In her acknowledgements the author refers to MMatAoD as “this odd little book that fit nowhere.” It is odd. An allegorical tale using celestial beings, metaphysics, and a grumpy-clueless pairing to study the concept of being alive versus living a full life. Variations on themes regarding vulnerable and neglected children run throughout the narrative without losing its overall buoyant, absurdist tone. It’s a farce tackling serious, sometimes disturbing subjects.

It’s quirky and charming and distinctive. Remembering that Maria Vale is a medievalist should also help readers recognize her nod to epic tales with pivotal refrains. Readers will likely fall into one of two categories: absolute enjoyment or complete befuddlement. MMatAoD inhabits space in the speculative universe populated by Lilith Saintcrow, early Katie MacAlister, N.K. Jemisin in terms of instantaneous altered reality, the Star Trek: The Next Generation character of Data, and the movies, City of Angels and Meet Joe Black.

Occasional mid-scene shifts in points of view don’t dilute the power of this unconventional love story.

For Maria Vale fans, approaching MMatAoD as its own unique work without preconceived expectations (beyond excellent storytelling) and allowing time for the initial chapters to establish the world-building parameters and language shifts should maximize enjoyment of this fresh take on the risks, rewards, and consequences of human foibles and audacity.

[note: Readers who are sensitive to oblique references to sexual exploitation and abuse may want to consider their possible impact.]

DNF at 72%.

I wanted to like this story so hard but it’s an odd one and no mistake. Here we have a sort-of-romance, sort-of-paranormal drama featuring Azrael, commonly known as Death, and Molly Molloy, the human woman he accidentally leaves alive. Initially ‘Dee’ attempts to fix his mistake by convincing Molly to give up on her life, only to fall gradually and deeply in love with her. Molly, meanwhile, can’t help but be drawn into the orbit of this strange, awkward, endearing not-really-a-man, who has learnt all his human culture from old magazines and the final moments of the dying.

There are some honest to goodness lovely moments - like when they try to go to the movies together, or when Dee stops time to let Molly (who works two jobs) get a good night’s sleep. I’m a sucker for any story where a person learns to love for the first time, and Dee is a lonely, touch starved person who really wants to be seen for himself. I mean, that’s my catnip right there.

But there are some weird choices: the hard-to-understand cosmology, which reminded me of The Good Place; the decision to completely isolate Molly from any human relationships (she couldn’t even have a friend?!); Dee’s self-made magical penis; and - most of all, the thing that made me DNF - the surprise unwanted pregnancy. This is a trope that I hate anyway but here? It’s extra icky because Molly has been told it’s physiologically impossible and convinced not to use a condom as a result. Even if Death acted on this in good faith, I can’t get on board with the authorial decision. I started to feel increasingly leery of the ending and how everything was going to resolve, since Death and Molly can’t be together in any meaningful HEA. Maria Vale has been clear that this isn’t a romance in that respect. I decided to put it aside, knowing it was going to give diminishing returns.

CWs: death (a lot of it on page), including death of a woman from sexual violence and the death of a child from burns; suicide (of a past lover, described); death of parents in a car accident (described); death of grandparents (described); unprotected sex; descriptions of body modifications, including creation of a functioning penis.

Molly Molloy and the Angel of Death

It was supposed to be an easy task for Death, a day like any other until he made a mistake! This mistake was one “Molly Molloy”. Molly was scheduled to die by chicken wing yet that didn’t happen.
The Custodes are not impressed by Death’s lack of Obedience as Molly is sure to cause trouble. Death will soon realize that Molly is not a mistake but a miracle.

Things I Liked:
Molly is a well-developed character with true substance. She is relatable.
A personification of Death that I have never read about before. I enjoyed his silly quirks, vulnerability, humanity.
The friendship and romance flows naturally and is not forced.

What Could Have Been Improved:
The Latin and religious scripts were confusing at times and overused. The story could have flowed just as easily without their repetition.

Some of the descriptive imagery was difficult for me to envision although it was imaginative.

Final Thoughts:
This is a most peculiar, unique love story between Death and Molly. Quite intriguing with heartfelt characters. It takes the idea of free will and morality into question and the possibilities that await us if we hold onto hope and allow change into our lives.

