I am actually shocked that I haven’t seen too many UK reviews for this book! Especially as The Ghostwriter has now shot onto my favourite books of 2017 list! It’s a stunning novel, best read without too much insight into what it’s about as the less you know the harder it’s going to hit you. So I will keep the plot details to a minimum here whilst trying to convey exactly how much I adored this book!!

Now you will probably recognise the name of the author Alessandra Torre and identify her with the contemporary erotica she normally writes. She also wrote one of my favourite books of 2015, the brilliant The Girl in 6E, which she wrote under the pseudonym A. R. Torre. But if you are expecting a sexy, deeply sensual romance here then you will be very disappointed indeed as this book is unlike anything I have read by this author before! The author herself describes it as “contemporary fiction but very suspenseful in nature” which is exactly what it is. But it is also an intense and deeply emotional book about one woman and the very raw and powerful story she needs to tell. But there is also a mystery there to be solved and Helena Ross is about to write the hardest book of her life as a best selling author, in the shortest amount of time. And to do that she is going to need the help of a ghostwriter…..

Helena isn’t always the most likeable protagonist but as her chosen ghostwriter starts to strip away the layers of her story we start to see the real Helena come to life and, although this feel strangely voyeuristic, you can’t help but watch and wonder what has happened to make Helena so shut down and defensive. There is a small cast of supporting characters who do take turns with their own points of view but this is totally Helena’s tale to tell and they are there as the catalysts to draw out her memories and observations. Behind the apathetic woman they see is a story that has to be told and that story is a harrowing and heartwrenching narration that will push both the characters and you, as the reader, to the edge.

So I do have to warn you, DO NOT READ THIS IN PUBLIC! I had a childfree day and decided to take this book to Costa and have a lovely afternoon with coffee, cake and a book. Another one of my many mistakes recently! I sobbed my way through the last few pages, my heart breaking into a million pieces and I defy anyone not to be overcome with emotion towards the end. This evocative and haunting masterpiece never gets too sentimental though, even though the author doesn’t pull her punches with the subject matter. Its a tough, intensely personal read at times but it retains it’s sensitivity throughout.

Books like this are why I blog. I want everyone to read this book and feel the same emotions I did. I want everyone to experience it and by featuring it on my blog I can hopefully reach as many readers as possible. But if just one person buys this book, and loves it as much as I do, because of my review then I will be a very happy book blogger. And that leads me to thank Janel at Keeper of Pages for her review of The Ghostwriter as it was her enthusiastic recommendation in her recent review that brought this book to my attention in the first place. I owe you one Janel!

Very highly recommended by me!

This is definitely a mystery/thriller I'm not going to forget, because it was very well-written and had a unique story. 

First off, for those of you who are familiar with other works by this author, this novel is not a romance. Yes, it deals with marriage and love, but it is not a romance novel. 

In terms of the actual book, I have to say that the writing is fantastic. From the very first sentence, I was hooked. The author has this really great style where she doesn't overly describe anything but still manages to deliver the full picture. I love how the author managed to perfectly switch between different voices and time points to create such a cohesive story. I also absolutely adored the main character. Helena is not your typical protagonist; she carries a lot of suspicion and anger and hate but somehow I still felt drawn to her. I cared about her story and I cared about her and what she was going through. In this story, Helena is an author who has serious writing skills .... and it showed in her character; the way Helena dragged out her story and gave little tidbits was tantalizing! I really liked the other characters that were involved and the way they influenced Helena's life. The ending was definitely a surprise and it was one I wasn't expecting. I think that there could have been more clues leading to the ending to ground it a bit more, but I thought that the way the author described the end events was amazing. This novel isn't a happy one but I wouldn't want it any other way. Compared to most of the thrillers I have read recently, this is definitely in the top 10 and it was "unputdownable". I would recommend this to anyone looking for a really good thriller that is written superbly! 4.5/5 stars from me!

