The first thing that attracted me to this book, is the cover. It was bright, eye catching and fun. Made me stop and want to know more.
So, the synopsis. Intriguing, fun, something a bit different.
And actually, that's what I got. Just something light hearted (I know it doesn't initially sound it but it is..), and fresh.
Nathan is given that second chance, that 1 in a million second chance at life. So what do you do? After being pulled out of a morgue drawer, how do you carry on with life? Do you keep plodding along or decide to change it? Does it change your perspective?
I personally really enjoyed this one. It was an easy to read book from the start. Plunges the reader into what is a well written, fast paced and at times witty read. Just what you need to bring you in to the New Year.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and netgalley for my arc. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Please note: Below is the review shared to goodreads. I personally do not add ratings on there unless I can give a 4 or 5, as I know it can hurt ratings. While I find a 3 is a perfectly good score there, I understand where some might feel less sure of the rating.

I cannot think of an accurate rating to give this book— I think it really depends on what you expect from it. It’s a light, sometimes funny, romance. One character is a goth girl who works in a mortuary— she finds herself attracted to a man who should be dead, but surprise! he is not and she finds excuses to begin a romance. The books has sweet moments and they are both caring when it comes to the man’s daughters. But they are also often rather awful people, whom you have a difficult time cheering for— that can be okay; like I said, that tends to effect more personal feelings on the book. I would say if you like a romance and want a main character who is a little sassy and a little bit different, check it out at your library or look for a good deal on it.

Eh. This was ok. A little disjointed because the narrator changes every few chapters but isn't marked as such.

If it was all from Nathan's point of view it might have been more enjoyable.

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.*

This was an enjoyable beach read for me. I loved Kat and her humor and would love to read more about her. The story was quirky, fast paced, and well written.
Many thanks to Harper Impulse and Killer Reads and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

We follow Nathan Jones is stuck in a loveless marriage, and Kat who works in the Mortuary and a strange incident that left Nathan coming back from the dead, to a life he wasn’t so sure about.

This quirky romance was cute but didn’t hold my attention for very long. The cadence and storytelling felt like a voice-over from a romcom similar to Pushing Daisy’s. The story was interesting but never grabbed me enough to sit down and read for long periods of time.

Nathan Jones is not living life to the full. In fact he is not living life to the half. Stuck in a rut with a bland marriage and job he gets hit by a bus and is pronounced dead.

However, Nathan Jones comes back from the dead. Not as a vampire or as a ghost (or a walker) he comes back as Nathan Jones. However, his wife has decided she quite liked the idea of life without her husband and moves to London with a new job.

The mortuary attendant Kat is no hand though and what follows is quite a nice love story taking in a very unlikely couple. The trouble with nice though is that it makes it hard to review.

There was a good premise but for me the novel didn't deliver. What good have been a funny, quirky love story just turned into a bit of a meander into the bland.

I wanted to like this book and thought that the premise sounded fun, but my goodness it just did not deliver for me. I already had reservations starting off, but when Kat introduced herself and Nathan made a comment about pussy I knew that this wasn't the book for me. Who says something like that to someone they just met?! I found it to be extremely unnecessary and I am not a person that's easily offended by foul language. I tried to keep going but after that could not enjoy this book or the characters.

Nathan was hit by a bus and pronounced dead and waking up in the mortuary where he meets Kat certainly changed his life. Nathan is a bit stunned first by almost dying and then by his wife leaving him and their three daughters. The opening line of this book had me intrigued, "Getting killed hadn't been part of Nathan Jones's plans for Saturday afternoon."

The writing was fast paced with some funny lines. I wanted to love this book but sadly I didn't.
Nathan I found lacked substance and I couldn't understand why the two women were fighting over him.

The other redeeming feature was the friendship between Kat and Hayley, who were both misfits in school and this led to a firm bond. They were a great support to each other and made me laugh quite a lot.

This book wasn't for me if I was rating on my enjoyment it would be a 2 stars read however I am also rating on the writing so this a 3 stars read.
Also reviewed on Goodreads and Waterstones.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.
#Netgalley #SecondLifeofNathanJones #DavidAtkinson.

The Second Life of Nathan Jones by David Atkinson
Source: NetGalley and HarperImpulse
Rating: 4½/5 stars

Nathan Jones isn’t leading what most would call a stellar, totally fulfilling life, but it’s better than no life at all. Oh, Nathan knows his marriage is rubbish and his wife is a cow, but his daughters are delightful and being with them means everything to Nathan. Things aren’t perfect amongst the living but waking up in a morgue is even worse. Just ask Nathan Jones.

Kat’s never met a real zombie, but Nathan Jones seems to be just that, a real, live returned from the dead kind of zombie, but don’t call him that. Nathan Jones is also immensely attractive and from the moment she meets him, Kat is intrigued by the man who returned from the dead. Getting to know Nathan Jones isn’t going to be easy, but nothing worth it in this life is easy. Against the advice of her best friend, Kat sets upon a course that will bring her the greatest pleasure and the greatest heartbreak she has ever known in her life.

