Thank you to @berkleyromance and @netgalley for my #advancedreaderscopy of #theloveofmyafterlife
this book was a huge surprise, I got it in the off chance it might be as quirky as some of my fave KDramas with grim reapers escorting you to your final destination.

It did not disappoint!

Tropes:
Found Family; our main character might as well have been an orphan but by the end of the book she has everyone in her orbit close as she begins to live life every day ..it wasn't just Cooper she made friends along the way that continued to show up for her .
Her elderly Mr Yoon was my fave ..there were some tears she'd when she realized she was all he had too.By far my fave book of found family in 2024.

✨️Set in LONDON
✨️ The Good Place vibes with a nod to Beetlejuice
✨️ Love Triangle ..DONE SO WELL
✨️ fake dating: absolutely loved Cooper's mom
✨️ one bed
✨️ a heist! Cooper turns out to be a true crime writer
✨️ Lots of fun as she tries to find "her soulmate"
✨️ Fans of The Dead Romantics will love this

Delphie has the best growth as a character. She has been surviving , day to day and now she learns she has been throwing her life away and wants to live.She bargains her way back because her angel 😇 advisor lives for HEA in romance books , she has to find Jonah her "soulmate with help from her downstairs grumpy neighbor. She saw Jonah for two minutes before Merritt her angel advisor says oops.. hes only unconscious he's going back. Merritt looks at Delphie and says " Im giving you 10 days to find him and get him to kiss you"
The plot twist at the last day just before she ran out of time on the 10th day 👨‍🍳💋 I loved how every character seemed to step out of a rom com: we had quirky co workers who loved to dress up in cosplay, a librarian , a dog walker who is dying to be her partner in crime. Just loved every second of this book.

Also read via PRH audio via complimentary audiobook and free book from Berkley (thank you!).

3.5 stars. This author's imagination is so entertaining. I immediately loved the world of the "afterlife" she built, it was vivid and seamless. I know the FMC will come off as annoying to some but I had a lot of empathy for her. Delphie lives a quiet life and an overarching theme of this book is her figuring out what is worth putting yourself out there for (friendship and possibly love) and what's okay and healthy for her to keep.

She was bullied relentlessly in school (referenced in present time no major flashbacks) and by the end that aspect when a different way than I thought and overall this book felt very healing. The last 30% is incredible and the reflections by the end even just the last few pages bumped this up for me from 3 to 3.5 and honestly had more romance than I was expecting!

The major downside for me for this book was how much better (in my opinion) it could have been. Delphie gets a second chance at life and is on a mission she must complete in 10 days or else she's back to the afterlife. I felt a lot of this mission was filler and chance for cheap jokes. I don't really like when everyone is in on the joke including the reader except for the main character whose first POV head we are in. It just made me feel even more sad for her honestly. I was 2x speed through 20-50% of this for sure.

Overall I would recommend this book. This is a somewhat elevated version of Midnight Library almost (more romance, less magical realism/other lives thing) and I think it will resonate with many people. I just think this author could have elevated it even more!

i really liked the premise of this and it's something i could see being adapted and would be fun to see on screen. ultimately it felt a bit too long for me and i started losing interest, but i liked the little twist spun in towards the end. i'd read more by this author for sure. thanks for the eARC!

I opened this book while floating in a pool on a giant inflatable pizza. I did not leave the pool until I finished the last page. I was burnt to a crisp and waterlogged. I could not have cared less.

The Love of My Afterlife is funny, inspiring, sexy, and just so great.

What a delight this book was! Greenwood did a masterful job of telling a completely unique story full of well-developed characters. Looking forward to reading more of her work!

The premise to this was so fun, but that's really where it ended for me. I found the writing style to be really annoying and not at all as funny as it thought it was (like very millennial humor I guess?) I also just wasn't rooting for our FMC at all, I just didn't really care much about her.

Love of My Afterlife is delightful, joyful, and just plain fun. Delphie is just everything. She made me feel every emotion she was feeling. There was so much humor and heart throughout. I can tell this is going to be a feel good re-read for me.

I was very intrigued by the title of this book and it definitely got me! Drawn in from the very first chapter and did not disappoint!! It gave me all the emotions and kept me coming back for more! I honestly didn’t see it right away but man am I glad it happened the way it did. No spoilers but READ IT! Just… LOVE ❤️

All the stars for this incredible book. It had that perfect combination of romance, emotion, banter, steam, and magical realism, and it made me both laugh and cry.

Even when she realized she was choking on a microwaved hamburger, Delphie never thought she’d actually DIE. But even worse, she can’t believe she’s in the afterlife wearing a nightshirt. And wouldn’t it figure that she meets the handsomest man at that moment…and he seems smitten with her?

