The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood is a light hearted and fun story. It is a very British rom-com and events reflect many of the romance tropes found in books. A different look at romance and finding love where you least expect it. An enemies to lovers, forced proximity tale that does deal with death and grief but is also full of hope and love. What happens when you meet the love of your life in the afterlife? Her life is at stake but who will save her?

Delphie Bookham works in a London pharmacy, she has a quirky personality and lives alone.
She was badly bullied in high school so keeps to herself. Her only friends are her two work colleagues and one of her neighbours because the other one is grumpy and rude. Just as she thinks her life couldn’t get any worse, she chokes to death on a burger and dies.

Shocked at being dead, she finds herself at client arrivals and meeting her assigned Afterlife Therapist. Merritt is very enthusiastic about her job and is going to help Delphie negotiate the transition from living to not living. Delphie can’t believe this is the end and tries to leave, which results in her crashing into a beautiful stranger who has just arrived. There is an instant chemistry and connection between them. She is shocked her usual nerves aren’t there and he looks at her like no other man ever has.

Unfortunately there has been a mix up and he’s not actually dead so is sent back. Delphie can’t believe she has just met her soulmate so why can’t she be sent back too? Luckily Merritt is a hopeless romantic and comes up with a solution. Ten days back on earth to find him and if he kisses her of his own free will, she could stay and continuing living her life. However, she doesn’t know his full name or where he lives.

Cooper, her mysterious but despicable neighbour, finds her collapsed on her floor and she is confused at first, thinking she has just had a weird dream. The fun begins as she races round London trying to find her Jonah. She is assisted by an eclectic group of secondary characters who help her with her social awkwardness, build up her confidence and bring plenty of entertainment to the adventure.

There are hilarious incidents along the way and some clever and very devious interference which leads to an unexpected turn of events. There are also other twists and turns which give some really interesting revelations. I loved how all the pieces of the puzzle slowly come together and
Delphie finds a group of friends and a family who truly love her and all her idiosyncrasies. I think it would make a good film as it is an unique and hilarious look at trying to find your soul mate. This is my first book by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it so will keep an eye out for her next one.

Love love love, and I'm so glad I got to read it before the public got to. Such a great read and would highly recommend it on. I've even purchased the book to read again

Absolutely loved it.
It follows Delphi who accidentally chokes on her burger, and goes to the afterlife where she meets an afterlife therapist. When she feels an immediate connection to a recent arrival, who is sent back to the land of living, Delphi begs to be sent back to her life. She has ten days to find him, or she will be sent back to the afterlife. All she has to help her in her search is his name.
I loved the characters, I grew so attached to them. The humor, at times, could be a little cringy but I still very much enjoyed it. A fun romcom with a touch of supernatural! More than just a romance, Delphi learns to embrace life and make new friendships. I thought it was an incredibly sweet story.

Enemies to lovers
One bed
Forced proximity
Love triangle
Fake dating

All the tropes in this romance novel but what do you expect when the strings are being pulled by an Afterlife Therapist who loves romance novels?!

Delphie was bullied in high school by her childhood best friend and as a result she shuts herself off from the world and refuses to engage with anyone, so she comes across as a massive f*cking bitch (her words). But when she dies alone, choking on a mouthful of a microwave burger, she meets Merritt, an Afterlife Therapist, who agrees to send her back to earth for 10 days in search of her soulmate - Jonah.

Delphie wakes up on the floor of her flat with her rude downstairs neighbour, Cooper, standing over her. The two can't stand each other and are constantly sniping at one another but she needs his help if she has any hope of finding Jonah, she has to put aside her hatred for Cooper and pretend to be his girlfriend in return to put his parents off setting him up with their next door neighbour.

Over the course of 10 days, Delphie experiences more than she has in the past decade. Her life was sad and empty but she was so convinced she didn't need anyone, she was happy alone but then she starts meeting people and each one plays their part in helping her find Jonah and she realises that these people don't dislike her, they actually want to be her friends, she just needs to stop pushing people away.

