4⭐️ A stunning and heartfelt contemporary paranormal romance that explores the raw emotion of family, love, life & death

Firstly, thank you so much for HQ for sending me a copy of The Dead Romantics and having me as part of their Blog Tour for this wonderful book😍😍

I was excited for this book ever since I first saw it on Goodreads and it definitely lived up to my expectations! It was really beautifully written and felt so raw and real when it came to it’s depiction of love and loss, the different types of love and loss and all the different ways the two can intertwine and affect a person. I loved the cooky and cozy small town setting as well as the inclusion of LGBTQIA representation but I especially loved the concept of a Ghost Writer who sees ghosts and ends up with a ghost editor and the other ghostly goings on that were so cleverly done but I won’t spoil it! (Although I will say there was a twist or two that came completely unexpectedly for me and usually I always guess twists!)

Basically this was a gem of a book and I would definitely recommend it this spooky season with a side note that I sobbed so hard I couldn’t breath so to have tissues ready! I also have a sneaking suspicion this book belongs with The Love Hypothesis and Go Hex Yourself on my ‘Reylo’ shelf🤣

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!

Yes, I did have to shout that out, this book has everything; love, laugh-out-loud moments, lots of emotion, a unique story, lots of humour, relatable and very likeable characters and a handsome ghost – what more could you want?

When I read this in July I had found myself in a bit of a reading slump, I had read so much before that all with different genres, and I was finding it hard to find a new book which held my interest, things were going in the private life and I needed something light and fun and this was just the thing needed to lift my spirits.

Florence is a fabulous character, from the first moment we meet her she appealed to me with her sense of humour, her inner turmoil, and her incredibly funny silent dialogue with herself she made me laugh and made me weep for her. I loved how she developed across the story, she grows and matures before your eyes and it’s a delight watching her discover and learn, especially what she learns about herself, which I thought was very touching and poignant and something we can all relate to.

The story is essentially about dealing with grief, allowing love in your life and finding your way through the most distressing and emotional time in your life all with huge amounts of humour thrown in to break up the melancholy.

You would think a story which is predominately set around the death of the character’s father and then having to return home to face her past wouldn’t be humourous but in parts, it is as the writing is so crisp and witty and makes the reading very enjoyable.

Florence as a character is incredibly relatable and because this is written in the first person we have an insight into her turbulent and eclectic thoughts which brings so much light relief. Plus add into the story the gorgeous ghost of the man who in life infuriated d her and made her sizzle with lust following her around and you have a rather unique love story.

This is a fabulously warm-hearted, emotional and very enjoyable book, full of laughs, a few tears and good-natured wit and some wonderfully eclectic and charming characters.

An overall winner and a definite must-read!

Plot
Florence Day is the ghostwriter for one of the most prolific romance authors in the industry, and she has a problem—after a terrible breakup, she no longer believes in love. It’s as good as dead.

When her new editor, a too-handsome mountain of a man, won’t give her an extension on her book deadline, Florence prepares to kiss her career goodbye. But then she gets a phone call she never wanted to receive, and she must return home for the first time in a decade to help her family bury her beloved father.

For ten years, she’s run from the town that never understood her, and even though she misses the sound of a warm Southern night and her eccentric, loving family and their funeral parlor, she can’t bring herself to stay. Even with her father gone, it feels like nothing in this town has changed. And she hates it.

Until she finds a ghost standing at the funeral parlor’s front door, just as broad and infuriatingly handsome as ever, and he’s just as confused about why he’s there as she is.

Romance is most certainly dead... but so is her new editor, and his unfinished business will have her second-guessing everything she’s ever known about love stories.

Review
This is a romance novel with a difference and I loved it! I didn’t know how I was going to react to the ghostly element to the prose as it’s not really my cup of tea but it’s done so perfectly that I throughly enjoyed every minute of it.

Florence is a brilliant character who is sharp, funny and also realistic despite her ability to see those who are no longer with us. Her family are hilarious and I love how they deal with death in their own, unique ways even when it comes to one of our own.

Ben is just a dream who whilst confused and conflicted about his new state of being is still quick witted and sensitive to Florence and her feelings.

I love the small town setting and the characters there in. The whole book just filled with me warmth, humour and tears. Many many tears. That being said I am not going to invoke my rule because this is a wonderful exception.

All in all this book is a wonderfully warm, funny and spiritual reading experience and I would urge anyway, supernatural fan or not to pick it up immediately if not sooner!

Rating
5/5

Recommend
Yes - tw: death, descriptions of embalming only mild but still there.