Nathan Jones thought dying and returning from the dead was the worst thing he was going to face in his, well, life. As it turns out, the worst thing he must face is the prospect of his wife leaving him and taking his beloved daughters with him. If it weren’t for Kat and her plan to know Nathan Jones, he would be completely alone and totally lost. Kat is unlike anyone Nathan Jones has ever met. She’s Goth (not punk!), wildly inappropriate, kind, generous, and the most delightfully weird person Nathan Jones has ever known. If Kat thinks it, she says it, if she enjoys it, she does it, and if she wants it, she goes for it. For Nathan Jones, Kat is a bit a refreshing, a breath of fresh air in a life (and death) that had otherwise become tolerable, at best.

Kat completely understands the mess she is getting herself into. Nathan Jones doesn’t come with baggage; he comes with a cargo plane filled with baggage. He’s not technically divorced, his girls are a consideration, and there is always the possibility he doesn’t actually like Kat. In short order, the last bit is answered, a trip to the zoo goes a long way in smoothing the path with the girls, and the first is just a volcano waiting to erupt. Yes, Kat is absolutely insane to even consider becoming involved with Nathan Jones, but something about him screams special and worth it, so Kat soldiers on.

The time Kat has with Nathan Jones is both exhilarating and turbulent. Nathan Joens’ wife has no intention of going away quietly into the night; in fact, Nathan Jones’ wife has every intention of living up to her reputation as a cow and looks to make life miserable for everyone, Kat included. As the cow’s plans unfold, both Kat and Nathan Jones are brought to the lowest point of their respective lives. Nathan Jones is on the verge of losing his girls for good and Kat is as heartbroken as she every could have imagined. With no real hope left, the two part ways and hope there comes a day when the pain isn’t quite so potent.

The Bottom Line: The Second Life of Nathan Jones is one of those books whose Goodreads star rating totally baffles me. I found this book to be smartly written, wickedly funny, and appropriately emotional. This isn’t just the story of Nathan Jones and his miraculous return from the dead, it’s the story of a group of people, some incredibly broken and misguided, crashing into one another and trying to make the best of it all. Every character is clear and full, the plot is a train wreck in the best possible way, and I simply couldn’t put this book down. This really is an emotional roller coaster of a ride that is tempered with a good bit of dark humor, sarcasm, witty banter, awkward moments, and a few naughty bits thrown in for good measure! In all, a fine read.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

I wanted to love this, but only barely liked it. Cute at times, but the characters were a bit cliched.

Wow! This book is such a happy read for me. I loved reading every word of this book. When Nathan Jones is resuscitated from death due to some rare syndrome, how his life changes is the theme of the book.
The dry humour in the book is outstanding and I laughed out loud in many places earning weird glances. But who cares? The characters are funny and quirky and I imagined being in their company.
The author did a great job in writing these characters each with their own quirkiness. There is everything from love to disgust to weird monologues. This is such a light-hearted read for me in my most terrible time and I'm forever grateful for that. I recommend this book to all the humour fans.

The opening line of this book had me intrigued and I was hooked. "Getting killed hadn't been part of Nathan Jones's plans for Saturday afternoon." Nathan was hit by a bus and pronounced dead and waking up in the mortuary where he meets Kat certainly changed his life. Nathan is a bit first by almost dying and then by his wife leaving him and their three daughters.

The writing was beautifully done with some funny lines and the dialogue being fast paced.
I wanted to love this book but sadly I didn't due to the fact that the only character I liked was Millie, Nathan's & Laura's eldest daughter. Millie was a very serious girl who was very perspective especially about her parents relationship and seemed almost the most mature person compared to her mum and dad.

I did find Kat to be a quirky and unique person but many times she was inappropriate like turning up at his flat when he did not give her his address and pushing him to do things that she wanted him to do.

I disliked Laura, Nathan's wife, like I get that getting pregnant so young wasn't in her plans but it did and overall I found her very selfish especially towards the end of the book.

Nathan I found lacked substance and I couldn't understand why the two women were fighting over him.

The other redeeming feature was the friendship between Kat and Hayley, who were both misfits in school and this led to a firm bond. They were a great support to each other and made me laugh quite a lot.

This book wasn't for me if I was rating on my enjoyment it would be a 2 stars read however I am also rating on the writing so this a 3.5 stars read.
Also reviewed on Goodreads and Waterstones.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.
#Netgalley #SecondLifeofNathanJones #DavidAtkinson.

I think I see what this book was aiming for but the characters feel cliched. I wasn't crazy about Nate--like why were two women fighting over him? And Kat was okay but the other character was a variation on the evil woman theme. Just not crazy about this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I was expecting way more than the book delivered unfortunately. Nathan doesn't seem particularly grateful for, or enthused about, his second chance at life. Two women fighting over him, one who seems like a nasty piece of work and the other who forgives him for being a nasty piece of work, mean that the rom-com elements feel a bit weird. Decent enough but not great.

