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Revenants in Purgatory #1
Prayer for the Dead
The story about a girl who lived, died, and met a guy…in that order.
Is it possible to find true love while condemned to purgatory until the end of days? Olivia Brennan isn't looking to find out. Her afterlife is nothing special — her days spent working for a division of Purgatory and Associates, her nights usually occupied with reruns or a good book.
Everything changes when her best friend coaxes her into a girls' night out one fateful evening. The handsome stranger eyeing her from across the club seems too good to be true. Drake proves to be witty, charming, and considerate to a fault, despite the all-too-familiar sadness that lurks behind his eyes. It seems Fate has finally brought Olivia a kindred spirit, someone she can truly relate to.
But can she move past her own dark regrets from the life she left behind? Or will falling for him demand the ultimate sacrifice—her soul?
Is it possible to find true love while condemned to purgatory until the end of days? Olivia Brennan isn't looking to find out. Her afterlife is nothing special — her days spent working for a division of Purgatory and Associates, her nights usually occupied with reruns or a good book.
Everything changes when her best friend coaxes her into a girls' night out one fateful evening. The handsome stranger eyeing her from across the club seems too good to be true. Drake proves to be witty, charming, and considerate to a fault, despite the all-too-familiar sadness that lurks behind his eyes. It seems Fate has finally brought Olivia a kindred spirit, someone she can truly relate to.
But can she move past her own dark regrets from the life she left behind? Or will falling for him demand the ultimate sacrifice—her soul?
242 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2013
About the author
Nicki Scalise
8 books75 followersNicki Scalise lives in the foothills of northern Colorado with her husband, four dogs, and a chinchilla. With so many furry, tail-wagging monsters running wild, the house is generally in varied states of chaos. If ever they give her a break, she spends her free time imagining new worlds, watching Firefly for the millionth time, or counting down the days until the next Comic Con.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
October 27, 2013
The only thing I am going to say right now is OMG and no fucking way to the ending . I just cant stop thinking about it, it may take me days to recover!!!
Prayer for the dead by: Nicki Scalise 5 stars
I have totally just now finished the book, like just now, and I thought I would write about my frustrations let’s see if that is a good idea shall we. I absofuckinglutly loved this book like it was in my hand until the bitter end. YES THE BITTER END!!! I almost do not want to give it 5 stars because of the ending it PISSED me off so bad. I was like no this really isn’t happening no, no, no this really cannot be happening. But then it did. Any way enough about my rant about the ending (the love story part). This book was really good I have never read a book about purgatory, yes that’s what the book is about, but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has love romance, a major bitch, and of course the leading males and females.
Prayer for the dead by: Nicki Scalise 5 stars
I have totally just now finished the book, like just now, and I thought I would write about my frustrations let’s see if that is a good idea shall we. I absofuckinglutly loved this book like it was in my hand until the bitter end. YES THE BITTER END!!! I almost do not want to give it 5 stars because of the ending it PISSED me off so bad. I was like no this really isn’t happening no, no, no this really cannot be happening. But then it did. Any way enough about my rant about the ending (the love story part). This book was really good I have never read a book about purgatory, yes that’s what the book is about, but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has love romance, a major bitch, and of course the leading males and females.
October 14, 2013
First book, in a long line this year, to keep me up all night. Ms. Scalise has her work cut out for her for book two - expectations are high in this corner. Prayer for the Dead pulled me into a whole new world (Disney orchestra backing and all) not often visited in recent literature. While the world at large is focused on vamps and zombies PftD opens our sleep encrusted eyes to the drama of the underworld. Purgatory to be exact. Well, that and more.
The 'love' story vein that wound itself through the tale kept my interest, but didn't turn my frozen black heart soft with it's gooeyness, for which I was thankful. Love/hate relationships with the characters jacked with my emotions, dragging me into their messy decisions and load of malarkey - I loved every minute of it.
All in all, I am quite pleased with this new author and will proudly shout her lovely name from the rooftops proclaiming my recommendation for this book.
The 'love' story vein that wound itself through the tale kept my interest, but didn't turn my frozen black heart soft with it's gooeyness, for which I was thankful. Love/hate relationships with the characters jacked with my emotions, dragging me into their messy decisions and load of malarkey - I loved every minute of it.
All in all, I am quite pleased with this new author and will proudly shout her lovely name from the rooftops proclaiming my recommendation for this book.
May 5, 2014
I received Prayer for the Dead from the author for an honest review, I am going to give you an honest review.
Prayer for the Dead was my favorite type of romance. I love one with with a scorned ex lover. Its amazing how much imagination that a writer can come up with on the scorned lover and how much revenge they can get back on the ex and the new lover. But this one had a twist...everyone is dead.
Olivia is still holding onto a lot of guilt from her involvement that led to the death of her brother and her own death. She is stuck in a job that she hates, and has a best friend that likes to party. Olivia would much rather go home after work, put on the sweats and watch tv, but one night Portia drags her out to the club. Usually Olivia watches all the guys pick up on Portia, but this time one picked up on her.
Drake has a lot of baggage. He has the long time girlfriend and issues from his own death. He isn't entirely honest with Olivia.
Prayer for the Dead was a pretty good book. For a first full novel from the author, I really enjoyed it. The writing was done well and the characters were well developed. I hope this turns into a series of books because I want to see what happens with Tore, Portia, Drake, Devon and Zane. There is even more to be wrote about Olivia. This one ended with a pretty good cliffhanger. So the cliffhanger means that I am going to have to stalk the Facebook page of Nicki Scalise for more of her stuff.
Prayer for the Dead was my favorite type of romance. I love one with with a scorned ex lover. Its amazing how much imagination that a writer can come up with on the scorned lover and how much revenge they can get back on the ex and the new lover. But this one had a twist...everyone is dead.
