Delphie is alone at home when she chokes on a burger. No one to hear her gasp or stop breathing. Then she finds herself in the Afterlife, being introduced to another recent "dead." The strange woman running the department says this other person is Delphie's soulmate, and the only way she can return to the living is to find this man within 10 days and have him kiss her. Hijinx result.

This was a trope-ridden romance story (enemies to lovers, love triangle, shared bed, etc.), and the ride was wild. Delphie's character definitely went through stages of change within the small period of time she had to work with and decided that, if she were on the brink of death, she would live whatever life had to the fullest. The vast secondary characters were vibrant and colorful and pulled Delphie out of her bubble to join them. The romance that evolved between the MCs was sudden, yet expected, and the twist at the end of the story was interesting.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely not what I expected and adorable. Seeing Delphine find herself and fall in love was the best way to spend a rainy afternoon. This book is everything you love about romance and meet cutes all rolled into one!

When Delphie dies choking on a burger and ends up in the afterlife, she's given a bizarre second chance: find the man she connected with in the afterlife, get him to kiss her within ten days, or return to the great beyond. What follows is a heartfelt and funny journey that forces Delphie—who’s spent years avoiding connection—to open up to her quirky neighbors and coworkers as she searches for Jonah. While there’s a love triangle and a satisfying romantic ending, the real magic lies in Delphie’s personal growth and the way she learns to embrace life again. Charming, emotional, and full of delightful side characters, this story is as much about self-love as it is about romance.

If you died and had a second chance at life, what would you do differently? This is the premise of this book, and oh, did it not disappoint! This was so good! It starts off in an hilarious way, and there are a lot of funny parts, but it was also so touching. I could definitely see myself in Delphie and relate with her fears and issues. And don't get me started on Mr. Yoon 😭 Why did no one warn me I would cry reading this? I loved the hate-to-love relationship that blooms between Delphie and Cooper! This is as much a romance as literary fiction as magical realism, and the authors mixes the three perfectly.

This book was such a fun, charming, and unique take on romance! The Love of My Afterlife blends humor, heart, and a touch of the unexpected as the main character finds herself in the afterlife, given the chance to reunite with her soulmate, but first, she has to figure out who he is.

The story is filled with witty dialogue, laugh-out-loud moments, and a delightful mix of romance and self-discovery. The main character is relatable and funny, and the journey to finding love (even in the afterlife) is both heartwarming and entertaining.

When Delphie chokes on a burger, dies, and ends up in the afterlife, she meets a beautiful looking man who seems so happy to meet her. They chat and Delphie feels like they have a connection; then, he's returned to life, and Delphie is frantic--this was a man who seemed to like and be attracted to her, even though she was wearing a nightie and looked a mess.

Merritt, Delphie's afterlife counsellor, offers her a bargain. Find Jonah within ten days, and get him to willingly kiss her and she can stay alive. Otherwise, she'll be yanked back to death.

Delphie awakens to find her downstairs neighbour, Cooper, prodding her. Delphie and Cooper are not friendly, since an incident some years earlier. But, because she'll need his help, as well as her coworkers at the local pharmacy, and a friendly librarian and a dogwalker, to help her get closer to Jonah, Delphie begins reaching out.

Along the way, Delphie, who has arranged her life so that she does not have to deal with others, or make friendships (except for the lovely, elderly Mr. Yoon in her building), or travel out of her neighbourhood, is forced to do any number of things that push her way out of her comfort zone, and begin making connections with others. Also, we discover why Delphie has assiduously maintained a small, cloistered existence, and cultivated a sharp tongue to push people away.

The people Delphie gradually lets into her heart are wonderful. I've already mentioned Mr. Yoon, a former violinist whom Delphie cares for and worries about as his body is failing. I loved Aled, the genuinely kind and enthusiastic librarian who lent Delphie a help whenever asked, and Frida the dogwalker who seemed happy to role with Delphie's odd actions.

Then we come to the love interest, or interests, really. I knew almost immediately that author Kirsty Greenwood had set up a triangle, with Delphie running toward Jonah while ignoring the person in front of her.

And while this is a romance with a happy ending, I think the more powerful part of this story is Delphie finding herself, and being happy with who she is by the end of the novel, after finally confronting parts of her past that have left her in pain and voluntarily alone.

Using multiple romance tropes in an amusing way, Greenwood eventually gets Delphie to a happy place, and I was entertained the whole way.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.

