You'll Be the Death of Me
A Novel
Will be published approx. on 24. September 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
336 pages
978-0-06-342040-3 (ISBN)
Description
Cole is spending the rest of his eternity as an overworked Afterlife Clerk, processing souls for the Afterlife Administration. But when he accidentally claims the soul of the wrong Verdella Rodgers, Cole and Verdella must race to fix his cosmic blunder-and try not to catch feelings along the way. A swoony and whimsical romp, You'll Be the Death of Me is a romance to die for.
Verdella "Dell" Rodgers is at the top of her game. As the chef de cuisine at San Francisco's hottest new restaurant and on the cusp of marrying the mayor's son in the social event of the season, her life is perfect. That is until the week before her wedding when she wakes up and finds herself very much dead.
Enter Cole, a charming but bumbling entry-level clerk in the Afterlife Administration who accidentally confuses Dell for a 95-year-old woman in Kansas with the same name, claiming the wrong soul. When Cole tries to fix his mistake, their worlds collide in life- and death-changing ways.
Now walking the city as a ghost only visible to Cole, Dell is frantic to get back to her perfect life but soon learns that it wasn't what it appeared to be, particularly when it came to the man she was about to marry and his high-profile family.
Meanwhile, Cole has no memory of who he was before working for the Afterlife Administration. As they try to uncover Cole's past and remedy Dell's future, they realize the mistake that brought them together might just be a twist of fate. With time running out to bring Dell back to the land of the living, she'll have to decide if the life she left behind is truly what she wants, or if Cole's untimely appearance could lead to an unexpected change that she didn't know she needed.
Verdella "Dell" Rodgers is at the top of her game. As the chef de cuisine at San Francisco's hottest new restaurant and on the cusp of marrying the mayor's son in the social event of the season, her life is perfect. That is until the week before her wedding when she wakes up and finds herself very much dead.
Enter Cole, a charming but bumbling entry-level clerk in the Afterlife Administration who accidentally confuses Dell for a 95-year-old woman in Kansas with the same name, claiming the wrong soul. When Cole tries to fix his mistake, their worlds collide in life- and death-changing ways.
Now walking the city as a ghost only visible to Cole, Dell is frantic to get back to her perfect life but soon learns that it wasn't what it appeared to be, particularly when it came to the man she was about to marry and his high-profile family.
Meanwhile, Cole has no memory of who he was before working for the Afterlife Administration. As they try to uncover Cole's past and remedy Dell's future, they realize the mistake that brought them together might just be a twist of fate. With time running out to bring Dell back to the land of the living, she'll have to decide if the life she left behind is truly what she wants, or if Cole's untimely appearance could lead to an unexpected change that she didn't know she needed.
Reviews / Votes
"Brains, banter, and baseball, Holly Michelle's Last Night Was Fun is one for the baseball girlies who crave that rivals to lovers magic on and off the field!" - Jennifer Hennessy, author of Degrees of Engagement and For the Ring"A fake numbered situation turns into HEA in this fun, swoony, and sporty rom-com reminiscent of You've Got Mail!" - USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Snow
"Crackling banter and page-turning prose make Last Night Was Fun truly enjoyable from start to finish. Holly Michelle hits a homer with this delightfully charming and tropey novel." - Suzanne Park, author of One Last Word
"Last Night Was Fun is a delightfully swoony read that I couldn't resist inhaling in one very fun night! Full of delicious chemistry, playfulness, and sizzling vacation vibes, it features an engaging duo of baseball-loving coworkers who realize that they don't know as much about each other as they think. It's a charming story that celebrates the terrifying, exhilarating process of making yourself vulnerable to another person. I adored it!" - Jamie Harrow, author of One on One
"Equal parts tender and steamy, Last Night Was Fun serves up a 'perfect game' of a romance. Holly Michelle is such a talent!" - USA Today Bestselling Author of Wicked Serve
"Last Night Was Fun is a delightful spin on You've Got Mail filled with heart, wit, and steam galore. Holly Michelle has written a love letter to jock-nerds everywhere, perfect for fans of banter and baseball."
- Laura Hankin, author of One-Star Romance
"Michelle's adroit combination of office romance, enemies-to-lovers, and only-one-bed tropes will keep readers glued to the novel. Highly recommended." - Library Journal (starred review)
"The wit-infused texting between the book's protagonists gives this sparkling romance an almost epistolary flavor, while the snappy dialogue and irresistibly adorable chemistry Michelle creates between her protagonists proves she has successfully solved the equation for a fabulously fun rom-com." - Booklist
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 203 mm
Width: 135 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
9 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-06-342040-3 (9780063420403)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
approx. 08/2026
HarperCollins
€12.93
Not yet available
Person
Holly Michelle, who also writes as Holly James, is the author of adult romance and commercial fiction. She holds a PhD in psychology and has worked in both academia and the tech industry. When she's not reading or writing a book, she can be found on the beach or hiking in the woods. Born and raised in Northern California, she currently lives at the southern end of the state with her family. Find her at hollyjamesbooks.com and on Instagram at @hellohollyjames.