Title: AlexiaresAuthor: N.J. Walters
Series: Blackwell Brothers Redemption #2
Publication Date: Nov. 10, 2025
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Paranormal
Synopsis:
Some find redemption. Others land in it.
One moment, Alexiares Blackwell was reaping yet another human soul and gunning through New York City on his Harley. The next, he’s dropped into the path of an oncoming car in the small town of Redemption.
It turns out his dear old dad—the Grim Reaper himself—has decided that Alex needs a crash course in humanity. Literally. Now he’s stuck in a nowhere town with nothing but his motorcycle and some serious parent issues.
But no one messes with Death. Not even his sons.
Stripped of his powers, Alex is trying to figure out what his father wants from him—all while attempting to resist his increasingly complicated attraction to inn owner Cilla Wainwright. Alex can’t risk anything that resembles feelings…not even when she surprises him with a kiss that unravels him in ways he still can’t figure out.
Because Alex has a job to do.
And it’s starting to look a lot like the next soul he’s supposed to reap…is hers.
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I actually liked this one even more than the first book! Alexiares was such a fun, swoony read with a perfect mix of humor, heat, and heart. A reaper, Alex is the son of Death, and when his dad decides he needs a “lesson in humanity,” he ends up stuck in a small town called Redemption with no powers. It’s here, at the outskirts of town where he meets Cilla, the inn owner who completely throws him off his game.
Cilla is so sweet and definitely the sunshine to Alex’s more grumpy nature. She is really hardworking and worried about losing the bed and breakfast that is so important to her. Cilla has more than one man in her life who has mistreated and disappointed her (they’re both terrible human beings!), and it definitely feels like the odds are against her, especially when Alex learns he’s there to reap her.
I love Alex! Emotionally disconnected and ambivalent about his job, he’s a broody bad-boy on a motorcycle. He is super swoon-worthy, much like his brother Samael, who was the MMC in the first book. By the way, if you read the first book, you’ll love that Samael and Adrianne make a brief appearance in this book.
The romance between Alex and Cilla is filled with chemistry from the start. I wouldn’t say it’s insta-love, but there’s definitely some insta-attraction going on, and it doesn’t take long for their feelings to surface. Theirs is a forbidden romance, and there is a lot standing in their way, but that only heightens the already sizzling chemistry between them.
Overall, I think this is a really great addition to the series, and I can’t wait to read the next one. And though it’s the second in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone. Special thanks to NetGalley and Entangled: Amara for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
- grumpy/sunshine
- forced proximity
- smalltown romance
- found family
- grim reaper
Once upon a time N.J. had the idea that she would like to quit her job at the bookstore, sell everything she owned, leave her hometown, and write romance novels in a place where no one knew her. And she did. Two years later, she went back to the bookstore and her hometown and settled in for another seven years.
One day she gave notice at her job on a Friday morning. On Sunday afternoon, she received a tentative acceptance for her first erotic romance novel and life would never be the same.
N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.
That cover is stunning! I’m really intrigued by the premise of this book/series. I’m definitely adding this to my TBR. Great review!
Thanks, Christina! I hope you enjoy it if you get a chance to read it!
Great review. I’ve got my eye on this one.
Thank you! It was a fun read!