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Holly Evans has just seen her body laid to rest. Now she would like to move onto the afterlife. But apparently she has some mortal baggage to unload first, starting with the matter of how she died. Her heavenly shrink isn't buying that she didn't kill herself and says she must return to earth to straighten things out. The thing is, she needs to borrow the body of computer geek Vince Murphy to do it. Oh, and although Vince was supposed to have vacated the premise, he apparently never got the memo. 

Now, Holly has forty-eight hours to resolve her issues while sharing arms, legs, and...other things...with a guy she barely noticed while she was alive. But the real surprise is what life has to offer when you have only two days to live it.

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The reviews

"It's The Lovely Bones meets Bridget Jones in this fluffy take on what happens after death...it's a fun, witty traipse through the afterlife."   Publisher's Weekly

"This book has a delightfully quirky concept that develops into a fun and interesting story. Peopled with a fascinating variety of characters, it also has an intriguing mystery and a charmingly different type of interaction between the hero and heroine. Expect a delightful tale with a wonderfully distinctive ending."   4 1/2 stars Romantic Times Bookclub TOP AUGUST PICK

"Who knew that the afterlife could be so funny? Dead -- it's the new alive!"     Allison Rushby, author of Hating Valentine's Day

"You Had Me at Halo is drop-dead funny. Readers will fall in love with Holly Evans - a girl who won't let a little thing like death keep her from getting everything she wants out of life. It's to die for!"  Brenda Royce Scott, author of Monkey Love

"Readers will laugh out loud as the geek and the dead chic chick battle for control of his body and their relationship even as an odd attraction forms. Amanda Ashby provides a charming offbeat tale."   Harriet Klausner

"If you enjoyed Heaven Can Wait, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Just Like Heaven, or All of Me, this is a must read. Holly and Vince make for one of the most unusual couples ever, but they make it work in a funny, snappy, and sweet way. "   4 stars, Amanda Killgore at Huntress Reviews

Amanda Ashby’s first novel, is a comedic look at the afterlife, one of those change-of-pace novels that seem to come along at just the right time. Ashby, who lives in New Zealand, began writing the book just three weeks after the death of her father and, with the book’s lighthearted approach, she has created a world that others who have experienced similar losses should find comforting. But readers expecting just another feel good comedy about the afterlife will discover that You Had Me at Halo is also a charming coming-of-age novel...This one is fun.  4 stars, Sam Sattler Curled Up With a Good Kid's Book

Amanda Ashby has a wicked sense of humor and, assuming you can suspend disbelief on the whole death and inhabiting another body premise, you will be chuckling out loud at Holly’s misfortunes. At the same time, Holly makes some pretty interesting discoveries about her life, her relationships and the people she thought she knew well, including herself. RECOMMENDED. Sally Powers at I Love A Mystery

"A dazzling debut about second chances...It is a light, heart-warming romance. Her characters are perfectly suited for each other. Holly is a girl out to right past wrongs that gets more than she bargained for. Vince is a down to earth guy who has a very high tolerance of people and spirits. Together, they are a barrel full of laughs as they compete for control of Vince's body. YOU HAD ME AT HALO is a gloriously, charming tale." Melissa Kammer at Fresh Fiction

"Holly Evans has just been watching her own funeral (and she certainly wouldn't have wanted to have been caught dead in that particular polyester dress). The 22-year-old drowned in her bathtub on the night her boyfriend Todd was going to propose. Unable to keep her mouth shut in heaven and with much mortal baggage still to deal with, Holly's spiritual realigner decides to send her back to earth in the body of another recently departed. As luck would have it, one of Holly's work colleagues, IT geek Vince Murphy, shows signs of dying and she is put into his six-foot body. But Vince had only fainted and wakes up to discover he has to share his body with someone with only two days to sort out her life. As Holly embarks on a mission to prove she didn't kill herself, she discovers that not everyone in her life was who they seemed. An engaging, comic read that keeps you turning the pages to find out if Holly will resolve her issues and find out why she died in time. And Holly just seems made for the big screen." Chicklitclub

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