As a longtime fan of MaryJanice Davidson, I was excited to dive into The Reluctant Reaper. The opening is fun and punchy, very reminiscent of her Undead series, which I loved for its humor and quirky characters. The premise is original: Amara Morrigan is the reluctant heir to the family business… except her dad is Death himself. With a sharp sense of timing (literally,she knows when people are going to die), Amara’s life is far from normal. The setup is promising, and there are great moments of wit and warmth, especially in her dynamic with Gray, the charming best friend.
That said, while the beginning hooked me, the story didn’t quite keep the same energy all the way through. Some pacing issues and worldbuilding elements felt a bit rushed or underdeveloped. Still, it’s an entertaining read with heart, and fans of Davidson’s signature style will find familiar charm here.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publishing house for the chance to read this book in advance in exchange of my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC of The Reluctant Reaper.

This had such a strong premise—Death’s daughter refusing the family business? I was in. The opening chapters had the right mix of wit and set-up, and I liked the take on gods, grief, and legacy. Amara is a sharp, dry-humoured protagonist, and Gray, her best friend, brings warmth to the story in a way that balances her cynicism.

That said, the pacing was inconsistent. Some scenes felt unfinished, and the plot lost momentum in places, especially around the middle. The switch in POV near the end was jarring, and while the dialogue had its moments, it often overshadowed character growth. The romance leaned heavily on banter without much build-up, and I found it hard to invest in the relationship as more than a subplot.

This wasn’t a miss—it just didn’t hit as hard as I’d hoped. Still, it’s a light, original read with a creative spin on death lore. Would recommend to readers looking for a low-stakes paranormal romcom with a quirky voice.

This was a cute easy read romance. I enjoyed the different twist of it. Characters are easy to picture and understand. I enjoyed the writing style finding it in any and gripping to want to continue reading.

This romantacy novel is so intriguing and really captured my attention right from the beginning! It is medium paced, character driven and has a diverse cast of characters! It came with a clear thesis, no plot holes and a strong female main character. It is well written, engaging, thought provoking, action packed, and is easy to read. I loved the main characters and the side characters of this story! This is a contemporary paranormal romance, who are friends that become lovers. I was very grateful that there was not a third act breakup. This is full of mystery and has dark, tense vibes to it, I found this book to be very fun to read and left me feeling lighthearted! The cover is just to die for, pun intended!

“The Reluctant Reaper” is about a girl named Amara who inherits the role of a grim reaper from her father. She does not want the job and refuses to accept it. Growing up from her childhood, she was able to sense when their final moment is with anyone she meets. She has a best friend named Gray, who knows the real her and accepts her for who she truly is. With her father dying, she must accept the role of being a grim reaper. However, she only wants to do this temporarily! This story was a lot of fun! I rate this a 4 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, author MaryJanice Davidson and Blackstone Publishing for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I think anyone that is looking for a fun paranormal romance would like to read this book! This gave me the movie “Little Nicky” vibes. Content warnings include death and grief.

This book is expected to be published on November 11, 2025!

Amara is set to inherit the role of Grim Reaper from heir ailing father. Knowing when people will die has always bothered her and it is not a role she wants to assume. Her best friend, Gray, finds the whole thing to be fascinating and together they return to Amara’s childhood home to find out what, or who, is causing her father’s ailment.

I am a fan of MaryJanice Davidson’s Queen Betsy series so I was excited to see she had a new novel coming out. The premise also sounded really interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and the plot.

However, I didn’t quite connect with the characters and I got lost in the plethora of side characters that were introduced. I initially liked the banter between Amara and Gray, but it started to feel like that was all the book became about. I paused my reading of it for a couple of days and then struggled to pick it back up. Once I finally finished it, my overall thoughts were that it was perfectly fine but I just didn’t connect with it.

Let me preface this with, I LOVE MARYJANICE DAVIDSON! I have yet to find a book of hers that I haven't loved and devoured. When I saw this ARC available I knew I had to do everything in my power to try and get a copy.....when I got the email notifying me that I had been approved I did the biggest happy dance!

Now, onto the book itself. The first copy I received had some super crazy formatting for reading on kindle but I was able to reach out to support and let them notify the publisher and within the next 24 hours I redownloaded the copy and it was 100% perfect.

The story has us follow Amara and (Graham) Gray, her best friend that she refuses to admit she has feelings for. Amara is dead (see what I did there?) set against taking over her birthright of becoming...you guessed it, Death. AKA the Grim Reaper. Oddly enough Gray knows all about who she really is and follows her around being a loyal friend anyways. In fact, he finds it fascinating; which really just adds to the delight of reading about their *holy cow obvious I love you and want to scream it from the rooftops* friendship.

