The Dead Romantics

Starred review from May 2, 2022
Poston (Geekerella) makes her adult debut with a refreshing rom-com about love, loss, and hope. Florence Day’s life is organized around two major secrets: she’s the ghostwriter for a household name romance writer, and she can see ghosts. One secret is kept out of legal obligation, the other self-preservation. A recent breakup has halted her ability to write happily-ever-afters, but when she requests yet another extension from her new—and incredibly attractive—editor, Benji Andor, she is indisputably shut down. Her looming deadline is put on hold, however, when her father dies, and Florence returns to her hometown for the first time in 10 years. She’s expecting to see her father’s ghost. She’s not expecting to see Benji’s ghost. He’s died in the time between their last encounter and her trip, and now he’s haunting Florence. As she attempts to fulfill her father’s peculiar last wishes, memories of him—the only other person in her family who could see ghosts—reignite her ability to write. And, as she and Benji grow closer posthumously, she rediscovers her belief in happy endings. Poston manages to both affirm the cynics and give hope to the romantics by simultaneously embracing and subverting rom-com tropes. The sparkling dialogue makes the characters come alive—even the dead ones. Readers won’t be able to put this down. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary.

June 1, 2022
A romance ghostwriter who's lost her motivation after a breakup is haunted by the spirit of her newly departed editor in this whimsical paranormal romance. Florence Day doesn't believe in love or happily-ever-afters any longer. Unfortunately, she's also the ghostwriter for a prominent romance novelist and is currently trying to finish her fourth and final contracted book. The deadline for her latest manuscript has already been pushed back several times, and her new editor, Benji Andor, isn't allowing for any leeway. Florence can also see ghosts, an ability that's made quite a name for her in her hometown but also partly contributed to the devastating end of her previous relationship. On the eve of her deadline, Florence finds her life upended by both an unexpected kiss with her editor and the sudden death of her beloved father. Returning home comes with its own set of baggage, though Florence holds out hope that her father's ghost will appear for one last goodbye. She's shocked, however, when the spirit that visits her isn't her father but Ben Andor, mysteriously dead only a day after she'd met him. Now Florence must not only navigate her grief and fulfill her dad's last wishes, she must also contend with Ben's confused ghost following her around until they can correct his unfinished business. The zippy banter between Florence and nearly everyone she meets keeps things moving at a sprightly clip. Every interaction is a delight, and getting to know the cast of characters in Florence's orbit adds excitement to the book. The romance takes a bit longer to build, though, and flits in and out of focus. Florence and Ben share such chemistry that it's a shame readers are often left waiting for them to interact. The ghostly element is fun and fresh, adding slightly higher stakes to Florence and Ben's happily-ever-after. A sweet and sparkling adult debut.

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