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pandwen's review
4.0
This review is also available on my blog
this is one of those books that i must admit confused me in the beginning until i realised how all the characters fit together and then it was amazing. when i asked for this book to review i did it with no knowledge of what it was about only that it was by the wonderful Kate Evangelista and i must say i am glad i did not read the blurb because on reading it after the book i was disappointed in how much is given away. that being said the book was wonderful, while paranormal romances may be a huge trend reapers are not common and this gave the book such an original set of possibilities. I love Arianne’s strength which is also fairly unusual when a mere mortal is placed alongside the paranormal love interest. while Niko was just that little bit too perfect for me he still made an interesting romantic lead with his job being enough to separate him from other male leads. one of my favourite touches was the split POV throughout the stories, not just between the romantic leads as is becoming so common, but also through the eyes of death himself. and with that ending i am not ashamed to admit i am itching for the sequel.
this is one of those books that i must admit confused me in the beginning until i realised how all the characters fit together and then it was amazing. when i asked for this book to review i did it with no knowledge of what it was about only that it was by the wonderful Kate Evangelista and i must say i am glad i did not read the blurb because on reading it after the book i was disappointed in how much is given away. that being said the book was wonderful, while paranormal romances may be a huge trend reapers are not common and this gave the book such an original set of possibilities. I love Arianne’s strength which is also fairly unusual when a mere mortal is placed alongside the paranormal love interest. while Niko was just that little bit too perfect for me he still made an interesting romantic lead with his job being enough to separate him from other male leads. one of my favourite touches was the split POV throughout the stories, not just between the romantic leads as is becoming so common, but also through the eyes of death himself. and with that ending i am not ashamed to admit i am itching for the sequel.
jessicahood92's review
4.0
I loved this book!
I'm a huge fan of Kate Evangelista's work! It doesn't matter which genre the book is, I always enjoy her writing.
The book focuses on the love story between Arianne, a some what normal girl apart from the fact she can see the souls of the dead and suffers horrendous bullying thanks to Darla, and Niko, a reaper who hasn't seen the point in his many lives until he meets Ari, and realises there might be a reason to stop himself from the fade.
Niko is adorable. I'd love to get myself one of him!
I loved the idea that Death was so beautiful that you he would not let his children see his face. The Reapers were a lovely creation, the idea that they had regular meetings and ranks based on the amount of people who had died in their location was some what amusing, even though I'm sure it wasn't meant to be! Death was my favourite character, actually! He just seemed so, charming?!
The story follows the usual pattern of boy meets girl, fluffy feelings and then a terrible event tears them apart but as with all Kate's work, the pages are sprinkled with a unique world that creates interesting side stories and characters that keep you turning the pages all night.
I loved the book! I finished the book in one day without feeling like I had to try to read it. Which is rare for me. I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys paranormal romances, and romance novels in general.
I can not wait to get my hands on the second book!
I'm a huge fan of Kate Evangelista's work! It doesn't matter which genre the book is, I always enjoy her writing.
The book focuses on the love story between Arianne, a some what normal girl apart from the fact she can see the souls of the dead and suffers horrendous bullying thanks to Darla, and Niko, a reaper who hasn't seen the point in his many lives until he meets Ari, and realises there might be a reason to stop himself from the fade.
Niko is adorable. I'd love to get myself one of him!
I loved the idea that Death was so beautiful that you he would not let his children see his face. The Reapers were a lovely creation, the idea that they had regular meetings and ranks based on the amount of people who had died in their location was some what amusing, even though I'm sure it wasn't meant to be! Death was my favourite character, actually! He just seemed so, charming?!
The story follows the usual pattern of boy meets girl, fluffy feelings and then a terrible event tears them apart but as with all Kate's work, the pages are sprinkled with a unique world that creates interesting side stories and characters that keep you turning the pages all night.
I loved the book! I finished the book in one day without feeling like I had to try to read it. Which is rare for me. I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys paranormal romances, and romance novels in general.
