This was such a unique story and I couldn’t put it down.
Delphine dies by choking on nothing other than a microwave hamburger. Now she’s in the afterlife, in her night gown, and she just met the most gorgeous man she’s ever seen. The only problem is he’s not dead, but she is. He gets to wake up, she doesn’t. When she’s offered a deal she can’t turn down, she gets to return to earth for ten days she immediately says yes. The twist is that she has to find the mystery man, and she must persuade him to kiss her. If Delphie succeeds she will stay alive! She has no clues other than his first name and large city he lives in.
With the help of her strange neighbour Cooper , she finds herself jogging through the park, at a nude art class and podium dancing to just name but a few in her quest to find him. The story continues at a great pace with a cast of amazing supporting characters. Not only funny there is also sadness and dealing with loss, and a twist I just didn’t see coming. Delphie is going to have to listen to her heart, learn to ask for help, and perhaps even see the magic in the life she’s leaving behind…

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance, Netgalley, & PRH Audio for the advanced copies! All thoughts and opinion are still my own.

I love stories that play with time & timelines, so I was really excited going into this one! And while it wasn't quite what I was expecting, it was still a very sweet and lovely contemporary story!

For me, I was I hoping for a more romance focused story (since this is classified as a romance) but it leans far more contemporary in my opinion.

There is definitely a romance and an HEA, but the main focus of the story is on the heroine's self discovery journey. With the romance as a side plot.

Overall I thought it was well done! The heroine is a relatable hot mess, the hero is a classic pining grump, and the story has an overall hopeful/happy vibe. If you're looking for something sweet & heartwarming with a hefty dash of

Genuinely such a fun book. It was so cute and sweet! I can't wait to read more from this author. Highly recommend!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a little behind with my ARC’s but working diligently to get caught up. I really enjoyed the plot of this romantic comedy! It was original and funny and even threw in a twist towards the end that was super sweet! The characters and setting were well developed and the story held my attention the entire time. I would highly recommend to anyone who likes romantic comedies with supernatural elements!

Romcom is not a literary genre that I reach for often. However, in this case, the description of the book was so intriguing that I was tempted.
The premise of the book seemed excellent to me, but later it got a bit worse. The idea of the main character, irritating at times, in a fruitless pursuit of her soulmate and the kiss that saves her life, became a little irritating to me.
When Delphie finally met Jonah halfway through the book, I felt embarrassed by her behavior. However, I really liked Cooper and started rooting for this romance.
As a sporadic reader of romcoms, I cannot objectively evaluate all the qualities of the book, but would like to say that I had a nice time with it.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and NeGalley for the copy.

Title: The Love of My After Life

Author: Kirsty Greenwood

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Format: Paperback, read e-book

Set In: London

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Imagine choking on a microwavable hamburger and waking up in an afterlife laundromat. That’s precisely what happens to Delphie Bookham.

According to Merritt, her Afterlife Therapist, she died, and the laundromat is a calming environment for the recently deceased in Evermore.

Delphie is led into Merritt’s office to proceed with her enrollment. She sees her life flash before her eyes on a TV/DVR player. Here, she’s reminded of her bad high school experiences, her broken family, and that she’s never had a romantic relationship. She runs into Jonah in the waiting room in Heaven and learns he’s one of her soulmates. The problem is, he’s been sent back to Earth.

Merritt informs Delphie that she has ten days to get Jonah to kiss her. If she’s not successful, she’s coming right back to Evermore, and she’ll be a guinea pig for the new dating service. Merritt loves romance novels, and she thinks this will be a great challenge for Delphie, but she’s breaking the rules.

Before she knows it, Delphie is transported back home. She sees no evidence in her apartment that she even died, so she goes about her routine schedule of caring for her mute elderly neighbor and off to the library before Merritt texts her, informing her that her experience wasn’t a dream and that the best thing she could do is ask for help.

Help comes from her neighbor, Cooper, whom she initially doesn’t get along with. They learn of possible Jonahs and try to track them down, which leads to some humorous situations, a new friend, and Delphie remembering being bullied in the past. Those memories still haunt her.

As the days pass and her time on Earth gets shorter, Cooper helps Delphie find the real Jonah. In repayment, Cooper asks Delphie to go to his parents’ house with him, which she actually enjoyed. In time, we learn of Cooper’s loss and how it impacted his life. Delphie gets more involved with him when he asks her to visit the Aquarium to meet his visiting aunt. Something happens that makes her realize the truth about who she really loves. It’s a difficult lesson to learn. We also learn that Cooper is a crime writer.

I really loved this book because it follows its own path. Imagine meeting someone in a laundromat in Heaven, and you are assigned a timed challenge. I know we’ve seen Heaven interact with mortals in a few movies in the past, but not like this. The book also explores the idea of more than one soulmate on Earth. The Love of My After Life was funny because of what Delphie had to go through, but I can’t imagine what it was like for her to realize what would happen if she wasn’t successful. She was under a lot of pressure.

