Mi amor del más allá

by Kirsty Greenwood, Patricia Sebastián Hernández (translator)

Si no estuviera ya muerta, Delphie se moriría de vergüenza. Ha llegado al más allá vestida con el típico pijama raído que una preferiría que nadie viera y se ha topado cara a cara con el hombre más guapo que ha visto nunca. Y él le está sonriendo.

Cuando ambos empiezan a hablar, todo lo demás pasa a un segundo plano... hasta que alguien aparece a toda prisa, les grita que ha habido un error y manda al atractivo desconocido de vuelta a la tierra.

En un giro de los acontecimientos, a Delphie le proponen un trato para volver a su vida anterior y reencontrase con el misterioso hombre que, según ella, es su alma gemela.

¿El problema? Solo dispone de diez días para dar con él.

Diez días para conseguir que se enamore de ella.

Ah, y además él no recuerda haberla conocido...

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Fiction, Magical Realism, Audiobook, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

376 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 2, 2024

About the author

Kirsty Greenwood is a top ten bestselling author of funny, fearless and fast-paced romantic comedies about extraordinary love.

When she's not writing books she composes musicals, cooks new recipes with varying success, walks the blustery hills where she lives, buys too much glittery eyeshadow, sings to her dog, kisses her husband and reads all of the books she can get her grabby hands on.

If you want to find out about Kirsty's new releases and discounted books you can sign up to the newsletter here: www.kirstygreenwood.com/newsletter

Kirsty Instagrams at @kirsty_greenwood and can be found on Facebook at KirstyGreenwoodBooks. Say hi! She loves a natter.

Reviews

[Yun · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know, you guys. This feels more like a crazy fever dream or maybe a drug-induced trip than a proper romcom.

Delphie has unexpectedly died. As if that isn't surprising enough, she comes face-to-face with her soulmate in the waiting room of her Afterlife Therapist. But before she can fully introduce herself to the dreamy man, he's sent back to Earth with no recollection of their meeting. Now Delphie has just ten days to find him on Earth and get him to kiss her, or else she will remain dead forever.

You got me with that premise. It's undoubtedly intriguing, with loads of potential for the story to go every which way, all of them interesting. But almost from the very start, it felt like something was a little bit off, and I just couldn't shake that feeling throughout the whole story.

When I'm reading a romcom, my criteria isn't that high. I'm looking for banter, lots of sparks, and adorable characters I just want to squish and cheer for. But this story didn't really have any of that. I kept waiting and waiting, and eventually we reached the end.

Instead, this felt more like a zany slapstick comedy, where the heroine kept almost getting what she wanted, but through a variety of strange coincidences, all of them rather cringey, she does not. She almost runs into the man of her dreams, but she has a wardrobe malfunction that exposes her nether regions. She almost runs into him again, but instead has to draw a naked woman. She almost runs into him a third time, but alas, misses him by minutes and has to dance the hand jive on stage in front of dozens of strangers. Like, what? And this kept going on and on.

But what about the characters? Surely our heroine is sweet and loveable? Well, she's quirky, I'll give you that. And also rude and snippy. But for reasons unknown, the recipients of her ire all want to be her friend. They constantly invite her along to everything even though she has rejected them for years. The thing is, if someone were rude to me over and over, I wouldn't want to be their friend. But hey, I'm just a cold-hearted reader, so what do I know.

Okay, but surely there is sparks and tension galore? Well, no on that front too. I didn't feel even a blip of chemistry anywhere in this story. Delphie is just her usual mean self to our main male character, and he takes it like a champ and still lusts after her.

The one thing that's meant to make Delphie seem more sympathetic to readers is her relationship with her next door neighbor, Mr. Yoon. But that was a miss for me too. The whole thing gave off a weird vibe. She kept treating him like a child who didn't know better even though he's just an old man who can't talk.

So there you go. I suspect someone played a joke on me and swapped my copy of the book with one titled The Love of My Rudelife. Because that's the only explanation I have for why I didn't enjoy this book that everyone else so clearly adores.

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[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 5 out of 5]

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This is my first book by Kirsty Greenwood and it won't be my last. I loved it all, from the unique premise to the wonderful all-the-feels ending this book was chef's kiss.🤌 The author uses her love of books (especially of the romance variety) throughout the story and I loved that. All the name and title-dropping had me smiling and thinking "I know that one!".

