Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Grimm Consequences by Kate SeRine Series: Transplanted Tales #1.5
Published by Kensington Books on April 1, 2014
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 128
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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You reap what you sow...
Saying Nate Grimm has a dark past is an understatement. Fortunately, no one's bothered to look too closely at the Fairytale Management Authority's lead detective and part-time Reaper. And that's the way Nate wants to keep it. For after centuries of torment and loneliness, he's finally found happiness with the hot and hard-charging love of his life, Tess "Red" Little.
Of course, his love for Tess is the reason there's a posse of Reaper judges after him, led by a sadistic bastard acquainted with Nate from once upon a time. Now, Tess will pay the price for Nate's transgressions unless Nate severs his ties to the transplanted Tales--and Tess--forever. His enemy has the advantage in speed, malice and brutality. But the Reapers have underestimated the depth of Nate's love and devotion. And the fury of his wrath. .
My favorite novellas have tended to be set in series where I’ve already read multiple books. It is a great way to tell a story about a side character or expand on some details of some of the current main characters that maybe are only in the author’s head. The Transplanted Tales series takes characters from Fairy Tales and some other literature and throws them into real life here in the real world. It is a little like a show I loved when it came out Once Upon a Time, except they are scattered all over the place and you are just as likely to have characters from Shakespeare as you are to have Little Red Riding Hood.
Grimm Consequences happens a few months after Red in the Transplanted Tales series and is told solely from Nate’s PoV. He has loved Red from afar for so long, now that they are finally together he might have to pay for some of the rules he has broken as a Reaper to save her.
Nate saved Red from dying in the land of Fairy Tales and gave her to Gram to heal. That was so long ago and that moment changed him. It saved him from the heartless unfeeling existence he was living. But he paid a price for that day and has the flames burning into his soul to prove it. He has paid that price a few times since then as he broke rules to interfere and affect Tess Little’s life. But now he knows the Judges are waiting and biding their time to punish him for saving the love of his life; it is just a matter of time.
Someone from Nate’s past is stalking him, waiting in the shadows to strike and Nate needs to be ready to protect not only himself this time but Tess too. He will pay any price for the woman he loves. But, what is it going to cost Tess?
This was a great novella that delved a bit into the world of the Reapers. It gives us a look at Nate’s co-reapers and how one man’s twisted jealousy against Nate might cost him dearly. He is going to have to think quickly and pull out all the Reaper tricks if he is going to save Tess. I liked seeing a bit more of what Reapers can do and meeting a few good and bad to see how Nate’s life became entangled with our Tess Little’s life. Really good expansion into the series.
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Red
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Grimm Consequences
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The Better to See You
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Along Came A Spider
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Ever After
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Better Watch Out (Fall 2022)
Excerpt:
Ruthlessness was one of the defining characteristics of Reapers, one of the reasons we were selected for service in the first place. But even among Reapers, Demetrius was known for his sadism. Most of us went in and did the job we were given. Everyone and everything died eventually. We were just the instrument of that universal truth. But not Demetrius. He relished the killing. He reveled in it. It fed his soul, made him stronger and completely heartless. And I’d nearly followed the same path. Until the day a scheduling snafu had brought me to a patch of woods in Make Believe. Until Tess.
I shifted uncomfortably, my muscles stiff from sitting for so long. At least, that’s what I told myself. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the sins weighing heavily on my soul. Maybe I should’ve been in the AA meeting with Tess and Lavender, facing my demons with everyone else.
Hi, my name is Nate Grimm, and I have a problem—
I laughed out loud in the confines of the car. God, even my name was a lie. I couldn’t even tell the truth about something that basic. How in the hell was I going to tell Tess everything else? The last time I’d tried to come clean, things between us had nearly ended before they got started.
I ran my hand down my face, suddenly weary. I wondered how she’d see me, what she’d think of me, when I finally grew a pair and spilled my guts to her. I imagined the first thing she’d do was clock me. Then she’d probably spit in my face and tell me to go fuck myself. And I couldn’t blame her if she did. If I’d had even a modicum of integrity, I would’ve left her alone, stayed away instead of insinuating myself into her life and becoming an integral part of it. It would serve me right if she left me and never looked back.
