natalie intihar

Publication Date: June 16, 2026

I’m so excited to share the cover of Chip Pons’ newest book Dearly Departed! After falling in love with his characters in Winging It With You, I’m beyond excited to read Dearly Departed and to show this beautiful piece of artwork with the world.

Blurb:
Hope is a dangerous thing for gods. Even former ones.

From the highly beloved author of “contemporary romance magic” (Christina Lauren) Winging It With You comes a Hades-inspired gay rom-com, in which the former god of the Underworld turned grumpy funeral director must find a loophole in the Immortal Retirement Act that banished him to Earth—until the florist next door who sees life in full bloom begins to unravel all his carefully laid plans.

Hayden Harlow, once the mighty Hades, has spent centuries quietly resenting his fall from immortality. Stripped of his godhood by the allegedly irreversible Immortal Retirement Act, he now runs Harlow & Sons Funeral Home—a front for his eternal sentencing among mortals, and a bleak reminder of the purpose he’s lost. Still, he’s determined to claw his way back…if only the Fates at City Hall would stop toying with him.

Enter Levi Wilder: a florist with an artist’s heart, an infectious smile, and a gift for finding beauty in life’s messiest moments. When Hayden storms into Levi’s shop to complain about a bouquet of sunflowers—an offensive choice for a funeral, in his opinion—their worlds collide. Hayden is all restraint and shadows; Levi is all sunshine and charm. But beneath the clash lies an undeniable spark neither can ignore.

As their connection blossoms, Hayden finds himself caught between the life he once knew and the bright future Levi dares him to imagine. But trusting Levi means risking the walls he’s kept in place all these years—and it’s not just his heart on the line. Because in the threads of fate, one choice can change everything.

Tropes:

• MM Contemporary/Paranormal Romance
• Hades-Inspired Rom-Com aka Mythology Meets Modern Life
• Grumpy + Sunshine
• Shadow Daddy
• Speaking of… Shadows that F*CK
• “Good Boys get the Helm”
• Quirky Small Town + Found Family
• Hurt + Comfort + Caretaking
• Queer Joy
• High Heat + Slow Burn + Filthy Worship

Want to preorder this book? The Ebook preorder is available here.

Thanks to the author for sharing the cover with me! An ARC review will be coming soon.