Thank you to HQ for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review as part of the Blog Tour.

If you are looking for a paranormal romance with relatable and lovable characters, a beautiful storyline, and witty writing, then I can’t recommend The Dead Romantics enough!

I loved everything about this novel. The story, the setting, the writing style… and especially the eccentric, entertaining, and well-developed characters who are often found reading romance books (including some of my favourite authors and others that I have just added to my TBR list)!

Florence Day doesn’t believe in love. Not after her latest heartbreak. But, she works as a ghost-writer for a famous romance author and she’s on an absolutely-not-extendable deadline to finish her latest book. However, her job is the last thing on her mind when she gets a call that her father has died of a heart attack and she needs to return home, to the same town that chased her away when she was a teenager.

Florence, like her father, has a gift: she can see ghosts. Of course, no one in the small Southern town ever believed her and she was considered weird and bullied, especially after she solved a murder with the help of a ghost. She hasn’t been back in ten years and she feels an outsider not only to the town people, but also to her own family. While trying to reconnect with her family and busy following her father’s peculiar requests for his own funeral – where is she supposed to find one thousand daffodils? – she also faces her first sighting of a ghost in ten years. Things get even more complicated when that ghost turns out to be her charming and handsome new editor, Benji Andor.

The Dead Romantics is an incredible and unique story. I loved the character of Florence and I was engrossed in her journey and development as she tries to reconnect with her family and to overcome her writer’s block and her disbelief in happy endings, while also dealing with her feelings for a ghost. It is romantic (I loved the chemistry between Florence and Ben), emotional, at times funny, at times heartbreaking. It is one of these stories you don’t forget easily and you’re still thinking about weeks and weeks later!

I. Have. No. Words.


Hands down my favourite book. I don’t even know what to say. Everything about it was perfect.


At the start I kind of though it was a bit weird and I wouldn’t enjoy it but I was wrong. So very wrong. Genuinely don’t know what to say but I’m going to buy this in paperback I need the physical copy.

literally cried at this. I haven’t cried at a book since Song of Achilles. Everyone needs to read this book immediately.

Thank you xoxo

Edit:

Having actually collected myself enough I’m now going to actually write a review (or attempt it anyway)


Florence was your typical introverted gal but I didn’t mind it because I think it was written well and her friendship with Rose taught her to be more adventurous.

The actual sentiment behind this book (not believing in love after someone ruined it for you) was one I’ve seen before but the way it was written in the book was on another literary level. Literally. (Hahaha I’m so funny 🙄)

Xavier’s death forcing Florence to go back home was something that all the characters needed because it’s clear that family relationships weren’t great. The resentment Alice had for Florence after she left was not uncalled for but the way they sorted it out was really heartfelt.

BENJI MFING ANDOR. please be real. Ok I don’t even know what to say because he is the most genuine, adorable, sentimental guy ever. His and Florence’s relationship was BEAUTIFUL and I haven’t cried at a book in ages but I was fucking sobbing my heart out at 1.30 in the morning. The whole story was just written to perfection and there isn’t any other way I can see it.

Tension was immense at that 95% marker because I genuinely thought it was going to all collapse and go horribly but ITS OK BECAUSE WE HAD A HEA (happily ever after). Even that was written exceptionally.

I loved this book so much I’m going to buy the paperback because I read this on kindle and it did not do it justice. Thank you for reading this unusually long review 😭

If you were to cut me in half you would see my insides are mostly black but with a soft pink gooey centre. My reading reflects that with a combination of dark murdery books and the obligatory romcom to prevent me from going completely to the dark side. While I love a good death or ten I also love a happy ever after, so the joy on getting both in one book was like having Halloween, Christmas and my birthday all on one day.

Florence is a ghost writer for a bestselling romance novelist, but after a terrible breakup she’s adamant love is dead. As her deadline to turn in the manuscript approaches and her writers block keeps killing off the MC rather than give them a happy ever after, the last thing she needs is a new editor. Especially one she imagines climbing on…

Then she is called home, a place she hasn’t set foot in for many years. Growing up in a funeral parlour might seem strange enough but when you can see ghosts too, and the latest one to turn up is your very new hot editor then things were always going to get freaky.

The first third of the book I loved getting to know Florence, her family and discovering all about her past and why she hasn’t been home. I will warn possible readers that this is more an anti romance for the majority of the book but the hope of a happy ever after remained especially as Benji was such a loveable character. The only character that threw me off was Dana, as whenever they appeared in the book it kept stating they/them. I had visions of conjoined twins or a ghostly sidekick making it more than one person until this old woman reader realised ah non binary. This is the first book I have read where I have seen this and while it took me a bit of getting used to, that’s down to me not the author.

