Debut author Rosie Storey presents a love story like no other in DANDELION IS DEAD. Full of heart, whimsy, sisterhood and grief, the novel is as lively and vibrant as its titular character is dead. Which is a problem, given that she has just posthumously started a new relationship with a single dad.

When we meet Poppy, it has been 231 days since her sister, Dandelion, died. Poppy has handled all the death admin, turned on her sister’s “out of life” autoreply email, and even planned to start renting out her sister’s flat --- minus Dandelion’s bedroom, of course, which she keeps locked and preserved exactly as it was left. But there is one place where Dandelion is every bit as alive as she was 231 days ago: Hinge, the dating app, where cheeky, vibrant Dandelion is still garnering likes, matches and messages. On there she is funny and cutting, at times an exotic dancer or a firefighter, entirely full of innocent lies and swoon-worthy banter.

But when Poppy finds messages from a man named Jake that were sent to Dandelion over a year ago, she feels comforted for the first time since her sister’s death. Dandelion was a wildfire, always louder, happier and more dynamic than Poppy could ever dream of, and she would like to capture some of that vitality. So she writes back, “I’m sorry I’ve not messaged you. I was kind of busy with, you know, life. But now I’m here. I’m back.”

"Perfect for readers of Jenny Jackson, Clare Leslie Hall and Carley Fortune, DANDELION IS DEAD announces a debut author to watch. Storey’s spellbinding blend of fact and fiction, love and heartbreak, grief and life, makes her novel a real contender for this year’s 'Best Of' lists."

Meanwhile, Jake is waking up across town in Amisha’s bed. Though the two have been “seeing each other” for three weeks, the bulk of their relationship has taken place over text. Divorced for only 15 months, Jake wants everyone from his friends to his father to know that he is doing fine, great even. But he knows that Amisha is not the one for him, so he resumes swiping. Like a 40-year-old teenager, he imagines a happy ending in every profile, a new lease on life with every swipe, and in the reply from “Dandelion,” a new beginning, starting with a date on Friday.

So it is that Poppy finds herself sitting across from Jake, far drunker than she expected, on her dead sister’s 40th birthday. She has committed to being Dandelion for just one night, no strings attached, and then she will resume her normal, boring life. In order to get through the date, she must call upon Dandelion’s anecdotes and stories. However, underneath that, she finds that she is able to be not just herself with Jake, but her best self, the person who has never lost or grieved or gone a bit mad and started impersonating her dead sister.

There’s just one big problem: Poppy already has a serious, live-in boyfriend, Sam. As her sister’s death fades into the past, Sam is ready to have a discussion about their relationship: marriage, a baby, their future. What he does not want to talk about is Dandelion herself, whom he found too crass, too controlling, too sexually active. Thus, Poppy turns to Jake as an outlet for her grief, reminiscing about her sister as she play-acts as her sister…and as the chemistry between the two builds.

It’s hard enough living a lie, but living a lie that brings your grief to the forefront while navigating a budding, heady romance is even harder, as Poppy is about to find out. Her sister is never more alive (or dead) than when Poppy is impersonating her. Jake, while seemingly perfect for her, is also dealing with his own concerns over infidelity and childhood abandonment issues. And now that she is starting to feel more alive herself, Poppy has to seriously consider her future with Sam, even as she is sabotaging it. When Jake starts to catch on that Poppy is not who she says she is, the lies start to pile up, risking Poppy’s relationship with both men...and even herself. 

But DANDELION IS DEAD is not just the story of a love triangle, or even a romance. It is about Poppy and her sister and the grief that has come between them. Despite the laugh-out-loud scenes of misdirection and subterfuge --- and there are plenty of those --- Poppy’s grief is ugly, uncooperative, impulsive and often quite selfish. But that’s what makes it so very real, and it allows Storey to probe delicate, complicated questions about loss and bereavement. Once Poppy begins to really address and live through her grief, the most painful truth of all can finally emerge, and it’s not the one you expect.

This is the book’s real power. By allowing her protagonist to act out the wildest, silliest, most ill-advised swap of all, Storey opens the door into raw, human grief and the ways that it can change us. She is unflinching and unapologetic in her rendering of grief, but in acknowledging its uglier sides, she also celebrates its potential for growth and the reminder that there is no grief without love.

Bolstered by a cast of fantastic, unforgettable supporting characters, Poppy’s journey into and through Dandelion is ugly, messy and heartbreaking, but it is also fun, whimsical and seriously addictive. On top of that, Storey has a natural knack for timing, not just of her plot and its pacing, but of awkward encounters, well-timed jokes, and those wacky human encounters that have the potential to upend your day. Whatever the occasion, Storey always places it perfectly within her broader narrative, giving this deeply entertaining book a sophisticated sense of balance. 

Perfect for readers of Jenny Jackson, Clare Leslie Hall and Carley Fortune, DANDELION IS DEAD announces a debut author to watch. Storey’s spellbinding blend of fact and fiction, love and heartbreak, grief and life, makes her novel a real contender for this year’s “Best Of” lists.