This was such a strange wonderful book. I’m a sucker for a ghost story and while the plot line wasn’t my typical fair I thoroughly enjoyed it and found myself rooting for the main characters, especially Adam. Such a quirky fun listen!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Audio Narration: fabulos

Review: Samantha Allen is easily one of my favorite writers. I loved Patricia Wants to Cuddle and I am happy to say this did not disappoint. Allen seems to be able to write stories of varying genre's and do them well. Her stories always come from the heart while weaving in heavy hitting topics in an intellectual and satirical way. Both Roland Rogers Isn't Dead Yet and Patricia Wants to Cuddle are shorter books but easily feel like the story is being fully told and it doesn't need to be any longer (by shorter I think they are both between 220-270 pages).

In this story, Allen tackles a lot of very important issues (coming out, religious trauma, fame). Though there is a lot of sadness, there is also a lot of elements that are silly and fun (this is where I think the book shines, balancing these two). Roland can't communicate with anyone except through speakers and that added, small detail really cracked me up throughout the story.

I have no complaints about this novel. The pacing, characters, writing, plot, ending, everything is just a banger. I hope you will give this a try. I would highly recommend and gave it an easy 5 stars.

Alternative Title: Two Gays, One Book

I loved this book. I received early access to the audio, thank you NetGalley and publishers, and I highly recommend it. Both narrators embodied the characters very well; their voices similar but individual enough to mirror our main characters.
Having not read the synopsis but read Samantha Allen's other fiction: Patricia wants to Cuddle, therefore going in blind, I wasn’t too sure what to expect from this but I can say it was a pleasant surprise. I think it's themes come across so vastly different from Patricia Wants To Cuddle but this just shows that Allen isn't bound by genre. So while the fantastic ideas are found in both, if you’re expecting another twisted horror novel…well you’d better go read the synopsis.

I’ve found that Allen’s writing challenges the need for “token characters” and rightly so. The story flows quite succinctly and the dual POV keeps you engaged in both characters' sides of the story.

In a struggle to keep this spoiler free I will say as little as possible. I wasn't too sure what I wanted from the ending throughout most of the book but honestly Allen nailed it. In my opinion, to keep it from falling into the trap many romance books do, it has to stay realistic, as much as you can anyway with a ghost coming through your kitchen speaker.

Overall I really enjoyed listening to this book and can say it certainly earned its 5 stars.

This was my first book by this author, but it certainly won't be my last! Having heard great things about her book, "Patricia Wants to Cuddle," I'm excited to dive into that one next. This novel reminded me a lot of Ashley Poston's "The Dead Romantics"—both great reads with a touch of that unique charm.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this story, I did find myself wishing for a bit more romance. However, it still delivered a solid 4-star experience overall. The characters and plot kept me engaged, and I'm looking forward to exploring more of this author's work.

i love samantha allen. i still think about and recommend patricia wants to cuddle all the time. so it was a no-brainer to pick up this book.

here we have adam, hand-selected by renowned celebrity roland rogers to write his memoir. roland loved his book way back in the day, thinks that adam is the right person to tell his story. why? because roland is ready to tell the world he's gay, his way. the problem? roland rogers is... well, he's dead.

they communicate through the internet of things - roland will share messages on the screen on the fridge, tell stories via alexa. i think injecting this kind of humor is where samantha allen really excels in writing and i'm glad that she didn't shy away from it here, especially when ghost roland develops a feeder thing and insists that adam order and eat a bunch of fast food for his own personal pleasure.

at the crux of the story though is a lot of heart. a life lived in the closet, a life lived in fear. roland is a pretty notable celebrity in this world, rich in a way that most of us can only dream. yet, despite all of his worldly possessions you very quickly begin to realize how little that stuff matters when you're not living authentically.

the only place this book really failed for me was in the character zoya, roland's once public flame. it's a shame, because i think she had some very real things to say regarding celebrity and the way women are treated vs. men, but she ultimately became a snidely whiplash caricature of a person, utterly unlikable and cruel beyond my understanding.

so, 4 stars.

