A review by caitsbooks
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

5.0

This is the weirdest, cutest, most fun book I've read in a long time. Also, it made me cry.

The Dead Romantics in some ways reminds me of The Haunting of Hill House (the Netflix adaptation), but replace the horror with comedy. Hear me out:
- Ghosts
- returning to a home/home town you fled from
- Family dynamics
- a family holding the funeral for their own family member
- Themes of grief
The key difference is that The Haunting of Hill House would follow a tear-jerking scene with a jump scare, and The Dead Romantics follows it with the most bizarre and hilarious situations.

But let's talk about the sense of humor this book has. I don't see it being perfect for everyone, but damn was it perfect for me. I was laughing out loud constantly while reading this. I have a collection of highlighted quotes that, out of context, make no sense, and barely even make sense in context. It's amazing.

The romance in this book is also absolutely incredible. I loved our two main characters, and I love how they interact together. Plus, throw in the angst with him being a ghost? Perfection.

But beyond the comedy and romance needed in a romcom, this book delves into family and grief. I didn't expect to cry when I picked this up, but I found myself fighting tears on multiple occasions. It's truly a beautiful meditation on loss that I know will stick with me.

I will be forcing everyone I know to read this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC to review