This is a first from this author for me. However, I've heard her books described as "quirky" (which I love) and I'm completely behind this description. 

The main character, Delphie, is an absolute legend hoot with some of the things she does and the situations she finds herself in--for instance, what she'll do to avoid being seen with camel toe--I. DIED. 

Seriously, this book was full of the magical realism that I adore in stories. It brings a bit of humor and whimsy to a story and doesn't take itself too seriously. 

I loved the romance in this--it was completely well done and I was almost fooled. But, alas, Delphie had her proper romance and I was thoroughly entertained throughout. 

And bonus points for Merritt--without which this story wouldn't have been as great as it was. IYKYK.

Delphie is a lone wolf. Ever since she was abandoned by her dad and then her mom years later, she believes she is better off alone. Except when it comes to Mr. Yoon, her elderly neighbor. He is the only one in the world that matters, and is in actuality the last thought on her mind as she takes her final breath.

"Who will take care of Mr. Yoon if I am gone." In Evermore she meets an ambitious afterlife therapist and a stunning man who makes her heart skip, right before he disappears back to life. Merrit her therapist offers her a task, find that mystery man and get him to kiss her within 10 days and she will live again and be able to care for Mr. Yoon. But finding a man by his first name in a city of almost 9 million is an almost impossible task, and she finds herself having to reach out to those around her and ask for help learning that maybe there was more she wanted to live for than just Mr. Yoon.

Huge thanks to Berkley for the advanced copy of this book. I am pretty sure this is the first time Berkley has approved me so I guess that means I'm moving up in the world? 😆

When I first saw this cover, I really wan't the biggest fan. I am usually a sucker for a cover but it was the synopsis that got me this time. The idea of finding your soulmate after death and then chasing them down, without them having any recollection of who you are, I knew it was going to be hilarious. And it totally was. The cover also grew on me. It has a 90's nostalgia vibe to it and that's kind of what this book is too. It has a bit of a nostalgia vibe to it. With all of the pop culture references, this is going to be one of those books I read years from now and it reminds me of today.

"The poster in the window beside her is advertising STD medication. "I...I gave him chlamydia," I finish."

The Love of my After Life is laugh out loud funny. I was giving my daughter a play by play while I was reading and there were times I had to put the book down because I couldn't see the pages through my tears of laughter. Based on the premise you have to expect some ridiculousness to happen but the number of times that Delphie foibled at one point felt endless. Don't get me wrong, there are many serious parts to this book. It deals with abandonment, and the long term traumatic effects of bullying. Both of which are wrapped up almost completely. I do wish we had gotten some closure on Delphie's dad but what we got worked.

I often see the question "What fictional world would you want to live in," asked across bookstagram, booktok and booktube. I haven't really had a world that I could say 100% yes i want to live there because most of the time, I would probably die if I existed in that place. 😆 I finally have an answer. I would love to live in Delphie's London. All of the characters that surround her and that she meets during her quest make me want to join their little community in the making. I stayed up until 2am finishing The Love of My After Life because I never wanted it to end and I could not put it down. I had to know how everything turned out. Now, there are some twists and turns here (there obviously have to be when someone is on a task that is life or death and they literally can't tell anyone about it). Some of which I ferreted out almost from the start, some that took me 50% through to figure out, and some I didn't see coming at all. Every one of them made this book the perfection that it is.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

🥰Thank you so much to @berkleypub for the ARC!

📖Title: The Love of my Afterlife
✍️Author: Kristy Greenwood
📆Pub date: July 2, 2024

I'm a huge magical realism fan, so this was right up my alley! I petition for more romance/magical realism books!

I really liked the journey this book took me on and enjoyed all of it, but I LOVED the ending when some big surprises were revealed. The ending really pulled everything together and blew me away! What a genius idea for a book!

My favorite thing about this one was that I expected a super basic romance and then was given so much more. I didn't cry, but I ALMOST DID! I want to say so much more, but you really should go in blind!