The setting was great fun and the only thing missing was the family car being a hearse that played The Addams Family theme tune. (You know in your head are now the words they’re creepy and they’re kooky). Well that is the Day family but they are also full of love and maybe just a little spirit.

If you like Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and Practical Magic. Where love is just a little bit spooky and different then I can thoroughly recommend The Dead Romantics.

I’m not entirely sure where to start in reviewing The Dead Romantics, Ashley Poston’s adult debut, other than to say it’s phenomenal. This book spoke to so many parts of my own chaos gremlin soul. It has got to be one of the most beautiful portrayals of what it is to live and to grieve, and indeed to find hope once again when all feels lost.

The Dead Romantics is the story of Florence Day, a ghost-writer struggling to finish her author’s final book. Ever since her bad break up Florence no longer believes in love and is struggling to write her novel’s happy ending. When her strict (but very hot) new editor, Benji Andor, refuses her another extension Florence is stuck. Yet when tragedy strikes and Florence finally has to go home the last thing she expects to find is a ghost knocking on her front door. The ghost of none other than her still very hot, but now very dead editor. What will happen as sparks begin to fall between this unlikely pair?

In The Dead Romantics, Poston has written a truly beautiful story. That she has managed to write a blisteringly funny rom-com, that also happens to have paranormal elements, along with a startlingly real portrayal of grief is just something else. It’s well worth reading both Poston’s acknowledgments and reader’s guide once you’ve read her novel to gain a further insight into what she was trying to achieve here. This is a story of death but also one of life and love, all of which are as carefully woven together as they are in life itself. Be prepared though, I don’t think I’ve cried quite so much or so deeply at a book in some time. Then again, I’ve not laughed quite so much either!

I loved both Florence and Benji as MCs. Florence felt so very real and she was so very funny, and yet she is carrying so much that she finds it hard to let people in and accept help from others. Whilst Ben seems at first pretty buttoned up, the more you get to know him the warmer and funnier he is. He has his regrets and things that he wishes could be different given the circumstances. They help each other so much, in different ways, and the journeys they go through are really quite special. I also love the wider Day family, they’re all so wonderfully unique and a little weird - they’re perfectly imperfect.

This is a special book, it’ll stay with me for a long time and is most certainly one of my new favourites ever!

A lovely, lighthearted romantic comedy weaved through with an emotional and often heartbreaking story of grief, loss and finding your place in life and your person. Florence is a ghostwriter, bought up in a family that runs a funeral parlour and with the ability to see and talk to ghosts. After her supposed soulmate leaves her heartbroken with his deception, she finds writing romantic stories impossible, which leads to problems in her career and a serendipitous meeting with Ben, the editor who appears not to know she is the writer behind a famous romance author's books. Then she suffers a devasting personal loss and has a life-changing meeting that gives a new perspective on her life.

Florence is a believable contemporary character that is easy to like. The plot is cleverly twisted and takes you on an emotional journey full of humour, poignancy and romance. It's about family, grief, hope, secrets and the supernatural with an unexpectedly sweet romance at its centre. I enjoyed the family dynamic, the characters, the setting and the unworldly twist.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Florence is a ghostwriter for a popular romance author. Her next book is due soon but Florence no longer believes in love following a breakup and she is suffering from writer's block. Her new editor won't extend her deadline. Things become even more difficult for Florence when she starts seeing the ghost of her new editor.

This was such a fun read. It took me a little while to get into this story but once I did I ended up really enjoying this. The romance was very sweet although there is a lot more happening in the book. This was the authors debut adult book and I am looking forward to see what else they release in the future.

‘Publishing was all very romantic until you found yourself in publishing. Then it was just another kind of corporate hell.’

𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫, 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞. 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐢 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫.
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭.
𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐭, 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐮𝐲𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐢, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞?

‘But what I do know, Ben, is that you’re dead. Very dead. Dead-as-a-doornail sort of dead. Ghost dead -‘

I basically just clapped my hands with glee at this book! THE perfect Rom-com, so smart and funny, full of joy and hope, just a blissful read from start to finish. I immediately loved Florence Day. She is just gloriously, wonderfully real and down to earth. She made me smile and laugh and I could imagine her from just the first few pages. Full of sass and sarcasm, this was a book I really needed. It came at the right time and is a deliciously fantastic piece of writing.

