I find it difficult to review How Not to Die Alone, because while this is a good book, it just wasn’t a good book for ME. The story follows Andrew, a 42-year-old man who works for a government agency that buries those who die without any relatives. He has led his co-workers to believe that he has a wife and two kids, when in fact it is entirely possible that he will need the services of the agency for which he works when he dies, since he lives alone in a dingy apartment and his best friends are people he knows only by their screenames in a train aficionado forum. When a new woman begins working at the agency, he befriends her and starts to realize just how depressing his life has been up to this point.

The book is very well written; I enjoyed Richard Roper’s writing style and there is a definitely some humor in the book - both dark and otherwise. The story inherently is dark, with prevalent themes of death and loneliness, but it is mixed in with romance. I would not consider this book to truly be a romance novel; it’s more of a reflection on life and loneliness than anything else - especially since our heroine is married (and she believes Andrew to be as well), so fans of romance novels probably won’t enjoy the prolonged emotional cheating that happens throughout the book. It’s done in a tasteful way, but it’s definitely there and will probably trigger some readers. Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Though this isn’t the dark romance that I was hoping it would be, I enjoyed much of the book and appreciated reading a book with such depth.

I find the label of "women's fiction" to be a bit off-putting, as well as comparisons to other books that I haven't read. But once I got into the book, I understand the label and have to admit-- this will probably, most definitely(!) appeal to more women than men.
Andrew is in his 40s, single, and working a rather different job- he goes to the houses of the recently deceased to find clues about their life to see if there is any next of kin to contact and to determine how to pay for funeral costs. He is lonely at his job because he has lied to his co-workers about his family life.
I thought this was an interesting premise and was pretty excited to read it. It was a very slow start. So slow, in fact, that I happily made it to bed early for a couple nights. It picked up at about 40% though and ended up being a fun, interesting story.
Three-and-a-half stars rounded up to four for the slow start AND because I don't really like the main character. A lot of his relationship issues come from his personality and background (like every person ever, I know haha), but I just couldn't stand how clingy/needy he was. I guess I just prefer my main character male to have a little more backbone ;)

Thank you to Netgalley and GP Putnam's Sons for an ARC copy of this novel. I always enjoy reading books that I probably would not have otherwise picked up- I guess I need a bit more "women's fiction" in my life :)

I couldn't get into this one. The writing is fine, but for some reason it wasn't for me. I do see this being popular with patrons and book clubs, though.

DNF-ed at 29%. I thought the concept for How Not to Die Alone was really intriguing, but I ended up just not being able to connect with the story. There were times were I found it relatable and funny and other times where I thought the humor fell pretty flat. I read 29% before it started to lose my attention. I decided to set it down to read something else and planned to come back to it, but after reading several other books I can't make myself pick this one back up. While I'm sure that there people who will enjoy this book, it's just not for me.

I was intrigued when I read the blurb for How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper and I love reading and supporting new to me and/or debuting authors. This story was fun and dark and original and will definitely be reading more of this author in the future.

Andrew is an interesting character. He has been alone for years. An introvert that is lonely but comfortable in his life. His job is to go into home of people who have died and have no one to find either long lost family or money to pay for expenses. Then one day a new person is hired that changes his world. Peggy begins to bring Andrew out of his shell; however, Andrew has been living a lie at work and does not know how to change it. On the flip side, Peggy has her own problems as well, but seems to be good for Andrew.

How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper was at times funny and at others emotional. It had many touching and sad moments. Though Richard is in his 40s, he has a lot of growth during this story. It was a story that makes you question so much and teach readers there is always hope.

Andrew is a forty years old, single, living in a small one room bed-sit, working for the council attending to those who have died with no apparent family or means to provide for a funeral. It's a grim and depressing job.

Due to a misunderstanding when he first got the job, his boss and co-workers think he has a wife and two children and he has never bothered to set them straight. 

Okay right here is where I started getting bored with wimpy Andrew and what may or may not have happened in his past. So much angst over a tiny lie that no one cares about. Maybe if he'd move his train collection to a warehouse he could have a life.

As it is I was bored to death by this book. There was no depth or logic to it.

NetGalley/ May 28th 2019 by G.P. Putnam's Sons

3.5/4 Stars for this book. It definitely was a questionable start for me with this book, but once it got going, I found myself enjoying it. I can see why so many are comparing this to Eleanor Oliphant, but Eleanor was a bit more enjoyable to me. There was an abrupt ending to this book where I thought I’d accidentally missed something. Altogether I’d recommend this book and appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for approving my ARC!

I wasn’t sure about How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper when I first started it. It took a bit for me to become invested but when I did, I was hooked.

In the book, Andrew is a single, seemingly weird guy with a seriously morbid job: he goes to the homes of people who’ve died alone to search for clues/information that could help contact someone to pay for the deceased’s burial. Yikes, right? Andrew has no friends, and has told such a huge lie to his coworkers that it’s virtually impossible to really let anyone into his life. And it seems he likes it this way until a new coworker, Peggy, makes him wonder if being all alone always isn’t the way to go.

