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A review by amateur_bookworm
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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
4.0
My summary: Florence is the ghostwriter for a popular romance novelist and she’s on a deadline for her newest book. The problem is that she no longer believes in love and can’t finish her manuscript with a happy ending. Her new editor won’t give her another extension, leaving her in a predicament that no longer is very important once she receives the news that her father has died. After having left her hometown for being ostracized for her ability to see and talk with ghosts, this will be her first trip back since leaving. To her surprise, the ghost that appears on her doorstep is not her father—it’s her new editor. As she grapples with regrets and what is really important in life, this unexpected ghost may just convince her that love can exist.
My thoughts: Overall, I liked it. It was cute but also pretty slow. I thought it touched on some difficult topics really well: grief, love, loss, infidelity, broken trust, self-confidence, being unique, family drama, self-fulfillment. My initial reaction to the paranormal/ghost element was annoyance but it actually all pulled together well. I enjoyed the narrator and thought she did a great job with it. I do feel like I lost some bits of the story as it went along because I’m terrible with focusing on audiobooks, so I may ultimately read this one as well.
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Infidelity and Gaslighting