"Joel’s heartwarming and entertaining story, of re-entering the dating scene with the ghost of his ex-girlfriend in tow, is bound to have you in high spirits."
After the loss of his girlfriend, Joel gives himself three years to fall in love. There's only two weeks to go and just when he actually starts to make progress, Beth appears in his life once more from beyond the grave. In true rom-com fashion the path doesn’t run smoothly; walking around talking to your ghost ex-girlfriend and said girlfriend accompanying you on a date will have that effect.
I loved that the story allowed us to meet Beth briefly and see how full of life her character was before jumping ahead to meeting Joel almost three years after she’s gone. Joel is a loveable and relatable character, fumbling his way through modern dating while having a ghost along for the ride. Lucas Oakeley's writing allows you to navigate Joel’s dating ups and downs while simultaneously subtly giving a wider context from the perspectives of the other characters with aplomb. Nearly Departed has all the sweet, warm cosiness of your favourite 90s rom-coms delivered without the sugar crash. It’s hopeful, with emotional twists and turns and romantic moments that will bring both smiles and laughter but surprisingly, given the inclusion of ghosts, has a sense of… realism? It’s like Joel’s practicality is built into the foundation of the text. The result is a lovely book that is ideal for escaping into this summer, or to bring the romance to your spooky season reading.
Joel Foster is a hapless twenty-something. His girlfriend, Beth Lewis, would likely have been a hapless twenty-something, too, had she not been obliterated by a very large cement truck. Some time after Beth’s tragic death, Joel is still trying to juggle grief with the world of modern dating. And while he still feels like a widower, he has to find a new love before three years is up.
The catch? Just as Joel thinks he’s finally falling for someone, he starts getting haunted by Beth.
It’s not a ghost story, it’s a love story. With ghosts.
Nearly Departed features in the following genres: Romance Pick of the Month, General Fiction, Horror and Supernatural Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Romance / Relationship Stories, Health & Fitness, Mind, body, spirit, Ghosts and poltergeists, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: Sense of place, Contemporary horror and ghost stories, Modern and Contemporary romance, Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary horror and ghost stories, Modern and Contemporary romance, Humorous Fiction, Fiction: narrative themes, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: Sense of place, Unexplained phenomena / the paranormal, Ghosts and poltergeists
Nearly Departed is available in Paperback
Nearly Departed was written by Lucas Oakeley and published by Bedford Square Publishers
Nearly Departed has 320 pages
£8.99