When I decided to read The Love of My Afterlife, I expected a sweet rom comb- NOT a story that completely tugged at my heart strings and made me existentially question life itself. Not that the story didn’t make me laugh - it was quirky, heartwarming, and funny - and somehow so nostalgic at the same time. I also just love British authors and their humour - makes me wonder why I live in boring old Canada 🤪

The story surrounds Delphie, a young woman who unfortunately dies by choking on a microwave hamburger. Yes, that is how the book starts 😂! Upon entering the afterlife, Delphie makes a deal that she can return to the world of the living if she finds her soulmate and gets him to kiss her. Anyone would take that deal, right? Unfortunately for her, she quickly realizes that it is a lot harder to find someone just based on their face. She recruits help, and this previous antisocial introvert soon finds herself surrounded by the sweetest and most hilarious found family. Delphie goes on some ridiculous and super embarrassing missions to find her soulmate - I was kept on my toes at all times and literally could experience secondhand embarrassment from some of the situations she found herself in. And let’s just say that the guy she ends up falling for is one that I was rooting for from the beginning 😉

Thank you so much for the ARC!!

I really enjoyed this read. One of my favorite books of the year. A great romance read that crosses genres into fantasy and humor. I enjoyed the idea of a second chance at love and having to do it before the ten days are up.

3.75/5!
this one was cute and entertaining! i’m not usually into magical realism, but this pleasantly reminded me of the midnight library (which i really enjoyed). it had the right balance of romance, humour, and just enough depth to keep me hooked. the pacing was a little slow at first, and it took me a while to really connect with the characters, but once i did, i enjoyed the journey.
overall, it was a lighthearted, emotional read with just the right amount of soul-searching and a touch of quirkiness!

I was really looking forward to this book when I first read its description, and I enjoyed it even more than I expected to!

Kirsty Greenwood writes in a way that makes it feel like there's a movie playing out in your head, and as someone who has trouble picturing things in their mind, I absolutely loved that! It was funny and sweet and emotional and I just loved Delphie's voice. She reminded me of Bridget Jones in some ways with how quirky she was, and she really felt like a romcom lead.

I also really loved how the story wasn't just focused on the romance, but also on Delphie opening up and getting to know more of the people in her community and finding herself in the process. It was so heartwarming to see her learn about truly living her life to the fullest and making the most of it while she can because you don't know how long you have left. It was a good lesson about letting yourself live while you still can, and having Delphie go from basically a grumpy hermit to someone with a whole community of people who love her made me smile.

I'm definitely interested in reading more from this author in the future!

I think this book was super cute! It was unique for the book world (or my experience in it) and provided a new type of story for me. I enjoyed Delphie and how she came into herself and realized that she's loveable even though she was put through bullying growing up. I think that part is an all too true experience for people. Some of the side characters were exceptionally quirky, which can be fun, but maybe they were a bit too 'on the nose' quirky in their traits and didn't seem to stem far from that in any depth. Then again, they're side characters, so they don't really have to. Overall this was a good read for me! It kind of reminded me in some ways of the tv show Drop Dead Diva.

This was such a fun book - the concept was so new and refreshing!! I really enjoyed the plot, storyline here and cannot wait for more from this author. 4 stars!!

3.5⭐️

Premise captured my attention as it felt like having similar vibes with my favorite movie Just Like Heaven and book Dead Romantics. Modern day retelling of saving the damsel with a true love's kiss albeit with a 10-day deadline. But is true love the person you desire and been looking for or the boy-next-door who's right in front of you?

A book about second chances, typical romcom appeal and decisions that lead to self-discovery. Hilarious and quirky at times and with some open door scenes.

"Life is too short to wait around on a good idea"

"Fate has a way to give you exactly what you need, when you need it"

"I might not have much choice in how long I stay alive. But I do have some say in how much life I can pack into the days I have left. How much happiness I can experience"

May not be my cup of tea but I'm sure romantics may be delighted with this one.

The concept of a second chance at both life and love was really intriguing, and I was excited to dive into this one. It reminded me of the early 2000s rom-com Just Like Heaven, but it lacked some of the comedy and romance that made that story so charming. Delphie, the main character, wasn’t particularly likable for me—her interactions often felt more rude than endearing, which made it harder to connect with her journey. While the premise had promise, the execution fell a bit flat. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the advance copy.

I really liked the idea of this book but I just could not stand the FMC. I thought this was going to be a funny romance with a bit of magic but it was not.

