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Ghosted #2
Grim Tidings: A Novel – A Grim Reaper x Guardian Angel Romance
From #1 New York Times bestselling author B.K. Borison comes a new whimsical, haunting romance. When a runaway grim reaper tries to save a life, she clashes with a skeptical Guardian, forcing them to form an unlikely partnership beyond the grave.
Darcy Moore is tired of death. Which would be fine and good ... if she wasn’t a Grim Reaper. Determined to outrun her designation as the villain, Darcy decides she won’t be dragging her next assignment to the underworld. She’ll be saving him instead.
Unfortunately for Darcy, there’s a complication in her plan. Guardian Angel Gabriel Aetos doesn’t tolerate threats to his little corner of the world, and a Grim Reaper showing up at his bar is as deadly as it gets. But when he realizes Darcy is not as she seems, Gabriel must decide if he can trust his growing feelings or hold on to his long-standing grudge.
But magic doesn’t come without consequences. And the Department of Hauntings & Spirits will eventually come calling for their missing Reaper.
A spooky yet simmering enemies-to-lovers tale to keep you warm this fall.
Tropes:
• Enemies to Lovers
• Angel x Reaper
• Grumpy x grumpy
• Guy who likes everyone except her
• Death but make it corporate
• Star-crossed lovers
• Changing your fate
Darcy Moore is tired of death. Which would be fine and good ... if she wasn’t a Grim Reaper. Determined to outrun her designation as the villain, Darcy decides she won’t be dragging her next assignment to the underworld. She’ll be saving him instead.
Unfortunately for Darcy, there’s a complication in her plan. Guardian Angel Gabriel Aetos doesn’t tolerate threats to his little corner of the world, and a Grim Reaper showing up at his bar is as deadly as it gets. But when he realizes Darcy is not as she seems, Gabriel must decide if he can trust his growing feelings or hold on to his long-standing grudge.
But magic doesn’t come without consequences. And the Department of Hauntings & Spirits will eventually come calling for their missing Reaper.
A spooky yet simmering enemies-to-lovers tale to keep you warm this fall.
Tropes:
• Enemies to Lovers
• Angel x Reaper
• Grumpy x grumpy
• Guy who likes everyone except her
• Death but make it corporate
• Star-crossed lovers
• Changing your fate
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 2026
About the author
B.K. Borison
11 books22.5k followersNew York Times, Sunday Times, and USA Today Bestselling author B.K. Borison is the author of cozy, contemporary romances featuring emotionally vulnerable characters and swoon-worthy settings. When she’s not daydreaming about fictional characters doing fictional things, she’s at home with her family, more than likely buying books she doesn’t have room for.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,631 reviews
June 21, 2026
if you know how much i loved good spirits (a lot) then i am here to say i loved this one EVEN MORE. b. k. borison quite literally never lets me down. this was sweet, funny, hot and cute all at the same time. i read this in one sitting as soon as i got home and opened the package with it in, and it’s definitely one of my favourite books of the year. OBSESSED
November 2, 2026
This was supposed to be a cute cozy spicy read, why did I sob?! Frank really got me… this was INCREDIBLE
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE B K BORISON AT THE RIPPED BODICEEEEEEEEEEE
i don’t think i’ve ever cried as much reading a b k borison book as i have with grim tidings — i literally cannot go into depth for the sake of not spoiling the read for others excited about this book.
however, i will say grim tidings granted me a new outlook on death and the afterlife; as someone with extreme death anxiety, books that paint death as a beginning always soothe my anxiety and bring me hope.
the next book in this series is undoubtedly gideon’s — and im very excited as i enjoyed the parts of the book he appeared in!
not to mention, the cutie easter eggs from good spirits were nice to see🩵✨
——
update at 25% — if i know anything about b k borison, i just know that i’ve picked up on a possible plot twist. i’m calling it NOW
——
everyone... i fear it's time i dive into my ARC 🫂🫶
YAAAAA I'VE GOT THE ARC!
i don’t think i’ve ever cried as much reading a b k borison book as i have with grim tidings — i literally cannot go into depth for the sake of not spoiling the read for others excited about this book.
however, i will say grim tidings granted me a new outlook on death and the afterlife; as someone with extreme death anxiety, books that paint death as a beginning always soothe my anxiety and bring me hope.
the next book in this series is undoubtedly gideon’s — and im very excited as i enjoyed the parts of the book he appeared in!
not to mention, the cutie easter eggs from good spirits were nice to see🩵✨
——
update at 25% — if i know anything about b k borison, i just know that i’ve picked up on a possible plot twist. i’m calling it NOW
——
everyone... i fear it's time i dive into my ARC 🫂🫶
YAAAAA I'VE GOT THE ARC!
October 16, 2026
This was such a heartwarming read, and I absolutely adored the author's writing 🥹 I went in with lower expectations, considering I wasn't a great fan of the first book (I dnf'ed it), so it was super refreshing to see that this one turned out to be so much better.
The concepts of death, grief, and the afterlife were so exquisitely written. These are difficult concepts to write about in general, let alone in a way that makes it easier for the readers to connect with the characters and experience the emotions they're going through. The author definitely did a phenomenal job in that aspect.
The romance was also superbly executed. Not the guardian angel who saves lives falling for a reaper, who claims them. It was like 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩, and I loved, loved, loved them together as a couple. They didn't start off on the right note, but as the story continued, I found myself rooting for them and the way they came to understand one another despite all the odds and their differences.
And surprisingly, as stupendous as the main leads were, my favourite character was Frank 🥹 Those who have read this book know exactly why. I genuinely think he stole the entire show. He deserved so much better, and I'm so glad he got the ending he deserved, even though it came at a VERY heartbreaking cost. And to say his story made me super emotional would be an understatement of all time. 💔
Overall, this book was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions. I experienced happiness, melancholy, grief, heartbreak — in general, every single emotion imaginable. Plus, this is a perfect read for spooky season. Would definitely recommend. 🤍
The concepts of death, grief, and the afterlife were so exquisitely written. These are difficult concepts to write about in general, let alone in a way that makes it easier for the readers to connect with the characters and experience the emotions they're going through. The author definitely did a phenomenal job in that aspect.
The romance was also superbly executed. Not the guardian angel who saves lives falling for a reaper, who claims them. It was like 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩, and I loved, loved, loved them together as a couple. They didn't start off on the right note, but as the story continued, I found myself rooting for them and the way they came to understand one another despite all the odds and their differences.
And surprisingly, as stupendous as the main leads were, my favourite character was Frank 🥹 Those who have read this book know exactly why. I genuinely think he stole the entire show. He deserved so much better, and I'm so glad he got the ending he deserved, even though it came at a VERY heartbreaking cost. And to say his story made me super emotional would be an understatement of all time. 💔
Overall, this book was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions. I experienced happiness, melancholy, grief, heartbreak — in general, every single emotion imaginable. Plus, this is a perfect read for spooky season. Would definitely recommend. 🤍
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
5 Stars ⭐️
I loved Good Spirits and knew that I would also love this one. This was perfect; B.K. Borison gave us all the fall vibes with this one, and I was here for it!
Grim Tidings is the second book in the Ghosted series. This is an enemies-to-lovers paranormal romance that was cute and fun, had me giggling, and had all the fall vibes. There were also moments that had me sobbing, as it is a story about death, grief, a journey of healing, and the little things in life that have meaning.
Darcy Moore is looking for something different, as she's tired of death and is determined to save her next assignment. There's just one thing: she's a grim reaper. When she arrives in the town of her assignment, she ends up in the bar of Gabriel, a guardian angel who doesn't want her in his town. As they spend more time together, he realizes she's not as she seems.
Darcy Moore is stubborn in the best ways; she is strong, but she is also soft and wears her heart on her sleeve. I fell in love with her character the moment that she was introduced. She feels lost and lonely on many levels, and I just wanted to wrap her in the biggest hug. Gabriel Aetos is grumpy and I love it. He is broken in many ways and it shows at times. It's not a fault. In fact, it made me fall for him even harder. Deep down, he is kind of soft and sweet. I mean, the man yearns for and calls Darcy sweetheart. What's not to love?
The romance between Darcy and Gabriel was chef's kiss. They are opposites in most things, but the best was in the department of hauntings. This aspect was different and a fun time. I loved the push and pull between them. The slow falling for one another when it seemed everything was against them, and the soft moments in between the tension and banter. Let me just move them up to one of my favorite couples.
This may just be my favorite book by B.K. Borison, though I have a couple that I need to go read. I loved everything about it the cute moments, the ones that had me laughing, the moments of sobbing, and everything in between. A couple of side characters that I absolutely adored were Frank and Tater Tot. I'll be awaiting the next book, which I think will be Gideon's, and I can't wait.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.
------------------------------------
ᯓ★ Pre-read
I got the arc!!! I'm still in shock that I got it 🥹 This is one of my most anticipated reads this year. I'm sooo excited to be diving in! Let's gooooo 🤭💜💜
I loved Good Spirits and knew that I would also love this one. This was perfect; B.K. Borison gave us all the fall vibes with this one, and I was here for it!
Grim Tidings is the second book in the Ghosted series. This is an enemies-to-lovers paranormal romance that was cute and fun, had me giggling, and had all the fall vibes. There were also moments that had me sobbing, as it is a story about death, grief, a journey of healing, and the little things in life that have meaning.
Darcy Moore is looking for something different, as she's tired of death and is determined to save her next assignment. There's just one thing: she's a grim reaper. When she arrives in the town of her assignment, she ends up in the bar of Gabriel, a guardian angel who doesn't want her in his town. As they spend more time together, he realizes she's not as she seems.
Darcy Moore is stubborn in the best ways; she is strong, but she is also soft and wears her heart on her sleeve. I fell in love with her character the moment that she was introduced. She feels lost and lonely on many levels, and I just wanted to wrap her in the biggest hug. Gabriel Aetos is grumpy and I love it. He is broken in many ways and it shows at times. It's not a fault. In fact, it made me fall for him even harder. Deep down, he is kind of soft and sweet. I mean, the man yearns for and calls Darcy sweetheart. What's not to love?
The romance between Darcy and Gabriel was chef's kiss. They are opposites in most things, but the best was in the department of hauntings. This aspect was different and a fun time. I loved the push and pull between them. The slow falling for one another when it seemed everything was against them, and the soft moments in between the tension and banter. Let me just move them up to one of my favorite couples.
This may just be my favorite book by B.K. Borison, though I have a couple that I need to go read. I loved everything about it the cute moments, the ones that had me laughing, the moments of sobbing, and everything in between. A couple of side characters that I absolutely adored were Frank and Tater Tot. I'll be awaiting the next book, which I think will be Gideon's, and I can't wait.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.