Andrew is essential the male Eleanor Oliphant. The similarities were so strong at first that I was turned off. Eventually though, I became attached to Andrew like he was attached to Ella Fitzgerald records and model trains. While some parts of the book left me wanting more (the darker bits that I feel Eleanor Oliphant addressed better), over all it was a good read with some depth, a lot of humor, and really likable main character. The musings and conversations related to his job and the people he “investigates” were especially poignant: no one should die alone or be left dead for long periods of time because they have no connections to the outside world. Watching Andrew slowly come to realize this while slowly making new friends, slowly confronting his past, made for a really good read. There were a few far-fetched and glossed-over parts, but nothing that made me want to stop reading. This book was not perfect and it didn’t have to be to be quite enjoyable.

"How Not to Die Alone" by Richard Roper has such an rom-com way-bigger-lie-than-anyone-would-get-away-with-for-so-long-or-even-tell-in-the-first-place premise that it feels tempting to dismiss it. But it actually has so much heart and while the MC Andrew has a very sad and tragic back story, the novel still maintains a deep sincerity that feels authentic but also has such sweet, light-hearted moments throughout. Andrew's job taking care of people who die alone is probably the most unique aspect of this book that was really interesting to think about. The relationship between Andrew and Peggy was so genuine and they had such fantastic but somehow actually realistic banter/dialogue. I was a little disappointed the ending didn't go further with the two of them, but it was probably for the best. Overall, Andrew's progression, his catharsis, was so well-done and heart-breaking and touching that I would recommend this book just for that, but there are plenty of other good things about it besides.

While this book started slowly, I stuck with it and by the end I really cared about what happened with Andrew. The online train forum he belonged to reminded me of my knitting friends and how people who start out as online only acquaintances can become your closest friends.

However, the mysterious deaths in the book were distracting from the story. You never really hear what caused the deaths of Andrew’s family, just unlikely references to where the blame lies.

So while I enjoyed the last chapter or two, I would otherwise skip this one.

I was scared about being disappointed by this book. I really wanted to read it as I kept seeing how amazing the reviews were of those who had ARC. I will confess, it wasn't until I was 50% into the book, that I started to actually like this book. The heartbreak is momentarily and your faith is renewed almost at the same time. The book did not fail me but just took longer than expected to hit my heart.

This is my introduction to Richard Roper, and I have Netgalley to thank. It seemed as if I couldn't turn a page without finding some gem, whether it be a profound observation or a witty turn of phrase, but it was the unusual metaphors that truly impressed me. I know I'm not supposed to quote the text, but with such rich material, I haven't the strength to resist. I’ll try to minimize it.

Some things made me burst out laughing, like when Peggy describes Keith as “a health warning on a pack of cigarettes” and Meredith as “the result of a dog being asked to draw a horse.” And there's a point in chapter 15 where Andrew is trying to edit an obituary and what he decides not to include is hysterical. I'm sure I looked ridiculous laughing out loud after that. There's also a bit about a chicken wearing a prosciutto bikini that was so inventive and explicit that I could not wipe the image from my mind, and it kept making me laugh.

Chapter 28 contains a description of Peggy's earrings which seems unnecessarily detailed at first, but turns into the perfect metaphor for all that Andrew has experienced. Truly, there were so many highlights in my book by the time I'd finished reading that I felt like reading it all again just so that I could enjoy it once again.

Roper's observations of Andrew's discomfort and awkwardness around others seems somehow omniscient and unwavering, yet also compassionate. He is the benevolent, all-knowing creator, and he knows all of us. He drills down to the ineptitude we've all experienced at one time or another. Even as we chuckle at the foibles of Andrew, we realize it could just as easily be us. We feel sympathy, and in a way, camaraderie.

There are many events in this novel designed to make the reader reconsider life, death, truth, grief, love, and forgiveness. It’s an intense read disguised as something light and amusing. It is also those things, but they serve to make the meaning more palatable.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for the advanced copy of How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper. For Roper's debut book, I thought this was so charming and Roper did such a nice job of focusing on anxiety, loneliness, regret, and moving on. This is similar to fans of Eleanor Oliphant, but I enjoyed this book so much more - thank you again!

This book really made me sit down and appreciate what I have in life. Though funny at times, perhaps morbidly so, this novel was a poignant look into loneliness, companionship, and finding your purpose in this world. I really enjoyed it and will be recommending it to others.

When I read Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, I THOUGHT I didn’t really like it, but because I kept thinking about it, I came to realize it was very effective, even if the actual read wasn’t happiness-inducing. So reading the blurb that said Richard Roper’s How Not To Die Alone was “for fans of Elinor Oliphant…” made me look forward to receiving an advance copy from Penguin Group Putnam/NetGalley in exchange for writing an honest review.

