Florence is an author and her last 3 books have been bestsellers…just no one knows she wrote them. She is a ghostwriter for one of her favorite romance authors and it’s time to turn in the last book of her contract. She is on her way to meet her new editor to give him the bad news. She has nothing. Then in some unexpected events she is back home. Where she has to confront her past, write a book, and deal with her ghosts..literally…because oh yea Florence has been talking to ghosts since she was a child.

•𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦•
I really enjoyed this one. If you’ve ever seen the movie Just Like Heaven with Reese Witherspoon it has similar vibes. So in some ways it may be predictable, but it was still surprised by some twists at the end! Florence has a lot of family issues to wort through after leaving town 10 years ago, thankfully her little ghost friend (or will he be something more) is there to help. She also wants to figure out what happened to him. This is a sweet romance of becoming friends despite weird circumstances, realizing you have to let the past go, and accept who you are even when others do not.

I haven’t read a lot of romance books featuring ghosts, The Dead Romantics kinda reminded me of The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot. From the very start, I was intrigued and I found it easy to connect with Florence’s character.

Having been traumatized by her previous relationship, Florence believes love and romance is dead. I can quite relate to her cynicism, but I also appreciate how her backstory gave us a peek at why and how she no longer believed in love.

And I also loved how Florence was able to grow out of it, despite being involved with a drop-dead gorgeous ghost (pun intended) who is also her editor. I absolutely love Ben, and his personality just screams a sweet cinnamon roll! A hot cinnamon roll who loves to read romance.

Florence and Ben were adorable. Their interactions are just so lovely and I love how Ben always reassures Florence, especially during times when she’s second-guessing herself.

The romance, along with the comedic elements, just brings enough fluff and lightheartedness to the otherwise heavy-hitting elements in the story. I loved how well-balanced these elements are and they really made the story feel fleshed out.

Now onto the heavy topics, The Dead Romantics also dealt with grief and death as the main elements. Somehow, the book reminded me of The Haunting of Hill House, minus all the scary stuff and jump scares, as Florence’s family owns a funeral parlor.

I’m so happy I got to read this book because I finally got the 5-star read I was hoping for. The Dead Romantics was just the perfect book I needed!

I definitely recommend The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston, especially if you’re looking for a well-balanced and well-rounded story that highlights grief and family.

Ashley Poston’s writing style really stuck out to me. I can’t believe this was the first book of hers that I’ve read. I love how lyrical her words are, especially during the scenes where Florence was dealing with the loss of her father. I could really empathize and resonate with Florence’s emotions, especially since I’m also the eldest sibling.

Florence reconnecting with her family was delightful to read. It was an eclectic mix of emotions, really. Her family has a fair share of hilarious dynamics and very heartfelt interactions that tug my heartstrings. I just really loved how the themes of grief and family were tackled in the book!

This story just kept getting better and better. Florence Day is it ghost writer for a famous romance author. And she believes love is dead and is struggling to turn in the last book on her contract. And she has a new editor, and she doesn't want to disappoint. As she's trying to figure out how to meet her deadline, she's pulled home to North Carolina and her family and her family's funeral parlor business due to a family emergency. She was basically run out of town 10+ years ago due to an unusual talent and hasn't been back. She can see ghosts. And she is surprised by the ghost she meets when she's home. I don't want to give any spoilers away, so I will stop there.

I loved so much about this book including the quirky voice, the ghosts, the family relationships, the unexpected love interest, the humor, the coming of age story (aka getting comfortable in your own skin), and so much more. I'm looking forward to whatever the author writes next!

Thanks to the publisher for a copy. All opinions are my own.

This was such a charming romance, full of heart, laughs, and romance novels. I adored Florence so much, and Ben was truly charming.
This book does heavily deal with grief and loss of a parent, so please tread lightly if these topics can be triggering for you.
Though this book is a romance, I do feel that we focus a little more on Florence than Ben, because of what she is going through with her family. The steam factor of this one is low, so also know that. I mean, it makes sense all things considered, but yeah.
All in all, I enjoyed myself, and will pick up more adult titles from this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, & Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

Absolutely. Loved. This. Book.

Ok, look ... I wasn't really sure what to expect going into this story, but I can unequivocally tell you it was not what I got - in the absolute best way possible.

I loved the characters. I loved the town. I loved the words. I loved the quirkiness. I loved the realness. I loved the joy that was threaded through the grief in such true and believable ways.

This is a ghost story - but it's also a love story. It's about a girl that has stopped believing in love and a boy that no longer has a reason to believe, but still does. It's about a mother and a father and their love story, and it's about their children growing up and growing apart and then finding one another again as adults.

