The Dead Romantics by. Ashley Poston | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Dead Romantics

Author: Ashley Poston

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 6/28/22

Categories: Romance, Paranormal, Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Women’s Fiction

Florence Day is the ghostwriter for one of the most prolific romance authors in the industry, and she has a problem—after a terrible breakup, she no longer believes in love. It’s as good as dead.

When her new editor, a too-handsome mountain of a man, won’t give her an extension on her book deadline, Florence prepares to kiss her career goodbye. But then she gets a phone call she never wanted to receive, and she must return home for the first time in a decade to help her family bury her beloved father.

For ten years, she’s run from the town that never understood her, and even though she misses the sound of a warm Southern night and her eccentric, loving family and their funeral parlor, she can’t bring herself to stay. Even with her father gone, it feels like nothing in this town has changed. And she hates it.

Until she finds a ghost standing at the funeral parlor’s front door, just as broad and infuriatingly handsome as ever, and he’s just as confused about why he’s there as she is.

Romance is most certainly dead… but so is her new editor, and his unfinished business will have her second-guessing everything she’s ever known about love stories.

A disillusioned millennial ghostwriter who, quite literally, has some ghosts of her own, has to find her way back home in this sparkling adult debut from national bestselling author Ashley Poston.

Content Warning: death, grief

I went into this one without expectations! I saw the book cover on my Overdrive online library selections and thought the synopsis was intriguing so I borrowed it without reading any reviews on in. I was so pleasantly surprised and touched. Here is what did and didn’t work for me:

+ A ghostwriter who can see ghost and falls for someone who is a ghost?! I love the idea and the story. Florence is a young woman, nursing a broken heart. It’s made it impossible for her to continue writing the romance novel she is working on and on top of that her beloved father dies. So it’s not only a romance, it’s a story about Florence trying to figure out heartbreak, grief and what love really is. It’s a beautiful story.

+ Her family is one of my newest favorite fictional families. They own a funeral home and even though Florence doesn’t totally get along with her younger sister, you can tell the bonds between this loving family is tight even when their father dies. I also love the people from her home town and her best friend in New York. We get both the small town romance and big city one too in this one book.

+ The romance between Florence and Ben is so cute and honestly I did figure out how things were going to end up but I was going to be so upset if it wasn’t that way. I love how they get to know one another – realistic? No, but that’s why I love how this is a paranormal romance. The two of them melted my heart.

+ Florence and her family are grieving but I so love how they celebrate her father’s life. Did I cry in a few spots? Definitely did.

~ My only issue with the story was the beginning where I thought I was getting a straight romance and then the story took a left turn with the death of Florence’s father and the whole situation with Ben which I won’t spoil. But the story smoothed out right after that.

Tropes: seeing ghosts, small town and big city romance, editor/writer romance

Spice Level: 🌶

Why you should read it:

  • heartwarming story about family, grief, heartbreak and love
  • a ghostwriter falling in love with a ghost
  • the Day family is my new favorite fictional family

Why you might not want to read it:

  • beginning of the story was just a little bit jarring with the romance and sudden death but it worked out after that

My Thoughts:

I loved this one. I was all for the ghostwriting and ghost-seeing! It was unexpected and I went in with no expectations and maybe because my trauma with grief, I resonated with stories about grief. But even though there is death and loss in this book, I love that it still was a story about celebrating life, love, and those who have gone but linger. A wonderful story that melted my heart and made me shed a few tears as well.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Love was putting up with someone for fifty years so you’d have someone to bury you when you died. I would know; my family was in the business of death.”

~ Ashley Poston, The Dead Romantics

He was a bullet journal guy, and I was a sticky note kind of girl.”

~ Ashley Poston, The Dead Romantics

Love was a high for a moment that left you hollow when it left, and you spent the rest of your life chasing that feeling.”

