The Dead Romantics, by Ashley Poston

Where do I even start?! The Dead Romantics, by Ashley Poston was such a great read! Perfect palate cleanser and just the right amount of heartwarming, hopeful, humorous, and romantic. My heart (insert tear filled eyes emoji here).

Florence Day is a ghostwriter for a famous author. She’s late for a deadline she absolutely won’t meet and asks her (very handsome) new editor, Benji Andor, for an extension. After her request is denied, Florence is certain her career as an author will be stopped dead in it’s tracks. To make matters worse, she gets a phone call that her beloved father has passed and she has to return back home to her small hometown she hasn’t visited in ten years. Florence’s family owns and runs their small town funeral home…oh, and she and her dad can see dead people. As Florence prepares to lay her father to rest and, she’s visited by a ghost who changes her in ways she never expected and grows closer to her mom and siblings she left behind all those years earlier.

To say that I adored this book would be an understatement. It was hauntingly, perfectly precious. A breath of fresh air. Sarcastic and comical. Hopeful. Adorable. Awkward. Lovable. Cute. Insert glowing adjectives here.

The paranormal aspect to this story was so well done. I honestly didn’t think I’d enjoy that as much as I did, but it was absolutely perfect! That coupled with Florence’s eccentric family of undertakers was chef’s kiss delicious. I was so attached to all of the characters…truly. Especially Florence’s dead dad…I just loved the way everyone talked about him.

I didn’t expect to cry with this one at all, but I found myself tearing up and sniffling several times throughout the book. Such a great balance of humor and heart and I loved Florence’s journey of self-reflection and relationship building + rebuilding. I didn’t want it to end! Yes…there’s definitely romance (and a spicy little scene to boot), but there’s so much more to the story than that. Finding love in all different people and places and rediscovery of self. SO well done!

Don’t let the idea of a paranormal element discourage you from picking this one up…it works so beautifully with this story and I can’t imagine it being executed any differently. And definitely don’t overthink this one…I mean, ghosts. LOL. But trust me when I say it works!!! A big, warm, haunting hug. I’ll recommend this one over and over again and hope that you enjoy it as much as I did. I know this won’t be the kind of story for everybody (I mean, what book really is?!?!), but it was certainly a perfect read for me 🙂 And if you’re into curating a seasonal TBR, this one would be perfect to add to your fall stack.

4.8 out of 5 stars.