‘Maybe I’m here to help you.’
I stared at him…and then burst out laughing….’Because if that wasn’t the plot of a rom-com, I didn’t know what was.’

One minute I was blubbing, the next I was punching the air with joy!! This book is a hit for sure.

✩✩✩✩✩

I really loved this book. It had a good balance between the romance and also a more hard hitting story dealing with grief. I am a fan of Ashley Piston’s YA books and it’s nice to see her style in an adult book. I will definitely be buying a finished copy.

What do you do when you write romance for a living but you no longer believe in love? That's what happens to protagonist Florence as she tries to navigate writers block while dealing with a hearty dose of grief - and a rather ghostly gift.

A lot of the plot revolves around Florence, her life and how she learns to accept and move on after the death of her father. However, when combined with the more lighthearted aspects, such as the weird yet quirky family members and their funeral parlour and the small town family fun vibes, I found the two aspects of the story just really didn't gel well together. It feels like the story didn't really know what it wanted to be - part hilarious rom com with cutesy characters (one of whom just so happens to see dead people) and part moving women's fiction about a woman overcoming a close family death. It was actually really quite jarring.

Some interesting aspects, but this felt like two stories pushed together. Either go all out quirky, with paranormal aspects or keep it serious. It's a very hard balancing act to combine the two, and here it just didn't work.

The Dead Romantics is for the eldest siblings, people with anxiety, those who escape into books, the 'tis the damn season lovers, people who were bullied in school, the hopeless romantics who have been hurt by love but keep trying, and the people who long for things that only exist in their memories.

This cute, spooky book hurt , but was so comforting at the same time. A beautiful exploration of grief, family, love, and learning to trust again.

The perfect read for an autumnal night when you want something cosy, human, and full of heart.

Thank you HQ/ HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Even while tackling grief and heartbreak, this novel was able to be charming, whimsical and hilarious, just like its endearing characters. It became an instant favourite!

Would I recommend?… Completely! If you want a rom-com that will take you by surprise

I love Ashley Poston’s nerdy YA books, so I was delighted to learn that she’d written an adult novel and even more excited when I read the synopsis. Thankfully, it more than lives up to the promising impression it gave and I can’t wait to see what she releases next!

Florence Day is a ghostwriter for prolific romance author Ann Nichols but very few people know that. She also has a very special gift that she shares with her father -they can both see ghosts. Her first meeting with her new editor -handsome Benji- isn’t exactly a success as he refuses to grant Ann an extension on her deadline and he doesn’t seem to be in on the whole ghostwriting secret. But when her father dies, Florence is called back to her hometown and her family’s funeral parlour business. That’s where she sees a ghost with a familiar handsome face, who has no idea why he’s there.

Florence has lost all faith in the existence of true love, which is why she is struggling to write the upcoming Ann Nichols novel. To her, romance is dead and she’s very reluctant to let it back into her life in any way. I loved watching her soften and realise that love can be found in the most unexpected places and that it comes to you when you need it the most. Poston’s snarky, witty voice is the perfect match for Florence and she was so easy to laugh and cry with.

Benji is a very polished, seemingly serious kind of guy and although he was undeniably hot, I wondered whether he was a good idea for Florence. As the story developed and I saw them together more, I got on board with them and couldn’t help but smile during their cute moments. I endured a rollercoaster of emotions, as I tried to figure out whether we’d get a happy ending or not. The humour and style of the writing suggested we would but I’ve found that you can never really be sure of these things -even in love stories!

'Publishing was all very romantic until you found yourself in publishing. Then it was just another kind of corporate hell.'

There is a rather cynical look into the publishing industry too. As someone who has worked at a big publishing house, I can certainly say that the above sentiment is true. However, amongst the Perspex walls, floor-to-ceiling windows and burntout, often hungover, staff, one thing endures -a love of books. I really think Poston captures this perfectly in the few scenes set in a publishing office.

Florence enjoyed a really lovely, close relationship with her dad and a large part of that was due to their shared gift, which the rest of the family don’t have. There are some beautiful ideas about life after death and how those who came before us are always here somewhere. It’s so hopeful and becomes even more poignant after Florence’s dad’s death.

The romance in The Dead Romantics is just so heartwarming and refreshing. Watching the love story develop was one of my favourite things about the reading experience because it happened in such a natural, believable way. Florence and Benji got to know each other’s souls and there is no deeper way to know and love someone than that. It really is everlasting and exactly the kind of love I wish was in every book!

