Gabriel's Hope by Lizzy Ford

Finally, a romance novel that focuses on character development and conflict instead of constant, graphic sex and easy solutions to problems. The main female protagonist, Deidre, has a very literal fatal flaw-- an inoperable brain tumor-- that even immortal deities like Death can't heal, remove, or otherwise cure. It is refreshing to break from the pattern of "I have this horrible problem smut suddenly I find my mate and I'm cured and suddenly super-powered!" that a lot of romance novels espouse. Instead, Deidre turns down Gabriel's offers of a civil arrangement instead of whirling romance, she waffles between the hope of surviving cancer and ending it all. She and Gabriel have an actual adult conversation about making a relationship work and the steps to achieve it. Most romance novels don't have that, instead going from a night of steamy sex to immediate, deep love. I enjoyed the conflict between them, as well as the issues they were dealing with on their own time (hello, the Grim Reaper sucking at his job and not being able to usher souls to the underworld? That's a problem). The characters are dynamic, interesting, and multidimensional. And for once, a romance novel that does not end with a happy ending!-- but one hell of a cliffhanger all the same. I may just pony up the funds for the second book soon.



Rated 4 stars on Goodreads