Unfortunately I just couldn’t connect with this book which is such a shame because I really loved the premise. Such a great idea for a novel but everything felt a little too sarcastic and the MC was a little TOO sassy.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review. Reviewed on behalf of the Plot Thickens Book Club.

Title: The reluctant Reaper
Author: Mary Jane Davidson
Rating: 4 stars

This is the first book of Mary Jane Davidson’s that I’ve read but it certainly won’t be the last. What a wonderful read. Amara (love the name btw) has a gift, she’s the daughter of the grim reaper after all. She can see when and how people will die, she hates it. Her dad gets sick so she has to take over his reaper duties. Grey her best friend and the only non supernatural person in her life knows about Amara’s abilities and he’s totally fine with it. Amara and Grey spend the book trying to get to the bottom of her father’s illness while also carrying out his duties, a job she never wanted. Their relationship and interactions are great and honestly are what make the book so good. I really hope this isn’t going to be a standalone because I’d love to get to know more of the characters back stories and delve more into this world. This was a fun read with a different take on death, lighthearted and witty with a bit of romance and a mystery woven in.

Amara Morrigan has been running away from the family business for decades. Now she's summoned to the family compound because her father, the Midwestern regional avatar of Death, is sick and she needs to fill in. She and her best friend, Gray (only friends!), head home to eat too much, reap a few souls, and find out just what in Hades is going on.

It's a fun, breezy read that gives just enough underlying psychology for context without miring the plot in angst. Read via NetGalley.

Loved the undead series and this one is just as good, MaryJanice Davidson I can't wait to see what you have next for us

The Reluctant Reaper is a darkly humorous and delightfully quirky take on the supernatural. True to Davidson's signature style, this book introduces a FMC who finds herself in an extraordinary situation and is decidely unenthusiastic about it, leading to plenty of comedic chaos. The story follows a woman who unexpectedly becomes a grim reaper, a role she's completely unprepared for and utterly unwilling to embrace. Her attempts to shirk her new duties, combined with the bizarre world of the afterlife and its inhabitants, provide endless opportunities for laugh out loud moments. Davidson's sharp wit and irreverent tone make the narrative a fast and entertaining read. While it's packed with humor, the book also features a touch of mystery and a unique spin on familiar supernatural concepts. The characters are distince and memorable, and the pacing keeps the story moving briskly. If you're a fan of urban fantasy with a strong comedic bent, a cynical heroine, and a refreshingly unconventional approach to the supernatural, this book is for you!

Amara is the daughter of Death with a capital D. When she is called back home to North Dakota because her father is ill, she reluctantly fills his shoes. Add in a hot guy friend and a mystery, and you've got a story.
Amara is no Queen Betsy, but the story has some of the same sparks of humor.

I have been reading MaryJanice Davidson for years and when i saw this book i couldn't wait until i got my hands on it. This book is absolute brilliance mixed in with Davidson's signature humor, I am hoping this isn't the last time we hear about these characters because oh my god that ending!!!

Received this as an ARC! Thank you!!

I really loved this one! It was a fun combination of folklore, contemporary romance, and a bit of mystery. I loved Amara’s progress into accepting her family business, and I was not expecting the twist.

The Reluctant Reaper is another fantastic MaryJanice Davidson installment! Amara Morrigan is the only living child of Death and Freyja Brunhilde. Graham Gray is Amara’s diehard best friend since day one. They share everything including their hopes, dreams, and fears. When Death mysteriously becomes comatose Amara and Gray travel to the family seat. Amara has to become the interim Reaper while Death is ill. Gray tags along as any BFF would. Gray and Amara will wrap you up in their bubble and carry you away to North Dakota to find out how this plays out. Absolutely unputdownable! Be prepared to read it all in one sitting.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who has read this author before, I mostly knew what I was getting into. But, as a kid who grew up in a south Minneapolis suburb, I had so much fun with the little local references. This was a wonderful story, and even though I’d love if it was the start of a series, it was a great stand alone.
The characters were well written, the story was layered and though it was easy to see where the story was going, it wasn’t necessarily one you could say what was going to happen by chapter two.