I can not wait to get my hands on the second book!
bookswritingandmore's review
5.0
Reading a book so different in story line from anything you've ever gotten your hands on before is such a sweet treat. It is like opening a present and finding exactly what you want inside. Okay maybe a bit cliche, but if I am speaking honestly, there are so many books out today and we have so many choices, that when you can find one that is well written, well presented, and totally different from anything you've read before, it is fantastic.
Arianne Wilson can see dead people because of a near death experience she had last year. She also happens to be crushing hard for a boy named Niko Clark that is in her chemistry class. She doesn't realize that Niko is a Reaper that takes people's souls when it is their time to die. She doesn't realize that Niko is totally obsessed with his calling and the work he does, that's until he meets Arianne Wilson.
The voices of each character is told from the third person which for this story is wonderful because it lets the reader understand all the characters involved. You get to get inside the head of "Death" Niko's Master, his mentor who trained him, and both Arianne and Nicholas as well. This was a great idea made by the author. Since the concept was so new and fresh, reading all points of view of each character in different scenes really spiced up the dialogue. Such a creatively crafted story by Kate Evangelista.
I am literally mesmerized by the story of Arianne and Niko . It was not a typical love story, but a non-stop action pact and emotionally charged ride of love,death, and friendship. The way the author was able to speak as if you were actually talking to "Death" made the story so read for me. The idea that there are actually humans that are walking around and reaping people's souls, could be construed as far-fetched. However, the author was an absolute expert at convincing you.
If you enjoy reading paranormal romance, this is a book you need to read!
Arianne Wilson can see dead people because of a near death experience she had last year. She also happens to be crushing hard for a boy named Niko Clark that is in her chemistry class. She doesn't realize that Niko is a Reaper that takes people's souls when it is their time to die. She doesn't realize that Niko is totally obsessed with his calling and the work he does, that's until he meets Arianne Wilson.
The voices of each character is told from the third person which for this story is wonderful because it lets the reader understand all the characters involved. You get to get inside the head of "Death" Niko's Master, his mentor who trained him, and both Arianne and Nicholas as well. This was a great idea made by the author. Since the concept was so new and fresh, reading all points of view of each character in different scenes really spiced up the dialogue. Such a creatively crafted story by Kate Evangelista.
I am literally mesmerized by the story of Arianne and Niko . It was not a typical love story, but a non-stop action pact and emotionally charged ride of love,death, and friendship. The way the author was able to speak as if you were actually talking to "Death" made the story so read for me. The idea that there are actually humans that are walking around and reaping people's souls, could be construed as far-fetched. However, the author was an absolute expert at convincing you.
If you enjoy reading paranormal romance, this is a book you need to read!
colorfulleo92's review
2.0
I might have enjoyed the book more if I had read it in 2012 when it was published but as for now it didn't work for me. It wasn't terrible but I didn't particularly like the characters or the plot. Was somewhat cringe in moments.
weweresotired's review
1.0
See the full review at Short & Sweet Reviews.
There were several times while reading this book that I just flat out put it down and walked away from it, determined to add it to the DNF pile. For some reason, I kept going back to it, mostly because I just hate not knowing how things end. Well, now I do and I still am pretty unsatisfied.
I felt like the writing was stilted sometimes, and the dialogue often suffered from "but people don't really TALK like that" syndrome. There's also some insta-love, although it's on Niko's part -- Ari's crushed on him for years, but he never noticed her until now... and now, of course, he's madly in love with her. The tone of the story switched from being light-hearted when Ari is the focus, to being incredibly dark whenever it focuses on Niko, the Reapers, and Death. I would have gladly read a whole book that focused on Death and his Reapers and the whole society and traditions they have there; unfortunately, they were just a small sliver of this book.
