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Death Made Me
Some people live each day as if it were their last, embracing every possibility. What if today was your last day? Have you lived enough? Barry never took chances. Today he tried. Katherine was out of his beautiful, kind, well-travelled. What would she ever see in him? Successful in his line of work, but sadly lacking in every other aspect of life. On his last day, he got his wish to be with Katherine. Only, fate bestowed a bittersweet irony upon him, forcing him to watch as she was mistreated by the one person he hated the most. Unbeknown to them both, Barry would leave a mark on Katherine’s life that would impact generations of her family yet to come. A tale of death, love, life and hope. And a different perspective on all the ‘what ifs’ lies within… Warning mature themes
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 2, 2017
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37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 20, 2026
Barry lives a quiet life. He has his routines and keeps to himself. He does, however, have a lovely neighbor, Katherine, who is there when he has a heart attack and dies suddenly one day. His death is just the beginning as he finds himself tied to Katherine. Days turn into months. Months turn into years. Barry is always there through Katherine’s life. Then one day, Barry’s afterlife begins to change and new beginnings start new stories.
I went into this book blindly. I loved Whispers In the Wine Cellar, but I knew this was a completely different style. The book feels like a journey to me. I felt like I followed Barry and Katherine through all the parts of their lives. Were there difficult parts? Yes. But there were also some really amazing parts, too. By the end of the book, I has definitely hit most every emotion and I was sad to see it end!
I enjoyed going into this one blindly. Keeley has said a few times that she had trouble categorizing it, and after reading it I can understand. It doesn’t fit into just 1 or 2 categories. It’s its own style and should be read and appreciated for what it brings.
I really enjoyed it!
I went into this book blindly. I loved Whispers In the Wine Cellar, but I knew this was a completely different style. The book feels like a journey to me. I felt like I followed Barry and Katherine through all the parts of their lives. Were there difficult parts? Yes. But there were also some really amazing parts, too. By the end of the book, I has definitely hit most every emotion and I was sad to see it end!
I enjoyed going into this one blindly. Keeley has said a few times that she had trouble categorizing it, and after reading it I can understand. It doesn’t fit into just 1 or 2 categories. It’s its own style and should be read and appreciated for what it brings.
I really enjoyed it!
August 11, 2019
Where to begin? Overall, this was a great story. Katherine was a very likeable character that made typical decisions young women sometimes do and ended up in a terrible relationship. Luckily she had her best friend to help her through the loss. There was also Barry, who we got to meet only after he died. We learned a lot about his past and while he started off as a strong MC, he sort of faded into the abyss as the story progressed.
Overall, there are a few minor things I would change starting with the title. Again, Barry started off as a main character and we got great insight from his point of view, but then he exited the story about 25% through never to be seen again. With three quarters of the story focusing on other characters, all of whom are living, the title, Death Made Me, no longer seems relevant.
While I enjoyed each characters personal stories, I have to admit, there were a ton. We began this book looking through Barry's eyes, drifted onto Katherine's troubled relationship, then onto Gregory's wife's story, then to Katherine's parents, then to Katherine's new relationship, then onto Katherine's best friends relationship, fast-forward twenty years and now we get to see Katherine's daughter's relationship...get my point? Each and every story was worth reading, but most authors choose to stop the story once one relationship is completed and then continue with a series focusing on each separate relationship. I think it would have been a good idea for this story to end when Barry exited. Then perhaps followed up with 2-3 more books. That way, the reader isn't reading a story that spans over thirty years and follows three generations.
Overall, there are a few minor things I would change starting with the title. Again, Barry started off as a main character and we got great insight from his point of view, but then he exited the story about 25% through never to be seen again. With three quarters of the story focusing on other characters, all of whom are living, the title, Death Made Me, no longer seems relevant.