The Ghostwriter has an enticing blurb. It's chilling and taunting so I expected a sinister, suspense read set within a contemporary story. And it kind of was, but it kind of wasn't.

Most of the focus was on the relationship between two writers and their struggle to work together. Their banter and issues were nothing out of the ordinary but sprinkled throughout were Helena's chilling utterances like "I killed my husband and now I want to come clean". Those teasers were great and kept me reading (and I was impressed with one early twist) but it isn't until more than three-quarters of the way through the book that the tension finally gets going. Until then there's a lot of them writing, re-writing, arguing and a cow. Yes, a cow.

The story centres around Helena who is a complicated character. And man, was she ever a hard gal to like. She's prickly, rude and loves things done her way but, for a woman in her early 30's, her dialogue felt like she was much older -- more like an old curmudgeon. But she's also a complicated character who goes through a metamorphosis and if readers are patient, Helena will share snapshots of her earlier life to give reasons why she is the way she is.

I liked this book - it had a good premise and creepy one-liners but it needed a better building of suspense throughout, a stronger contemporary story and a better blend of the two genres. It was more focused on the writers' relationship with most of the suspense ramping up right at the end yet leaving readers with an ending that some readers will be able to predict.

This story is about a woman who has lost everything and wants to finally confront her demons and come clean. While it's focus was different than I had expected, it had its moments - both suspenseful and touching.

Disclaimer: This Advanced Reading Copy was generously provided by the publisher, DCA, in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publisher and Alessandra Torre for the opportunity to read this amazing book - a great suspense/psychological read. This is the first book I've read by this author so I had no preconceived notions on what to expect. I don't want to give much away because this book deserves to be read and discovered the way the author intended!

Helena Ross is a best-selling romance novelist with a reputation for a nasty tongue and her lists of rules. But when she discovers she has only months to live, she knows she has to write one last book. With her illness, she knows she'll need help so she contracts with her rival - Marka Vance. Marka is known for her best-selling erotica books, ones that Helena lambastes at every opportunity. The two go on a journey that the reader follows to reveal the secrets Helena did not want to take to her grave.

You must read this book - highly recommended!

It is no secret that Alessandra Torre is one of my favourite authors. I think she is an extremely talented writer with her ability to seamlessly switch genres and deliver a brilliant read each time and The Ghostwriter is no exception.

This suspense/ mystery / psychological thriller was superbly executed. The main character Helena Ross was a very unique and strange character, one that many would find hard to like let alone love and connect with, but by the end of the book, I cried for this eccentric, slightly unhinged woman.

This book is very unique and definitely a must read for lovers of mystery and anyone who appreciates a great story and fantastic writing.

Bravo Alessandra Torre!! Another fantastic book and needless to say as always I wish it was longer.

ARC provided by Publisher via Netgalley for honest review

I laughed, I sighed and I devoured the entire book. This in my opinion is not the best book of hers I've read. I did enjoy reading and I felt the characters were three dimensional and at least relatable. So in that respect this book was good. I have to say the cover though looks pretty damn good!

I've read and liked one other of Torres books and now I can say that I thoroughly enjoy her writing. She definitely has skills and not just as a romance writer.

The Ghostwriter is a departure from her normal genre, but this didn't hinder her at all. The characters are multi-faceted and the story rich and in depth.

Helena is not the most likable character; even her own agent, Kate, finds her difficult to handle. But this makes her feel so much more real and even relatable. I grew to secretly love Helena and all of her flaws as well as another character who shares a large portion of her present time (intentionally vague).

The premise is this: a famous romance writer finally decides to tell the truth about her life and marriage. I hesitate to say a lot more about this book, because I think it's best that you go in blind. I did and I loved the way the story slowly unravels. There are a few twists and I can honestly say I didn't see them coming. Torres injects just enough suspense to keep you turning the pages, eager to find out more.

That is how life is, it gives us burdens to carry and doesn't give a damn about the weight. We shoulder it or we break.