Apparently the man, Jonah, isn’t supposed to be dead yet and is sent back to life, leaving Delphie bereft. Could she have already lost her soulmate? But the romance-loving afterlife counselor wants to see Delphie get her happily ever after, so she makes her a deal. Delphie will get sent back, but she has 10 days to find Jonah (whose memory will be wiped) and get him to kiss her. If she can, she can have her life back.

Ten days isn’t a lot of time when you don’t know someone’s last name or how to find him. But as she starts asking for help, suddenly she realizes how empty her life has been, and how being kind to people leads to possibilities she never would have imagined.

Along the way, Delphie must deal with some unresolved issues from her childhood and keep caring for her elderly neighbor. At the same time, she makes friends in unexpected places and realizes all she was missing before she died. Can she find her soulmate before her time runs out again?

This was such an amazing story, with a really terrific cast of supporting characters. I’ll definitely be thinking of this for a while! Thanks so much to Berkley and NetGalley for the free copy!

4.25 ⭐️ I loved it, simply adorable ! This had the best banter and made me laugh entire book! The chemistry is great, the story, the characters all of it ! It reminded me a lot of the movie Last Christmas in a way (but without the really sad bits) just how what happens when you start living a full life and build a community around you ! Just JOY

Love of My After Life is the story of a woman who dies choking on a hamburger patty and is given 10 days to get her life back if she kisses a certain guy she had a minute of chemistry with. Except she doesn’t know him and has to find him in those 10 days. Guys, this book was so good. It was hilarious and had me laughing out loud so many times. It was behind heartwarming and turned me into mush. It wasn’t just a sweet romcom but it was the story of a woman who was living life as a shell, alone, without joy but who found herself and a community. What a charming book. All the stars for this one.

Love of My Afterlife is the hilariously charming tale of Delphie from the moment of her death. As the story unfolds, we realize that Delphie hasn’t had much of a life. A quest from a pushy afterlife therapist sets Delphi on the path to her own salvation, and jumpstarts her life to one worth living.

In order to complete her quest, Delphie is forced to engage with a delightful set of side characters, most of whom kept us giggling It’s a story of adventure, of self-discovery, but also one of terribly hilarious mishaps and a slowburn dislike-to-lovers romance that had us listening on well past our bedtimes.

The Love of My Afterlife is an entertaining book about learning to live one’s fullest life. Kirsty Greenwood’s story pulled me in from the start and kept me engaged to the end. The FMC, Delphie, gave me major Bridget Jones vibes. I loved her. The MMC was great (won’t spoil by identifying him). This story has all the popular romance tropes playing out with a wink from the author. If you love an escapist novel and can just let the story flow you’ll probably love it as much as I did.

The Love of My Afterlife is a fun and bonkers rom-com that is sure to have you laughing from beginning to end.

I forgot how much I love Kirsty's books. It's been a while since I've read anything she has written, but the moment I started reading this book all of these great memories that I had locked away in my bookish brain came back to me, and I instantly remembered how fun and bonkers Kirsty's books are. On a side note, I highly recommend reading The Vintage Guide to Love and Romance, which has been retitled Jessica Bean is a Hot Mess (I have to say that I hate its new name). It is fabulous and just so highly entertaining. So, once you are done reading this book, go read that one.

This book was so delightful to read, and I devoured it in one sitting. It's one of those romances that falls into the slightly bonkers/quirky side of the romance genre. This is a rom-com with a magical realism twist to it. Kirsty's bonkers take on what happens to us in the afterlife was chef's kiss perfection. I am amazed at Kirsty's creativity and applaud her for taking a chance and being a little wacky with her story. This book is gonna have you laughing the whole time. Delphie's journey to finding love and herself is full of hilarious antics and VERY embarrassing situations. I laughed so hard; I am sure my neighbours could hear me. This story moves at a fairly brisk pace; this is because Delphie only has ten days to find her true love, or she will be sent back to Evermore, aka one of the places that people can be sent to when they die. The fast pacing of this book means that my attention never wavered. Something was always happening, which I loved.

Delphie was an interesting and likable character. She has shut herself off from the world and the people living in it. This stems from being bullied in school and having parents who were less than attentive. Delphie is afraid of being hurt again, which means she has really stopped living her life. It was wonderful, endearing, and hilarious watching Delphie come to life on the pages of this book. Once she realizes that she has ten days to find her soul mate, Delphie finds herself in situations she would never have normally found herself in. She meets lovely and slightly quirky people on the way and they all want to be friends with her. Delphie's journey was just so incredible, and I loved every minute that I spent with her. The other MC is Cooper, Delphie's downstairs neighbour. Delphie and Cooper have this real dislike for each other, which means that every time they interact with each other, the banter is sharp and oh-so-fabulous. I really like Cooper; he is such a mysterious character, and I loved watching as that layer where slowly peeled back, and we got to see the real Cooper.

The romance is a perfect blend of sweet and spicy. I will be super vague about the romance bits in this book, because I can't talk about it without giving away spoilers. But I will say that this book will take you on an unexpected romantic journey. There is a one-bed situation, plenty of embarrassing situations, and no third-act break-up. If you are looking for a fun and unique rom-com, then this book is for you.

