Death Wish

Reaper Reborn #1

by Harper A. Brooks

Life’s a b*tch—but what comes after isn’t much better.

Jade Blackwell, a paranormal reaper, helps supernaturals cross over after death. Her job comes with lots of rules—but not following them is kind of her thing…until it ends up involving her in something much deadlier than she ever imagined.

With the protective veil fading away, demons are crossing realms and impregnating humans, and Jade’s best friend is among their victims. She’s determined to save her friend, even if it means working with Cole Masters, a dangerous demon halfling and notorious gun-for-hire.

But time is running out to fix the barrier and find a demon cure. With supernaturals everywhere in danger, and the balance between good and evil tipped for the worst, Jade must choose between her own eternal afterlife…or the living world she so desperately wants to be a part of.

Either way, death is coming.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Demons, Paranormal, Magic, Vampires

375 pages, ebook

First published May 17, 2019

About the author

Harper A. Brooks may be a Jersey girl at heart, but now she likes to hideout in the mountains of Virginia with bigfoot and all his little woodland friends. Even though classic authors have always filled her bookshelves, she finds her writing muse drawn to the dark, magical, and romantic. When she isn’t creating entire worlds with sexy shifters or legendary love stories, you can find her either with a good cup of coffee in hand or at home snuggling with her furry, four-legged son, Sammy.


RONE Award Winner
USA Today Bestselling Author
Amazon International Bestselling Author

Reviews

[Anete · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jade Blackwell ir Reaper (mirušo garu ceļvedis uz Viņpasauli??), kas neizskatās ne pēc tradicionālas Kaulainās, ne Comicon apmeklētājas, kā šī:

Viņa ir diezgan parasta, nedaudz vientuļa sieviete, kas sadzīvo ar savas pirmsnāves dzīves amnēziju, cenšas pildīt savus psiholoģiski smagos un dažreiz arī fiziski bīstamos Reaper amata pienākumus. Līdz tiek apdraudēta viņas vienīgās draudzenes dzīvība, kuru glābt var, sadarbojoties ar aizdomīgo, bet sasodīti izskatīgo, algotni pusdēmonu Cole Masters. Un nu tik sākās dēmonu medības, raganas, burvji, vampīri, maģija, un Nāves eņģelis... nu pilns komplekts.

Sen nebiju paviesojusies Urban Fantasy lauciņā. Šis atgādināja seriālu Charmed un Supernatural miksli. Lieliska izklaide.

[Bookgyrl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jade is a reaper in the afterlife; she knows nothing of her former life after a mindwipe and for a year has been helping people to cross over. After being reprimanded for not following the rules she gets into trouble again when one of her 'victims', Cole Masters, is not even close to death and can even see her. After that things escalate, her best friend is in grave danger and she seems to have strange powers.

The story has a very nice pace to it. I read it in a couple of hours and it kept my attention. The only thing I could not care less about was actually Jade's best friend Kay. Because this is the first book and we have only been told about their friendship I was not invested in saving Kay. Had this happened a few books down the road it would have packed more of a punch. Now it was only a vehicle to bring the story further.

I am curious as to how everything will develop, so I will keep an eye out for the next book.

[BookNerdMommy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Need an out of this world escape? Well this one holds several realms to keep you entertained. I quite enjoyed this first book to the series and my curiosity is up for more!

[Alex (HEABookNerd)]

DNF

Ugh, just found out the series has a love triangle so that's a no for me

[Cassandra Doon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: Death Wish
Read By: Ebook and Audio
Author: Harper a Brooks
Narrator: Eugenie Danglar
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Main Characters: Jade and Cole
Recommend: Yes
Spice: 🌶️️
Age recommendation: 18-30+ Years
My feelings:


I was really looking forward to reading this book as the storyline sounded super interesting.

One mediocre sorcerer, two humans, and a reaper-thing against a full-blooded demon.

