The Dead Romantics – Ashley Poston

This might be one of my favorite standalones of all time. Perfect for the fall, I fell head over heals for Florence and Ben, their relationship growing through grief and a flourishing bond of love. This story was heartbreakingly beautiful with bits of pieces of a family that adores each other and a romance that will last forever. 

The story 

When the plot line of The Dead Romantics was first introduced to me, I wasn’t sure how I’d like it. I mean it’s a sort of paranormal romance but it’s hyper realistic too. It wasn’t until partway through the book that I realized how much I adore this story and how easy to read it is. The beautiful writing combined with a ghost who is only seen by an author going through grief over a loved one – an author who needs help getting out of a year-long slump, an author who needs and deserves so much love – made the book so haunting and deep. 

I wish I could explain the way that this story has buried itself into my very soul. It’s like the bits and pieces of me that I’d never dare speak out loud, have been heard. This book is the kind of book that you could get lost in for hours and never want to come out. 

The characters

Florence Day is such a quirky character and I love it. She gave me everything I needed in a main character. A past filled with grief over romantic connections, a small town that she’s worked hard to avoid, a family that adores her but she barely sees because she can’t come home, it’s all Florence. She’s one of those characters that sneaks up on you. The best parts of Florence are the parts that she works so hard to hide. The romantic parts, the parts that show her vulnerability. But when she lets that slip? She becomes one of the most beautiful characters I’ve ever read about. 

“Love wasn’t a whisper in the quiet night. It was a yelp into the void, screaming that you were here.”

Benji is no exception to this. Not only did Ben continue to give me the banter, the comedy, and the fun part of the book, but he gave me the romance and the tension and the yearning that I was wishing for. He said all the right things and he was there. Him being there made an huge difference on Florence and I can’t begin to describe my love for them together. 

Florence’s family had their comedic moments but their heart wrenching moments were the ones I continued to read over and over again. The moments when they’re playing cards after a funeral, when they’re listening to a song and dancing throughout the funeral home, when they’re being so uniquely them. It reminds me so much of my own family, my love for them, our uniqueness, and genuine love for each other. It was so nice to see us reflected back in these characters.

The writing 

I don’t think I could praise Ashley Poston enough for this book. It was like watching the ocean sweep across the sand, the words flowed beautifully and when put together, each sentence was like coming home. I can see myself in a few years rereading this book and remembering how deeply it affected me now. I can’t imagine how deeply it’ll affect me then. 

“I began to realize that love wasn’t dead, but it wasn’t forever, either. It was something in between, a moment in time where two people existed at the exact same moment in the exact same place in the universe.”

Do I recommend?

I can’t recommend this book enough. I laughed, I cried, I adored every single character. It’s like this book spoke to the smallest and quietest parts of me and I can see myself reading it over and over again. 

I feel like my review of this book can’t do it justice. There’s so much I want to say, so much I can’t find the words for. What I can say though is this: please pick up this book and please think about these characters and this story. Not only will you be a changed person but you’ll fall in love with two characters who needed each other at their worst times. 

Rating: 5/5⭐️