I wanted to like this book more than I did unfortunately. The
Premise was good and I liked the main female ‘Kat’ who was a bit quirky and different from the usual women in this type of book, being a goth and working in a mortuary. This book felt like it should have more depth, one of the storylines being a divorce with children in the middle. But I didn’t think it went deep enough. The ex wife is so unlikeable I found her a little far fetched. Nathan is fine, but I’m not sure I’d have put as much effort into starting a relationship with him as Kat did.
There are some funny lines and the dialogue is fast paced and stays on the surface. Its a funny and entertaining enough read, but not one that I’d go back and read it again.
Thank you to netgalley, the author and the publishers for gifting me this copy in return for an honest, unbiased review.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Second Life of Nathan Jones is an entertaining romantic comedy. Nathan gets hit by a bus and seems to be dead but comes back to life in the morgue. Kat, a goth girl who works there, discovers him alive and is instantly attracted. What follows Is a funny and heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking, tale of second chances. If you enjoy romantic comedies, quirky humor, and stories about getting another chance in life, you will enjoy this book.

From the opening line, this book had me smiling. "Getting killed hadn't been part of Nathan Jones's plans for Saturday afternoon." As it turned out, Nathan wasn't dead, although waking up in the mortuary and meeting Kat certainly changed his life. Nathan is a bit nonplussed throughout the book first by almost dying, then by his wife leaving him, then really by all that happened in his family situation.

I really liked Kat and her friend Hayley, who were both misfits in their own ways when they were younger and this had led to a firm friendship which continued in adulthood. They were a great support to each other and made me laugh quite a lot.

Although there was a lot of humour in the book, there were some serious issues touched upon too such as the effects of a marriage breakup on the family. I really disliked Nathan's wife Laura who seemed to think she could do what she wanted and disregard everyone else's feelings.

The way the relationship between Nathan and Kat developed was unusual to say the least but I liked the idea of Nathan getting a second chance at life. Almost dying made him realise that his life wasn't all it could be but he really needed someone to encourage him to step outside his comfort zone and take risks. I have to say I really enjoyed the Edinburgh setting especially when Portobello got a few mentions! The Second Life of Nathan Jones is a quirky and light-hearted book which I found very entertaining.

4,5 Stars

This book was funny, quirky and peculiar - but in a good way!

It starts off a bit like the 80s movie "War of the Roses". While the husband is having a serious medical emergency (and in this case is even believed to be dead!), the wife is not sad at all but thinks "mmmh, this freedom actually feels kinda good!".

At least this gives Nathan the chance to get to know his life-saver Kat a bit better. And discover she might be a better fit for him than his snobbish wife Laura. She, of course, doesn't react too well to the news that Nathan has stopped pining for her...

I liked the idea of the story, I liked the two main characters and I hugely enjoyed the banter between Kat and Nathan, but also between Kat and Hayley, Kat and her Dad, Kat and Sid... That was my type of humour! And Kat with her credo "Everyone needs nonsense in their lives to make up for all the serious stuff." my kind of girl.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Impluse and Killer Reads, and One More Chapter for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

**There may be spoilers below**


I really wanted to love this book. After seeing that it was similar to Eleanor Oliphant, I had really high hopes. I found the entire plot to be entirely unrealistic and a bit creepy. Nathan Jones was killed by a bus, but not really, and is found alive in the morgue by Kat. Kat begins her quest to date Nathan and not-so-subtly convinces (forces?) him to begin a relationship with her. Some of the dialogue was offensive and cringe-worthy. The plot had some depth... a loving father fights for rights to visit his children, but also included two women trying to convince him that they are worthy of his love.

What could have been a funny and quirky love story missed the mark for me.

This is the first book I read by this author. I definitely like his writing style. I loved his humor. Many times I was just reading along and then wham! I read a sentence that had me laughing out loud and carrying on, and it was a great feeling! I honestly do not laugh out loud often. I find things funny, but do not laugh. This book had me laughing so many times.

I love the quirky, odd characters. I love that they all have issues, but are dealing with them and have become the champions of their world. They have dealt with their issues and have become a unique people. They are flawed humans that do not always make the correct decisions and also carry their baggage with them, but they go on and for that, I adore them. While I do not agree with all the character's decisions in this book, it is a book of fiction, so I go with it and enjoy the story as it unfolds. One character is truly awful, but most stories need one villain, and that is Laura in this story.

Nathan (Laura's husband) is hit by a bus and is assumed dead and sent to the Edinburgh morgue where Kat works. She find him and sees he is fully alive, and also very cute and is taken aback by how strongly she is bonded to him in that moment.

The story is about second chances, friendship, forgiveness, betrayal and making the most of your life - whatever situation you happen to be presented.

This is a light-hearted book with many serious issues going on it in. I enjoyed this book so much.

I want to thank NetGalley and Harper Impulse & KIller Reads for allowing me to read the Advanced Reader's Copy. This review is my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.