5 out of 5 Afterlife Therapists

Denise Fleischer

Gotta Write Network

Aug. 31, 2024

I was given an e-book for an honest review.

“Fate has ac way of giving you exactly what you need when you need it”

Man, I loved this book, much more than I thought I would. Delphie just died and gets a second chance at life if she can get her “soulmate” to kiss her in the next ten days. What sounds like a regular romcom is a heartwarming love story about two characters who are relatable and grow as the story goes on. Definitely recommend checking it by out!

Wow, where do I even start with The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood? This book is a total treasure! I was immediately drawn into Greenwood’s enchanting world where the afterlife is anything but ordinary. Her storytelling is fresh, witty, and filled with so much heart. The story follows the protagonist as she navigates her new existence after death, offering a refreshing and original take on the afterlife. The characters are well-developed and the narrative is both engaging and thought-provoking. Greenwood’s witty writing style brings lightness to what could be a heavy subject, making the book not only entertaining but also deeply resonant.

What really makes this book shine is its perfect balance of humor and depth. I found myself laughing out loud at the quirky situations, pop-culture references, and clever dialogue, and then suddenly feeling all the feels in the more touching moments. Greenwood has a knack for making the afterlife feel both whimsical and profoundly meaningful.

I couldn’t put this book down, and when I finished, I felt a bit wistful and left me reflecting on life, love, and the things that truly matter.

Overall, The Love of My Afterlife is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a unique blend of comedy and heartfelt storytelling. Kirsty Greenwood has created something truly special with this book, and it undoubtedly deserves all five stars.

"Come on. Be brave, Delphie. Don't you at least want to live a little while you've got the chance?"

Delphie is content with her quiet life. By day, she works at a pharmacy, and by night, she cares for her elderly neighbor, spars with her brooding other neighbor, and binges on unhealthy amounts of TV. Her unremarkable existence has never been an issue—until now.

Home alone, Delphie chokes on a microwavable burger and is sent to Evermore. Just as she begins to settle into her new life in the afterlife, she meets a handsome stranger. But just as sparks begin to fly, the handsome stranger is sent back to Earth due to a celestial error. Delphie is then faced with a choice: find her soulmate within 10 days or stay in Evermore forever.

Back on Earth, Delphie starts to realize there's more to life than living quietly. As she hunts for her mystery man, she questions whether she's truly ready to leave her new life behind if she can't find him.

'The Love of My Afterlife' by Kirsty Greenwood is a poignant and powerful read. It's a reminder to appreciate life while we can, especially the people around us. It urges us to cherish not just the big moments, but the small ones too. The story gently nudges us to consider that the love of our life might have been right under our nose all along. Ultimately, it's a painful reminder that life is precious and fleeting, and the longer we turn our back on it, the more we miss out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

If asked how she imagined the end of her life, 27-year old Delphie most certainly would not have said choking to death on a microwavable convenience store burger in her grossest nightgown while watching “The Tinder Swindler.” But that’s how it went down. She definitely wouldn’t have guessed that upon her demise she would find herself meeting up with Juno, her caseworker. Okay, really her name is Merritt and she’s not an elderly chainsmoker, but c’mon how often am I gonna get to use THAT gif?????

Anyway, when Merritt discovers that Dephie is “literally a virgin who can’t drive. Like in the seminal teen romance movie Clueless!” and a glitch in the system delivers her potential soulmate Jonah to Evermore just for a moment, Merritt grants Delphie a 10-day reprieve to return to Earth. If she can find Jonah and he kisses her of his own accord, she can remain alive.

When someone asks me what tropes I like in my Rom Coms, basically the answer is all of them. Enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, sharing a bed, love triangle, fake dating, taming a womanizer?

This delivered. Every Star.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my gosh, I LOVED THIS BOOK! What a GEM!!!!!!!!!! This is one of those books that I wish I could read again for the first time.

There were all the feels reading this book - I was laughing (even when things were not funny if they'd actually happen in real life - like Delphie choking on a microwave burger), crying, hopeful, all the things. Just such a great and well rounded read!

I had SO MUCH FUN reading this book! I loved the way the author created the afterlife - Evermoor - and most of all, Merritt, the afterlife therapist. She was a complete hoot and definitely made the book! Delphie's quest to find who she thought was her soulmate was both endearing and hilarious. While on her search, and actually starting with Merritt's movie in Evermoor, Delphie grows so much and really learns a lot about who she is, who she wants to be, and about love.

The characters in this book were absolutely fantastic. Mr. Yoon was so lovable, and I got so attached to him by the end of the book! Cooper brought in the "enemies to friends to....more?" trope and he was a doll too (once you get to know him and his back story especially).

