This is a perfect spooky season read! As my shelftalker at work says, “Funeral homes are oddly sexy!” I loved the uniqueness of this plot and learned more about undertaking than I previously knew. Several of my friends are ghostwriters, so it was fun to read about the struggles with that as well.

4.5 stars
TW: Death, grieving, ghost, murder, crime solving, betrayal & bullying

A love story is more than just romance. It's grief, joy, sadness & anger all tied up in love; so many different types of love with a romance that works within all those stages.
I loved the little supernatural element in this book and how it was perfectly balanced with the romance and sweetness of the writing.

After leaving her hometown and family, she loves to live her dream as a writer (or ghostwriter) and get away from an image that wouldn't unstick, Florence is left unprepared when her father dies, AND she has to deal with the spirit of her book publishing boss. Coping with grief and trying to deal with falling in love with her boss's spirit, you follow a bitter and sweet romance.

I loved this perfect adult romance version of The Hollow trilogy - a YA series I loved as a teen. They both are ghost love stories that UTTERLY captivated me!
ALSO writing books and having people love your work & expensing books for your job... MY DREAM!

I just could not get into this book for the life of me. It had everything I could want in a fall read but it just felt like it slogged on and on. I felt like there were too many references to current media that will date this book almost immediately. That may just be a personal turn-off but it was strong and in your face from the first chapter.

An easy breezy recommend for patrons who love romance but don’t know they love romance. Solid writing and plot.

The Dead Romantics
By Ashley Poston

The story is about Florence Day, a writer who is about given up on love, with a deadline to finish her book.
Hiding from everything will not solve her problems nor write her book, but she returns home when her father passes away, and we learn quickly something special she shares with her father, and the funeral parlor their family runs.

I really enjoyed my time with all the characters in The Dead Romantics – the story was complex, with a little surprise and twists at every turn, and I just loved it to pieces.

The Dead Romantics made me believe in love again and that romance is not dead – no way.
Ashley Poston writes a heartwarming romance read that I found utterly romantic, with an eccentric protagonist I absolutely love reading about, and a very creative way of setting up this meet cute.

I enjoyed this book although, personally, I would classify it as Fiction with a super strong romance theme because of how it ends. However, I don't feel that the love story between Florence and Ben was the sole focus of the story. Really, it was about Florence's journey as she reconciled with all the changes that had happened to her in the last year. And she came out stronger and Ben was there but really it was a journey of self-discovery. So, if you're looking for a pure ghost romance, while this will be an enjoyable read, it may not scratch that particular itch.

I feel that it touched on the subject matter of all kinds of grief very well without being too much in any regard. Now there were moments where the grief was very real and raw and those parts were especially hard for me to read and I imagine it would be that way for anyone who has experienced a parental death. But still, it was hopeful towards the end which is always nice. I would recommend with the associated and expected content warnings of parental death.

Okay, so full confession I had multiple thoughts running through my mind with most of this book. I am SO THANKFUL they all came true. I mean seriously, I was like PLEASE be true. I can’t really say much more than that without fully giving away the plot (and y’all know how much I dislike doing that!).

Now, having said that Florence Day (I mean what a great MC name!!) is a ghostwriter for a famous romance author, who originally grew up in a funeral home (I mean seriously can’t make this up). She’s behind on her deadline for the last novel she’s going to write as this ghostwriter, and has to meet with a new editor- all while of course believing that Love is Dead. Needless to say Florence does NOT feel like this meeting goes well.

Florence and her editor Ben have these bazaar run ins that I find a little perplexing at the beginning, but are explained in more detail later on. During the midst of these details I do find a few STRANGE things Ben says that I was cringy just a little, but all was made a bit better by the ending when my HOPES were fulfilled, haha!

I really wanted to have MORE details about the ending of the book- seriously the last 30% of the book is totally worth the “she talks to dead people” parts.Just keep reading y’all, it becomes so good!

Thank you to @berkleypub and @prhaudio for my copy, thank you @berittalksbooks for the great discussion, as always! Such a fun time!

Lots of raves for this title so I gladly purchased for my library. However, the ghost story line didn't do it for me so I put the book aside. Thank you NetGalley for the advance e-copy.

