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Review: Grim Tidings

Grim Tidings Grim Tidings by B.K. Borison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The story about a Grim Reaper and a Guardian Angel falling in love sounds campy and trite. It sounds like it's going to be full of stereotypes. But it couldn't be farther from this. What really sold this for me was an interview I read about regarding where B.K. Borison came up with the idea. She mentioned it was an idea that had been floating around in her own life. Her husband works in palliative care dealing with terminally ill patients. She wrote about watching him grieve people he barely had time to meet. What if death got tired of dealing with their job, just like her husband?

Darcy, a Grim Reaper, has spent a century collecting souls and is exhausted by the constant presence of death. Gabriel has devoted his existence to protecting human lives as a Guardian Angel. When Darcy's newest assignment brings her into Gabriel's orbit, he immediately sees her as the exact opposite of everything he stands for. But Darcy wants something she has never really allowed herself: to experience life. Their reluctant arrangement, including a list of very human things Darcy wants to try, slowly forces them both to reconsider what their roles actually mean.

I loved Darcy. There is something incredibly endearing about a powerful reaper dressed in black who carries a scythe but also wants sunsets, pumpkin carving, baking, and a rescued dog. Gabriel's devotion to protecting people makes him a great counterpoint, and their relationship eventually becomes surprisingly tender.

The discussion of death was also handled with much more warmth than I expected. Rather than treating death only as tragedy, the story explores it as rest, transition, grief, and sometimes reunion.

My main issue was the speed of parts of the romance. Gabriel shifts from openly hostile to much softer fairly quickly, and I would have enjoyed more time in that transition. Darcy's magic also felt somewhat undefined.

But emotionally, this really worked for me. I love B.K. Borison's stories. They immediately pull you in and ground you in the character and setting. I find them hard to put down, and they stay with me long after I close the book. This one was no exception. It's a great one for fall with all the autumn, Halloween, and pumpkin spice vibes you need.

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