Olivia is still holding onto a lot of guilt from her involvement that led to the death of her brother and her own death. She is stuck in a job that she hates, and has a best friend that likes to party. Olivia would much rather go home after work, put on the sweats and watch tv, but one night Portia drags her out to the club. Usually Olivia watches all the guys pick up on Portia, but this time one picked up on her.
Drake has a lot of baggage. He has the long time girlfriend and issues from his own death. He isn't entirely honest with Olivia.
Prayer for the Dead was a pretty good book. For a first full novel from the author, I really enjoyed it. The writing was done well and the characters were well developed. I hope this turns into a series of books because I want to see what happens with Tore, Portia, Drake, Devon and Zane. There is even more to be wrote about Olivia. This one ended with a pretty good cliffhanger. So the cliffhanger means that I am going to have to stalk the Facebook page of Nicki Scalise for more of her stuff.
May 16, 2014
I received this book to give an honest review.
I enjoyed the story line a lot. You are thrown into the world of Purgatory but it isn't like you would think it to be. The people who are there have jobs, live pretty much like people who are alive. Now I would call this paranormal but it doesn't have the vampires, werewolves and so on. It has normal people and of course Reapers which I think is pretty damn cool.
There is a bit of romance within the story but it isn't all gooey I love you, lets have sex, okay the end. No there is more to this story than just a romance. You get a bit of back story with not only Olivia and why she is in Purgatory but also with Drake. There was a twist within the story that I did not see coming and it was like OMG NOOOOOOOOOOOOO why did you do that. But it all worked out, for sure. The ending has me wanting more I really need to get book two because I am very much intrigued with Olivia and what has happen in the story that left the ending with some questions.
This is one author you need to keep your eye on. I see more books that I will be reading by her in the future.
I enjoyed the story line a lot. You are thrown into the world of Purgatory but it isn't like you would think it to be. The people who are there have jobs, live pretty much like people who are alive. Now I would call this paranormal but it doesn't have the vampires, werewolves and so on. It has normal people and of course Reapers which I think is pretty damn cool.
There is a bit of romance within the story but it isn't all gooey I love you, lets have sex, okay the end. No there is more to this story than just a romance. You get a bit of back story with not only Olivia and why she is in Purgatory but also with Drake. There was a twist within the story that I did not see coming and it was like OMG NOOOOOOOOOOOOO why did you do that. But it all worked out, for sure. The ending has me wanting more I really need to get book two because I am very much intrigued with Olivia and what has happen in the story that left the ending with some questions.
This is one author you need to keep your eye on. I see more books that I will be reading by her in the future.
October 8, 2013
Fantastic book, you should all read it now! I couldn't put it down, it's a wonderful love story with a difference. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next one to see what comes next. I'm putting this author up there with the best of them. Well done for a first novel and thank you. :)
September 6, 2020
Prayer for the Dead by Nicki Scalise
This book starts with a really terrific premise. Olivia is in purgatory, working 'data entry' for the system. Add in some Reapers, romance, more dead friends and it's a great plot. Unfortunately it did not pull through on the execution. I found it boring and repetitive. Even the cliff ending didn't elicit an emotional response for me. Too bad, because the unique plot should have opened more possibilities. On the plus side, it was a fast read with a spattering of humor.
*I dropped a star for editing. I'm a bit strict in that I think a book should be perfect before it reaches print. Just one wrong 'your' and I'm out. My paperback copy has a different cover, though, so maybe later editions had better editing?
This book starts with a really terrific premise. Olivia is in purgatory, working 'data entry' for the system. Add in some Reapers, romance, more dead friends and it's a great plot. Unfortunately it did not pull through on the execution. I found it boring and repetitive. Even the cliff ending didn't elicit an emotional response for me. Too bad, because the unique plot should have opened more possibilities. On the plus side, it was a fast read with a spattering of humor.
*I dropped a star for editing. I'm a bit strict in that I think a book should be perfect before it reaches print. Just one wrong 'your' and I'm out. My paperback copy has a different cover, though, so maybe later editions had better editing?
November 24, 2013
HAVE YOU SAID YOUR PRAYERS?
Congratulations to Nicki Scalise for delivering a fresh and innovative paranormal romance filled with humor, suspense, love, loss and friendship. What an incredible effort for her debut novel!
Olivia Brennan, the protagonist in Prayer for the Dead, is a “Revenant”, struggling with the darkness of guilt, pain and grief resulting from her decisions and actions when she was alive. Revenants are souls who, for all intents and purposes, are dead but they walk the middle plane of existence and purgatory to the end of time. Revenants are created when a person dies and moves on from the land of the living without a proper funeral or prayers for them. Without a service or prayers there is no absolution, without absolution there is no chance for your soul to leave purgatory.
Olivia works with her brother Tore, best friend Devon and friend Portia at Purgatory and Associates. Her job is to process souls who get to move on to “Paradise” or to “Silence”. Silence is a separate state of purgatory where souls must spend eternity alone, unable to interact with anyone or anything, living or dead, and they never move on for they become lost.
It is when Olivia is dragged along to go clubbing with her friend Portia that she meets Drake. Olivia had never felt a more physical or emotional connection to anyone while she was alive or since she has been dead, but little does Olivia know that from the moment she meets Drake the rest of her existence will never be the same again!
The characters in this story are very well rounded. Each character is emotionally exposed at some point throughout the story as they reveal their own personal desires, insecurities and battles. This is a perfect set up for the reader to witness the characters interact with each other, open up, grow, mature and develop throughout this series.
I really enjoyed the portrayal of Olivia’s personality. She has such a great sense of humor, which had me laughing out loud as I followed her train of thoughts. I found her to be a strong lead character and while she is flawed and shows weaknesses in this story, I can sense her character becoming quite strong and of some importance throughout the series.