I've never read something from Ashley Poston but now she has my full attention.
This book is everything I search in a novel: a mix of light-hearted and serious moments, woven magistrally together. The Dead Romantics is irriverent, funny, written in a style that I've personally adored and made me immediately empathize with the story and the characters.
Ashley Poston reworked some usual tropes adding peculiar elements that aren't easy to manage for sure. How can you talk about death in a contemporary romance, without being burdensome? This author creates the most adorable story in which there's respect for death but also a spotlight for the importance of being happy and celebrate life with the people you love. Also, it focuses on overcoming the fear of being a "nobody" in a world full of special and talented people. Everyone shines in their peculiar way, even if it's something easy to forget, and Florence is brilliant, even if she doesn't believe in herself, especially after her ex-boyfriend crushed her heart. Dull? Absolutely not. It's not the ending of the relationship the problem, but HOW it ended and how she was treated that made her loose hope on love and so on her ability to write loves stories. In fact, she arrives to believe that love ends always with suffering and pain, and maybe she's also simply not worth of it. And then her father dies and Ben's ghost arrives at her funeral parlor’s front door. This is the turning point for her to come back to believe and open herself to love again, reconnecting a relationship with her siblings and especially the town she fled from years ago.
I won't make spoilers, so I'll be brief. The magic component is very cute, I really love the way the interactions with ghosts, but I think one of the most important elements of this book was linked on Florence's father's figure. His love for his family and work is always there, enveloping the story like a warm blanket and I've loved it so much.
Moreover, the romance was perfect. I cheered for this couple from the first page I saw them together and I've adored how the whole plot has been developed.
If I have to find a "negative point" I say that the clarifying moment could have been a little bit longer, maybe even slightly more difficult, but really, I've adored all.
So, when can I read about Florence and Ben again?

Overall an enjoyable story that offers readers a sweet meet cute, unresolved family issues, humor, sorrow, romance, and an unusual HEA. Readers may find that the story is geared more toward woman's fic than romance as the story focuses strongly on a young woman's journey back home for a funeral the reasons she left in the first place. A fast read that leaves you satisfied at the end.

Wow. I am emotional. This book blew my socks off, seriously it's unlike any other romance or contemporary book I've read. It had me smiling, but also had me openly weeping a few times with absolutely no shame. I fell completely for Florence and her family and her hometown. I would visit in a heartbeat. A family owned funeral parlor and someone who can see ghosts?! What could be better. I also fell for Ben because he's not the typical romance hero that we see a lot of, both he and Florence are very introverted and have a lot of self blame that is unwarranted, but I could absolutely relate to. I love them throughout the book and I don't want to spoil anything, but gah I loved it!!

The Dead Romantics is the story of Florence Day, a ghostwriter for a hugely successful romance author. Florence grew up in a small town-in a funeral home. Her childhood was full of love, though it was admittedly a bit unusual. She and her father have one very special trait in common: they can see and communicate with ghosts. This gift didn't have a profound impact on her life until as a young adult, she helped solve a murder. She's been misunderstood ever since and is on the precipice of destroying her career because she no longer believes in love. As in any great romance, she's called home because of a tragedy. This book is very much about grief, acceptance, and love. The romance is a key part of the story, and it doesn't disappoint, but it's only part of this beautiful novel.

This book was amazing to read. I've really enjoyed her previous books, but this was her first adult book, and I had a really great time with it! I loved this exploration of grief, loss, and love. And having that light in death, having the good things be remembered.

This isn't a dark and grim book, it's got some moments of melancholy, she's lost her dad, she doesn't know how to write this latest book, but she doesn't think that she has to be sad all the time, and remembers the moments that were good.

I really enjoyed her quest to fulfill her dad's instructions for his funeral. They were just a little bit out there, and really had her going all over the place. It was heartwarming, and helped her through the grieving process-and also helped her talk with Benji, dealing with the fact that he's a ghost.

My one question throughout this book-this is kinda a romance, but he's dead? How is there going to be a happy ending here? Well, I really enjoyed how things turned out, just let me say. It was a really satisfying end to this book!

I adored this book, it was such a great read!

Florence Day, a ghostwriter for a prolific romance author, has a deadline looming over her like a storm cloud. Unfortunately, after a break-up that left her heart shattered, Florence no longer believes in love. It's hard for her to write what she doesn't believe.

When her new editor, the tall and handsome Benji Andor, refuses to give her the extension she needs to wrap up her latest novel, Florence's back is against a wall. She needs to finish this book. She cannot fail. But just when Florence thinks things are at rock bottom, they get so much worse. After Florence receives a late night phone call from her mother, her entire world grinds to a halt. Her beloved father has passed away.

She needs to get to her small South Carolina hometown as soon as possible. It's the first time in a decade that Florence has been back to Mairmont and as far as she can tell, not much has changed. Her mother, brother and sister are there and the family funeral parlor is still running like a well-oiled machine. The only thing missing is her father's presence. It's a loss Florence feels through her entire being.

Florence and her father shared a very special gift: they see ghosts. This isn't something Florence necessarily wants, it actually ruined her teenaged years, but she's made a certain peace with it. But when she sees a ghost waiting for her on the steps of the funeral home, she's shocked and he seems equally confused to be there. There must be unfinished business between them, something she can help him with. The more they get to know one another, the more Florence's feelings towards love begin to change.

Y'all, The Dead Romantics took me completely by surprise. I put off reading this for a few months, because I just wasn't sure I would be in the mood for this 'type' of story. I was so wrong. I would always be in the mood for this type of story, because it's Ashley Poston that gets me every time. I just absolutely adore her characters, writing style and smart, sarcastic sense of humor.

It's like she sees me, and I see her too.

I cannot express enough how much I loved everything about this book. From the very start, I felt attached to Florence and getting to go on her journey with her, I felt it. At times it was like a gut-punch, at other times it was like being tickled by butterfly wings, but I was with her every step of the way.

