1969 Pontiac Judge with an original interior doesn't have a shoulder harness, despite those being federally mandated in all cars produced in the United States starting in the 1968 model year.
It is claimed the clock strikes 13 at the end of "As The World Falls Down" from the Labyrinth soundtrack. It does not.
And so on.
Grim, too, is more of a collection of vibes than anything else. My Chemical Romance, guitars, Shadow Daddy powers. In fact, this entire book is what one would expect from a novel that is built around aesthetic rather than actual character work.
And that's probably why the entire romance ultimately falls flat for me. The only reason Grim seems to fall for Helena is, "She's not afraid of me." And Helena? Helena, in her own words, has a tendency to fall for any guy who gives her the time of day. So why these two? Because they're built around "Grumpy" and "Sunshine" aesthetic, despite consistently displaying behaviors that contradict the stated traits.
Again, maybe I am simply the worst possible reader for this book. I have the exact intersection of weird knowledge and life experiences to see every spot where the author could have done a bit more research. But, at the same time, I also caught enough very simple-to-check factual errors that I'm left wondering what factual errors are in there that I didn't catch.
August 27, 2026
Awww yall this was waaaay better than I thought it was going to be! I went in with very little expectation and I was pleasantly surprised! It was a wonderful read to start off the fall season. I’m going to give it a full 4⭐️ rating here. The FMC is a children’s librarian covered in glitter and literally the MC is death. The banter is BANTERING and the plot kept me occupied the whole time. I was expecting like one date meet cute- nope this is a whole ass plot from beginning to end. It is fun, it is campy, it is yearning and the spice is spicin. Honestly I would be shocked if this one doesn’t start blowing up a bit this spooky season!
October 26, 2026
Fairly basic love story that features the Grim Reaper's romantic interest.
Did Not Finish
July 4, 2026Holy shit fritters dnf @ 7%
September 27, 2026
Perhaps the worst depiction of librarianship that I have ever encountered. Almost DNFed multiple times but the inaccuracies kept me rage reading.
October 28, 2026
I thought it was cute!! Wanted more from the ending tho lol
October 10, 2026
“I will come back a hundred-a thousand-times if I have to. I will stop fate every time. I don’t care anymore”.
Vi esa portada. Me reí y les dije a mis amigos:
"Quiero leerla. Sabemos a estas alturas que no tengo filtro ninguno. Mi duda con esta novela es: ¿el interés amoroso será tipo esqueleto total, o como Homer Simpson en el episodio que le toca la Parca o completamente humano?".
Ahí estaba mi principal motivación, si señores. A estas alturas de mi vida tengo estas ilusiones.
También tengo que admitir que iba de nuevo con la preconcepción de la novela. Me imaginaba una novela simplona y que fuese un relato. Primer error: la novela cuenta con casi 400 páginas y con un argumento bastante potente. ¿Parece sacado de una comedia romántica pero con La Parca y la película de los Guardianes? Obviamente pero por eso está tan bien.
La protagonista femenina, Helena, me ha encantado. Tiene su gracia porque se llamase casi como yo ( la H es muda ergo es Elena también) y de personalidad se me ha asemejado mucho. Tanto que me ha dado la risa. Me he sentido representada.
El, por otra parte, me chifló porque es el típico personaje que va de duro y en realidad es quién cae más fuerte. No sé, me encantó él.
El argumento como dije antes: me sorprendió pero sigue siendo simple pero siento que ha estado bien estructurado. No ha sido una obra maestra pero doy mi aprobado.
En fin, quiero otra historia con otro de los Guardianes, por favor.
“Who kisses a skeleton? The same type who fucks one, I guess”.
Vi esa portada. Me reí y les dije a mis amigos:
"Quiero leerla. Sabemos a estas alturas que no tengo filtro ninguno. Mi duda con esta novela es: ¿el interés amoroso será tipo esqueleto total, o como Homer Simpson en el episodio que le toca la Parca o completamente humano?".
Ahí estaba mi principal motivación, si señores. A estas alturas de mi vida tengo estas ilusiones.
También tengo que admitir que iba de nuevo con la preconcepción de la novela. Me imaginaba una novela simplona y que fuese un relato. Primer error: la novela cuenta con casi 400 páginas y con un argumento bastante potente. ¿Parece sacado de una comedia romántica pero con La Parca y la película de los Guardianes? Obviamente pero por eso está tan bien.