Overall, a cute and feel-good read that I think will be a big hit! It's also @gmabookclub pick this month and a @bookofthemonth add-on! You'll definitely be seeing this one everywhere!

If you liked any of these books, you'll most likely enjoy this one, too:

🏰The Miniscule Mansion of Myra Malone
⌛The Good Part
☕The Coffee Shop of Curiosities
🪄The Déjà Glitch
🍋The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

There are certain topics that I tend to shy away from such as death and dying, ghosts and witches. but when I end up reading them, they are so much different than what I thought it was going to be like.

This story is fun and quirky with so many great parts to it that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I was actually sad when it ended.

The author created this plot in the story with a twist you don’t even think about happening. We get shades of loneliness, wanting, and joy while balancing it with delightful scenes and rom-com vibes.

The characters have a rich sense of humor with an unbelievable plot. The ending was so awesome with intertwining connections you don’t even see happening. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and wanted more. A fun and surprisingly delightful story. You never know what to expect and that’s what makes this so different and unexpected.

If you’re looking for an uplifting, humorous, situational story, this one is for you. This is the first time I’ve read this author and I’m looking forward to more from her.

#TheLoveOfMyAfterlife:⁣
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Thanks for the free book @prhaudio @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #PRHAudioPartner ⁣
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“The problem with so many people you encounter in life is that they’re being the version of themselves they think they should be rather than the person they actually are. Which is almost always judgy and superior and—if it serves them—willing to break your heart without a second thought. If there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s that people are mostly shit.”⁣
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Wow. This was such a cool and unique book that I don’t think I’ll forget about it for a while. Delphie - chokes and croaks. She’s in Evermore (hi Taylor) and meets her soulmate Jonah. But Joney is actually just unconscious so he gets to go back to Earth. Delphie’s therapist and romance enthusiast Merritt makes a deal with her. Zap her back to Earth, let Jonah give her a true love’s kiss in 10 days, and she can stay! Easy, right? ⁣
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As Delphie goes through life trying to find Jonah, we meet so many unique and fun characters along the way. They all have beautiful stories and just realistic vibes. I love every book reference (shouting out Lucy Score’s rivals to lovers mastery is essential) was perfect for me. I just couldn’t get enough of this book. It was vulnerable, but hilariously self depricating. ⁣
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Audio was amazing. I loved the “Dear Readers” section in the audio! It’s Sofia Oxenham doing all the reading, and it’s amazing.⁣
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Overall, a major 5 star hit. This is a no brainer. Out tomorrow July 2nd!⁣
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QOTD: What’s your last five star read?

I just adored this book. Delphie was a little hard to sympathize with at first but I think that’s part of her charm and makes her relatable; by the end I was rooting for her and her happy ever after! I loved the rom-com movie references and the tropes! A hilarious, heartfelt, magical journey of a book that really makes you appreciate life! Highly recommend! 4.5⭐️

I would love to know how these authors come up with the ideas that they do!

I’ve been absolutely loving romance books with a speculative twist lately. Whether it’s paranormal, a smidge of sci-fi, some magical realism, or a hint of light fantasy mixed in, these books are becoming my absolute favorite. So when Berkley informed me of this upcoming release (OUT TODAY!!) where a woman dies, connects with a man, and is given 10 days to find him on Earth or risk returning back to the afterlife, I was absolutely HOOKED.

There are some fun twists in this too, which I won’t share here because I don’t want to spoil anything for you…but let’s just say, first impressions (and second and third ones too) aren’t always everything. Sometimes we need to give people a chance to show us their true colors. You never truly know what another person is going through the day you just so happen to meet them.

The light-hearted humor, the life lessons, the love story…this book blended everything so well that I’m still thinking about it days later. And I enjoyed listening to it as well, thanks to PRH Audio!

I was enthralled from the beginning, wanting to know just how Delphie was going to 1) find Jonah when she knew nothing but his first name, and 2) convince him to kiss her of his own free will so she can continue living. The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat, and the payoff was both amusing and heartwarming.