I went into this book with extremely high expectations. Besides the fact that Alessandra Torre is amazing, I keep hearing that this is the best book of the year, and how incredible everyone thinks it is. To be honest, the first half of the book seemed pretty slow to me, and I had a difficult time getting into it the way I heard everyone else did. I knew this wasn't going to be a happily ever after type of book, I think I was just expecting more of Helena's past then present. I'm not really sure when it happened, but eventually I was completely hooked. I devoured the second half of the book, unable to put it down and needing to know her secrets. When I finished I wasn't sure how I felt about the book, and needed some time to get my thoughts together before writing this review.

It's now almost two days later, and I have had time to absorb what I've read and I can now honestly say I loved this book. The Ghostwriter is definitely different than anything I've ever read. My heart broke for Helena throughout, her words full of emotion as she struggled to tell her story to the world. She was written as a character to hate, yet I loved her from the beginning. After years of alienating herself from the world, she is forced to work alongside Mark in order to fulfill her dream. What starts as hatred grows to understanding and ultimately, friendship. They are both what the other needs without realizing it, and their relationship was a perfect layer to the story.

Was there a Happily Ever After? I told you, early on in this book, the chances of that.

While Helena's story is ultimately full of shock and heartbreak, I actually felt she did get the happily ever after she insists doesn't exist. I'm sure plenty of people will disagree with me on that fact, and it took me some time to process before coming to that conclusion. Alessandra Torre brilliantly wrote a book inside of a book, and I have to agree that it was amazing.

The Ghost Writer is the very first book I have read by Alessandra Torre ,however I have heard fantastic things about this authors book so when I got the chance to read it I was thrilled and I dived into it as soon as I got the chance . I thought this book was fantastic. This book is definately a darker read and to be honest I don't think I have read anything quite like this book .We follow Helena Ross and she writing her final book , however it is a lot more than just fiction it is more of a confessional than it is fiction, so as we get deeper into this story it slowly answers all of the questions you have lingering in your head until it leads to big shocking reveal that no one could have seen coming . This book was so addicting , honest brutally honest and even though this book can get very dark at times you see glimmers of hope and justice and I loved that . If you are looking for a thriller that will me keep your eyes glued to the story you should definately pick up The Ghost Writer as soon as you can.

I've long been a fan of Alessandra Torre. I know her as a romance writer. With the release of The Ghostwriter she has displayed a stunning level of creative diversity. She's delivered one of the most clever suspense stories that I've read. I'm a binge reader so it's not a stretch for me to read a book in one sitting. But with the The Ghostwriter, this wasn't an option for me. I had real life duties that got in the way, but I'm not sure I've ever been clamored more to get back to a book.

The genius in this story is the main character, Helena Ross. She's obsessive and persnickety, not altogether very likable, but she's a character that is easy to feel compassion for. When we meet her she's just been delivered news of her immanent death, and she's finally ready to expose a secret, to tell a story that no one but her knows, to expose the bitter truth of her marriage, her role as a wife and as a mother.

The story is vetted out to us through her diary like entries, but she doesn't have enough time to tell the tale. What's more is she needs a confessor and who better to do this to then with a carefully chosen ghostwriter. What follows is the unlikely friendship that provides her with a sense of belonging she's never known. As time passes, and the end draws near, she's faced with reckoning and absolution.

The Ghostwriter is this years' most surprising release and certainly Alessandra Torre has a lot to be proud of. A #MustRead and 5 ++ Stars recommendation!

Helena is a successful author in the romance genre. She's given three months to live, and decides that now is the time to tell her final story. She struggles on her own with her sickness making things difficult, and enlists the help of a ghostwriter. The ghostwriter being her author rival in the romance community. Someone who she has had a feud with for many years now. Helena's story is interesting. Without spoiling it, I will say that Torre does a fantastic job of showing how sometimes the unexpected in life changes every little thing completely.

