The Dead Romantics

2/5 stars

Florence Day’s family is a bit atypical. Death is the family business and they’ve owned and run the same funeral home since she was a child. Florence escaped that life and is now a ghostwriter for a famous romance novelist. She is finally forced to return home upon the death of her father. She isn’t sure what to expect but it certainly wasn’t a handsome ghost appearing at her doorstep. Neither she nor this ghost know why he’s there, but they need to figure out his unfinished business or else he will be left roaming forever. 

I wanted to love this. I am a big fan of paranormal stories, but this wasn’t it for me. I had my doubts on how this romance would work from the start. The premise is sound, but the execution was lacking. There were a lot of name-drops and nods to the stereotypical bookish millennial reading, but it kept pulling me out of the story instead of helping me relate to the characters. 

There were some deep moments with introspection and character development, but the moments of grief and reflection became repetitive. Florence’s father’s death was the main plot, but it kept getting pushed aside to make way for her budding romance with a ghost. I thought there was an imbalance that prevented true development in either plot. 

The Dead Romantics was talked about a lot, and I can see why. How can one explain a romance between a mortal human and a ghost? Unfortunately, this fell short for me. If you enjoy contemporary references throughout and an unconventional romance, you might appreciate this one.