BOOK REVIEW (17): Reap and Repent (Reapers #1)

BOOK REVIEW:

Reap and Repent

I’m doing this review out of order as this book is the first on in the box set from Harlequin’s Digital First line of UF/PNR stories. So this review happened before Misty Simon’s Wicked Ink, but I’m now reviewing it late. (Don’t ask why.) Huzzah.

This one is real good, guys! (Though I might be biased… You see I’ve been following Lisa Medley’s writing journey with this book as detailed on her blog and I kinda admire her as an aspiring writer). Lisa Medley’s debut, Reap and Repent, is a treat even for the non-experienced UF reader. The first in her Reaper series follows heroine Ruth who needs to train her fondling reaper powers with the aid of our sexy hero, Deacon, a really strong Reaper himself, Deacon isn’t 100% willing to take Ruth on because he has his own baggage. But he does help eventually, like all good heroes.

Set in the fictional city of Meridian (props to Ms. Medley for the clever title) Reap and Repent offers a plethora of action, sexual tension, magic and, as of right now, the grimiest visuals of wounds. Seriously! There were so many times I put my phone down to keep steady my head because I was getting queasy. So fair warning of advance, ye fellow weaklings and wimps…

Besides the blood I would have liked to see more of the bad guy downstairs, in this case an actual prince of hell who turns out to be a very passive antagonistic force in this book. But this is a series (a trilogy at the moment), so I expect this bad guy will actually get his hands dirty in the other 2 books.

The majority of the upside runs like this:

1)      The relationship between Ruth and Deacon is sexy and realistic given the story’s environment and context. So they were pawing each other very early and there wasn’t much chemistry between Deacon, Ruth and I—but they grew on me.

2)    The world building is Brill! I wasn’t sold on the aura thing (I’ve seen it before), but I loved how the Reapers world, and the possibilities for anyone who wants to write fanfiction is abundant. Listen up UF/fantasy writers, the best stories offer endless scenarios of building on canon world maps).

And 3) there’s an irredeemable best friend and a male witch. Both steal the spotlight several times and are, thankfully, the heroes of Books 2 and 3 respectively. (Squee. –inner fan girl dies-)

My verdict:

✮✮✮✮.5

(4.5 stars)