It didn't disappoint. I was well paced and I was super interested in the storyline. Not a huge fan of this friend of hers who isn’t interested in saving her life however.
But we'll see how it goes in book 2.

[Annabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reapers!!

I absolutely loved this story! It is not like any other reaper books that I have read! Jade is awesome! I am still trying to figure out what her powers mean and what exactly she is. And Cole, I am.still trying to figure him out! I can't wait to read the next book and hopefully get my questions answered.. Definitely a must read!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn’t your average reaper book. Jade has been a reaper for a year now, helping people cross over. But she can’t help but break the rules. This gets her into a rough spot and she’s forced to work with Cole Masters, a demon halfling, to save her friend. The supernatural world is in danger. This book is fast paced and easy to read. I really liked Jade and I’m curious to see what will happen with Cole!

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

[Bri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldnt stop reading this book. It was action packed. I just loved the characters. The life adventure of Jade. The author did an awesome job bringing the characters to life.

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

[Daisy Sauceda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this book was not what I expected. It was so much better!! So we have action, mystery, betrayal and tragedy. The story starts slow but it builds and keeps you on the edge of your seat to see what will happen. You meet Jade Blackwell who is a reaper, yeah but not your typical grim reaper. Just a spirit who helps the decease cross over. She has been doing it a while and still is having issues doing her job. Then one day something goes wrong! She meets Cole Masters and she gets a feeling that things are off. So what will happen? Is there chemistry with these two or not? Why is she seeing more demons in the real world? What is going on? Where is her boss? So many things occur that she decides to stay in the real world. She develops new powers and everyone wants to know what she was before she dies? So what is she? I also did not expect to cry while reading this. Don't second guess this book. It is worth reading!

[Nerd Girl Vixen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy hell this book is a ride from beginning to end!

Reapers and demons, oh my! I totally loved the world building the author did with this story. She created worlds within worlds and didn’t miss a beat. It made me want to visit! I love how mythology and other tales were woven into the story. The characters were fun and unique. Yes, even the bad ones. If you follow my reviews, you know I love me some villains. Jade is pretty awesome! I love her personality and she totally kicks major butt. It’s been awhile since I’ve loved a female lead. Thank you Miss Brooks! This is a new to me author and I am now a huge fan!

This book is a fun and thrilling read. It will have you smiling, crying, laughing, and wanting more! I can’t wait to read more. I give this 5 stars!

**Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng**

[Miki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good styory.I enjoyed Jade she is courageous even more not knowing her past or the exact situation she still do her best to help and protect her friends. she sure does not like to take orders^^;; I loved Simon as well ...he is trying to help when he can respecting her reticences...i would love to learn more about him.
Cole...i admired his persistence but i'm not sure i trust him.

There was a lot of action, a touch of romance some humour ( Marla and whiatt are too good)
lot of different paranormal and lot of question still left to be answered....so it's a series i really want to continue to discover more about the universe and Jade the strange emotionnal reaper.

if you like urban fantasy with action humour romance and angels and demons this is ne you can definitively try!

[Cara Devlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous world-building, a kickass main character (seriously loved Jade and how she was both tough and vulnerable), a mysterious love interest, and a plot that didn't slow down once. Loved this one!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death Wish Reaper Reborn Book 1 by Harper A Brooks is an incredibly lively adventure about a sometimes dead girl, the Angel of Death, a medium and a half-demon fighting his demon half for all he’s worth. Or is he?

Jade Blackwell has been dead about a year. She has no memory of her life before; not even enough to know if Jade Blackwell was her name. They wiped her memory when she died and was detoured from the normal route a soul takes to the after-life, to The Styx Corporation. Yes, that Styx.

Jade is a reaper. Her job is to ferry souls into the after-life. But she really doesn’t like her job, and this tends to get her in trouble. Everything changes when she’s sent to reap half-demon Cole Masters.

Suddenly the veil between worlds is weakened, days before the solstice, 1 of only 2 days a year the veil should lift enough for beings to cross.

