"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.

I received a free copy of this e-galley in exchange for my honest review. That said, this story is my cup of tea. (Pun sorta intended, as the story takes place in London, England and there seems to be lots of tea involved in most British novels.)

Andrew lives in London in the same crappy flat he’s lived in for at least a decade. He works for the local council who provides a funeral for people who have died alone. He even attends these funerals so that someone is there to pay their respects to the dead. However, when he began the job he told a small white lie that he ends up standing behind for quite some time, keeping up the charade that he has a wife and children and lives in a lovely townhouse.

Along comes Peggy, the new woman at work who helps to break the monotony and melancholy of Andrew’s lonely life. Peggy starts to give Andrew not only hope, but something to look forward to, breaking the day to day sadness he has felt for so long. Peggy and Andrew spend their days going through the homes of recently deceased citizens, searching for some shred of evidence of next of kin. This is indeed a bleak occupation, but together, Peggy and Andrew enjoy time together and even seem to find some joy in their work.

Andrew’s hobby is collecting model trains. He keeps up with an online forum in which other train enthusiasts discuss their passion. As Andrew starts to grow and change he begins to open up to his fellow train enthusiasts. This culminates in unanticipated friendship.

On one of their home searches, Peggy and Andrew find a photograph of a couple, identifying the woman as “B”. Peggy, determined to find this mystery woman and tell her about her deceased former friend, sets off to find the woman in a neighboring town. Andrew joins her on this trip, allowing their relationship to deepen and flourish. The lie of his fake family and home comes to a head as he finds he must tell Peggy the truth.

Though the word “heartwarming” may sound trite, I have to say that his book truly did warm my heart. The British humor made me laugh aloud at times, and the evolution of Andrew, who clearly lived this lonely life for a reason, was very satisfying to read. The story is reminiscent of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. I really recommend this novel, especially if you enjoy stories set in London or enjoy British novels in general.

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.

If you enjoyed "Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine" or "A Man Called Ove", you're bound to enjoy "How Not To Die Alone." Yes, there's a lot about death here, but it's mostly about living and about appreciating your family, your friends or even your neighbors. It's also about moving beyond our comfort zones to make connections with others. For me, this was a feel good book, but it wasn't at all sappy. #HowNotToDieAlone #NetGalley

This was a very unique book. The character tries to find out about people who have died alone. There were many sad things about this book but I did really like it. I think that this will be a popular book at the library because I have never have read any thing like it.

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

This has got to be one of the most strangest, uniquely set book that I have read in a long time. I do not recall ever reading a book where the majority of the it is set around an agency like this one.. It is both ludicrously morbid and spectacularly brilliant in one. Why? Because Andrew, the main character, has a job working for a government agency that requires him to sift through a dead person's belongings to find any sort of next of kin. Since most of the dead are of the lonely sort, there is normally none and Andrew will then arrange the funeral. Although it is not part of his job description, Andrew often attends the funeral so the person is not entirely alone which is actually kinda sweet.

Andrew is also a lonely sort due to his past until he meets Peggy. Peggy makes his realize his loneliness and Andrew begins to see he needs to live his life instead of going through it with implicit numbness. I really enjoy being able to watch characters personally grow like Andrew does.

With all this said, I don't know what to make of this novel. Although, the story itself is unique and humorous at times, it is extremely sad. Depressingly sad. And to top it all off, there were one too many times where I became extremely bored reading and ended up skimming most. I am a reader that needs / wants more entertainment and this severely lacked it.

A solid THREE STAR read, with likable characters and an agenda to recognize how many people experience loneliness in our society, Richard Roper is ambitious in his work "How Not to Die Alone".

The main character, Andrew, is used to address the topic of loneliness in several different aspects of life. Andrew experiences loneliness and trauma as a child, loneliness and loss as a young adult, and continuing loneliness in the workplace and in his own home in his middle age. He is not really living, just making it through the day. And to top it off, his work includes perusing the belongings of those who have died alone in his city in order to determine if they have anyone at all who would care enough to attend (and perhaps pay for) their funeral.

Amazingly, Andrew seems OK with all of this, until Peggy enters the picture as a work associate who is tasked to help him out. She is funny, down-to-earth, and treats him as a real person. She reminds him of what real friendships and relationships are all about. Unsurprisingly, Andrew's world is turned upside-down by his realization of what an empty life he has, and how much he wants to change things and matter to someone else.

Andrew's boss, Cameron, is eager to connect with his employees any way he can, and ultimately recommends a monthly dinner with hosts rotating amongst Cameron, Andrew and the other co-workers. This results in Andrew having to confront the facade that he has put forth to his co-workers, which helps him build a community of friends and is in turns humorous and heart-warming.

While I found the characters, especially Peggy and Andrew to be appealingly real, warm and interesting, the book felt a bit flat to me. I liked it, and read it quickly, but it did not leave a huge impact on me nor were the characters highly memorable. I do admire the author's attempt to address loneliness, not only in the lives of his main characters, but in society in general. Peggy's idea to start a company to work with folks who live alone and don't have any interactions or visitors is certainly a timely topic.

Recommended for general fiction readers who like their characters to be involved in social causes. A solid, genuine novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and to Penguin Group Putnam for the Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #HowNotToDieAlone #Fiction

Andrew's been feeling stuck.

For years he's worked a thankless public health job, searching for the next of kin of those who die alone. Luckily, he goes home to a loving family every night. At least, that's what his coworkers believe.

Then he meets Peggy.

A misunderstanding has left Andrew trapped in his own white lie and his lonely apartment. When new employee Peggy breezes into the office like a breath of fresh air, she makes Andrew feel truly alive for the first time in decades.

Could there be more to life than this?

But telling Peggy the truth could mean losing everything. For twenty years, Andrew has worked to keep his heart safe, forgetting one important thing: how to live. Maybe it's time for him to start.

A witty, yet melancholy book..The book has a good amount of witty, dark humor, I did find it entertaining. Poor Andrew had a made-up family and knew he had to come clean. It had some touching moments and a bit of sadness.
Thank you, NetGalley for the advance copy.

I have heard so much about this book so I was super excited to receive an ARC. It isn't the kind of book I normally read, but I wanted to get outside my comfort zone of contemporary romances and this was definitely out of my normal zone. This book was surprisingly uplifting given the darker themes it explored. I found myself really enjoying this book even when I didn't think I would (not a huge fan of Andrew and Peggy's relationship). This definitely wasn't a lighthearted read and it definitely left me with a book hangover. This book was exactly what I thought it would be based on the description which I definitely appreciated.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this free ARC!

Deserves every one of the 4 stars!

Andrew has one of the most interesting jobs. He is the guy that goes into the homes of people seeming to not have any relatives or friends after they die. His job is to look for any clue of a relative or friend or any hidden money or property to pay for their funerals. I never thought about it before, but what happens to these people that have no one? Apparently, they get a bare minimum casket and funeral that no one attends but Andrew. That's until Peggy comes onto the job, and now he has someone to share investigating through stench and hording with.

Andrew also has an accidental pretend family at home which makes dinner parties with the co-workers a lot more interesting.

All in all, a very entertaining read that makes you think about who will take care of you if you die suddenly. And maybe I should be REALLY nice to my kids so I don't end up like these poor people.

*ARC Provided by Netgalley for an honest review. Thank you!