The chemistry between Olivia and her best friend Devon is off the charts! The way these two characters know and understand each other is very enjoyable to read and this could be wishful thinking but I am hoping this friendship develops throughout the series. Whether the development would be mutual or one sided is yet to be seen. I am hoping my prediction is correct as I didn’t feel the same electricity between Olivia and her other potential love interest, Drake. I felt very little chemistry between Olivia and Drake, which I think is mainly because I found his character somewhat weak. I could feel my dislike for his character grow throughout the story, especially when he identifies with his weakness but doesn’t have the strength or drive to change. I am intrigued to see how Drake develops throughout the series and maybe he will redeem himself, thus changing my opinion of his character.
In Prayer for the Dead, Scalise creates a unique story around Revenants and Reapers as well as introducing new paranormal identities such as Necromancers (witches of the dead). While simply putting in a cameo in this story, the reader is given yet another indication of the direction of this series. This direction comes with a guarantee that the next installment is going to be filled with more new and interesting paranormal identities and forms.
Prayer for the Dead was well written with great plot flow and pace that kept the reader constantly engaged. The plot twists and turns and cliffhanger ending leave the reader wanting the next book to the series immediately. I am sure the next installment is going to expose a whole new dimension to this series!
If you are looking for a fresh, new paranormal romance series to read, I highly recommend this book and in the meantime my advice to you…..don’t forget to say your prayers at night!
Congratulations to Nicki Scalise for delivering a fresh and innovative paranormal romance filled with humor, suspense, love, loss and friendship. What an incredible effort for her debut novel!
Olivia Brennan, the protagonist in Prayer for the Dead, is a “Revenant”, struggling with the darkness of guilt, pain and grief resulting from her decisions and actions when she was alive. Revenants are souls who, for all intents and purposes, are dead but they walk the middle plane of existence and purgatory to the end of time. Revenants are created when a person dies and moves on from the land of the living without a proper funeral or prayers for them. Without a service or prayers there is no absolution, without absolution there is no chance for your soul to leave purgatory.
Olivia works with her brother Tore, best friend Devon and friend Portia at Purgatory and Associates. Her job is to process souls who get to move on to “Paradise” or to “Silence”. Silence is a separate state of purgatory where souls must spend eternity alone, unable to interact with anyone or anything, living or dead, and they never move on for they become lost.
It is when Olivia is dragged along to go clubbing with her friend Portia that she meets Drake. Olivia had never felt a more physical or emotional connection to anyone while she was alive or since she has been dead, but little does Olivia know that from the moment she meets Drake the rest of her existence will never be the same again!
The characters in this story are very well rounded. Each character is emotionally exposed at some point throughout the story as they reveal their own personal desires, insecurities and battles. This is a perfect set up for the reader to witness the characters interact with each other, open up, grow, mature and develop throughout this series.
I really enjoyed the portrayal of Olivia’s personality. She has such a great sense of humor, which had me laughing out loud as I followed her train of thoughts. I found her to be a strong lead character and while she is flawed and shows weaknesses in this story, I can sense her character becoming quite strong and of some importance throughout the series.
The chemistry between Olivia and her best friend Devon is off the charts! The way these two characters know and understand each other is very enjoyable to read and this could be wishful thinking but I am hoping this friendship develops throughout the series. Whether the development would be mutual or one sided is yet to be seen. I am hoping my prediction is correct as I didn’t feel the same electricity between Olivia and her other potential love interest, Drake. I felt very little chemistry between Olivia and Drake, which I think is mainly because I found his character somewhat weak. I could feel my dislike for his character grow throughout the story, especially when he identifies with his weakness but doesn’t have the strength or drive to change. I am intrigued to see how Drake develops throughout the series and maybe he will redeem himself, thus changing my opinion of his character.
In Prayer for the Dead, Scalise creates a unique story around Revenants and Reapers as well as introducing new paranormal identities such as Necromancers (witches of the dead). While simply putting in a cameo in this story, the reader is given yet another indication of the direction of this series. This direction comes with a guarantee that the next installment is going to be filled with more new and interesting paranormal identities and forms.
Prayer for the Dead was well written with great plot flow and pace that kept the reader constantly engaged. The plot twists and turns and cliffhanger ending leave the reader wanting the next book to the series immediately. I am sure the next installment is going to expose a whole new dimension to this series!
If you are looking for a fresh, new paranormal romance series to read, I highly recommend this book and in the meantime my advice to you…..don’t forget to say your prayers at night!
September 30, 2014
Meg's Review:
So this novel was a little out of my comfort zone reading wise. I am a big paranormal fan, but tend to stay away from anything remotely religious. How glad I am that I decided to read this novel. It was GREAT! It had some religious aspects to it, but in the end it was a romance at heart, as well as a mystery.
I loved the characters in this story as well. Some points in it, it was hard to remember where they were living and what the circumstances were. I got lost in the romance of it. I will say some parts of it I felt dragged a little, or just didn't grab me, but once we started really getting down to the nitty gritty background stories I had no trouble keeping interest.
I definitely have my expectations for the next novel. With how much happened towards the end of this novel it definitely set me up for the next. I can't wait to see where we go next in this world.
Prayer for the Dead on Amazon
Prayer for the Dead on Goodreads
Synopsis:
A story about a girl who lived, died, and met a guy… in that order.
Is it possible to find true love and happiness, while condemned to purgatory until the ends of days?
Olivia Brennan wasn't eager to find out. Working for a division of Purgatory and Associates, her job consisted of one headache after another, caused by the impatient souls waiting to move onto eternal paradise. After a hard day at work, she was most content to stay home, watching reruns or reading a book. Aside from a few friends occasionally
forcing socialization, her afterlife was nothing special.
