What started off as an enjoyable, fun, and quite unique read started to become a rather comical and even cringe worthy experience.

The premise of this story is unique. The concept of dying and meeting your soulmate in the afterlife only for him to disappear, so now you have a couple days to get him back with a chance of being back alive on Earth. I think what the author created is a fun concept that had a lot of potential, but it was all lost on the messiness the plot took.

My biggest issue with this is the expectation I had is nothing of what the book offered, and that’s usually a subjective matter, but in this case, we go into it expecting one thing and literally come out with another. I hate it when authors market a book a certain way only for it to be changed or completely different, nothing like how it started, and that is what happened here. I was expected to root for a romantic relationship that was never going to be the finality. I was expected to see Delphie find her afterlife soulmate only for her to…not. And this just pisses me off because it doesn’t matter who you root for; it’s the fact that we start off one way only for it to change completely. The blurb made me think I would be reading about Delphie finding Jonah, yet she and Jonah don’t meet until after the halfway point. And the author probably most likely wanted to make it this way for the reader to like Cooper instead, which would’ve been fine had that been the intention in the first place. I just hated the structure of this. I don’t like going into books expecting one thing and finishing the story with a whole different set up. You can say there’s a small love triangle but also not, considering Delphie spends most of the book looking for and pining over Jonah while Cooper miserably pines over her one sidedly. Again, this wouldn’t have been an issue had I expected Cooper but in no way was I prepared to forget about Jonah and root for Cooper. And it’s not that I don’t like the relationship between Cooper and Delphie, just that I wasn’t expecting it. And yes, I know this isn’t <i>just</i> a romance, but again, it is primarily marketed as a romance about a woman who meets her soulmate when she dies. In the afterlife. There’s other themes of found family and finding joy with limited time, which I think can create a bright message about taking advantage of life while you have it, but Delphie’s life was humoring, and not in a good way.

Delphie is described as quirky by a lot of people, and I agree. But I also found her to be a little bit childish. Again, I don’t know if this was intentional or what but her personality didn’t come off as appealing and instead was off putting in between different scenes. The amount of second hand embarrassment she gave me was truly outlandish. It’s honestly not common for me to get second hand embarrassment from characters because I think embarrassment is so subjective that people take these things too differently, but Delphie’s character was immature at times. Her dialogue was not funny or relatable but instead embarrassing. I cringed a few too many times. I just didn’t vibe with her. She’s 27 yet sometimes it was difficult to see that age in real life because she came off as a desperate, annoying teenager. Hell I’ve met teenagers way more mature than her, less annoying, and much more developed. Her actions and dialogue did not provide the necessary humor the author was trying to give, in my opinion.

I didn’t find this what many others did. I didn’t find it cute, funny, or entertaining. I was rather bored from the 30% mark, clearly on outlier island, wondering why this had to be a miss for me. I was excited, but now I’m kind of glad I got it over with. I also found the modern references to be way too much. I just wish authors would with the modern references, using real life as a way for bait. Actors, authors, tropes, musicians, etc—all used here that just made me roll my eyes.

This was the first book I've read by this author, and it definitely won't be the last! The premise is unique, and it was such an enjoyable read. I loved the characters, it was perfectly paced, and I was hooked from the beginning. I didn't want to put it down! This book had everything I wanted-laughed, I swooned, I had fun, and it was emotional. I can't wait to read her other books!
Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you Berkley for the ARC. This was such an interesting and unique concept. I love magical realism and time travel romances. The FMC was a bit annoying at first but she grew on me. I recommend to people looking for something different in the romance genre.

This was an absolute pleasure! I loved watching Delphie on her crazy adventure to get back to the land of the living. Greenwood writes grumpy characters well. The side characters in this were perfection and I couldn’t get enough of their fun personalities. I switched between reading and listening and would recommend either format and going into this one blind if you can.

I need people who liked this to comment below and explain

The premise of this is that some loner dies, goes to what is undeniably hell (I mean a laundromat???) and meets the “love of her life” and suddenly there’s some type of clause that allows her to return to Earth and find him. This is all within the first 6 chapters, which also has approximately 15 pop culture references… at 17% I was only on page 62, so allow that to sink in for a minute.

The FMC returns to Earth and has a whole journey to find this mystery guy but I want to make clear that she’s HOPELESS. Like she literally takes the “I’m such a quirky loner” to the extreme (she doesn’t even have a library card? What??) and she’s very socially awkward for no reason. Like she runs into the neighbour on the floor below (WHO SHE IS AN UNNECESSARY BITCH TOO all because he isn’t a loner like her) and is upset that this man doesn’t wanna help her? Like ma’am, you’re mean to him for no reason, and can’t understand why he doesn’t like you. Here’s a quote: “is his rudeness towards me personal, or is he like this with everyone… can’t be… he wouldn’t have women hanging about”. This was directly after she told him that her issue (which she explained as having to tell someone she gave him chlamydia) was more important than his actual job… babe, the call is coming from inside and you need to answer. And then when he said no, she goes “well don’t come knocking on my door for help”. You don’t get to be mad that he can’t stop his job to be bothered by you. Also she has a weird obsession with her childhood friend turned bully. Like WEIRD- the girl was in her “life flashback” because she’s like 30 and can’t get over high school.