It's a book about books, and how the right words come to us at the most unexpected of times, and how comforting that can be. It's a book about trust, and faith, and loyalty, and pride, and, just, everything. It's a book about being alive. But also about being dead.

It's a book best read outside on a gothic iron bench during a crisp day, either in May when it's not yet summer or in September when it's not yet fall. There should definitely be lots of crunchy leaves rustling around in the wind, and you should definitely have on a large oversized sweater, some tried & true jeans, and some hi-tops. Any warm caffeinated beverage would be a great accompaniment, but I think a battery acid zoom zoom juice coffee would be best (IYKYK).

Basically? It's a freaking fantastic book and it should get moved up on your TBR as soon as possible.

This was an absolutely lovely book that explored the themes of love, death and family. I adored Florence and her quirks. I loved the fresh feel of this story. Also, I am begging for a book about Alice!

Gender-bent Just Like Heaven meets Book Lovers

Thank you so much to Berkley and Netgalley for providing an e-arc of this!! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it did NOT disappoint. This was absolutely everything I wanted from this slightly ghosty romance and so much more.

This book starts off with a punch. I knew it was coming because of the synopsis, but my heart was still not ready. Our heroine is not only dealing with the aftermath of a devastating breakup, but the sudden and unexpected loss of her father. While trying to still somehow manage her writing career.

I loved how relatable the heroine was. Florence and her struggles are something I think so many people will be able to see themselves in. I loved following her struggles with work, her loving but sometimes messy family relationships, her strained connections to her hometown. They're things that so many of us experience and can relate to and I thought the author captured those feelings to perfection.

The setting, the writing, the atmosphere, everything was so expertly crafted. I was sucked into this book from start to finish.

But the slightly magical element is what sets this book apart. I loved how the addition of ghosts was woven so seamlessly into this book. And it's what made the book a stand out favorite.

Ashley Poston's ability to make me invested, believe in, and feel the chemistry between 2 characters who physically can't touch was outstanding. The TENSION that she somehow built was so palpable. I'm all for a steamy romance, but the inability to have physical contact with each other skyrocketed the tension and made me believe in their romance so much more.

This is one of those books that just wraps you up and makes you feel safe. I read this book at the exact right time and felt so comforted by this story. While it has some heartbreaking moments, it's one of those romances that really makes you believe in love. These 2 characters stole my heart and I can't wait to read more from this author! I really hope she continues to write adult romances because this was absolutely fantastic.

Florence is a ghost writer who talks to ghosts. She's having difficulties with her fourth novel when her dad passes away and she's forced to go back to her hometown. While home, she meets a ghost with a familiar face who just might be able to give her the inspiration she needs for her writing.

I read The Dead Romantics shortly after I had dealt with a loss in my life and I'm so glad I did. Although there's a lot of death, mortality, and grief, there are also lots of laugh out loud moments and great characters that make you feel warm and fuzzy.

Wow!! This was delightful, insightful and so heartwarming. I love when a book surpasses all my expectations and that’s exactly what this book did. It filled me up and I’ll be sharing it with friends this summer. So glad I took a chance with this story.

This was a fun, unique story and I'm starting to realize that I really adore quirky contemporary paranormal romances! I LOVED the idea of girl-who-sees-ghosts, falls for her dead editor -- so fun!

The writing style was easy and digestible but also filled with detailed prose that really set the scenes.

But as much as I was anticipating this book, I was bummed that I didn' love it as much as I wanted to. I really had trouble connecting to the characters and their relationship and found myself putting this book down and picking it back up more times than I can count. But I will say, the last 100 pages completely sucked me in and I didn't want to put it down at that point. I just wish the rest of the story would have captivated me as much.

spice scale: 2/5

read if you like:
- small town settings
- books about writers
- books about books
- opposites attract

this book is the definition of "meh, its okay"
i've been seeing people categorize this as a romance but i don't know if i would consider it that since the romance didn't really start until like 2/3 into the book. definitely had more of a contemporary fic vibe.

I absolutely loved this title. I didn't expect to find so much love and joy in a story set while planning a father's funeral, but it's so pure and good. It's the kind of love you get from the Addams Family without the gothic attire. Mostly.

But I also loved Ben and Florence. I wanted even more of them and more of Florence's ghost helping. There's just so much in here that I could have kept enjoying.

I was honestly prepared to call this book a dud when I initially read the plot. BUT once I finished the book I couldn't be more wrong. Poston does a great job of creating a novel with a larger-than-life concept and makes it seem believable.

