Avaliações
If you have a chance, listen to this audiobook. Oh my god, it is amazing. The narrators are perfect and you can feel their emotions. It gives the same feeling as listening to a Graphic Audio book.Now onto what I thought of the book itself: This was amazing. I loved it so much. Kane and Rue are so funny together. And who would have thought a character called "Big D" would be one of my favorites. He is far from one-note and I want more of his story. I want more of him and Mercy and their complicated entanglement.Time and Fate are right bitches and I would have been so happy if they had actually died. Too bad they are immortal beings that cannot actually die. Groan. But I love Mercy. The short time given to her just makes me ache to know more about her and her story. I hope we one day get a book for dear Darrell and Mercy.As expected, I nearly cried in many parts of this book. Seek's story really did it for me. I was struggling not to start bawling while at work. It was not easy so be warned about that and good luck.For now, I am so excited to get to Asher's book when it finally comes. I want to know more about him too and I cannot wait to see him crumble just as Kane has. I wonder if it will be easier or harder. Also, what is up with the book Rue had that he recognized? How is that connected? Did she buy it somewhere or was it passed down?
Do not read this, LISTEN TO IT! The audiobook was absolute perfection! The banter, the romance, the spice and the story were all so incredible… this will definitely be one of those comfort listens for me!
Emotional, funny, surprisingly spicy, and deeply reflective. While the story itself landed around 3 stars for me, the immersive audiobook was absolutely phenomenal. Rue’s journey, Kane’s yearning, and the themes of grief and purpose stayed with me long after I finished. Full review below.
This was one of those books where the experience mattered just as much as the story itself.
Rue was my favorite character. Watching her wrestle with mortality, purpose, and what kind of legacy she would leave behind gave the story its emotional core. The romance was sweet, but what really surprised me was how much the grief themes made me stop and think.
The yearning between Kane and Rue was honestly my favorite part of the romance. The anticipation and emotional tension worked even better for me than the spice scenes.
And then there’s Big D. Every book needs a chaotic scene-stealer, and he delivered every single time he appeared.
The audiobook deserves special recognition. Joe Arden, Andi Eloise, Maxine Mitchell, June DeBorahae, Sean Masters, and James Cassidy brought this story to life through an immersive full-cast performance that felt more like listening to a movie than a traditional audiobook. It’s easily the part of this experience I’ll remember most.
Utterly loved this book. The concept was unique. It was funny in all the right places. Vivid imagery. Felt like I could relate to the characters and it made me view the world differently after reading it. Couldn't put it down.
This is an amazing book and an extraordinary audiobook! I lost count of how many times I cried and laughed. Listening to this book felt like a complete experience, akin to sitting in a theater and watching a play unfold before my eyes. Thank you for this incredible six-star adventure!
Wɇłȼømɇ ŧø ŧħɇ Øŧħɇɍwøɍłđ...Normally I would start my review with a favorite quote from the story but I ended up highlighting over 20 quotes and I literally cannot pick just one so here are some of the best quotes:“𝓖𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓯 𝓲𝓼 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓼𝓸𝓻𝓻𝓸𝔀. 𝓢𝓸𝓻𝓻𝓸𝔀 𝓲𝓼 𝓪 𝓰𝓾𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓿𝓮. 𝓖𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓯 𝓲𝓼 𝓪 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓮—𝓲𝓽 𝓵𝓪𝓽𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓼 𝓸𝓷, 𝓲𝓽 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓭𝓼, 𝓲𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓼.”“ᴀɴᴅ ɪ—ᴡᴇʟʟ, ɪ ᴀᴍ ɴᴏ ʟᴏɴɢᴇʀ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ. ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀᴍᴀᴛʜ. ɪ ᴀᴍ ʀᴜɪɴ ɪᴛꜱᴇʟꜰ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀᴍᴀᴛʜ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ’ᴛ ʜᴇᴀʟ. ɪᴛ ʜᴀᴜɴᴛꜱ. ʀᴜɪɴꜱ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʜᴇᴀʟ.”“𝔅𝔢𝔠𝔞𝔲𝔰𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔭𝔬𝔢𝔱𝔰 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔯𝔬𝔪𝔞𝔫𝔱𝔦𝔠𝔰 𝔤𝔬𝔱 𝔦𝔱 𝔴𝔯𝔬𝔫𝔤. ℑ𝔱 𝔦𝔰 𝔟𝔢𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔬 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔫𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔯 𝔩𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔡 𝔞𝔱 𝔞𝔩𝔩. 𝔅𝔢𝔠𝔞𝔲𝔰𝔢 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔱 𝔣𝔢𝔢𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔤, 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢 𝔦𝔰 𝔫𝔬 𝔭𝔞𝔦𝔫, 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔞 𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔩𝔡 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔱 𝔭𝔞𝔦𝔫 𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔨𝔰 𝔭𝔯𝔢𝔱𝔱𝔶 𝔣𝔲𝔠𝔨𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔴𝔢𝔩𝔩 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔪𝔢.”“𝑀𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡—𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝐼 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝐼 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑔𝑜—𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠. 