Honestly, the whole book is their relationship, and their interactions. Of course we do have a mystery to solve of what, or who is making death die. There are so many great giggle worthy scenes in this book. And I'm talking, full blown feet kicking giggle fest! My favorite would probably have to be comparing La Croix to Beetlejuice....but that's all I'm going to say so I don't spoil anything!

I can't wait to see if we will get to follow Amara and Gray on any additional adventures in the future, I truly hope we do because they have something special. Along with the other Death Gods in this book, it's a fun cast of characters with lots of laughs, a little mystery, and a whole bunch of love.

I can't thank the publisher and NetGalley enough for allowing me the opportunity to read this book early from one of my favorite authors. So if you're curious if you need to read this book? The answer is simple.

YES. YES YOU DO. GO PRE-ORDER IT NOW!

This book is a wonderfully engaging read, largely due to its smart-arse main character, Amara Morrigan. As the daughter of Death, Amara navigates her extraordinary circumstances with a distinctive and often sarcastic wit. Amara's humour stems from her cynical outlook and her dry observations of both the mundane (like her ridiculous former boss) and the bizarrely divine (like death gods bickering or replacing hellhounds with wieners).
Her ability to deliver sharp retorts and maintain a weary, deadpan composure while dealing with family, friends, and ancient deities makes her a truly cool protagonist. Amara isn't just funny in a detached way; her humour often serves as a shield or a coping mechanism for the heavy realities she faces, including the details of people's impending deaths. The book successfully balances its darker themes with this pervasive, smart-arse humour, creating a captivating and highly entertaining experience centered around its reluctantly witty lead.

I’ve been a big fan of MaryJanice Davidson’s lighthearted paranormal books for absolutely years - I must have still been a teenager when I first read Undead and Unwed! This new series, though, isn’t off to quite such a promising start. The Reluctant Reaper read, to me, like it was still in the drafting stage - it’s full of very choppy scenes that start and stop very abruptly and the pacing is super weird. There are POV switches that come out of nowhere, including a random switch to the love interest right near the end of the book even though this isn’t a dual POV romance, and overall it just felt a little disjointed, like a collection of scenes about the concept of modern day death gods. Fun and lighthearted, yes. As good as previous series, no.

Firstly, I would like to thank Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC copy. “The Reluctant Reaper” by MaryJanice Davidson immediately captured my attention from the blurb, because, of course, who can resist a Death/Grim Reaper story? The main character, Amara, is hilarious, unapologetic, and a lot of fun. She and her best friend Gray, venture home to North Dakota to help solve the mystery behind her father’s mysterious coma. This was a quick, fun read that I absolutely recommend!

It was a nice light hearted read about Death. I would definitely read again as a comfort read. The pacing was okay but it got a bit confusing because 10 chapters from the end for one chapter it was MMC POV.

Also this book has yet to be added on GoodReads nor can I leave a review on Amazon.

"Reluctant Reaper," written by New York Times bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson and published by Blackstone Publishing, is a whimsical blend of humor, mystery, and romance.

Amara, Death’s daughter, loves her father but refuses to inherit his role as a reaper when the time comes. Fortunately, she’s not facing this challenge alone—her best friend, Gray, has always been by her side, through both hardships and triumphs. As her father lies in a coma, Gray insists on accompanying her, ready to tackle whatever obstacles lie ahead together.

Soon, Amara realizes there’s more at play than meets the eye. A mystery begins to unfold, forcing her to confront difficult choices. The pieces simply aren’t fitting together.

Beyond solving the mystery, Amara must also confront her feelings for Gray. Is he just her unwavering best friend, or could their bond evolve into something more? Should she embrace a romantic relationship, or preserve their deep friendship as it is?

This stand-alone novel delivers a short and sweet story with a happily-ever-after ending. However, a longer length could have allowed for more thorough world-building, enriching the narrative and making it even stronger.

While enjoyable, the book’s brevity limits its depth, leading me to award it 4 stars.

A heartfelt thank you to Blackstone Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

TL/DR: Did you read the synopsis? Yes, great! No, well you should. If you liked the synopsis the book is one I definitely recommend and will probably purchase for my trophy shelf. That should tell you all you need to know.

I had so much fun reading this book. The beginning had me laughing out loud. Ok, so if you like your mythology or folklore pure, this probably isn’t your thing. For example, Persephone and Hades, now go by Penny and Hank. At least they kept the P and H. Almost everyone, besides Death, has a different name, though some are referred to by their name in mythology and then their nickname.

Now Amara is the FMC and I loved her from the moment we meet her. She is snarky and unapologetic and only her best friend Gray, knows that she is Death’s daughter. They have been best friends for years, despite the fact that Amara knows when and how a person is going to die.

Gray, the MMC, is pretty much the complete opposite of Amara and yet they complement each other perfectly. Even better, he pretty much rolls with any of Amaras “death shenanigans” as he calls them, even when he joins her on a trip home. That alone is worth the read. The food alone!