I love quirky characters and Delphie is definitely quirky. I had a hard time figuring her out, is she a wimp? Is she a strong woman for what she went through and then does to help herself? Either way, I liked her, she was a wonderful main character. She was hard to like at first because I thought she was wallowing in self-pity, but then I started to get where she was coming from. I saw so much growth from her through the book and she grew on me. I loved how she and Cooper worked together to help each other out despite not being on the best of terms. Delphie grows up and opens up, she stops being scared and it opens up a whole new world for her.

The side character Mr. Yoon was also one of my favourites, and Delphie's relationship with him really touched my heart. In fact, all of the side characters are pretty amazing and Delphie learns about herself through them and she realizes life is worth living fully and one shouldn't let past hurts get in the way of a happy ending.

Greenwood mixes genres expertly and that's not an easy task and to please this reader isn't easy either but she did it. We have science fiction, magical realism, a touch of the paranormal and of course romance. There was just so much to love about this one. I look forward to what the author has coming next and checking out her backlog. All. The. Stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

[ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

i don’t think i even have words for how much i loved this book😭 but ill try: PHENOMENAL, OUTSTANDING, WONDERFUL, GROUNDBREAKING, HILARIOUS, ADORABLE, HEARTWARMING etc. etc.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Personally, I wanted Delphie to hurry up and die so she would stop being so annoying.


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[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

After seeing glowing reviews from several friends for this book, my curiosity got the best of me and I’m delighted, because this was a blast! It pays to listen to your friends!

Delphie Bookham is a 27-year-old woman who's never had a romantic relationship or the *perks* that come with one. After years of bullying in high school and basically being abandoned by her parents, she’s sworn off getting close to others, apart from her elderly neighbor Mr. Yoon. Unfortunately, this means she’s alone when a bite of burger gets stuck in her throat!

Next thing she knows, she finds herself in Evermore where she’s greeted by an outgoing, ambitious, romance-loving Afterlife Therapist named Merritt who’s getting a little bored upstairs. When Merritt notices sparks fly between Delphie and another incoming “Dead” named Jonah who gets whisked back to earth because it’s not his time yet, she decides to have some fun. She’ll bend a rule to allow Sophie to return to her life IF she can find Jonah and get him to kiss her within ten days. If not, Delphie gets a one-way ticket back to Evermore!

Can Delphie find her soulmate Jonah and get that kiss in time?

It’s a delightful premise and the beginning hooked me right away, but it’s the unexpected story AFTER Delphie gets sent back that truly won my heart!

This is a love story about LOVE STORIES! The frequent nods to familiar authors and books, the meta references to popular romance tropes, the heartwarming threads of found family and magical realism, and the overarching theme of living the life you’ve been given to its fullest ALL make for one of the sweetest, most life-affirming stories I’ve read this year. I went into the story thinking I knew where it was going, but I was so wrong and I couldn’t be happier that I was!

Delphie’s journey isn’t just about finding love and pursuing her ‘happily ever after’, it’s also about discovering her love for life itself and all the joys that come with letting people in. Yes, I wanted to shake her for a good half or so of the book and tell her to stop being so darn grumpy, but she wasn’t that way without reason, and seeing her evolution as a character was worth the patience.

If you enjoy a funny, heartwarming enemies to lovers story with a brilliant cast of side characters, great chemistry, a satisfying story arc and a decent amount of emotional depth involving grief, bullying, loneliness, caring for the elderly, and setting healthy boundaries, this is well worth a look! I’ll be keeping an eye out for more from Kirsty Greenwood!

★★★★ ½

Thanks to Berkley Publishing, NetGalley, and author Kirsty Greenwood for this digital ARC to honestly review. It’s due to be published on July 2, 2024.

[Jayme · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

A modern day fairy tale…Can a kiss from the right person STILL save a life? 💋

After choking (or is that gagging?) on a Microwave Burger 🍔 Delphie wakes up in the processing room at Evermore.

Welcoming her, is her chatty “AfterLife therapist” Merritt, now forever 28 years old- favorite things on Earth: Spicy hot curry and even spicier and hotter romance novels.

She is the complete opposite of Delphie, a 27 year old, “kissed only once” Virgin, who is socially awkward and has only one friend, her octogenarian neighbor “Mr. Yoon”. This is most likely because she seems to lack a “filter” when speaking-saying whatever she is thinking no matter how harsh her words may sound.

MAYBE the Afterlife won’t be so bad after all-

The next arrival, Jonah is gorgeous and is looking at her like she is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, despite the embarrassing nightgown she has arrived in!

