2024 the best romantic comedy books review

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(as of Dec 03, 2024 01:36:05 UTC - Details)

A New York Times Notable Book of 2022!

The New York Times Bestseller and Good Morning America Book Club Pick!

"I LOVED this book! ...Funny, breathtaking, hopeful, and dreamy.”—Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis

A disillusioned millennial ghostwriter who, quite literally, has some ghosts of her own, has to find her way back home in this sparkling adult debut from national bestselling author Ashley Poston.

Florence Day is the ghostwriter for one of the most prolific romance authors in the industry, and she has a problem—after a terrible breakup, she no longer believes in love. It’s as good as dead.
 
When her new editor, a too-handsome mountain of a man, won't give her an extension on her book deadline, Florence prepares to kiss her career goodbye. But then she gets a phone call she never wanted to receive, and she must return home for the first time in a decade to help her family bury her beloved father.
 
For ten years, she's run from the town that never understood her, and even though she misses the sound of a warm Southern night and her eccentric, loving family and their funeral parlor, she can’t bring herself to stay. Even with her father gone, it feels like nothing in this town has changed. And she hates it.
 
Until she finds a ghost standing at the funeral parlor’s front door, just as broad and infuriatingly handsome as ever, and he’s just as confused about why he’s there as she is.
 
Romance is most certainly dead . . . but so is her new editor, and his unfinished business will have her second-guessing everything she’s ever known about love stories.

"One of the Summer's Hottest Reads"—Entertainment Weekly

From the Publisher

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (June 28, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593336488
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593336489
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.48 x 0.75 x 8.23 inches
Reviewer: Jeeves Reads Romance
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: So unique
Review: Charming and poignant, this ghost story is a little bit romance and a little bit women's fiction. Our hero is a ghost, so that causes plenty of tension, naturally. But as someone who exclusively reads romance novels, I wasn't making an exception for this. There's a sweet and swoony love story wrapped up in the center of a somewhat heavy book about grief and processing loss. Mixing bleak moments with hopeful ones, this intricately weaves together so many important themes in a masterful way. And the ghost puns! SO MANY ghostly references within the text, I loved it. The romance reader in me gobbled up every little bit of the romance; I personally wanted a stronger focus on that, but that's because I'm greedy. One of the best parts of the book is how it balances the light with the dark - there's as much time spent on the pain of death as there is the hope for the future. And that one-of-a-kind feel is what makes this a truly special book - a truly special romance novel - even if this romance reader wanted a stronger focus on that element.The story follows Florence, a woman who ghostwrites for a famous romance author. When her own debut novel failed, Florence was worried that her career was over, but she's found success being the woman behind the scenes. At least she did, until her own love life imploded a year ago. Now Florence is on a tight deadline to produce a happily ever after, and she just doesn't have it in her. She's starting to think that love is dead, and the sudden death of her father certainly doesn't do anything to change her mind. So when Florence's sexy and stern new editor shows up on the funeral home's doorstep - as a ghost - she's not sure what to think. Florence and Ben only met briefly before he became a ghost, and neither one is sure whether Florence is supposed to be helping Ben find peace or whether he's supposed to help Florence wrap up her novel while processing her father's death. Either way, as these two near-strangers spend time together, they begin to wish that they'd gotten closer before Ben crossed to the other side.You're probably still skeptical about whether this is a romance novel or women's fiction, because of the ghost situation. I would call this a romance novel for readers who enjoy elements of women's fiction, because the book is truly Florence's journey, and that doesn't always involve Ben. But... yeah, it's a romance too. While much of the book is emotional and full of grief (not only is Ben grappling with the fact that he's no longer amongst the living, but Florence's father has just passed away), it's also got a funny, uplifting side. It's hopeful. It's a little bit swoony. I loved the opposites attract vibes between Ben and Florence, and how they definitely wouldn't have found their way together if Ben hadn't experienced this time with her. Florence is a chaotic mess of a woman who communicates with ghosts, so that's not something the controlled, workaholic Ben would've been able to handle pre-accident. There are these tiny shifts to the dynamic along the way, and Poston does a masterful job of tying everything together perfectly. That's why this romance reader is willing to round up her rating - while I was greedy for more romance, this is the kind of book that I'm going to be reflecting on for a long time. And it had exactly the kind of ending I wanted.Audio note: The audio was excellent! The story is told exclusively from Florence's point of view, so there is just a single narrator. But she does a great job of differentiating between the characters and giving a stellar vocal performance. I found her voice soothing and easy to listen to, perfect for the many different facets of the story. The runtime was just slightly too long for one day/sitting (10-11 hours), but I was eager to pick the book back up every time I had to set it down. It also makes an awesome workday listen, because there's little to no steam (Florence and Ben literally can't touch), and the romance is an achingly slow burn. I'm sure I would've enjoyed the book in a more traditional format as well, but the audio definitely enhanced the experience.