When her only friend, the medium Kay, is attacked by a demon in boyfriends body, and her boss, Azrael, the Angel of Death, disappears, things really go sideways.

Harper Brooks has built a world, and characters, that suck you right in and holds you tight for the twisting roller-coaster ride of your life. This book is not easily put down, and I’m champing at the bit for the next installment in a series that can easily be compared to the greats of Urban Fantasy Literature.

5 full stars, well earned.

[Katy Halsema · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a lot of books with supernatural creatures: vampires, shifters, Angel's, demons, wolves. This book features one I havent seen in many books, a reaper.

Jade is a reaper of paranormal or supernatural beings. She tends to get herself in a lot of trouble without even trying all that much. Trouble just seems to find her.

Cole is a half demon that Jade is supposed to reap his soul but things are amiss and chaos ensues. The chaos will throw them further I to chaos and put the world at risk.

Jade is a believable character with her attitude and thoughts and the way she acts. Cole is believable as a man. Haha. Their attitudes differ and want different things initially but their end game ends up being the same in the end.

The bad guy wasn't someone I suspected. But after finding out who it was, it started to make sense and was a smack yourself for being a idiot moment.

I absolutely loved reading this book. When I started it, I didnt want to put the book down. It took me a couple of sessions to get it read, reluctantly putting it down.

The authors style of writing pulls you in and keeps you captivated. I will definitely be getting other books by this author.

[Natalie Noblett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great first book in Harper A Brooks series 'Reaper Reborn'. Death wish is written in the first person, which is how my favourite books are written because it makes you connect with the MC and feel part of their life and see everything from their point of view.
I really enjoyed the story and the mystery about who and what Jade really is. This still isn't revealed in this book so I really need and want to continue with this series.
Jade is a reaper. She died and in the afterlife was given the job of sending souls to the afterlife when they die. She isn't very good at it as she is too emotional and thinks too much about the person she is reaping and their life. When given a job to reap a man called Cole by her boss, the angelic death Azreal, she suspects something is off. When she arrives in the alley where Cole is suppose to be in deaths door, he jumps up and shoots Jade in the shoulder, clearly not fatally wounded as Jade was told.
And so the mystery begins and the strangeness from the afterlife continues!
A great book which I enjoyed and can't wait to get hold of the rest of the series.
Thank you Harper. A Brooks for providing me a copy to review.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death Wish (Reaper Reborn 1) is the first book by Harper A. Brooks that I have read. I am so glad that I did. She is an exceptional author (a brilliant storyteller). She has created a unique storyline with really really well-developed characters. I loved Jade Blackwell, MC, who is so real. She is tough and sassy. Jade is a reaper without a past who is responsible to help paranormal being cross over. She is learning her job and as hard as she tries, she screws up a great deal of the time. She is trying to do better, but meeting Cole Masters puts a monkey wrench in her efforts. There is plenty of action and twists/turns that you will not see coming. This is a page turner from beginning to end that you do not want to stop reading. I highly recommend this book. I suggest you pick it up and I know you will not be sorry you did. I am anxiously looking forward to the next book to see what Harper has in store for us. Received an ARC and this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Evelyn Dotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jade is a reaper, albeit one who has trouble performing her job. She is regularly summoned by the Angel of Death for her misfortunes. But now, her trainer’s existence is on the line if she screws up one more time. She ventures to a new job, only to discover Cole is not what he seems. The Angel of Death disappears along with the company she regularly reported too. Also, more demons are coming to earth’s realm. She has gained weird powers, can be visible at times to others, and has not one clue as to what is transpiring! Join Jade, Cole and a slew of others who team up to fight demons to save humans and others. There are many plots and twists and turns in this action packed fast paced read! The book is filled with snarkiness, some humor, and will leave you rooted to the chair until you read the last page. The book does not end in a cliffhanger but I am sure there will be more adventures in store for Jade. I received this book for free and am leaving a voluntary review.