At first I liked all the mentions of other romance authors (particularly Sally Thorne) but it did get to be a bit old after a few - still thought it was a cute touch though.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Berkley for the ARC. I fell in love with this story. Delphi dies right in the beginning of the book and goes to a waiting room to be processed. She meets her soulmate who is sent back to Earth because of a mistake. Delphi makes a deal to find her soulmate and get a kiss and than she will be alive again. Yet, her soulmate she met does not remember her, Oh No!! A must read.

Delphie has just died and is in her pj's in the afterlife when she meets the man of her dreams. Her hilarious afterlife therapist, Merit, is obsessed with all things romance so she gives her the chance to return to her life with the caveat that she has ten days to find this mysterious man and get him to kiss her.

That would be easy except for the fact that she does not know his last name and cannot seem to find him anywhere. Even worse, her therapist seems to be hindering her progress rather than helping. Delphie reluctantly asks her grumpy downstairs neighbor to help her. Soon, Delphie is making friends, loving life, and regretting shutting everyone out her whole life.

Delphie reminds me of a more loveable Eleanor Oliphant. Thanks to the love-obsessed afterlife therapist, this book is one part love triangle mixed with a little bit of forced proximity and a whole lot of laugh-out-loud rom-com!

What a wildly inventive and moving addition to the romance genre! I ADORED this book! Kirsty Greenwood finds the perfect balance between the romance tropes we know and love and her innovative plot. The cast of characters (both main and minor) was fantastic, and this book had me crying, laughing, and utterly failing at pacing myself while reading this book--I didn't want it to end, but couldn't stop reading!

First, thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. This was a super cute and fun read. Would definitely read more from this author.

I know I’m late to the party on this book. But better late than never. I’ve heard so many good things about this book that I’ll be honest made me nervous to read it. Because lately for me any books hyped up on BookTok tend to be disappointing. But let me tell you “The Love of My Afterlife” did not disappoint. It contains a modern fairytale mixed with magical realism.

This book was a fresh take on rediscovering who you are and coming into your own. From the very first page it’s filled with humor, love and found family. It was such an addictive read and the only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was because I saw “the twist” coming from miles away. But even so I had a blast reading this story. And even though This was my first Kirsty Greenwood book I’m to report I’ll definitely be checking out more of her books. I cannot recommend this book enough! Please add it to your TBR today!

Thank You to Berkley and NetGalley for providing me with an arc. It was my pleasure to offer a honest review!

I love it when I spontaneously grab a book off my TBR and it turns out to be a 5-star read. I wasn’t completely sold on this from premise alone, but the voice and humor and delightful romance tropes kept me reading all day and I finished this in just about one sitting. One of those really special books that’ll probably make my top picks of the year when all is said and done.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I think this book will change and save many lives. I think that readers will see Delphie's story and relate it to their own lives and wonder if they are happy with the life they are living or if they would look fondly upon their life as it flashes before their eyes.
The theme of bullying in the book and how it affects people in adulthood is all too real and I loved the way it was portrayed through these pages. Sometimes, it's okay to not forgive your bullies and still be the better person.
Delphie's character went through a tremendous amount of growth through these pages and yet still carries those same qualities that make her such a unique character from start to finish!
A surprisingly emotional read that made me want to live each day for the joy of living! Such a wonderful story that shows the beauty in humanity!

This was a little too "womp" from the beginning, and they made the main character SUCH a loner, poor thing but I didn't really know why I was going to root for her or why I'd want to read a rom-com with her as the MC, it didn't feel believable.

In this magical realism/fantasy romance, Delphie, having just choked to death alone at home while wearing a cute nightie, is transported to heaven where she meets a hot guy just after her untimely death. Merritt, the angel guide she's paired with announces there's been an error and sends the dreamboat guy back, and then lets herself be persuaded to send Delphie back to life with the promise of staying if she gets true love's kiss in the next ten days. Of course, Delphie goes on a wild goose chase that includes live figure drawing class, dancing in a club, and a heist during a black tie fundraiser. Jonah remains elusive, while her cranky author neighbor becomes her partner in crime, and is, (predictably) the one she's meant to be with, under her nose all along.

The Love of My Afterlife features a lot of humor, tenderness and absurdity balanced with seriousness and pathos. In between check-ins with Merritt in a variety of clever ways, Delphie cares for her elderly widowed neighbor, makes friends with Frida, gets over a past love, and lands the guy. The deadline provided a tight plot, though some scenes are so overly detailed as to feel plodding. The entire supporting cast of characters were wonderful in their own right. Readers will enjoy rooting for the underdog in this chaste British romance.

I received a free advance reader's copy of #TheLoveOfMyAfterlife via #NetGalley, courtesy of Berkley Publishing Group.