I thought the story was really cute and well written but I didn't like that Cooper had to end up in a coma for 12 weeks. He then wakes up and is completely fine, fine enough to even leave the hospital the same day he wakes up! But Merritt does explain why he was there for so long and what it took to get him back to Delphie so they could live a long and happy life together. Delphie grew a lot as a character and in turn, she helped her friends in ways she never expected. She really did become a whole new person in the space of 10 days!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This is such a lovely, funny book. Delphie finds herself in the afterlife after choking on a microwave burger. She’s dispatched to Evermore, a laundry based waiting room, where her spirit guide, Merritt is trying to explain everything when a beautiful stranger, Jonah, also turns up. Delphie and Jonah share a moment which makes her think he’s her soulmate, and Merritt agrees to use a clause to send Delphie home for 10 days. If she can find Jonah and he kisses her, she will get a second chance at life.
Back in the real world, Delphie is on a mission, but it’s clear that there were lots of things in her life which could do with a shake-up. In trying to find Jonah, Delphie really starts to live again. And enlisting her handsome but surly neighbour, maybe the whole soulmate thing might have a twist?
Taking all the tropes of the romantic novels Merritt loves, this book plays with them in a comedic way, but the book is also moving and has a strong message about living your best life now. I absolutely loved it.

Sometimes a book comes into your life and it’s everything you need at that exact moment in time. Well, that was The Love of my Afterlife for me. It just spoke to me. It was all I needed and the perfect read. It even quoted my favourite line, from my favourite song, from my favourite musical.
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During reading there were so many times when I laughed and also moments when I cried (very cathartic) tears. This is one of the most life-affirming books I’ve read. But it’s never cringy and remains completely original until the very end.
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I adored Delphie. She was a brilliant female lead. After being abandoned by her Mum and hideously bullied at school she pushes everyone away and describes herself as a ‘lone wolf’. But when given a second-chance at life she starts making genuine connections with people. And realises that the life she was living before wasn’t really a life. Because what is a life if it’s not seen by other people.
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And oh my God, her relationship with Cooper was gorgeous. Enemies to lovers, fake dating, close proximity and only one bed. Their relationship featured all my favourite tropes. Cooper was stunning. And I could just imagine him. I fell for him hard. And was rooting for him and Delphie from the first moment he appeared outside his flat door.
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If you’re looking for an original and wonderful romance, with spice and heart then “The Love of my After Life” is the book for you.

3.7 Stars
One Liner: Entertaining but a bit lengthy

Delphie dies by choking on a microwave bugger. It is embarrassing! However, she is shocked to wake up in Afterlife, a place that feels a lot like the earth but isn’t. Delphie is still getting used to the feeling of being dead when she crashes into a handsome young man who makes her heart sing.
However, turns out, the guy is not dead and has to go back to the earth. Fortunately, Delphie is given a chance to go back to the earth. However, she needs to find him, make him fall in love with her, and kiss her – all within ten days to continue being alive. Can Delphie do what it takes to not die again?
The story comes in Delphie’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
How can I ignore a premise like this? Imagine finding love in your afterlife and having to come back alive for it (way too much work, IMO, but Delphie is game, so why not).
The book opens with a bang. We are right in the scene with Delphie choking on the burger. It shouldn’t be funny but it is.
The Afterlife will need some getting used to. The best thing to do is go with the flow and don’t compare it to other settings or what you know about the place. It sounds more like a corporate office (be warned!).
Though the blurb makes it a romance, the book is also about finding one's tribe, new friendships, coming out of the shell, closing past trauma, etc. That makes the side characters (some of them) quite interesting.
Delphie is a socially awkward twenty-seven-year-old. That leads to a lot of second-hand embarrassment, which went a bit OTT in the middle. While it makes sense in a way, it sure isn’t easy to see the FMC make a fool of herself. Thankfully, things change as the realization strikes. Moreover, we also notice that the FMC made her share of mistakes (which she conveniently forgets), so she is not always easy to like or empathize with. It makes her real but also a tad annoying.
One character is a diehard fan of romance (pun intended), which means other romance authors and tropes are also mentioned in between. This may or may not work for all readers. I didn’t mind it much but I wouldn’t have felt their absence either.
The pacing is a bit uneven though not so much that the story drags. However, I would have preferred it if the ending didn’t try to pack so much into it. The book is already 400 pages, so the narrative should be steady and evenly distributed. A lot happens in the last 20%, some of which do seem a bit excessive.
To summarize, The Love of My Afterlife is an entertainer that attempts to do something different with the tried and tested tropes from the romance genre. That said, you will like it more if you connect with the FMC.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Publishing House, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I think we could call this a modern day fairy tale, funny and such an unusual idea. Watch out for those burgers. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

