The Reaper's Kiss

by Dale Ibitz

Haunted by painful memories, William turns to a world of sex and poison to forget his status as a shunned reaper with a sordid past. His strategy for survival is to fortify his emotional armor so no one will ever hurt him again, while trying to find redemption for his sins. Natalie, an exquisite human trying to save her sister from the horrors of the Other World, intrigues him. Though adamant she means nothing to him, her kisses reach into William’s soul and her silky skin is a slice of heaven. The damn woman cracks his protective shell. After learning the dark secret of Natalie’s past, how much will he sacrifice to save her soul?

The only thing Leah wants is a family and a place to call home. All she has is a target on her back because her daddy was an angel and her mom a human. Her anger has built for centuries as she goes on the run, hiding from a murdering goddess. Plotting revenge takes a village, however, and she might have to kill someone William loves to make him join her game. Will she exchange her hopes and dreams for a chance at payback?

Natalie needs William’s help to find her sister in the Other World. Her plan is to play him, deciding she’ll go as far as sleeping with the striking reaper if it’ll save her sister. Though his kisses bring on primal urges she's never felt before, they don't compare to the fire he ignites when he touches other parts of her body. Then she learns about his murderous past. Is she the one being played, left to die at another’s hand by the man she’s fallen for?

295 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 9, 2017

About the author

Dale Ibitz was born in Oxford, Connecticut, grew up in the state of Washington, and then re-located back to Connecticut as an adult. Always a lover of books, she spent much of her childhood reading, visiting the library (her best friend’s mother was a librarian…how convenient), and writing. She majored in English at Central Connecticut State University, and while Dale holds a full-time day job where she’s immersed in the dry life of writing contracts, she’s been writing young adult fantasy and mid-grade contemporary for seventeen years (on the side, of course).

Dale’s a fan of hiking and the outdoors, seriously good writing, and she never, ever starts the day without chocolate and coffee (preferably together). Music inspires her, and she likes to listen to alternative metal. When she listens to lyrics, she finds herself imagining stories behind the words…it’s a great writing exercise.

Dale is, by nature, a klutz and has years of funny tidbits of real-life comical events which she (ahem) constantly seems to stumble in to. These tidbits have a habit of finding their way on to the pages of the books she writes, injecting a little humor to her writing.

If you were to visit Dale’s house, you'd meet her husband, 2 kids, their dog Lea (most people simply refer to her as The Beast...and for good reason), their kitten Luna (affectionately known as Loony Luna), a gaggle of ducks, and a flock of hens ruled by a tyrannical rooster they call The Stump, or Stumpy. How he got his name is a long story...maybe she’ll tell you sometime.

Reviews

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5.0

“The Reaper’s Kiss” sports some excellently crafted characters, from William, the lowly secucron, all the way to the Giltine, the Goddess of Death.

Read full review in the 2017 December issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Rebecca Austin · Rating 3 out of 5]

William is a reaper who is haunted by his past and drowns his sorrows in sex to try and forget his pain. William steals the unmarked's souls to survive after being promised to Giltine, the Goddess of Death.

Natalie is aware of what William is but needs his help to find her sister who was taken by Giltine. But once she realizes what William's kiss means to her will she be able to protect her heart as well as trying to find her sister?

As some try and help William and Natalie others will try and stop them. Will they figure out who is on their side in time?

I enjoyed this book but I had a hard time getting into it and keeping everything straight. There were certain characters who almost took over in certain parts and I felt like they overshadowed the main characters and made the book lose focus a little.

I did like William and his quest to keep Natalie safe and help her find her sister. Yet he was torn between different lives and obligations which is what confused me at times. There were a few different women who seemed to either have a past with him or wanted him which left me a little confused at times.

Natalie knew she needed help and turned to William thinking she could convince him but she had no idea how she would end up feeling about him. Then she was kind of torn on what she should do.

There were so many other characters like Leah and Bianca that were important to the story but I still found myself getting lost.

The book has lots of potential but almost tried to do too much for this one.

[Cyrene Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uncaged Review: William is a reaper who is shunned due to bad choices and an addiction to soul juice. Promising to get back on the straight and narrow, he struggles to try and keep his nose clean. Haunted by his past and painful memories, he has hardened himself.
Natalie is in search of her sister who has been taken to the Other World by Giltine, and will do anything she can to get her back. Even if that means playing reaper William to get his help. Still something about him does things to her she doesn’t expect. The same can be said to the effect she has on him. She threatens to break the shield he has put up around himself.
Will William do whatever it takes to help Natalie? Will she play her game and use William for what she needs or will the urges he sends through her make her forget her plans and let him in or is she actually the one who is being played?
The story of William and Natalie is quite intriguing and fun to read, however, the subplots of so many other characters makes it quite hard to keep up with. At times it feels as if the main story line is lost among all the other characters and their intentions. Although it is a great read, the confusion I felt at times hindered being able to fully enjoy the story to the extent I wanted. Still, I would read this author again. The visuals provided help you envision what is going on and the imagination behind William and his story is very well thought out. Reviewed by Rena