A heartwarming love story between two unlikely individuals. Molly has wit and a sharp tongue while Azrael/Dee is so sweet and naive. The story provided so many beautiful moments between these two and other supporting characters, as well as some unexpected tearjerker moments (especially involving music boxes and radish salads).

While Dee’s ignorance felt a bit annoying at times, he was like a lovable puppy, you just had to let it slide.

My only critique are the moments with the ethereal Custodes. While I understand and appreciate the concept and language, the overall writing in their plot sections was so jumbled and confusing. Some passages were so nonsensical, I felt like I was having a stroke reading them and had to re-read multiple times hoping for clarity. It didn’t always come. The further in to the story the better it got, but you need to wade through so much in the beginning. Readers be warned, it starts a bit confusing but ultimately makes sense and is worth it for the main plot love story!

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for my advanced copy. My review has been shared on GoodReads and Barnes & Noble. It will also be shared on Amazon when available.

Molly Molloy and the Angel of Death is an adorable story of love, life, and death. The Angel of Death makes a mistake when he takes the life of Molly's grandmother instead of her. As he tries to correct his error he and Molly become friends and he learns a lot about the complexities of life.

This story was cute and campy and I really loved it. There were several times I laughed out loud at the way Death interacted with the living. I do agree with other reviewers that some of the writing was confusing and difficult to read.

If you like cute and campy romance with a little bit of grit, I would recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book for my honest review.

Molly Molloy and the Angel of Death just wasn’t for me.

I guess I was looking for a light hearted love story with a unique theme. I liked the idea of death falling in love, however, I personally just found the theme of mortality too heavy, made even more depressing by the quirkiness.

Furthermore, I agree with other reviewers that the language was somewhat odd and terminology confusing, seemingly without explanation.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Occasionally, I will stumble across a book that I was not expecting. That I did not know I needed. That before I knew it existed, my life was a little bit incomplete and yet I did not know it.

This is that occasion, and this is that book.

Summary (no spoilers)

When a long series of events involving a jelly donut and a chicken wing result in Death accidentally taking the wrong soul, his eons long existence flitting between frozen moments in time is forever altered by the most unlikely heroine; TaaTaas! waitress and walking tragedy, Molly Molloy.
Death has always followed Molly Molloy, but neither of them knew it. Now, fully aware of each other and the histories they share and do not, a love is sparked, a lifetime lived and an empty chest manifests a heart.

50% Good Omens, 35% Meet Joe Black and 15% anything by V.E. Schwab, this beautiful story is as bitter as it is sweet, poignant as it is light.

The character of Death (or "Dee", as our tragic heroine dubs him) is beautifully awkward and hilariously inept even after millions of years of existence. His delight in the world moving around him would make even the moist stoic of readers grin. Molly Molloy's heroine is such a force. I loved her so much. She was everything I've wanted other YA fantasy heroines to be. She's so real, from her brown hair to the stretch marks over her hips. We all have a Molly Molloy in our lives and we love her for her strength, pity her for her backstory and envy her ability to handle it all with grace.

This story would work in no one else's voice but Maria Vale's. Her whimsical style and descriptions flow so easily so as to make the reader just accept the odd and weird as normal and just RIGHT for this world and Molly and Death's story.

I loved this book so much. From the characters to the writing to the feeling in my heart when it was over, it was a bit like life; beautiful, a times heartbreaking, but oh so worth it and so worth sharing.

This was my first ARC from NetGalley, and I am really glad that I started off with such an enjoyable one! Thank you to Maria Vale, the publisher, and NetGalley for letting me read this book.

I really liked the premise of the book- Death, who in this adaptation is simultaneously jaded by humanity and wholly innocent to it, accidentally takes the wrong soul to the afterlife after a mistake with a chicken wing. Molly Molloy, the woman who was supposed to die, can now see Death- and is very uninterested in letting her soul be reaped to fix his administrative mistake.

Maria Vale says that while this is a love story it isn’t necessarily a romance, and that’s definitely true in the story. The love story is definitely present, but the novel is more of a study of human nature- grief, and the ability to keep loving even after being hurt deeply. Through the book doesn’t shy away from some pretty intense content (I can give content warnings after the book is released to avoid spoilers!) it is also intensely funny, with a humor that is a bit reminiscent of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens.

I liked this book, but didn’t love it. That’s not the book’s fault. It’s well-written and I was happy I read it, but some of the plot twists included tropes I personally don’t love. It was, however, done very well, and I definitely think it should be on the TBRs of people who want a funny, sincere, and unique take on the Death/mortal lover trope.

ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Maria Vale. I appreciate receiving a advance copy of this book for an honest review.

Although I was really hoping to enjoy this book, I felt as though I struggled to get through. I am typically not a person who DNFs a book, however, this book unfortunately was DNF'd. Throughout the book it felt as though the writer expected the reader to understand the background and content that they were trying portray without fully explaining. I personally found that it was difficult to follow along and understand what was trying to be communicated through the writing.

Hands down this is my favourite book so far this year. Such a fresh premise that slowly meanders allowing the reader to truly grow to care for these characters.
When Death makes a mistake it alters his reality as he finds his very existence becoming entwined with Molly who is definitely a lady who takes no prisoners !
This is a story of love and the author makes it funny, poignant, a little heartbreaking and most of all for this reader a story I will remember. The concepts surrounding humanity and the angels who are present in past, present and future was certainly unique with speech idioms that undoubtedly would give a sane person a headache ! However it didn't stop my love of these two characters and as much as I dreaded the end I do feel this story was beautiful in that it reminds us that life and love isn't always about the big things but a multitude of small everyday things that add up .
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Tropes in this book: pregnancy, soulmate

The description for this book sounded really interesting but it fell so flat. If I hadn’t received an arc of this book, I would’ve dnfed it.

Two things I disliked: the worldbuilding and the writing style. It’s like the author expects you to know exactly what’s going on in this fake world from her head without having to explain any of it. The only way it would make sense, is if there’s biblical references that I just didn’t understand.
As for the writing style, the Custodes (angels?) speak in past, present, and future tense in the same sentence, and also use made up words that are never explained. Some sentences are the lengths of full paragraphs, and there’s a lot of unnecessary information.

Two things that were okay: the plot had potential (but was never executed) and the characters had personality. About 30% through, I did start to feel sorry for the mc’s.

Overall, try to read the first 20 pages. If that’s painful, dnf it because it doesn’t get better. This felt like a weird “alien gets thrown into Earth” story rather than a “Death falls in love” story.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an eARC for an honest review.

Molly Malloy and the Angel of Death is simply brilliant. It's funny, thought provoking, and absolutely beautiful. The book flows so smoothly, with the perfect pacing for a quick read, and the characters are written with such realistic humanity that I could not put this down. This novel celebrates the mundane and encourages you to embrace change, all while teaching you to treat every moment, big and small, as the adventure it is.

I agree with another reviewer; this seriously made me question my grasp of the English language. Overall, it’s a sweet love story, but parts of it were clunky and hard to read. I like the idea, but would have appreciated a warning for the pregnancy body horror.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

When death make mistake, take wrong soul and face with Molly, the girl who refuse to die. Molly challange Death, questioning everything that make Death think all over what he does. Molly make Death curious. What happend after curious appear? Love happend. I laugh in every awkward moment, here Death like child, pure, only thing one way, dont know what is joke, dont have feeling. On the other side there is sadness too, heavy grief.

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#MolllyMolloyandtheAngelofDeath #MariaVale #WildandAshLLC #ARCProvidedbyVictoryEditing #VictoryEditing #NetGalley #NetGalleyCoop #ARC

great use of the Angel of Death, I loved the concept and thought it was really well executed. Maria Vale does a great job in telling a love story and I was hooked from the first page. Maria Vale has a great writing style and the characters were really well done.

“You. Do. Not. Break. Into. My. Apartment!” Molly shouted. He fumbled for the box of cereal and still-open carton of milk that splashed as she shoved it into his arms. Then she slammed the door closed with her back and turned the deadbolt. “I didn’t break in,” he called through the door. “I just showed up.”