Florence and her dad share special gift. Both of them can see death people and help them fulfill their unfinished business. But when thirteen years old Florence helped to solve a murder case by talking with the victim also the ghost, she turned into town’s weird kid, bullied by her own piers which forced to leave the town as soon as she’s applied for college - vowing to forget her gift and become a writer.

The Dead Romantics will be one of my favorite books of 2022. I loved this sooooo much and am already excited to reread it.

Florence is a ghostwriter for a famous romance author - but after going through a bad breakup, she finds herself no longer believing in love and unable to finish the book that is currently due. When she goes to meet her new publisher to ask about writing a different type of book or getting an extension, he makes it clear that isn’t an option and the book needs to be complete on time or there will be legal ramifications.

If you want to know more - I think the goodreads synopsis gives a lot away - more than I would want to know. I suggest just going in without knowing more and letting it happen. This is a book that felt like it was written for me - like the author and I share the same pop culture references and I feel confident we would be friends if we just knew each other. When I was only 7% in, I was sending friends texts telling them to read it. I wanted to slow down and enjoy it but was still finished within a day.

I could go on and on but seriously - just pick it up and give it a shot. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy - I also bought the audiobook and will be purchasing the physical book for myself.

Bravo!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

This book was a hit from start to finish! It was so so so well done. I know it’s early in the month but there is a very good chance that this book will be my favorite for July.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I ended up listening to the audiobook of this title and I really enjoyed it! I liked the concept - very much the Mediator series by Meg Cabot meets Book Lovers. It was less smutty than I thought it would be based on how much Florence talked about writing smut, but was still really lovely with a great plot behind it.

Completely different than my normal reads. And I think that’s good! Writing is amazing and the storyline was unique. I think readers should know it focuses a lot of grief and healing and has a some romance. I definitely shed some tears with some moments with family. I enjoyed the characters and their backstory’s.

I have been a big fan of Poston's YA releases, so I knew I couldn't wait for this adult romance debut. And I was not wrong. The premise, a milennal ghostwriter who is disillusion with love, who meets a her new romance editor who believes in love, but shows up dead. Like talk about a sizzling and unique concept. Within the first few chapters I was entirely captivated. But I think where The Dead Romantics truly shines are the characters. The ways in which Florence is so deeply hurt and betrayed.

And how it takes her time and a little push to realize that not all love has to end that way. That she doesn't have to take on the world's problems on her own. That theme - the necessity of support - resonated with me. As she's struggling to process her grief and not sure how to tell her friends and family, Florence has to realize she's not alone. That we should lean on the ones we love. Combined with the internal narration, The Dead Romantics is a win on my end!

This book was such a surprise and delight! It kept me guessing throughout the story. The way that the characters handled death and grief was refreshing and it somehow didn’t make the novel feel as heavy as I anticipated. There were unexpected twists and turns, and a whole lot of heart. I didn’t find the book to be triggering for me, but please be sure to check the content warnings above before you read this one, just in case! This book reminded me of the important of celebrating life while we can, and I am grateful that I took a chance on reading it!

Fasten your sheetbelts y’all, because The Dead Romantics is one boo-tiful ride. I came for the quirky concept, got hooked on the zoom-zoom juice, and stayed for the pun perfection.

Our FMC-Florence Day–is a romance ghostwriter who can literally talk to ghosts. She grew up in a small South Carolina town in a weird but loving family who owned a funeral parlor. When her boyfriend exploits her past to sell a book, Florence not only loses faith in love, but also the motivation to continue to write HEAs for a living.

Her new editor, handsome but grumpy Ben, refuses to give her a deadline extension. She gets a devastating reprieve when her beloved father dies, but when she returns home for the first time in ten years to bury him, the new editor has apparently found a new way to haunt her. Ben and Florence team up to find out what his “unfinished business” is, but the lines between life and death– and love and hate– get blurrier and blurrier.

If you’re a crier, you’ll fluctuate between quietly sobbing and boo-hoo tears. Ashley has an incredibly authentic voice, and is spot-on in how she writes about grief. I love that while the subject matter is sad and, at times, dark, the story doesn’t feel like that. I think it’s a really great balance of slightly mournful with a touch of sorrow, but also really joyful and even pretty funny.

“It’s never easy. It’s also never really goodbye–and trust me,we’re in the business of goodbyes. The people who pass through here live on in you and me and everyone they touched. There is no happy ending, there’s just,... happily living. As best you can. Or whatever. Metaphor-metaphor-simile shit.”

(Quote courtesy of emo little sis Alic and checked in finished copy.)

Honestly, I was nervous about how things would end up in the book. It’s a romance. He’s dead. How the hell are we getting a HEA? Ashley really pulled it off, with some unexpected little twists along the way. It will be one of my favorites of the year! Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for a review copy.