The Love of My Afterlife swept me off my feet and gave me all those wonderful romance-y feelings.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I finished it in a day. It was a fun breezy read and I loved the romance. I would've liked to have spent more time in the afterlife world but that could just be because I'm a huge fan of the show the Good Place. I liked most of the characters and tried to root for them. I think this will be a good beach read for people.

this was one of the cutest romcoms I’ve read in a longgggg time! it had everything from the one bed trope, enemies to lovers, fake dating, and of course the swoony moments!!!

I’m so obsessed with quirky main characters, and delphie was the perfect FMC to root for! at first, I felt bad for her in her lonely life (even though she really did it to herself), but seeing her grow throughout the story was beautiful 🥹🥹

and cooper? my lil broody author dark-haired man? as soon as he stepped on the scene, I said “ok let’s go” 🥵 I loved that he wasn’t THE moment of the book but instead went along with delphie’s journey and helped with her self discovery!!! we love a healthy couple!!

and that plot twist at the end had me shrieking!

I can’t really put my finger on why this wasn’t a higher rating for me, other than I wanted more! I wanted more depth to all of the characters and their backstories - especially those from delphie’s past that clearly caused so much trauma for her!

a huge thank you to berkley and berkley romance for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! 🫧 this one’s out now!

rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: provence rosé

“A life, witnessed. A life, lived.”

This book really surprised me! It started out lite and funny and cute. And yes, it did continue to be that way, but gradually unfolded into something BIGGER…a really life affirming read! It’s a good fit for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

Delphie dies and enters the quite entertaining afterworld of Evermore, briefly meets her soulmate, Jonah, who is whisked back to life and out of Evermore. She strikes a “romcom-esque” deal with her afterlife counselor Merritt, and is granted a week to return to life, where she can stay if she can get Jonah to kiss her of his own free will. Sounds like a fairy tale, right?

But wait…Lots a HUMOR prevents you from even realizing that this is turning into a modern take on “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I was totally sucked in!! It’s more about a community of fabulously QUIRKY characters finding, connecting and appreciating each other. Plus a very touching heartwarming romance (because, hey, it is still a rom com!). The book is so ALIVE and interesting and fresh. I laughed and cried…that’s a recipe for my favorite kind of book. The Evermore parts became less enjoyable as the book went on because the rest of the story is what really SHINES! I actually slowed down reading this one because I wanted it to just keep going. This is the first book I read by this author and now I HAVE TO find Kirsty Greenwood’s other books!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH NETGALLEY FOR THE ARC!!

Ashley Poston fans NEED to get into this! A magical realism novel that focuses on changing your perspective on life, found family, and grief. These are heavy topics, but they are woven into a hilarious, lighthearted story.

Delphie ends up getting a second chance at life and love due to her scheming 'afterlife therapist' after an unfortunate passing. She has been cynical and closed off to new experiences and people, but gets a harsh reality check that there is so much more to life.

The plot was so intriguing and fast-paced that I couldn’t put this book down. I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen and the plot twists kept me on my toes. I thoroughly enjoyed the romantic elements and the love interest, even though the romance took a backseat to the plot and the overall moral of the story. I found this story extremely impactful as I read it at the right time in my life."

I loved it, this was such a heart warming read. The characters and storyline was super cute. It had me fooled on who the love interest was going to be until about half way through the book. I loved that it was romance with a little touch of fantasy. Mr. Yoon side story was adorable. I felt so connected with all of the characters and our FMC especially. It was funny and made me feel all the things. This is a great pick for the GMA book club pick for July. I’m so curious about the rest of this authors books now! Read if you want something cute and light hearted to make you feel warm and fuzzy about romance again.

Review posted to Amazon and Goodreads!

This gave me vibes of Drop Dead Diva. I loved that show. While not exactly that same, it made me think of it often. Such a fun read.

I loved the premise and loved Delphie. Her stubbornness made her relatable and the further along in the story I got, the more I rooted for her to get everything she deserves.

The execution ended up even better than the premise for me. Instead of this being just another love story, it delved into so much more. Living the life you have, found family, kindness, and letting people in. Along the way it found a way to be a love story to other romance movies, books, tropes and authors. I’m sure I didn’t catch them all but every time there was a nod to another one, it made me smile.

This book has a charm to it. It pulled me in from the start and then just kept reeling me in with the story, the quirky characters and a little bit of magic. I loved Delphie’s relationships with the supporting characters as much as I did the love story. I’d read a book where Mr. Yoon was the star.

Sofia Oxenham does such a great job narrating this one. Not only does she sound like I imagined Delphie to, she nailed the fun and the more seriousness. She had me not ever wanting to push pause.

If you need a little magical realism with love, friendship, and pop culture references, you need this as part of your summer reading.