But the biggest thing that almost had me walk away from the book is when an LGBT character was forcibly outed by another character. I don't want to say too much about the situation because it's a spoiler, but, look, I don't care what a person has or hasn't done, there is pretty much no reason in my mind to force someone to come out when they're not ready for it. It happens in real life, of course, but that doesn't mean that it's okay. Yes, this person is a bully, but that sort of retaliation still isn't cool. The outed character is written as someone who "deserved it" and no one really seems concerned with the consequences for that person being outed against their will. This is a plot point that I just was not okay with.
There were several times while reading this book that I just flat out put it down and walked away from it, determined to add it to the DNF pile. For some reason, I kept going back to it, mostly because I just hate not knowing how things end. Well, now I do and I still am pretty unsatisfied.
I felt like the writing was stilted sometimes, and the dialogue often suffered from "but people don't really TALK like that" syndrome. There's also some insta-love, although it's on Niko's part -- Ari's crushed on him for years, but he never noticed her until now... and now, of course, he's madly in love with her. The tone of the story switched from being light-hearted when Ari is the focus, to being incredibly dark whenever it focuses on Niko, the Reapers, and Death. I would have gladly read a whole book that focused on Death and his Reapers and the whole society and traditions they have there; unfortunately, they were just a small sliver of this book.
But the biggest thing that almost had me walk away from the book is when an LGBT character was forcibly outed by another character. I don't want to say too much about the situation because it's a spoiler, but, look, I don't care what a person has or hasn't done, there is pretty much no reason in my mind to force someone to come out when they're not ready for it. It happens in real life, of course, but that doesn't mean that it's okay. Yes, this person is a bully, but that sort of retaliation still isn't cool. The outed character is written as someone who "deserved it" and no one really seems concerned with the consequences for that person being outed against their will. This is a plot point that I just was not okay with.
tartbarbie's review
5.0
Ari isn't your typical high school who's worried about prom and being the popular girl, she's a real girl with real problems. She has a best friend Ben who listens to everything she confesses to him even when it's about her long time crush Niko who doesn't know she exists. Ben happens to be in love with Ari's younger sister that is currently in the hospital because she's ill. A few years ago Ari had a kidney transplant for her sister Carrie, during the operation she thinks she died and came back because a few months later she started seeing dead people.
As if fate would have it Ari's lab partner in Chem is sent to the office pairing her up with her crush Niko for the experiment. She instantly turns into the shy girl who fumbles over herself; she ends up dripping a few drops of hydro-chloric acid on her skin. Niko jumps to the rescue even before she can register the pain he's already doing what needs to be done to make the pain go away. It isn't till he lets slip that he thinks she's exquisite that she starts to relax around him, however in the back of her mind looms that he's friends with Darla, the girl who's been bullying her for years. Ari is very perceptive and picks up right away that there is more to Niko then she first thought especially when she figures out he’s not human but that doesn’t bother her.
I received Reaping Me Softly as part of the Reaping Me Softly tour being hosted by AToMR Tours in return for a honest review. Kate Evangelista does it again with another amazing book. This is only the second reaper book I've ever read and I thought the one before this was awesome but Reaping Me Softly blew it out of the water. I was sucked in right from the start and didn't put it down several hours later when I finished the last page. Reaping Me Softly flows smoothly, it's a sweet love story between two different people who couldn't be more right for each other. I loved Ari as a character she's so easy to connect with and she's a perfect match for Niko as he is for her. They have such a beautiful romance, filled with love, trust, and even willing to go to the extreme of risking one’s life for the other. We get a unique insight into the reaper world, a little more story about Death and the reapers who work for him. He doesn't come off as I would had expected, it's more like a job and the reapers do what they have to do, and he cares about them as if they were his own children. I loved this book the cover is beautiful as is the story. I want more and I want it now.
