The Dead Romantics: A GMA Book Club Pick

Charming and poignant, this ghost story is a little bit romance and a little bit women's fiction. Our hero is a ghost, so that causes plenty of tension, naturally. But as someone who exclusively reads romance novels, I wasn't making an exception for this. There's a sweet and swoony love story wrapped up in the center of a somewhat heavy book about grief and processing loss. Mixing bleak moments with hopeful ones, this intricately weaves together so many important themes in a masterful way. And the ghost puns! SO MANY ghostly references within the text, I loved it. The romance reader in me gobbled up every little bit of the romance; I personally wanted a stronger focus on that, but that's because I'm greedy. One of the best parts of the book is how it balances the light with the dark - there's as much time spent on the pain of death as there is the hope for the future. And that one-of-a-kind feel is what makes this a truly special book - a truly special romance novel - even if this romance reader wanted a stronger focus on that element.The story follows Florence, a woman who ghostwrites for a famous romance author. When her own debut novel failed, Florence was worried that her career was over, but she's found success being the woman behind the scenes. At least she did, until her own love life imploded a year ago. Now Florence is on a tight deadline to produce a happily ever after, and she just doesn't have it in her. She's starting to think that love is dead, and the sudden death of her father certainly doesn't do anything to change her mind. So when Florence's sexy and stern new editor shows up on the funeral home's doorstep - as a ghost - she's not sure what to think. Florence and Ben only met briefly before he became a ghost, and neither one is sure whether Florence is supposed to be helping Ben find peace or whether he's supposed to help Florence wrap up her novel while processing her father's death. Either way, as these two near-strangers spend time together, they begin to wish that they'd gotten closer before Ben crossed to the other side.You're probably still skeptical about whether this is a romance novel or women's fiction, because of the ghost situation. I would call this a romance novel for readers who enjoy elements of women's fiction, because the book is truly Florence's journey, and that doesn't always involve Ben. But... yeah, it's a romance too. While much of the book is emotional and full of grief (not only is Ben grappling with the fact that he's no longer amongst the living, but Florence's father has just passed away), it's also got a funny, uplifting side. It's hopeful. It's a little bit swoony. I loved the opposites attract vibes between Ben and Florence, and how they definitely wouldn't have found their way together if Ben hadn't experienced this time with her. Florence is a chaotic mess of a woman who communicates with ghosts, so that's not something the controlled, workaholic Ben would've been able to handle pre-accident. There are these tiny shifts to the dynamic along the way, and Poston does a masterful job of tying everything together perfectly. That's why this romance reader is willing to round up her rating - while I was greedy for more romance, this is the kind of book that I'm going to be reflecting on for a long time. And it had exactly the kind of ending I wanted.Audio note: The audio was excellent! The story is told exclusively from Florence's point of view, so there is just a single narrator. But she does a great job of differentiating between the characters and giving a stellar vocal performance. I found her voice soothing and easy to listen to, perfect for the many different facets of the story. The runtime was just slightly too long for one day/sitting (10-11 hours), but I was eager to pick the book back up every time I had to set it down. It also makes an awesome workday listen, because there's little to no steam (Florence and Ben literally can't touch), and the romance is an achingly slow burn. I'm sure I would've enjoyed the book in a more traditional format as well, but the audio definitely enhanced the experience.

Florence Day is a ghostwriter for a famous romance author, but she’s having trouble finishing her latest book. After breaking up with her boyfriend, she no longer believes in romance or happy endings. As soon as she meets her gorgeous new editor, Benji Andor, who refuses to give her an extension, she gets word that her father has died and she has to return home to the town and hasn’t returned to in ten years. Florence’s family runs a funeral home, and Florence has the ability to see ghosts. When she gets home, she’s hoping to see her dad in ghost form, but she ends up seeing the ghost of her new editor who’s been killed. Dealing with Benji’s ghost as well as family drama doesn’t leave her much time to write. How will this all work out?I love this book. It started out slow for me, but then it picked up, and I couldn’t read fast enough. I love the characters in the book, Florence, Benji’s ghost, and the rest of the Day family - they are strongly written and detailed. The world building is great. The small town of Mormont is as typical and quirky as a small southern town should be. Piston’s writing is beautiful, and her descriptions of grief and love and death have an ineffable quality that made me think about things in a new way. It’s a rare book that has me thinking about these deep topics.I highly recommend The Dead Romantics - you’ll love it too. Read it and let me know what you think - I’d love to discuss.