Unfortunately, as it turns out, he wasn’t meant to arrive just yet-it’s been a mistake- and POOF-after an iridescent shimmer and a pop-he’s gone!

Merritt explains that each person has five soulmates on Earth, and because she is a “hopeless romantic” who thinks that Delphie may have just met one of hers-she is going to invoke the seldom used “Franklin Bellamy clause” and allow Delphie to return to Earth since nobody there has yet realized that she is dead.

The Catch? If she doesn’t FIND Jonah and get him to KISS her, voluntarily, in TEN DAYS, she will again die-and return to EVERMORE- FOREVERMORE!

What ensues is a FRESH, highly ENTERTAINING romp around London, filled with HUMOR, and QUIRKY FOUND FAMILY, which incorporates a few of the popular romance tropes, and also mentions of a few of our favorite romance authors, books and book characters adding to the FUN!

If you enjoy a touch of magical realism, you WON’T want to miss the latest book from U.K author Kirsty Greenwood-this isn’t her first ROM COM but it marks the debut of her first traditionally published U.S. title-congratulations on achieving that long held dream!

AVAILABLE NOW!
Highly Recommended! Add it to your TBR today!! 📚

Thank You to Berkley for inviting me to read this ARC, provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

[lexie · Rating 2 out of 5]

dnf’d at 69%

i kept waiting for it to get better and it DIDN’T. the fmc delphie was one of those oblivious, quirky mean girls who has been traumatized by bullying in their past and has now adopted that persona…like valid, im sorry you were hurt but you never got better so????

the actual plot was stupid as fuck. what i thought would be unique was quite literally a series of unfortunate events/mishaps where every possible thing goes wrong and that trope is my biggest pet peeve holy shit 😭😭😭 it was just a constant litany of “for fucks sake”, “come on already”, and “you’ve gotta be shitting me” for a lil razzle dazzle. i predicted the romance the second the characters met, but there wasn’t enough chemistry for me to give a damn about them, frankly and after seeing 5 stars out the wazoo for this book i’m INCREDIBLY disappointed.

now, just because this wasn’t my cup of tea, i would still recommend for people who liked the movie “afterlife of the party” and “bridget jones’s diary” (but watered down- i love that movie dearly). other than that i have nothing else to say about this book because it didn’t do much for me!

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: Romcom with a small dash of magical realism and a hefty splash of serious themes. A great premise that started with a bang, then got repetitive, then again became interesting, and ended with a bang. I’d have liked this better in my younger days. Still, a fun entertainer if you don’t overthink the proceedings and don’t mind the FMC.

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Plot Preview:

Twenty-seven-year-old Delphie, a loner who works in a pharmacy, has just begun dinner when she chokes to death on her cheap microwave burger. She ‘wakes up’ to find herself in ‘Evermore’, the place of the afterlife that seems more like it belongs on earth. Just as Delphie is being acquainted with the procedures of her new abode, she bumps into a young man named Jonah and has an instant connection with him. Sadly (for her, not for him), he isn’t dead and is sent back to earth. But a certain someone takes pity on the lonely young woman and gives her a second chance, albeit with a proviso: if she can find Jonah of the unknown last name back in London and get him to kiss her within ten days, she can get her life back. Will Delphie rise up to this challenge and locate ‘the love of her afterlife’?
The story comes to us in Delphie’s first person perspective.

Bookish Yays:
💐 This might be the first time I read about a main character choking to death in the very first chapter, and still didn’t feel any pain. I love the casual approach in which this scene was written. Had it been more traumatic, the mood would have been set incorrectly right at the beginning.

💐 The premise is unique enough to be a yay. Finding an insta-attraction as soon as you are dead and getting a chance to find your one true love? Lucky unlucky Delphie! Couldn’t blame her for grabbing onto any condition to return to earth in a bid to live more and love more!

💐 There are tongue-in-cheek appearances of romance tropes such as enemies to lovers, one bed, and insta connections. There are also several mentions of popular romance authors, books, and movies sprinkled throughout the book. This might go either way, but I liked the pop culture references: it added a dash of contemporary realism to the story.

💐 There are several secondary characters that are even more layered than the lead pair: Delphie’s work friend Leanne and her mother Jen, Delphie’s next-door neighbour the elderly Mr. Yoon, librarian Aled, and new friend Frida. Some of them are a bit over the top, but they suit the tone of the story. More importantly, they are likeable, and that helps when the FMC gives mixed vibes.

