You know that feeling when you finish a book and just think to yourself "What the actual f*ck did I just read" because prior to reading this book I really don't think I have ever read a book this truly just, insane. About half-way through I remember thinking to myself "there's only one way this can go isn't there" and well, yeah, it went there, and I can honestly say I am unsure how I feel about it. The writing itself was good its just- the plot- I can't. I'm sure there's an audience for it though.

I went into Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet without reading the synopsis and I highly recommend you do the same! It is full of surprises and I loved how original this story was.

This is not your typical romance in a lot of ways. I felt like I really got to know the characters of both Roland and Adam and became really attached to the story. I actually couldn’t stop reading and once I got going I read most of it in one day! The writing is really engaging and I ended up loving this book.

If you like queer stories or romances with some magical realism- pick this one up! It’s a delight. 4.5 rounded up

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

This was a wonderfully campy take on the afterlife with a lot of heart!

The book starts off with Adam Gallagher, a gay former devout Mormon turned author, getting the opportunity to get out of his writing slump. Adam’s first book about coming out and the religious trauma surrounding his sexuality was a big hit… 10 years ago. His career has been all crickets since then.

His agent lets him know action star and Hollywood hunk Roland Rogers has chosen Adam to ghostwrite his tell-all, coming out memoir. There’s just one minor detail - Roland is dead and no one but Adam knows.

The book follows Adam and Roland’s ghost as they hurry to boost Roland’s confidence enough to get pen to paper before anyone can find out he’s dead. This emotional roller coaster has a great balance of humor, compassion, tension, and unexpected romance as it deals with the very real topic of how safe it is for a public figure to come out, even now. I also really loved the unique take on what happens to us when we die.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando for the ARC!

i love samantha allen. i still think about and recommend patricia wants to cuddle all the time. so it was a no-brainer to pick up this book.

here we have adam, hand-selected by renowned celebrity roland rogers to write his memoir. roland loved his book way back in the day, thinks that adam is the right person to tell his story. why? because roland is ready to tell the world he's gay, his way. the problem? roland rogers is... well, he's dead.

they communicate through the internet of things - roland will share messages on the screen on the fridge, tell stories via alexa. i think injecting this kind of humor is where samantha allen really excels in writing and i'm glad that she didn't shy away from it here, especially when ghost roland develops a feeder thing and insists that adam order and eat a bunch of fast food for his own personal pleasure.

at the crux of the story though is a lot of heart. a life lived in the closet, a life lived in fear. roland is a pretty notable celebrity in this world, rich in a way that most of us can only dream. yet, despite all of his worldly possessions you very quickly begin to realize how little that stuff matters when you're not living authentically.

the only place this book really failed for me was in the character zoya, roland's once public flame. it's a shame, because i think she had some very real things to say regarding celebrity and the way women are treated vs. men, but she ultimately became a snidely whiplash caricature of a person, utterly unlikable and cruel beyond my understanding.

so, 4 stars.

As the title would hint, Roland Roger’s Isn’t Dead is a unique and intriguing read.

Whilst not necessarily a happy read like your traditional romcom, there was something incredibly heartwarming and heartfelt about Roland and Adam’s relationship and journey of self discovery. I found myself caught up in the witty and warm prose, and really enjoyed the journey. There’s a level of quirkiness, and whilst completely different it gave me a similar feeling to reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

Would highly recommend for anyone looking for a unique, warm, interesting and quick read.