La protagonista femenina, Helena, me ha encantado. Tiene su gracia porque se llamase casi como yo ( la H es muda ergo es Elena también) y de personalidad se me ha asemejado mucho. Tanto que me ha dado la risa. Me he sentido representada.
El, por otra parte, me chifló porque es el típico personaje que va de duro y en realidad es quién cae más fuerte. No sé, me encantó él.
El argumento como dije antes: me sorprendió pero sigue siendo simple pero siento que ha estado bien estructurado. No ha sido una obra maestra pero doy mi aprobado.
En fin, quiero otra historia con otro de los Guardianes, por favor.
“Who kisses a skeleton? The same type who fucks one, I guess”.
March 29, 2026
I absolutely loved this one.
While the premise is familiar, a romance involving the Grim Reaper, it felt fresh, fun, and completely engaging from start to finish. The author takes a concept we have all seen before and gives it a unique and playful twist that really works.
The characters were a standout for me. Helena is such a bright and vibrant presence, and her personality brings so much warmth and humor to the story. Her introduction at the Halloween party was memorable, and from that moment on I was fully invested. Watching her slowly piece together what is happening, and why she keeps surviving situations she should not, added a really fun layer to the plot.
Grim was just as compelling. The dynamic between him and Helena develops naturally, and their relationship was easy to root for. As the story progresses, their connection deepens in a way that feels emotional (and spicy!) without losing the fun tone that makes the book so enjoyable.
The pacing kept me turning pages, and the mix of romance, humor, and paranormal elements worked really well together.
I will not give too much away, but this is a perfect addition to a fall or Halloween reading list, especially if you enjoy paranormal romance with a lighter, fun twist.
While the premise is familiar, a romance involving the Grim Reaper, it felt fresh, fun, and completely engaging from start to finish. The author takes a concept we have all seen before and gives it a unique and playful twist that really works.
The characters were a standout for me. Helena is such a bright and vibrant presence, and her personality brings so much warmth and humor to the story. Her introduction at the Halloween party was memorable, and from that moment on I was fully invested. Watching her slowly piece together what is happening, and why she keeps surviving situations she should not, added a really fun layer to the plot.
Grim was just as compelling. The dynamic between him and Helena develops naturally, and their relationship was easy to root for. As the story progresses, their connection deepens in a way that feels emotional (and spicy!) without losing the fun tone that makes the book so enjoyable.
The pacing kept me turning pages, and the mix of romance, humor, and paranormal elements worked really well together.
I will not give too much away, but this is a perfect addition to a fall or Halloween reading list, especially if you enjoy paranormal romance with a lighter, fun twist.
July 31, 2026
When i say i want a fluffy, supernatural and comedic romance, this is it.
I had so much fun listening to the audiobook for this because it was 10x hilarious when rhe narrators started arguing especially grim when he was all angsty. Lowkey, i wanna be Helena because a grim reaper with a emo/punk human version + him in his natural boney state? Sign me tf up.
Aside from that, the other half of the story was more heartfelt because we dove right into his past and the sacrifice he went through 🥲🥲
Overall from that, i really enjoyed this book. Would recommend if you like a rom-com supernatural story 👍
I had so much fun listening to the audiobook for this because it was 10x hilarious when rhe narrators started arguing especially grim when he was all angsty. Lowkey, i wanna be Helena because a grim reaper with a emo/punk human version + him in his natural boney state? Sign me tf up.
Aside from that, the other half of the story was more heartfelt because we dove right into his past and the sacrifice he went through 🥲🥲
Overall from that, i really enjoyed this book. Would recommend if you like a rom-com supernatural story 👍
July 15, 2026
this was cute! It lost me at some points. It felt long and Helena felt a bit childish but the plot made up for it. Overall it was alot of fun.
September 12, 2026
4.25/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️
1/5 🌶️
July 31, 2026
Thank you so much to Gallery Books for the gifted ARC!
💜💀
This book is suuuper cute and was such a fun read!! The grumpiest grump there could ever be, A Grim Reaper falls for a Children's Librarian and instead of collecting her soul as he's called to do, he instead keeps saving her life.
"I will come back a hundred .. a thousand .. times if I have to. I will stop fate every time. I don't care anymore."