💐 I love how the story ended up more about finding oneself than about finding the one true love. A valuable lesson about living life to the fullest because we never know when it’s our time to kick the bucket.

💐 Though the story is mostly light-hearted, it tackles some serious themes such as bullying, loneliness, grief, childhood trauma, and parental abandonment. I appreciate the depiction of how everyone handles trauma differently and there’s no standard pattern.

💐 Many fun interactions and witty banter between the lead pair, and some heart-warming moments in the climax.

💐 I love the found family trope when it is done with enough heart, and in this book, though it takes time to get going, the concept is handled really well.


Bookish Mixed Bags:
🌷 Delphie is a tough character to root for at the start. Though she had her positives, her social skills are almost zero. Thankfully, she does redeem herself by the end. Her turnaround from a rude loner to an I’ll-do-everything-I-can-to-stay-alive is a bit too sudden to be convincing, but under such circumstances with only ten days between (after)life and permanent death, who is to say how we would have behaved in her place?

🌷 Downstairs neighbour Cooper, who is roped in to help Delphie locate Jonah, is an interesting character, fitting the mould of “enemy” perfectly. It is evident right from his first mention which pair the book is supporting. However, there was one red flag in his behaviour that is conveniently brushed aside: his womanising.

🌷 This is a genre-defying book. It starts off strongly as a fantasy, but the dominant genre almost throughout the story is romcom, with a little garnishing of magical realism. Great if you want a romcom. I wanted more magical realism, so this ends up as a mixed bag.

🌷 The afterlife and its events create a mixed impression. While I do love the unexpectedness of the location, I am still sad that it was what it was. (No woman will look at that place and think, “Yay! What a wonderful afterlife!” Sigh…) More than this, I am not sure how I feel about many of the *bodily functions* that continue in the afterlife. Who wants more of the same life even after death!

🌷 Once Delphie returns to earth with her ten-day challenge, the tempo slackens a lot and the events become repetitive. The last one-third or so saves the story to a great extent, though it zooms by at F1 speed compared to the rest of the book.

🌷 I love the resolution of all arcs. Though the destination is predictable, as it always is in romcoms, it was still interesting to see how it comes about. That said, a certain event towards the end is so farfetched that I had to put this in my Mixed Bags than under the Yays.


Bookish Nays:
🌵 Jonah’s arc is unbelievably unrealistic. I might have accepted his perfect portrayal had this been a romcom spoof. (I still am not sure if it is indeed a spoof!)

🌵 This is more of a ME problem than a BOOK problem. I don't vibe with the idea that “sex is the most fun you can have on earth.” (Misleading, false, and also inappropriate when there is more awareness these days of asexuality.) I found it ridiculous that anyone could find the idea of a twenty-seven-year-old virgin ridiculous. A person’s sex life is no one’s business, and the idea that Delphie had not lived to the fullest just because she died without having sex is, frankly speaking, idiotic. (As you might guess, the ten days on earth involve the tackling of this ‘problem.’ The proceedings aren’t that steamy, but they aren’t closed-door either.)


All in all, this definitely was an entertaining book, with the second half proving much stronger than the first half. If it had been more consistent in its tempo and slightly less repetitive in between, it could have been a bigger winner for me.

That said, I’m no longer an active romance reader as I have done my fill of swoony reading in my younger days. I had grabbed this novel mainly for the idea of the ‘afterlife.’ Unfortunately, most of the story is a typical romance, so my experience ended slightly mixed. This shouldn’t take away from the story as it will work better for romcom fans.

Recommended to avid romance readers who would enjoy a magical twist to typical romcoms.

3.5 stars.


My thanks to Random Things Tours, Random House UK, Cornerstone, and author Kirsty Greenwood for a complimentary copy of 'The Love of My Afterlife' via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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[Linz_loves_books (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Fate has a way of giving you exactly what you need, when you need it."

Delphie is a lone wolf, who stays inside her flat and only has a few friends, one being a next door neighbor who doesn't talk. When she accidently chokes on a microwave burger, she passes away and wakes up in a place called Evermore. Here she meets Merrit, her afterlife therapist, who is vibrant and full of life. As she is trying to find a way back home, another guest shows up and it just happens to be the most handsome man she has ever seen. Delphie and the man, Jonah, immediately feel an intense connection. Right when she begins to think being in the afterlife won't be bad since he is there, Merrit realizes it was a mistake and sends the man back. Merrit informs Delphie that Jonah is her soulmate and that she will send her back for 10 days to get one kiss from him. If she accomplishes it she will be able to remain in the land of the living. However, if she fails she will have to return to the afterlife forever. There are two main obstacles in the way..Delphie does not know his last name and Merrit wiped his memory so Jonah does not remember her.

