Review By Gabrielle
Quirky and heartfelt, there is a lot to love about Dandelion is Dead.
Favourite Quote:
Poppy had no clue what love was truly, or exactly, but she was climbing up its branches – with intention. She was moving through its ranks.
Book Synopsis:
Jake has fallen head over heels for Dandelion. The only problem? Dandelion is dead.
When Poppy discovers unanswered messages from a charming stranger in her late sister’s dating app, she makes an impulsive choice: She’ll meet him, just once, on what would have been Dandelion’s fortieth birthday. It’s exactly the kind of wild adventure her vivacious sister would have pushed her toward.
Jake is ready to find something real—and not least because his ex-wife’s twentysomething boyfriend has moved into their old family home. When he meets the intriguing woman who calls herself Dandelion, their connection is undeniable, and he can think of little else.
As their relationship deepens, Poppy finds herself trapped in a double life she never meant to create. Every moment with Jake feels genuine, electric, and totally right—despite the fact they’re tangled in deceit. As the lines between grief and love blur, Poppy faces a choice: keep her sister’s memory alive through her lies, or risk everything for a chance at her own happiness?
Review:
This is one of those hard books to place. Is it fiction? Romance? Hard to say exactly. I’d put it somewhere between the two. What I can say for sure is that it’s not your typical romance. This one has personality, like your weird aunt you can’t help but love. It also has lots of big emotions, a lot of them, not the positive ones.
Let me explain, because that might not sound like a good thing, but it is. From the book’s description, it’s difficult to assess what you are getting into. That same plot description could just as easily become a rom-com, and I’m relieved Rosie didn’t take it in that direction. What we have here is something much more heartwrenching and real.
Both Poppy and Jake are a lot. That is to say, they are very well-developed characters that have been through a lot and therefore are a lot. I really liked how imperfect they were. How their relationship was weird, but somehow realistic. They hurt each other and are both quite messy, but that’s what makes them so compelling. They are drawn to each other and their chemistry is undeniable, and yet the way their relationship begins means there is no smooth sailing for them.
I really loved Rosie’s writing style. There were so many times I had to pause while reading because a particular sentence or passage felt so illuminating, as if she had really hit on something relatable, highlighting a core truth in a very beautiful way. This might be a debut, but it doesn’t feel like one.
Grief, as you might imagine, is a key theme in this book. Poppy is having a hard time dealing with her grief after losing her sister, and Jake is dealing with his own grief. Both over his failed marriage and the loss of his mother. I loved how grief felt different for each of them, but was also uniting. If grief is a triggering subject for you, this book may not be for you.
Overall, Dandelion is Dead was a great read for me. I’m really looking forward to more books from Rosie.
Thank you, Berkeley Publishing Group, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
