⁉️Do you read hard covers with the dust jackets on or off?
On always, how else would I hold my page? 😂 they double as a bookmark

BOOK REVIEW:
The Dead Romantics, @heyashposton
Pub date: June 28, 2022
368 pages
@berkleypub

I put this one off despite all of the hype when it came out last summer. I’m sort of glad that I did, because it was so fitting for a little October romance. I didn’t read the synopsis or take the title all that literally, but it turns out this is like Christina Lauren romance meets Casper (the 90s movie version with Devon Sawa and Christina Rocco specifically).

Florence Day, ghostwriter and also ghost seer, loses her dad (a mortician) and her dreamy book editor all in the span of a few days. Will their deaths bring her back to a belief in love or is romance truly dead, too?

I tire over the whole main character doesn’t believe in love anymore trope, but really thought this was a quick, fun and appropriately ghostly autumnal romance read 👌

If you missed out on this one for beach reading season, def add it to your fall reading. You might appreciate it even more this time of year 👻 Also, it was a @gmabookclub pick!

Thanks @berkleypub @netgalley for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Unfortunately I didn't finish the book, but I got past 50%. Maybe it just wasn't the right period but it was kind of boring for me and every time I picked it up I just couldn't concentrate.

3 ⭐️ This is a heartfelt story about loss and overcoming grief, family and love.

What I loved:
- The premise of a writer being able to see ghosts
- The Day family
- The slow-burn romance between Florence and Ben.
- The ending. 💕

The bonds Florence has with her father and family are so wholesome. It makes me wish I had that with mine. They may have their differences, but at the end of the day, they unconditionally adore and love one another.


What I didn't love:
- The writing at times was very wordy with unnecessary descriptions and inner dialogue.
- I do wish we could have gotten a bit more in-depth with Ben’s character like we did with Florence.
- I wish her ex got f*cked over somehow in the end.

A perfectly ok romance for spooky season, in which a romance writer/ghost whisperer stops believing in love until she falls in love with... a ghost. A little slow at times, but I was able to read it on an airplane with a toddler so I can't complain about it!

I've so often wanted romance books to include more supernatural elements without going into pure "dark fantasy" territory, so when I read the synopsis to this one, I KNEW it was meant for me. Ghosts? Romance? WRITING? I'm obsessed! I went into this expecting a lot, and it honestly delivered. I'm pretty new to modern romance books, but this immediately bolted up to the top of my list -- I'm going to be recommending it LOUDLY from here on out!

Although it has a sort of dark plotline, ie death and the afterlife for one of the main characters, there's an overall feeling of uplifting positivity you feel when you read this, and it'd make SUCH A FUN rom com screen adaptation. Seriously, would LOVE to see this one as a movie!!

I’ve loved Ashley’s geekerella series, so I had high hopes for this one. I did the audio and quite enjoyed it. It's really hard to pull off the ghost/romance storyline, but this one was great.

This review is a long time coming. I was so excited for this book. I've loved all of Poston's YA books, and I couldn't wait to dive into her paranormal, adult debut. I actually started reading an advanced copy before it even came out. . . and then I put it down. For months.

I didn't put The Dead Romantics down because I didn't like Florence or Ben, or because I didn't enjoy Poston's writing style. Quite the opposite, in fact. I set this one aside because I figured there was heartbreak on the horizon for Florence and I was so moved by the story that I didn't want to go through her heartbreak with her.

When I couldn't stay away from Florence's troubles any longer, I dove back in and devoured the last half of the book. This ended up being a right book at the right time, and it was definitely a top read of 2022 for me.

I can't recall the last book that made me feel this hopeful for a HEA. Florence had so many factors working against her: writer's block, losing her belief in love, the loss of her father, falling in love with someone she couldn't have. But Poston wrote this story in a way that didn't make me sad for Florence (despite a few tears towards the end). In fact, I spent the whole book hopeful; I didn't know how Poston was going to pull off a HEA for Florence and Ben, but I had this unwavering need for it to happen.

There's very little I didn't absolutely love about this book. I loved Florence's journey from start to finish: her black sheep status within her family, her preternatural ability to see and talk to ghosts, even her loss in her belief in love. It all made me just love Florence's character. Of course, I also loved Ben. He was just a perfect (albeit slightly unattainable) book boyfriend. Ben and Florence's romance was admittedly nowhere near your standard courtship, but I could not get enough of those paranormal elements.

Sometimes, books are meant to be read at a certain point in your life; as much as I loved the story and the writing when I first picked this one up, clearly I was meant to put it aside for a bit and devour it months later. The Dead Romantics ended up easily being one of my favorite reads of the year, and I can't wait to read Ashley Poston's next story.

I liked this on but it was a bit slow in the middle. It also reminded me a bunch of other books I read around the same time.

A fresh romance that tackles not only taking new chances on love but also the lessons grief can teach us about life.