Thank you RBMedia and Zando for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

I really did not care for this book and would not have finished it if not for having committed to write a review. One basic of good writing is "show, do not tell. In this novel, everything is told to the reader in long monologues, mostly between two characters and n0thing much happens. The premise intrigued me but the constant telling did me in. There are only four characters in the book and the fourth one gets added in in the final 25% to create some tension but to no real purpose. Neither MC is sympathetic--one is a forty-ish down-on-his-luck ex-Mormon writer who whines and mopes for nearly the entire book; the other MC is the ghost of a shallow closeted fifty-ish Hollywood megastar who finally decides to come out after his death. He brings the writer on to ghostwrite his coming out memoir. The author paints herself into a corner by allowing the ghost to exist only as a sentient ball of energy that can speak through various electronic devices. The author herself calls the book weird but there is always weird "good" and weird "bad". This is the latter. Somehow the MCs have a sexual relationship of sorts and fall in love (of sorts). The motivations are very unclear, particularly for Zoya's and Roland's characters. The climactic (and only real) event stretches credulity. I still have yet to figure out the point of this book. Even if one buys the far-fetched premise, there is much else that one has to accept to make this work--and I could just not do it--though maybe others will.

very different type of interesting story than Patricia Wants to Cuddle, and honestly a LOT better in my opinion. While PWTC felt disjointed and a bit unsatisfying, the end in this one is suitably effective and the story fits beautifully. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

I loved this beautiful and weird story about two very different men who lived two very different lives. There is a lot of introspection about success and failure, fear, taking chances, and ya know, living. It’s almost coming of age vibes because we are learning so much about each of their pasts. I couldn’t put this book down. Also shout out, Macon, Ga. Never thought I’d read about a ghost of a movie star being from there. 😂 thanks to NetGalley and The publisher for a chance to read this book early in exchange for an honest review!

I was really excited for this book and the plot. From the summary and reviews I thought that this was going to be completely different. I had trouble getting past the incessant nagging from both Adam and Roland. I understand that Roland was going through a self discovery journey and was trying to understand morality and his life but the author had such a bad habit of over explaining and droning on. The changes that both Adam and Roland had to overcome made me continue the book. Both my desire to know what happened at the end and the fact that the premise was interesting were the only things pushing me to finish.

This is such a unique, heartwarming book! It tackles heavy subjects yet manages to be funny and thought provoking, and there's even some sexiness!

Adam is a down on his luck writer when he gets notice that mega celebrity Roland Roger wants him to ghost write his memoir where he will come out publicly. Things get weird real quick but Adam manages to get the job done.

Highly recommend!

When I first started reading this book, it gave me Evelyn Hugo vibes, but it's more than that. Take those vibes and make it gay, paranormal, heartwarming, and hilarious.

In this rom-com, author + ghostwriter Adam Gallagher, an ex-Mormon with a complicated past, is hired to write a tell-all memoir for the late A-list actor Roland Rogers - a job complicated by the fact that Roland is dead, buried under an avalanche, and insists on dictating his story "in person."

What starts as an absurd, high-stakes project with a $250k payout becomes a journey of regret, revelation, and second chances as Adam and Roland navigate past traumas and undeniable chemistry.

Between food-fueled ghost flirting, bidet escapades (IYKYK), and haunting conversations about love, Roland Rogers Isn't Dead Yet delivers all the romance, spicy surprises, and poignant moments that make you cheer for these two men seeking the lives they never truly got to live.

✨ fave line: "I'll never get back the life I could have lived, but with Adam, I at least get to taste it."

^ See a few more fave quotes if you scroll the pics in this post.

I loved this book and gave it a solid
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet is a really fun read featuring an ex Mormon interviewer and a Hollywood hunk who…. is somewhat dead.
It’s a very quirky read with some highly enjoyable moments though sometimes is let down by its popular culture references.
I enjoyed this book but I still wanted more.

I liked this book because I enjoy books that are weird and unusual, and this book, is definitely weird and unusual.
Now why did I rate it a 3 star? I didn't like any of the characters. Adam, Roland, Zola were not likeable, in my opinion. The story itself was good and entertaining, I just wish the characters weren't such assholes. Zola was a mean girl just because she's pretty and felt wronged by Roland. Adam was stuck in his success from his early 20s and now he's 40 and unsuccessful. Roland just brags about his success and it's not until the last few chapters that you see an actual person.