The Dead Romantics is a funny, uplifting book that is perfect for curling up with this autumn. All of the characters are great fun to be around and my desperation for things to be OK meant that I couldn’t put it down. If you love books about books, true love and rediscovering hope with a supernatural element, you’re all set with this one!

I truly loved this book!
This had everything that I could possibly want from such a book.
I'm not normally a fan of ghost stories or anything too unbelievable but this was definitely the exception (as Florence would say).
From the family dynamics to the small town setting to seeing our main character deal with grief, writer's block and everything that went on with her ex, to her best friend and the original NYC setting, I just loved everything about it.
It was one of those rare books that I didn't want to end.
Normally when I pick up a romance, I'm just counting down the pages until they get together. But with this, seeing the two get to know one another and ultimately fall for each under, with the unavoidable distance, was just so well done.
I found myself hoping and praying that there would be some way for them to be together. And the way that it ended left me with a smile on my face and a feeling that I will remember this book for a very long time.
It's easily one of the best romances that I've read this year and I can't wait to recommend it to everyone.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“I began to realise that love wasn’t dead, but it wasn’t forever, either. It was something in between, a moment in time where two people existed at the same moment in the exact same place in the universe.”

The Dead Romantics has a very unique premise. The writing style immediately drew me in and being inside Florence’s head was a strange experience. The details of grief and accepting a world without a loved one was hard to stomach, but the author managed to untangle these emotions and put them on the page in a beautiful way.

I didn’t expect to love this book. It started off strong, however, so I knew I was in for a wild ride. Surprisingly, I didn’t read the whole synopsis, so I enjoyed it even more because I had no idea how the plot would go after our couple have their first conversation with each other!

Florence is a wonderful character. She is headstrong and fierce, although a lot of the time she’s afraid to ask for help. She doesn’t believe in love after getting out of a hurtful relationship. This affects her writing and therefore her career, as a romance ghostwriter. The fact that she sees dead people was written vividly, but I’m glad it didn’t overpower the story. Her family dynamic is complicated. She doesn’t visit her hometown after leaving for the city, but is forced to for the funeral. Her sister especially got on my nerves a few times because she blames Florence for not visiting, but by the end, i liked how they learned to let each other in. And Rose, Florence’s best friend is just the most supportive person ever- we all need a friend like her!

Benji our love interest is just so sweet. He was stoic at first, but quickly grew on Florence, and I really enjoyed their conversations- they weren’t superficial, but deep and quite eyeopening for Florence who is dealing with the grief of losing her father. Despite this, she learns to love from a ghost and it was a great slow burn romance. I liked how we learned about his past and what he went through. His appearance in Florence’s life is sudden and it was very compelling whenever they communicated.

I genuinely thought it would be a sad ending because of the love interest is dead, but I’ll let you read it and find out! It was definitely a clever ending that wrapped up everything nicely!

Overall, this was a fun read that does talk about a lot of serious topics. I loved the enticing writing and the blend of romance and paranormal elements, so I would highly recommend this!! It’s certainly different and has the potential to be as big as romances like The Love Hypothesis!

How is this book so unlikeable? How is this protagonist so unlikable? Well, I’m glad you asked. My money is on what other reviewers called millenial nonsense dialled up to eleven, and I join the chorus of other millenials who say they are put off by the way the book handles the above millenial nonsense. Most damningly, it’s not funny. It seems like a disconnected rush to justify oneself and fixate on the same five things, as narration floats from one staple cliche to another while failing to give them a life of their own. It’s both boring and offputtingly mediocre.

Thanks to #netgalley for an ARC.

Literally cried the entire way through this! It will easily, without a shadow of a doubt, be in my top 10 books of the year (and iv read ALOT so far!). The setting and atmosphere is extremely autumn cosy vibes, mixed with romance and a touch of the paranormal elements. I devoured this in one sitting, on a dreary bank holiday and could not think of a better way to have spent my day!

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with a review copy via NetGalley.

This book was undeniably wonderfully quirky, it’s like the author took some inspiration from the weak film plot of just like heaven but did it right, the journey Florence goes through in accepting her family, upbringing and saying goodbye to her father is just heartwarming. I loved the interactions with her family, the exploration of her childhood, the sub plot of her high school exploits, her unapologetic acceptance of her gift was so refreshing, no self hatred it was just something that was, her growth in sharing it with people she loved and the setbacks she had gone through, just excellent character development!

Florence and benji were just delightful, the witty pun filled interactions made me laugh and benji's acceptance of his death as they grew closer was very moving,

All in all this book really surprised me, it was refreshing, romance filled and perfect for a found family summer read!