This was such a messy book but in a good way!

Poppy is still mourning the death of her sister Dandelion (what a great name) and after breaking her phone she starts to use her dead's sisters as a replacement. Looking through the phone, she realises her sister was on dating apps and, as Dandelion's 40th birthday approaches, she decides to go on a date, as Dandelion, with Jake.

Although only intended to be a one-off date, there is instant chemistry between them however can a relationship which is built on a lie ever work out? Read on to find out......

Now, this sounds like a rom-com that would feature Julia Roberts on screen and would be funny, full of mishaps etc. however this is not that type of novel. There are some incredibly funny moments (and I do think it would work on screen) however this is a complex, deep, tender, powerful novel about grief, love, siblings, family and a whole lot more.

Definitely a book that will long remain in my head and one of my favourite books this year.

I really enjoyed this one! Poppy pretending to be her sister on a dating app is such a fun, messy setup, and the sparks between her and Jake kept me hooked. It’s funny, a little heartbreaking, and totally relatable in how it deals with love, loss, and figuring yourself out. Definitely a feel-good, twisty read!

Dandelion is Dead is a tender, thoughtful and quietly heartbreaking book that explores grief, identity and the complicated ways we try to hold on to the people we have lost. The premise is immediately gripping. Poppy discovers a message in her late sister’s dating app and, in a moment of aching loneliness, decides to step into Dandelion’s shoes for just one meeting. It is the sort of mistake born from love, grief and desperation, and it sets the tone for a story that is both moving and painfully believable.

Poppy is a beautifully drawn character. Living in the shadow of her vibrant sister has shaped so much of her life, and stepping into Dandelion’s world is equal parts comforting and suffocating. Her connection with Jake feels genuine from the very first moment, and that is what makes the lie so heavy. The way the book explores her guilt, longing and confusion feels incredibly true to life. Grief is messy, and Rosie Storey captures that perfectly.

Jake is just as compelling. His own life is unravelling, his sense of self shaken, and the quiet grief he carries makes him easy to root for. The connection between him and Poppy has a tenderness that feels natural and unforced, even as the entire relationship is built on a deception that cannot last.

The emotional weight of the story is handled with real care. There are no big melodramatic flourishes. Instead, the heartbreak builds slowly in the small moments – the texts Poppy sends, the memories she clings to, the way she tries to protect everyone but herself. The tension grows not from danger, but from the knowledge that truth always finds a way to surface.

Warm, bittersweet and full of humanity, this is a beautifully written debut that captures the ache of grief and the fragile hope of second chances. A compelling and emotional read that lingers long after the final page.

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A beautiful, thought-provoking muddle of a book which takes the main characters through the maze of love, loss and the hellishness of grief.
Dandelion is dead. Her sister Poppy is left trying to find herself without her by her side. When she innocently borrows her dead sister's phone, she not so innocently finds a dating app and replies to a message as Dandelion.
Jake is madly in love. . . with Dandelion. After meeting there is an undeniable spark and a passion they both try to fight. But what Jake doesn't realise is he is love with a dead girl.
As the web of deceit grows and the bad things keep coming it's time for Poppy and Jake to face some harsh realities and search their souls. Things need to change but not without some serious revelations and unpleasant truths coming to light.
Emotional, raw, witty and gritty and a lesson in the repercussions of recklessness.

I loved this story. It's so raw, and the characters are so broken. I couldn't help but root for them, even though at times it was hard to accept their decisions.
The book is an emotional journey that centers around grief and healing and will certainly stay with me.

Dandelion Is Dead is the kind of debut that grabs you by the ankles and doesn’t let up. The premise alone practically dares you to keep reading: Poppy, still reeling from her sister Dandelion’s death, stumbles across an unanswered message in her sister’s dating app and, on a whim, replies as Dandelion. That dare turns into a date, and from there a tangled, messy connection with Jake, a divorced dad who thought his chance at something real had already passed him by.

This story is chaotic in the best sense - not neatly packaged and not interested in making its characters comfortable or safe. Poppy’s grief isn’t a subplot, it’s the engine of the whole narrative, driving her to do things that feel reckless and strangely inevitable. Jake is prickly and wounded, with his own history of loss and confusion that makes his attraction to “Dandelion” feel earnest even when it’s built on deceit. The way the book shifts between their perspectives lets Rosie Storey make both of them fully three-dimensional: flawed, at times infuriating, and yet undeniably human. 

There’s a wonderful, often hilarious tension between the absurdity of the situation and the very real emotional territory it opens up. The humour is sharp and unexpected, a perfect counterpoint to the novel’s heavier themes of grief, identity and the pressure to live up to someone else’s spirit. 

This isn’t a traditional romance nor a tidy healing arc; it’s more like watching two people juggle disappointment, desire, guilt and connection in real time. Maybe that’s why, even when I wanted to shake these characters for their choices, I still found myself rooting for them to figure out who they really are beneath the chaos.

I gave Dandelion Is Dead 4.5 stars and already can’t wait to see what Rosie Storey writes next. She’s a voice that’s sharp, emotionally savvy and unafraid of messiness.

Thanks very much to NetGalley and The Borough Press for gifting me an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I was interested in this new author as 8 heard her name mentioned a lot and I couldn't resist the title. It is a really reflective thought provoking novel about the bonds between siblings, especially protectiveness, the trauma of absent parents and how grief affects us all differently.
The friendship that develops on an online dating app is a more lighthearted way of tackling these issues especially for almost 40 year olds. I felt really connected to Poppy and will think about her long after finishing the book.