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑝 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑣𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑝𝑖𝑒𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑒.”“ʜᴏᴡ ᴅᴏᴇꜱ ᴏɴᴇ ꜱᴀʏ ɢᴏᴏᴅʙʏᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ꜱᴀʏɪɴɢ ɢᴏᴏᴅʙʏᴇ? ʜᴏᴡ ᴅᴏᴇꜱ ᴏɴᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ʟᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇʏ’ʀᴇ ɢᴏɪɴɢ?”“𝔼𝕣𝕠𝕤: 𝕀 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕡𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕝𝕪. “𝔸𝕘𝕒𝕡𝕖: 𝕀 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕦𝕟𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪. “ℙ𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕞𝕒: 𝕀 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕝𝕪. “𝕄𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕒: 𝕀 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕞𝕒𝕕𝕝𝕪.”Genre: Gothic fantasy, paranormal romantic comedySpice Level: 🌶️🌶️.5Rae’s Rating: ♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️ (five stars just isn’t enough. This was a gothic masterpiece. Infinity stars. Utterly amazing.)⚠️⚠️⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️⚠️⚠️💀 Rae’s RamblesI have been waiting for this book since it was first announced… and this was absolutely worth the wait. This book will live in my head and heart for a very very long time. It’s gothic and haunting. It’s hilarious with dry humor, jokes, and puns that I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at(A Court of Thyme and Rosewater? This has Joe written all over it..) It was emotional and really had me thinking about the finality of death and the purpose of my own life. I kept a tally of how many times I cried and the final count was 11. So thanks DJ and Joe, I will be billing you for my therapy.There was so much to love. The characters had so much personality. They were all unique and had their own stories to tell. Not just the main characters but the side characters too. I found myself loving each one for different reasons. I didn’t just read their stories, I felt them. I feel like I lived them with the characters and I don’t know if I will ever recover from some of these scenes.I could ramble for hours about every little thing I loved about this story but we would be here for hours so let me pull myself together and get to the real review… ✨ CharactersMMC: Kane Deveraux. Grumpy, centuries old French doctor turned reaper? Yes please. I love this character. I think he’s so deep and complex. Someone who obeyed orders and did everything he was supposed to until he didn’t. He made one single choice for himself. One. He chose to disobey orders and save Rue’s life and it changed the entire course of his life(non-life? Un-life?) Suddenly, he wasn’t just a reaper ferrying souls, he was a man again. A man spending time with a maddening and captivating young woman, falling in love, and learning to have a little compassion and understanding for the souls he used to view as just another job. His dry humor was everything to me. He could be a romantic, he could be kind, he could be protective and caring. I loved that he had a different dynamic with everyone. With Big D, he is reluctantly obedient but still enough of an insubordinate to keep D on his toes. With Asher, he was snarky and possessive over Rue, he wanted to set him on fire and wasn’t afraid to push back against him. With the Weaver sisters, he was unsettled and intimidated and had no choice but to obey them (“Woof.” was just one word but it hit so fucking hard.) With Rue, he was human. He could joke and laugh and flirt and care. He could be Kane Deveraux, the man, instead of Kane, the monster. Towards the end, we got to see a newer side of Kane. Someone protective, someone willing to fight to the absolute end for the woman he loves. Someone unafraid to threaten his boss and “kill” the Weaver sisters if it meant keeping Rue safe. Someone not just obeying anymore, someone willing to fight for what he believes in and what he wants. He fell in love with Rue and it brought him back to life. And when he lost her… he lost that will to live. He was empty. Nothing. And that broke me more than anything. Watching Kane grow into someone with a heart again and a love that brought him back to life. And then to lose it all. It. Broke. Me. FMC: Rue Chamberlain. I want to start this by saying that I feel personally connected to Rue for a multitude of reasons. I have also had a chronic illness my entire life that I feel robbed a lot of my time from me. I spent so long babying myself because of my own fragility that I feel like I missed out on getting to live for YEARS. Only recently have I started actually pushing myself to experience life instead of letting it pass me by. But I am still getting reminders from my own body that i am not as strong as others my age and that I have to still be careful unless I wanna travel to the Otherworld early 😆But I loved Rue as a character. Her humor, her sarcasm, her wit, her empathy and compassion. Her ability to, not only listen, but feel the stories of others to help them them move on. She has so much fire and spite and despite her own weaknesses, she is so strong and has so much life in her. She’s a writer. With so much love and hope and loss and emotion in her writing that she uses