✨What to Expect✨
❤️Enemies to Lovers
❤️Fake Dating
❤️One-bed
❤️Love Triangle
❤️Found Family
❤️Single POV
❤️Magical Realism

This story was a fast paced, entertaining, and cute read. The romcom aspect of the book was cute and fluffy. It was magical, sweet, and funny not to mention it has some of my favorite tropes. Found family is one of my favorite tropes and I absolutely adored the side characters: Mr. Yoon, Adel, Frida. They brought humor to the story and their characters were very loveable. I feel like the concept of this book was unique and done very well. This is my first book by this author but I can't wait to see whaat she has in store for readers in the future.

“The problem with so many people you encounter in life is that they're being the version of themselves they think they should be rather than the person they actually are.”

✨❤️ Buddy reading with my beautiful Bella ❤️✨
Can't wait to start this one, it sounds cute and funny!

[Delaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patreon book club pick 🩵

[Hannah B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Dead Romantics loving heart absolutely ATE with this one!!!! I don’t want to say too much because with one wrong word I think I could spoil it and that’s just not okay! I really think that if you loved TDR, then definitely give this a try.

I loved everything about the romance, but the found family of it all actually destroyed me. I’m such a sucker for a character building their community on page after being incredibly lonely for a long time. It was a bit quirky, very British, and full of shenanigans that actually made me laugh out loud. I’m on Delphie’s frontlines forever!!

I think this one was a ~bit lighter execution wise compared to TDR? The afterlife elements were a bit more cozy and comforting…and I didn’t cry up a lung. I DID cry, but it was happy tears? It definitely still dealt with death at its core, but just in a different way. I think I could pick this one up to reread a bit easier than TDR.

Obviously, it’s its own book so don’t take my comparisons to The Dead Romantics ~too literally! I just think it’s really good grounds for comparison and part of a slowly-growing subgenre that I’m obsessed with; I really enjoy the fantasy lite™ approach!

*The themes below are a little taste, but skip if you don’t want even the smallest of spoiler!*

✨Found Family!!!!!
✨Set in London
✨Comforting/romantic version of the Afterlife
✨Secondary romance
✨Only one bed
✨Mini heist
✨Virgin heroine
✨RomCOM
✨Fake dating
✨Love triangle (and I loved it????)

Overall, I’m very intrigued to see what Kirsty Greenwood writes next for Berkley!! I hope it’s in the same world. I’d even go so far as to BEG for a Merritt and Eric novella!!! Hello pre-order incentive 👀

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️*/5

*Threeish scenes, low-medium level of detail. I was a bit sad when the first scene was so short, but the second scene definitely gave what I needed! It’s not a “spicy” book, but it’s not closed door.


CWs: Bullying, death, death of a sibling, car accident, toxic parental relationship


Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

[Kezia Duah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

This was quite a delightful read! It is a romance, but it is also so much more! Do you ever find yourself thinking, "What would I do with my last few days if I knew when I was going to die?" Yes, this is one of those that brings this into perspective. There are people in our lives who we don’t recognize their importance until it’s too late. Most importantly, we don’t recognize everything we would have wished to do with our life before it’s too late! So yes, although this was very funny, it was pretty sad! I love that I got to explore this perspective in entertaining characters like Delphie and Cooper and many more! Also, bonus points for this book letting us know in many instances that this book is for book lovers.

[Wendy Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

She died just as she lived: alone, perplexed, and wearing something a bit shit.

There's nothing like a British rom com when the writing is sharp. So funny from beginning to end, with sparky chemistry and a lively heroine with a very full life—but one who sometimes feels uncertain and unanchored as well. There are also surprisingly touching secondary relationships, which are very close in feeling to the best parts of Sarra Manning's Unsticky.

Looooooove. 💕 If the quirky premise appeals to you at all, you should hop right on this.

Audio Notes: Sofia Oxenham's narration was exactly right for this character. Perfect match of reader and writing.

[Nikola · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75/5

Nie zdążyłam oznaczyć, że zaczęłam czytać i już skończyłam! Ahhh jakie to było komfortowe i przyjemne

[Madison Kait · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ★ ♡

[Kaceey · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5🌟
This was a super sweet rom-com with a dusting of magical realism.
Delphie, our MC is very much a loner. With no friends, she never leaves her apartment unless she has to. She’s never had a boyfriend, in fact Delphie has never even been kissed.