------------------------------------
ᯓ★ Pre-read
I got the arc!!! I'm still in shock that I got it 🥹 This is one of my most anticipated reads this year. I'm sooo excited to be diving in! Let's gooooo 🤭💜💜
October 18, 2026
even with whatever character development or backstory comes later in this book, i don’t think i can read about this MMC for another page. he’s become irredeemable for me eight chapters in.
the MMC is:
⬩ physically forceful and pushy
⬩ verbally cruel
⬩ demanding
⬩a bully
these examples of him being physically forceful are all pulled from chapter eight. from mild to worse:
1. “I push her hand away.”
2. “I shift so I’m behind her, my palm at the dip in her back. I urge her down from the stool with a not-so-gentle push. ‘We’re going,’ I repeat. ‘Right now.’
She stumbles as she slides from the stool…”
3. “I start moving us through the bar, the skin of her wrist warm beneath my hand. She tries to pull herself away, but I grip her tighter, towing her into the narrow hall…”
excuse me? maybe i’m soft, but the red flags are going crazy. 🚩
there were other scenes that didn’t work for me, either.
⬩he is weirdly controlling and won’t let her make her own decisions. she asks for a strawberry milkshake and, instead of getting her one, he gets one for HIMSELF and drinks it in front of her while ordering her a green smoothie (that she hated and didn’t want.)
⬩he degrades her, calling her selfish and cruel. she is CRYING in front of him because of his words and he can’t bring himself to apologize in any way. in fact, he doubles down on insults and continues being mean.
⬩ he gives her three alcoholic drinks within the span of 15 minutes and kisses her after without really consenting beforehand.
this isn’t for me, sorry.
time of death: page 89
the MMC is:
⬩ physically forceful and pushy
⬩ verbally cruel
⬩ demanding
⬩a bully
these examples of him being physically forceful are all pulled from chapter eight. from mild to worse:
1. “I push her hand away.”
2. “I shift so I’m behind her, my palm at the dip in her back. I urge her down from the stool with a not-so-gentle push. ‘We’re going,’ I repeat. ‘Right now.’
She stumbles as she slides from the stool…”
3. “I start moving us through the bar, the skin of her wrist warm beneath my hand. She tries to pull herself away, but I grip her tighter, towing her into the narrow hall…”
excuse me? maybe i’m soft, but the red flags are going crazy. 🚩
there were other scenes that didn’t work for me, either.
⬩he is weirdly controlling and won’t let her make her own decisions. she asks for a strawberry milkshake and, instead of getting her one, he gets one for HIMSELF and drinks it in front of her while ordering her a green smoothie (that she hated and didn’t want.)
⬩he degrades her, calling her selfish and cruel. she is CRYING in front of him because of his words and he can’t bring himself to apologize in any way. in fact, he doubles down on insults and continues being mean.
⬩ he gives her three alcoholic drinks within the span of 15 minutes and kisses her after without really consenting beforehand.
this isn’t for me, sorry.
time of death: page 89
October 31, 2026
This just reminded me why I love romance! I enjoyed this one more than I even expected to, thank you BK Borison!
This was cute, funny, and also emotional & heart wrenching. I loved how we included more bits of the paranormal corporate maneuverings as well as humour in this one. Paranormal corporate satire will always be so funny to me 😂
We also got a bit more actual magic in this one vs in Good Spirits. It’s definitely not a hard magic system and would still not classify this under fantasy, but we definitely had some more fun magic exploration in this which was super fun.
Is this a slow burn? No- I wouldn’t say so. The characters literally kiss within the first 30 pages. BUT I almost even appreciated this more because then we have characters who KNOW what they are missing, and that made the attraction feel even more realistic to me. And honestly, i think I’m just over a forced slow burn at this point in my reading journey.
Unexpectedly deep with the dive into death and connection with life & love. Loved our characters and companions. Had so much fun, binged it in a night!
This was cute, funny, and also emotional & heart wrenching. I loved how we included more bits of the paranormal corporate maneuverings as well as humour in this one. Paranormal corporate satire will always be so funny to me 😂
We also got a bit more actual magic in this one vs in Good Spirits. It’s definitely not a hard magic system and would still not classify this under fantasy, but we definitely had some more fun magic exploration in this which was super fun.
Is this a slow burn? No- I wouldn’t say so. The characters literally kiss within the first 30 pages. BUT I almost even appreciated this more because then we have characters who KNOW what they are missing, and that made the attraction feel even more realistic to me. And honestly, i think I’m just over a forced slow burn at this point in my reading journey.
Unexpectedly deep with the dive into death and connection with life & love. Loved our characters and companions. Had so much fun, binged it in a night!
Currently Reading
November 6, 2025Pre-read:
I am praying that book will help with my slump 😭.
_I'm so ready to feel that ghosty,ethereally cozy vibe—curled up in my Rory Gilmore sweater with a warm coffee 🥺 The only problem? I have to wait until September 2026 to get it! 😭😭😭
I am praying that book will help with my slump 😭.
_I'm so ready to feel that ghosty,ethereally cozy vibe—curled up in my Rory Gilmore sweater with a warm coffee 🥺 The only problem? I have to wait until September 2026 to get it! 😭😭😭
October 4, 2026
I’m unwell.
September 18, 2026
𝓭𝓷𝓯 @ 66%
IM SORRY CAT BUT WTF WAS THIS THERE WAS NO PLOT JS STRAIGHT SMUT AND GABRIEL'S NARRATOR IS RYLAND FROM PROJECT HAIL MARY AND HE KEEPS BULLYING DARCY INTO HATING HERSELF SDJFKLJDSLKJGJDSJGLJL
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ read bestie cat's beautiful 5 star review ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
⛏ 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
libby audio here!! thank you bestie cat for waiting for me 💋
me + bestie cat are about to be absolutely UNHINGED over a grim reaper x guardian angel enemies-to-lovers situation 😏😛
p. s. cat is the queen of arc reviewing 👑
p. p. s. we have both never read book one 😏
IM SORRY CAT BUT WTF WAS THIS THERE WAS NO PLOT JS STRAIGHT SMUT AND GABRIEL'S NARRATOR IS RYLAND FROM PROJECT HAIL MARY AND HE KEEPS BULLYING DARCY INTO HATING HERSELF SDJFKLJDSLKJGJDSJGLJL
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ read bestie cat's beautiful 5 star review ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
⛏ 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 ⋆˚࿔ 💜 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
libby audio here!! thank you bestie cat for waiting for me 💋
me + bestie cat are about to be absolutely UNHINGED over a grim reaper x guardian angel enemies-to-lovers situation 😏😛
p. s. cat is the queen of arc reviewing 👑
p. p. s. we have both never read book one 😏
August 27, 2026
࣪ ˖ ֪ꮽ᱖܄ 3.5 stars˚ִִ꒱꒱ ִ݂
⤻ no spoiler review .
་ 💭 ⊹ ࣪୨୧ preface. Darcy Moore decides that she she doesn’t want to follow the rules of being a grim reaper anymore, instead, she wants to save her next victim. along the way, she meets gabriel aetos, who is, coincidentally, a guardian angel, the polar opposite department. initially, gabriel is weary of her ( for reasons we later find out ), but as they spend more time in this picturesque fall town, they find out they aren’t as different as they thought they were.
𐑺゛🎃 general thoughts . this series is the my favorite holiday series that i’ve read so far. both of the books in the series were super fun and escalated my excitement for the respective holiday seasons so much, and honestly, that was my number one want going into this series.
･῾⌇ ⁺ the characters ⁺
𖦞.˖ ⊹ Darcy. i felt for her so much throughout the entire book! the moment that she responded in a self-demeaning way to when Gabriel first assessed her, i already knew that me and this woman were going to get along. i honestly think that she was a great main character for this plot because even though she lost her spirit sometimes ( as everyone is profiling her as a Grim Reaper ), she always gets back up on her OWN, and i loved that.
𖦞.˖ ⊹ gabriel. at first, i thought he came off as incredibly as he insulted Darcy quite a few times at the beginning, but over time, he eventually warmed up to me. i think his reason for being so weary of grim reapers was 1000% valid, and personally, it explained his behaviors. i loved how protective he was of darcy, specifically after he warmed up to her. both of them were such a cute couple and served the cute 80s autumnal vibes <3
﹏﹒✦ overall, this was such a fun and festive time! these books are the best versions of holiday books and i, so far, have enjoyed my time thoroughly with them. the chapters were a bit long in this book ( which i don’t remember from ‘ good spirits ‘ ), but if you’re looking for a cute Halloween book, this one is so good !! 🎃🕯️🥧
🐈⬛⊹ thank you to my beautiful best friend, mads, for reading this with me. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!
ᝰ⋆ thank you to netgalley & avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹
˒ 🌆 pre read ˒˒࿐・xxvi 𖦞.˖
ꕥ ⸺ 8/26 ⋆˚✿˖°
i'm deciding to start this now because apparently it now takes me over two weeks to read a single book, and i really want to get the review of this in before the pub date 🤞🏻 hopefully it's a good one!!
ᝰ⋆ thank you to netgalley & avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
update: reading with my favorite person ever, madi 🤭 HOW BLESSED AM I?!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I don’t cry very often in books but this one. This one made me send a sobbing voice note to its brilliant author.
April 22, 2026
"However long you're here—whatever time you have left—I want it to be with me. I want all your minutes, Darcy. Every last one."
on repeat 𝄞 ࿐♬ 𓍢ִ🎧ྀི ᯓ ♪ˎˊ˗
“ʏᴏᴜ ᴘᴜᴛ ᴀ sᴘᴇʟʟ ᴏɴ ᴍᴇ” x ᴀᴜsᴛɪɴ ɢɪᴏʀɢɪᴏ
0:04 ─♥──────── 2:37
╭➤ the premise ────────────────────────────╮
A guardian angel and a grim reaper who are drawn together despite being on opposite sides of death, duty, and everything they believe they understand about one another. What begins as a clash between two lonely, exhausted souls slowly becomes something far more dangerous: a forbidden love neither of them can ignore
────────────────────────────╯
Some books make you fall in love with the characters, and then there are books that reach into your chest, take hold of your heart, and leave you feeling like you’ve lost a little piece of yourself somewhere between their pages🥺
I was NOT prepared for how deeply this one would affect me. This author has such an extraordinary gift for creating characters who don’t feel fictional. They feel like entire, breathing worlds—full of grief, longing, fear, & tenderness🥹
and here’s the thing about BK Borison: she doesn’t write characters you can neatly divide into good and bad, right and wrong. She writes them with SO MUCH emotional depth that even when they hurt each other, even when they make mistakes, you can still understand the fear or grief behind their choices😭😭🥺
and i think that’s what makes Darcy’s love for Gabriel so incredibly special.🥺 because she doesn’t just love him for the good, easy, beautiful parts of himself. she sees him in all his complexity🥺 the pieces he has spent centuries trying to hide. the loneliness. the exhaustion. the guilt. the parts of himself he believes make him unworthy. And she chooses him anyway😭🥹
EXCUSE ME WHILE I LIE ON THE FLOOR😭
Because isn’t that what we all want? To be known completely and still loved? To have someone see the parts of us we consider ugly, inconvenient, or impossible and not ask us to become easier before they stay?🥺🥺
There is something so profoundly moving about being loved without having to perform perfection. About being seen in your entirety and discovering that the parts you thought made you difficult to love are not the parts that make you unworthy of it🥺💜
one of my favorite things about this book was the way it explored death and the meaning we give to life. We spend so much of our time fearing endings, grieving what we lose, and wishing we could have just a little more time. And yet, there is something so beautiful about the reminder that death doesn’t erase the meaning of a life, just as grief doesn’t erase the beauty of having loved someone
Grief and beauty are not opposites🫶🏼
Sometimes grief is the evidence of how deeply we’ve loved. It’s what remains when someone or something has become so woven into our lives that its absence changes the shape of our world. We hurt because it mattered. We mourn because we were given something worth missing. And even when that loss leaves an ache we don’t know how to carry, it doesn’t make the love any less beautiful
there's something almost divine in the understanding that even in the presence of death, there can be tenderness, connection, and meaning. That we aren’t promised endless time, but we are given the opportunity to make the time we have matter. To love people while they’re here, to cherish the ordinary moments before they become memories, and to recognize that something doesn’t have to last forever to be precious
And that ending???