That all changed the moment Drake walked into her life. He was handsome, charming, and had a sadness behind his eyes she could relate to. It seemed that Fate had finally brought her a kindred spirit…
But could Olivia move past her own dark regrets of the life she left behind or would falling for him demand the ultimate sacrifice—herself?
Buy it here:
Prayer for the Dead on Amazon
Prayer for the Dead on Goodreads
December 14, 2013
More reviews and book-related shenanigans can be found on my blog,
Musings Of An Aspiring Author.
Wow. For starters, let me just say that I started this book thinking it was an Urban Fantasy and there would be action, a badass antagonist and the occasional love scene. What I got was almost the exact opposite. But I was SO okay with that. More than okay, actually.
That's not to say that this wasn't chock full of win at every turn of the page. It was. But this was a love story through and through. I won't even go into how I feel about books that are primarily about love....because we'd be here all friggin' day. What I will say is that they are not my first choice of reading material by far. I do not do well with love stories without some form of action. You can tell I didn't read the blurb all the way through....Sue Me.....That being said...I adored this story.
Prayer For The Dead is Nicki Scalise's debut novel. I've read my fair share of debut novels and lemme tell ya', this does not read like a debut. It reads like a seasoned author who know what she's doing, knows exactly who her characters are, where she is taking them, and has a kick ass editor on staff.
Olivia, our MC, is SUPER likeable. She's funny, down to earth and as I read from her perspective, I felt I could really connect with her...ya know, if she were a real person living in the real world versus purgatory. Speaking of, let's get into that briefly....world building. In the book, purgatory exists parallel to our world in geography and aesthetics only. The people that occupy this world...are all dead. I know. Bummer, right? These are all the people that get "stuck" in limbo. Allow me to break it down.
When you die, you do not automatically get to pass on to heaven. You need the people who loved you in your living state to mourn you and/or pray for you. IE, give you a proper funeral, cry and express their want for you to go to heaven, etc. If you do not get enough prayers in a specific amount of time....you remain in purgatory like Olivia, her brother, her best friend and everyone else. Ergo, Prayer For The Dead. I think that is the coolest shit ever. I've NEVER read a book like that and it made the romance-fest that followed durable.
Now, for the things that stopped this from being a five-star rating. The romance. It's just not my thing.They fell for each other a bit fast, IMO. Time passed for the charries, but not on the pages where I could witness. We got one of those "It had been five weeks and..." so on and so forth.The big-bad was a little predictable, the love interest, Drake wasn't my idea of a heart-throb, and some of the things that happened after Drake's past was revealed just didn't really do much for me. BUT, if I still enjoyed it through all that, it's a damn good book. Haha. Usually I get really spoiler-y but I won't go too far because I want anyone gearing up to read this to enjoy it as much as I did.
Happy Reading!
Musings Of An Aspiring Author.
Wow. For starters, let me just say that I started this book thinking it was an Urban Fantasy and there would be action, a badass antagonist and the occasional love scene. What I got was almost the exact opposite. But I was SO okay with that. More than okay, actually.
That's not to say that this wasn't chock full of win at every turn of the page. It was. But this was a love story through and through. I won't even go into how I feel about books that are primarily about love....because we'd be here all friggin' day. What I will say is that they are not my first choice of reading material by far. I do not do well with love stories without some form of action. You can tell I didn't read the blurb all the way through....Sue Me.....That being said...I adored this story.
Prayer For The Dead is Nicki Scalise's debut novel. I've read my fair share of debut novels and lemme tell ya', this does not read like a debut. It reads like a seasoned author who know what she's doing, knows exactly who her characters are, where she is taking them, and has a kick ass editor on staff.
Olivia, our MC, is SUPER likeable. She's funny, down to earth and as I read from her perspective, I felt I could really connect with her...ya know, if she were a real person living in the real world versus purgatory. Speaking of, let's get into that briefly....world building. In the book, purgatory exists parallel to our world in geography and aesthetics only. The people that occupy this world...are all dead. I know. Bummer, right? These are all the people that get "stuck" in limbo. Allow me to break it down.
When you die, you do not automatically get to pass on to heaven. You need the people who loved you in your living state to mourn you and/or pray for you. IE, give you a proper funeral, cry and express their want for you to go to heaven, etc. If you do not get enough prayers in a specific amount of time....you remain in purgatory like Olivia, her brother, her best friend and everyone else. Ergo, Prayer For The Dead. I think that is the coolest shit ever. I've NEVER read a book like that and it made the romance-fest that followed durable.
Now, for the things that stopped this from being a five-star rating. The romance. It's just not my thing.They fell for each other a bit fast, IMO. Time passed for the charries, but not on the pages where I could witness. We got one of those "It had been five weeks and..." so on and so forth.The big-bad was a little predictable, the love interest, Drake wasn't my idea of a heart-throb, and some of the things that happened after Drake's past was revealed just didn't really do much for me. BUT, if I still enjoyed it through all that, it's a damn good book. Haha. Usually I get really spoiler-y but I won't go too far because I want anyone gearing up to read this to enjoy it as much as I did.
Happy Reading!
October 29, 2013
(ARC received from Literati Author Services in exchange for an honest review)
This book started off quite slow for me and left me wondering if and when it was going to get started. I was a bit concerned that I wasn’t going to be able to finish the book at one stage. However, a few chapters in and that all changed when the book then came into its own and I went from possibly not being able to finish the book to not being able to put it down!
Nicki did a fantastic job of pulling me in and keeping me on the edge of my seat guessing at what was going to happen next. The suspense had me holding my breath in places and I loved the way Nicki threw in the unexpected curve balls. Even though this is a Paranormal Romance and a storyline you’d find difficult to believe in I really did believe and live this story through Nicki’s writing. The language used, the emotions the characters went through and the friendships they experience all helped to bring this book in to its own. There were also a few one-liners thrown in here and there which added a little comedy to the book. The truth is though that there is comedy, suspense, love and loss in real life so it needs to be added in to the book and Nicki has done that fantastically.