~ Ashley Poston, The Dead Romantics

Grief was the exact opposite. It was full and heavy and drowning because it wasn’t the absence of everything you lost—it was the culmination of it all, your love, your happiness, your bittersweets, wound tight like a knotted ball of yarn.”

~ Ashley Poston, The Dead Romantics

It’s never easy. It’s also never really goodbye—and trust me, we’re in the business of goodbyes. The people who pass through here live on in you and me and everyone they touched. There is no happy ending, there’s just . . . happily living. As best you can.

~ Ashley Poston, The Dead Romantics

Weekly Wrap Up | 10/23/22

Aloha friends!

It was a good week and my daughter is done with her antibiotics and the flonase is helping a lot with allergies so I’m happy! They had a school carnival and yes it’s late October but it was about 85 degrees with the sun making me sweat – my weather app says “it feels like” 90 degrees. Let’s just say we played most of the games and left after 30 minutes because my shirt was kind of drenched in sweat. Gross. Other than that we have a Halloween party my cousin is throwing today so that should be fun.

This week will be Parent Conference week which means my kids will be let out early for 2 weeks so they can get through all these meetings. Ours is on Wednesday so I hope I hear great things! Can you believe October is almost over? I can’t!

I hope all of you had a good week and a wonderful week ahead of you!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:


Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies I Watched:

  • House of Dragons (HboMax)

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Let’s Talk Bookish: Do Book Titles Matter? | 10/21/22

Let’s Talk Bookish is a bookish meme that was created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and now is hosted by Aria @Book Nook Bits, where each Friday, bloggers write posts discussing the topic of the week! Definitely check out her blog for more bookish content plus more Let’s Talk Bookish topics and the schedule.


This week’s topic is:

October 21: Do Book Titles Matter? (Hannah @ Hannah’s Library)

How much do book titles matter?

I think they matter a lot. I think a good title sets the tone for the book.

Have you ever read or not read a book based on the title alone? 

Yes, most definitely – because if I’m not attracted to the title but the cover art is amazing. Well, I’m a sucker for a good book cover so I’ll read it. As for not reading something because of the title…🤔, I’m trying to think of an instance but am coming up blank. But I’m sure there have been titles I’ve skipped because of the title.

Do you like long or short book titles better?

Keep it short and sweet!

Do you think the title has to connect to the story in some way? 

Yes, I feel it should connect because as I said before I feel like it sets the tone for the book. If I read a book that doesn’t match the title, I feel a bit mislead. For example…

This story to me needed more Christmas things about it because the cover is very Christmassy and the title says Christmas Clash. The things clashing in the story was two families that had bad blood and they have rival restaurants. It’s set around the holidays but that’s about it for the Christmas part.

What are some of your favorite book titles?

I love titles that get straight to the point! 😆 The Grace Year and the Hunger Games made me wonder…what is a Grace Year? What happens in the Hunger Games – and whoa, do we find out!! As for Fable and Guncle – one word titles are short and sweet. I think all the titles in The Inheritance Games series were spot on and strong. It totally tied into the story.


Of course on the opposite end of short titles are those with long, fancy titles which we usually find in the fantasy genre. I have a love/hate relationship with those. Sometimes they sound so pretty…and other times it’s just too many words lol. For example, the SJM titles are always fitting and I kinda blame her for starting this trend lol…

All these titles that start like: A Court of, A House of, A Storm of, A something something something….titles was fun for awhile and then I started to roll me eyes. 😅 It got to be too much but I believe finally it has died down!

At least I know when I see a title like that it’s going to give me fantasy or romantasy. So I guess that’s one good thing about it!

I want to know what some of your favorite titles are, let me know in the comments below!