When I see Alessandra Torre's name. I know to expect something edgy. A book that will most likely keep me guessing until the very end. The Ghostwriter was no exception.

Extremely well written. Some lines I highlighted that seemed to mean very little at the time they are read, end up turning into huge pieces of the ultimate puzzle. Now at times the story did feel like it was a bit slow, BUT once you get to the end you realize how important that slow build was. I will say that the pay off at the end is WORTH sticking it out.

This story is so much more than just Helena's. It is so much more than the story that's actually told. There are moments and sections filled with purpose and lessons we could all learn from. Whether that was Torre's intent or not, I gained a bit of compassion and empathy for the book world through this story.

All in all a great read. If you're looking for romance, you won't find it in this book. You will find love in different aspects though. If you're looking for intense suspense, that's not here either. It's a slow build with a huge pay off. Highly recommend to fans of Torre who also enjoy general fiction/contemporary fiction.

4 Redemptive CROWNS

It is so hard to articulate my reactions for a book like this. It isn't romance, so there isn't the standard chemistry and steam. It isn't a trope that one loves or hates. It isn't filled with alpha heroes and swooning heroines. What it is a story of woman seeking a type of redemption through the stories she tells.

Helena is a hard character to endure, especially at the beginning. Cold, abrasive, and curt, her behavior does nothing to endear the reader to her character. The author does, however, make her more sympathetic as the moments from her past are revealed through the written word. We begin to understand the broken and weary writer. We understand her struggle, and we get her apprehension to tell this story. Often times, the hardest person to face is yourself, and Helena is the epitome of this belief.

This story is a hard one to read, especially as more and more about the past is revealed. It truly becomes hard to fault her for her choices and her beliefs. It becomes too hard not to sympathize with her, and readers find themselves at the end of the novel nodding their head in agreement with ghostwriter who completes her story.

The Ghostwriter is a fantastic break from the world of romance. Watching the a woman face her past in the only way she knows, emanating a strength she doesn't even know she has, was fascinating, and the journey is heartbreaking and redemptive, leaving readers with so many emotions with the conclusion of the book.

When I first heard about The Ghostwriter I was so excited. I read Hollywood Dirt and really enjoyed it and a few of her other books also. I knew it would be a little different since Alessandra warms you right off the bat that "This book is not a romance." I had mixed feelings throughout reading this book. The first half of the book was a bit slow for me. Even though I was forewarned that this was a bit different, I don't think I was fully prepared when the book started to unravel. I was greedy with interest to find out what happened to Helena and her family. We are so quick to judge but this taught me that your judgment isn't always the correct one. As I was reading, I judged Helena to be a neglecting mom and wife because of her obsession to writing. When Helena finally writes her story it broke my heart to know that someone had to go through that and live through what she lived through. This book was dazzlingly written. I'm at a loss for words on how to write this review and give it the praise that it deserves.