If you’re looking for a fun new read, give this one a try.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc

Amara has zero interest in the family business, but is forced into it when her dad, the grim reaper, becomes gravely ill.

With the help of her best friend, her mother, and a host of death gods, she learns the ropes and uncovers a lot of truths about herself and her family.

Overall it’s was a really enjoyable read, there were some relationship aspects that could have been more in-depth, but being a standalone novel there’s enough background that it isn’t feel like rushed instalove. It was a quick, fun, thoughtful read.

This was a fun read. I always enjoy MaryJanice Davidson's dialogue in her novels. There are so many fun references and laugh out loud moments.

In this novel Amara's father is sick and she has to take over his duties of reaping souls. However she wants no part of this job. On top of this she is worried about her best friend aka love of her life, Gray, who is destined to die soon. Gray has had a difficult childhood and he is the only friend who knows about's Amara's secret. Amara must find out what is making her dad sick and find a way to save Gray.

This is a great supernatural and light novel. It reads quickly and it is a unique look at death. There is some romance and lots of witty dialogue.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

Within two pages, I felt like I had stumbled over a dark, sarcastic version of the crew from Four Weddings and a Funeral - in a good way. Humor and relationships between family and characters here was at an all time high and kept me engaged and interested in what would happen next. However, the promise of great spice, was not entirely fulfilled; perhaps it would be smart to put a chili pepper rating for folks - this one would be 1.5. Overall, the coming of age story, set against an incredibly poetic and creatively dark set of individuals worked for me - I would dial up the spice to make this a real hit.

I have been a fan of Mary Janice Davidson for years, and it was so fun to return to one of her worlds! As a Minnesotan, I loved all the Nordic references and Midwest style banter. I found myself laughing out loud several times. It is clear that this is a start to a series, and there is quite a bit of groundwork that needed to be laid before you could get into the plot/conflict. Due to this, it did feel that the ending was a bit rushed. Honestly, I was a little confused by the ending until the main character went back through and explained her reasoning and actions to those around her.

I am very interested to see where the story goes from here.

Although I felt like this story had a bit of a slow start, by the end I was fully invested in our main character and the mystery. I enjoyed the banter between our FMC and MMC, and the modern take on death god folklore. I wish there had been a bit more backstory and build up to the love story element, but overall a fun read.

With a quirky twist on the fantastical, bringing myths of death and reapers from all over the globe into one story - I adored the imagination and heart in this book! I wished it would have gone a little deeper with some of the side characters, and that readers received some insight of the MC’s final plans rather than just being revealed as she reveals it to the cast of characters, but other than that—I just wish it had been longer!

So I have been a fan of the author for years, her writing style and characters are usually hilarious, and you are in for a funny and witty read. So when I saw this new book from her was excited to read it.

The concept of Death retiring and his Daughter Amara Morrigan taking over the family business as the grim reaper, very reluctantly, was a great idea, I thought. I do enjoy her writing style and found myself laughing out loud whilst reading, but I felt the book needed more character development. I did enjoy this book, but I just didn't love it. I found myself trying to like Amara, without success, until halfway through the book. It gives “Little Nicky” vibes to anybody who has seen the film with Adam Sandler. I am sure any fan of the author will enjoy reading this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This started off strong and then kind of plateaued, I unfortunately DNF around 25% - I had a really hard time with the formatting and the general flow of the book. I think this has the potential to be a super cute paranormal romance & I will give it another go when it's published (and hopefully in audio format)

I loved this book and it was a super easy/fast read. However, I don't think the cover matched the vibe of the book at all. I think the cover should be more victorian or witchy.

While I am a huge fan of Ms. Davidson I can’t read this book at the moment. I have had multiple deaths in my family this year and can’t read a book about death right now.