Die For Me –Shirlene Obuobi

Oh my goodness, Die for Me is a fantastic paranormal romance that is firmly tethered to the real world.

Sean is a cardiologist and she’s single and motivated, and uninterested in marriage or kids. She has a found family in her best friend and her goddaughter, and is fulfilled by her work. When she meets Julian, none of that changes, except that she wants space and time with this gorgeous, urbane, wealthy and much younger man – who is a little bit otherworldly. I was so invested in Sean – her work ethic, moral compass – basically what a good person she is and even though I hoped she would find happiness with Julian, his hot-and-cold behaviour was disturbing. Romances promise a happily-ever-after, but in Die for Me the obstacles feel insurmountable, so the ‘how will they get there?’ is almost unbearable. So good!

While Sean is attracted to Julian, she’s unsettled by him: The narrative I keep trying to craft for him has never quite fit, and yet I keep trying to force it to, like if I can predict who he is, I can protect myself from what he is capable of. There are plenty of clues, so it’s no spoiler to say that the real-real Julian is as gorgeous and charismatic and intelligent as he seems, but he’s not entirely … human. Once Sean works that out, the pace ratchets up so I had to keep reading to find out what would happen – can Sean be saved? Can Julian? The ending is mature and soooooo satisfying.

The setting is a hospital in downtown Chicago where ordinary people are busy saving lives. In such a relatable context, I’m haunted by the tense, almost shimmering atmosphere of need that swirls around the main characters. It’s sexy and disturbing, with a sense of dread that permeates everything.

There’s commentary on aging and attractiveness, and a theme about how hard women work to keep what they earn. For Sean, her effort is multiplied as she is both Black and female in a male-dominated profession. I love that even though this romance contains paranormal elements, the problems of the main characters are universal – how we age, how we measure success, what truly matters, and how even in the most romantic setting, we still have to save ourselves. Terrific!

Thank you so much Shirlene Obuobi and Quercus Books for the ARC. Opinions are all my own.