4.5. so much fun. poor Delphie finds herself in the afterlife, in an embarrassing nightshirt. She realizes that she died choking on a microwavable burger, not even a good one!! Her welcome to death is complicated by a very handsome man who seems to be....interested? in her??
But her is apparently a mistake, and gets sent back. Delpie begs to go back as well, and her 'death coach' makes a bargain. Delphine can go back for 10 days, and IF she can manage to get that handsome man to kiss her, she can stay. We get to watch Delphie as she enlist help from all sorts of acquaintances in her quest. Much hilarity and tropes ensue. Delphie realizes that she can have friends. I would love a series like this.

so Delphie’s story was actually quite traumatizing in the beginning as I myself had to receive the Heimlich maneuver in a crowded restaurant because I was choking on my food.. BUT getting to see her growth throughout the story was funny and heartwarming. In a quirky but nice way.

definitely such a great read, giving a lot of unintentional life lessons 🫶🏻

After choking on a microwaveable burger, Delphie finds herself in the afterlife waiting room where she meets her possible soul mate, Jonah. Unfortunately, Jonah gets sent back to earth BUT Delphie is given a chance to find him and start fresh within the next 10 days.

I finished this months back and it’s easily become a new romance fav for this year! 🫶🏼 It’s fun, messy, has heartfelt moments, and found family (+ good if you like romance tropes in general!). My partner and I read the last few pages together and it was a lot of fun mushy good feelings 🥰

First off -- the world building?? In this universe there is an Evermore (heaven), a Nevermore (h3ll), and Clevermore (a place where people do math for fun LMAO). Delphie is also a flawed mess who you’ll come to love and relate to (and partially feel sorry for?). I adored her friendship with her neighbor Mr. Yoon and all the chaotic encounters with Cooper.

This book had no shortage of romance tropes too! -- enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fake dating, only one bed, ETC. If you’re a romance girlie, this book has you covered. As for the humor?? I was seriously cackling over the ridiculousness of everything!! Delphie goes on this whole wild goose chase to find Jonah (her supposed soul mate) -- this included multiple attempts to catch him at a his various side hustles / hobbies including his running club, the nude art classes he models for(?!), his part-time as a dancer, and more. I honestly would’ve loved to know more about Jonah and his lifestyle tbh 👀 Even some of the characters names were ridiculous (Leanne, Jan, Diane, Deli Dan, lmao) 😂

Another huge plus for me was the found family!! Delphie’s goose chase causes her to befriend and strength friendships and it was honestly so heartwarming to see 🥺 I was honestly tearing up towards the end and my heart felt so full. The Delphie + Cooper moments were also very good and I loved seeing Cooper come out of his shell and meeting his family. (Also the ending???? 👀🤯)

Overall, I’d highly recommend this if you need some light, fun, ridiculous romance in your life. This book also gives similar-ish vibes to The Dead Romantics, The Good Place, Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting, The Collected Regrets of Clover, and A Christmas Carol.

Thanks NetGalley and Penguin Random for the arc!

I had a fantastic time reading this book! The idea of meeting that perfect someone-but meeting them when you just died, and it turns out that they were mistakenly there, yeah, loved it! It was such a fun romp of a story!

Delphie has lived a very isolated life, she doesn't want to let anyone in, her dad left, and then her mom went off to a commune. That she dies choking on a bite of a burger, not fun. To meet someone who might be perfect for her, and then he's back to life, well, making a deal so she could, as well made sense.

Watching her search for him, when she only knows his first name and that he's in London, well, that complicate things, not to mention that he doesn't remember their encounter. That her miserly neighbour might be able to help, well, I loved their interactions.

Really, this was a story of missed connections, of almosts and maybes, which was just a delight to read, because she is on a time crunch. Oh, but how it all came together? That ending was so adorable to read! I'm glad it worked out like that!

Loved reading this book and I'd love to read more by Kirsty Greenwood!

From the very start, I couldn't stop listening, and as soon as it ended, I found myself missing the characters. I think this book found me at just the right moment; I went in with little prior knowledge, so my expectations were perfectly manageable.

I really enjoyed the audiobook and the narrator’s engaging storytelling. It felt authentic and made it so easy to immerse myself in the narrative. I loved the language and witty dialogue, as well as the internal monologues. The characters, who are close to my age, helped me connect with them and root for their journeys. Everything about this just clicked for me.

Even though I guessed some of the twists and surprises, it didn’t diminish my enjoyment—in fact, I was even more excited when they happened!

This is definitely in the running for my favorite book of the year, 100%!