The Dead Romantics book review
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston Published by Berkley on June 28, 2022
Pages: 366
Goodreads
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 from national bestselling author Ashley Poston.
Florence Day is the ghostwriter for one of the most prolific romance authors in the industry, and she has a problem—after a terrible breakup, she no longer believes in love. It’s as good as dead.
When her new editor, a too-handsome mountain of a man, won’t give her an extension on her book deadline, Florence prepares to kiss her career goodbye. But then she gets a phone call she never wanted to receive, and she must return home for the first time in a decade to help her family bury her beloved father.
For ten years, she’s run from the town that never understood her, and even though she misses the sound of a warm Southern night and her eccentric, loving family and their funeral parlor, she can’t bring herself to stay. Even with her father gone, it feels like nothing in this town has changed. And she hates it.
Until she finds a ghost standing at the funeral parlor’s front door, just as broad and infuriatingly handsome as ever, and he’s just as confused about why he’s there as she is.
Romance is most certainly dead . . . but so is her new editor, and his unfinished business will have her second-guessing everything she’s ever known about love stories.
This book got me right in the feelings. I loved The Dead Romantics. It somehow feels light and comforting while dealing with grief, loss, and heartbreak. That balance? Not easy. But,Ashley Poston absolutely nails it.
Yes, I guessed the ending early. Did I still love it? Obviously. Sometimes you just want an ending you can fully get behind.
What Is The Dead Romantics About?
Florence Day writes romance novels… as a ghostwriter. The irony does not escape her.
After a brutal breakup, she stops believing in love completely. Then she clashes with her new editor.
Her career starts to fall apart, the handsome new editor won’t be giving her the extension she so desperately needs. And at the worst possible moment, she is called home to bury her father. .
That’s when things get weird. She opens her front door and finds her editor standing there. Only now he’s a ghost. Yes. A ghost.
He needs her help. And somehow, his unfinished business ties directly to her.
Why This Book Works So Well
Florence makes such an easy character to root for. She writes swoony love stories for a living but no longer believes she deserves one herself. That internal conflict hits hard. She wants the grand gesture, someone to apologise and choose her fully. Watching her wrestle with those feelings broke my heart a little.
No one deserves to feel unworthy of love.
Florence and Benji (Because I Need to Talk About Them)
Florence and Benji completely surprised me. Their relationship starts from the strangest place possible.
Yet it grows into something soft, genuine, and a little bit bittersweet.
You can see the potential between them straight away, and all the way through the story. But, you also know things cannot stay simple. That tension and unknowing makes every interaction feel more meaningful.
They open up to each other slowly, sharing pieces of themselves and Florence once again begins to believe in love.
I loved every second of it.
Easily one of my favourite couples.
The Family Dynamics in The Dead Romantics
The family element adds so much warmth to this story. I loved watching them come together in grief.
Their shared loss feels messy, real, and honest. Those moments ground the story beautifully.
I did struggle a little with the tension between the sisters. Their conflict never fully clicked for me. It all just felt a little forced and silly. Especially with the scope of the grief they were all dealing with.
I wanted more empathy between them. Some of their reactions felt harder than necessary, especially when despite everything no one actually lost out on anything or stole anything of each other. I think there needs to be a little more growth for me to get behind these two.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. It felt refreshing to read a romance that focuses on grief, healing, and connection. Especially when everything else feels very spice heavy right now.
The Dead Romantics offers something softer and a little different. If you love quirky romance, emotional stories, and a touch of the supernatural, you need to read this. It feels weird, warm, and quietly heartbreaking in the best way.