I will say that this book took a turn I wasn’t expecting, especially with how it started, but I wasn’t mad about it. In fact, this book had me laughing out loud more than once and confused and frustrated the next, mostly for Amara and her mom. I will say I was very satisfied with the ending, in more ways than one.

I would say this is a pretty quick read, but I also couldn’t put it down once I started it. I definitely recommend this one. I would like to thank MaryJanice Davidson, Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this book. My review is voluntary and as always all opinions are my own. Happy reading!

#StrongFMC #SnarkyFMC #SunshineMMC #Paranormal #AnOddSenseOfFoundFamily #Fantasy #ANewTwistOnDeathGods #NewHellhoundsInTown #ContemporaryFantasy #ContemporaryParanormal #DeathLivesWhere #FairyTaleFantasy #FolkloreFantasy #Romantasy #ATwistOnDeath #ATwistOnMythology

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for giving me an ARC of this book. This book has such an interest premise, Amara is the daughter of the Grim Reaper aka Death, who becomes ill, and Amara needs to return home and fill in for him. Amara’s bestie is Gray, and we all want a bestie like Gray! Their friendship is what I loved most about the book, and it really is the book in my humble opinion. The mystery surrounding Death’s illness, the hints dropped and then explained… it’s a fun read! I am hoping some formatting and editing happens before release, I’d say some polishing would be beneficial, but that’s why its an ARC and not released yet!

I was excited to see a new book from MaryJanice Davidson. Fans of her Queen Betsy series will love Amara. I hope this is only the first in a new series.

The Reluctant Reaper by MaryJanice Davidson @MaryJaniceDavidson.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book about Amara & Gray! Tropes: Contemporary Paranormal, Death Gods, Friends to Lovers, Fade to Black, Light Mystery, No 3rd Act Break Up & HEA!

I really enjoyed this. Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone publishing for the opportunity

I do feel the formatting could of been improved (but maybe that will be done before release).

Amara is Deaths heir, in line to inherit the family business which she does not want. Amara like the other Death gods also knows by one look at a person the details of their demise.

Gray is her best (and only) friend and when he finds out Amaras is going home, he goes becuase he would never leave her to face this alone.

Their friendship is the backbone of the book. Whatever Amara needs, Grays is there, who's going to indulge all Grays questions and quirks.... Amara.

"I'd endure any amount of awkward with you"

This book gave me Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot vibes with the mystery surrounding Deaths illness.

Though there are still plenty of surprises and odd entertaining characters... I am all for Dachshund hellhounds.

Thank you to netgalley, MaryJanice Davidson, and Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. I thought the concepts was super interesting and unique, and had a lot of potential. However, I felt that it needed a lot of editing. The writing was hard to follow, it all seemed to blend together, and I had a hard time knowing what was happening. Better formatting could have helped some to make it more clear. I found it confusing. I did not enjoy the writing style, and it felt rushed.

I was super excited for this arc. I loved Davidson’s Undead and Unwed series, so I ran to request this. The premise sounds amazing but I can’t read it. The writing is so disjointed. It seems like everything is a stream of consciousness. I don’t know who’s talking, where they are at. In the middle of one scenario, it goes into a small exchange that happened with a landlord years ago. It all just doesn’t make sense. I’m sorry but it’s unreadable. The characters dialogue is strange and not well wrote. I’m just all around confused, which makes me sad since again I loved Undead and Unwed. Unfortunately this book needs to go back for some major editing. Hopefully it gets the help it deserves and turns out great. DNFed.
Thank you for the arc.

I loved The Reluctant Reaper from the first page. Amara is sassy and quippy in a way I really appreciated. The story did an amazing job of dropping clues and then later revealing what was going on in a way that felt earned. (Why does Amara work these crappy jobs? Ohhhhh, that’s why. Wait, what happened with Gray’s parents? Ohhhh, that’s what happened.)

The primary story is about how Amara doesn’t want to take over her father’s job as Death. She has experienced a lot of trauma throughout her life by having the gifts of a death god. But when her father falls ill, she has to go home and fill in for him. She faces her trauma and reluctances, all along side her best friend Gray. Gray is the most charming guy. I truly love Gray and want a best friend just like him.

I appreciated all the characters in the book, and how the author handled mythology. There are a bunch of different death gods from different pantheons in the book and their characteristics and dramatics really make the book.

I was not sure how the book was going to resolve: who was going to die and who was going to live? Being unsure until the last second made the payoff good. The only negative statement I have on the novel was that it was obvious who the villain was.

I was sucked into this book and did that thing where I stayed up half the night to finish it just because I wanted to know how it was going to end. I’m one of those “five stars if it entertained me” kind of people. Five stars. It entertained me.

This was okay, but I think it could have been done a lot better. I loved the storyline and concept, but I really needed more tension for the friends-to-lovers to work.