Welcome to Jen’s Jewels, where each week I highlight a story I loved and the author behind the words. Today’s gem is DANDELION IS DEAD by Rosie Storey. Let’s kick things off with a quick Lightning Round before digging deeper into the story.
LIGHTNING ROUND
In three words, describe the vibe of your book.
Hopeful. Raw. Lusty
If your book had a theme song, what would it be?
Wildest Moments by Jessie Ware
THE DEEP DIVE
Tell me about a scene you rewrote multiple times. What made it so tricky, and how did you finally crack it?
Conversation scenes can be challenging, as I enjoy writing dialogue so much that my characters often end up chit chatting away for too long. It can become a bit much for the reader. For example, when Poppy and Jake are on their second date outside the Tate Gallery in London, I could happily have had them talking and getting to know each other for twenty pages. How did I crack it? Editing. Brutally killing my darlings for months on end.
Your protagonist: Did they arrive fully formed, or did you have to excavate them layer by layer? What surprised you most about who they became?
The two sisters arrived together, because they are as different from each other as they are dependent. They are a yin and a yang. A central question of the book is how a person copes when their other half, their North Star, is no longer there. Writing characters is my favorite part of the novel writing process.
What theme or question haunted you while writing this book? Did you find an answer, or are you still sitting with the mystery of it?
What is love? What does it feel like for other people? That is a question I will explore throughout all my work, for the rest of my life. In DANDELION IS DEAD, I examine this from both a man’s and a woman’s point of view. As Poppy approaches forty, she is also trying to work out whether to stay with the stable man she has built a life with, even though he does not make her truly happy, or walk away in search of something more vibrant but ultimately uncertain.
THE PERSONAL TOUCH
I love hearing about authors’ reading lives. What’s at the top of your TBR pile right now, and what made you add it?
Sky Daddy by Kate Folk sounds unique. I also heard some literary podcasters talking about Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte, which piqued my interest. Both sound off-kilter and intriguing.
If you could have dinner with one of your characters (or boot one out of the book entirely), who would it be and why?
It would have to be Dandelion. She is authentic to the core, brave, and fun. Dinner would spiral somewhere unexpected, and we would probably end up dancing on a table, on a spontaneous train ride to Amsterdam, or gate crashing a wild party.
LOOKING AHEAD
Without spoiling anything, can you give us a tiny peek at what you’re working on next? Even just the vibe or the question you’re exploring?
What is love? What should I sacrifice for love? Is love always good?
What’s the best way for readers to stay in touch and follow your literary adventures? (Website, social media, newsletter, carrier pigeon…)
BONUS: The Author’s Playlist
Optional but fun:
Share 3-5 songs that capture the mood of your book or that you listened to while writing.
True Love Will Find You in the End, Beck
Creep, TLC
Got My Mojo Working, Muddy Waters
I hope you’ll add DANDELION IS DEAD by Rosie Storey to your reading list and join me next week for another edition of Jen’s Jewels.
DANDELION IS DEAD by Rosie Storey
Jake has fallen head over heels for Dandelion. The only problem? Dandelion is dead.
When Poppy discovers unanswered messages from a charming stranger in her late sister’s dating app, she makes an impulsive choice: She’ll meet him, just once, on what would have been Dandelion’s fortieth birthday. It’s exactly the kind of wild adventure her vivacious sister would have pushed her toward.
Jake is ready to find something real—and not least because his ex-wife’s twentysomething boyfriend has moved into their old family home. When he meets the intriguing woman who calls herself Dandelion, their connection is undeniable, and he can think of little else.
As their relationship deepens, Poppy finds herself trapped in a double life she never meant to create. Every moment with Jake feels genuine, electric, and totally right—despite the fact they’re tangled in deceit. As the lines between grief and love blur, Poppy faces a choice: keep her sister’s memory alive through her lies, or risk everything for a chance at her own happiness?
With sparkling wit and aching tenderness, debut author Rosie Storey gives us a modern love story about the courage it takes to live again after loss and finding hope in the most unexpected places.
Women’s Fiction Family Life | Romance [ Berkley, On Sale: January 13, 2026, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593954348 / eISBN: 9780593954355 ]
Buy DANDELION IS DEAD: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Ripped Bodice | Walmart.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Rosie Storey
Rosie Storey grew up on a farm in the south of England. She left her corporate career to finish her debut novel, Dandelion Is Dead. She holds a master’s in creative writing, lives in East London, and works as a writing coach.
About Jennifer Vido
Jennifer Vido is the author of The Gull Island Series, sweet Lowcountry romances inspired by her love of coastal living and small-town charm. Serendipity by the Sea won Best First Book from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest, and Baltimore Magazine readers named her Best Local Author in 2024 and 2025. A Vanderbilt graduate, Jennifer traded in teaching French to follow her dream of becoming an author. She loves discovering and sharing literary gems through her Jen’s Jewels column, celebrating the books that make her heart happy. Jennifer lives in Maryland with her husband and is mom to two grown sons. Her rescue dog, Fripp, is her constant companion, though he’s better at napping than editing. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her at the beach with her toes in the sand, dreaming about her next romance.
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