Back to the pop culture references: the author is name dropping other authors left right and center and I don’t know if she thinks it’ll bring her clout, or what, but reading it made me roll my eyes so hard, I actually had to put my kindle down and take a nap.

23% in and she’s so drunk that the library guy has to help her into her apartment, but she is neither appreciative of it and somehow makes it the neighbours fault

25% and now she’s attempting to literally run into Jonah. She’s wearing a very tight sports bra and is upset that someone looked at the boobs she proudly put on display.., like you didn’t have an old T shirt???

29% and she went through her elderly neighbours things and is upset that he’s mad at her?

59% and she’s an embarrassment. She’s hunting for a guy and knowing she’ll see him, she goes and throws champagne on her high school bully because she can’t just move on, and expects the guy to actually wanna talk to her?? It’s been 10 years love…

62% and now they’re calling rain “apocalyptic”. On that same note, she’s learning some fucking empathy at her old age

The ending redeemed this for me slightly, but I was still rolling my eyes too hard at it all for it to be a good rating.

Delphie Bookham is so like many of us. She has past hurt that has caused her to isolate herself with no friends and no, well life, really. Then one night she chokes on a burger and wakes up in the afterlife. While she learns about what comes next, she unexpectantly meets someone who could very well be her soulmate, only he was there by mistake. To entertain the love of romance novels, her afterlife therapist sends her back to Earth with the condition she finds her soulmate and have him kiss her of his own free will within 10 days. Easy, right?

I loved this story so much! We are introduced to all of Delphie's neighbors, whom she is now getting to know much better. She enlists the help of the older Timothée Chalamet look-alike to find her soulmate. In the process, she meets new people and learns what it truly is to live and be surrounded by people who she generally cares about. In the process, she finds love and fights to the bitter end to save it. There's a fun twist that makes this tale even more enchanting!

The Love of My Afterlife has quickly become one of my favorite books, and maybe one day, there will be a movie!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions express are my own.

I loved this book! It was a little silly sometimes, but for the majority of the time, I had a great time reading this. The story was so fun and heartfelt. I think people will love this! Definitely will be recommending!

So fun, so quirky, so unique and so easy to love!! This was such a cute read!

Delphie has died and gone to heaven...or has she? Nope, she's ended up at the in-between and is given the chance to go back to earth to find her mystery man in hopes that he is her soulmate and kisses her. Oh yeah, she only has ten days to complete the task! Can Delphie pull it off and end up with the love of her life?

Grab this if you are in the mood for the perfect rom-com/ magical realism!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for my copy!

Delphie is a 27 year old woman who lives alone. She doesn't have close friends & has no interest in seeking friendships. That is until she dies in her apartment with no one to help her. (I never thought I'd be laughing at a character choking to death 😅.) She ends up in a waiting room in the afterlife, Evermore. She briefly meets a handsome & charming man who genuinely seems interested in her. However, he is sent right back to earth. Delphie makes a deal & is given the opportunity to find the gorgeous man. She only has 10 days to find him & kiss him or she will be sent right back to Evermore.

I had such a great time reading this book! I had many moments where I was cracking up at how ridiculous the situations Delphie got herself into in search for her soul mate were. The story is much more than just finding true love. We see Delphie step out of her comfort zone. She experiences new things & meets a wonderful group of friends along the way. It reminded me a bit of The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley.

I highly recommend if you want a fun read! It's also a BOTM add-on option for July!

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

This was a beautiful and actually funny rom-com, which is not easy. The author manages to make the main character snarky and offputting while still showing her to be a deeply kind and good person, Finally, the secondhand embarrassment, which is normally a really tough thing for me to handle, is done in such a way that while I might dread the scene, it doesn't go as badly as I dread in the end. I feel like I should have guessed the twist, but I didn't. Anyway, this review is very much rambling, but the main point is that this was an excellent book and I happily recommend it to romance fans.

For sensitive readers, there are depictions of choking, car accidents, death, death of loved ones, trauma, childhood neglect, toxic family relationships, bullying, alcoholism, and graphic sexuality.