A River Enchanted by. Rebecca Ross | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A River Enchanted (Elements of Cadence, #1)

Author: Rebecca Ross

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 480

Publication Date: 2/15/22

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Adult Fiction, Mystery

Jack Tamerlaine hasn’t stepped foot on Cadence in ten long years, content to study music at the mainland university. But when young girls start disappearing from the isle, Jack is summoned home to help find them. Enchantments run deep on Cadence: gossip is carried by the wind, plaid shawls can be as strong as armor, and the smallest cut of a knife can instill fathomless fear. The capricious spirits that rule the isle by fire, water, earth, and wind find mirth in the lives of the humans who call the land home. Adaira, heiress of the east and Jack’s childhood enemy, knows the spirits only answer to a bard’s music, and she hopes Jack can draw them forth by song, enticing them to return the missing girls.

As Jack and Adaira reluctantly work together, they find they make better allies than rivals as their partnership turns into something more. But with each passing song, it becomes apparent the trouble with the spirits is far more sinister than they first expected, and an older, darker secret about Cadence lurks beneath the surface, threatening to undo them all.

With unforgettable characters, a fast-paced plot, and compelling world building, A River Enchanted is a stirring story of duty, love, and the power of true partnership, and marks Rebecca Ross’s brilliant entry on the adult fantasy stage.

Content Warning: violence, kidnapping, raids

I’ve been wanting to read this book since it was published and I heard so many great things about it. I can see why there was hype about it. Here’s what I thought about the book:

+ The writing is beautiful and the story is magical. Cadence is Jack’s home and it’s a place where they still revere the island and its spirits. I love how music is magic in Jack’s skill with the harp and how Torin and Sidra can call to one another. It’s a story that you can get swept up in.

+ The romance, and relationships was great to explore. Jack and Adaira are a childhood enemies to lovers story that melted my heart. Their relationship I feel would appeal to the young adult crowd but Torin and Sidra are older. I loved Jack and Adaira and how their history together made their bond stronger in their older age. And I love Torin and Sidra’s story too. Torin’s a widower, and Sidra married him and gained a step-daughter. There is so much love in their family but insecurities too. It’s wonderful how the story explores the relationships between these couples.

+ The theme of family and community is strong in this book. It’s also a story about people finding their place in the world and figuring out what the meaning of “home” is. The ending was a surprising twist.

+ I like the mysterious air that is present from beginning to end of the book. There are girls going missing in the east and they think the it’s the spirits who are causing this so Jack and Adaira do their best to connect to the spirits through music and enchantment. But there is more to the story than just the spirits. I like the twist in the end.

~ Pacing is a little slow. It starts off strong but the story is set like a mystery so it’s definitely a story where you can take your time and not rush through. Definite cozy story, raining outside kinda vibes!

Tropes: childhood friends, enemies to lovers, widower

Spice Level: 🌶

Why you should read it:

  • beautiful writing, magical setting
  • themes of love, family and belonging
  • romance between Jack and Adaira (young love) and Torin and Sidra (adult love)

Why you might not want to read it:

  • might be a little slow but I think it fits with the pace of a mystery- it did take me 3 days to read.

My Thoughts:

I love how magical this story felt as I was reading it. I felt swept away in the story of Cadence, the warring sides and the spirits all around them. Although at times the romance felt like a young adult story, it was balanced with Torin and Sidra’s story which was an adult love story filled with challenges. This is a story to take your time with and not rush through.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Review: The Queen’s Rising ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“The days may be dark,” Sidra said. “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t feel joy.”

~ Rebecca Ross, A River Enchanted

Their differences could be enough to break their vows, despite her feelings for him.”

~ Rebecca Ross, A River Enchanted

From your life came mine. I would not exist if you had been born in the east. I am but a verse inspired by your chorus, and I will follow you until the end, when the isle takes my bones and my name is nothing more than a remembrance on a headstone, next to yours.”

~ Rebecca Ross, A River Enchanted

The Book Addiction Tag | Book Tag

Hi friends! I saw this book tag on Riddhi’s blog Whispering Stories and thought it was a fun one to do. Fun and easy, I should say, because I like easy book tags lol. So let’s try it out!

What is the longest amount of time you can comfortably go without picking up a book?