I bawled like an actual baby
FIVE STARS.
For the laughter, the heartbreak, the tenderness, and the way this book reminded me that even in a world full of endings, there is still so much beauty worth finding. For a love that doesn’t erase grief but makes room for it. And for the reminder that sometimes the most extraordinary thing in the world is simply being seen, understood, and chosen.
favorite quotes ↓
"She's more divine than any magic l've ever had."
“I haven’t been tempted by anything in thousands of years, but suddenly, I’m tempted by her.
"I never wanted anything to be mine. Not until Darcy."
things to know about the book ↓
💜 guardian angel x grim reaper
💜 enemies → lovers
💜 star crossed lovers
💜 grumpy x grumpy
💜 forbidden love
💜 slowburn
💜 he falls first
💜 bucket list
💜 "eyes on me sweetheart"
💜 dual POV
swearing: yes
spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
→ chapters: 21, 26
SORRY YOU HAD TO DNF, MY BESTIE ANGELINA 🥺😔😔 IM SAD YOU DIDNT LIKE THIS ONE BUTTTTT WE CANT LIKE THEM ALL 🙂↕️
─────────
・❥・⁀➷ 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕
september 18th- spooky season, here we come 👻🪦🪽
me + bestie angelina are about to be absolutely UNHINGED over a grim reaper x guardian angel enemies-to-lovers situation 😏😛
april 27th- HELLO THERE GORGEOUS 💜💜💜
I can’t get over B. K. Borrison’s book covers 😭 they are all top tier 🫶🏼😍
on repeat 𝄞 ࿐♬ 𓍢ִ🎧ྀི ᯓ ♪ˎˊ˗
“ʏᴏᴜ ᴘᴜᴛ ᴀ sᴘᴇʟʟ ᴏɴ ᴍᴇ” x ᴀᴜsᴛɪɴ ɢɪᴏʀɢɪᴏ
0:04 ─♥──────── 2:37
╭➤ the premise ────────────────────────────╮
A guardian angel and a grim reaper who are drawn together despite being on opposite sides of death, duty, and everything they believe they understand about one another. What begins as a clash between two lonely, exhausted souls slowly becomes something far more dangerous: a forbidden love neither of them can ignore
────────────────────────────╯
Some books make you fall in love with the characters, and then there are books that reach into your chest, take hold of your heart, and leave you feeling like you’ve lost a little piece of yourself somewhere between their pages🥺
I was NOT prepared for how deeply this one would affect me. This author has such an extraordinary gift for creating characters who don’t feel fictional. They feel like entire, breathing worlds—full of grief, longing, fear, & tenderness🥹
and here’s the thing about BK Borison: she doesn’t write characters you can neatly divide into good and bad, right and wrong. She writes them with SO MUCH emotional depth that even when they hurt each other, even when they make mistakes, you can still understand the fear or grief behind their choices😭😭🥺
and i think that’s what makes Darcy’s love for Gabriel so incredibly special.🥺 because she doesn’t just love him for the good, easy, beautiful parts of himself. she sees him in all his complexity🥺 the pieces he has spent centuries trying to hide. the loneliness. the exhaustion. the guilt. the parts of himself he believes make him unworthy. And she chooses him anyway😭🥹
"Darcy wants me exactly as I am. She wants the rough and broken pieces as much as the shiny, perfect ones. In fact, I think she likes those pieces better."
EXCUSE ME WHILE I LIE ON THE FLOOR😭
Because isn’t that what we all want? To be known completely and still loved? To have someone see the parts of us we consider ugly, inconvenient, or impossible and not ask us to become easier before they stay?🥺🥺
There is something so profoundly moving about being loved without having to perform perfection. About being seen in your entirety and discovering that the parts you thought made you difficult to love are not the parts that make you unworthy of it🥺💜
one of my favorite things about this book was the way it explored death and the meaning we give to life. We spend so much of our time fearing endings, grieving what we lose, and wishing we could have just a little more time. And yet, there is something so beautiful about the reminder that death doesn’t erase the meaning of a life, just as grief doesn’t erase the beauty of having loved someone
Grief and beauty are not opposites🫶🏼
Sometimes grief is the evidence of how deeply we’ve loved. It’s what remains when someone or something has become so woven into our lives that its absence changes the shape of our world. We hurt because it mattered. We mourn because we were given something worth missing. And even when that loss leaves an ache we don’t know how to carry, it doesn’t make the love any less beautiful
there's something almost divine in the understanding that even in the presence of death, there can be tenderness, connection, and meaning. That we aren’t promised endless time, but we are given the opportunity to make the time we have matter. To love people while they’re here, to cherish the ordinary moments before they become memories, and to recognize that something doesn’t have to last forever to be precious
And that ending???
I bawled like an actual baby
FIVE STARS.
For the laughter, the heartbreak, the tenderness, and the way this book reminded me that even in a world full of endings, there is still so much beauty worth finding. For a love that doesn’t erase grief but makes room for it. And for the reminder that sometimes the most extraordinary thing in the world is simply being seen, understood, and chosen.
favorite quotes ↓
"She's more divine than any magic l've ever had."
“I haven’t been tempted by anything in thousands of years, but suddenly, I’m tempted by her.
"I never wanted anything to be mine. Not until Darcy."
things to know about the book ↓
💜 guardian angel x grim reaper
💜 enemies → lovers
💜 star crossed lovers
💜 grumpy x grumpy
💜 forbidden love
💜 slowburn
💜 he falls first
💜 bucket list
💜 "eyes on me sweetheart"
💜 dual POV
swearing: yes
spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
→ chapters: 21, 26
SORRY YOU HAD TO DNF, MY BESTIE ANGELINA 🥺😔😔 IM SAD YOU DIDNT LIKE THIS ONE BUTTTTT WE CANT LIKE THEM ALL 🙂↕️
─────────
・❥・⁀➷ 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕
september 18th- spooky season, here we come 👻🪦🪽
me + bestie angelina are about to be absolutely UNHINGED over a grim reaper x guardian angel enemies-to-lovers situation 😏😛
april 27th- HELLO THERE GORGEOUS 💜💜💜
I can’t get over B. K. Borrison’s book covers 😭 they are all top tier 🫶🏼😍
August 21, 2026
5💫
this was SO much better than the first one which i hated. i loved following these two opposites as they navigated their roles in the afterlife. Darcy is a grim reaper and Gabriel is a guardian angel- complete opposites as one is taking a life and the other is supposed to protect it. it’s nothing like i’ve ever read before!
this book does such a great job of reframing what death is and what it really means. it’s not always a bad thing, which i think is a good reminder for us that it could mean rest and reuniting people with loved ones in the afterlife. Darcy is showing compassion as she ferries these people to the afterlife, not damning them to a fiery hell. it was beautiful to watch her discover this about her job because she’s giving them hope.
genuinely was so pleasantly surprised how much i loved this one. i def recommend it for the fall time! it gives autumnal vibes and it’s set in a cozy, small town. Darcy has a fall inspired bucket list, so it’s safe to say it’s the perfect time of year to read this. i’d say you don’t have to read the first book before reading this one- there is some cameo of those characters/story but not enough that it affects this story at all.
highly recommend 💜 thank you netgalley for the arc!
Read if you like:
👻 grim reaper x guardian angel
👻 enemies to lovers
👻 opposites attract
👻 paranormal romance
👻 soulmates
👻 exploration of themes of death and grief
˚˖𓍢ִ໋❀ — preread
i actually can't believe i got accepted for this ARC! despite not liking the first book, i still want to give this series a chance... i mean like have you seen this cover?!!?!? it's STUNNING!! 🤩💜 i have higher hopes for this one!
big thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Expected Release Date: September 15, 2026! (OUT NOW!)
this was SO much better than the first one which i hated. i loved following these two opposites as they navigated their roles in the afterlife. Darcy is a grim reaper and Gabriel is a guardian angel- complete opposites as one is taking a life and the other is supposed to protect it. it’s nothing like i’ve ever read before!
this book does such a great job of reframing what death is and what it really means. it’s not always a bad thing, which i think is a good reminder for us that it could mean rest and reuniting people with loved ones in the afterlife. Darcy is showing compassion as she ferries these people to the afterlife, not damning them to a fiery hell. it was beautiful to watch her discover this about her job because she’s giving them hope.
genuinely was so pleasantly surprised how much i loved this one. i def recommend it for the fall time! it gives autumnal vibes and it’s set in a cozy, small town. Darcy has a fall inspired bucket list, so it’s safe to say it’s the perfect time of year to read this. i’d say you don’t have to read the first book before reading this one- there is some cameo of those characters/story but not enough that it affects this story at all.
highly recommend 💜 thank you netgalley for the arc!
Read if you like:
👻 grim reaper x guardian angel
👻 enemies to lovers
👻 opposites attract
👻 paranormal romance
👻 soulmates
👻 exploration of themes of death and grief
˚˖𓍢ִ໋❀ — preread
i actually can't believe i got accepted for this ARC! despite not liking the first book, i still want to give this series a chance... i mean like have you seen this cover?!!?!? it's STUNNING!! 🤩💜 i have higher hopes for this one!
big thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Expected Release Date: September 15, 2026! (OUT NOW!)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
If there’s one thing B.K. Borison keeps proving to me, it’s the fact she could probably write a grocery list, tax report, or instruction manual for assembling a chair and I’d still kick my feet, giggle, emotionally spiral, and call it a five-star experience. And now after finishing Grim Tidings, I can officially say this series has become my newest guilty pleasure obsession. Honestly? Inject this paranormal chaos directly into my veins.
The first book Of Ghosted series already owned my heart, but this second one confidently marched in, spread its giant angel wings, wrapped me in grim reaper darkness, poured me a Sidecar, and whispered: “Oh sweetheart, we’re about to make you FEEL THINGS.”