Ghost writer Florence is beyond deadline for the last of four contracted books, and has a new editor to content with; she has to explain to Benji Andor that she cannot write a romance novel when she no longer believes in romance. Her ex, also a writer, horribly betrayed her by taking stories she told him and loosely fictionalizing them into his next bestseller-and she’s getting zero credit. The stories are about the ghosts she sees. Like her father, a mortician, they appear and often want her help, though she’s mostly been ignoring them since leaving home. The new editor shows up at an open mic night, and so does Florence’s ex–and she kisses Benji, then abandons him when she get a call from home to come home–her father has died. Imagine her surprise when Benjo shows up the next day at her door at the Day family funeral home: asa ghost.

There is so much to love about this delightful novel, and it’s one of the best books I read this year. I don’t want to give away the brilliant plot twists. My favorite books balance angst, awkwardness, and the stars aligning. The Dead Romantics has all that and is gothy and still sweet, atmospheric, and unique. It’s about coming home, resolving relationships, and finding love.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #TheDeadRomantics from #NetGalley, and loved it so much I bought my own copy which I made my kids wrap up and put under our Christmas tree (happy Hanukkah/Merry Christmas to me!)

I was unsure if I wanted to give this book a shot. After the absolute nightmare that was Layla I almost swore off ghost stories forever. I'm glad I gave this one a shot, I loved the premise and although I guessed the twist before the first 100 pages it was a fun read that kept me engaged.

This was a very strange yet addictive read and I am so glad I took the chance on this book and author!

This was such a fun book. It very much reminded me of the young adult series, Mediator, by Meg Cabot. I loved getting the different perspective of the dead, through the main character. A very different twist on a romance novel!

I loved this book! It was very well written and I was very attached to the characters. While the romance was at the center of the story, the character growth was really well done and felt just as important. It was a great fall read and I did not expect to love it as much as I did. All of the side characters in the town felt like real people that also had lives of their own, which is something I greatly appreciate.

What a unique premise and what a story! Ashley Poston is an author for me to watch in the future.

I really liked where the story ended up and especially the conclusion (I distinctly remember thinking that the story had grown on me in the last half), but I do feel like there was almost too much going on. It was very sweet and I liked how it discussed grief and sadness, but I didn’t get as emotional as I would have hoped. Regardless, it was definitely an affecting look at how grief changes you. But ultimately, it was a charming, hopeful read that lifted my spirits and I really enjoyed the romance between Florence and Ben.

I ADORED this book. Ghostly puns, excellent chemistry between the leads, a dog for a mayor, a cat named Dolly Purrton, and a whole host of fun and quirky side characters... there is a long list of things to love about this book. The writing is beautiful, and the storylines are engaging. Highly recommend!!

I cannot say how much I loved this book. The story, the characters, the paranormal, the writing, EVERYTHING! It has a story unlike anything I have read before.

Florence Day is a ghost writer for one of the greatest romance writers of all time. There is one problem, after a horrific break up, she doesn't believe in love anymore. How can she write about romance if she thinks it is dead? When she is put through the ringer by her very handsome new editor, she is already looking for a new job. But when she gets word that she must return home, a place she would rather never return, to bury her beloved father, it seems like her life is just falling into a never ending spiral.

You see, Florence Day isn't just a normal ghost writer, she is a ghost writer that can actually see ghosts. Oh and also her family owns a funeral parlor. And guess who appears at the front door of said funeral parlor as a ghost who needs help?

Truly this was an amazing story of love, loss, and self journey that was comically funny in all the right places. If I could read this book for the first time and experience all the emotions again, I would do it in a heart beat.

Thank you NetGalley and the published for this ARC.

Quirky and charming, with the sobering touch of melancholy you'd expect from a book about a young woman who sees ghosts and has to travel home for the funeral of her father, a funeral director who also sees ghosts. Enjoyed the publishing industry aspects as well as Florence's journey home, great characters, and while it might seem unlikely, this does satisfy the romance genre necessity of a happily ever after.

This copy was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and the publisher for review. All opinions are my own. I even went out and bought my own copy i was loving this book that much.

I really loved this book. It was quirky twist to a romcom (even if I saw the twist coming a mile away). It was equal parts cute, romantic and heartbreaking. I loved the memories of our MC, her odd childhood as the child of undertakers and the small town she came from. I really loved her growth and her discovering her self worth.
I even loved our slightly grumpy, and definitely ghostly love interest.

If you like sarah addison allen kind of vibes I really think you'd enjoy this book

This was such a fun book and I enjoyed every minute of it. I was very hesitant of the paranormal aspect but Ashley Poston nailed it. This book was funny, and sweet, and just so meaningful. While there is the obvious romance aspect there is also, grieving, healing, building relationships, and finding yourself. I really enjoyed this and highly recommend!