I loved the way the plot and scenes were set and the way it was done meant that you didn’t need to learn a whole new world in this new series. The dead ‘live’ amongst the living and they co-habit this world. Well those that are dead and living in purgatory anyway.
The book did leave you on a bit of a cliff-hanger and to be honest if the cliff-hanger is done right then I have no issues with them. Nicki managed to leave me satisfied while craving more with her cliff-hanger and that only makes me wanna tie her down and write some more.
Loved the book, loved the characters, loved the plot. I now have a new author to add to my Love This Author list.
This book started off quite slow for me and left me wondering if and when it was going to get started. I was a bit concerned that I wasn’t going to be able to finish the book at one stage. However, a few chapters in and that all changed when the book then came into its own and I went from possibly not being able to finish the book to not being able to put it down!
Nicki did a fantastic job of pulling me in and keeping me on the edge of my seat guessing at what was going to happen next. The suspense had me holding my breath in places and I loved the way Nicki threw in the unexpected curve balls. Even though this is a Paranormal Romance and a storyline you’d find difficult to believe in I really did believe and live this story through Nicki’s writing. The language used, the emotions the characters went through and the friendships they experience all helped to bring this book in to its own. There were also a few one-liners thrown in here and there which added a little comedy to the book. The truth is though that there is comedy, suspense, love and loss in real life so it needs to be added in to the book and Nicki has done that fantastically.
I loved the way the plot and scenes were set and the way it was done meant that you didn’t need to learn a whole new world in this new series. The dead ‘live’ amongst the living and they co-habit this world. Well those that are dead and living in purgatory anyway.
The book did leave you on a bit of a cliff-hanger and to be honest if the cliff-hanger is done right then I have no issues with them. Nicki managed to leave me satisfied while craving more with her cliff-hanger and that only makes me wanna tie her down and write some more.
Loved the book, loved the characters, loved the plot. I now have a new author to add to my Love This Author list.
November 27, 2013
Isn't this cover gorgeous?
Truly, I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened Prayer for the Dead. The prospect of getting a glimpse into the afterlife was enough to catch my attention. The fact that Olivia and I seemed to be kindred spirits and the addition of a hot, brooding guy were just icing on the cake. What I didn't expect was to be so lost in Olivia's story that I was unable to tear my eyes from the page. What a perfectly wonderful surprise.
Olivia stole my heart from the moment I met her. Her razor sharp wit, her easygoing manner, and the slight tinge of pain that lurked beneath her surface all meshed into something I could relate to. Olivia is strong, even if she has to fake it at times. I adored how layered her character was. Every choice she made, every hurt she endured, I was right there with her.
Meeting the other characters only further cemented my love for this book. Each of them had their own distinct personality; their own quirks that made them shine. Tore, Drake, Devon, Portia and Zane each had a piece of my heart by the end of the book. They weren't simply supporting characters. Nicki Scalise pours emotion and depth into every one of them and, I must admit, it'd be futile to try to pick a favorite.
I'm sure my character gushing has you wondering about the story surrounding them. Olivia's story is filled with dark pasts, secrets, and just the perfect amount of romance. The world built around her is solid and extremely interesting. I thought this story was balanced almost the entire way through. It was only the ending, which does set up another book beautifully, that felt a bit rushed for me. I'm willing to overlook it. I'm too eager for the next book.
The point remains that Prayer for the Dead needs to be on your reading list. If you're a fan of Paranormal Romance, of strong characters with vivid pasts, this is your book.
Truly, I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened Prayer for the Dead. The prospect of getting a glimpse into the afterlife was enough to catch my attention. The fact that Olivia and I seemed to be kindred spirits and the addition of a hot, brooding guy were just icing on the cake. What I didn't expect was to be so lost in Olivia's story that I was unable to tear my eyes from the page. What a perfectly wonderful surprise.
Olivia stole my heart from the moment I met her. Her razor sharp wit, her easygoing manner, and the slight tinge of pain that lurked beneath her surface all meshed into something I could relate to. Olivia is strong, even if she has to fake it at times. I adored how layered her character was. Every choice she made, every hurt she endured, I was right there with her.
Meeting the other characters only further cemented my love for this book. Each of them had their own distinct personality; their own quirks that made them shine. Tore, Drake, Devon, Portia and Zane each had a piece of my heart by the end of the book. They weren't simply supporting characters. Nicki Scalise pours emotion and depth into every one of them and, I must admit, it'd be futile to try to pick a favorite.
I'm sure my character gushing has you wondering about the story surrounding them. Olivia's story is filled with dark pasts, secrets, and just the perfect amount of romance. The world built around her is solid and extremely interesting. I thought this story was balanced almost the entire way through. It was only the ending, which does set up another book beautifully, that felt a bit rushed for me. I'm willing to overlook it. I'm too eager for the next book.
The point remains that Prayer for the Dead needs to be on your reading list. If you're a fan of Paranormal Romance, of strong characters with vivid pasts, this is your book.
November 10, 2013
Guest Review by Monica from Shayna Renee's Spicy Reads
I received this copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review. I do not normally read Paranormal Romance stories but I decided to give this one a go. Meet the heroine Miss Olivia working in a dead-end job just going about her life or in her case her after life, if you can really call it such. She was responsible for the death of her brother, who incidentally is in the afterlife with her and for this reason she is carrying around a lot of self loathing and self despair. She is such a remarkable character, so easy to like with a real depth of understandable emotions and feeling. She, of course meets up with the tortured soul Drake and they have loads after loads of issues and troubles to work through. Poor girl her life is just one big mess.