This was such a fun heart warming read!

With its charming twist on romance tropes and a captivating afterlife storyline. The short, fast-paced chapters kept me totally engaged, and there's even a hint of a love triangle The magical realism plot was so unique and there were points in the book where i was laughing out loud.

PLEASE CAN THIS BE MADE INTO A TV SHOW OR FILM PRONTO XXX

Thoroughly entertaining with fabulous characters and so much warmth and humour. I loved it!

This is the first book I have read by Kirsty Greenwood and I hope it won't be the last. 27-year-old Delphie is a solitary soul, who is absolutely not living life to the max. When she chokes on a burger and dies, she meets Merritt, a brilliantly quirky "Afterlife Therapist" who accidentally allows Delphie to come face to face with another new arrival, who it appears, is one of Delphie's five soulmates on earth. When the mystery man is sent back to earth, Delphie is bereft, until Merritt offers her a deal; she will send Delphie back, but she has to find the mystery man and make him kiss her, within 10 days, otherwise she can't stay. A brilliant modern day fairytale!

Delphie is hilarious, with dry humour and lots of sarcastic one-liners that had me roaring with laughter. I loved her relationship with her all of her neighbours, especially elderly Mr Yoon. As well as searching for true love, Delphie also realises that she has a love for life and definitely doesn't want to return to the afterlife just yet. The ending was emotional and just perfect!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Kirsty Greenwood and Random House Cornerstone for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Delphie didn't think things could get any worse for her, then she chokes on a microwave burger! She wakes up in a room that looks very like a launderette and soon finds out she is in a waiting room for the afterlife. Trying to escape, she bumps into a man who she had more chemistry with in 30 seconds than she has with anyone her whole life, but he soon disappears. But her afterlife guide, who also happens to be a romance fan, gives her 10 days back on earth to find her soulmate and get him to kiss her to stay alive. This starts her off on a mission where she has to step out of her comfort zone and engage with more people than she has her entire adult life!

This was a funny, heartwarming story with a great bunch of characters, particularly librarian Aled 🥰

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc of this book!

Oh what a wonderful story. This was my first book of Kirsty Greenwood’s but it definitely won’t be my last. I absolutely adored the story line, loved her writing style and absolutely loved the characters. It felt a bit predictable at times, but this didn’t bother me at all!

I really love the romance side, the building of relationships after being lonely for some time and the overall homely feel of the whole book! Delphie was an amazing main character and I loved the quirky side to her.

Definitely hugely recommend this book to everyone!

Great book - really different concept which I did enjoy. When loner Delphie chokes on a microwave burger and dies, she meets the love of her life in heaven's waiting room (aka a launderette!). However, after they make their connection, he is suddenly taken from her - he has arrived by mistake and is hastily sent back to where he came from. Delphie is given the opportunity to go back too and she can stay in the land of the living, but only if she can get him to kiss her, of his own free will, within 10 days. If not, she will die for good!