Helena and Grim are hilarious together. Shouldn't work together but they do. She's a bubbly children's librarian that loves Taylor Swift and he's a grouchy reaper that drives a classic car and collects guitars. I loved Helena and her corny sayings in place of cursing. And Grim, a tortured, old soul (literally) that just probably needs a hug. He spends most of his time as a skeleton but his human form is 🥵 who knew Death himself would make such a hot book boyfriend! He's got is sooo bad for Helena. Also this book was way spicier than I was expecting in the best way 🔥🔥🔥
"Pretty thing. I will have you."
As a Library worker, all the silly library related hijinks made me laugh. I'm so glad they finally get a new book mobile 😂
I found the world building and politics of the Netherworld really interesting and loved the
quirkiness of Grim's "coworkers." I had zero clue how this was going to end but the little twist surprised me!
The tropes on the back of the ARC copy lists this book as a cozy horror romance with summerween vibes. I think that is pretty accurate! I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from Kelly Creagh! 💜💀
💜💀
This book is suuuper cute and was such a fun read!! The grumpiest grump there could ever be, A Grim Reaper falls for a Children's Librarian and instead of collecting her soul as he's called to do, he instead keeps saving her life.
"I will come back a hundred .. a thousand .. times if I have to. I will stop fate every time. I don't care anymore."
Helena and Grim are hilarious together. Shouldn't work together but they do. She's a bubbly children's librarian that loves Taylor Swift and he's a grouchy reaper that drives a classic car and collects guitars. I loved Helena and her corny sayings in place of cursing. And Grim, a tortured, old soul (literally) that just probably needs a hug. He spends most of his time as a skeleton but his human form is 🥵 who knew Death himself would make such a hot book boyfriend! He's got is sooo bad for Helena. Also this book was way spicier than I was expecting in the best way 🔥🔥🔥
"Pretty thing. I will have you."
As a Library worker, all the silly library related hijinks made me laugh. I'm so glad they finally get a new book mobile 😂
I found the world building and politics of the Netherworld really interesting and loved the
quirkiness of Grim's "coworkers." I had zero clue how this was going to end but the little twist surprised me!
The tropes on the back of the ARC copy lists this book as a cozy horror romance with summerween vibes. I think that is pretty accurate! I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from Kelly Creagh! 💜💀
July 14, 2026
Okay the Grim Reaper falling for a children's librarian?? SIGN ME UP
Helena Hart is stood up and finds herself on a balcony with someone dressed as the Grin Reaper. She's literally sunshine and rainbows while babbling about her unfortunate luck and complimenting the costume she's about to meet her demise when the Grim Reaper saves her. Never before has he done that. When he's called to collect a soul he does it but there's something about Helena that stops him.
Helena and Grim are a perfect opposites attract. She's fated to die yet no matter how much he tries Grim can't let her go. On top of that he discovers a plot to try to over throw his position while someone is trying to use Helena. This book was the right amount of cozy yet dealing with grief and gilt.
Thank you gallery books for the gifted ebook.
Helena Hart is stood up and finds herself on a balcony with someone dressed as the Grin Reaper. She's literally sunshine and rainbows while babbling about her unfortunate luck and complimenting the costume she's about to meet her demise when the Grim Reaper saves her. Never before has he done that. When he's called to collect a soul he does it but there's something about Helena that stops him.
Helena and Grim are a perfect opposites attract. She's fated to die yet no matter how much he tries Grim can't let her go. On top of that he discovers a plot to try to over throw his position while someone is trying to use Helena. This book was the right amount of cozy yet dealing with grief and gilt.
Thank you gallery books for the gifted ebook.
October 25, 2026
A Date with Death was really good I had a hard time putting the book down. Helena and Grim make a really cute couple the humor in the book was hilarious and Grim is full of sarcasm.
August 10, 2026
This was my first “monster” romance, although I’d say it was pretty light on the monster part. The MMC in this is the literal Grim Reaper (who his friends/colleagues refer to him as just “Grim.) While he can take his human form, he first appears in his cloaked skeleton form- and still, the FMC Helena is attracted to him.
This one took me a little longer to get through, as I’d stop, start, and stop again. But I’m glad I stuck with it, because in addition to the romance, there was a little mystery going on that I wanted answers to. Overall, a fun and cute read!
𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝑰'𝒅 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐:
Lovers of monster romance will like this, or fans of spice with a bit of paranormal/supernatural elements.
This one took me a little longer to get through, as I’d stop, start, and stop again. But I’m glad I stuck with it, because in addition to the romance, there was a little mystery going on that I wanted answers to. Overall, a fun and cute read!
𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝑰'𝒅 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐:
Lovers of monster romance will like this, or fans of spice with a bit of paranormal/supernatural elements.
March 27, 2026
This was such a needed change of pace from what I usually read. Grim is a stellar MMC and his character arc is excellent. The world was so well built and thought out. I’m such a sucker for comedic relief characters and there were too many to count. The magic system was extremely unique and detailed. I’m so glad to have received this as an arc!
Plot: 9/10
Magic system: 5/5
Spice level: 3/5
Plot: 9/10
Magic system: 5/5
Spice level: 3/5
August 22, 2026
He shouldn't have been able to morph into a human. That's the whole review, folks.
Did Not Finish
September 29, 2026I'm about 40% through and it's been a struggle. The concept is so cute, I just think it's not convincing enough.
October 2, 2026
4/5 ⭐️
Deducted a point because the ending was very… Disney.
But, I loved it nonetheless. A fun and light read, with a sprinkle of spice. 🔥💀
Deducted a point because the ending was very… Disney.
But, I loved it nonetheless. A fun and light read, with a sprinkle of spice. 🔥💀
September 12, 2026
Thank you to Gallery Books for the gifted copy of "A Date with Death".
"A Date with Death" is the story of Helena, a children's librarian who gets left at a Halloween party by her date, subsequently making her approach the mysterious man who's dressed as the Grim Reaper. After talking his ear off for a while (to his silence), Helena almost falls off the balcony until he catches her - or rather, his very real skeleton arm does. She realizes he's ACTUALLY the Grim Reaper, and he realizes he's drawn to her (even though he's supposed to reap her soul), and thus begins their dance of love and trying to survive whatever is after Helena.
Okay. Let's start with the good: the side characters rock in this book. I loved them and their aspect of found family, and thought they brought a wonderful depth to the book when things between Helena and Grim became stagnant and repetitive. And I loved the spice, and the love between Helena and Grim - the pacing felt real, and the dynamic between the two was sweet.
Now for the bad, which is basically the rest of the book. Listen, I am a librarian. I have worked in libraries for a few years now. So when the old trope of a children's librarian infantilizing herself and never swearing and wearing glitter and tutus on the regular pops out, it irks me. And not only does she not swear, she says things like, "Son of a paperback book!" And she has a stuffed pineapple who is her "only friend she talks to", and every metaphor involves literature, as if a librarian is literally the only thing she can be and all other personality aspects don't exist.
Yeah. It's bad.
I don't mean to ruffle feathers, but this book is as if Taylor Swift's music was a person - bland, eye-roll inducing, and absolutely cringey. Why is the "grumpy, metalhead, centuries old" Grim Reaper saying things like, "Sorry, not sorry!"?! The dialogue made me cringe as I read it - these were not real characters, they were played out tropes. I'm gonna be honest, I can't really believe how this book got published...no self respecting adult speaks the way Helena does, and it was so surface level and unbelievable that it took me out of the book. Honestly it read like a bad YA book with sex scenes in it. Absolutely not for me.
"A Date with Death" is the story of Helena, a children's librarian who gets left at a Halloween party by her date, subsequently making her approach the mysterious man who's dressed as the Grim Reaper. After talking his ear off for a while (to his silence), Helena almost falls off the balcony until he catches her - or rather, his very real skeleton arm does. She realizes he's ACTUALLY the Grim Reaper, and he realizes he's drawn to her (even though he's supposed to reap her soul), and thus begins their dance of love and trying to survive whatever is after Helena.
Okay. Let's start with the good: the side characters rock in this book. I loved them and their aspect of found family, and thought they brought a wonderful depth to the book when things between Helena and Grim became stagnant and repetitive. And I loved the spice, and the love between Helena and Grim - the pacing felt real, and the dynamic between the two was sweet.
Now for the bad, which is basically the rest of the book. Listen, I am a librarian. I have worked in libraries for a few years now. So when the old trope of a children's librarian infantilizing herself and never swearing and wearing glitter and tutus on the regular pops out, it irks me. And not only does she not swear, she says things like, "Son of a paperback book!" And she has a stuffed pineapple who is her "only friend she talks to", and every metaphor involves literature, as if a librarian is literally the only thing she can be and all other personality aspects don't exist.
Yeah. It's bad.
