REVIEW: The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood

In The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood, If anyone would have told Delphie Bookham that she would die by choking on a microwave hamburger in her London flat while wearing her most threadbare nightgown, well, okay…given her awkward, humiliating past she wouldn’t be surprised. But dying in her late twenties? Now that Delphie wouldn’t have guessed. From the first moment she wakes up unalive in a place called Evermore, she’s out of her depth. The “afterlife therapist” she’s been assigned, Merritt, is nice enough, if not rather eccentric and overly bubbly. It’s the handsome man who appears minutes after she does that changes everything. Jonah’s not supposed to be there, they both come to find out, but the chemistry and closeness they share right away points toward them being soulmates. Which is why when Jonah is sent back to Earth, Delphie kind of loses it.

It seems bonkers that I’m about to say these words, but I really feel like I have no choice at this point because this is just highly inappropriate. “Can I speak to a manager?”
Merritt grimaces. “Eek, yeah, the Higher-Ups have said I should try to work on my tact. I’m sorry, babe.”
“Manager,” I repeat.

Merritt takes pity on Delphie and tells her she will send her back to Earth with ten days to find Jonah–who has to kiss Delphie of his own free will. If she completes her mission, she’ll get to stay alive. If not, she’ll be back in Evermore forever. Knowing she has her work cut out for her, Delphie starts searching for a man she knows nothing about–not his last name, his job, his address or phone number. In London, a city of millions. Along the way, she tries to keep tabs on her lovely elderly neighbor Mr. Yoon and make plans for him if she doesn’t succeed. Delphie begins to realize, though, as those around her pitch in to help her search for Jonah, that she might have had blinders on for years. Because as lonely as she’s felt, when it comes right down to it, Delphie has a lot more people in her small world than she could have imagined.

‘I might not have much choice in how long I stay alive. But I do have some say in how much life I can pack into the days I have left. How much happiness I can experience. I have zero to lose now.’

An imaginative romantic comedy with a delightful cast, a premise worthy of the big screen, and a couple who were literally in a life-or-death situation, THE LOVE OF MY AFTERLIFE kept me in stitches–and on the edge of my seat.

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

If THE LOVE OF MY AFTERLIFE is any indication of the level of storytelling author Kirsty Greenwood is capable of then I will definitely be checking out her other novels. Because even though this likely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea–the humor is on the darker, more morbid side–I was thoroughly charmed by the characters as well as the emotional depth she created. There was so much that pulled this rom com together into a cohesive story. From the many tropes Greenwood used: magical realism, virgin heroine, fake dating, found family, enemies to lovers, one bed, and a love triangle, to the London setting and the plot twist at the end, there was something the whole way through that held my attention.

I do admit I wasn’t really sure what to make of our heroine Delphie at first. She was a recluse who basically was either at work or at home in her flat and was…grumpy. It was how short she could be with people that took me aback for a little while. But once the reason for Delphie’s aversion to people came to light, then I got it–why she closed herself off and protected her heart. The one exception to her self-imposed isolation was her elderly neighbor Mr. Yoon. I love, love, *loved* their interactions and how Delphie was constantly watching out for him, cooking, cleaning, and spending snippets of time with him. He stayed a huge part of her world, even in her madcap race to find her supposed soulmate Jonah.

There isn’t an easy way to explain everything without spoilers. What I can tell you is after Delphie died from choking on a microwave hamburger and ended up in Evermore, aka the afterlife, her “therapist” sent her back to Earth to find Jonah, the man who appeared in Evermore accidentally. Delphie is told if she can find Jonah and get him to kiss her of his own free will within ten days, she can stay on Earth, alive and well. If not, she goes back (unalive) to Evermore. It was the things Delphie learned about herself and what she didn’t realize she already had around her that was oh so satisfying to me. Including her found family–Mr. Yoon, her boss and coworker, a local dog walker who befriended her, and others in the neighborhood. They all made this a truly fun, heartwarming story that will stick with me for quite some time.

QOTD: What is your favorite book trope?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: July 2, 2024 | Berkley |

A recently deceased woman meets “the one” in the afterlife waiting room, scoring a second chance at life (and love!) if she can find him on earth before ten days are up…

If she wasn’t dead already, Delphie would be dying of embarrassment. Not only did she just die by choking on a microwaveable burger, but now she’s standing in her ‘shine like a star’ nightie in front of the hottest man she’s ever seen. And he’s smiling at her.

As they start to chat, everything else becomes background noise. That is until someone comes running out of a door, yelling something about a huge mistake, and sends the dreamy stranger back down to earth. And here Delphie was thinking her luck might be different in the afterlife.

When Delphie is offered a deal in which she can return to earth and reconnect with the mysterious man, she jumps at the opportunity to find her possible soulmate and a fresh start. But in a city of millions, Delphie is going to have to listen to her heart, learn to ask for help, and perhaps even see the magic in the life she’s leaving behind…