And wow… the chemistry. THE CHEMISTRY!
That first bar scene alone? Someone call emergency services because the tension was practically setting furniture on fire. Darcy and Gabriel walked into the room carrying enough emotional baggage, unresolved resentment, suspicious side-eyeing, and accidental yearning to fuel an entire trilogy. A burned-out grim reaper who is exhausted from being viewed as the villain meets a grumpy guardian angel who trusts literally everyone except her? Oh B.K. Borison knew exactly what she was doing here. This enemies-to-lovers dynamic was outrageously good. Sharp banter, emotional vulnerability, simmering attraction, moments that made me laugh one second and stare at the ceiling emotionally devastated the next… perfection.
And can we discuss Darcy for a moment? Because I adored her with my entire soul. Underneath all her sarcasm, exhaustion, and emotional walls is someone desperately longing to experience life instead of constantly escorting people out of it. That hit hard. Really hard. She isn’t just “Death.” She’s lonely. She’s grieving pieces of herself she never got to keep. She wants joy, connection, warmth, messy human experiences. Watching her slowly open up felt beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.
Meanwhile Gabriel completely snuck up on me. At first he’s suspicious, overprotective, emotionally constipated in the most delicious way possible, but beneath all that grumpiness is someone carrying the weight of everyone else’s safety on his shoulders. And the way he slowly begins seeing Darcy instead of fearing what she represents? EXCUSE ME WHILE I SCREAM INTO A PILLOW.
Also, the humor in this book worked so incredibly well. The corporate paranormal department setup remains one of my favorite things about this series because it’s absurd in the best possible way. Death but make it office politics? Guardian angels acting like overworked customer service managers? Grim reapers having existential burnout? I ate every single second of it up.
But what truly surprised me was how emotionally layered the story became underneath all the paranormal whimsy and romantic tension. This isn’t just a cute spooky romance. It’s a story about loneliness, grief, purpose, identity, and the terrifying vulnerability of allowing yourself to be loved when you already believe you’re unlovable. The emotional intensity sneaks up on you when you least expect it. One minute you’re grinning at the banter, the next your chest hurts.
And honestly, the cozy autumn atmosphere? Elite. This book feels like cold October nights, dim bar lights, oversized sweaters, haunted little streets, cinnamon smoke in the air, and emotional support cocktails.
B.K. Borison somehow created a paranormal romance that feels magical, funny, sexy, whimsical, and deeply human all at once. The second installment absolutely lives up to the first and maybe even emotionally destroyed me more. Which apparently is now my favorite reading experience.
Now excuse me while I aggressively wait for the next book like an emotionally unstable ghost haunting Avon’s inbox.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for sharing this perfect and one of the most anticipated paranormal romances of the year in exchange for my honest opinions.
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The first book Of Ghosted series already owned my heart, but this second one confidently marched in, spread its giant angel wings, wrapped me in grim reaper darkness, poured me a Sidecar, and whispered: “Oh sweetheart, we’re about to make you FEEL THINGS.”
And wow… the chemistry. THE CHEMISTRY!
That first bar scene alone? Someone call emergency services because the tension was practically setting furniture on fire. Darcy and Gabriel walked into the room carrying enough emotional baggage, unresolved resentment, suspicious side-eyeing, and accidental yearning to fuel an entire trilogy. A burned-out grim reaper who is exhausted from being viewed as the villain meets a grumpy guardian angel who trusts literally everyone except her? Oh B.K. Borison knew exactly what she was doing here. This enemies-to-lovers dynamic was outrageously good. Sharp banter, emotional vulnerability, simmering attraction, moments that made me laugh one second and stare at the ceiling emotionally devastated the next… perfection.
And can we discuss Darcy for a moment? Because I adored her with my entire soul. Underneath all her sarcasm, exhaustion, and emotional walls is someone desperately longing to experience life instead of constantly escorting people out of it. That hit hard. Really hard. She isn’t just “Death.” She’s lonely. She’s grieving pieces of herself she never got to keep. She wants joy, connection, warmth, messy human experiences. Watching her slowly open up felt beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.
Meanwhile Gabriel completely snuck up on me. At first he’s suspicious, overprotective, emotionally constipated in the most delicious way possible, but beneath all that grumpiness is someone carrying the weight of everyone else’s safety on his shoulders. And the way he slowly begins seeing Darcy instead of fearing what she represents? EXCUSE ME WHILE I SCREAM INTO A PILLOW.
Also, the humor in this book worked so incredibly well. The corporate paranormal department setup remains one of my favorite things about this series because it’s absurd in the best possible way. Death but make it office politics? Guardian angels acting like overworked customer service managers? Grim reapers having existential burnout? I ate every single second of it up.
But what truly surprised me was how emotionally layered the story became underneath all the paranormal whimsy and romantic tension. This isn’t just a cute spooky romance. It’s a story about loneliness, grief, purpose, identity, and the terrifying vulnerability of allowing yourself to be loved when you already believe you’re unlovable. The emotional intensity sneaks up on you when you least expect it. One minute you’re grinning at the banter, the next your chest hurts.
And honestly, the cozy autumn atmosphere? Elite. This book feels like cold October nights, dim bar lights, oversized sweaters, haunted little streets, cinnamon smoke in the air, and emotional support cocktails.
B.K. Borison somehow created a paranormal romance that feels magical, funny, sexy, whimsical, and deeply human all at once. The second installment absolutely lives up to the first and maybe even emotionally destroyed me more. Which apparently is now my favorite reading experience.
Now excuse me while I aggressively wait for the next book like an emotionally unstable ghost haunting Avon’s inbox.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for sharing this perfect and one of the most anticipated paranormal romances of the year in exchange for my honest opinions.
medium blog
September 21, 2026
I'm very happy to announce that I have found my first ever five star romance read. 🥹⭐️
I honestly didn't think this day would ever come, I accepted that maybe the romance genre wasn't for me & I would only ever cringe while reading them. I'm so happy to be wrong.. this book was everything I've ever wanted in a romance.
I sobbed so hard at the ending, it felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest (in a good way). I loved all the characters so much, and the chemistry, the plot, the overall concept was just perfect to me. I'm even gonna be as bold as saying this might be one of my favourite books ever now
ughhhh my heart 🥹😭 this was SO good!!!
pre-read
I'M SO EXCITED FOR AUTUMNAL VIBES 🤭🤎🧸🍂☕️🪽
I haven't read Good Spirits yet but hopefully that's ok 🥹 I just desperately need a cosy book to pull me from the depths of my slump, and also just make me feel ✨something✨ in general
I honestly didn't think this day would ever come, I accepted that maybe the romance genre wasn't for me & I would only ever cringe while reading them. I'm so happy to be wrong.. this book was everything I've ever wanted in a romance.
I sobbed so hard at the ending, it felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest (in a good way). I loved all the characters so much, and the chemistry, the plot, the overall concept was just perfect to me. I'm even gonna be as bold as saying this might be one of my favourite books ever now
ughhhh my heart 🥹😭 this was SO good!!!
pre-read
I'M SO EXCITED FOR AUTUMNAL VIBES 🤭🤎🧸🍂☕️🪽
I haven't read Good Spirits yet but hopefully that's ok 🥹 I just desperately need a cosy book to pull me from the depths of my slump, and also just make me feel ✨something✨ in general
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
๑ ₊˚ ◟ 3.75 ⭑ 🪽 ❝ My empathy is a gift but sometimes I feel the weight of it like a curse. ❞
—— spoiler-free review
✶ what to expect .ᐟ ꗃ
➴ enemies to lovers
➴ guardian angel x grim reaper
➴ destined soulmates
➴ grumpy x grumpy
➴ paranormal romance
📌 location: annapolis, maryland.
⋆ ݁♫ now playing .ᐟ francesca by hozier ‧₊ ♪˚⊹
ᰋ ׅ⋆ i'd go through it again. i would still be surprised i could find you. in any life, if i could hold you for a minute. darling, i would do it again ৎ ࣪ ⊹
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ໒🍁⊹ ꒰ thoughts ꒱ 𓏭
Reading B. K. Borison’s books always brings me so much comfort, it’s like being wrapped up in a cosy blanket whilst watching the precious rain falling outside. She creates characters with such depth that it feels as though they wear their hearts on their sleeves, which makes it very easy to love them and empathise with them. I also admire that she has created this supernatural world in which she explores the afterlife. Her concept is so unique and I always find it fascinating to discover different interpretations of what life after death might be like. And the fact that the central theme of her world is love. Essentially, a love so strong that it transcends lifetimes and centuries. It’s about soulmates and how, once you find your other half, not even death can separate you from them. This story was deeply emotional, yet at the same time funny and captivating. 🫂💌
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ໒🧸⊹ ꒰ quotes ꒱
“ The loneliness set in hard and fast, a hollow ache carved into my chest. I know what it’s like to crave something more. ”
“ I'm a look-on-the-bright-side kind of guy by nature, but I don’t know, lately it’s been hard to summon the energy. ”
“ I want so badly for him to understand. For this ache that lingers in my bones to be seen and understood. ”
“ All I’ve ever wanted is to feel like I’m part of something. To belong. ”
“ I’ve been naive, letting myself get twisted up in hope. Misreading every action. I'm looking for reassurance in all the wrong places, just like always. ”
📨 ⋆.ೃ࿔ Thank you sooo much BK Borison, NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for this arc in exchange for an honest review!!
౿ reading date : 19 august — 20 august
౿ publishing date : 15 september
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀꒰੭ ﾟpre-read 𑁯 🏹 ﾟ꒱
omg omg ahhhhhh i still can’t believe i got the arc, i’m super happy to be back here on gr and with a book by one of my favourite authors 💓💞💞
pre-release
THE COVER IS FINALLY HERE YAYYYYY lT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL!!! i loved good spirits and i can’t wait to read this one, soooooo excited 🥹💜
˚.⋆꒰১ ghosted series .ᐟ
i. good spirits review
ii. grim tidings
—— spoiler-free review
✶ what to expect .ᐟ ꗃ
➴ enemies to lovers
➴ guardian angel x grim reaper
➴ destined soulmates
➴ grumpy x grumpy
➴ paranormal romance
📌 location: annapolis, maryland.