to tell her story in a way that makes sense to her. I loved her mind, her heart, her soul, her fire and passion.Side Characters: Asher: I loved Asher from the second he said “Hello there, gorgeous.” He was smug and his whole purpose was to rile Kane and act as what Kane should be but isn’t. At first, he seemed so cold and ruthless. Seeming like he has no care for humans and no regard for souls and their plights. He has a job to do and he will do it whether they want it or not. He is there to confuse Rue, to make her doubt Kane and to see him as a monster. He is there to show that Kane is rebellious, acting on his own terms instead of the absolute obedience that Asher shows. After the ball, we see a change. He has no choice but to obey but you can feel his hesitation, feel how he believes that this isn’t right. And we see that he also has the capacity for compassion and kindness. He doesn’t want to hurt Rue and he doesn’t want Rue to hate him for what he has to do. He sees Rue’s empathy and it cracks something open inside him(also Maddy? 👀Did Asher have a lover too?) Asher was so much deeper a character, than the superficial, smug asshole we meet at the bus crash. Big D: I. Love. This. Man. He’s such a funny character. During some of his scenes I found myself going “this man is high 24/7 i stg” This man exudes absolute power and authority. He IS the boss. He is Death itself. (even if his name is Daryl LOL) But he’s also an absolute nutter? The over the top way he speaks and acts. His child-like attitude and theatrical dramatics. I loved every part of him. I loved that he knew he was the top dog, I loved his arrogance and the way he was silently terrifying. But, as we got to know him, I loved that there are parts of him that are still human. He has the ability to feel regret and sadness and guilt. I love that he actually cares a lot about everything. And I loved his dynamic with Mercy. Imagining this gigantic lord of actual death being scolded and criticized by a little freckled lady was amazing. I love his capacity for love and how, despite his absolute authority, he understands that things need to change and that he was wrong in how he treated Kane and Rue. And I love how he was still the arrogant asshole Big D when he tried to make things right again. Big D will never change but I really appreciate that he was able to apologize in his own way and fix what he tried to destroy.The Weaver sisters: Time and Fate were fucking terrifying. The way they spoke, the way they twisted and twirled and moved like wisps of smoke. They were meant to be unsettling and they absolutely were. They were cruel, merciless, and for the longest time, they held all the power. Nothing could exist or end without Time and Fate. I loved how they spoke to Kane like he was a dog. It made them seem bigger and more powerful than the reapers or even Death, himself. They were manic and erratic and the way they spoke was mesmerizing. They played off each other, bouncing back and forth like they were finishing each other's sentences. And from the second Mercy was introduced, I loved her. She spoke like someone wise well beyond her siblings. She was sassy which I loved: “This is my surprised face.” I use that line so often and I loved her. She stood her ground and made sure that Big D knew he was wrong and she wouldn’t just roll over and let him punish the world for not adhering to his bullshit rules. And she loves him. You can feel it in the way she speaks and interacts with him. She cares very deeply for D but she will not let him walk all over her and continue ruling like a tyrant instead of a true leader.Seek: He is my son now. My sweet precious little baby. I loved Seek with my whole entire heart and soul. I think Rue needed Seek. A kind, smiling face to introduce her to her new… ability to see the other side. Someone for her to show compassion and kindness too. He was a friend. A companion. And he was a sweetheart. He was a little mischievous, a little silly, but he was still just a lonely kid. He needed Rue as much as she needed him. He wanted Rue to read to him, to spend time with him, someone to hold him and love him after the world failed him the first time. Without Rue, Seek would’ve never gotten the courage to pass over. His attachment to the world died with Rue and he was finally able to find peace. His goodbye was one of the hardest times I’ve ever cried throughout this book. 📈 PacingThe majority of this story takes place over the course of 9 days. That’s how long Rue has to live and you would think that would make this story seem too fast-paced, with little development, and insta-lovey, but you would be so wrong. I found myself forgetting that this was only 9 days because so much fucking happened. It was perfectly paced in my opinion. With some of the action scenes moving fast and hard with little time for Rue to process or understand. The emotional scenes were given the appropriate amount of time to really let the moment sit and allow you time to cry and process what was happening. The humor was sprinkled in as well which also helped to break up some of the heavier scenes and allow you time to stop crying long enough to laugh before crying all over again. There was also a unique way of writing chapters that I really appreciated. Having the POV switch between Rue and Kane in the same chapter during pivotal moments helped us see and feel the scene from both characters' perspectives which I thought was so cool. Having their intimate scenes split POV really made the split POV in a later scene in Chapter 32 hit so much harder. I loved the quick jump back and forth between Rue’s final moments and Kane having no choice but to witness it from a distance, restrained and shattering. I felt Rue’s sadness, her acceptance, her peace, and Kane’s heartbreak, his devastation, his rage. I liked that so much better if we had just seen the chapter from one character’s perspective.