If someone told me a romantic comedy about choking on a microwave burger could leave me reflecting on what it means to truly live, I probably wouldn’t have believed them.
Yet that’s exactly what The Love of My Afterlife delivers.
With its bright cover, whimsical premise, and cast of lovable oddballs, Kirsty Greenwood’s novel initially feels like pure escapist fun. But beneath the chaos, forced proximity, and romantic hijinks lies a story about loneliness, friendship, and learning to participate fully in your own life.
This was exactly the kind of book I needed: light enough to lift my mood and thoughtful enough to stay with me after the final page.
*Spoilers will be hidden and labelled so you can choose to read or skip.
Hype Meter
Goodreads: 4.04 | StoryGraph: 4.06
Correctly Hyped
Cover Crit
From the first glance, the cover of The Love of My Afterlife communicates cute and fun! I was instantly attracted to the artsy vibe this book gives.
Color Story
The color story of The Love of My Afterlife leans fully into print design. The palette is unapologetically CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and key [black]), and textural half-tone effects paired with water droplet effects bring to mind watercolor paint kits from childhood.
Typography Notes
Type takes center stage as the title occupies the majority of the cover space. A fun mix of swashy script and chunky, bold, angular sans serif play together in their contrast. The author’s name is downplayed in size but boosted by the bold magenta color and extrusion treatment (which contributes to the retro vibe).
Genre Signals
The heart-shaped water drop alone would signal romance. The Love of My Afterlife is clearly a title belonging to a particular genre. Tiny male and female characters look across the distance of the word life at one another, sealing the deal.
Hidden Details
The nod to art on the cover hints at the FMC’s hobby.
Mood Check
Bright colors and quirky type set the tone of The Love of My Afterlife as light and playful.
Beyond the Dust Jacket
The ebook is well-formatted and easy to read—with simple numbered chapter headings and a delicate swash mark at the start of each new chapter.
Handwritten messages and text messages are formatted uniquely to set those parts apart from the regular text.
Did the design affect whether I bought the book?
Yes, the cover stopped my scroll and made me want to give this book a try!
Lines I Highlighted
She dies just as she lived: alone, perplexed, wearing something a bit shit.
Story Snapshot
In Short
After choking to death on a microwaveable burger, Delphie meets her soulmate in the afterlife. She gets ten days back on Earth to find him among millions and possibly get a second chance at love.
From the Publisher
A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK
AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER!
“This book has it all. Humor, heart, and a heroine I was desperately rooting for. Kirsty Greenwood has a new fan!”
—Colleen Hoover, New York Times bestselling author
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…
Lines I Highlighted
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.
Characters I Followed Into Battle
Delphie is a lonely, near-shut-in 23-year-old who is deeply in denial about the state of her own being. She dies on page one, launching the trope-stuffed (in a good way) rom-com adventure. But what she finds in the end adds up to a whole lot more than just her soulmate; she finds a life worth living. She is socially awkward, but instead of watching her “bloom” throughout the story, she remains kinda a hot mess, but is all the more endearing for it. Her newfound friends liked her for who she was all along, not just who she suddenly became when she emerged from her shell.
I won’t get into details about the MMCs, Jonah and Cooper, or Delphie’s Afterlife Therapist, Merritt, because I wouldn’t want to spoil any of the fun.
The remaining cast is a fun cross-section of folks who make up Delphie’s community. The reader gets just enough of them to find them lovable, but not so much to distract from the main story.
Lines I Highlighted
As soon as I get upstairs to my apartment, I run into the bathroom to see if I am indeed as red-faced as I suspect. I truly am. I am a highly pigmented Cadmium Red.
Writing Style Notes
Greenwood’s writing is easy to fall right into. The tone is light despite the life and death situation. The comedy is colorful and fun without being over the top. Her character’s quirks feel real, but with the saturation turned up to make them really pop. The Love of My Afterlife commits to a rolicking pace that feels quick-steady but allows room for both antics and development.
Lines I Highlighted
There’s something about laughing–it makes any awkwardness disappear because you’re both in on the same thing. I’d forgotten that.
Themes Living Rent-Free In My Head
Taking an active part in your life, being yourself, and letting people in, leads to a much fuller life experience than hiding from potential hurt. Honestly, this hit kinda close to home.
Lines I Highlighted
If people want to go, sometimes it’s easier to just let them.
What Landed For Me
What Worked:
- Super fun premise
- Quirky but relatable main character
- Her full circle moment with her high school bully
What Didn’t Fully Click:
I wasn’t super clear on when exactly Delphie’s mom left and how she lived on her own. Maybe I just missed it.
Overall:
Fantastic. Loads of fun.
Lines I Highlighted
Talking about everything and nothing–all of the inconsequential things that add up to mean that you almost know what the person’s going to say before they say it.
Intentional Reading Reflection
The Love of My Afterlife came into my life at a good time. I had just read a book that I wasn’t overly fond of, I’ve been reading a lot of kinda heavy stuff and was just in the mood for something light and playful and full of rom-com vibes. This absolutely delivered. I found it comforting (cause I’m a sucker for comedic love stories) and entertaining (cause it was fresh and fun). I may not remember the specific six months from now, but I think this one’s vibes will resonate.
Lines I Highlighted
…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.
Cover Promise Rating
Did the cover make promises the story actually kept?
Absolutely. The Love of My Afterlife was a good time from beginning to end.
Final Verdict
Read if you like:
- Quirky rom-coms
- Tropes galore: love triangle, dislike to lovers, one bed, time constraints, fake dating, forced proximity, taming the womanizer.
Skip if you dislike:
- Light-hearted romance
- Themes of death and the afterlife
Lines I Highlighted
A life, witnessed. A life, lived. There’s so much to see, so much to do, so much to feel.
Reading Debris
I read The Love of My Afterlife to fulfill the Playing Card Reading Challenge reading prompt: Read a romance.
The Love of My Afterlife does have some open-door spice, but it is not overly graphic.
Your Turn
Have you ever found the thing you need when you were actively chasing something else? Tell me about it in the comments.
Buy This Book
May your life be as full as your bookshelf and as long as your TBR list.
Happy Reading!
Spill the tea or put it on your grocery list.
“Juicy Gossip” lined, 120-page, paperback journal.
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