O. M. G.
I need to think about this. Da'am. It's a miracle, I think that I'm speechless. Brilliant writing.
Here's my review:
I grabbed this on Amazon KU. I requested and received an ARC. I'm happy to say that I have my own copy!
I knew that this would be intense. I stayed away from spoilery reviews. I skimmed the book blurb.
I had a sense that this would be a paradigm in story telling. It is. Not a light comedy-in any way.
Is this a romance? I will be honest. No. I knew that this was in the contemporary fiction category.
That helped me set my expectations. After a couple of pages-within the first chapter, I knew that I needed to have patience.
Helena, the protagonist, tells her story in first person POV. The prologue is in talics, and are the flash-backs, roughly 4-5 years prior to present day.
Chapter 1, the first sentence: "I'm dying".
This wasn't a comedy. Obviously.
Helena is a highly successful romance novelist. She's living alone in a large house in New England.
She's looking for a ghost writing to help pen her last novel. She's determined to get it completed before she dies.
Why? What happened to her husband and daughter?
She wants to tell HER story. What happened to her loved ones. It is told her novel. I got her story as she wrote her novel- with her ghostwriter.
The supporting characters' POV is 3rd person. It took me a couple of chapters to adapt to the multi- POV.
I have to stop with my usual re-cap. It's better to go in blind.
Helena is hardly a sympathetic character. If I'd met her, I don't think that I'd like her.
Kate, Helena's agent walks on egg shells around her. Helena is very rigid with her "rules"
The writing is terrific. I don't skim books and this was a bad time to start. I had to keep my focus. I never wanted to put this down, but each page, chapter and sentence had SO much to it. I took at least an extra day to read this.
I did find the middle of the book to be a little slow. Nothing can be skipped. Nothing. I had no idea what would happen next. Helena could be a bitch on wheels. She wanted to be loved. How did she get so aloof? I have some opinions: (view spoiler)
Would she change? What happened to her 4 years ago?
The flash backs (in italics) told her story - with the help of her ghostwriter. Read this book to find out who!
The last 1/3 is especially intense & then there's a major shocker. OMG. This book is so relevant to what is going on today.
Ms Torre should be very proud of herself. I'm envious of her talent. This is a book that I will need some time- and then re-read it. I'm sure that there are buddy read groups & book clubs grabbing this for their next read & discussion. Wow, do I have some opinions!
I'm giving 4.5 stars but rounding up to 5. I have a book hangover. Now I know what that means.
Going on my favorites shelf.

Aghhhhhh! My heart has been trampled into a million little pieces.

You know what you did Alessandra Torre, you know what you did...

What a book! What a story! The book starts with writer Helena Ross. She has recently learned that she has terminal cancer and about 3 months to live. Before she passes away she wants to write her last novel and the most important story of her life.

Helena knows that because of the illness she won't be able to complete the book unless she hires a ghostwriter to help her. This is the setup and the rest is a journey you will have to take by yourself because I'm not going to spoil it for you.

I love books about writers and stories within stories. I wish I could honor this book with a wonderful, well-written review but I'm good with numbers and not with words, all I can say is that this novel is captivating, emotionally moving, and suspenseful.

The novel is told in alternating points of view. It is similar to Lies She Told and Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore which were books that contained stories within stories and also were both books I loved.

Please note that the book takes its time revealing the story so if you're 60% in and wondering still, please keep going, you won't regret it.

Overall I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this publication in exchange for an honest review.

This is essentially a book within a book. It is told from three points of view, Helena’s, Kate’s and Marka Vantly’s. At the same time we are reading pages from a new book being written.

Helena Ross has written fifteen best selling romance novels. But she is nothing like the characters that fill her pages, nothing like the happy endings that she likes to write. Helena Ross is a deeply troubled woman who has just been given three months to live with the diagnosis of an inoperable brain tumor. As we are introduced to her and her home we know that she is hiding a deep secret. Her home is empty of anything that reminds her of her husband and her daughter, Bethany, except for her locked bedroom and locked media room. She has been punishing herself for four years for a lie that she told. Now that she has only a few months to life she wants to tell the story of what happened to her and her life.

She knows that she isn’t capable of completing this book by herself. She calls her assistant, Kate and tells her that she is retiring after writing a last book. She tells Kate “I need you to find me a ghostwriter”. “I’m worried that I won’t have time to finish it” I want you to ask “Marka Vantly” to help with the book. Kate is dumbstruck, Marka and Helena have been enemies for seven years. They have traded horrid, insulting e mails. Kate thinks she needs “a shrink, or a stronger prescription, or a vacation in Tahiti, but she doesn’t need a ghostwriter.”

I’m turning the pages faster by now. When Marka Vantly arrives at Helena’s door she makes a shocking discovery, one which no one would ever guess. But Marka agrees and they start to write this book that will be her last one. Marka learns all of her secrets and so do we. They work exhaustingly long hours, fighting the countdown of Helena’s disease.

