The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood

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⭐ The Love of My Afterlife — Cute, Cozy, and Not Here for Logic (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

A sweet rom-com about dying, living, and accidentally falling for the wrong man in between.

📚 Author: Kirsty Greenwood
📅 Published: 2024

🚨 SPOILER WARNING 🚨

This review contains FULL spoilers, including the ending. If you don’t want every plot beat revealed, stop here and go read the book first. If you do want the whole messy, adorable journey… welcome. 😌☕

⚠️ Trigger Warnings

  • Death (on-page, including choking)

  • Grief & loss

  • Bullying (past & present)

  • Depression

  • Coma

  • Medical emergencies

  • Emotional manipulation (minor, situational)

💖 Overall Thoughts

Awww. This book is sweet. Like, curl-up-on-the-couch-with-a-blanket-and-sigh sweet.

That said—this is also very much a “don’t examine this too closely” kind of rom-com. If you apply strict logic? Things wobble. But if you let the vibes take over? It’s charming, heartfelt, and genuinely enjoyable.

The premise is fresh, the emotional arc works, and the found-family/community aspect is lovely. I had a few moments of frustration (we’ll get there 👀), but overall this was a fun, cozy, life-affirming read.

⭐ Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

💫 What This Book Is About (No Sugarcoating Edition)

Delphie Bookham, age 27, dies choking on a microwavable hamburger. Yes. That is how our story begins. 🫠🍔

Instead of eternal nothingness, Delphie wakes up in Evermore, a brightly colored laundromat-style afterlife run by cheerful Afterlife Therapist Merritt. A life recap shows Delphie what she already knows: she’s spent most of her adult life hiding—safe, isolated, and alone after years of bullying.

Then she meets Jonah T.
Instant chemistry.
Butterflies.
A spark.

But—oops—Jonah isn’t supposed to be there. He’s sent back to Earth immediately.

Merritt, a romance novel enthusiast with questionable professional boundaries, offers Delphie a deal:
👉 Find Jonah on Earth and get him to kiss you within 10 days, and you get to live.
👉 Fail, and you return to Evermore permanently.

Delphie signs the contract. No hesitation. No fine print reading. Relatable. ✍️💀

🕰️ The 10-Day Clock & The Man Problem

Delphie wakes up back on Earth and is immediately confronted by her grumpy, antisocial neighbor Cooper—a man she does not like and definitely does not want involved in her afterlife chaos.

Except… Cooper is good with computers.
And Delphie needs help finding a man named Jonah T in all of London.

Cue the fake-dating trope 🎭 because Cooper agrees to help only if Delphie pretends to be his girlfriend so his parents stop meddling.

From here, the book becomes a mix of:

  • Missed connections with Jonah

  • Delphie slowly re-engaging with life

  • Community members trying (and failing) to help

  • Delphie… not actually spending every second looking for Jonah 😬

And look—I know this is necessary for the plot. I know romance novels require space for feelings to grow. But from a purely logical standpoint?

If I had 10 days to live, I would not be:

  • Casually bonding with my neighbor

  • Running errands

  • Pausing my search repeatedly

I’d be feral. Unhinged. Jonah-focused. 🔍⏰

That said… I accepted it and moved on.

🧓🎨 Community, Healing, and Emotional Growth

One of the strongest parts of this book is Delphie’s evolving connection to other people:

  • Caring for her elderly neighbor Mr. Yoon

  • Letting strangers help her

  • Rediscovering her love of art

  • Slowly realizing she doesn’t want to just exist—she wants to live

When Delphie meets Cooper’s parents, she learns the truth:
Cooper is grieving his twin sister, who recently died, and he’s struggling with depression. Suddenly, the grumpiness makes sense.

And somewhere along the way…
Jonah fades.
Cooper doesn’t. 💔➡️❤️

🎭 The Gala, the Bully, and the Big Realization

Delphie finally tracks Jonah to a fancy costume gala—hosted by her high school bully, Gen. Because of course it is.

The gala is for an anti-bullying charity (yes, really), and Gen is using Delphie’s trauma as part of her narrative. Delphie confronts her, causes a scene, and eventually corners Jonah in a supply closet.

And here’s the twist that actually works:
👉 The chemistry is gone.

Jonah is confused, unavailable, and already seeing someone. He runs. The kiss doesn’t happen.

Delphie is devastated—but also… clear-headed.

💔🚗 Death, Comas, and Technicalities

With only days left, Delphie gives up on Jonah and chooses to live:

  • Dates Cooper

  • Throws a party for Mr. Yoon

  • Creates art

  • Builds a community

But at the literal last moment, she decides she does want to live and rushes to Jonah’s house—with Cooper driving.

They’re hit by a car.

Delphie wakes up in Evermore again—this time with Cooper.
And then the reveal: Merritt is Cooper’s deceased twin sister. 😭

Delphie fades out before anything can be decided…
…and wakes up on Earth with Jonah performing CPR—which technically fulfills the “kiss” requirement of the contract.

Yes. It’s a loophole. Yes. I accepted it. 😂

🌈 The Ending (HEA Secured)

Delphie survives.
Cooper is in a coma.
Jonah tries to reconnect—Delphie shuts that down immediately.

Twelve weeks later:

  • Delphie has friends

  • An art exhibition

  • A life she loves

And just in time—Cooper wakes up.

They reunite at her art show, confess their love, and Merritt admits she didn’t plan this ending… fate did.

✨ Roll credits. ✨

💭 Final Verdict

This book isn’t perfect—but it’s warm, funny, heartfelt, and genuinely uplifting if you don’t overthink it.

Read it for:
✔️ A unique afterlife premise
✔️ Found family & community vibes
✔️ A slow-burn, grumpy/sunshine romance
✔️ Emotional growth over destiny

Skip it if:
❌ You need airtight logic
❌ You hate rom-com coincidences

⭐ 4 out of 5 stars — sweet, cozy, and worth the ride 💕

📚 If You Liked This, Try:

  • The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

  • Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

  • Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey

  • The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer

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