I would say I can go a week without picking up a book especially if I’m exhausted and life is just BUSY. Sometimes a break from reading is a good thing.

How many books do you carry on your person (or kindle) at any one time?

I don’t carry any unless I’m going to an appointment where I know I’ll be waiting for awhile, like my kids dental appointments. Then I just carry one book. I just took my son to the dentist and this is the book I brought:

I’m not feelin’ it – I think this is going to be a DNF.😕

Do you keep every book you buy/receive or are you happy to pass them on to make space for more?

I used to but now I’m not so attached to my books as I used to be when I was younger. So I will donate them just so I know someone else can enjoy the books instead of them sitting on my shelf collecting dust. I will keep my favorite books though.

How long would you spend in a bookshop on a standard visit?

When I was younger? For hours. But now? I’m in and out – because usually my kids want to get whatever book they want and then go home lol.

How much time per day do you actually spend reading?

About 1-2 hours, but if it’s good and I can’t put it down then 4-5 hours.

Where does the task ‘picking up a book’ appear on your daily to-do list?

It appears LAST. Because I like to read in before bed.

Approximately how often do you bring up books in conversation?

Not a lot because I actually don’t know many readers. If I do bring it up it’s only to the one or two people that I know who love to read like I do. Does telling my son about it count? Sometimes I tell him what I’m ready if it’s a fantasy young adult that I think he would be interested in.

What is the biggest book (page count) you have finished reading?

I thought it would be Priory of the Orange by Samantha Shannon but nope I’m wrong, of course it’s a Sarah J. Maas book to take the crown.

Is there a book you had to get your hands on against all odds (i.e searching bookshops, online digging, etc.)?

I haven’t – most things I can just find right away online.

A book you struggled to finish but refused to DNF?

I might have to chalk this up to being not in the mood. I wonder if I read it around December if I’d have liked it more? But I read it as an arc and wanted to finish in time. So I wasn’t in the Christmas mood at all.

What are 3 of your main book goals for 2022?

I’m pretty sure I stated my goals at the beginning of the year so reflecting back, here were the 3 I had:

  • cut down on NetGalley requests – I think I did really good on this!
  • book buying ban – I didn’t totally ban book buying but I barely bought any new releases. Anything I did buy was heavily discounted!
  • be brave enough to DNF books – I’m WAY better at it, but I could still find the nerve to do it more often lol

Have you ever had the privilege of converting someone into a reader (maybe via inspiration or incessant nagging)?

I like to think I made my best friend into a reader lol! And I do know I kind of influenced my older sister to start reading again.

Describe what books mean to you in five words.

Sanity. Escapism. Self-Care. Quiet. Adventure.


And that’s the tag! Feel free to try this book tag out and thanks for reading!

WWW Wednesday | 10/19/22

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

I’m taking my time reading this week – so I just have two I’m working on. Also I’m trying to do a bunch blog posts for November since I’ll be gone for 2 weeks (I almost don’t want to jinx this by saying it out loud LOL)…but I want to be prepared!
What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?

I’m caught up on October arcs, YAY! I don’t have much for November and December but I have a bunch in for January (as in 2023! wow…).

What are you reading right now?

Happy Reading!!

Built to Last by. Erin Hahn | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Built to Last

Author: Erin Hahn

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 10/18/22

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Second Chance Romance, Reality Home Renovation Show

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Shelby Springfield has spent the last ten years trying to overcome her past, sanding it away like she does the rough spots on the vintage furniture finds she makes over. But as a former child star, it’s hard to forget a mediocre pop career, a meltdown widely documented by the paparazzi, and a huge public break with her former co-star Lyle Jessup. It’s also hard to forget her other co-star and childhood sweetheart, Cameron Riggs — the one who got away.

Anytime Shelby has called, Cameron has come running… And then he runs right off again to chase stories around the world by making documentaries, too scared to admit what he really wants. But when Lyle stirs the pot, getting the two back in the spotlight with a home renovation show, Cameron can’t help but come on board.