While there is romance in this story, to me, that aspect wasn't the shining star. To me, the thing that stood out the most was Florence's path of self-discovery and her relationships with her family members and her past.

I loved the exploration of love and the many facets where love can be found in the world around us. Love isn't just mutual attraction and sex with a partner, it's so much more than that, surrounding us from the first day we make an appearance on this earth, and following us long after.

I went on a roller coaster ride with The Dead Romantics. It was a ride I never wanted to end, but I was left with such a sense of hope at the conclusion. Ashley Poston, you have absolutely filled my heart. This is a special story, one that will stay in my heart for a long time to come. My ghost-loving heart sings!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Poston knocked this out of the park, to the moon and back!

THE DEAD ROMANTICS is Ashley Poston’s debut adult fiction novel. The story follows ghostwriter, Florence Day, learning to believe in love again after a terrible heartbreak leaves her disillusioned and jaded.

Starting in New York City, the main setting is Florence’s small hometown where her family owns and operates a funeral parlour. With some (literal) ghostly intervention to help Florence find her way, this story was a fun and magical summer read

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Florence Day is a ghostwriter who is experiencing writers block in the worst way. After suffering a traumatic breakup, she is unable to write romance because she believes that romance is dead. When a family tragedy sends her home, she must confront the town she left ten years ago and the ghost of her editor. Is it possible to be attracted to a ghost? Can a ghost help her salvage her career?
This was an adorable novel and surprisingly sweet and touching. A fast enjoyable read. I have purchased it for my collection and recommend it to patrons. Highly recommended. 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of the novel in exchange for my honest review.

This is an adorable book with funny, original characters (both living and ghostly) and just the right amount of quirk to balance out the romance. Taking place between the publishing world of New York City and a family-run funeral home in the mountains of North Carolina, the action focuses on Florence Day, a ghost writer who also happens to see ghosts. Florence is returning home after her father unexpectedly dies, but the trip south for the funeral manages to stay overwhelmingly positive and the tone of the story is truly heartwarming. Readers will wish for a sequel, or even a companion novel to have a reunion with the cast.

This book was full of grief and the loss of a loved one. Usually this is quite a heavy topic for me, that I cannot always read about in a book. However, Ashley Poston tackled this in such a light way that this became a lovely book. I really enjoyed this!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘼 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙜𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙤, 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮, 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙜𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣, 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙗𝙪𝙩

I didn’t know what to expect when I began reading this book. It had a super interesting premise and I was so fascinated by the concept.

This is such a fun romance, I went into it with an open mind and I’m glad I did as it was “weird” (in a good way). I wasn’t expecting it to be as sad as it was, but it was a nice little touch. It makes the story more unique and different from other books in the same genre.

Florence is a ghostwriter for a very popular romance author, who just like her father can see ghosts (BOO). After a decade, she ends up returning to her hometown after her father passes away. As she arrives at her family’s funeral home, she gets a knock on the door and is surprised to find her editor Benji… who happens to be DEAD.

This was a very well-written story, I felt connected to the characters. Grief is such a sensitive topic, but I think this book handled it in such a great way. The story did start a bit slow, but the ending was so good.

If you’re a romcom reader, I highly recommend you read this book.. even if it’s just for the love interest between the heroine and the ghost.

Thank you Berkley & NetGalley for my free e-ARC and PRH Audio for the complimentary ALC, all thoughts are my own.

It has taken me a very long time to sit down and write this review, because The Dead Romantics left me with all the feels. I put the book down several times, because I felt overwhelmed with emotions this book prompted. This book covers loss in depth and I think that should be mentioned early on in this review, because if that's not something you are feeling prepared to read, save this book for another time; it's worth it.

When I read the synopsis and requested the book, I thought I was jumping into a lighthearted romance novel. Wow, was I wrong!

Florence Day is a ghostwriter for an extremely successful romance author. Her job as a ghostwriter had been successful as well, until her ex-boyfriend broke her heart and Florence felt love no longer existed. Try writing a romance novel while feeling that way! With a new editor joining the publishing house, Florence hopes to wow Ben, but instead sounds more like a stammering fool. He tells her the deadline and she leaves feeling defeated. Later that night, everything is put on hold, when Florence unexpectedly receives a call from home letting her know her father has passed away. Let me just say, anyone who knows me, knows I am a daddy's girl. So, my heart broke for Florence with the news and I have to be honest as the next few chapters unfolded, I wasn't sure if my own heart could handle it. Like her dad, Florence has a secret, she can see and talk to the dead. So when she unexpectedly finds a ghost waiting for her, she's surprised to discover it's her new editor.

This book was heart achingly touching. The details for the dad's funeral and putting it all together was beautiful. The quirky cast of characters made me smile. The feelings of loss made me want to run home and hug my parents and tell them how much I love them. Florence's continued hope to maybe spot her dad made me feel so many emotions at once. I don't think I'll ever look at crows the same way anymore after reading this book Ashley Poston!!

Thank you so much Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the free copy to read and review! I think this will be a book I read again, which doesn't happen often, but I loved it so much!