The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
Product Details
Web ID: 15058376Paranormal, Lovely, Reflective Romance
Rating: 4.25 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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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Cute ghost romance with a lot of heart!
Florence is a ghostwriter for a famous romance author, but she no longer believes in love. Her new editor is a handsome mountain of a man and won’t give her an extension. Her fragile career has to be set aside when she gets a terrible phone call that her father has died. Returning home after a decade absence is complicated enough, but when the doorbell rings and a handsome mountain of a ghost is standing there, Florence must explore his unfinished business… and maybe believe in love again. This story was so sweet! A lovely romance with just a dash of spice. It explored life and grief in equal turns and how closely they are woven together. Florence definitely had some frustrating flaws to work through, but I connected easily with her and enjoyed her well-paced growth during the story. Ben was a dream, supporting her through her grief and reminding her of her worth and talent. Florence’s deep friendship with Rose and relationships with her mother and siblings were well-developed and rounded out the story. Fun and heartwarming listen!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Made me smile
I’d never read anything by Ashley Poston, but I really enjoyed this one. I don’t even remember how I heard about this book, but it sounded different. The characters were all a bit quirky, which made me smile and the story was so unbelievable that I was drawn in, wondering where it would go. I would have to say this is Adam’s Family meets traditional rom-com. While it was sometimes light and funny there was some real character growth throughout the book as well, so it kept me intrigued. I would recommend this book. It was a fun one.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Evokes Emotion but was Lacking For Me
Let me preface this review with the acknowledgement that I am not a contemporary romance reader. This book was chosen for me for book club. I am a dark romance and romantasy reader. That being said, I did LIKE this book. It was very fun and lighthearted for me, even though it does center around death as a main theme in the book. That may sound weird, but if you read it you will understand where I am coming from. It is a love story that gives you all the good feels and leaves you feeling complete at the end. If you enjoy contemporary romances that evoke emotion, you will enjoy this book.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Loved it!!
Even though I was able to guess the plot fairly quickly, I loved it! So much so that I bought two more of her books. This was a book club read, the rest of the girls thought it was great as well. Definitely a 10/10. I couldn’t put the book down and finished within 2-3 days. Same for one of my friends. The ending was great but I feel the author could have given us more. All in all it’s definitely something I’d read again or recommend. It’s sad but also sweet.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
So So Good! :)
This book was gorgeously written. The humor was dead funny (ha, sorry). The depiction of mourning had me in tears. Don’t pass this one up, read it today!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Fantastic romcom with a dash of paranormal!
This book brings out so many emotions for me! While it has all the sweet and funny comments from a romcom book, but it also has moments that will wrench your heart and then tears will come rolling down your cheeks! I adore this book because of the loveable characters, good pacing and comes with beautiful and easy to read writing style that can convey all the emotions felt by the main character – Florence. The funny and sweet moments between Florence and her family, her best friend and Ben (MMC) really balance out the feeling of sadness, loss and guilt that Florence feels throughout the story. I absolutely love Florence’s relationship with her best friend and her family, especially her dad. I really enjoyed reading through all of Florence's memory with her dad and her siblings in the past. All those memories makes it easier for me to connect and get to know those characters better. As for the romance, the chemistry between Florence and Ben is off the chart! Ben is a sweet and swoon-worthy love interest. I really like how their relationship slowly grows from comforting one another into something more as the story goes. Overall, this was a fantastic read about family, loving yourself and also finding happiness in the middle of a tragedy. I feel satisfied with how everything got wrapped up in the end, it was a fitting end! Highly recommended for those who love to read romcom with a hint of paranormal element. ⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: Death, grief, bullying
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Great Debut Novel!
"The Dead Romantics" by Ashley Poston is a Paranormal and Contemporary Romance Story! Florence Day is a ghostwriter who sees ghosts! She's also just experienced a bad break-up, no longer believes in love, and has hit a dry spell with her writing. How does one continue to writing about and believe in love after one has been snookered by one's own boyfriend, I ask you? Unfortunately Florence's new and 'too-handsome" editor refuses to budge an inch in giving her an extension on her deadline. She's dead-in-the-water now, so to speak. As if this isn't enough, Florence receives a call from her family concerning the unexpected death of her dear father. She leaves immediately for South Carolina to help with burial plans. She hasn't been to her hometown in ten years and cringes when she remembers the reasons she decided to leave forever. She's nervous. Florence will miss her dad and the special bond they share but she won't stay in South Carolina any longer than necessary. When the work is done, she'll head back to New York. Decision made. Then Florence sees a "too-handsome" ghost standing in the doorway of her family's funeral parlor looking disoriented... "The Dead Romantics" is a cute story with great characters that is more Chick Lit-ish than I prefer or anticipated. It's a tad repetitive and, as a result, slower and too long. In the synopsis, Florence's family is described as "...her eccentric, loving family...". I agree with "eccentric" as they're each uniquely different, but "loving" is not how I would describe them. They clearly aren't a welcoming or emotion-forward bunch at all. I enjoy how this author allows the two main characters to become acquainted so this doesn't turn into a case of 'Insta-love'. That's refreshing. This story is humorous and sad, tender and reserved, heartbreaking and heartwarming, and it will absolutely make you smile. Heck, you may even tear-up a smidge. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Eileen Stevens and although I enjoy her voicing, her voice sounds animated which gives the Rom-Com feel I wasn't looking for. I recommend reading rather than listening to this for a better experience. "The Seven Year Slip" is the author's new Contemporary Romance novel and although it is more to my liking, I did enjoy "The Dead Romantics" and recommend it to those who enjoy a Contemporary Romance with a touch of Paranormal. 3.75⭐rounded up!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com