First, a huge thank you to Berkley Romance and Ashley Poston for sending me an eARC to read and review! 🥺 I so thoroughly enjoyed myself, and this really got me out of my reading slump!“you don’t ever lose the sadness, but you learn to love it because it becomes a part of you, and bit by bit, it fades. And, eventually, you’ll pick yourself back up and you’ll find that you’re okay. That you’re going to be okay. And eventually, it’ll be true”Knowing just how much I LOVED Ashley’s Geekerella series, as soon as I heard she was debuting her adult RomCom, with speculative elements, I knew I had to read it! And she did not disappoint. Ashley Poston knows how to handle grief so beautifully in her stories. It’s real, and it’s raw, while also so hopeful. I feel like grief is often portrayed as this heavy, terrible thing that weighs us down, keeping us from life. And yes, that is a part of it. But through this story, Ashley shows us how much more to it there is. Grief is love. Love for the people who have left us—which doesn’t end when they’re gone, we take it with us. Love for the people we still have—who make it easier to get through. Ashley shows also how joy and grief can live simultaneously, and it’s ok to feel all these things at once. That death is sad, but it’s also a celebration of life.“Love wasn’t a whisper in the quiet night. It was a yelp into the void, screaming that you were here.”This was also, of course, at it’s core a love story. Florence and Ben are honestly just so perfect for each other! I loved how their relationship developed. Their banter and wit, their chemistry. Do you know how engaging chemistry has to be when they LITERALLY CANT TOUCH BECAUSE HE’S A GHOST?! 🤣 It is not easy to do, but Ashley made it seem easy. I was hooked on them from their first meeting, and I absolutely loved the way it ended. I will be dreaming of Ben and Florence for a long time to come.“Worth wasn’t dependent on someone else’s love for you, or your usefulness, or what you could do for them.”Lastly, in this story, Ashley just so eloquently put to words so many things I struggle with myself. Learning how to unlearn that your worth depends on what you can do for other people, rather than just *being*. Learning how to let others in, let others help you, let them love you. Even if you feel you don’t deserve it, because you do. Learning not to let people walk over you, or use your kindness and your love against you either. I loved all the little tidbits about the publishing industry, and the things no one likes to talk about. Authors who are amazing writers but don’t “make it” because they don’t have the right recourses. How so many writers define their worth by their success, but the only thing that matters is their words finding the people who need to hear them. I truly cannot wait to read whatever comes next to Ashley, because I know I will love it.“…we popped champagne and played Dad’s favorite burned CD and danced through the parlors to all the good goodbyes, because endings were just new beginnings.”

Was excited to read this after falling in love with The 7 Year Slip but unfortunately I didn’t love this as much as I thought I would. I wish Ben and Florence’s story developed a little sooner… there seemed to be some chapters where I felt myself skipping over paragraphs and not even realizing until I went to flip the page. Still a cute read with a beautiful ending

Five stars doesn’t seem enough. This was nothing like I expected it would be but perhaps this is what made it so great.I went in blind which I recommend doing. It was magical, left me feeling emotional and I will be thinking of this one a while. ❤️

"Sometimes I just wanted to let my guard down, let the pieces of me fall to the ground, and know that I had someone there who could put me back together without minding the sharp bits."#qotd What's the most beautiful book you've read recently?For me, it's The Dead Romantics. Ever since I became a rom-com girlie last year, I wanted to read this book, so I ordered my copy from ChapterOne Books (and the order is still processing 🥲🙃—a long story for another day). I couldn't wait any longer to read it, so I got my copy from Amazon. It was not until the end of June this year that I got to read it, and I'm happy that I impulsively picked it up.Florence Day, a romance ghostwriter, has lost faith in love after a bad breakup. When her new editor refuses to extend her deadline, she faces a career doom. Then, a family emergency forces her to return to her quirky hometown and family funeral parlor after a decade away. There, she encounters a handsome ghost - her new editor - who's as confused as she is. As they unravel his unfinished business, Florence must confront her past and rethink everything she thought she knew about love stories. Thanks to Goodreads.The Dead Romantics handles the themes of death and loss in a distinctive and captivating manner that I have not encountered in other books. It strikes a remarkable balance between emotional depth and humorous moments. I loved how adorable all the characters in this book (especially the mayor) were, except for the ones who had wronged Florence. I must say thanks to this book, without which I wouldn't have found a new favorite comfort author!I loved the love story as well. I felt it was perfectly written for my liking.Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience and consider the story to be refreshingly unique, a quality that is highly sought after by readers.I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone looking for an emotionally engaging yet humorously uplifting read.4.5✨️TW: Death and loss of a parent.

Perfect! (A reminder to all my book fellas to not rate the books on Amazon. It’s not their problem if you thought the book was bad)

This book really captures the imagination. It isn’t too difficult to read and the characters are all very likeable. I must admit I found the being able to talk to ghosts talent really good. Part of me wishes I could talk to ghosts although it possibly wasn’t the ideal situation. Fabulous.

Something was missing for me to really like this book and I wasn't surprised by the end.It was a nice summer read but... sadly overrated?