Book Review: Balance In Death by Francesca Vance

Death can’t save everyone

Cole Mackensie knows when a soul calls, he’s duty bound to answer. He must do what he was created to do. Reap. The loss of such small lives leaves him emotionally raw, he seeks out a woman to purge himself with. He knows he can’t have his happily-ever-after, but who knows, maybe he can have his happy-right-now.

Cole knows better than to get attached to humans, especially Ava. She is fragile, breakable, and his good friend’s daughter. No one else puts him in his place quite like her. Stubborn and shy, she turns Death himself inside out, but he knows she would eventually want marriage, children and a mate to grow old with. None of which he could give her, but this knowledge does not stop him from craving her.

When she calls out to him one last time, his world gets turned upside down. Torn between what he must do as a Reaper and the desire for revenge as a man, Cole knows the choice isn’t easily made. And the single fact haunts him that neither action changes anything. The monsters are real, and he has to face the reality that even he can’t save everyone.

—

I don’t normally read novellas when they’re not a part of a series I’ve read, but this one was surprisingly good.

Following Cole, a Reaper, we are able to see some politics where supernatural beings are concerned. He owns a bar that allows both humans and ‘supes’ to frequent. I found that aspect really interesting.

A portion of this novel was really steamy and pretty much a romance and then the next part was some sort of murder mystery. I’m not normally into that, but I loved it. A lot.

The only thing that I would change would be that I wanted more. Hence the docked star. I feel like if this was fleshed out to be a full novel rather than novellas, it would be more enjoyable. But besides that, I really enjoyed reading this one.

I loved Cole’s character. He was really fleshed out and you got to know quite a bit about him during the novel.

I would love to read more about Maria and Darius. How they met and got together seems like it would be a really good story.