⋆ ݁♫ now playing .ᐟ francesca by hozier ‧₊ ♪˚⊹
ᰋ ׅ⋆ i'd go through it again. i would still be surprised i could find you. in any life, if i could hold you for a minute. darling, i would do it again ৎ ࣪ ⊹
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ໒🍁⊹ ꒰ thoughts ꒱ 𓏭
Reading B. K. Borison’s books always brings me so much comfort, it’s like being wrapped up in a cosy blanket whilst watching the precious rain falling outside. She creates characters with such depth that it feels as though they wear their hearts on their sleeves, which makes it very easy to love them and empathise with them. I also admire that she has created this supernatural world in which she explores the afterlife. Her concept is so unique and I always find it fascinating to discover different interpretations of what life after death might be like. And the fact that the central theme of her world is love. Essentially, a love so strong that it transcends lifetimes and centuries. It’s about soulmates and how, once you find your other half, not even death can separate you from them. This story was deeply emotional, yet at the same time funny and captivating. 🫂💌
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ໒🧸⊹ ꒰ quotes ꒱
“ The loneliness set in hard and fast, a hollow ache carved into my chest. I know what it’s like to crave something more. ”
“ I'm a look-on-the-bright-side kind of guy by nature, but I don’t know, lately it’s been hard to summon the energy. ”
“ I want so badly for him to understand. For this ache that lingers in my bones to be seen and understood. ”
“ All I’ve ever wanted is to feel like I’m part of something. To belong. ”
“ I’ve been naive, letting myself get twisted up in hope. Misreading every action. I'm looking for reassurance in all the wrong places, just like always. ”
𐔌 📖 ⋮ if this book were a … ֹ ₊ ꒱
⌗ … celebration: halloween 🕯️
⌗ ... activity: pumpkin carving 🎃
⌗ … season: autumn 🍂
⌗ … film genre: thriller🔮
📨 ⋆.ೃ࿔ Thank you sooo much BK Borison, NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for this arc in exchange for an honest review!!
౿ reading date : 19 august — 20 august
౿ publishing date : 15 september
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀꒰੭ ﾟpre-read 𑁯 🏹 ﾟ꒱
omg omg ahhhhhh i still can’t believe i got the arc, i’m super happy to be back here on gr and with a book by one of my favourite authors 💓💞💞
pre-release
THE COVER IS FINALLY HERE YAYYYYY lT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL!!! i loved good spirits and i can’t wait to read this one, soooooo excited 🥹💜
˚.⋆꒰১ ghosted series .ᐟ
i. good spirits review
ii. grim tidings
September 15, 2026
⭐️ 4.25 ⭐️ You know what makes a romance good? A lot of heart. And this story has a whole lot of that!
Darcy might have been dead for over 100 years, but she's no Grim Reaper. She's Death who wants to understand life. She's fascinated with life, love and ordinary things like seeing a sunset or jumping into a lake or baking a pie and getting a dog! She wants to experience a life full lived and can you really blame her for wanting something more than just one thats simply existential? So no, she's no scary Reaper, she doesn't take, take, take. She is someone who wants to give, give, give. So Darcy is in existential crisis more or less. She's lonely, she's tired of always taking souls away, she wants new things for herself that actually matter to her. She wants things that feel personal and bring pleasures and make her happy. And when she is assigned a new soul to reap, Darcy decides to do the opposite--she's going to save it. Except, there is a little problem of a Guardian Angel who stands in her way.
Gabriel.
A man who falls heels over head for Darcy but takes a little while to come to this conclusion. Gabriel, narrated by Stephen Dexter, probably had the hottest voice ever. Ok maybe I was a little too obsessed, but in all seriousness, thanks to Dexter I was able to really materialize Gabriel in my head so well, that he felt very real in this story. He is the ultimate protector but his biggest flaw is guilt. He measures himself by the souls he couldn't save. He's been around for thousands of years and in that time he has lost two souls. He has shouldered this burden for many years and this weight turned in overbearing protectiveness, hardening his qualities while tucking away his softer ones. Initially he comes off as grumpy and intimidating but upon meeting Darcy his shell begins to crack. Underneath his hard shell, he is like a total cinnamon roll. I loved his softness underneath his harder exterior.
I really enjoyed how B.K. Borison used romance to explore deeper themes of grief, guilt, death and life or at least the desire to live life to the fullest. I thought it was interesting how Borison gave Darcy, Death, very compelling qualities--patience, understanding, desire. There was something so heartfelt about her character and the way she spoke about choice and purpose. She really captured the distinction between simply 'existing' and 'existing and living'.
This book was amazing. The emotional payoff was a whole lot better than it was in Good Spirits. This is the most perfect story for the season--it has light spooky elements that give it a cozy feel yet feel atmospheric. Best paired with a hot cup of cocoa, a hot man and right by a fire place!
Darcy might have been dead for over 100 years, but she's no Grim Reaper. She's Death who wants to understand life. She's fascinated with life, love and ordinary things like seeing a sunset or jumping into a lake or baking a pie and getting a dog! She wants to experience a life full lived and can you really blame her for wanting something more than just one thats simply existential? So no, she's no scary Reaper, she doesn't take, take, take. She is someone who wants to give, give, give. So Darcy is in existential crisis more or less. She's lonely, she's tired of always taking souls away, she wants new things for herself that actually matter to her. She wants things that feel personal and bring pleasures and make her happy. And when she is assigned a new soul to reap, Darcy decides to do the opposite--she's going to save it. Except, there is a little problem of a Guardian Angel who stands in her way.
Gabriel.
A man who falls heels over head for Darcy but takes a little while to come to this conclusion. Gabriel, narrated by Stephen Dexter, probably had the hottest voice ever. Ok maybe I was a little too obsessed, but in all seriousness, thanks to Dexter I was able to really materialize Gabriel in my head so well, that he felt very real in this story. He is the ultimate protector but his biggest flaw is guilt. He measures himself by the souls he couldn't save. He's been around for thousands of years and in that time he has lost two souls. He has shouldered this burden for many years and this weight turned in overbearing protectiveness, hardening his qualities while tucking away his softer ones. Initially he comes off as grumpy and intimidating but upon meeting Darcy his shell begins to crack. Underneath his hard shell, he is like a total cinnamon roll. I loved his softness underneath his harder exterior.
I really enjoyed how B.K. Borison used romance to explore deeper themes of grief, guilt, death and life or at least the desire to live life to the fullest. I thought it was interesting how Borison gave Darcy, Death, very compelling qualities--patience, understanding, desire. There was something so heartfelt about her character and the way she spoke about choice and purpose. She really captured the distinction between simply 'existing' and 'existing and living'.
This book was amazing. The emotional payoff was a whole lot better than it was in Good Spirits. This is the most perfect story for the season--it has light spooky elements that give it a cozy feel yet feel atmospheric. Best paired with a hot cup of cocoa, a hot man and right by a fire place!
Want to Read
November 26, 2025YAAAAA I'VE GOT THE ARC!
AAAH I LOVE THE COVER🥹🤭
manifesting for the yearning levels to be through the roof in this one💞
AAAH I LOVE THE COVER🥹🤭
manifesting for the yearning levels to be through the roof in this one💞
November 12, 2025
LOVED THIS ONE SO MUCH🤩
this might actually be my fav book by bk (after my beloved mixed signals obviously). But this surprised me in a good way, I knew I was going to enjoy it but I didn’t expect to love it this way!!🤭
Darcy my girl, i love her! and now I’m on my knees hoping the third book is about Gideon with Isabella 😩🙏🏻
frtcmaybe
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
jumping up and down, doing cartwheels and bouncing off the walls over starting this book🤸🏻♀️🤸🏻♀️ B.K used to be a hit or miss for me before but I have been loving all her release so much so my expectations are high for this one🙂↕️
_____
Grim tidings as the title is actually so perfect😋😋
this might actually be my fav book by bk (after my beloved mixed signals obviously). But this surprised me in a good way, I knew I was going to enjoy it but I didn’t expect to love it this way!!🤭
Darcy my girl, i love her! and now I’m on my knees hoping the third book is about Gideon with Isabella 😩🙏🏻
frtc
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
jumping up and down, doing cartwheels and bouncing off the walls over starting this book🤸🏻♀️🤸🏻♀️ B.K used to be a hit or miss for me before but I have been loving all her release so much so my expectations are high for this one🙂↕️
_____
Grim tidings as the title is actually so perfect😋😋
September 16, 2026
"We’re a doomed, tragic pair. Two souls caught in the wrong place at the wrong time with not enough of it left between them. But it doesn’t matter. The minutes I have left belong to him." 💔
Thoughts
I'm not gonna lie I was sceptical when I saw people saying they cried over this but my God 😭 it hit me in my feels the most beautiful way😫 the most beautiful angel x reaper trope plot ever 🫠😍 as much as I loved Darcy and Gabriel together can we talk about the fact that Frank's character has genuinely scarred me 🥹 I'll never forget this character ❤️🩹
The only thing I wish the author could have done with this read is make it a tad longer so that we would get more time with Darcy and Gabriel in terms of romance, I mean we're talking about an angel and reaper it's literally limitless, not to mention the dialogues between them!! I just loved this book so much from start to end! I'm glad I decided to read the second book because even though book one was four stars for me and enjoyable this one was infinite stars
Plot Summary
Darcy is a Grim Reaper who decides to break the rules and save the person she’s meant to take. Things get complicated when she meets Gabriel, a Guardian Angel who doesn’t trust her. As feelings grow between them, Darcy must avoid being caught by the supernatural authorities.
My Bookstagram
Thoughts
I'm not gonna lie I was sceptical when I saw people saying they cried over this but my God 😭 it hit me in my feels the most beautiful way😫 the most beautiful angel x reaper trope plot ever 🫠😍 as much as I loved Darcy and Gabriel together can we talk about the fact that Frank's character has genuinely scarred me 🥹 I'll never forget this character ❤️🩹
The only thing I wish the author could have done with this read is make it a tad longer so that we would get more time with Darcy and Gabriel in terms of romance, I mean we're talking about an angel and reaper it's literally limitless, not to mention the dialogues between them!! I just loved this book so much from start to end! I'm glad I decided to read the second book because even though book one was four stars for me and enjoyable this one was infinite stars
Plot Summary
Darcy is a Grim Reaper who decides to break the rules and save the person she’s meant to take. Things get complicated when she meets Gabriel, a Guardian Angel who doesn’t trust her. As feelings grow between them, Darcy must avoid being caught by the supernatural authorities.
My Bookstagram
Review of advance copy received from Author
Truly, utterly perfect.
September 23, 2026
4.5 stars ✨
Yes, yes, yes this was AMAZING!! I will say this was way better than Good Spirits and I adored that book. This story was so whimsical, semi-spooky, but full of mortality, longing and belonging. I loved every second of it. 🥲
Before I say anything I must say I love BK Borisons writing, it was so easy to digest, her world building is simple, but interesting, it wasn’t cringy and her plot here was so unique. I binged this so fast!!
This story follows Darcy who is a reaper and Gabriel who is a guardian angel and they find themselves crossing paths and let me tell y’all, the chemistry was oozing since their first interaction. 🥵 I will say at first it did read a bit insta lusty, but this was done so right. As the story progresses you realize they were meant to find each other in order to finally find the peace and healing both needed.
Darcy, I loved her so much. She was so sarcastic, witty and emo , but so relatable. She really was stuck in a tough situation, but instead of giving up she found a way to break free of what kept her shackled. I love an fmc who fights for what she wants and isn’t dependent of someone coming to save her!!