Paranormal books + smut= my jam. I also love LGBTQIA+ books. However, this book fell short for me due to the characters.

I really wanted to like this book but I struggled reading it. And that could also be due to the kindle version having weird breaks, and the title showing up in random places on the page making the breaks weird and jumpy.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of this book.

<i>Roland Rogers Isn't Dead Yet</i> is a unique romance: Adam, exmo memoir author with a flagging career, is hired by movie star Roland to ghostwrite a posthumous memoir. Roland, dead and communicating through electronic devices, plans to come out in this memoir. It's too simple to say "and then they fall in love", because that's only a small part of what happens.

I wish this were longer! The relationship between Adam and Roland seems rushed, and the late appearance of Roland's ex Zoya isn't given enough time. However, I enjoyed the book, and will read any fiction that Samantha Allen writes.

3.5 rounded up.

A warm and witty piece of queer literature! While I normally don't gravitate towards the paranormal side of fiction, I was more than happy that this ARC landed in my lap. While it may be a little weird for some readers, I found it to be a very enjoyable experience and something I think I could (and would) recommend to almost anyone. I look forward to seeing more of what this author writes!

“People aren’t calculators and the ideologies we live under aren’t equations; we’re ruled by formless, fleshy impulses: hunger and hurt, pride and anger, lust and guilt.”

Samantha Allen’s sophomore novel follows Adam, a man who has been hired to ghostwrite the coming out memoir of A-list celebrity Roland Rogers. When Adam arrives to begin writing, he discovers that he’s been hired as a ghostwriter for a real, actual ghost.

This novel is bizarre and wholly original. Filled with eccentric charm and humor, Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet will have you laughing a few sentences before you tear up. It’s quirky, it’s fun, it’s heartfelt. I had so much fun reading it!

This is perfect for fans of the film “her.” Trust me if you loved that movie, you’re going to thoroughly enjoy every moment of this book.

Thank you Netgalley for proving an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review posted to Goodreads 10/9/24.

Review will be posted to Instagram week of release. Star rating and mini review will be included with October reading wrap up at the end of the month.

one of my favorite books of this year! Allen has a way with words that is so engaging on top of these fun quirky queer stories!

What did I just read?? This is a deeply weird book, but also emotional, original, and extremely funny at times. If you're looking for a story in which a frustrated author takes a ghostwriting gig that turns out to be for an actual *ghost*, who can only communicate through various electronic devices in his house, this is definitely the one for you.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Look, I like this book a (not) normal amount, my only real problem is that in the description this is sales as a romcom: it’s not. There is no happy ending here, so how this is a romcom? I really like the ending, to be honest, it’s the only possible ending, it’s so full of emotion and bittersweet, but it’s not an happy ending, so please don’t call it a romcom.
However. I’m a little obsessed by this book. It’s so great. It reminds me of Evelyn Hugo and it’s a huge compliment coming from me: Evelyn Hugo is my favorite book ever. I love the premesis (he’s a writer who struggles after an extraordinary debut, Roger is a gay actor in the closet that… is dead. I love it so much. I think I will reread it soon enough.

Roland Rogers Isn't Dead Yet is a delightful and sweet novel about mortality, grief, isolation, and coming out. Adam and Roland, while different in so many ways, share an understanding of certain types of loneliness specific to gay men. Roland is lonely because he never felt comfortable coming out while in the spotlight. Adam is lonely because he feels he doesn't fit in within his community. As Roland gradually shares his life story with Adam, their closeness increases and they can help one another heal.

With this release, Samantha Allen has proved her distinct ability to write deeply entertaining paranormal stories with a ton of heart. Like Patricia Wants to Cuddle, Roland Rogers Isn't Dead Yet is full of just as many silly moments as cultural criticism. Both novels demonstrate Allen's grasp on the nuanced humanity behind the public figures we think we know and love.