The Dead Romantics had such a unique premise and some lovely writing moments, especially in how Florence's hyper-independence as the oldest daughter was portrayed. I appreciated the cozy setting, the blend of grief and romance, and the slightly paranormal twist, though I saw it coming fairly early on.

That said, the pacing felt repetitive and drawn out, with a lot of buildup that got quickly resolved in the final chapters;

the tasks that needed to be completed for her dad's funeral

Florence as a narrator sometimes confused me; her actions didn’t always align with her internal monologue, and I wish we’d had more depth in both her grief arc and the romance with Benji.

The emotional moments were almost there but often overshadowed by the love story, which made it harder for the heavier themes to land as powerfully as they could have.

I really enjoyed the family dynamics - those scenes felt warm, genuine, and emotionally grounded - and I wish the story had spent more time on that connection. 
A sweet and original story, but one that didn’t fully deliver on all the emotion and character depth I was hoping for.