[J Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deadly touch!
.
Harper A. Brook has created a fast-paced novel about the supernatural universe above and below the “normal” world. Jade Blackwell is a soul “reaper” for the Styx company. Her job is to release souls from the dying, in other words, kill them and set them on the path to the afterlife but it isn’t a job that she enjoys despite being assured by her mentor that it will get easier eventually.

When a routine reaping assignment goes awry Jade finds herself involved with a half-demon, Cole, and when her one human friend is threatened Jade teams up with him to save her.

I really enjoyed this book. I like the intrigue, battles, and non-stop action. The characters have depth and the story has good plot twists. The author creates an imaginative world with demons, angels, witches, and sorcerers. I received an advance copy but my review is honest and voluntary. This is a great series starter!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jade needs a new job. She doesn’t particularly like her job and she has a lot of trouble following the rules. When her latest job goes sideways, her boss is enraged. The next assignment is her last chance. He personally gives her a mission and she’s off.

But the job is Cole and the circumstances are different than she expected and she suddenly finds herself teamed up with Cole to find out what’s going on and how to stop it.

This is a page turning action adventure involving good and evil, angels and demons and a ton of surprises along the way. I liked Jade. She's just sarcastic enough to be fun but she’s very self aware. Cole has his own problems but together the heat will knock you down. With every new chapter you get another twist and meeting some of the secondary characters adds to the surprise.

This is not a fast and easy read. There is a lot going on and the surprises keep coming. Great characters and a unique storyline. You’ll cheer Jade on and watch with amazement as she deals with one thing and then another. (I voluntarily reviewed an ARC).

[Fleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read, I loved how Jade has no idea of her past and even though she shouldn't care she wants to know more. While wanting to know about her past she also has to deal with how bad she is as a Reaper and now after yet another stuff up she has one chance to do it right or Simon her mentor will be Released and that ain't a good thing for a Reaper. Things pretty much go down hill from there for Jade and she is faced with demons, halflings, crazy white light, being alive then dead again, trying to save a friend, falling in lust for a guy and oh yeah getting some vague clues about her re death self! I am very ready for the next book in the series as I know how so many questions of my own as well as need to see if we will still see some of the people from this book in the next one!!!

[Douglas Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our heroine is reaper, tasked with helping souls cross over. But when the job goes wrong, it does so in a spectacular fashion leaving her with much bigger issues to deal with.

This is an urban fantasy story with reapers as the focus. The story is very well written and easy to read, with a well detailed world that seems very vivid in my mind's eye. The characters are also well developed with solid and distinct personalities that bring them to life (as it were). The plot is fairly complex and involves mysteries, intrigue and lots of twists and turns which keep you guessing and turning the page to see what comes next. Overall, a highly enjoyable story and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes.

[Darcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a spectacular story. It is extremely well written and the characters are stunningly beautifully developed. It really is a breathtakingly good story. It does start, to me anyway, a bit slow. But, quickly picks up a few chapters into it. Once the story picks up there is a ton of action, suspense, drama, and there is a mystery included in it. Well actually, there are a couple of mysteries in it. As you are reading you are drawn into the characters and their lives. You feel like you are living along side them or you become them. You feel their pain and happiness. The emotions run deep at times and you feel that as if your own. The descriptions are vivid to allow you to easily picture what is going on in the scenes. Yes, it does end in a cliffhanger but the ride getting there is so much fun. This is a fantastic must read!

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the first book I have read by this author, and I will definitely read more as I haven’t been as excited by a book as I was with this one for a while. It didn’t take long before I was drawn into the book for many reasons including Jade, the main character, who is very interesting: stubborn, fun, and full of life…for a reaper! The plot is unique and full of action, and the book is very well written. I really think you need to give this one a try if you like urban fantasy; I am keeping my eye on this author, for many reasons, not the least of which I really, really, really want to see what happens next…I want to find out more about Jade! I do highly recommend this book and was provided the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.

