The Reaper's Embrace

Deathmark #3

by Abigail Baker

I’m marked for death. If I can get this Deathmark removed, I can help save the world from total ruin. Only thing is, Brent Hume, Grim Reaper and love of my life, is hot on my trail, zeroing in on the mark that beckons him. The Reaper’s instinct cannot be denied. He would sooner stop breathing than ignore a Deathmark’s call. He’s a tireless supernatural hunter, and I’m his top prey. If I don’t find a way to stop him from doing his job, everything and everyone I love will suffer. The world will suffer. And I’m sick of letting people down, dammit. But even as I run from him, I want to run toward him.The Deathmark series is best enjoyed in order. Series Book #1 The Reaper's Kiss Book #2 The Reaper's SacrificeBook #3 The Reaper’s Embrace

Genres: Fantasy

302 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Abigail Baker shares her home with a Siamese cat endearingly named “The Other Cat” and two rescued mutts with mundane human names that people think are cute. In addition to writing about rebellious heroines, she enjoys hiking, discovering craft beers, baking the perfect vanilla bean cupcake, and rock climbing (going as far as scaling 800 vertical feet to the summit of Devil’s Tower National Monument in 2013).

Abigail won first place in RWA’s Golden Network’s 2011 Golden Pen in Paranormal Romance for Tattoo of Your Name Across My Soul, the book now known as The Reaper’s Kiss (Deathmark Book One). She regularly blogs about life observances at abigailbakerbooks.com, lives at the base of the Rocky Mountains, and can be easily found hiking any of Colorado’s best trails.

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars - 2.5 Flames

I think I'm just gonna have to rip the Bandaid off. This one hurt a little. I think I may have been my own worse enemy as well. You see, I totally fell in love with this series and the cliffhanger in the second book left me thinking SOOOO many things that when I picked this up, I was so sure that all of my thoughts would come true. Nah. Nope. Didn't happen. I mean, I got answers...but...I just wasn't pulled in to this one like I was the others. And for that, I'm sad. But I can't blame the author for that. Damn my own imagination!!!

After being marked for death by Styx' Head Reaper, Marin, Ollie is officially on the run.....again. But this time she's running from the one person she doesn't want to run from. Her personal Grim Reaper. Her lover. Brent. The one who carries half of her soul. But Ollie has a plan. She needs to find the one Master Scrivener who can actually remove the Deathmark. But even after she finds the Master, fixing Styx and making it right is still a challenge. One that she and Brent will have to return to Lethe one last time to do.

There is definitely closure in this third and final installment. Some tears will be shed, but you'll close the book with a smile on your face. If you're looking for hot a steamy sex scenes in this one, I think you get one. I mean, it's not like they have all the time in the world to enjoy each other considering they're fighting Trivials and sometimes even themselves. I really enjoyed the scenes with the Master Scrivener. The information we learn and the sacrifice made actually warmed my heart. I'm sad to see this come to an end. But I'm sure Ms. Baker already has something else up her sleeves for us.

*I received this book from the Jeep Diva in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Angel Hatfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

Marin was the head Grim Reaper of Styx. Styx is what keeps life and death in balance on Earth. Grim Reapers ferry souls from Earth to whatever lies beyond. Styx needs Scriveners like Olivia to mark humans whose time in the world of the living is over because it is a challenging job for Grim Reapers to find the millions upon millions of souls that are snuffed out every day. Olivia found it hard to take Marin’s fascism- putting personal power over keeping balance and he ruled with a violent hand. Marin tried to find and expose the flaws in all the Scrivenesarinans could have ruled and helped fellow Scrivenesarinans and their soul quotas and then helped humans. But he chose to be wicked and cruel. Marin was a tyrant who could destroy everyone. Olivia had killed Marin four weeks ago. Olivia wasn’t suppose to have the power to kill the head Grim Reaper. Olivia hadn’t met to kill Marin but it was him or her. In Styx’s eyes Marin was still alive because of his daily televised messages that played. He was still ordering Olivia to be destroyed and anyone who was helping her. Olivia hadn’t lost her memory as was typical upon leaving the underground business nest of Death. Olivia hadn’t forgotten because Marin wasn’t there to wipe her memory clean. As a Scrivener was to mask humans for for the Grim reaper.
I couldn’t really get into this story just didn’t keep my interest. I am sure someone else will enjoy it just wasn’t for me.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite genre to read is paranormal, with or without romance, ok mostly with 😉 That is what intrigued me about this book. I haven't read the others in this series (will be remedied ASAP) but that did not cause any issue with following the story. While I would have loved to have the details behind some of the things from past books, it wasn't necessary for me to enjoy and understand this one. The author did a fantastic job of giving just the right details to further the story without having to rewrite what was in the past books, and I love that, nothing bothers me more than reading a series and having most of what happened in the previous rewritten in the latest. I was a little confused with the Stygian, scrivener, eidolon, reaper and trivial classification system and what the differences were (I would think I had it figured out when something random would throw me and I'd be but I thought that was ....) but not enough to lose interest. This was a very unique world and while some of the paranormal references I recognized, they were used differently than I had seen before, and I absolutely love when that happens. It's like a whole new world of possibilities just opened for me and my overactive imagination. Can't wait to discover more worlds and stories from Abigail Baker!

[Sony · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok for me; but it was my fault. I had not read the first two in the series. It took me to about halfway into chapter three to finally pick up on the story. The author did provider lots of back story but it was repeated more than once which made it unnecessarily repetitive. Once I caught up with the characters, the story did seem to flow so much better for me.

So it seems this is not the first time our heroine Ollie has gone into hiding. She finds herself running from the one person she would rather run to, but he’s her very own Grim Reaper and lover… Brent. So in order for her to be free of this death curse she needs to find a Master Scrivener. But can she trust this Master Scrivener?

This story did have some action, drama (you will defiantly tear up), and a nice little quickie. I would highly recommend you read the first two in the series before starting this one.

***I voluntarily reviewed this ARC for an honest review via NetGalley, this is my honest opinion and has not been influenced by the author, Publishers or NetGalley in anyway.***

[Lenna Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sorry to say this but I just couldn't get into nor understand what really is going one. It was okay but confused me from the start. This is the first time reading from this series and from this author.

[C bond · Rating 4 out of 5]

netgalley

This is the conclusion of a 3 part series. Although I didn't read 1 &2 I got the gist of and liked this book.

[Helen Wawrejko · Rating 5 out of 5]

The conclusion of Ms. Bakers Reaper series was an epic ugly cry. Ollie is running for her life from her lover Brent, who is to take her life and send it to the afterlife because she bears a deathmark from the evil Marin. One Master Scrivener can remove it. Driven to find her and complete his unwanted task, Brent cannot resist the job he is compelled to do. Souls are trapped and cannot move on, trivials are killing the rebels. The showdown comes when the rebels converge on Lethe where the Trivials have taken over. Loss of friends and loved ones, a choice between light or darkness, life or death. War has casualties, I cried for every one of them in this book, but we got the HEA. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC from Netgalley.