Now, I think I found my new kryptonite in the form of a 6 foot something man, with tattoos who happens to be an angel with beautiful wings , who happens to smoke cigarettes and can be a bit of a cinnamon roll, but grumpy at the same time and has the dirtiest mouth at times 😮💨 Gabriel had me hooked since page one , and look at the end of the day I’m just a girl and will fold for a man like this at anytime 🤷🏻♀️
This man never gave up on Darcy, and was willing to lose so much of himself to make sure she was happy. 🥲
The storyline here was good and was intertwined so well with the romance. I loved the small town vibes, the side characters and the journey both Darcy and Gabriel took in realizing that only because somethings end doesn’t mean that new things can grow out of it. It such a wholesome story. ✨
I will say I’m not the biggest fan of epilogues if they don’t give us anything, but I needed more of both Darcy and Gabriel. I felt like the ending was so rushed and more was missing.
Also someone pls tell me Gideon’s book is next because I fear that man has me in a chokehold already 😩
“ I want it” he says quietly. “However long you’re here- whatever time you have left- I want it to be me. I want all your minutes Darcy, every last one. “ ✨
Yes, yes, yes this was AMAZING!! I will say this was way better than Good Spirits and I adored that book. This story was so whimsical, semi-spooky, but full of mortality, longing and belonging. I loved every second of it. 🥲
Before I say anything I must say I love BK Borisons writing, it was so easy to digest, her world building is simple, but interesting, it wasn’t cringy and her plot here was so unique. I binged this so fast!!
This story follows Darcy who is a reaper and Gabriel who is a guardian angel and they find themselves crossing paths and let me tell y’all, the chemistry was oozing since their first interaction. 🥵 I will say at first it did read a bit insta lusty, but this was done so right. As the story progresses you realize they were meant to find each other in order to finally find the peace and healing both needed.
Darcy, I loved her so much. She was so sarcastic, witty and emo , but so relatable. She really was stuck in a tough situation, but instead of giving up she found a way to break free of what kept her shackled. I love an fmc who fights for what she wants and isn’t dependent of someone coming to save her!!
Now, I think I found my new kryptonite in the form of a 6 foot something man, with tattoos who happens to be an angel with beautiful wings , who happens to smoke cigarettes and can be a bit of a cinnamon roll, but grumpy at the same time and has the dirtiest mouth at times 😮💨 Gabriel had me hooked since page one , and look at the end of the day I’m just a girl and will fold for a man like this at anytime 🤷🏻♀️
This man never gave up on Darcy, and was willing to lose so much of himself to make sure she was happy. 🥲
The storyline here was good and was intertwined so well with the romance. I loved the small town vibes, the side characters and the journey both Darcy and Gabriel took in realizing that only because somethings end doesn’t mean that new things can grow out of it. It such a wholesome story. ✨
I will say I’m not the biggest fan of epilogues if they don’t give us anything, but I needed more of both Darcy and Gabriel. I felt like the ending was so rushed and more was missing.
Also someone pls tell me Gideon’s book is next because I fear that man has me in a chokehold already 😩
“ I want it” he says quietly. “However long you’re here- whatever time you have left- I want it to be me. I want all your minutes Darcy, every last one. “ ✨
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First of all, this was the first time the acknowledgements of a book has ever made me genuinely weep, which caught me completely off-guard. I learned that this book was written for a beautiful reason, which is something I’d like to thank the author for (now I’m crying again, bah!). Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing a promotional copy of this wonderful book so I could provide my honest thoughts on it.
Both books in this series were such enjoyable reads, and I loved how different they were. After reading the first book, I had fully expected to move on to my next book and just forget about it, and yet every time I saw it pop up on my Goodreads, I would think, “Oh, I really loved that book!”
So, when I was approved for this book, I was thrilled, since I knew chances were good that I was going to be in for another lovely story…and I was right.
This isn’t really a “contemporary romance”, nor is it what I usually think of when I think of “paranormal romance”, and the stakes are just high enough that I wouldn’t 100% classify it as a “cozy romance”, either. If I had to describe it to someone, I guess I’d probably combine all three, and call it a “Contemporary cozy paranormal romance”?
Either way, this book (and the first book) got me thinking about death and the afterlife in a completely different way than I ever had before (in both a humorous way and a “Huh, I never considered that aspect of it” kind of way), which, when combined with that gut-wrenching afterword, is the reason I gave it an extra star—my rule for a 5-star book is it has to either change me (or how I view the world) in a permanent way, or else feel like an old friend I’ve been waiting my entire life to meet.
And, guess what? Both of those criteria: met.
Both main characters, Darcy and Gabriel, showed clear personal growth from who they were when we first met them, and just like with the first book, the “back office” scenes with their bosses was dealt with in a way that left me wanting to know more, and I also loved that we complete the full-circle (from book one) at the end.
I highly recommend this book, as well as the first book in the series, too.
Both books in this series were such enjoyable reads, and I loved how different they were. After reading the first book, I had fully expected to move on to my next book and just forget about it, and yet every time I saw it pop up on my Goodreads, I would think, “Oh, I really loved that book!”
So, when I was approved for this book, I was thrilled, since I knew chances were good that I was going to be in for another lovely story…and I was right.
This isn’t really a “contemporary romance”, nor is it what I usually think of when I think of “paranormal romance”, and the stakes are just high enough that I wouldn’t 100% classify it as a “cozy romance”, either. If I had to describe it to someone, I guess I’d probably combine all three, and call it a “Contemporary cozy paranormal romance”?
Either way, this book (and the first book) got me thinking about death and the afterlife in a completely different way than I ever had before (in both a humorous way and a “Huh, I never considered that aspect of it” kind of way), which, when combined with that gut-wrenching afterword, is the reason I gave it an extra star—my rule for a 5-star book is it has to either change me (or how I view the world) in a permanent way, or else feel like an old friend I’ve been waiting my entire life to meet.
And, guess what? Both of those criteria: met.
Both main characters, Darcy and Gabriel, showed clear personal growth from who they were when we first met them, and just like with the first book, the “back office” scenes with their bosses was dealt with in a way that left me wanting to know more, and I also loved that we complete the full-circle (from book one) at the end.
I highly recommend this book, as well as the first book in the series, too.
September 7, 2026
This now has been changed in the released copy according to reviews that have been brought out. The only time a poc is mentioned its at the very end when the fmc complains that an asian character was put there directly to annoy her with microwave fish so that it stinks and it says tbat he stares at her balefully. I’m sorry but this honestly threw me off the story. Like I can’t be the only one who finds it weird that this is the only time a poc is mentioned and its to complain about food stereotype that it ‘stinks’?? I think the author was trying to make a butt joke out of it but it really doesn’t feel like it.
The book on the other hand was such a good read. It’s a cute read. I was invested from the first page onwards. I did feel bad for Darcy having to work as a grim reaper when she essentially doesn’t want to anymore since she would rather help people. Can I just say that Gabriel was so mean to her. Like I wanted to love him but he really said such hurtful words to Darcy that I just can’t bring myself to forgive it. Was it mostly saids in heat of time? yes. Still it doesn’t excuse on how mean he was to her just because she was a grim reaper. I do feel like Darcy forgive him to quickly. She should’ve made him grovel for her. He also kind of became in love with her quite quickly especially when he was so harsh but at the same time Darcy did feel like a child that hasn’t grown up. But nonetheless they belong with each other.
Also I will admit I did cry because of a certain scene that happened. It wasn’t initially that sad but it was a mixture of sad and happy. It can be looked both ways.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
————————————-
𐙚⋆°. preread
I was shocked when I was accepted for it but nonetheless I’m curious to see what I think of this one. I’ve been seeing mixed opinions.
The book on the other hand was such a good read. It’s a cute read. I was invested from the first page onwards. I did feel bad for Darcy having to work as a grim reaper when she essentially doesn’t want to anymore since she would rather help people. Can I just say that Gabriel was so mean to her. Like I wanted to love him but he really said such hurtful words to Darcy that I just can’t bring myself to forgive it. Was it mostly saids in heat of time? yes. Still it doesn’t excuse on how mean he was to her just because she was a grim reaper. I do feel like Darcy forgive him to quickly. She should’ve made him grovel for her. He also kind of became in love with her quite quickly especially when he was so harsh but at the same time Darcy did feel like a child that hasn’t grown up. But nonetheless they belong with each other.
Also I will admit I did cry because of a certain scene that happened. It wasn’t initially that sad but it was a mixture of sad and happy. It can be looked both ways.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
————————————-
𐙚⋆°. preread
I was shocked when I was accepted for it but nonetheless I’m curious to see what I think of this one. I’ve been seeing mixed opinions.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒚
𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆
The way this book didn't make me cry, I SOBBED 😭!!! This is such a beautiful book about grief and that sometimes life can get in the way of you experiencing the little things in life. I seriously am SHOCKED at how good this story was. The shock feeling isn't like I thought it was gonna be bad, like hello it is B.K Borison. It was that the way B.K Borison created a love story between a Guardian Angel and a Reaper so perfectly that I'm here like HOWWW ‼️ (well, you actually know how in the acknowledgements, but still)
Darcy is a reaper who finally has enough, and she wants to start living. Comes in her next assignment, where she has to collect a soul, but decides she wants to save it instead. Enters Gabriel, a guardian who protects his people, hates reapers, and will do anything to not have someone fall... so they make a deal hehehehe very simple yet for Gabriel is like a "really?? that's all we have to do??" making it so much more funny for the reader 🤪
I WAS OBSESSED with Gabriel's personality and the way he views the town as his only duty until Darcy 🥹 Then lines blur, and he gets to question everything. Don't we love a man who falls to his knees for his giiiiirlll? Yes pls 😮💨 I also love how Darcy tries, and that's it, just tries and keeps taking a step forward. I enjoyed how persistent she is about what she wants, and because of that, the book was SOOO intense. I loved it ALL from the romance, to the plot, to the kiss against the wall hmmm. I adored every second of it 🔥
This book, to be honest, has the perfect balance of having the reader enjoy the lightheartedness of Darcy and Gabriel just wanting to experience human life, to then having to look death and grief in the eye. I was very moved with how the author navigated that. This for me was a 5 star read because yes, you see them fall in love in a world where it is not the norm, but the way both characters have a strong past and then it all comes together at the end, full circle, has me tearing up again aaaaaaa 😭🥹
Anyway pls read it and then message me about it thanksssss
—————
This had no reason to go so hard on 80% 😭
➳ 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 ᯓ★ don't come at me okay, I am a mood reader.