Read if you like:
- Forced proximity
- Making the most of your life
- A second chance at living
- Unexpected twists
- Strong character growth
- Speculative romance
- Magical realism

CW: bullying, death

For now a 4 but once I sit on it a bit more maybe a 4.5⭐️? Such a delight!!

✨magical realism
✨The Good Place 🤝 The Dead Romantics
✨lighthearted and funny and emotional and heartwarming!!
✨closed door romance
✨fake dating, one hotel room, love triangle-ish - it really breaks the fourth wall when it comes to the romance tropes and even mentions some popular romance books/authors
✨found family
✨great on audio 🎧

This was so so good + just what I wanted it to be! It was all about finding joy in actually living your life and finding human connection! It had a twist at the end that I did NOT see coming even if you see one thing coming from a mile away so I loved that!! Highly recommend! 💓🥹

Thank you to @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the gifted print and digital copies of this hilarious and heartwarming book that I loved from the very first page - below is my honest review.

Delphine dies alone in her apartment after choking on a microwavable hamburger, only to awaken in the intake lobby for the afterlife. When newly dead Jonah also arrives, Delphine finally feels that spark of soulmate-level connection she’d wanted her whole life. Only now she’s dead. But through a clerical error, Jonah isn’t supposed to be there, and he returns to his (very much alive) self on Earth. Taking pity on Delphine, her romance novel-loving Afterlife intake specialist offers her a deal. Since her body has yet to be discovered, Delphine can return but only has ten days to find Jonah had have him kiss her of his own free will. If successful, Delphine can stay. If not, she must return to the afterlife. Thus begins a quirky, chaotic, wildly funny, and often tender series of misadventures in which Delphine discovers how to truly live only after she has died.

This was one of those books where, after the first chapter, you know you are going to read until you finish. I did not put it down but bounced between the audio and print versions. It was a wickedly funny, incredibly heartfelt story about how to reshape your life, decide who you want to be a part of, create your own family, work through loss, and discover the people who would love you were with you all along. I love it when a story can deliver complexity and hilarity in a way that augments both, and Greenwood 100% delivers with this book—I loved it.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I laughed out loud many, many times and couldn’t wait to see how it ended.

“The Love of My Afterlife” by Kristy Greenwood opens with an our main character, Delphie, dying while choking on a microwaveable hamburger. In the afterlife she immediately meets her soulmate, Jonah. Delphine bargains with her afterlife therapist to get a shot back on Earth with Jonah. Delphie’s life on Earth has been pretty miserable and isolating so this is her shot at a 2nd chance to change things around. But things never go as planned.

I really enjoyed this story. It was funny, heartwarming and reflective. Delphie is truly a quirky character; her isolation is self-inflicted after being burned many times by people she loved. I hated her and loved her throughout the books, yelling at her to get out of her own way. I loved the love interest too. I won’t go into details to stay away from spoilers. My only gripe is with a specific part of the ending that seemed to just be there to wrap things up more quickly. I also loved that Delphie was a “late-bloomer” and her love interest didn’t shame her for that. I didn’t love that some of female characters seem to same her or that once she had sex she thought it fixed all her problems. But again the end was rushed and maybe could have been flushed out more. None of that outweighs by overall enjoyment of the rom-don’t though. I will be recommending this book to all my friends and patrons at the library.

3.5 stars. Super cute magical realism romance. Not too predictable, and fun without being completely hokey.

The Love of My Afterlife is a unique romance filled with humor, heart and magic. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but this story exceeded my hopes for what this book would be.

Delphie finds herself in Evermore (the afterlife) after choking on a microwaved burger. She is assigned to Afterlife Therapist, Merritt, to help with her transition. After watching her life as a slideshow, Delphie is saddened to realize she wasted all her time on earth.

“Here lies Delphie Denise Bookham. She died just as she lived: alone, perplexed, wearing something a bit shit.”