Her two best friends Portia and Devon are there when the going gets rough and it is great to see so much of the novel is devoted to the friendships that they have. At various parts of the book I was so rooting for a romance between Devon and Olivia, I mean come on, they would be great together.
Of course there is an evil, evil character to round-up things nicely, Miss Katarina, she is just evil, kind of makes your skin crawl evil. If it was not so easy to hate her you would almost like her. The author does a great job with her character. The things she does are just simply amazing.
So a quick summary here, this is a paranormal romance that is really so much more than just a quick little love story. It has deep characters, lots of characters to sink your reading teeth into and a really different plot, so much more in-depth that I was expecting. I would give this story a solid 4/5 and oh, yeah, did I mention the one that really ticked me off, THE CLIFFHANGING ENDING! I just hate those. All kidding aside, it was a really good read.
I received this copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review. I do not normally read Paranormal Romance stories but I decided to give this one a go. Meet the heroine Miss Olivia working in a dead-end job just going about her life or in her case her after life, if you can really call it such. She was responsible for the death of her brother, who incidentally is in the afterlife with her and for this reason she is carrying around a lot of self loathing and self despair. She is such a remarkable character, so easy to like with a real depth of understandable emotions and feeling. She, of course meets up with the tortured soul Drake and they have loads after loads of issues and troubles to work through. Poor girl her life is just one big mess.
Her two best friends Portia and Devon are there when the going gets rough and it is great to see so much of the novel is devoted to the friendships that they have. At various parts of the book I was so rooting for a romance between Devon and Olivia, I mean come on, they would be great together.
Of course there is an evil, evil character to round-up things nicely, Miss Katarina, she is just evil, kind of makes your skin crawl evil. If it was not so easy to hate her you would almost like her. The author does a great job with her character. The things she does are just simply amazing.
So a quick summary here, this is a paranormal romance that is really so much more than just a quick little love story. It has deep characters, lots of characters to sink your reading teeth into and a really different plot, so much more in-depth that I was expecting. I would give this story a solid 4/5 and oh, yeah, did I mention the one that really ticked me off, THE CLIFFHANGING ENDING! I just hate those. All kidding aside, it was a really good read.
December 17, 2013
When you die where do you go? Heaven if you’re good? Hell if you’re bad? What happens when you don’t go anywhere? Does it mean you were neither good or bad? Well, it turns out you end up working your ass of in purgatory, day in day out until the end of forever!
And this is the “life” Olivia Brennan ends up “living” To live eternity in purgatory with her brother and two best friends. That is until Drake walks into her life, turns it on it’s head and then leaves. Who would have thought it was possible to fall in love once you’re dead!?
But as cruel as “life” can be things never run smoothly and there are obstacles in the way that send Olivia down the path to self destruction. But what’s the worst that can happen? I mean, she’s already dead!!
I have to say I flaming loved this book! It had my attention captured at the first page as I “watched” Olivia struggle with her past life flashbacks as she tried to cope with the grief and guilt. When she meets Drake and their “relationship” blooms I totally forgot I was reading a story about the dead and it turned into a romance book…..this is until Drakes bat-shit crazy ex-girlfriend decides to wants her play thing back and torments poor Olivia in a sick and twisted way!
The story is very well written and flowed very well. I enjoyed how the book went from being a story about the “afterlife” to a romance story. As for the twists, WOW! There were OMG moments, NO WAY! Moments and YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME moments. I will be keeping my eyes peeled for book 2
~Nicola~
*** This book was given free for an honest review***
And this is the “life” Olivia Brennan ends up “living” To live eternity in purgatory with her brother and two best friends. That is until Drake walks into her life, turns it on it’s head and then leaves. Who would have thought it was possible to fall in love once you’re dead!?
But as cruel as “life” can be things never run smoothly and there are obstacles in the way that send Olivia down the path to self destruction. But what’s the worst that can happen? I mean, she’s already dead!!
I have to say I flaming loved this book! It had my attention captured at the first page as I “watched” Olivia struggle with her past life flashbacks as she tried to cope with the grief and guilt. When she meets Drake and their “relationship” blooms I totally forgot I was reading a story about the dead and it turned into a romance book…..this is until Drakes bat-shit crazy ex-girlfriend decides to wants her play thing back and torments poor Olivia in a sick and twisted way!
The story is very well written and flowed very well. I enjoyed how the book went from being a story about the “afterlife” to a romance story. As for the twists, WOW! There were OMG moments, NO WAY! Moments and YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME moments. I will be keeping my eyes peeled for book 2
~Nicola~
*** This book was given free for an honest review***
January 26, 2014
Prayer for the Dead is a really funny read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It certainly isn’t your normal urban fantasy/ paranormal romance book though, and the action is a bit few and far between – it actually reads more like a supernatural Bridget Jones.
The characters were great and the back story of how the Reaper world worked was brilliant – a great idea that souls only move on when they get enough prayers.
It kind of reminded me of the Mary-Janice Davidson Undead series – before it got onto like the tenth book and half of it was pure catch up on the previous story lines!
From a writer’s perspective I think that the book really has to get across that its more chick-lit with a supernatural lean – rather than an urban fantasy style book – that way readers won’t be so surprised by the humour and heavy romance aspects.
The front cover is great – although again I think that it gives the impression of an urban fantasy novel so perhaps should be a touch more cartoon-like – similar to teh Mary Janice Davidson books.
Overall I’d give Prayers for the Dead 4 out of 5 stars – a funny romantic paranormal read, and a promising start for a new author in the genre.
The characters were great and the back story of how the Reaper world worked was brilliant – a great idea that souls only move on when they get enough prayers.