There’s something in it for everyone — almost. Cameron wants to come home and set down some roots. Shelby wants to prove to the world she’s not the messy party girl anymore. And Lyle wants to twist the screws on his two childhood friends who had more chemistry than he could dream of with anyone. Sparks and sawdust fly as Shelby and Cameron film the pilot for “Homemade” and battle Lyle’s shenanigans at every turn.

Erin Hahn’s sparkling rom com debut, Built to Last, is a second chance romance sure to have readers falling in love fast.

Content Warning:

I thought the synopsis for this book was cute: second chance romance, and a home renovation show. Here’s what I thought:

+ Second chance romances aren’t my favorite trope but this one is cute and the chemistry between Shelby and Cam is there and has been there since they were kids and tv stars on a show together. Ever since then it’s been rough for both of them but they find their way back together. The best thing about second chance romances is the history the two characters have with one another – which I feel make their bond stronger. I thought the romance between them was well done.

+ I love a rom-com with a good supporting cast and Shelby’s friends in this book are some fun characters. There is one in particular I’m wondering about – is she going to have her own story? Seems like the ending was hinting to that.

+ I don’t watch a lot of home improvement shows anymore but even I know the popularity of them, especially Chip and Joanna Gaines. I barely watched their show but I remember them blowing up and now they have a magazine, merch…an empire! I love that Shelby’s passion got her out of the Hollywood life and back into Cam’s arms. Same for Cam – seems like he was jumping around doing lots of things before realizing he just wanted to be where Shelby is.

~ It took me awhile to connect to Shelby and Cam only because there was a bunch of drama in their past involving their ex-costar and Shelby’s ex-boyfriend Lyle, who is such a jerk. Lots of things seemed to come in between Shelby and Cam – and they hold back a lot until Shelby decides not to.

~ Lyle – why did he have to be there? Why did they have to do a show with him as their “boss” so to speak? I would have said no. 😅 He’s such a drama starter.

Tropes: second chance romance, friends to lovers, childhood stars finding their way

Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶

Why you should read it:

  • a home renovation, second chance romance with a fun cast of characters (minus Lyle)
  • if you like HGTV and all the home improvement/home reno shows, you’ll like this one
  • Shelby and Cameron have a sweet romance

Why you might not want to read it:

  • a bit of a slow start and too much drama with Lyle – I wish they just didn’t do business with him

My Thoughts:

This one was cute and you will adore it if you like the second chance romance trope. These two have always been into one another so there isn’t really anything stopping them from being together this time except for themselves. Lyle and Marcella got on my nerves but the rest of the characters were fun. Shelby and Cam have a sweet happy ever after and the ending is left open for one of Shelby’s friends.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Happy Book Birthday | New Releases | 10/18/22

Happy book birthday to these new releases! Check out this list today:

Shelby Springfield has spent the last ten years trying to overcome her past, sanding it away like she does the rough spots on the vintage furniture finds she makes over. But as a former child star, it’s hard to forget a mediocre pop career, a meltdown widely documented by the paparazzi, and a huge public break with her former co-star Lyle Jessup. It’s also hard to forget her other co-star and childhood sweetheart, Cameron Riggs — the one who got away.

Anytime Shelby has called, Cameron has come running… And then he runs right off again to chase stories around the world by making documentaries, too scared to admit what he really wants. But when Lyle stirs the pot, getting the two back in the spotlight with a home renovation show, Cameron can’t help but come on board.

There’s something in it for everyone — almost. Cameron wants to come home and set down some roots. Shelby wants to prove to the world she’s not the messy party girl anymore. And Lyle wants to twist the screws on his two childhood friends who had more chemistry than he could dream of with anyone. Sparks and sawdust fly as Shelby and Cameron film the pilot for “Homemade” and battle Lyle’s shenanigans at every turn.

Erin Hahn’s sparkling rom com debut, Built to Last, is a second chance romance sure to have readers falling in love fast.

Two childhood sweethearts find a second chance at love in this adult romance debut from a critically acclaimed young adult author.


Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Veronica Roth tells the story of a woman’s desperate search for a missing girl after the collapse of the oppressive dystopian regime–and the dark secrets about her family and community she uncovers along the way

WHAT’S RIGHT IS RIGHT.

Sonya Kantor knows this slogan–she lived by it for most of her life. For decades, everyone in the Seattle-Portland megalopolis lived under it, as well as constant surveillance in the form of the Insight, an ocular implant that tracked every word and every action, rewarding or punishing by a rigid moral code set forth by the Delegation.

Then there was a revolution. The Delegation fell. Its most valuable members were locked in the Aperture, a prison on the outskirts of the city. And everyone else, now free from the Insight’s monitoring, went on with their lives.

Sonya, former poster girl for the Delegation, has been imprisoned for ten years when an old enemy comes to her with a deal: find a missing girl who was stolen from her parents by the old regime, and earn her freedom. The path Sonya takes to find the child will lead her through an unfamiliar, crooked post-Delegation world where she finds herself digging deeper into the past–and her family’s dark secrets–than she ever wanted to.

With razor sharp prose, Poster Girl is a haunting dystopian mystery that explores the expanding role of surveillance on society–an inescapable reality that we welcome all too easily.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble


This is the story of the Lynch family.

Niall and Mór escaped their homeland for a new start, and lost themselves in what they found.

Declan has grown up as the responsible son, the responsible brother–only to find there is no way for him to keep his family safe.

Ronan has always lived on the edge between dreams and waking… but now that edge is gone, and he is falling.

Matthew has been the happy child, the brightest beam. But rebellion beckons, because it all feels like an illusion now.

This world was not made for such a family–a family with the power to make a world and break it. If they cannot save each other or themselves, we are all doomed.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Before It Ends with Us, it started with Atlas. Colleen Hoover tells fan favorite Atlas’s side of the story and shares what comes next in this long-anticipated sequel to the “glorious and touching” (USA TODAY) #1 New York Times bestseller It Ends with Us.

Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil coparenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date.

But her excitement is quickly hampered by the knowledge that, though they are no longer married, Ryle is still very much a part of her life—and Atlas Corrigan is the one man he will hate being in his ex-wife and daughter’s life.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble


To learn what she can become, she must first discover who she is.

Katyani’s role in the kingdom of Chandela has always been clear: becoming an advisor and protector of the crown prince, Ayan, when he ascends to the throne. Bound to the Queen of Chandela through a forbidden soul bond that saved her when she was a child, Katyani has grown up in the royal family and become the best guardswoman the Garuda has ever seen. But when a series of assassination attempts threatens the royals, Katyani is shipped off to the gurukul of the famous Acharya Mahavir as an escort to Ayan and his cousin, Bhairav, to protect them as they hone the skills needed to be the next leaders of the kingdom. Nothing could annoy Katyani more than being stuck in a monastic school in the middle of a forest, except her run-ins with Daksh, the Acharya’s son, who can’t stop going on about the rules and whose gaze makes her feel like he can see into her soul.

But when Katyani and the princes are hurriedly summoned back to Chandela before their training is complete, tragedy strikes and Katyani is torn from the only life she has ever known. Alone and betrayed in a land infested by monsters, Katyani must find answers from her past to save all she loves and forge her own destiny. Bonds can be broken, but debts must be repaid.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

Books with Black Book Covers  | TTT | 10/18/22

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!

This week’s topic is:

Books with Black Book Covers

This week’s topic is “Favorite Words” but I wasn’t feeling it so I decided to do books with black book covers in honor of Halloween that is coming up.

I love a good dark black book cover with a little pop of color. It’s so good especially for the darker stories that we love to read.