thank you Avon for my eARC
𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆
The way this book didn't make me cry, I SOBBED 😭!!! This is such a beautiful book about grief and that sometimes life can get in the way of you experiencing the little things in life. I seriously am SHOCKED at how good this story was. The shock feeling isn't like I thought it was gonna be bad, like hello it is B.K Borison. It was that the way B.K Borison created a love story between a Guardian Angel and a Reaper so perfectly that I'm here like HOWWW ‼️ (well, you actually know how in the acknowledgements, but still)
Darcy is a reaper who finally has enough, and she wants to start living. Comes in her next assignment, where she has to collect a soul, but decides she wants to save it instead. Enters Gabriel, a guardian who protects his people, hates reapers, and will do anything to not have someone fall... so they make a deal hehehehe very simple yet for Gabriel is like a "really?? that's all we have to do??" making it so much more funny for the reader 🤪
I WAS OBSESSED with Gabriel's personality and the way he views the town as his only duty until Darcy 🥹 Then lines blur, and he gets to question everything. Don't we love a man who falls to his knees for his giiiiirlll? Yes pls 😮💨 I also love how Darcy tries, and that's it, just tries and keeps taking a step forward. I enjoyed how persistent she is about what she wants, and because of that, the book was SOOO intense. I loved it ALL from the romance, to the plot, to the kiss against the wall hmmm. I adored every second of it 🔥
This book, to be honest, has the perfect balance of having the reader enjoy the lightheartedness of Darcy and Gabriel just wanting to experience human life, to then having to look death and grief in the eye. I was very moved with how the author navigated that. This for me was a 5 star read because yes, you see them fall in love in a world where it is not the norm, but the way both characters have a strong past and then it all comes together at the end, full circle, has me tearing up again aaaaaaa 😭🥹
Anyway pls read it and then message me about it thanksssss
—————
This had no reason to go so hard on 80% 😭
➳ 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 ᯓ★ don't come at me okay, I am a mood reader.
thank you Avon for my eARC
September 16, 2026
2.5⭐️|1.5🌶️
I fear it’s officially time to admit that B.K. Borison might simply not be an author for me. This is the third book of hers I’ve tried and I have enjoyed precisely 0 out of 3.
Not hated. Not loved. Just… aggressively, painfully MID.
And Grim Tidings had the added bonus of making absolutely no freaking sense.
Because can someone PLEASE explain to me why this book treats Darcy being a Grim Reaper like she personally invented death???
Gabriel spends half the book acting like this woman is skulking around hospitals murdering people for sport when she is quite literally just GUIDING ALREADY-DEAD SOULS TO THE AFTERLIFE.
She’s not killing them, babe. She’s basically supernatural Uber.
And yet death itself is treated like this horrible, evil thing that must be stopped at all costs.
Okay.
What’s the alternative???
Nobody dies??? Ever??? Humanity just keeps multiplying indefinitely until Earth is one giant overcrowded nursing home??? Phenomenal plan, Gabriel. Someone get this man a Nobel Prize.
Which brings us to my favorite part of this entire mess:
Gabriel has been a Guardian for OVER 2,500 YEARS.
TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED YEARS.
And he does not understand his own fucking job.
Apparently, he believes that if someone under his protection dies, he receives a mark, and after three marks he loses his wings and gets fired from Guardian Inc. He already has two because he “failed” to prevent two people from dying.
Again.
BABE.
PEOPLE DIE.
One of these incidents literally happened while he was volunteering at a hospital or something???
A HOSPITAL.
Were you planning on personally defeating old age??? Cancer??? Organ failure??? Were you standing outside the ICU like NOT ON MY WATCH???
And this man has been doing this job SINCE APPROXIMATELY 454 BC.
You’re telling me that in TWO AND A HALF MILLENNIA, Gabriel never once thought:
“Hmmm. Perhaps I should double-check the terms and conditions of my employment.”
Never visited his department?
Never asked a coworker???
Never attended orientation???
No annual performance review???
No Guardian Angel Employee Handbook???
NOTHING???
And then—SHOCKER—it turns out HE WAS WRONG.
The entire plot hinges on a man misunderstanding his own job description for 2,500 years.
I’m sorry, but HR cannot save you from this level of incompetence.
And the afterlife worldbuilding did not improve from there because apparently the entire purpose of becoming a Guardian is eventually… finding your soulmate???
Oh!
Cute!
And the Reapers???
Everyone else working in the afterlife???
Do they get soulmates too or is that included exclusively in the Guardian benefits package alongside wings and apparently zero mandatory training???
WHO KNOWS.
Speaking of the wings…
WHY DOES THIS MAN HAVE WINGS???
Because he certainly doesn’t USE THEM.
We hear about Gabriel’s wings constantly. His beautiful wings. His precious wings. The possibility of losing his wings. How devastating losing his wings would be.
Does Gabriel fly?
NO ❤️
They are apparently decorative.
My guy has been walking around for 2,500 years with two giant feathered accessories strapped to his back purely for ✨aesthetic purposes✨.
And then there’s the marketing.
Guardian Angel x Grim Reaper??? SOLD.
Enemies to lovers??? SOLD.
Grumpy x grumpy??? SOLD.
He dislikes everyone but her??? SOLD SOLD SOLD.
Unfortunately, I would like to report these tropes missing.
Enemies to lovers? They basically wanted to fuck immediately.
Grumpy x grumpy? They’re not grumpy. They’re two people who have been dealt shitty hands and are understandably not skipping through fields singing about the beauty of life.
“He dislikes everyone but her”?
WHO IS EVERYONE???
Gabriel is rude as hell to Darcy. 😭
He spends the beginning treating Darcy like Satan’s personal assistant and calling her every name under the sun because she has the audacity to…
checks notes
DO HER JOB.
The romance itself didn’t do much for me either because I’m sorry, but these people were HORNY.
Which is fine!!!
Be horny!!!
Godspeed!!!
But please stop trying to convince me that two people desperately wanting to climb each other like trees is automatically some earth-shattering, transcendental love story.
There were definitely some cute scenes between them. I’ll give the book that. But emotionally? I was observing this relationship like a mildly interested HR representative.
AND THEN.
THE ENDING.
Oh, the ending.
After an ENTIRE BOOK of talking about Gabriel potentially losing his precious wings, they finally get taken away with basically the wave of a hand.
That’s it.
Poof.
Bye wings. 🪽
And Gabriel is basically like:
“Ahhhh. Sweet relief.”
SIR?????
I HAVE HEARD ABOUT THESE FUCKING WINGS FOR 300 PAGES.
Could we perhaps experience ONE emotion about them???
But never fear because Gabriel is now mortal!
YAY???
Darcy, meanwhile, is STILL AN IMMORTAL REAPER.
And Gabriel is going to be…
HER.
LAST.
ASSIGNMENT.
EXCUSE ME???
So this is our happily ever after:
Gabriel gets old.
Darcy doesn’t.
She gets to watch her husband age while she stays exactly the same.
Eventually Gabriel dies.
AND THEN HIS WIFE PERSONALLY REAPS HIS SOUL.
🥰✨ ROMANCE ✨🥰
And then she apparently gets to join him in the afterlife afterward???
THIS IS THE FAIRY-TALE ENDING???
Maybe I’m simply lacking whimsy because the thought of watching my husband slowly age and die knowing I’m eventually scheduled to clock in and collect his soul does not exactly scream and they lived happily ever after to me.
But sure.
✨ Soulmates ✨
Ultimately, Grim Tidings had a concept I SHOULD have eaten up. Guardian Angel x Grim Reaper??? That has my name written ALL OVER IT. And there were genuinely cute moments buried in here.
But the worldbuilding made approximately negative seven sense, the magic system seemed to invent rules whenever convenient, the advertised tropes barely resembled what was actually on the page, the romance felt much more like lust than love, and Gabriel’s entire character arc depends on accepting that this 2,500-year-old man has apparently never considered asking HR what his job actually entails.
Three B.K. Borison books attempted.
Zero successes.
At this point, I fear the scientific method has spoken.
I wave the white flag. 🏳️
I fear it’s officially time to admit that B.K. Borison might simply not be an author for me. This is the third book of hers I’ve tried and I have enjoyed precisely 0 out of 3.
Not hated. Not loved. Just… aggressively, painfully MID.
And Grim Tidings had the added bonus of making absolutely no freaking sense.
Because can someone PLEASE explain to me why this book treats Darcy being a Grim Reaper like she personally invented death???
Gabriel spends half the book acting like this woman is skulking around hospitals murdering people for sport when she is quite literally just GUIDING ALREADY-DEAD SOULS TO THE AFTERLIFE.
She’s not killing them, babe. She’s basically supernatural Uber.
And yet death itself is treated like this horrible, evil thing that must be stopped at all costs.
Okay.
What’s the alternative???
Nobody dies??? Ever??? Humanity just keeps multiplying indefinitely until Earth is one giant overcrowded nursing home??? Phenomenal plan, Gabriel. Someone get this man a Nobel Prize.
Which brings us to my favorite part of this entire mess:
Gabriel has been a Guardian for OVER 2,500 YEARS.
TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED YEARS.
And he does not understand his own fucking job.
Apparently, he believes that if someone under his protection dies, he receives a mark, and after three marks he loses his wings and gets fired from Guardian Inc. He already has two because he “failed” to prevent two people from dying.
Again.
BABE.
PEOPLE DIE.
One of these incidents literally happened while he was volunteering at a hospital or something???
A HOSPITAL.
Were you planning on personally defeating old age??? Cancer??? Organ failure??? Were you standing outside the ICU like NOT ON MY WATCH???
And this man has been doing this job SINCE APPROXIMATELY 454 BC.
You’re telling me that in TWO AND A HALF MILLENNIA, Gabriel never once thought:
“Hmmm. Perhaps I should double-check the terms and conditions of my employment.”
Never visited his department?
Never asked a coworker???
Never attended orientation???
No annual performance review???
No Guardian Angel Employee Handbook???
NOTHING???
And then—SHOCKER—it turns out HE WAS WRONG.
The entire plot hinges on a man misunderstanding his own job description for 2,500 years.
I’m sorry, but HR cannot save you from this level of incompetence.
And the afterlife worldbuilding did not improve from there because apparently the entire purpose of becoming a Guardian is eventually… finding your soulmate???
Oh!
Cute!
And the Reapers???
Everyone else working in the afterlife???
Do they get soulmates too or is that included exclusively in the Guardian benefits package alongside wings and apparently zero mandatory training???
WHO KNOWS.
Speaking of the wings…
WHY DOES THIS MAN HAVE WINGS???
Because he certainly doesn’t USE THEM.
We hear about Gabriel’s wings constantly. His beautiful wings. His precious wings. The possibility of losing his wings. How devastating losing his wings would be.
Does Gabriel fly?
NO ❤️
They are apparently decorative.
My guy has been walking around for 2,500 years with two giant feathered accessories strapped to his back purely for ✨aesthetic purposes✨.
And then there’s the marketing.
Guardian Angel x Grim Reaper??? SOLD.
Enemies to lovers??? SOLD.
Grumpy x grumpy??? SOLD.
He dislikes everyone but her??? SOLD SOLD SOLD.
Unfortunately, I would like to report these tropes missing.
Enemies to lovers? They basically wanted to fuck immediately.