In the waiting room, Delphie meets her soul mate- a gorgeous and kind man- sparks fly. Romance reading Merritt gives Delphie 10 days to find her soul mate and have him kiss her to remain living. (very Little Mermaid- esque)

The romance in this book kept me on my toes! I highly recommend going in blind. I don’t want to say anything more due to potential spoilers, but the romance was lovely.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was watching Delphie form genuine connections. She hasn’t had friendship since isolating herself after being bullied as a teen. At first, Delphie only involves others because she needs their help, but she soon begins to enjoy spending time with them. This element of the book reminded me a lot of I Hope This Finds You Well and The Collected Regrets of Clover.

There were 2 things that kept this from being a 5-star read for me. One, there were a ton of pop culture references (Lucy Score, Emily Henry, Clueless, My Chemical Romance, Sophie Kinsella, Trunchbull, Will Smith & many more). I’m a 35-year-old romance reader and got them all, but I think there were too many and depending on your age, may limit whether the reference hits. Secondly, Delphie was hard for me to like at first. I knew she had a big heart all along because of her relationship with Mr. Yoon, but sometimes her rudeness rubbed me the wrong way.

Read if you like:
•Magical realism with your romance
•Found family (Aled, Mr. Yoon- I love you both)

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for an early copy of this title; all thoughts are my own.

Not sure where this one fell off for me. I might be the odd one out, but I don't know how I feel about this! I loved the twist. I definitely didn't see that coming. And I was glad she didn't end up with Jonah. But I felt like all that she went through to not be with who she thought she was going to be with defeated the purpose of the whole book. That's literally the whole premise of it and why she died and came back. HOWEVER, I did enjoy the ending so I'm not completely at odds with it - which is why I'm so torn. I had a hard time connecting with Delphie and I wish we had a chance to know her a bit more. I typically don't mind the magic realism aspect of a plot, but this one was just meh for me. What I did enjoy was toward the last maybe 40% of the book we see her actually trying to make friends, and living her truth authentic self. Poor girl had to die and come back to enjoy sex for the first time (lol). I really liked how she made a decision to be happy and be with the person she truly was in love with.

This unique premise caught my eye but it was the quirky characters, humor, and my favorite enemies to lovers trope that kept me reading. Delphie hasn’t had a great life. Estranged from her parents, living a pretty solitary life, she now finds herself given an impossible task; to find her soulmate in a city of millions. Enlisting the aid of her co-workers and neighbors, she begins to follow his trail. As she does, she gets to know all of these people who have been in her life, but whom she has never allowed herself to befriend. I loved how these seven days truly changed Delphie and made her realize that she doesn’t want to leave this life behind and there are reasons to live.

This was definitely a quirky premise and these characters were often laugh out loud funny. This is the first novel I’ve read by Kirsty Greenwood and I’ll be looking for others with the hope she delivers on the humor again. It’s also worth noting that she delivers great relationships too. Delphie was a loner and her journey starts from scratch. She has to make friends, change her demeanor from sour and grumpy to open and welcoming, and she falls in love! This novel was transforming in a lot of ways and it was a lot of fun to read.

This was fun albeit predictable. It was like a Netflix rom-com. Two people who keep the world at arm's length, for different reasons, collide in a series of classic romance tropes. Faking dating, close proximity, one-bed.

Delphie and Cooper are both likable, and I genuinely enjoyed their chemistry.

The book isn’t anything outstanding or genre-defining but it’s easy, a little sexy, and a mostly enjoyable time. This book would serve perfectly as an easy-breezy summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

This book had all of the vibes of a great rom-com combined with the bittersweet loveliness of The Good Place. And sering as The Good Place is one of my favorite shows, I had.a feeling that this book would be right up my alley.

It is funny and comical, but it's also soft, poignant, and loving at the same time. Seeing Delphie finally living her life when faced with an ultimatum from the afterlife was touching and heartfelt. The people that she had in her life that she took for granted, but were always going to be there for her. And Cooper! He was already pining hard at the beginning of the book, and it only grew as the book continued, despite their continued sniping. I loved everything about them.