Reviewer: Deborah A. Richmond
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Quirky & Romantic
Review: Florence Day is a ghostwriter for a famous romance author, but she’s having trouble finishing her latest book. After breaking up with her boyfriend, she no longer believes in romance or happy endings. As soon as she meets her gorgeous new editor, Benji Andor, who refuses to give her an extension, she gets word that her father has died and she has to return home to the town and hasn’t returned to in ten years. Florence’s family runs a funeral home, and Florence has the ability to see ghosts. When she gets home, she’s hoping to see her dad in ghost form, but she ends up seeing the ghost of her new editor who’s been killed. Dealing with Benji’s ghost as well as family drama doesn’t leave her much time to write. How will this all work out?I love this book. It started out slow for me, but then it picked up, and I couldn’t read fast enough. I love the characters in the book, Florence, Benji’s ghost, and the rest of the Day family - they are strongly written and detailed. The world building is great. The small town of Mormont is as typical and quirky as a small southern town should be. Piston’s writing is beautiful, and her descriptions of grief and love and death have an ineffable quality that made me think about things in a new way. It’s a rare book that has me thinking about these deep topics.I highly recommend The Dead Romantics - you’ll love it too. Read it and let me know what you think - I’d love to discuss.

Reviewer: Matthew M Johnson
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: I loved this book. Full stop.
Review: I loved this book. Full stop. It was endearing, and simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming.In terms of actual critique, this is one of those books that my brain initially responds with “no notes!” Truly, the concept was interesting and original; the plot was well constructed; the female protagonist was rich and well developed with clear motivations, and her arc and development were beautiful and relatable. The icing on the cake for me was that the prose was beautiful. This was so unexpectedly well written that half way through the book I was hopping on goodreads to add Poston’s other books to my TBR (joke’s on me, they were already there). That prose was definitely interspersed with some less compelling, informal dialogue. I didn’t love “zoom zoom juice,” but I don’t think I hated it as much as some people seemed to. Supporting characters were much less well developed. In the context of having diverse representation, I think you really run the risk of characters feeling like caricatures or cliches. I had the opposite reaction. The elements of these characters’ identities to which we were introduced were not their entire defining characteristic. From the POV of our protagonist, it wasn’t the most important thing about that person. So, essentially, a gay character is not defined by his sexual orientation, he just is a character who happens to be gay. I loved that because it didn’t make everyone’s identity a plot point or a device for social commentary, it felt like well executed respectful representation of the world in which we live. I wouldn’t consider it compulsively readable in the way some books are, but then again, sometimes you need to breathe for a second to digest content like this. For context though, I still gobbled this up in two (work) days because I was hooked.The only thing that annoyed me was the fact that some characters (or maybe it was just the one) were referred to by their full name every time they were mentioned. I can’t imagine a less critical criticism.This book is a definite re-read for me and there will be a physical copy on my trophy shelf very soon.

Reviewer: Kindle Customer
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Ending was sweet
Review: I didn't like the first 30 percent. The main character is in a deep depression and not coming out. But after she left New York things really picked up and led to a sweet ending. Slightly predictable twist but a very sweet romance overall.

Reviewer: Breanna
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I absolutely adored this magical piece of magical realism and romance. Perfect spooky season romance that I can’t recommend enough

Reviewer: booklover
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Poston is now one of my favourite authors. All her novels have plot twists that are surprising; amazing, original characters that are beautifully drawn out that make me feel like I’m following the journey of a close friend instead of a fictional character; and wonderful imagery that wows the writer in me. The Dead Romantics is no exception. While the novel is about the romance between Florence and ghost Ben, it also deals very heavily with grief (of relatives and also of relationships). I loved the secondary characters of Rose, Florence’s best friend, and the rest of the Day family, which added to the warmth and charm that Poston’s books are renowned for.This novel reminded me of the film Just Like Heaven starring Mark Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon, a film that I love. If you like your romances with a lot of magical realism, then this book is for you.

Reviewer: Cis
Rating: 2.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: 2ehands besteld via amazon. Stond bij 'als nieuw'. Product is echter met een plakbandje vastgeplakt omdat de kaft anders los laat, dat noem ik niet 'als nieuw'.

Reviewer: Maria
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I loved this book so much, I couldn’t put it down once I started to read it.I think I cried and laughed from the beginning to the end. It was so heartfelt and beautiful and corny at the same time.

Reviewer: AK
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: "Sometimes I just wanted to let my guard down, let the pieces of me fall to the ground, and know that I had someone there who could put me back together without minding the sharp bits."#qotd What's the most beautiful book you've read recently?For me, it's The Dead Romantics. Ever since I became a rom-com girlie last year, I wanted to read this book, so I ordered my copy from ChapterOne Books (and the order is still processing 🥲🙃—a long story for another day). I couldn't wait any longer to read it, so I got my copy from Amazon. It was not until the end of June this year that I got to read it, and I'm happy that I impulsively picked it up.Florence Day, a romance ghostwriter, has lost faith in love after a bad breakup. When her new editor refuses to extend her deadline, she faces a career doom. Then, a family emergency forces her to return to her quirky hometown and family funeral parlor after a decade away. There, she encounters a handsome ghost - her new editor - who's as confused as she is. As they unravel his unfinished business, Florence must confront her past and rethink everything she thought she knew about love stories. Thanks to Goodreads.The Dead Romantics handles the themes of death and loss in a distinctive and captivating manner that I have not encountered in other books. It strikes a remarkable balance between emotional depth and humorous moments. I loved how adorable all the characters in this book (especially the mayor) were, except for the ones who had wronged Florence. I must say thanks to this book, without which I wouldn't have found a new favorite comfort author!I loved the love story as well. I felt it was perfectly written for my liking.Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience and consider the story to be refreshingly unique, a quality that is highly sought after by readers.I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone looking for an emotionally engaging yet humorously uplifting read.4.5✨️TW: Death and loss of a parent.