Grumpy x grumpy? They’re not grumpy. They’re two people who have been dealt shitty hands and are understandably not skipping through fields singing about the beauty of life.
“He dislikes everyone but her”?
WHO IS EVERYONE???
Gabriel is rude as hell to Darcy. 😭
He spends the beginning treating Darcy like Satan’s personal assistant and calling her every name under the sun because she has the audacity to…
checks notes
DO HER JOB.
The romance itself didn’t do much for me either because I’m sorry, but these people were HORNY.
Which is fine!!!
Be horny!!!
Godspeed!!!
But please stop trying to convince me that two people desperately wanting to climb each other like trees is automatically some earth-shattering, transcendental love story.
There were definitely some cute scenes between them. I’ll give the book that. But emotionally? I was observing this relationship like a mildly interested HR representative.
AND THEN.
THE ENDING.
Oh, the ending.
After an ENTIRE BOOK of talking about Gabriel potentially losing his precious wings, they finally get taken away with basically the wave of a hand.
That’s it.
Poof.
Bye wings. 🪽
And Gabriel is basically like:
“Ahhhh. Sweet relief.”
SIR?????
I HAVE HEARD ABOUT THESE FUCKING WINGS FOR 300 PAGES.
Could we perhaps experience ONE emotion about them???
But never fear because Gabriel is now mortal!
YAY???
Darcy, meanwhile, is STILL AN IMMORTAL REAPER.
And Gabriel is going to be…
HER.
LAST.
ASSIGNMENT.
EXCUSE ME???
So this is our happily ever after:
Gabriel gets old.
Darcy doesn’t.
She gets to watch her husband age while she stays exactly the same.
Eventually Gabriel dies.
AND THEN HIS WIFE PERSONALLY REAPS HIS SOUL.
🥰✨ ROMANCE ✨🥰
And then she apparently gets to join him in the afterlife afterward???
THIS IS THE FAIRY-TALE ENDING???
Maybe I’m simply lacking whimsy because the thought of watching my husband slowly age and die knowing I’m eventually scheduled to clock in and collect his soul does not exactly scream and they lived happily ever after to me.
But sure.
✨ Soulmates ✨
Ultimately, Grim Tidings had a concept I SHOULD have eaten up. Guardian Angel x Grim Reaper??? That has my name written ALL OVER IT. And there were genuinely cute moments buried in here.
But the worldbuilding made approximately negative seven sense, the magic system seemed to invent rules whenever convenient, the advertised tropes barely resembled what was actually on the page, the romance felt much more like lust than love, and Gabriel’s entire character arc depends on accepting that this 2,500-year-old man has apparently never considered asking HR what his job actually entails.
Three B.K. Borison books attempted.
Zero successes.
At this point, I fear the scientific method has spoken.
I wave the white flag. 🏳️
arcs-to-read
August 27, 2026I'll be damned. I got the arc. I've never been more shocked in my life lol 😂💜
October 10, 2026
A Grim Reaper and a Guardian Angel? I was sold on the concept alone! I loved how B.K. Borison plays with the idea of life, death and fate, turning something dark into a clever heartwarming story. Such a fun and original take on paranormal romance with a little more meaning beneath the magic.
September 10, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and the author for an advance copy of this ebook. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as are the tears I shed for this book
This is probably going to be my favorite book of the year. The story focuses on a couple of specific jobs in the afterlife intersecting with humanity and jam packed with living and love. BK Borison has some kind of magic herself, I swear. She’s written high stakes with cozy, soft charm and it WORKS. I loved the main characters so much and this is one of those cases where the HEA is hard-fought and earned because of the emotional toll the characters paid. I highly recommend Grim Tidings, just grab some tissues and be prepared to feel the feelings.
This is a standalone. There are some itty bitty Easter eggs to Good Spirits and some of other BK’s other books, which warmed my heart even more. Also, while Good Spirits was a Christmas themed story, Grim Tidings takes place around Halloween.
Written in first person, dual POV. No ow/om drama and both had some past degree of experience with only one small mention. Both had said it had been a while.
Some tropes/themes:
☆ Reaper x Guardian angel
☆ Opposing sides of death
☆ Antagonism but there’s a draw
☆ Bucket list and negotiations
☆ Trouble as a nickname
☆ Surprising even centuries old beings
☆ Loneliness and longing
☆ Fighting for something different
☆ The TENSION
☆ The goodest boy cute animal sidekick
☆ The Afterlife run like an office
☆ Human and not human supporting cast
☆ Yes, death is a theme
☆ Self-sacrifice
☆ Hurt/comfort
☆ Fate
Darcy (h) is a Reaper working in the afterlife. She has to deal with annoying co-workers, management, and the burden of feeling like she sees people in their worst moments. Darcy wants something different and she decides to reach for it. On her newest assignment, she ends up in a bar with a beautiful man who’s charming and flirty. They have a spectacular moment of attraction with some light groping before the realization comes that he’s a Guardian angel, effectively the work enemy of the reapers. Guardians are trying to protect humans at all times, while reapers are the “bad guys”, calling them to death. Gabriel (H) is suspicious of why Darcy’s there and as unwelcoming as you can get.
The juxtaposition of these two jobs that have high impact on humanity (and also highly wear on the job holders) was fascinating. How Darcy and Gabriel viewed themselves and each other at the start vs the end when they’ve been changed by being with each other, it was thought-provoking and heart aching. I’m getting teary typing this. I don’t want to spoil the beauty in their stories, because it was a journey even though it also felt kind of slice of life like. I don’t know how this story balanced such heavy, important themes with smaller, every day moments of being human.
As I said, I loved Darcy and Gabriel. They’re both tired and they both have ideas about their meaning and their jobs that get challenged. They start as strangers attracted to each other and then become sort of enemies while still being drawn to the other. Gabriel is kind of mean in moments, because this is high stakes for him and you find out why as the story continues. Darcy is always soft, her softness was such a strength and a struggle. Then Gabriel also starts softening and putting aside his misconceptions. They start seeing each other more fully and begin to be vulnerable and take chances on letting down their guards. It’s slow and tension-filled and glorious. There is some spice, worked in well and in moments that add more connection between them.
The supporting characters added to that feeling, offering sparks of joy or humor or weightiness. The inclusion of Tator Tot the dog was phenomenal. I also want so many more stories in this series and I don’t know what the author’s plans are but I hope there are 1000 more.
The climax is heart breaking but healing and it fit in a lovely way with who the characters were. I was crying in a YMCA lobby while waiting for my family to finish at the gym lol. Then the ending left me with the biggest smile. I desperately want my hands on the paperback copies of this book that also include the bonus content. I would have loved to have seen an epilogue that showed them further out, but the final scene of Gabriel and Darcy together also gave the satisfying closure and love and belonging that they deserved.
This is a romance, but it also felt more. Death is a theme that’s always going to feel like that, even in a romance. Also, please, please read the author’s note at the end. Thank you BK for writing this. In short, I loved this story y’all and I hope that any of my friends who give it a chance also love it.
ETA: I did get the indie paperback that has a special scene from Tater Tot's POV and it was beautiful. Also answered a question I had about their HEA.
This is probably going to be my favorite book of the year. The story focuses on a couple of specific jobs in the afterlife intersecting with humanity and jam packed with living and love. BK Borison has some kind of magic herself, I swear. She’s written high stakes with cozy, soft charm and it WORKS. I loved the main characters so much and this is one of those cases where the HEA is hard-fought and earned because of the emotional toll the characters paid. I highly recommend Grim Tidings, just grab some tissues and be prepared to feel the feelings.
This is a standalone. There are some itty bitty Easter eggs to Good Spirits and some of other BK’s other books, which warmed my heart even more. Also, while Good Spirits was a Christmas themed story, Grim Tidings takes place around Halloween.
Written in first person, dual POV. No ow/om drama and both had some past degree of experience with only one small mention. Both had said it had been a while.
Some tropes/themes:
☆ Reaper x Guardian angel
☆ Opposing sides of death
☆ Antagonism but there’s a draw
☆ Bucket list and negotiations
☆ Trouble as a nickname
☆ Surprising even centuries old beings
☆ Loneliness and longing
☆ Fighting for something different
☆ The TENSION
☆ The goodest boy cute animal sidekick
☆ The Afterlife run like an office
☆ Human and not human supporting cast
☆ Yes, death is a theme
☆ Self-sacrifice
☆ Hurt/comfort
☆ Fate
Darcy (h) is a Reaper working in the afterlife. She has to deal with annoying co-workers, management, and the burden of feeling like she sees people in their worst moments. Darcy wants something different and she decides to reach for it. On her newest assignment, she ends up in a bar with a beautiful man who’s charming and flirty. They have a spectacular moment of attraction with some light groping before the realization comes that he’s a Guardian angel, effectively the work enemy of the reapers. Guardians are trying to protect humans at all times, while reapers are the “bad guys”, calling them to death. Gabriel (H) is suspicious of why Darcy’s there and as unwelcoming as you can get.
The juxtaposition of these two jobs that have high impact on humanity (and also highly wear on the job holders) was fascinating. How Darcy and Gabriel viewed themselves and each other at the start vs the end when they’ve been changed by being with each other, it was thought-provoking and heart aching. I’m getting teary typing this. I don’t want to spoil the beauty in their stories, because it was a journey even though it also felt kind of slice of life like. I don’t know how this story balanced such heavy, important themes with smaller, every day moments of being human.
As I said, I loved Darcy and Gabriel. They’re both tired and they both have ideas about their meaning and their jobs that get challenged. They start as strangers attracted to each other and then become sort of enemies while still being drawn to the other. Gabriel is kind of mean in moments, because this is high stakes for him and you find out why as the story continues. Darcy is always soft, her softness was such a strength and a struggle. Then Gabriel also starts softening and putting aside his misconceptions. They start seeing each other more fully and begin to be vulnerable and take chances on letting down their guards. It’s slow and tension-filled and glorious. There is some spice, worked in well and in moments that add more connection between them.
The supporting characters added to that feeling, offering sparks of joy or humor or weightiness. The inclusion of Tator Tot the dog was phenomenal. I also want so many more stories in this series and I don’t know what the author’s plans are but I hope there are 1000 more.
The climax is heart breaking but healing and it fit in a lovely way with who the characters were. I was crying in a YMCA lobby while waiting for my family to finish at the gym lol. Then the ending left me with the biggest smile. I desperately want my hands on the paperback copies of this book that also include the bonus content. I would have loved to have seen an epilogue that showed them further out, but the final scene of Gabriel and Darcy together also gave the satisfying closure and love and belonging that they deserved.
This is a romance, but it also felt more. Death is a theme that’s always going to feel like that, even in a romance. Also, please, please read the author’s note at the end. Thank you BK for writing this. In short, I loved this story y’all and I hope that any of my friends who give it a chance also love it.
ETA: I did get the indie paperback that has a special scene from Tater Tot's POV and it was beautiful. Also answered a question I had about their HEA.
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