Love You to Death

I’ve been a fan of Jenna Levine since the beginning; an ARC of her debut novel was all it took. I adored her full My Vampires series, and I’ve been excited for her newest (and first vampire-less!) paranormal romance, Love You to Death. Instead of immortal fanged beings, this one’s love interest is a literal (not Grim) Reaper.

Daniel died 135 years ago, but instead of going to Hell, he was offered a job to collect souls as a Reaper. Now he’s here to collect Lucy’s soul, but at only 28 years old, she’s not ready to go. She strikes a deal that his superiors miraculously agree to, with their own caveats: They’ll extend her life by eight weeks if she’ll permit Daniel to collect information about her and humans more widely. But with all this forced proximity, Lucy and Daniel fall for each other, even though her life is rapidly ticking down. How can they ever have a future together (and alive)?

What I Liked:

Opposites attract. This is a true grumpy/sunshine romance. Daniel is a Reaper, though not Grim, as he’s quick to clarify. Regardless, after 135 years collecting souls and experiencing obvious workplace burnout, Daniel is a little closed off and gloomy when he meets Lucy. She’s a vibrant ray of light with a penchant for brief but passionate hobbies/careers. She has so much life in her and, at the very least, wants to live long enough to see her little sister get married in six weeks.
What it means to be human. This is a novel about death, but more than that, it’s about what it means to live a full life. What makes life meaningful? What is it to be human? That’s what Daniel’s employers want to find out when they agree to extend Lucy’s life by eight weeks. But they don’t even know what questions to ask, and Lucy must prove that humans and life are so much more nuanced and messy and worthwhile.
Light and funny even with bigger stakes. This author is known for her humor and lightness, and that’s still true in Love You to Death. Her books also always come with a little bit of danger, usually in a campy and silly style. Here the stakes feel bigger–death is pretty final, and based on what Daniel’s experienced, the afterlife is no joke, either. Lucy and Daniel are up against something that no one can escape forever. So how can she get a longer life? What will ultimately happen to Daniel? Big as those questions are, the journey is still fun and often hilarious.
Little nod to My Roommate Is a Vampire. I see what you did there! This is close to the end of the book, but it’s nice to know the Frederick and Cassie are doing well.

Final Thoughts

Four books in, and Jenna Levine keeps proving how perfectly she can craft a funny, lighthearted paranormal romance with real stakes and deeper emotions. Love You to Death is a captivating novel from the beginning to the end, and I fell in love with these characters. This novel is perfect for autumn, for wedding season, or really for any time of year. I adored it and can’t wait for Jenna Levine’s next book.

Special thanks to Penguin Random House, Berkley, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Love You to Death here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Love You to Death by Jenna Levine
Audience	Adult
Genre	Paranormal Romance
Setting	Tennessee
Number of Pages	352
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	October 13, 2026
Publisher	Berkley

Official Summary

A jaded grim reaper and a woman who wants another chance at life give ‘til death do us part a new meaning in this paranormal romance from bestselling author Jenna Levine.

Lucy McKenzie’s life has always been a disaster. So it should come as no surprise when one day she’s hit by an inconveniently-timed bus—and dies. Unfortunately for the handsome grim reaper who shows up to take her to the afterlife, Lucy is not about to go quietly.

Daniel is tired of his job collecting souls. While working for the Agency beats the heck out of going to Hell, he’s been doing this for literal ages. The drudgery has him yearning for more. Touched by Lucy’s plea for more time on earth, he convinces the Agency to make a deal: Lucy can have six more weeks of life if Daniel can observe her and report back on humanity.

But as Lucy and Daniel navigate the chaos of life and afterlife together, they discover that a second chance at living might be their real chance at love.

About the Author

Credit: Gabriel Prusak

By day, Jenna Levine works to increase access to affordable housing in the American South. By night, she’s the USA Today-bestselling author of humorous paranormal romances where the characters always find love, no matter who (or what) they are. When Jenna isn’t writing she can be found starting knitting projects she probably won’t finish, imagining she is hiking somewhere beautiful, or spending time with her family and small army of cats.