On yet another lonely night, Delphie’s life ends tragically after choking on a microwaveable burger. No one around to help her, she awakens to find herself in the afterlife, known as Evermore. There she meets a stranger named Jonah and she’s convinced he’s the man of her dreams. Instant Karma. Her soulmate. But as quickly as he appears, he is returned to his life. Apparently it was merely an accident in the dental chair! Eeks!

Delphie pleads her case to return to her life as well.
Her afterlife Attendant Merritt agrees on one condition. Delphie has just 10 days to find Jonah and have him kiss her. If she should fail it’s back to Evermore for well, evermore!

That should be simple, right!? Not so much. She doesn’t know Jonah’s last name or have any clue on how to track him down.

Hurry Delphie, the clock is ticking!

I just adored Delphie’s character. As her time counted down, more and more people were drawn to her, wanting to help her find Jonah. She now finds herself with a loyal group surrounding her. Ironic, as her life clock winds down she’s just starting to discover a wonderful life.

This book also had me laughing at Delphie and all her antics as she tried to track down her true love. You can’t help but root for her!

The take away to this story is that you need to embrace and appreciate life.💞 You only get one go around. (Maybe two if you’re lucky enough to have Merritt as your afterlife attendant). Don’t let life pass you by.

🎧The audio version was narrated by Sofia Oxenham who gave a brilliant performance.

[✨Julie✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✩ 3.75 stars ✩

“If she wasn’t dead already, Delphie would be dying of embarrassment.”

What to Expect:
➼ Magical Realism
➼ Second Chance at Life
➼ Healing from Loss
➼ Found Family
➼ Soulmates
➼ One Bed
➼ Fake Dating
➼ Quest
➼ A few other tropes that would be spoilers…
➼ Single POV

At only 27, Delphie chokes on a microwave burger and finds herself in “Evermore,” where her afterlife therapist, Merritt, informs her that she has died. ☠️

Yikes, that’s a bad way to go. 😬

Delphie lived a very safe and solitary life, and as she watches the highlight reel of her life, she realizes how little life she really lived. As she begins to process that her life is truly over, a hunky guy named Jonah arrives in Evermore and she feels an instant connection with him. After only a few minutes together, Merritt tells them that there’s been a “clerical error” and sends Jonah back to his life on earth.

When romance loving Merritt learns of their connection, she tells Delphie that Jonah was likely one of her five soulmates on Earth and offers her an opportunity to earn back her life. If she can find Jonah and get him to kiss her of his own free will in the next 10 days, she can stay on earth… and stay alive. She doesn’t even know his last name and finding him will push her far out of her comfort zone, but it’s literally a matter of life or death and there’s no time to waste!

This book had all the elements of a great rom-com. I really hope it gets a movie adaptation!🤞🏻 Her afterlife experience reminded me a lot of The Good Place and had just the right amount of levity to make a concept like this work. This had that iconic Brit Lit quirkiness that made the story that much more fun. I wasn’t expecting much from this book, but I had such a good time reading it! Can’t share more without risking spoilers 🤫. Definitely recommend! 💛

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

Pre-read: Gonna listen to this while I set up my classroom today! 🪦RIP summer. 😩😜

[NZLisaM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will a second chance at living convince Delphie to live her best life?

27-year-old Delphie is a recluse who spends the majority of her time holed-up in her flat. Even though she’s lived in London all her life she only knows three people, an elderly neighbour, and her two work colleagues.

One evening while eating dinner (alone in her flat as per always) Delphie chokes to death. She regains consciousness in a place called Evermore, where her young, bouncy, vibrant, talkative, afterlife therapist of all things, informs her she is dead.

While Delphie is struggling to get her head around the devastating news, she is distracted by a new arrival, a guy around her age. Delphie and the guy’s physical attraction is instantaneous, and their conversation flows naturally. Has she just met her soulmate?

But unfortunately, the man of her dreams is merely in a state of deep unconsciousness, and a moment later he is gone, back among the living. During their brief conversation Delphie only uncovered two things about him – his first name is Jonah, and he’s also from London.

Just when Delphie thinks all is lost, turns out her afterlife therapist is a big believer in true love, so the two strike a deal – Delphie can return to earth for ten days. If she hasn’t received a kiss from Jonah by that time she is fated to die again – permanently! A further complication, Jonah doesn’t remember meeting her in Evermore, his memory was wiped clean when he returned to earth.