The Love of My Afterlife by Kristy Greenwood
Narrator: Sofia Oxenham
Rating: 4.5
Steam: 1 chili
Pub date: 7/2

Kirsty Greenwood’s “The Love of My Afterlife” offers a fun blend of romance, magical realism, and a touch of the paranormal. The story starts with Delphie, who finds herself in the afterlife’s waiting room after an embarrassingly mundane death by choking on a microwaveable burger. Her mortification becomes something else when she encounters the most attractive man she’s ever seen. Just as they start to connect, a mishap sends him back to earth, leaving Delphie with an offer she can’t refuse—a second chance at life and love if she can find him within ten days.

This is my first book by Kirsty Greenwood, and it won't be my last! From its unique premise to its heartwarming conclusion, this book is a true gem.

Delphie is a wonderfully quirky protagonist. She’s grumpy, rude, and completely relatable. Her character arc is exceptional, as she evolves from a hermit hiding from life into someone strong and resourceful. Her interactions with Cooper are endearing as they navigate their unlikely partnership, and I was rooting for their love story from the start.

The side characters, especially Mr. Yoon, add depth and warmth to the story. Delphie’s evolving relationships with them highlight the novel’s theme of living life to the fullest and overcoming past trauma. Greenwood’s passion for romance novels shines through, with romance references that I immediately recognized.

I switched between my e-copy and audiobook for this one, and I absolutely loved Sofia Oxenham’s narration!

Overall, this book was sweet, suspenseful, and made me think. I loved it, and I can’t wait to see what Greenwood comes up with next.

Read if you like:
*magical realism
*opposites attract
*forced proximity
*complicated family relationships
*single POV

I expected this to be a cute, fun rom-com with magical realism elements, and I got all that but also much more. Witty and engagingly written, this runs much deeper than its quirky premise. It is the journey of a young woman who doesn't truly learn to live until after she has died, and it is full of heartfelt moments and laugh-out-loud humor. There are themes of taking chances, self-growth, grief, and found family.

Delphie is a wonderfully well-developed character, complex and flawed, with a heart of gold. However, due to her past, she has developed some self-protective behaviors and closed herself off. She is naive, socially awkward, and very endearing. In a literal life-and-death race against the clock, her character experiences tremendous self-discovery and growth. It's been a while since I rooted this hard for a character. She also made me laugh with her dry, sarcastic wit. The side characters were also great, and I especially loved Delphie's neighbors in her building. And the romance book/trope references that were woven in were a lot of fun.

This gave me a massive book hangover—part guilty pleasure, part hopeful reminder to live life to its fullest. I loved how unexpected, touching, and entertaining this was! A must-read!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for the free book!

I’m always a sucker for a contemporary romance with a sprinkle of magic, and this book was just that! Delphie is a loner who has found that it’s easier for her to keep her guard up and so she lives on her own, without really any friends. But they all changes when she dies alone - and wakes up in a part of the Afterlife called Evermore. There she meets a handsome stranger, Jonah, who’s not actually dead but just unconscious - and feels an instant connection. But he gets sent back very quickly and Delphie makes a deal that if she can find him and have him kiss her in 10 days, she can stay alive.
So Delphie returns, and shenanigans ensue. Aided by her grumpy neighbor Cooper, she begins her search for Jonah and begins to collect friends along the way. And as the days go by, she realizes that it’s not just the thought of Jonah that keeps her going, but all the connections and love she’s found that has been there all along, only by making an effort to connect. And that while her life before was empty, she’s now found one truly worth fighting for.
This book was funny and silly and sweet and heartfelt, Delphie’s friendships and connections are truly the highlight - from her elderly and talented neighbor, Mr, Yoon, to the lovely librarian, Aled, and her spirited coworkers Jan and Leanne, everyone was so wonderfully fun and real. If I had to describe this book in one word, I’d say it was effervescent. I loved it!

This book got me out of the reading slump trenches.

The Love of My Afterlife is such a unique & comforting book. It reminded me a lot of the tv show The Good Place but set in London.

I liked the setting of the Afterlife. It was very warm and comforting. It felt like what we wish the afterlife would be like. I also loved the found family trope here. I’m a sucker for it when it’s done well & the author definitely tugged at my heart strings with this one. The love story itself was also extremely well executed. I mean I was crying!!! It was so beautiful to see Delphie get the happiness and love she craved.

This book has everything a reader could want. Definitely 💯 recommend!!!

A delightful, heartwarming romance that’s both an homage to the genre featuring plenty of tropes and a ghost story with a liberal serving of magical realism.

After an adolescence full of bullying by her peers (including her former best friend) and neglect and abandonment by both of her parents post-divorce, Delphie (age 27) purposely made her life small, avoiding any relationships (platonic or otherwise) for fear of letting in love which would further harm her. So, when she dies after choking on a hamburger, there’s little she regrets leaving behind. When she is awakened by Merritt, her quirky Afterlife Therapist, she finds herself in a launderette, a version of heaven called Evermore. When a handsome new arrival appears, there’s an instant attraction, but realizing that he’s just sedated not dead, Merritt zaps him back to Earth, leaving Delphie feeling like she’s lost a potential soulmate. Due to a clause in the Evermore Handbook, which hopeless romantic Merritt makes unsanctioned use of to satisfy her craving for a real-time epic love story, she allows Delphine to return home for 10 days to find him and get a kiss so she can stay.