As I sat there waiting for the meeting to end, I hardened my heart with resolve, vowing I’d tell Tess everything, share every ugly secret I harbored. And suffer the consequences. Because there was no doubt I’d suffer one way or another.
At that moment, the doors to the cathedral opened and my beautiful Tess emerged into the evening sunlight, breathtaking in her loveliness even from where I was parked across the street toward the back of the lot. She briefly lifted her face to the summer breeze, inhaling deeply, her lips curving into a contented smile. She loved the wind on her face, I knew. I’d seen her lift her face this way on many occasions over the years when she thought I wasn’t looking.
Tess was so afraid to be seen as weak, vulnerable, that few people ever got a chance to glimpse that softer side of her—the side that ached when her friends were hurting, that wept when she’d failed to protect the ones she loved, that would say a few kind words to a woman struggling with her guilt and grief and give her hope on a night when years of being buried in a bottle could no longer numb the pain.
But I saw it all, had witnessed it that day in the woods when I’d seen the depth of her love for her fellow Tales. And I wanted to feel that love, to wrap it around me, immerse myself in its healing warmth. Over the years I’d seen Tess save more lives than I could count. And I prayed that maybe—just maybe—she could save me, too.
My God, she was everything to me. Maybe one day I’d actually deserve her. I sure as shit was going to spend the rest of my days trying.
Blog Tour Giveaway
Enter to win a $25.00 eGift card from the retailer of your choice (Amazon, Apple, B&N or Kobo). Open to anyone who can receive a US eCard from listed merchants. Giveaway ends September 22, 2022.
10-Year Anniversary of the Transplanted Tales Giveaway
Join Kate SeRine’s newsletter for the chance to win a US Amazon eGift Card. Winner will be selected at random from active subscriber list on December 16, 2022.
Enter here: https://www.subscribepage.com/w8n0q1
About Kate SeRine
Kate SeRine (pronounced “serene”) is a hopeless romantic who firmly believes in true love that lasts forever. So it’s no surprise that when she began writing her own stories, Kate vowed her characters would always have a happily ever after. She’s the author of the award-winning TRANSPLANTED TALES paranormal romance series as well as two romantic suspense series: PROTECT AND SERVE and DARK ALLIANCE.
Kate lives in a smallish, quintessentially Midwestern town with her husband and two sons, who share her love of storytelling. She never tires of creating new worlds to share and is even now working on her next project — probably while consuming way too much coffee.
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I love the cover! It perfect for the story! Happy Bookiversary! I love the Transplanted Tales series!
Thanks for sharing it with me and have a spectacular week!
The Cover is very fitting.
Sounds great!
Definitely a fun novella
[…] Books of My Heart (review) […]
Happy 10 Year Anniversary! I love this cover! The book sounds really good! Thanks for sharing an excerpt!
Book Birthdays are fun. I should celebrate more of them I think
I read this one last week and enjoyed the follow up to Red. I always wanted to read this series. I’m glad to finally be reading it.
It is a fun series I really like the concepts
Thank you for your review. Quick question, can I read this novella, without having read Red?
I don’t think it would make much sense without having read Red first. It relies heavily on the the worldbuilding of the first book.
Thank you.
I enjoyed this when it first released and love the new cover. So glad you are enjoying this series Robin.
The cover is cool. Really right up my alley with the concept of the story.
Thank you for taking part in the 10-Year Anniversary. So glad you enjoyed Nate’s tale.
It’s been fun. I’m glad I had time for it.
Wow, this book and series sounds great.
Really a good time if you are a fan of fairytale retellings and you don’t mind if some liberties are taken with characters.
This sounds like an enjoyable read!
Totally a good time in this world.
I’ve only read Red so far in the series, but really do want to get to the rest of the series. I am glad this one is an in-between, then I can catchup quickly!
Have a good weekend!
A good one to get you back into the story and the world for sure.
interesting
Looks liked a great book