It kind of reminded me of the Mary-Janice Davidson Undead series – before it got onto like the tenth book and half of it was pure catch up on the previous story lines!
From a writer’s perspective I think that the book really has to get across that its more chick-lit with a supernatural lean – rather than an urban fantasy style book – that way readers won’t be so surprised by the humour and heavy romance aspects.
The front cover is great – although again I think that it gives the impression of an urban fantasy novel so perhaps should be a touch more cartoon-like – similar to teh Mary Janice Davidson books.
Overall I’d give Prayers for the Dead 4 out of 5 stars – a funny romantic paranormal read, and a promising start for a new author in the genre.
July 19, 2014
I read this book in a single night. I really couldn't put it down, and at a few points I had to slap my hand over my mouth so that I didn't wake my sleeping husband! The humor that comes through in the telling of Revenants and Reapers was not expected by me at all.
Olivia is a Revenant, working her job in Purgatory(Can't tell you why she is there, that'd spoil things). But on the up side she has her brother Tore with her as well as two best friends, what else could a dead girl want?
After a night at a club, Olivia realizes she has been missing out and the person she was missing out on is Drake. But is he who and what she thinks he is? Guess you will need to read the book for that answer.
I can tell you that I laughed, cried and said out loud "What the shit is this?" The ending is so good, that I can't wait for the second book now!
The only thing I would love to see more of in a sequel is more to the paranormal side of things, but this book had enough to hook me!
Olivia is a Revenant, working her job in Purgatory(Can't tell you why she is there, that'd spoil things). But on the up side she has her brother Tore with her as well as two best friends, what else could a dead girl want?
After a night at a club, Olivia realizes she has been missing out and the person she was missing out on is Drake. But is he who and what she thinks he is? Guess you will need to read the book for that answer.
I can tell you that I laughed, cried and said out loud "What the shit is this?" The ending is so good, that I can't wait for the second book now!
The only thing I would love to see more of in a sequel is more to the paranormal side of things, but this book had enough to hook me!
March 4, 2015
What do you do when you are stuck in purgatory? Well, you work, party with friends, fall in love, as if you were still alive. Olivia is dealing with her time in purgatory, going through the motions. Reluctantly Olivia goes clubbing with her best friend Portia. In walks Drake, a very attractive man. Olivia assumes Drake will be interested in Portia, happily he approaches her. After a steamy one night stand, olivia is angry and embarrassed. After several chance encounters, Drake is forgiven and they find themselves falling in love.
Then everything is shattered and Olivia is heartbroken, again!!
As she finds herself able to forgive Drake, she discovers a secret, which tears her apart. She sees no other option than to let him go.
This book had me involved from the start. The characters seem so real. I found myself angry, sad, happy, and mad throughout the book. Cannot wait to read the next books in the series.
Then everything is shattered and Olivia is heartbroken, again!!
As she finds herself able to forgive Drake, she discovers a secret, which tears her apart. She sees no other option than to let him go.
This book had me involved from the start. The characters seem so real. I found myself angry, sad, happy, and mad throughout the book. Cannot wait to read the next books in the series.
April 16, 2014
OMG!! That was one fantastic first novel that I've ever read, Congrats to Nicki Scalise on a wicked book. Heaven? Hell? In between? What is there out there? What happens when you die & everyone prays for you? But what happens when there is no one to pray for you? This is a story about the other side, this is one extraordinary story.
I'm not going to tell you what happened! I can't you have to read the blurb ok. The author is a very clever writer, you get to see & feel everything the characters go through, you learn all about them & I must say I loved these characters all of them, as well as hating some of them & wanting to scream, shout & smack some of them, but the passion felt real.
The end!! OMG what are you doing to us? That is one hell of a cliffhanger, I've never felt such emotion as I did with this book, please please when is the next one out.
I'm not going to tell you what happened! I can't you have to read the blurb ok. The author is a very clever writer, you get to see & feel everything the characters go through, you learn all about them & I must say I loved these characters all of them, as well as hating some of them & wanting to scream, shout & smack some of them, but the passion felt real.
The end!! OMG what are you doing to us? That is one hell of a cliffhanger, I've never felt such emotion as I did with this book, please please when is the next one out.
July 12, 2016
This was a really funny story. Olivia is hilarious
"I kept repeating the office mantra to myself. Keep calm and f**k off... Wait, that isn't right. Maybe I picked that one up from an online meme."
"Since there's never a sense of accomplishment, I was ready to give up, light a bonfire, and dance around in naked victory. Fortunately for the fire department and my fellow employees, that plan for interrupted."
"With all the grace of a monkey making love to a football, I rolled my ankle and lost my balance."
While the story was quite interesting with a heck of a cliffhanger, I was confused on exactly how her world worked. I understood how reapers were chosen but how did one become a revenant? And why couldn't the others leave the building?
"I kept repeating the office mantra to myself. Keep calm and f**k off... Wait, that isn't right. Maybe I picked that one up from an online meme."
"Since there's never a sense of accomplishment, I was ready to give up, light a bonfire, and dance around in naked victory. Fortunately for the fire department and my fellow employees, that plan for interrupted."
"With all the grace of a monkey making love to a football, I rolled my ankle and lost my balance."
While the story was quite interesting with a heck of a cliffhanger, I was confused on exactly how her world worked. I understood how reapers were chosen but how did one become a revenant? And why couldn't the others leave the building?
Read
August 18, 2014AMAZING!
well, I actually accidentally read the second book before this one, so it was sort of a prequel for me. But besides that, I believe this book and series is the best Reaper story I've ever fallen into. I love how the characters are very well described and the plot is just amazing.
Olivia is a great character , her story is sad, but her life has all the action, love and saddened a great story should have.
