Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

327 reviews

thegabscast's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I laughed, I cried, I cringed, and….I ultimately wished Florence’s character had actually grown a spine. She could have done a number of things to resolve what her ex did to her and she just doesn’t. That’s one point that I feel wasn’t really resolved
(the punching bit and giving ONE sanctimonious speech is NOT growth)
and did irk me. I did like her family and the different perspective her father had regarding funerals. There were a couple of cringey lines (zoom-zoom juice?), but I did ultimately really like it despite some minor flaws. 
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cdmkylo's review

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

My favorite book of the year! One where I actually teared up a bit. The characters grief was written so relatably real and honest. And it just made the story of a ghost romance somehow real. 
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thebankofbooks's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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bribreez's review

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

4.25⭐️/ 1🌶️

Florence Day was a ghostwriter who wrote amazing romance books for her favorite author, but when her last breakup ended badly, suddenly Florence found herself struggling to write another romance novel. With Florence’s stories mainly revolving around romances, her next book needed to have the romance it was promised to be or else especially when her new hot editor said so. Florence had a lot of her mind, but the last thing she expected was getting a phone call and finding out her dad just passed away. Going back to her hometown, trying to arrange the funeral arrangements for her dad meant that Florence had to face things head on, but once again, things took a turn when she apparently saw her…now dead editor! A unique paranormal romance with heartfelt moments centered around family, the loss of a loved one, grief, and love all came together to tell the story of Florence Day, the woman who could talk to ghosts.

Ashley Poston has an interesting way of writing stories in a way I’ve never read before. With Florence being able to see and speak to ghosts, you’d think it’d be an easy and done story, but no it wasn’t all that simple. When Florence sees her now recently deceased editor, it was a whole new experience that she wasn’t expecting. Ashley wrote Florence’s character in a way that made her kind, at times unsure of herself, and a woman still on her way to navigating her career and the grief of losing her father. Florence never expected to see Ben as a ghost, but way (even after life) had a funny way of switching things up.

This was a lovely and emotionally satisfying story about Florence finding her way through grief, reconnecting with her family, and her editor as a ghost. Ashley Poston wrote Florence’s story in a way that was simple yet held a lot of emotion from her family to trying to honor her father’s last wishes. The romance in this book felt more like more of a subplot which I didn’t mind at all. Nonetheless, in the scenes between Florence and Ben were sweet and I liked their connection with each other. There wasn’t a grand scheme to the plot, it focused more of the characters and it was a really interesting story to read. I didn’t expect the slight plot twist towards the end, but I’m actually happy about it as it played nicely into the overall ending of the story. Florence’s character growth in this story was good, and by the end of it I would say she learned a fair deal of things that ultimately made her better in her writing career and personal life with her loved ones. I enjoyed this book, and once again loved how Ashley Poston wrote such a unique story. 
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em_h_ma's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Florence’s family owns a funeral home and she happens to see ghosts. when her editor appears in her hometown, she can’t help but try to rescue him. Turns out he’s the one helping her. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The setting and atmosphere is perfect for Halloween season. It’s not too cheesy and has the right amount of romance. It was just a good read. Would definitely recommend it. Plus, I usually don’t enjoy magically realism but this one did work for me.
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toast38's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

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erinmassey23's review

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emotional lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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mels_reading_log's review

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dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Ashley Poston is your person if you are looking for a slightly weird romantic comedy. She brings it up in this book that the concept could be corny, but the way she writes makes it just so perfect! I love that this book was set in a funeral parlor and the cemetery but never once was it creepy, it was filled with joy and love, not just romantically but for her family.
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abbygdickerson's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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maggies's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Nods to some great romantic movies—including Just Like Heaven, The Princess Bride, and He's Just Not That Into You—made this book absolute catnip to me. I loved it and got exactly the ending it deserved. An easy listen, sufficiently cheesy and emotional.
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