While I enjoyed each characters personal stories, I have to admit, there were a ton. We began this book looking through Barry's eyes, drifted onto Katherine's troubled relationship, then onto Gregory's wife's story, then to Katherine's parents, then to Katherine's new relationship, then onto Katherine's best friends relationship, fast-forward twenty years and now we get to see Katherine's daughter's relationship...get my point? Each and every story was worth reading, but most authors choose to stop the story once one relationship is completed and then continue with a series focusing on each separate relationship. I think it would have been a good idea for this story to end when Barry exited. Then perhaps followed up with 2-3 more books. That way, the reader isn't reading a story that spans over thirty years and follows three generations.
June 21, 2017
Omg great book kept me intrigued from start to finish the details drew me in and made me feel like I was a part of the book really can't wait for the next one would highly recommend this book xx
January 17, 2018
this is not my genre of choice.. but the writing was well done and it wasnt a bad storyline and characters. im glad i read it
October 28, 2017
This book was a quick read because the author cuts Barry's physical appearances immediately. It's also a comforting read for those who wonder about life after death. I felt a sense of calmness when I finished this book. I recently lost my grandpa and often think about his spiritual being, where he is at now, and how we will communicate moving forward.
What I realized from this book is death was a transition from life to another existence where there is no more pain and anguish. All the bitterness and disagreements will vanish, and the only thing that lives forever is love.
Dying is not about the end of everything. It's like you're just a student and as soon as you have finished this school and mastered your lessons, you're allowed to go home and graduate. Even a little children die because they mastered the lessons they needed to learn in this life sooner than others might. If you have learned unconditional love, you have mastered the greatest lesson of all.
It's not often that a book reduces me to tears but this one did. I even stop and put this book down because I'm literally crying and I can't take the scenes anymore. There is a chapter in this book where Katherine's dad are dying and I kinda relate to that. The bad memories during my grandpa's last breath suddenly came back. I even felt the same pain when he passed away. But I decided to picked the book again after a few minutes because I told myself that I need to face the next pages in order for me to overcome this fear.
I thought this book was going to be really depressing, but it wasn't at all. The author spoke death in a positive way. Through this book, I started to believe that there is something beyond death. I agree on everything written in this book, but I do believe that there are still many things we do not understand because we cannot perceive it scientifically. Life after death will always be a mystery.
Emily on the other hand was a reader and I totally envy her for that. I hope I was gifted like her ability so that I can talk to my grandad. I hope I have a chance to talk to him and tells him how much I'm longing for him, how much I love him and how much his departure hurts me until now. I hope I can thank him for the last time and exchange our goodbyes. I wish I could..
This book was great but it didn't stick to it's title. I also find it hard to identify the genre after finishing it because the book contains lots about romance, a bit of suspense, young adult, and mostly erotic. But still, this book seems like a mirror of life. Sometimes scary, sometimes happy, sometimes emotional, and sometimes sexy.
I really enjoyed this book. It made me think and it actually made me fear death less.
So I highly recommend this to all readers who look for some spice.
Disclaimer : I received this book from the author in exchange of an honest review. This does not affect my review in anyway.
What I realized from this book is death was a transition from life to another existence where there is no more pain and anguish. All the bitterness and disagreements will vanish, and the only thing that lives forever is love.
Dying is not about the end of everything. It's like you're just a student and as soon as you have finished this school and mastered your lessons, you're allowed to go home and graduate. Even a little children die because they mastered the lessons they needed to learn in this life sooner than others might. If you have learned unconditional love, you have mastered the greatest lesson of all.
It's not often that a book reduces me to tears but this one did. I even stop and put this book down because I'm literally crying and I can't take the scenes anymore. There is a chapter in this book where Katherine's dad are dying and I kinda relate to that. The bad memories during my grandpa's last breath suddenly came back. I even felt the same pain when he passed away. But I decided to picked the book again after a few minutes because I told myself that I need to face the next pages in order for me to overcome this fear.
I thought this book was going to be really depressing, but it wasn't at all. The author spoke death in a positive way. Through this book, I started to believe that there is something beyond death. I agree on everything written in this book, but I do believe that there are still many things we do not understand because we cannot perceive it scientifically. Life after death will always be a mystery.
