Dandelion Is Dead - by Rosie Storey (Hardcover)

About the Book

"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 twenty-something 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?"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

"Dandelion is Dead is breathtakingly original. A brilliant premise, smart, funny and heartbreaking in equal measure. I adored it."
--Clare Leslie Hall, New York Times bestselling author of Broken Country

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?

With sparkling wit and aching tenderness, debut author Rosie Storey gives us a modern love story about the courage it takes to live again after loss and finding hope in the most unexpected places.

Review Quotes

Praise for Dandelion is Dead

"A funny book about grief, an honest book about lying, and a heartbreaking book about finding love, Dandelion is Dead is captivating, generous, and deeply alive."
--Jenny Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street

"Wildly entertaining and crackling with life. I tore through it; it's as hilarious as it is heartfelt and sharply captures the chaos of grief."
--Claire Daverley, bestselling author of Talking at Night

"This is the perfect book club book. If you're looking for a novel that sparks debate and conversation, this is it."
--Carley Fortune, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Golden Summer

"The novel shines a light on common grief experiences that aren't so commonly depicted while still being a delightfully feel-good read. The masterful pacing and vividly realized characters make it hard to believe that this is Storey's first book!"
--Oprah Daily

"This tale of both romantic and sisterly love seamlessly combines humor and heartbreak."
--People

"Rosie Storey's debut novel, which touches on both delusion and desire, almost made me redownload Hinge 'for the plot.'"
--Entertainment Weekly

"If you're a fan of messy, character-driven conflict in contemporary fiction, Dandelion Is Dead is for you... this book read like an indie movie: A little raw, a little quirky, with lots of heart."
--Reader's Digest

"A glittering riot of grief, laughter, missed connections, absurdities, and the joys and pains of life's many facets. From one unexpected turn to the next, this story will keep readers emotionally engaged and yearning alongside its protagonist. ...[An] astonishing first novel."
--Shelf Awareness

"Storey handily balances the heavy themes of grief and trauma with snappy wit and intriguing character development. It adds up to a moving and wildly entertaining tale of self-discovery."
--Publishers Weekly

"Striking, with staggeringly complex characters and messy situations reminiscent of real life... filled with intimacy and kindness...Fast-paced but never hurried, Dandelion Is Dead will capture readers who enjoy darker, more offbeat literary romances and leave them wanting more from Storey."
--Booklist

"From the first sentence, Dandelion is Dead is magic. Storey's thrilling dialogue and acute observations are punctuated by moments that will crack your heart open. It's dazzlingly funny and devastating and life-affirming. A story about the turbulence of grief, yes, but also an elegy to love in all its forms."
--Ella Berman, author of Before We Were Innocent

"I loved this wonderful, brilliant book about sisters."
--Flynn Berry, New York Times bestselling author of Northern Spy

"Filled with humor and heartbreak, Dandelion Is Dead is captivating, wise, and messy in the best possible way. With a unique, hilarious voice and characters that leap off the page, Rosie Storey captures love in all of its forms. Fans of Dolly Alderton and Nora Ephron will eat this up."
--Laura Hankin, author of One-Star Romance

"A pulsating, beating heart of a book... Unique. Hilarious. Astonishing. I loved it"
--Tessa Bickers, USA Today bestselling author of The Book Swap

"A blazing firework of a novel about sisterly love, bad decisions, and the many surprises life--and our closest loved ones--can throw at us. Tender, wise, and very funny, Storey writes like a lovechild of Nora Ephron and Emily Dickinson. Basically, I'm jealous."
--Morgan Dick, author of Favorite Daughter

"...It's a literary entrance worth noting."
--Women.com

"A book as compulsive as Dandelion Is Dead has no business being this psychologically astute, this emotionally complex, this genuinely hot, nor need it glitter with such elegant prose - without these abundant gifts, you'd still be tearing through the pages to see how it all ends."
--Emma Forrest, author of Father Figure

"Full of heart, whimsy, sisterhood and grief, the novel is as lively and vibrant as its titular character is dead."
--Book Reporter

About the Author

Rosie Storey grew up on a farm in the south of England. She left her corporate career to finish her debut novel, Dandelion Is Dead. She holds a master's in creative writing, lives in East London, and works as a writing coach.