rachels_booknook 's review for:

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

4.0

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The Dead Romantics follows Florence Day, a ghostwriter for a famous romance author who’s struggling to believe in love after a brutal betrayal and breakup. When her beloved father passes away, she’s forced to return to her hometown, and the funeral home her family runs, for the first time in a decade. The last thing she expects is to run into the ghost of her new (and infuriatingly handsome) editor, who has some unfinished business of his own. 

After loving The Seven Year Slip, I was excited to go back and read Ashley Poston’s debut adult novel. And now I can’t wait to pick up her next two. I always enjoy a main character who’s a writer, and I especially loved the dynamic between Florence and her family. The way so many people in their small town embraced her family’s quirks, almost expected them really, felt charming (and made perfect sense, given they ran the funeral home in a town that was pretty eccentric itself). Although of course not everyone was accepting, but that contrast made the story more interesting. 

What surprised me most was how much I enjoyed the relationship between Florence and her ghost, especially the moments where she could see him and no one else could. It was sweet and unexpectedly funny, but also supportive as they helped each other navigate grief and unfinished business. 

The ending wasn’t unexpected, but it felt just right.