Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Call Me When You're Dead is a darkly comic novel about payback gone wild, gone sour, maybe even sweet. "If anything bad happens to me, I want you to get him." That's what Eleanor Birch's glamorous friend Sasha Cole requests of her during a New York City dinner one hot August night. Something bad does happen, and Eleanor is forced to become another person altogether in the wilds of Manhattan, acting as her own little Pygmalion in the harsh world of advertising and its remorseless denizens. How she triumphs, and how her prey becomes first her ally and then her lover, makes her journey a tragic romp, a hilarious disaster, and even an all-out farce--but one with very serious consequences.

Review:

I didn't quite know what to expect when I requested Call Me When You're Dead, by A.R. Taylor.  Was this a serious revenge thriller?  A rom-com?  A story about life and death?  This novel had some elements of each.  But also, it was a screwball comedy that I think would make a terrific movie.  This is a comedic, modern-day look at thirty-somethings in Manhattan, friendships, and the world of advertising.  The main character, Eleanor, in her quest to seek revenge on her dead friend's ex-boyfriend, transforms from a quiet, librarian, into a woman at ease in the New York social scene. I found her journey to be a reminder to live life to the fullest now, because one never knows when life will be cut short.  There were also many other wonderful characters, especially the ex-boyfriend, Jon, and his brother Walter, along with a cadre of Jon's colorful advertising colleagues.  While the antics sometimes were over the top, the behind the scenes look at making commercials was hilarious.  This was a fun, engaging book.  I highly recommend it.

What I Liked:

Characters:

Eleanor lives in Buffalo, New York and has a job that she loves as a research librarian.  But her social life is pretty stagnant.  The antics of her high school friend Sasha provides lots of exciting stories whenever they get together for dinner.  But, when Sasha suddenly dies, Eleanor feels obliged to grant Sasha a last request: get even with the man who broke Sasha's heart.  But what is Eleanor supposed to do?  She doesn't even know the guy's last name!  Well, Eleanor does what a librarian does best; she does her research.  Also, luckily, she teams up with another of Sasha's friend, a New York actor who knows everything about New York.  While figuring out what she needs to do, Eleanor undergoes a transformation, inspired by Sasha.  What I loved about this change was it was driven by Eleanor finding out what she really liked.  She didn't change into a fake version of a Manhattanite, but into her authentic self.  

Jon, is a career-driven advertising executive.  Far from trying to hurt Sasha, he is just so busy, and under so much pressure, he can't focus on anything but his job.  And (probably unknown to Sasha) Jon has a very complicated family that includes overbearing parents, and his brother, Walter, who has some challenges of his own.  When Eleanor finally meets him to inform him of Sasha's death, it hardly registers, at first.  But, as the story progresses, Jon begins to see how he let Sasha down.  And he is intrigued by that friend of Sasha's (is it Eleanor?) who he keeps running into. 

Romance:

As all good rom-com's go, there is an unusual meet-cute, hidden intentions, and then heartfelt connection.  Eleanor first meets Jon on one of the worst days of his life.  The commercial he has just created, gets stuck on a loop on CBS, making it one of the most instantly annoying commercials in history!  Jon is so caught up in his now imploding career, he barely hears Eleanor's news about Sasha.  His seeming indifference is infuriating to Eleanor, who doubles down on her commitment to ruin Jon on Sasha's behalf.

But, eventually, Eleanor sees Jon for the stressed out person that he is, who cares deeply for his parents and brother.  And Jon begins to notice how genuine Eleanor is with everyone.  They are actually a perfect match.  But can Eleanor fall in love with the man she has vowed to avenge on behalf of her friend?

Advertising:

I really loved this aspect of the book.  The people at Jon's advertising company are as cutthroat as they come.  One of his colleagues is a brilliant art director, with a heavy addiction to drugs, alcohol, and affairs with his co-workers.  With all the chemicals in his body, it's a wonder he's still alive.  His other co-workers all seem to be scheming to get ahead. And if that mean sabotaging another's work, then so be it.  But who messed with Jon's commercial?  Jon leaves no stone unturned to find out.  And if he has to break into other peoples computers?  Well, they shouldn't have left them turned on.

Things come to a head as Jon and his rival both have to shoot commercials in the desert with wives, girlfriends, a herd of buffalo, and the world's most obnoxious director in tow.  These scenes were really funny and would make for a terrific movie.

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date: September 6th, 2022

Author:  A.R Taylor

Publisher:  She Writes Press

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Page Length:  368 Pages

Format: E-Book

Source:  NetGalley

Recommendation:  This was a really entertaining read with plenty of great characters and romance.  I highly recommend it.