A funny, romantic comedy about Delphie's attempts to make this happen and the way her life changes forever with the experiences she has in those 10 days. Highly recommended the book.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review, which is what I have given.

I loved this book! It was such a wonderful read, it's heartwarming, hilarious, a little bit of spice (and a few sad scenes too).
Delphie is hilarious as she tries to track down her soulmate and the situations she finds herself in make you root for her even more. The ending is wonderful and I found myself crying with happiness
If you're looking for a cute story with plenty of romance then I highly recommend this book!

The concept of this book was really fun, and something you don't see everyday. The premise of dying and then being given a deal that you can get your life back IF you convince the right person to kiss you in 10 days - it had me entertained and thinking throughout the book.

The mix of humour, pathos, and charm captivated me from start to finish. Delphie was a relatable and endearing character, but I actually found myself more drawn to the characters around her - in particular Cooper, Merritt and Mr Yoon.

I enjoyed the romance element of the story but actually found it a little too predictable for me to be fully invested in it's ending. What caught my attention in this book is how Delphie used her second chance at life to build a family around herself, and explore all the things she'd been runing scared from before she choked on the burger. It was a beautiful exploration of what it really means to be alive that I wasn't expecting to find and in a light and fluffy romcom.

This book combines romance, sci-fi, fantasy and makes you think about life, death and the universe on top. I would recommend that anyone read it, for the entertainment and the mental stimulation it provides.

I mostly read in the crime and thriller genre so The Love of my Afterlife was a bit of a departure for me and I’m so glad I gave it a go! Packed full of romance, laughs and some great twists, this book will hit you in the funny bone and also tug on your heart strings. A great summer read!

“Funny, romantic, magical, a true page-turner!”

Loved it!
I was intrigued by this synopsis from the first moment I read it: a woman who dies and meets the love of her life in the afterlife, but it was actually a mistake, he is not dead, he is alive so now she comes back to the living world for 10 days to find him and be kissed by him in order to get a second chance in life.
Sounds right up my alley! I love romance with magical realism. Also, because it sounds so different from everything I read, I had no idea what would happen in the book. And I mostly definitely didn't know what was happening ahead.
I love Delphie, she is so unique and I love how she doesn't think her life is bad, it's just what it is, but she goes through a journey without even realising it.
Also, this book is funny, and she goes into situations where I was laughing out loud in public.

Thanks, NetGalley UK and Penguin, for the advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest opinion. I loved it so much that I bought myself a paperback copy.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this title in return for a review.

Oh I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could barely put it down! We follow Delphie who has had quite a troubled life, having been abandoned at a young age by both parents, bullied terribly in school and now at 27 lives a deeply uninspiring life between her own flat and her job with no friends or hobbies. Apart from an extensive knowledge of recent television programmes!

At the start of the novel she chokes on some food and ends up in the afterlife. Whilst there she meets a man whom she is told is her soulmate. She’s given ten days back on earth to find him and kiss him if she wants to stay alive. This is the start of a series of madcap adventures where she finally learns to live and enjoy life.

Part of the charm of the novel is its delight in parodying its own genre by using specific tropes like fake dating, sharing a bed, etc and its references to famous romantic novels and novelists. This is a homage to all things romantic comedy and as a romance addict I got it and loved every moment of it.

It’s also very cinematic - with lots of music mentioned and very vivid descriptions. I can see this being made into a film or a Netflix show.

If you’ve read as many romantic fiction novels as I have none of this will come as a surprise but the little touches that make it a bit unusual - you know having a dead heroine make it a little unique read that will have you chortling along. This is just the kind of thing you need as a pick me up if you’re feeling a bit down and need an escape from the rather depressing world outside. It’s not earth shattering in anyway but the simple pleasure of it makes it a five star read for me.

This was honestly a really funny and entertaining book. The characters were brilliantly written and so easy to like - absolutely loved the story

A really well written book full of wonderfully drawn interesting characters. It was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns in Delphie’s search. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this book.