The race is on to track Jonah down in time. Is a woman with few social skills and little life experience up to the task? Delphie intends to give it all she’s got.

Tick-tock!

The innovative premise, inventive title, and gorgeous cover really captured my attention, well that and Goodreads friends glowing reviews. And The Love of My Afterlife not only exceeded my expectations, but also contained some surprising twists for a romantic comedy. It was sexy, sweet, utterly satisfying, hilarious, magical, gave off Cinderella vibes, and contained several of my favourite romantic tropes, which need to remain under wraps. Delphie’s quest to find Jonah really brought her out of both her shell, and her comfort zone, and everyone who helped her along the way impacted and enriched her life in ways she couldn’t possibly have imagined or predicted. As you know I prefer my rom coms with a side of real-world issues which this novel contained in spades – there were traumatic reasons why Delphie had chosen to hide away from the world. Also, I adored all the mentions of fictional romantic leads from books, TV, and movies.

I chose to read the audiobook and Sofia Oxenham’s performance was magnificent and charming – I couldn’t have asked for a better experience – her voice for Merritt (the afterlife therapist) was a lot of fun.

The contemporary romances released this year have consistently been of a high calibre, and for me have out shined other genres, and Kirsty Greenwood’s, The Love of My Afterlife was a further highlight and top favourite read for 2024. It will be my pleasure to explore this author’s past titles.

UK/AUS/NZ – Out Now!
US – 2nd July 2024.

[aeryn rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

Ugh, my god was this cute! This delivered exactly what I was looking for: a feel-good, unserious romance that made me laugh and giggle. I wasn't expecting to have moved by the themes of this book but here we are and I'm not mad about it in the slightest.

The first thing that hooked me in this book was the premise. A dead girl who is sent back to Earth to find her soulmate so that she can stay and live? SOLD. It had the perfect set up and I knew from the beginning I was going to like this. This whole book was a 10 day journey of self-discovery and what love really is and feels like. Reading books that are so heavy on this kind of journey never cease to amaze me and have me hooked. That being said, I did find some parts of the plot to just go in circles and never actually accentuate the story. I could be slow at times and I would cringe a bit from some of the scenes, but all in all the plot delivered and I was interested the whole time!

Now onto Delphie...I enjoyed her character to an extent. Her fiery personality and her no-shame behavior was something I really liked. She was gutsy and she wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted. However, there were a lot of points where I was like girl....be so for real LMAO I found her actions and way of thinking to be wayyyy over the top. Like I stated before, this book is very unserious so it's definitely good to keep an open mind. I don't think her personality was for me, BUT I did find myself relating to her thought process. I wasn't expecting to like her and Cooper as much as I did, but they were just so freakin cute. For a book that was an average length, I think it wasn't very insta-lovey and the pacing was really really well done.

Overall, I was looking for something cute and witty and funny and this hit all those points. This book had so many underlying themes that you just couldn't help but love and relate to on some level. Imagine getting to live your life for the second time. Would you do it differently? Would you love and cherish things differently? It really makes you think and I think that is a huge reason why I was so drawn to it. 🩵

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The premise of this sounds so unserious and that's exactly what I'm looking for 🙂‍↔️🩵

[Sunflowerbooklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh this precious gem of a book!!

I'm always so hesitant to read super hyped books... because if you know me it always is Kendall's outlier island.

What a FRESH and unique magical romance!! It was funny, swoon-worthy, quirky characters, and the perfect amount of sexy romance. It also had a lot of emotional depth to it which had such a special place in my heart <3.

I could not get enough of Delphie's journey.... and my god Mr. Yoon.... I fell in love with Delphie and Mr. Yoon's relationship. I almost feel like this was my favorite in the book.

Oh my goodness and that ending!! It had me crying..... I can't explain how much I loved this special book. Such a precious piece of literature that I hope everyone gets the chance to read.

By far top read of 2024 for me!!

5/5 stars

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let’s say you die too early, but you have a second chance to live if you find your “soulmate” within ten days. But he has to want to kiss you without him knowing that the kiss is what will keep you alive.

But even as you are “sent back” you don’t know where he lives or his last name. How are you going to find him and get him to kiss you and love you in 10 days? How is that for a plot?

Well, if you suspend disbelief, this can be a truly light-hearted, entertaining, delightful and heartwarming story that touches on topics of grief, loneliness, death, second chances, found family, and finding love. Which also provides opportunities for humor, self-reflection, a refreshing outlook on life, and a unique perspective to finding happiness beyond death.