This is a very quick paced book and a very sad one. There are times in the last third of the book when we see what looks like a glimmer of friendship between Helena and Marka, but there is only time left to finish the book.

I liked the author’s style of writing and her characters are well described. I felt as though I could picture Helena, pale, dying, exhausted, aching with sadness in her vast empty house. I grew to like Marka and Kate and the relationship between the three changed dramatically by the end of the book. And then there is the ending, which pushed this book to a 4 for me!

I don’t want to go into any more of the plot but anyone who enjoys a fast paced, well written, character driven book will enjoy this. You don’t have to be a thriller reader because this is more sadness and mystery than thriller, but there are disturbing parts to the book so be prepared to be shocked.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley, thank you.


Review also posted to Amazon on 10/13/17

Oh wow... Never thought I'd have palpitations after reading a book. There was a warning in the email saying that this book isn't a love story... And to be honest, I did have second thoughts. I'm a romantic sap... I crave romance... I had several moments where I felt I didn't want to finish... But there's a little voice inside of my head that kept on pushing me to just forge on... And so I did.

I love the book, no doubt about it. Definitely my first time reading something like it... It's uniqueness and mystery is what kept me going on... I don't know how to talk about it without giving something away... I feel like discussing about it further will give hints, and I didn't wanna do that and spoil it for the others who haven't read the book yet.

The main character, Helena Ross is relatable... You guys may find it weird but yeah, I can relate to her in more ways than one.

I didn't expect the twists and turns in the story—truly. At some point, I even thought that Helena would fall in love with the Ghostwriter...

The last couple of chapters are definitely gripping and shocking... I'm in a coffee shop as I'm writing this review... I was also reading the last chapters earlier, and had been blinking so much and looking upwards, trying to keep the tears at bay. I didn't expect the story to turn out the way it did...

This may not be the kind of story I usually eat up, but this kind of variety isn't bad either. Thank you Alessandra Torre for the ARC. It's an honor to receive one from you.

This book blew my mind away..honestly, I have a few other ways to say this but the moderators may not approve :) but I can say this though, PLEASE READ IT.

What stood out? The plot, the plot twist, the writing style (3 POVs), the suspense, just the whole story. The MC, Helena Ross, is someone that you'd hate to love or maybe love to hate but in the end, your heart breaks for her. Her secret ate her up more than her illness. Her secret shaped her life, it gnawed and gnawed and you feel utterly helpless with her.

This book can and will gut you and leave you thinking about it long after you're done reading it. Five stars cannot do it justice.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am ashamed to say that this is my first ever Alessandra Torre book, although she has always been on my tbr list, I have never gotten around to reading anything until now. The synopsis of this book really intrigued me and I couldn't wait to start it.

This is the story of an author called Helena Ross, who has been told she has 3 months left to live. Helena wants to write one final book before she dies, a book full of so many truths about her life. However, with the side effects from the medication, Helena cannot write this story alone and so she decides to bring in her enemy in the book world to ghostwrite the story.

Putting this review into words is so hard for me, this book truly was everything, and stayed with me when I had to put it down to face real life, and has stayed with me for days after I finished it. Being a mother, and also having a daughter called Bethany, made parts of this story really hit me hard and I found myself, not so much in tears but having to stop and take a deep breath to take in the life that was Helena and what she had gone through. I can say at times I really didn't like Helena as a character but at the same time she felt real, and part of me could understand why she behaved the way she did.

A fantastic read, and totally not what you expect it to be! A must read!!!

Well that was a roller coaster and then some! Excellent charactersation and inner thoughts brought to the page. So many twists and turns, unexpected events and a heartbreaking read on so many levels. The subject matter was grim and as the secret comes out, it became too grim for me. Not a novel I would say I enjoyed but one which is deftly written to bring these emotions to the fore, so I can only say it did its job well! The novel within a novel is nicely done and I love books that work this well - this one definitely did. A thrilling premise but one which made me feel sad.