As if fate would have it Ari's lab partner in Chem is sent to the office pairing her up with her crush Niko for the experiment. She instantly turns into the shy girl who fumbles over herself; she ends up dripping a few drops of hydro-chloric acid on her skin. Niko jumps to the rescue even before she can register the pain he's already doing what needs to be done to make the pain go away. It isn't till he lets slip that he thinks she's exquisite that she starts to relax around him, however in the back of her mind looms that he's friends with Darla, the girl who's been bullying her for years. Ari is very perceptive and picks up right away that there is more to Niko then she first thought especially when she figures out he’s not human but that doesn’t bother her.
I received Reaping Me Softly as part of the Reaping Me Softly tour being hosted by AToMR Tours in return for a honest review. Kate Evangelista does it again with another amazing book. This is only the second reaper book I've ever read and I thought the one before this was awesome but Reaping Me Softly blew it out of the water. I was sucked in right from the start and didn't put it down several hours later when I finished the last page. Reaping Me Softly flows smoothly, it's a sweet love story between two different people who couldn't be more right for each other. I loved Ari as a character she's so easy to connect with and she's a perfect match for Niko as he is for her. They have such a beautiful romance, filled with love, trust, and even willing to go to the extreme of risking one’s life for the other. We get a unique insight into the reaper world, a little more story about Death and the reapers who work for him. He doesn't come off as I would had expected, it's more like a job and the reapers do what they have to do, and he cares about them as if they were his own children. I loved this book the cover is beautiful as is the story. I want more and I want it now.
bookish_satty's review
4.0
I got this book from the author, free of cost, in exchange of an honest review from my side.
Firstly I would like to thank Kate Evangelista, author of Reaping Me Softly, for giving me this opportunity of reading and reviewing this fabulous book.
Ah! What a great pleasure. I loved this book and the cute and sweet essence of it. The concept of this book is awesome and refreshing and the blurb totally sucked me in and I signed up for reviewing this book. Thanks to my better judgement that I picked up this book and let me tell you that this book didn't disappoint me at all.
The idea of a romantic relationship between a reaper and a human is totally unique and it will pick up the interest of the readers as well for sure. Here the author thankfully didn't make the hero who is a reaper, a boogieman rather he is just like any other ordinary teenage boy who has family, friends and lives among humans!
The writing of the author is really remarkable and it made the romance a pleasurable read and added different colors to the plot and the characters as well. Her use of simple yet skilled words is a clever tactic of grabbing the interest of readers of all ages.
Ari is great, she has a kind heart and she sees souls of death people, well I find that interesting rather than spooky and we have her romantic interest Niko who is a reaper and is to-die-for handsome with boyish charm and cute features, yum...
I just had one complaint and I had to cut a star there. The complaint is that the story is awesome and is executed very well with developed characters and strong side characters who supported the story well, the plot is well planned out and the characters fit in it perfectly but overall this story is just a romance story and the author emphasized more on the romance part and the other essential elements got somewhat ignored like action, adventure, mystery all these vital points are somewhat missing which dimmed the excellence of this story a little. Have the author added these important elements in the story then the story would have got spiced up leading the awesomeness a notch higher.
All in all a gripping read and it will obviously bring a small smile on your face when you'll experience the cute and sweet romantic moments between the main characters.
Firstly I would like to thank Kate Evangelista, author of Reaping Me Softly, for giving me this opportunity of reading and reviewing this fabulous book.
Ah! What a great pleasure. I loved this book and the cute and sweet essence of it. The concept of this book is awesome and refreshing and the blurb totally sucked me in and I signed up for reviewing this book. Thanks to my better judgement that I picked up this book and let me tell you that this book didn't disappoint me at all.
The idea of a romantic relationship between a reaper and a human is totally unique and it will pick up the interest of the readers as well for sure. Here the author thankfully didn't make the hero who is a reaper, a boogieman rather he is just like any other ordinary teenage boy who has family, friends and lives among humans!
The writing of the author is really remarkable and it made the romance a pleasurable read and added different colors to the plot and the characters as well. Her use of simple yet skilled words is a clever tactic of grabbing the interest of readers of all ages.