[saffiyah✧ఌ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i have no clue how to review this book. for starters, i actually recommend this book, and that's a new feeling that i'm not used to. secondly, i have never read another book like this. it's a sci-fi (but not too much to be overbearing), a magical realism (with enough supernatural elements to give me an existential crisis at 3 am, a fantasy that's technically not a fantasy, and coming of age/death (???) with a romance sideplot. so yes, my goodreads shelves are having a f*cking field day.



so delphie is dead.



i just want that to sink in.



she's dead. dead as a doornail. of course, a coffin-nail would most likely be the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade, but the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not make a mockery of it. you will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that delphie was as dead as a doornail. there is no doubt that delphie was dead. if we were not perfectly convinced that delphie had died during the beginning of the novel, there would be nothing remarkable in her coming back to earth to find her true love after bumping into him whilst she was dead... as a doornail, than there would be in any other young woman turning un-dead again to find her soulmate that she met by chance after choking to death on a microwaveable burger whilst wearing her ‘shine like a star’ nightie.


tropes:

- fake dating
- love triangle
- found family
- one bed
- enemies to lovers
- forced proximity


i refuse to tell you anymore.


thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest thoughts!

credits to @charles dickens aka the man, the myth, and another guy who is dead. dead as a door nail.


__


pre-review:

i got an arc from berkley... AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




smooth saffiyah. real smooth.


3★ rtc

[patrycja ୨୧ ‧₊˚ · Rating 1 out of 5]

— dnf @ 30% ⟡ ݁₊ .

I tried. I really did. reading is making me a quitter but if I kept reading this, I'd probably fall into a cringe coma.

[Whitney Erwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was adorable!!! I really loved it. I saw a lot of great reviews for it and decided to pick it up from the library. I’m so glad I did. The storyline was so creative and entertaining!! I loved the quirky characters. I’ve had a lot of dud books lately it feels like so this one was fun and refreshing!

[Bella P (semi-hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5✨
I really enjoyed this it was fast paced and entertaining. I would definitely recommend.
--
The concept of this one seems really funny 🤭 Buddy Read With My Love Lindsey 💘✨

[Tarah DeWitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unwell. Loved.

[Estefania · Rating 5 out of 5]

Infinity stars honestly. This was perfect. Give me more

[Amina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Love of My Afterlife is a fun-filled, fairytale-esque adventure where anything goes. Delphie had no idea a convenience store microwavable burger would bring her to her demise. She's choking on it, watching the 'Tinder Swindler,' and no one can help her. Is this for real? It sure is because she's transported to Evermore to meet her afterlife therapist, Merrit.

Being alive is about experiencing the full gamut of emotions. If you’re not feeling pushed and pulled and scared and delighted instead of just safe—then you’re not doing it right

In proper happy-ever-after form, Dephie can only stay in the real world if she kisses a man she meets in Evermore, Jonnah. Merrit loves romance books and wants to have a little fun while living in the eternal world—Delphie is the perfect candidate.

Dying is the easy part, it's the afterlife that's the real pain in the arse

The novel is full of humor, witty banter, and introspective hard truths about life. Delphie has ten days to reflect on what's important, find this man, Jonah, and figure out a plan. When you have little time, it puts a lot into perspective--the fear you may not stay in the real world is daunting.

How am I supposed to leave this? This…life. Because what I was living ten days ago wasn’t a life at all. But this? This noise and laughter and mess and fear and…people. Friends. Possible love

Delphie also has things to get in order. For example, who will take care of her neighbor, Mr. Yoon? He has no one but her. Delphie may not know much, but she does know the family you choose may be better than the one you were born with.

Sometimes it takes death to finally realize what's worth living for...how love can transcend even the greatest boundaries and how second chances, no matter how improbable, can still lead to profound change

As the protagonist, Delphie is quite relatable. She's unsure, questioning those around her, often feeling misunderstood. Her backstory involves bullying and an absent mother--factors impeding her happiness.

This novel had a Bridget Jones'Diaryvibe. She's a bit of a clumsy, fun-loving character. I felt Delphie never thought she deserved good things--a character to cheer on.

It's a delightful, light-hearted filler story.

A little side note: last night, my Dad came into my dream. I can't help but think something about this story stayed with me. I am thankful for this story, seeing my Dad after so many years in my dream was a delight!

4/5 stars

[ella goodrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love is real and life is worth living🤸🏼‍♀️🌟💞