This book was delightful. I absolutely enjoyed it.

What started off as an enjoyable, fun, and quite unique read started to become a rather comical and even cringe worthy experience.

The premise of this story is unique. The concept of dying and meeting your soulmate in the afterlife only for him to disappear, so now you have a couple days to get him back with a chance of being back alive on Earth. I think what the author created is a fun concept that had a lot of potential, but it was all lost on the messiness the plot took.

My biggest issue with this is the expectation I had is nothing of what the book offered, and that’s usually a subjective matter, but in this case, we go into it expecting one thing and literally come out with another. I hate it when authors market a book a certain way only for it to be changed or completely different, nothing like how it started, and that is what happened here. I was expected to root for a romantic relationship that was never going to be the finality. I was expected to see Delphie find her afterlife soulmate only for her to…not. And this just pisses me off because it doesn’t matter who you root for; it’s the fact that we start off one way only for it to change completely. The blurb made me think I would be reading about Delphie finding Jonah, yet she and Jonah don’t meet until after the halfway point. And the author probably most likely wanted to make it this way for the reader to like Cooper instead, which would’ve been fine had that been the intention in the first place. I just hated the structure of this. I don’t like going into books expecting one thing and finishing the story with a whole different set up. You can say there’s a small love triangle but also not, considering Delphie spends most of the book looking for and pining over Jonah while Cooper miserably pines over her one sidedly. Again, this wouldn’t have been an issue had I expected Cooper but in no way was I prepared to forget about Jonah and root for Cooper. And it’s not that I don’t like the relationship between Cooper and Delphie, just that I wasn’t expecting it. And yes, I know this isn’t <i>just</i> a romance, but again, it is primarily marketed as a romance about a woman who meets her soulmate when she dies. In the afterlife. There’s other themes of found family and finding joy with limited time, which I think can create a bright message about taking advantage of life while you have it, but Delphie’s life was humoring, and not in a good way.

Delphie is described as quirky by a lot of people, and I agree. But I also found her to be a little bit childish. Again, I don’t know if this was intentional or what but her personality didn’t come off as appealing and instead was off putting in between different scenes. The amount of second hand embarrassment she gave me was truly outlandish. It’s honestly not common for me to get second hand embarrassment from characters because I think embarrassment is so subjective that people take these things too differently, but Delphie’s character was immature at times. Her dialogue was not funny or relatable but instead embarrassing. I cringed a few too many times. I just didn’t vibe with her. She’s 27 yet sometimes it was difficult to see that age in real life because she came off as a desperate, annoying teenager. Hell I’ve met teenagers way more mature than her, less annoying, and much more developed. Her actions and dialogue did not provide the necessary humor the author was trying to give, in my opinion.

I didn’t find this what many others did. I didn’t find it cute, funny, or entertaining. I was rather bored from the 30% mark, clearly on outlier island, wondering why this had to be a miss for me. I was excited, but now I’m kind of glad I got it over with. I also found the modern references to be way too much. I just wish authors would with the modern references, using real life as a way for bait. Actors, authors, tropes, musicians, etc—all used here that just made me roll my eyes.

This was the first book I've read by this author, and it definitely won't be the last! The premise is unique, and it was such an enjoyable read. I loved the characters, it was perfectly paced, and I was hooked from the beginning. I didn't want to put it down! This book had everything I wanted-laughed, I swooned, I had fun, and it was emotional. I can't wait to read her other books!
Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you Berkley for the ARC. This was such an interesting and unique concept. I love magical realism and time travel romances. The FMC was a bit annoying at first but she grew on me. I recommend to people looking for something different in the romance genre.

This was an absolute pleasure! I loved watching Delphie on her crazy adventure to get back to the land of the living. Greenwood writes grumpy characters well. The side characters in this were perfection and I couldn’t get enough of their fun personalities. I switched between reading and listening and would recommend either format and going into this one blind if you can.