The Dead Romantics Published by Berkley Books on June 2022
Genres: Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 368
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher
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A disillusioned millennial ghostwriter who, quite literally, has some ghosts of her own, has to find her way back home in this sparkling adult debut from national bestselling author Ashley Poston.
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.
A disillusioned millennial ghostwriter who, quite literally, has some ghosts of her own, has to find her way back home in this sparkling adult debut from national bestselling author Ashley Poston.
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.
Ashley Poston’s first Adult Fiction is charming. It sounds like it’s going to be a light and fluffy romantic comedy, and sure there are elements to that. But it also surprises the reader with depth and life questions that you don’t see coming.
Florence Day is back in her hometown and realizes that she can’t run from the person she is, or who she was. What doesn’t really help her is her incredibly handsome editor has followed her there, not by his own choice. He is a ghost, having been in a car accident the day before and now he’s obviously got some unfinished business with Florence. But what could it be???
I really enjoyed this book. There were some issues I’d rather not think of ever (parents dying for instance) that made me truly sad for Florence and her siblings. And there were some wonderful rom com moments that had me rooting for Florence and, dare I say, a ghost? I love that Ben is a ghost. It really allows Florence to open up to him and explore her feelings not only because he’s hovering around her a lot, but also because he is safe and this allows Florence to really get to know him on a personal level. A level I don’t think they would have gotten to know each other if they both had been alive. (Steamy make out session in a hallway anyone?) Not that good relationships don’t start there, but given Florence’s emotional hang ups, it seems safe to say that she allowed herself to open to Ben because she felt safe around him. I also really enjoy Florence’s family. Her strong mother and her friction with her sister and her delightful brother. All of the characters really brought color to the story and it filled out the world not just as a setting. It helped me SEE who Florence was, and who she had been.
It’s quirky and weird and Benji is giving off some serious Adam Driver vibes and I am totally here for it.
On a heavier note, it does touch upon grief and family and it has some really beautiful sentences that brought tears to my eyes. It’s not a book to pin into one genre and I like that about this. I can see some wonderful author references in this story, because Florence is a ghostwriter, that I really enjoyed. I mean, who doesn’t love reading about Christina Lauren, Nora Roberts or everyone in between in the romance section? I enjoyed watching for these fun romance author shout outs. Be still my heart.
That said, there was one part that did kinda bother me. It was the part where Ben accidentally appears in the bathroom and sees Florence naked. I think it’s a callback to older romantic comedies, but it just felt a little odd? And then he made a comment like “shortage of perfect breasts” or something like that. And we all know where that line comes from (The Princess Bride, people. Seriously? If you don’t know that, then you are dead to me.) But it kinda dragged me out of the moment and just made me think of The Princess Bride.
But that was honestly my only complaint about the book.
I loved it. I’m buying a physical copy when it comes out. I’m making all of my book club read it.
Now go get your own copy. Because you can’t have mine.
Kimberly majored in Songwriting and currently works full time in the music industry. When she's not listening to music, knitting or writing, you can find her outside reading her favorite genres: Young Adult, Adult Fiction, Mystery, and Romance.