Such an interesting take on a romcom -- a ghostwriter writes a memoir for a ghost. Not a spoiler, so don't read this if you need a HEA, although I'd argue there is one in a more philosophical sense. It's such a vulnerable work of learning to rewrite your life's narrative when arguably you're "past your prime", which applies to both protagonists in different ways, and also makes their unusual "romance" all the more believable and moving. There is clearly something autobiographical about Adam's POV, based on the author's bio, which made him an easy character to root for, and believe in Roland's attraction to him. Overall, the timeline felt a bit too rushed for all the emotional unpacking packed into this, and I wish it was paced better so that a lot more of the narrative focused on the actual time spent during the writing of the memoir, and less leading up to it. The Zoya part was also very one dimensional and shoe-horned in and rushed, but it was still a believably crucial part of the story I wish had been integrated slightly better. Overall, a refreshing, queer love story that is a little cozy, a little meditative and more than a little cathartic.

So much fun! Once I started I couldn’t stop! This is my second Samantha Allen read and my favorite so far! She captured my attention and did not let go! Thanks NetGallery!

Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books for this ALC!

I really enjoyed Samantha's last novel Patricia Wants to Cuddle so I was excited to read her next book. I think the plot was super funny and original, but I wanted more from the romance angle. It felt like it happened very quickly and we didn’t get a whole lot of detail, but too be far Roland was trapped in speakers lol

Either way I enjoyed this book and it was a fun listen! I just wanted a little more.

4.5⭐️rounded up. This book is so niche and so quirky but I really liked it.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for approving me for an advanced copy of the audiobook. All opinions are my own.

It feels like a Dead Romantics (by Ashley Poston) fanfic in that ghostwriter, Adam, becomes romantically involved with actual ghost, Roland.

Roland, the ghost, happens to be a closeted Hollywood legend with a supermodel ex-girlfriend that doesn’t want Adam to write Roland’s memoir. Adam, the ghostwriter, is a gay ex-Mormon. As a “nomo,” but long time fan of Mormon Stories podcast, I loved Adam and all the Mormon jargon.

All the main characters are very flawed, but I was unbothered by that. It made them funnier.

As far as spice goes, this book is definitely not clean but the spice is creative (I mean, it is a ghost story). 🌶️🌶️

Highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a romance that is unique, funny, and paranormal!

As the title would hint, Roland Roger’s Isn’t Dead is a unique and intriguing read.

Whilst not necessarily a happy read like your traditional romcom, there was something incredibly heartwarming and heartfelt about Roland and Adam’s relationship and journey of self discovery. I found myself caught up in the witty and warm prose, and really enjoyed the journey. There’s a level of quirkiness, and whilst completely different it gave me a similar feeling to reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

I enjoyed this on book and audiobook. The audiobook was well produced, and captured the emotional experience and witty banter of Roland and Adam well. The narrators did a wonderful job of drawing out the unique identify of both characters.

Would highly recommend for anyone looking for a unique, warm, interesting and quick read.

Thank you RBMedia and Zando for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

*I received an advanced copy of the audiobook. This is my own opinion.*

Wow this book hurt my feelings in the best way.

Somehow hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time, Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet’s bittersweetness hits like dark chocolate—satisfying and rich and lingering a little bit longer than expected. From the blurb, I expected silliness. It’s not. This book is poignant and relatable and I honestly did not expect to have something as strange as a ghost talking to his ghost writer through a shower speaker to have such a profound effect, but here we are.

Thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for the ALC.

Mild spoiler below:










This is a bittersweet ending, but perfectly done, I think.

Adam had 15 minutes of fame with his first published book, a memoir about coming out as a Mormon young adult, however since then he's lost his spark. He's shocked when he's tapped to ghost write a memoir for a big time action movie star, Roland Rogers, and has event more of a surprise coming when he realized just how literal of a ghost writer he'll be. Yeah, cause Roland is dead.

Floating in the in between Roland has decided he wants to tell the truth about himself, specifically that he's gay and has hidden it his entire life.

Together they have to find a way, not only to communicate, but to tell Roland's story in a way that honors his truth. And a long the way there's some ghostly love.

For me this was altogether a fluffy, frothy read - even with death being a central theme.

Look, I like this book a (not) normal amount, my only real problem is that in the description this is sales as a romcom: it’s not. There is no happy ending here, so how this is a romcom? I really like the ending, to be honest, it’s the only possible ending, it’s so full of emotion and bittersweet, but it’s not an happy ending, so please don’t call it a romcom.
However. I’m a little obsessed by this book. It’s so great. It reminds me of Evelyn Hugo and it’s a huge compliment coming from me: Evelyn Hugo is my favorite book ever. I love the premesis (he’s a writer who struggles after an extraordinary debut, Roger is a gay actor in the closet that… is dead. I love it so much. I think I will reread it soon enough.
The narrators were just perfect.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.