As soon as I started this book, I felt like it might not be for me. A recent health “incident” has made me more aware than ever that without children or family living nearby, I am very much at risk of…well, here’s the thing: the protagonist in this book, Andrew, works for the death registry, and his job is to go to homes where someone has recently died and determine if they have next of kin and/or funds to pay for a funeral. If there is no one, Andrew goes to their funerals. When he started his job, he lied and told his co-workers he had a wife and kids…but, in reality, he could die completely alone, like many of his “clients.” And, of course, since IT’S ALL ABOUT ME, this made me a bit uncomfortable.

Andrew’s workplace hires a new employee named Peggy, a married woman with children, and she and Andrew become friends. As expected, their friendship blossoms and it turns out that (spoiler alert!) Andrew likely won’t die alone, after all. The story is a bit touching and never veers into being precious or cute, and there is a lot of thought-provoking material, but I kept resisting being drawn in too deeply. I kept wondering if there are jobs like Andrew’s in the U.S. and thinking about how I really need to organize my crap so when an Andrew or Peggy starts digging around in my stuff, it won’t be such a mess. <sigh>

It’s a bit of a downer in some ways, but it also is kind of positive as the growth in Andrew and Peggy (both as individuals and in relation to each other) is pretty heartening. Good messages about loneliness and the possibilities that can arise if a lonely person takes a risk. In, the end, it felt a bit like Eleanor O: not a fun experience for me to read, but I did keep thinking about it, so it was effective. Four stars.

I didn’t connect with any aspect of this book. The only character I enjoyed was Peggy but, for me, she couldn’t balance the boredom and lack of things happening

Special thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC copy. ARC was given in exchange for an honest

It took quite awhile for me to “get” this book and invest in the story and principal characters. But once it made an emotional connection, the story found me sympathetic to what was occurring. Will be curious how the author will do in his next book.
Thanks to #NetGalley and publisher for an advanced digital copy.

I loved this.
When Andrew interviews for a new job, a misunderstanding occurs, and his new boss now thinks Andrew is happily married with two kids.
When in reality, Andrew lives alone and his only “friendships” are in an online train forum.
When a new girl joins the workplace, he grows fond of her. But how does he tell the truth now? After years of piling up made up stories, spats, etc about his “wife and kids”?

There are other things going on, like his relationship with his sister, Peggy’s marriage, etc.

Also so heartbreaking that there are so many people who die, with no family or friends. (Andrew’s job is to go into their homes after they pass, to try to find info on any family etc), and he ends up being the only one to attend these funerals. How sad.

I won’t go into more. But I will say it was a great read!
Heartwarming, heartbreaking, funny, quirky....

It’s never too late to start living!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
Comes out the end of May!

Andrew works for the local council handling death. Not death as in the coroner’s way of handling, Andrew looks after those who have passed without family or friends to take care of them. Otherwise known as “public health passings.” Tasked with checking the deceased’s home for anything that might lead him to a relative or money to pay for the funeral, Andrew is very respectful of the dead. Well, why not? He might be one of them one day.

Poor Andrew. He lives alone in a sad little bedsit with his model train collection and Ella Fitzgerald records. Andrew has a small group of online friends through his model train forum, but even those don’t really count, as he’s never met them. He works with three people he barely knows, nor really wants to know. Until Peggy comes along. Peggy comes to work with Andrew and assist him with the processing of the dead. And possibly shake up Andrew’s world in a way he never could have imagined.

How Not to Die Alone is a wonderful novel about being alone, not necessarily lonely. Roper has gifted us with a story that resonates with what it is like to be a full adult, working full time and living, but not really living. Andrew truly believes that his life is perfectly fine the way it is, and Roper makes us believe that as well. Right up until something, or someone, shakes it up and tosses it to the wind. Andrew is sad but loveable. Peggy is the kind of woman everyone needs in her life - bold, outspoken, honest. Rich, full characters with plenty of flaws make this book believable and fun. I loved every minute of this story (and would love to know what happens next!)


This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com close to publication date.

This is a fast, chuckle-inducing read with poignant moments of sadness and reflection. Andrew’s job is to go to the homes of the deceased and find out if they have any family and any money to pay for a funeral. Sometimes the bodies have been rotting for months but no one realizes it until the money in the bank runs out and they can no longer pay bills through automatic deductions.

Andrew has lived alone for twenty years. His parents are dead and he is largely estranged from his sister. His entire social life is an online group of model train enthusiasts. But a misunderstanding during his job interview five years ago grew to become a huge lie that he has a wife and kids. He likes the fantasy, but his lies start getting harder to maintain after changes at his office, including befriending the new employee Peggy, who is going through a rough time with her marriage.

This book is a lot of fun. I recommend it. Also, points for originality. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES MAY 28, 2019.