Emily on the other hand was a reader and I totally envy her for that. I hope I was gifted like her ability so that I can talk to my grandad. I hope I have a chance to talk to him and tells him how much I'm longing for him, how much I love him and how much his departure hurts me until now. I hope I can thank him for the last time and exchange our goodbyes. I wish I could..
This book was great but it didn't stick to it's title. I also find it hard to identify the genre after finishing it because the book contains lots about romance, a bit of suspense, young adult, and mostly erotic. But still, this book seems like a mirror of life. Sometimes scary, sometimes happy, sometimes emotional, and sometimes sexy.
I really enjoyed this book. It made me think and it actually made me fear death less.
So I highly recommend this to all readers who look for some spice.
Disclaimer : I received this book from the author in exchange of an honest review. This does not affect my review in anyway.
August 11, 2019
This story begins with a death that's almost a ghost story, almost an erotic love story, almost a detective story, almost a romantic story, almost about aging, almost about family, almost about loneliness, and at first, I couldn't find its identity. As the story continued, however, I began to figure it out. One of the reasons is that its written in the British form of grammar, which is slightly different (vis-a-vis commas, spelling, sentence fragments, etc.), which is not incorrect, but just different. As the story went on, I became more and more used to the technique.
It begins with Barry's death, as Katherine, with whom he's been obsessed for years, attempts to save him. Barry has been a loner all his life, having been raised by an overbearing mother after his father died young. Barry has few--if any--social skills, and yet, he's always been infatuated with the beautiful, cosmopolitan Katherine, who lives in the same apartment building in London. After Barry dies, he becomes a spirit and is somehow assigned to hover over Katherine as her life progresses. Katherine becomes romantically entangled with a man who does her wrong, leaves her pregnant, and, even though Katherine and the man cannot see Barry in his spirit form, Katherine's cat CAN see him, and the baby who results from that union also CAN see Barry.
The story develops from there, and I don't want to give away the plot. It delves into the afterlife, reincarnation, psychic power, and some of the dumb things people do to sabotage their relationships.
I enjoyed this book; the plot is strong, although I think it might have been tightened up in spots. I was bothered by the strange use of capitalization in the middle of some sentences (e.g., sometimes when someone calls a person "Hunnie," it's capitalized, sometimes not), as well as the errant use of apostrophes (e.g., one of the people has the last name of Winters, and sometimes she's called Mrs. Winters, sometimes Mrs. Winter's, without the latter being a form of possessiveness).
I would recommend this to people who enjoy reading romance stories, especially with specific descriptions of bedroom scenes. I think it screams for a sequel.
If I could have given it a 3.5, that would have been my rating, but in the absence of half-stars, I'm giving it a 3.
It begins with Barry's death, as Katherine, with whom he's been obsessed for years, attempts to save him. Barry has been a loner all his life, having been raised by an overbearing mother after his father died young. Barry has few--if any--social skills, and yet, he's always been infatuated with the beautiful, cosmopolitan Katherine, who lives in the same apartment building in London. After Barry dies, he becomes a spirit and is somehow assigned to hover over Katherine as her life progresses. Katherine becomes romantically entangled with a man who does her wrong, leaves her pregnant, and, even though Katherine and the man cannot see Barry in his spirit form, Katherine's cat CAN see him, and the baby who results from that union also CAN see Barry.
The story develops from there, and I don't want to give away the plot. It delves into the afterlife, reincarnation, psychic power, and some of the dumb things people do to sabotage their relationships.
I enjoyed this book; the plot is strong, although I think it might have been tightened up in spots. I was bothered by the strange use of capitalization in the middle of some sentences (e.g., sometimes when someone calls a person "Hunnie," it's capitalized, sometimes not), as well as the errant use of apostrophes (e.g., one of the people has the last name of Winters, and sometimes she's called Mrs. Winters, sometimes Mrs. Winter's, without the latter being a form of possessiveness).
I would recommend this to people who enjoy reading romance stories, especially with specific descriptions of bedroom scenes. I think it screams for a sequel.