I don't mean to ruffle feathers, but this book is as if Taylor Swift's music was a person - bland, eye-roll inducing, and absolutely cringey. Why is the "grumpy, metalhead, centuries old" Grim Reaper saying things like, "Sorry, not sorry!"?! The dialogue made me cringe as I read it - these were not real characters, they were played out tropes. I'm gonna be honest, I can't really believe how this book got published...no self respecting adult speaks the way Helena does, and it was so surface level and unbelievable that it took me out of the book. Honestly it read like a bad YA book with sex scenes in it. Absolutely not for me.
July 7, 2026
be still my heart, this is my new favorite book!
what happens when a sweet, quirky children's librarian is fated to die... but the Grim Reaper saves her instead?
this book was everything! it’s hilarious, heartwarming, emotional, and unbelievably romantic. i laughed, i cried, and maybe (definitely) got a little too hot for the Grim Reaper. and i’m sorry but this book had ✨soul fucking✨ and i’m obsessed.
i was so excited to receive this ARC because i absolutely LOVE grim reapers, but i did not expected this to be so incredible, it completely shattered my expectations.
Grim is officially one of my new top book boyfriend. he’s a cheeky asshole with the biggest heart, perfectly balancing the grumpy to Helena's sunshine. Helena was an absolute delight, i adored how kind, quirky, and unintentionally hilarious she was. she had me cackling like some of feral creature. these two were truly a match made in the Netherworld, and their love transcends death itself.
the side characters were just as lovable. Flora, Hunter, and especially Pluto completely stole my heart. a talking raven who speaks in rhymes and riddles? perfection! he was so stinking cute.
this really had it all, witty banter, silly puns, action, swoony flirting, and so much charm. Kelly's writing was outstanding. funny, thrilling, heartfelt, and ridiculously sexy, i never wanted this book to end.
the ending left my jaw on the floor and tears in my eyes. beneath all the humor and romance, there is such a beautiful reminder of how often we become our own worst enemies and how easily we can lose ourselves in the prisons we create.
i’ll be chasing the high of this book for a long time. it has earned a permanent spot on my favorites shelf, and i would give it 10 stars if i could!
thank you so much to Gallery for the ARC and for introducing me to my new favorite book!
what happens when a sweet, quirky children's librarian is fated to die... but the Grim Reaper saves her instead?
this book was everything! it’s hilarious, heartwarming, emotional, and unbelievably romantic. i laughed, i cried, and maybe (definitely) got a little too hot for the Grim Reaper. and i’m sorry but this book had ✨soul fucking✨ and i’m obsessed.
i was so excited to receive this ARC because i absolutely LOVE grim reapers, but i did not expected this to be so incredible, it completely shattered my expectations.
Grim is officially one of my new top book boyfriend. he’s a cheeky asshole with the biggest heart, perfectly balancing the grumpy to Helena's sunshine. Helena was an absolute delight, i adored how kind, quirky, and unintentionally hilarious she was. she had me cackling like some of feral creature. these two were truly a match made in the Netherworld, and their love transcends death itself.
the side characters were just as lovable. Flora, Hunter, and especially Pluto completely stole my heart. a talking raven who speaks in rhymes and riddles? perfection! he was so stinking cute.
this really had it all, witty banter, silly puns, action, swoony flirting, and so much charm. Kelly's writing was outstanding. funny, thrilling, heartfelt, and ridiculously sexy, i never wanted this book to end.
the ending left my jaw on the floor and tears in my eyes. beneath all the humor and romance, there is such a beautiful reminder of how often we become our own worst enemies and how easily we can lose ourselves in the prisons we create.
i’ll be chasing the high of this book for a long time. it has earned a permanent spot on my favorites shelf, and i would give it 10 stars if i could!
thank you so much to Gallery for the ARC and for introducing me to my new favorite book!
August 5, 2026
ok so i was genuinely surprised to see all the good reviews for this book :o it took me ten days to finish and lemme tell you, every day was a struggle. i contemplated dnf’ing it so many times!!
the concept seemed right up my alley and i was excited to dive in, but i seriously couldn’t connect with these characters. i never really felt any emotional development taking place, which is one of the biggest things i look for in a romance. everything felt too superficial in my opinion.
and the fmc was wayyy too childish, i couldn’t stand it. i found it so bizarre that an adult was having full-on conversations with a stuffed pineapple. and i hate when characters act like they’re above swearing!! wtf is “mother-flipping” and “cheese and crackers”??
also, the world building was quite weak. the netherworld wasn’t explored deeply enough, which made that part of the story feel kinda underdeveloped. 1.5 ⭐️
the concept seemed right up my alley and i was excited to dive in, but i seriously couldn’t connect with these characters. i never really felt any emotional development taking place, which is one of the biggest things i look for in a romance. everything felt too superficial in my opinion.
and the fmc was wayyy too childish, i couldn’t stand it. i found it so bizarre that an adult was having full-on conversations with a stuffed pineapple. and i hate when characters act like they’re above swearing!! wtf is “mother-flipping” and “cheese and crackers”??
also, the world building was quite weak. the netherworld wasn’t explored deeply enough, which made that part of the story feel kinda underdeveloped. 1.5 ⭐️
August 7, 2026
Unlike this librarian, I am not pure of heart.
September 29, 2026
I’m gonna have to DNF this at least for now.
The FMC is so weirdly immature and kind of stupid and rude and the MMC just seems like some kind of sad emo boy with anger issues who has “shadow powers” because no one can be original anymore.
Also, so many things in this book are just…off. The prose feels like the author had a computer rewrite it to sound smarter.
Why does the FMC say “I tossed back my wheat colored hair” WHO TALKS LIKE THAT? It’s like the author just told the thesaurus to replace every single reference to color with some other word for that color. “Onyx bird” “Crimson sheets” “ice blue eyes” etc etc etc it’s goes on and on.
The prose is just so weirdly written.
And then the plot, which is paper thin, is so basic and yet the book is so long winded about everything with no real world building or explanations.
Why is Grim trying to save her? He messed up and didn’t reap her soul and he could save himself a lot of trouble if he just reaped it, turned it in and moved on. They have no real connection otherwise other than the fact that she can see him because she is SO pure of heart since she’s a children’s librarian 🙄🙄🙄🙄
She fights off monsters with her pumpkin shaped purse after having an honest to god Happy Meal it’s so cheesy and stupid is she a grown adult or not.
Names and characters are just introduced and terms and references are made to things that the reader has no idea about.
The Few…who are they? What does that mean? Who is Mr. White? God? Why is there a separate reaper for children who is a childlike, barefoot girl who talks like a leprechaun? Who is the wizardy looking guy with the bird as a pet? Like…what is his title and job? He is referred to and involved in so many scenes but I don’t understand what purpose in the story he serves. The Grim Reaper has money, and a car…does he get paid? But why would he need a car? He plays guitar? Of course he does…he also has a drivers license and car registration? WHAT? Why?
I’m almost halfway through and the story just goes on and on with only half the information I’d need to enjoy this. And all the five dollar words and purple prose just make it seem like maybe this book was written in another language? Or the author REALLY wants to seem smart and cool.
I don’t know. I’m disappointed, but that’s become a standard feeling for me with new releases. They just don’t take their time and write books like they used to.
The FMC is so weirdly immature and kind of stupid and rude and the MMC just seems like some kind of sad emo boy with anger issues who has “shadow powers” because no one can be original anymore.
Also, so many things in this book are just…off. The prose feels like the author had a computer rewrite it to sound smarter.
Why does the FMC say “I tossed back my wheat colored hair” WHO TALKS LIKE THAT? It’s like the author just told the thesaurus to replace every single reference to color with some other word for that color. “Onyx bird” “Crimson sheets” “ice blue eyes” etc etc etc it’s goes on and on.
The prose is just so weirdly written.
And then the plot, which is paper thin, is so basic and yet the book is so long winded about everything with no real world building or explanations.
Why is Grim trying to save her? He messed up and didn’t reap her soul and he could save himself a lot of trouble if he just reaped it, turned it in and moved on. They have no real connection otherwise other than the fact that she can see him because she is SO pure of heart since she’s a children’s librarian 🙄🙄🙄🙄
She fights off monsters with her pumpkin shaped purse after having an honest to god Happy Meal it’s so cheesy and stupid is she a grown adult or not.
Names and characters are just introduced and terms and references are made to things that the reader has no idea about.
The Few…who are they? What does that mean? Who is Mr. White? God? Why is there a separate reaper for children who is a childlike, barefoot girl who talks like a leprechaun? Who is the wizardy looking guy with the bird as a pet? Like…what is his title and job? He is referred to and involved in so many scenes but I don’t understand what purpose in the story he serves. The Grim Reaper has money, and a car…does he get paid? But why would he need a car? He plays guitar? Of course he does…he also has a drivers license and car registration? WHAT? Why?
I’m almost halfway through and the story just goes on and on with only half the information I’d need to enjoy this. And all the five dollar words and purple prose just make it seem like maybe this book was written in another language? Or the author REALLY wants to seem smart and cool.
I don’t know. I’m disappointed, but that’s become a standard feeling for me with new releases. They just don’t take their time and write books like they used to.
July 28, 2026
This was a super cute, lighter read, perfect as a palate cleanser but still enough stakes to keep me intrigued. Was I sometimes a little distracted by other things while reading? Yes, but I have the feeling that´s just me at the moment and wasn't necessarily due to the book.
The romance was cute, I loved the MCs, the side characters and the humour was funny.
The story was not overly exciting but kept me intrigued. The ending was resolved a little too easily but I did not mind very much.
I did not like that we never really got any information on who Grim was in his past or if he remembers again at the end of the book but I think at the end of the day it doesn´t matter.
Safety infos (might contain spoilers):
Very safe. MMC Grim hasn´t been touched or done anything sexual since he became a reaper, which has been centuries. He doesn´t know who he was before he became the reaper and his past is blank. So he´s been celibate for hundreds of years, even thinking he might never done anything like that before because he just can´t remember. I don´t think he is a virgin, as he knows what he´s doing but there´s zero details on his past. We never really get any information from which decade he´s really from, which I thought was weird, but it could be as early as the middle ages. All we learn later is his name and age when he became the reaper.
FMC is experienced but is not lucky when it comes to relationships and dating.
There´s slight OM drama because her slimy ex works at the same library but it´s nothing serious. No OW drama.
The romance was cute, I loved the MCs, the side characters and the humour was funny.
The story was not overly exciting but kept me intrigued. The ending was resolved a little too easily but I did not mind very much.
I did not like that we never really got any information on who Grim was in his past or if he remembers again at the end of the book but I think at the end of the day it doesn´t matter.
Safety infos (might contain spoilers):
Very safe. MMC Grim hasn´t been touched or done anything sexual since he became a reaper, which has been centuries. He doesn´t know who he was before he became the reaper and his past is blank. So he´s been celibate for hundreds of years, even thinking he might never done anything like that before because he just can´t remember. I don´t think he is a virgin, as he knows what he´s doing but there´s zero details on his past. We never really get any information from which decade he´s really from, which I thought was weird, but it could be as early as the middle ages. All we learn later is his name and age when he became the reaper.
FMC is experienced but is not lucky when it comes to relationships and dating.
There´s slight OM drama because her slimy ex works at the same library but it´s nothing serious. No OW drama.
October 6, 2026
This was a fun read! It had very similar vibes to Kimberly Lemming, for me - didn't take itself too seriously.
It lagged a bit in the middle, but I was excited to pick it up during the whole book. And frankly, that alone is high marks for a book for me these days.
I really enjoyed the take on the afterlife and functionality of souls. I liked the way things came together in the end, even if I'm left with many unanswered questions...
Was it all believable? No.
Was it particularly good writing? Also no.
But I had a good time! And that's truthfully all I'm here for!
It lagged a bit in the middle, but I was excited to pick it up during the whole book. And frankly, that alone is high marks for a book for me these days.
I really enjoyed the take on the afterlife and functionality of souls. I liked the way things came together in the end, even if I'm left with many unanswered questions...
Was it all believable? No.
Was it particularly good writing? Also no.
But I had a good time! And that's truthfully all I'm here for!
October 3, 2026
💀💕 Book Review: Date with Death 💕💀
Cute little read! 🥰 I really liked how Grim got his happy ending. 🖤✨ After all the death and darkness, it was nice to see things work out for him! 😂💀
A fun, sweet read with just the right amount of spooky! 👻📚💕
Cute little read! 🥰 I really liked how Grim got his happy ending. 🖤✨ After all the death and darkness, it was nice to see things work out for him! 😂💀
A fun, sweet read with just the right amount of spooky! 👻📚💕
November 1, 2026
I really enjoyed the Audiobook. It was cute, enjoyable, & good way to cap off spooky season. Highly recommend .
July 30, 2026
It was cute.
3⭐️
3⭐️
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