🔥 Romance and SpiceThis wasn’t the spiciest book I ever read but once again an MMC’s filthy mouth made the scenes so much more 🔥Rue’s lack of fucks to give about taking things slow because she literally has days left to live and she wants to fully appreciate them, mixed with Kane’s lack of self control after no human touch for centuries. Losing themselves in each other but still making time and space for the banter we love and of course, Kane’s fucking mouth. Each kiss wasn’t just a kiss. It was Rue’s desperate attempts to feel human, feel love, feel alive. And Kane’s carefully constructed control shattering into a thousand pieces, it was a need as much as food or water or oxygen. And Seek’s little “The plot thickens!” had me ROLLING on the floor. The romance was addicting. It had top-tier banter, an all-consuming love that both devastated you and made you feel alive at the same time. Kane clearly felt something when he decided to disobey orders to save Rue’s life BUT they don’t even realize it’s love until it’s almost too late. Kane is fiercely protective of Rue and despite his own issues with the physical touch and Rue’s stubborn streak, you can tell he feels guilty for what he did to her by telling her when she’s going to die and you can feel how much he cares even when he doesn’t want to admit that his dead heart still beats. He’s possessive and adorably jealous at times and their love is raw and real and powerful. One of my favorite scenes in the entire story is the ice cream. Rue forcing this grumpy reaper to eat cheesily named ice cream, to sit with her under a tree(rip his suit), and even humors her very mortal questions about him. 🎭 Plot & ClimaxThe plot of this story is simple. After evading death’s clutches thanks to an emotionally unavailable reaper, Rue has 9 days left to live and she intends to live them to the absolute fullest. Dying and coming back has granted her this odd power that allows her to see the souls of the dead and to physically interact with them and reapers, despite still technically being alive. Kane is given the responsibility of watching over her as a punishment for defying Time and Fate. Rue has spent so long just allowing life to pass her by that she doesn’t want to go quietly. She wants to live, to experience life instead of just survival and much to Kane’s dismay, that means tagging along on every reap he’s sent on.Rue’s empathy and compassion really shows during these jobs. Her ability to feel for the souls who have passed as well as understand the grief of those left behind. And she learns that she has a little gift. She is able to listen to the lives and stories of the souls who are lost, who missed their window to pass along, and help them find peace to reopen their gates and allow them to cross over in peace. Her final day was some of the hardest chapters I read. Her last moments with Seek, that final phone call with her mom, her final words on the rooftop where she fully connected with Kane. It was devastating and beautiful and seeing how much this one girl changed the lives and stories of so many characters in just nine short days was just incredible. I seriously loved Rue’s journey so much and I would sell my own soul for a dozen more books just about her and Kane. And the ending. Fuck. I will start crying all over again if I think about it too hard. ❤️ Overall VibesI do not say this lightly, but this book was a fucking masterpiece. It was everything I wanted it to be and more. It was emotionally intense, it made me laugh out loud, I screamed, I cried. I did it all. Being a part of Kane and Rue’s journey was the greatest honor I could’ve asked for. I loved everything. And I mean everything.I loved the characters, I loved the romance, I loved that everyone had their own story to tell. I loved Rue’s wit and stubbornness. I loved Kane’s attitude and protectiveness. I loved the banter, the tension, that looming sense of dread that haunts every page. I loved the poetry and the imagery. I felt like I was right there alongside Kane and Rue the whole time and it was magical. I have nothing else to say(after an 8 page long ramble) besides congratulations to DJ Krimmer and Joe Arden. You have written the most beautiful story full of love, loss, life, and death that will stick with me for years to come. Thank you for writing such an incredible story and sharing it with us. I never want to leave the Otherworld again.Would I Recommend?✔️Yes, if you love a dark romantic comedy with a full cast of lovable characters, an unforgettable romance that is passionate, all-consuming, and devastating and beautiful in the same breath. Top tier-banter, poetic imagery, and a totally unique inner voice for each character that draws you in from the first line and doesn't let go until The End.❌ No, if you value your emotional stability(seriously some of these scenes broke me), if you prefer a lighter story without a countdown to a characters death looming over you for 20+ chapters, or if the concept of death and the meaning of one’s own life will send you into an existential crisis.