What follows is a series of missed opportunities, zany adventures that pull Delphie far out of her comfort zone, and startling revelations concerning her colleagues and neighbors (especially the grumpy, handsome womanizer Cooper and the elderly, mute Mr. Yoon). Although it’s mostly lighthearted, there are some tearful moments related to grieving the death of a loved one, but it’s ultimately a redemptive story of Delphie’s breaking the chains of the trauma that left her in a joyless, loveless, self-imposed prison. The pacing is perfect, the angst is minimal, the characters are all fully formed, and it’s set in my favorite city, London. I highly recommend this hidden gem, and hope it finds a large readership in the U.S. market. Highly recommend to fans of Ashley Poston, Katherine Center, and Sarah Ready.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Recently deceased Delphie meets a captivating man in the afterlife waiting room and is given a second chance at life and love if she can find him on earth within 10 days. Embarrassed by her undignified death and eager for a fresh start, Delphie embarks on a heartwarming and magical quest in a bustling city, guided by her heart and the unexpected help she receives along the way.

Kirsty Greenwood is one of my favorite romance authors and I was thrilled to see her picked up by Berkley! The premise of The Love of My After Life sounded intriguing and I loved that it contained magical realism. The Love of My After Life deserves all the stars! Kirsty’s writing is filled with love, laughter, and moments that pull at my heartstrings; it's like a hug in a book. I absolutely loved the banter, the insane situations Delphie gets herself into, and all the quirky supporting characters. I also loved the ode to wonderful romance authors sprinkled throughout the story. There were some insightful quotes that I adored. The afterlife elements were cozy and sweet, though tinged with sadness. Overall, the book was hopeful and uplifting. I also appreciated the exclusive content that Berkley and Kirsty provided. It was such an immersive reading experience and gaining more insight from Kirsty on specific scenes made me appreciate the book even more. Definitely recommend picking this one up if you like romance with fantasy elements and quirky side characters!

“People truly lose their minds when their hearts get broken.” 🥺

Delphie is dead. Dead from choking on a microwaveable hamburger whilst wondering if it is even real meat. Ugh. But when she bumps into “the one” in the afterlife waiting room, she is given a second chance at life, and love, if she can find him within ten days back in the land of the living.

Oh my did this book grab my heart. Delphie is one of the most endearing characters I’ve read in a long time. She’s emotionally scarred and therefore has isolated herself to protect her already beaten heart. But death gives her a fresh new perspective on life…a life that she has been missing. And her journey of self discovery is beautiful. And funny. And endearing. I just loved to root for her!

Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

A twenty-seven-year-old woman finally starts living in Kirsty Greenwood’s The Love of My Afterlife.

It’s just too bad that she had to die first.

“Here lies Delphie Denise Bookham.
She died just as she lived: alone, perplexed, wearing something a bit sh[**].”

You would think that’s the end of the story, right?

It’s a good thing that Delphie’s Afterlife Specialist just so happens to be an avid romance reader, who loves a good, ole HEA.

When Delphie has a meet-cute with a handsome stranger in that launderette-themed waiting room for her afterlife, and it turns out that stranger was sent there by mistake, her Afterlife Specialist gives Delphie the chance to return to the land of the living to find him.

There’s a catch, of course: she has to find him AND he has to kiss her within the next ten days.

(Alexa, play “Kiss the Girl”.)

If Delphie succeeds, she gets to stay on Earth. If she doesn’t? Well, she’s back to being dead.

As the story progresses and she begins interacting more with the people around her, Delphie learns that maybe she’s not the only person that needs to (at least metaphorically) start living again.

This book delivers that perfect balance of humor and emotion. I laughed out loud. I was in my feels. I swooned. I got that wrapped-in-a-warm-hug feeling.

I just adored it.

I received an advance copy of the book from Berkley and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

What a cute romance!! I loved all the tropes thrown in one, and the ultimate messages around found family were really beautiful. This felt very much like a Sophie Kinsella book which was fun to read, but it felt like it was missing a little bit of depth. Otherwise I still really enjoyed it!

🌈Queer rep: none

Delphie is given a second chance at life after choking to death alone in her apartment. She's met the man of her dreams in the afterlife but he didn't actually die, so she's sent back with 10 days to find him. She wades through millions of people in London to find true loves first kiss to stay alive.

This novel focuses on finding love when you least expect it. Her friends and neighbors added such fun elements to the story. This love story is unique and quirky.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley