3.5 Stars
I knew going in that this was NOT a romance and I was totally okay with that. I love a good suspense story and the blurb totally had me intrigued. The story started off fine and somewhere along I just kept struggling to stay focused on the story. It was slow paced obviously telling her story will take you down the path that is her life. It wasn’t until more towards the ending where it started to pick up and I found myself more engaged in Helena Ross.

I’ve read books by this author before that blew me away. Her writing is always unique as well as her characters. Helena Ross was not an easy character to connect with and/or even like with the way she treated people which is understandable, considering what she went through. The secondary characters were enjoyable and likeable from the start. The unwavering support from two people who Helena has not been so kind to was touching.

It was a well written book and very unique however, this one just didn’t do it for me. I mean the ending just about did me in. That’s where all the emotion was and I was in tears. It was absolutely heartbreaking. I just wanted to be consumed and engaged throughout the story and not just half of it. Though this may not have been a wow read for me it may affect and take to other readers differently. It’s definitely different and if you don’t take a chance on it you’ll never know if it’s your cup of tea or not.

4.5 Stars

Wow just wow! Right from the start the angst of this book just grabs you and really never lets go! The Ghostwriter is one of those books that is difficult to write a review for because while it was an amazing, gripping read I don’t want to give even one bit of this story away. I feel like this is one of those books that a reader has to experience, every emotion, every surprise and dramatic moment. I think Alessandra Torre has created an amazing reading experience, and no it’s not a warm fuzzy HEA book, not by any means but it will make you feel and think and cry! I couldn’t put this book down once I started, reading late into the night because I had to know what really happened, and once it all came together, it blew me away!

I definitely recommend this book, just make sure you are prepared for it! The writing is fantastic, the story is different and powerful and definitely a 2017 must read!

The Ghostwriter may be my favorite things Alessandra Torre has written. It's absolutely so different than everything that's come before and even though I've enjoyed everything she's written, I really like that she's doing something new and unexpected. Though, honestly, I don't know that anything she does is unexpected because any fan of hers knows that Alessandra Torre is known for trying not to repeat things she's done before. Annnnnyway, ramble ramble ramble, let me get to what makes this such a standout novel for me.

First of all I love how the reader's experience is almost identical to the ghostwriter's experience in that we only know what Helena, our protagonist, wants us to know, when she wants us to know it. It's that not knowing and the constant thrum of pain that runs through every page that had me reading every spare second I had (and some I didn't). I had to know. I had to find out what was driving Helena and why it was driving her so hard.

In the midst of all of this inner turmoil, we have her ghostwriter--a person with whom I became immediately enamored. This person was almost the exact opposite of Helena in many ways but knew exactly how to push her, cajole her, humor her, and when to give her space. This character was the perfect foil to Helena's constant prickly personality and recognized her grief, as only someone who has experienced can identify it.

There are so many little things--Torre's attention to detail, her pacing, the humorous moments at just the right time--combined with the plot, cold characterization of Helena juxtaposed with the warmth of her ghostwriter, and the inner turmoil that made this such a rich reading experience and I'm so glad that Alessandra Torre took a chance to write something like this. This character, Helena, wasn't always easy to read or like but I came to appreciate her plight and haven't stopped thinking about her since I finished the novel.

Oh wow! One of my favorite genres, in addition to romance, is psychological suspense, so when I saw that one of my favorite romance authors, Alessandra Torre, was penning a novel in that genre, I couldn't wait! And it was just as great as I hoped. As with most suspense novels, it's best if you go in blind so as to get the experience as the author intends, so I won't include any spoilers in my review. I will say I absolutely LOVED this book! The twist is an OMG moment I totally had not figured out. So so good!

If I could, I would give this book 10 STARS!

This is NOT a romance. It is the dying confession of a mother and wife who is also a famous romance author. The loss, the guilt, the reckoning of her soon to end life, is a burden unbearable for Helena. She wants her confession to be her final book so her soul can rest in peace. How will you judge her?

I have to admit, as I read this book, I was not sure how I felt about Helena's character. I knew there had to be more to her than that harsh exterior, so, there be any redeemable qualities to her? I will let you decide for yourselves.

In a marriage, when you are in love, we have a tendency to just see what we want to see. Sometimes, we end up marrying a stranger through no fault of ours. We each keep our secrets and flaws well hidden, hoping to impress our partner and not be found out. My aunt always called this the "veil" effect. Like a "veil" is covering our eyes and we see reality through its distortion. Once that "veil" falls and our eyes are free, reality can be very hard to deal with.

This is our author's latest masterpiece. She is the queen of the psychological thriller as far as I am concerned. In this book, she is dealing with the psychological impact mothers pass on to their daughters, and they, in turn, pass on to their daughters, etc. Anyone who has ever felt the tugs of conscience as to whether or not they are raising their children appropriately will find this book full of deep questions that will cause a lot of introspection. How do we know we are raising our children correctly before it is too late to reverse the damage?

I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I thank the author for sharing a copy with me.

DNF @ 56% (I'm so sorry)

You guys, this book put me in a book slump. I have been trying for two weeks to pick this back up, and I just can’t motivate myself. I loved and gave five stars to both Black Lies and Sex Love Repeat by Alessandra, but this, unfortunately, just didn’t work for me.

This is also the first ARC I’ve ever DNFed, so I kind of feel horrible. But life is too short to force yourself to read a book, ARC or not.

This story is about an author who is dying, but before she passes away she wants to write one final story. And this final story will be about the truth of what happened to her husband, which no one else knows but her. Unfortunately, her illness is coming quicker than expected, so she is forced to hire a ghostwriter to help her. And dark secrets and mystery ensue.

But, at 56% in, I just feel like nothing has happened. I’m not hooked or invested in this grand mystery thriller, I am bored and just wanted it to be over. I think a mini romance is happening. Maybe? I don’t even know. But I am so uninterested, I don’t even care. And honestly, I’m fine never knowing what happened to her family, too.

I’ve read and enjoyed a lot of Alessandra Torre’s books, I also really love her as a person. It makes me really sad to DNF this, and I’m not even sure why I didn’t like this so much. Maybe it was just too different? Maybe I just prefer her erotic romances? I don’t know, but I hope if you guys pick this one up that you enjoy it more than I did.

Here are a few reviews by some of my lovely friends, who really enjoyed The Ghostwriter:
(added links on actual Goodreads review)

This is hands down one of the best books I've read in 2017!
This phenomenal book was unlike anything Ms. Torre has written before. This was not a romance. This was a heartbreaking tale woven with truths and betrayal. The characters were engaging and I could not put it down. I found myself completely emersed in the pages from beginning to end. The suspense coupled with the raw emotion had me on the edge of my seat. By the end of the book I was emotionally spent.
This journey is one I will take again and recommend to all.

A sexy addictive compulsive read that highlights Alessandra Torre’s ability to create a story that will pulsate, excite and keep you obsessed. Torre’s ability to create a story that was not romance but full of suspense is what made this book truly shine. She did not sugarcoat this book with flowery prose but instead wrote a book that was gripping, exciting, suspenseful and thrilling. She took readers down the proverbial rabbit hole where we are left piecing the puzzle together. All I can say is that you must read this book. Go in blind and get mesmerized by her visceral and magnetic prose. So if you are looking for a book that was utter perfection and one of the best books that I have read in 2017 then The Ghostwriter is the book for you.

If you’re looking for a guaranteed good read – I highly recommend you read the The Ghostwriter. Torre is well-known for her romance novels, but this book, The Ghostwriter:

“This book is not romance. It is contemporary fiction, but very suspenseful in nature. It is about a famous romance author and a dark secret she keeps.”

That is a spot on statement explaining this book. The suspense was immense, from the opening pages this book had me dying to know Helena’s secret. The wonderful thing about this novel is how it slowly reigns you in, it’s slow-paced and you’re fed bits of information that pique your interest, and pull you in deeper into this plot.

The Ghostwriter is an intense read because Helena is an intense character. She’s not entirely likable, she’s cold, distant and abrupt, but you can see it’s a barrier she puts in place to protect herself and keep the world out. When she realises she needs a ghostwriter to finish her last novel before her deadline, these two authors form a close relationship and despite sharing her innermost secrets, she still keeps her distance. But the last part of the novel cannot be fleshed out by someone else, this part, this reveal, she must write herself, and wow, it had me holding my breath. Throughout this novel, we are given snippets of the novel Helena is writing and that is how the secret is revealed.

This intensity is heighten by the limited number of characters in this novel, much of it is Helena and her ghostwriter, and this makes you feel like you are being made privy to something very personal.

This novel is so wonderfully written, so suspenseful, so emotional, so raw and so real. It was atmospheric, clouded in sadness and laced with pain. I don’t want to reveal anything about this novel so I don’t want to talk too much about the plot but it has this emotional edge to the suspense and I think that’s what captures you, what makes you so invested in this plot and the story Helena has to tell. There was no point at all during this read where I was released from Helena’s clutches, you just feel in her this need to release, her need for absolution before it’s too late.

I absolutely loved this novel, and you can be sure if Torre writes another suspenseful contemporary fiction novel, I will be reading it! I highly, highly recommend this novel to fans of contemporary fiction, general fiction, mystery and suspense, to everyone. Don’t be surprised if you see it featured in my top ten books of 2017!

Wow, just wow! The Ghostwriter is different from anything I have read in a long time, if ever.
Helena is a unique character and it takes some time to embrace her, but as the story moves forward it's almost impossible not to feel for her and be curious about exactly what had happened.
Ms. Torre takes us on a journey where we meet a daughter who felt unloved, a young woman wrapped up in love, a young mother who struggled, and a complicated woman who wanted to do want was right.
The suspense element weaves throughout the story and ramps up until it's impossible to put The Ghostwriter down without knowing how everything ends.
This is a book that pulled me in and wouldn't let go. If suspenseful reads are something you enjoy, then this is a must read!

Wow! What can I say about this book? Just wow. First, let me start by saying am I such a sucker for book-in-a-book format. And this was SOME book-in-a-book. Ghostwriter is unlike any other book I have read and one that will stick with me for quite some time. I already feel my book hangover coming on.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to not read too many blurbs and just pick up this book and start reading. I am willing to go out on a limb and proclaim that this is one of the best books I have read all year. I can tell you, for certain, that it is the first book this year to earn 5 stars from me. And those don’t get given out willy-nilly. I have read quite a few good books this year, but let me tell you why this one got 5 stars when others were given 4-4.5.

I could.not.put.this.book.down. I was so invested in Helena’s story, the way the story unfolded both in present time and through the book she was writing, the pacing and the character development, all of it. It just WORKED. It flowed. And it is so original; its premise and the way it is told. Oh, it just stays with you. I don’t even know what genre I would classify this. It is suspenseful because you know you are being led down a path, but it is also the story of a broken woman. I just know that it was a damn good story and I enjoyed every single second of it.

I highly recommend this book.

A good read is a story you can't put down once you start, and makes you glad for the time you spent consuming it. It can provoke you to tears, it can shock you, it can make you feel strong emotions.

The Ghostwriter is a good read! It has a unique plot with one twist after another. It was hard to read some parts because their pain was real and gut wrenching. This story hits all the points required to warrant 5 stars.

Helena, a famous young author, has a grave illness and does not have much time to live. Her final wish before she dies is to write a book confessing deep dark secrets from her past. Obviously it is a difficult topic but the author somehow created a story I wanted to read and not put down. The characters are well established and this makes the story realistic and believable. I felt that the book captured Helena's emotions well. She's very selfish at times, but then I suppose in this situation who wouldn't be at some point?

I can't reveal special spoilers but this book takes a twist that it melted my heart, I felt everything with Helena. The ending was infinitely painful and heart-breaking. Books hardly ever make me actually that emotional so this was special. Just read it!


In short:
Hero 4/5 | Heroine 5/5 | Plot (Point, Originality) 5/5 | Writing Style 5/5 | Steam 0/5 | Romance 0/5 | Angst-Suspense 4/5 | Darkness 3/5 | Humor 1/5 | Secondary Characters 4/5 | Drama-Conflict 5/5 | Mystery 5/5 | Twists 5/5 | Pacing Fast | Action 3/5

I originally marked this book as a 4 star read, I AM AN IDIOT!!!!
I have changed it to it's rightful 5 star shelf.


REVIEW


What do you do when you look in the mirror? Do you take a quick glance to check all is ok, or do you stand and take a really good look?

Do you study all of your laughter lines, your wrinkles, your grey hair, or do you really REALLY look???

If you really look, what do you see?
Are you happy with who you are?
With all you have ever done?
Of who you are perceived to be?

Ghostwriter, is like standing in front of a full length mirror and seeing all of the scars you have, all of the dirty secrets that, even though you tell your best friend everything, you would never tell them that......not that....not ever!!

The main character will probably be someone that you are not really that happy with, she's OK, she's grumpy, and to put it quite frankly, a bit of a bitch!

This, will maybe make you dislike her immensely, however, stick with the story, she has reason, a reason that I cannot (and will not) divulge! (Spoilers people!)

Mark, gahh I LOVE Mark, he is such a calming presence, he is like the Ying to Helena's Yang, the chalk to her cheese, the white to her black, her.......well you get the picture.

This story starts off a little slow, like a trot, however it gains speed, and then by the time you realise what is happening you are galloping through a minefield, and leaping over the things that you don't want to see.

My advice, apart from obviously reading this brilliant book, is GO IN BLIND, don't read any reviews (except mine of course!)

Savour every sentence, every line......Take a deep breath and buckle up, you are in for a bumpy ride!

I have been a huge fan of Alessandra Torre. Her books are amazing.
When I first heard she was writing Ghost Writer I was so EXCITED. I could wait to read this book.
When I heard what the book was about it already grabbed me. I know how it feels to be sick and wonder when my it will be my time to die.

This book took me on an emotional roller coasters ride. I felt so much for Helena. Even though she was a character in a book I could understand everything she felt. I could sympathize and emphasize with why she was who she was.

This was one of the best books I have read by far this year.
If you haven’t read Ghost Writer do so!!

Thank you Alessandra for this wonderful book❤️

Every household has secrets…. In this chilling thriller, one woman’s past exposes a haunting family secret.

It was 4am when I almost finished this book. I was on Chapter 64 trying to continue. But the tears were weighing me down tremendously. I needed to sleep. However, I knew I had to finish reading until the last page. Gradually, I decided to listen to some music for inspiration. I wanted something to calm the heartache and anxiety I was experiencing. As I scrolled through my playlist, suddenly two songs became the epitome of this story:

Celine Dion – My Heart Will Go On

Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You

In paraphrasing “My Heart Will Go On”, there are books that can touch you once and last a lifetime.” Well, my titanic is The Ghostwriter. It simply just swallowed my heart and soul.

Helena Ross, a bestselling romance author wants to write the epic love story of her life. She wants to pitch it to an editor who will most likely and very well may deny publishing it. It doesn’t matter. She has a story that needs to be told. Unimaginable loss compels her to tell this story.

To create her masterpiece, she will have to confront the darkest parts of her life built on lies. Under the most difficult of circumstances she needs a ghostwriter to complete her book. Who better to write her masterpiece than the sexy blond smut author Marka Vantly who she has a love/hate competitive rivalry with via email.

The story is told in alternating perspectives of Helena and her manuscript in progress, the ghostwriter, her agent and a reporter. It weaves a mystery guaranteed to keep you guessing. It explores a life plagued with secrets, grief and guilt. It will force us to ask ourselves how well do we know those who are closest to us.

The Ghostwriter tingles with a painful edge, spinning like a whirlwind toward its shocking conclusion. It’s a gripping tale of deception and betrayal dark enough to destroy a marriage…and a life. Every chapter ends with the perfect hook. You feel all of Helena’s torment and loss.

Fiction readers should already be reading Torre. However, if you are unfamiliar with her work (where have you been?!) this is the book to start. She has taken her exceptional writing to a whole new level as a new voice in suspense thrillers. With edge-of-your-seat angst, it will keep you wondering where the next clue will lead.

Damn Helena. Becoming a human in her final moments of life.

I didn’t know how to rate this book. I finished it last night, somewhere around 2 a.m. and I had no idea if I liked the book or loved it or disliked it. It’s such a strange book that you’re left wondering how you feel about all these unlikeable characters, all these guilty people. Who do you like, who do you hate?

This book is about a romance writer, who has lost everything in her life, and now she has only three months left. Three months in which she wants to write a book, her confession to all her sins. Helena is a very intriguing character, she is so cynical that it gets funny, at times. What was a bit nerve-wrecking to me was how long it took us to find out what the big deal was. What were Helena’s sins, why were they so huge that they tormented her so much?

I have three months to write the last book of my life. Three months to confess the details of that day, and how it changed everything for me.

I think one of the best things about this story is that it includes no unnecessary romance. It has beautiful and healing friendships (between a man and a woman, too!). Can you actually believe it? I feel like friendships between men and women are so rare in media and in books, having the friends always falling in love in the end and never presenting an actual healthy friendship that has no physical part. Which is very damaging to real life expectations, causing stupid concepts like the ‘friend-zone’ or guys getting very angry when a girl only wants to be friends because hey, that’s not how things are done with the movies… ‘I was supposed to be your friend for some years and then you’d have fallen in love with me, because you owe me that.’

Anyway, enough with my rant on social issues. Let’s get back to the actual plot of this book. What is the most frustrating thing about reviewing The Ghostwriter is that I can’t tell you anything about the big thing. The huge thing that changed Helena’s life forever, it’s an awful thing, but it’s totally not Helena’s fault, which makes me happy that in the end she had found resolution, she had found forgiveness in the people that were next to her.

The only reason why I took a star off this book is that the action is very rushed, in my opinion, there’s a lot of time spent on the process of writing Helena’s autobiography (I’ll call it that) and a very small time spent on what actually happened, what shook her family. When it happened, I felt like the writing got very frantic, it felt like you were in a carousel that only went up, up, up and you couldn’t help being overwelmed.

I liked Helena and how honest she was, sometimes so honest that she came across as cruel. I could relate to her thinking it’s a waste of time to be fake, to pretend you’re something you’re not. I loved her redemption arc, I loved how Torre didn’t shy away from writing a flawed character with issues, that people most of the time overlook.

Definitely try this book if you’re a fan of mystery, unlikeable character and unlikely friendships, the writing is quite simple, so you’ll fly through it. But be aware of the fact that this book can be triggering, since it’s very dark towards the end.

If you lie enough times, no one believes your truth.

The Ghostwriter by Alessandra Torre is a dark, haunting story about secrets and lies. It’s a story about obsession and loss. And ultimately, it’s a story about forgiveness and love.

Helena Ross is a successful, bestselling romance author. She’s at the peak of her career. But her next novel will be her last. Helena has a shocking secret that she has kept hidden for the past four years. But in her final book, all will be revealed. Because this book is so wonderfully twisty, I think it’s best enjoyed without giving away too much about the plot.

Helena is a character who I know will stay with readers long after the book is over. She’s richly complex and my feelings toward her completely changed by the end of the book.

Torre’s writing is both lyrical and poignant. Her words soar off the page. I found myself engrossed in the story, but frequently had to pause, go back, and re-read because the writing is so beautiful—and, in many cases, heartbreaking. As I read the final chapters, I had to set the book down at one point because I couldn’t see past my tears. It’s that good.

I highly recommend The Ghostwriter.

This is only the second book that I have read from Alessandra Torre. I loved [book:Black Lies|22471294] and I was excited to read this one. I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting into with this book since it clearly states that this was not a romance novel. I beg to differ. Boy meets girl. Girl falls in love with boy. They get married and have a beautiful daughter together. Just no happily ever after.

Helena Ross is a bestseller author of romance novels. She has 3 months to write her final book. She has been keeping a secret for four years and this is her confession.

This book is emotional, heart-breaking and suspenseful. The mystery of her secret keeps you turning the page. All the characters are well developed. Helena is not a likable person. She is bossy, arrogant and controlling. But you also mourn her.

I definitely recommend this book. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I would like to thank NetGalley and DCA for supplying a copy of Alessandra Torre's "The Ghostwriter" in exchange for a honest review.

I’ve read quite a few books by Alessandra Torre over the past couple years and I have to say that The Ghostwriter is unlike anything she has written before. While the main character Helena is a best-selling romance novelist, this story is definitely not a romance. I really loved the plot of this one. Helena is a very different yet intriguing character, she’s difficult and frustrating but you can’t help but become completely fascinated with her.

The Ghostwriter is mostly told from Helena’s perspective, but we also get snippets from some of the secondary characters as well. This story provided a lot of twists and turns and definitely kept me guessing as a reader. My only criticism would be that the first half of the novel seemed to drag on a little too long. There were portions of writing that I didn’t feel were necessary to the plot. I found myself skimming through some sections looking for the next bit of dialogue.

I don’t want to give anything away, I loved going into this story having no clue where Torre was going to take things. Overall, I did enjoy this story. Torre provides readers with such a refreshing and unique plot, and the mystery behind Helena definitely made for a great reading experience.

Who can see a movie coming to life with this story? I CAN! I SO CAN! A blockbuster in my opinion!

This is one of those books that will keep you thinking about it for a long time... Alessandra Torre proved, again, with this one, that she is indeed one of my favorite authors!
The story is gripping. Keep you on your toes the whole time. You might even be scared to read/know more. So, so intense!

The blurb says everything you need to know to start reading it.

Helena is dying and need to confess her sins. She starts writing the book but soon realizes she wont have time for it and decides to get a ghostwriter to help her.
Helena, the author, in the beginning is a very cold woman. Then, you start understanding her motives. You can feel the hurt and regret in her words.
When you acknowledge her final confession, the whys and hows, you finally realize the despair this woman lived for 4 years.

The only thing I didn't liked so much, but not even a reason to not give this book 5 stars, was the changing between first person to third in chapters.

A MUST read!