Ari is great, she has a kind heart and she sees souls of death people, well I find that interesting rather than spooky and we have her romantic interest Niko who is a reaper and is to-die-for handsome with boyish charm and cute features, yum...
I just had one complaint and I had to cut a star there. The complaint is that the story is awesome and is executed very well with developed characters and strong side characters who supported the story well, the plot is well planned out and the characters fit in it perfectly but overall this story is just a romance story and the author emphasized more on the romance part and the other essential elements got somewhat ignored like action, adventure, mystery all these vital points are somewhat missing which dimmed the excellence of this story a little. Have the author added these important elements in the story then the story would have got spiced up leading the awesomeness a notch higher.
All in all a gripping read and it will obviously bring a small smile on your face when you'll experience the cute and sweet romantic moments between the main characters.
kirstieish's review
4.0
I haven’t read any books about Reapers in a long time. This was refreshing to read because I have always enjoyed books about lonely guys forced to live in the real world as time goes by.
When Ari finally met Niko after liking him for years, it was quite cute in Niko’s POV. He was proper and realized his attraction to Ari right away. The book is quite short so you notice that they fall for each other quite quick but it is cute. I feel so much heart ache for Ari near the end because well she looses people she really cares about. Then she looses a little bit of herself but love takes sacrifice. I am so happy this is a series because I can't wait to read the second one! Would recommend.
When Ari finally met Niko after liking him for years, it was quite cute in Niko’s POV. He was proper and realized his attraction to Ari right away. The book is quite short so you notice that they fall for each other quite quick but it is cute. I feel so much heart ache for Ari near the end because well she looses people she really cares about. Then she looses a little bit of herself but love takes sacrifice. I am so happy this is a series because I can't wait to read the second one! Would recommend.
kae_reads's review
4.0
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I'm going to make this as spoiler-free as possible, so here we go! I was pleasantly surprised by Reaping Me Softly. I had high expectations going into reading the book, because the summary sounded so cool, and I was not disappointed. I loved everything about the fantasy/mythology-ish part of the story. The whole concept of Reapers and Death personified was really fascinating and well thought-out. I was very impressed by that. I also loved the little storylines here and there that contributed to the main storyline, like Carrie's sickness, Tomas and Niko's bond, and the conflict with Darla. There were a bunch of little plot twists that made the story 10x better.
The only reason I am rating it 4 stars instead of 5 is the descriptions. I personally love when a book gets a little descriptive, but I felt like it got a little over-the-top and redundant at points. Yes, description is good, but there were times where I didn't think it was entirely necessary or it got a little too much about small things. Also, I felt like some of the same descriptions were used over again. That's just me being picky though.
All in all, I was impressed by this book and would recommend it to those looking for a romance story with some twists. It might not be right for everyone, but those who love fantasy and romance are in for a good read!
I'm going to make this as spoiler-free as possible, so here we go! I was pleasantly surprised by Reaping Me Softly. I had high expectations going into reading the book, because the summary sounded so cool, and I was not disappointed. I loved everything about the fantasy/mythology-ish part of the story. The whole concept of Reapers and Death personified was really fascinating and well thought-out. I was very impressed by that. I also loved the little storylines here and there that contributed to the main storyline, like Carrie's sickness, Tomas and Niko's bond, and the conflict with Darla. There were a bunch of little plot twists that made the story 10x better.
The only reason I am rating it 4 stars instead of 5 is the descriptions. I personally love when a book gets a little descriptive, but I felt like it got a little over-the-top and redundant at points. Yes, description is good, but there were times where I didn't think it was entirely necessary or it got a little too much about small things. Also, I felt like some of the same descriptions were used over again. That's just me being picky though.
All in all, I was impressed by this book and would recommend it to those looking for a romance story with some twists. It might not be right for everyone, but those who love fantasy and romance are in for a good read!