If I could have given it a 3.5, that would have been my rating, but in the absence of half-stars, I'm giving it a 3.
July 22, 2017
I absolutely loved this book and was gripped from the very first page. The author weaves an amazing tale of love and loss and the lessons learned in death. The writing is flawless and I loved the tone and style. The first half of the book tells Barry's story and I loved all the characters and how they interact. I also loved the end of his section where he took his mother upon her death to be with his father. There were lots of moments throughout where I had tears in my eyes. Part two of the book is Emily's story and once more I was gripped. I loved everything that happened and how all the characters grew and matured as the story continued. I found everything so believable as if I were a part of the story and this is what makes a great book for me. Being able to immerse myself in the story and become the characters. This truly was an amazing book and I can't wait to read the sequel. This is one author I am adding to my watch list. If you are looking for something a little different that will grip you from the start and have you turning the pages, then this book is a great choice.
August 30, 2024
SUPER natural!
the blend of extra sensory and natural elements is perfect here as even tho the story starts with a dead guy who’s spirit has been left behind as kinda a guardian angel over the last woman he was crushing on, this is still a wildly sorted tale of love, infidelity, abuse, forgiveness and gifts of divination. Emily’s at the focal point, but you don’t realize that till about 1/2 way through. it’s her “gift” that carries the story and it’s amazing to see that because of it and maybe even despite it, she’s able to carve out something close to a normal life. Barry’s “return” and the future of Peter’s boy born out of wedlock make me hungry for a book 2. and I’ve never read a standalone where I’ve actually WANTED a book 2!
the blend of extra sensory and natural elements is perfect here as even tho the story starts with a dead guy who’s spirit has been left behind as kinda a guardian angel over the last woman he was crushing on, this is still a wildly sorted tale of love, infidelity, abuse, forgiveness and gifts of divination. Emily’s at the focal point, but you don’t realize that till about 1/2 way through. it’s her “gift” that carries the story and it’s amazing to see that because of it and maybe even despite it, she’s able to carve out something close to a normal life. Barry’s “return” and the future of Peter’s boy born out of wedlock make me hungry for a book 2. and I’ve never read a standalone where I’ve actually WANTED a book 2!
July 17, 2017
This is an inspiring book. The author creates a story which intrigues the reader, and I look forward to its sequel! Its quite an unusual book and shows that this author has great potential both now and in the future. I loved the way the book did not jump about as so many books do nowadays. You can pick the book up easily and get right back into the story. It flows easily, is well written and I looked forward to getting back to the book during my reading of it. Obviously the author has an interesting mind which is quite evident - very clever. Its not a long story so I am eager to learn the next series of events. Well done Author!
August 28, 2017
Death made me
This was a good read. I loved how Barry was there for Katherine. Gregory got on my last nerves with how he treated her.. Emily had to be my favorite character in this story. She was humble. Now her daughter will inherit her visions.. Good read. I would be reading more from this author.
This was a good read. I loved how Barry was there for Katherine. Gregory got on my last nerves with how he treated her.. Emily had to be my favorite character in this story. She was humble. Now her daughter will inherit her visions.. Good read. I would be reading more from this author.
September 26, 2025
Wonderful story
I really enjoyed this story. The characters were well written. I liked how the author broke the story up into two parts. You rarely see that. The plot was really good. I highly recommend this book. Earning five stars from me.
I really enjoyed this story. The characters were well written. I liked how the author broke the story up into two parts. You rarely see that. The plot was really good. I highly recommend this book. Earning five stars from me.
June 23, 2017
A wonderful read, the characters pull you into the story. The story flows and makes you want to keep on reading to the end. I loved it and am waiting impatiently for the next book by this author.
June 23, 2017
Loved this book, not read a book that I've not wanted to put down for a long time. It just has a bit of everything and some twist and turns along the way. Can't wait for the next one
July 18, 2017
Something a little different but I absolutely fell in love with this book. So well written
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews