Afterlove by Tanya Byrne

What a fantastic sapphic romance with a gripping speculative twist. This book made me laugh out loud in the first half, and bawl uncontrollably in the second.
Reading from Ash's perspective was a dream. Her voice was so vulnerable and inquisitive which made the plot so much richer and the characters absolutely luminous. Ash and Poppy's back and forth was so candid, so tangible that they felt completely real to me. While at times tooth-achingly sweet, the young lesbian relationship in this novel was really healthy and so lovely to read, especially from Ash's adoring point of view.
The best thing about the writing was definitely how sneakily the author managed to connect me so deeply with every single character; they were all fully developed with motives and stakes of their own and I cared so much for all of them. I also loved the Brighton setting, the descriptions of the town were so vibrant and an integral part of the great atmosphere of the novel.
The second half of the book introduced a speculative twist which (in the end) I thought was executed perfectly. At first, the new 'rules' of the plot were confusing and felt very vague, but as I read on I realised that the reason I was confused is because Ash was confused too. Her world turns upside down overnight and that's how we're supposed to feel while reading her experience. The naive clarity of the first part of the novel was juxtaposed with the grounding ambiguity she faces in the afterlife and it was beautifully done.
I picked this book up because of the stunning cover, the intriguing plot and the promise of a sapphic romance. What I got was a plot as rich and gripping as a thriller, while being soft and gentle and lovely to consume. I got a wonderful romance and characters I would step on Lego for. I got an unforgettable and unique story that I can't wait to recommend to EVERYONE.

Thank you so much to the publisher for this e-ARC!!