Drake, a mysterious, but amazingly handsome man she meets one night when she goes out with her best girlfriend Portia. From that first sight of him, she knew there would be a future for them. Not every story goes along unscathed, there is happiness and there is pain.
well, I actually accidentally read the second book before this one, so it was sort of a prequel for me. But besides that, I believe this book and series is the best Reaper story I've ever fallen into. I love how the characters are very well described and the plot is just amazing.
Olivia is a great character , her story is sad, but her life has all the action, love and saddened a great story should have.
Drake, a mysterious, but amazingly handsome man she meets one night when she goes out with her best girlfriend Portia. From that first sight of him, she knew there would be a future for them. Not every story goes along unscathed, there is happiness and there is pain.
November 25, 2013
I wanted to come up with some superlative that would do this novel justice, but no single word suffices. I really enjoyed this story; it was great fun to read. The imagination that was poured into this story is incredible. The humor is spectacular. It is a tale that is both light-hearted and funny, and yet intensely serious.
The characters are amazing. They are like your best friend, your brother, the person sitting next to you at the bar on Friday night, your office mate, or your boss. They are not just believable, they are endearing.
This was a joy to read. I look forward to reading Nicki Scalise’s next work.
The characters are amazing. They are like your best friend, your brother, the person sitting next to you at the bar on Friday night, your office mate, or your boss. They are not just believable, they are endearing.
This was a joy to read. I look forward to reading Nicki Scalise’s next work.
October 13, 2014
Monday, 13 October 2014
Prayer for the dead
I won a copy of this book as part of a giveaway and must say I'm very happy that I did. The world that Nicki Scalise has created is brilliant and so too are the characters and plot. Very much looking forward to the next instalment. I have to say that Olivia doesnt seem to have much luck in the love department and cant help but feel I would of made the same choice in the end that she did.
I love the sound of her brother Tore and best mate Devon not to mention the new addition of Zane, he is gonna come up with some crazy shit in the next one me thinks :-)
Prayer for the dead
I won a copy of this book as part of a giveaway and must say I'm very happy that I did. The world that Nicki Scalise has created is brilliant and so too are the characters and plot. Very much looking forward to the next instalment. I have to say that Olivia doesnt seem to have much luck in the love department and cant help but feel I would of made the same choice in the end that she did.
I love the sound of her brother Tore and best mate Devon not to mention the new addition of Zane, he is gonna come up with some crazy shit in the next one me thinks :-)
January 27, 2016
I took a chance on this book after searching through Amazon using the search term 'reapers'. I wasn't disappointed.
I'm so glad I took a chance on this author and this book. It was a great idea, a sound plot and well written to boot. I really liked Olivia and Devon the best but the other characters were solid and well fleshed out. The humour was really good and the story even managed to get emotional in just the right way. There was just enough information to fill back stories without becoming an info dump. Bravo. Great read.
I'm so glad I took a chance on this author and this book. It was a great idea, a sound plot and well written to boot. I really liked Olivia and Devon the best but the other characters were solid and well fleshed out. The humour was really good and the story even managed to get emotional in just the right way. There was just enough information to fill back stories without becoming an info dump. Bravo. Great read.
July 2, 2014
I love this book and can't wait for the next!! I took it to bed with me, intending to just finish the current chapter...Yea, that didn't happen. I couldn't stop there. I finished the rest of the book, 2 hours later and was left wanting more!! It's been awhile since I've had such a great book hangover. I wanted the story to keep going. Now I have to wait, patiently as I can, for the next one.
December 10, 2013
Wonderful debut novel. A fresh, innovative take on PNR. Quite light on the paranormal element, so don't be put off if paranormal isn't your thing. Intense, believable interpersonal relationships and twists and turns that keep you turning the pages. I'm looking forward to learning a bit more about the world Nicki is building and how the dead walk amongst us without us being any the wiser :-) I'm sure we'll see great things from Nicki in the future.
November 26, 2013
Ok, the only reason this book got four instead of five stars is because I HATE CLIFF HANGERS!!! This book did not end the way I wanted it to. I know, it's not my book and it's the first one in a series but I really wanted it to end differently, even if it ended up a cliff hanger. And it made me cry. WHY?!??!?!
February 11, 2014
I definitely enjoyed this book and I pretty much read the whole thing in one sitting. It was an interesting take on purgatory and a different paranormal spin than I've seen before. I thought the main character was relatable, yet interesting, and the banter between the characters made me laugh. I'm looking forward to the next installment.
March 3, 2015
This is a paranormal romance/urban fantasy set in another dimension where souls go that haven't moved on aka purgatory.
I want to start off with saying this is the first story of this kind I've read, usually I read about angels and demons not revenants and reapers, that being said it was refreshing and awesome. I floved this book and I can't wait to read the next one.
I want to start off with saying this is the first story of this kind I've read, usually I read about angels and demons not revenants and reapers, that being said it was refreshing and awesome. I floved this book and I can't wait to read the next one.
April 21, 2015
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book.I am a fan of paranormal books, but this blew all my expectations out of the water. It was written really well, and the dialogue was often very witty. I laughed at moments and felt like kicking ass in others. One thing is certain, I found myself quickly addicted to the characters, Drake and Olivia. This is easily a four star read!
July 7, 2015
Oh my! I honestly didn't know what to expect when I started this book. It's a little bit different than what I'm used to but it's SOOOOOO good! There are twists and turns and flips that you won't see coming and even after you read it, you will look back to make sure you read it right. I can't wait to start on the next book!
October 1, 2015
What an emotional roller coaster!
Olivia is a Revenant living with the guilt of a bad decision. Drake is a Reaper with his own tragic story. Can these two souls find a way to learn to live and let go of the past?
Olivia is a Revenant living with the guilt of a bad decision. Drake is a Reaper with his own tragic story. Can these two souls find a way to learn to live and let go of the past?
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