[Maria Reynoso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of Death Wish from Ms. Brooks, and this is my honest review. I have to say that I did now know what to expect. I have never read anything from Ms. Brooks, and I love finding new authors. Death Wish is extremely well-written. Jade is a reaper who helps non-humans pass in the afterlife. When her last assignment goes awry, Jade and her new friends must work together to fight the demons trying to enter and rule Earth as well as try and find a cure to absolve Cole's demon half from him. Death Wish is full of wit, sarcasm, and danger. The characters are well-developed, and the story kept me reading past my bedtime. Thank you Ms. Brooks for introducing me to a new series. I can not wait to find out what happens next.

[Stella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harper A. Brooks has delivered a fantastic story in what looks to be a promising new series featuring a vivid, interesting, snarky and stubborn main character in Jade Blackwell, whose job as a reaper is to help paranormals cross over. Then there is Cole Masters, hot and sexy, and full of secrets that have to be discovered.
The book is very well written with a unique plot and storyline. It has Grim Reapers, Angels, Demons, Witches and so much more.
Fun and easy to read, it is action packed, exciting, has lots of drama and unpredictable twists that the reader's interest is caught from the very beginning.
The story is intricately woven in a way that the reader cannot predict what happens next or how it will happen.
Recommended.
Gifted with a copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

[Nickole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rcvd an advanced reader copy from the author for giving my two cents. We meet Jade, reaper of supernatural souls, who doesn't remember who she was before she died and has a medium on earth who is her only friend. As far as reaping goes, she doesn't like seeing people die...her emotions and heart are too big for it. Her boss Azreal, the Angel of Death has given her a new assignment and upon arrival Jade finds her assignment, a demon, is not on deaths Door and he can see her. Things are afoot on earth and her friend Kat is being terrorized by a demon possessing her bf. On top of that Jade is becoming human again and with the help of the half demon Cole, she will do whatever it takes to help Kat and hopefully find out the truth of who and what she is.

[Heather Bane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Death Wish. I loved Jade!! She wasn’t like your average female characters. She’s tough, not calf centered and far from whiny like most other female book characters. Cole I had mixed emotions about. Sometimes I liked him a and others I irritated with him. But what do you expect from a half demon. But the book was very well written and keep me hooked the entire time. There was plenty going on throughout the book. I even found myself getting emotional. I had a hard time putting my kindle down over the 2 days I read the book. I highly suggest reading Death Wish!!!! (I received this free as an ARC copy and am leaving a voluntary honest review)

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series and I must admit, it took me a bit to get into it. But once that happened, wow! The author really took me on a thrilling ride.

The main character is strong and surrounded by mystery. In this book, part of the mysteries around her get disclosed, but can't wait to read more. Loved the demons and ghosts. This is not a hot read, though some scenes naturally happen. Wish she would do a bit more with Sean, but think, or hope he will be more active in the next book.

Really enjoyed the strong, clean romance, which makes it a refreshing read and can recommend it to all you demon lovers out there.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book. I didn’t know what to expect from this new to me author. But her story blew my mind. Exciting, addictive and action packed.
Jade is brought into her new life as a reaper with not much to go on. Learning as she goes, her latest assignment tests everything she’s learnt in the past year.
This story follows Jade and her friends, both supernatural and human as they fight the demons from hell. There is some romance and hot scenes that totally spice up this novel.
I really enjoyed it. Hoping to read more from these characters and the author.
5/5

[Sissy Satterfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a new and gripping read for me. The world building was amazing, it is original and I found this very hard to put down. The relationships between Jade & Kay, Jade & Cole, and the rest of the entertaining characters is great. The most important thing for me was I Love It! I am anxiously waiting for the next book. I received an ARC and feel very lucky that I did. I am leaving this Honest review because I choose too. I highly recommend this book. Happy Reading!