"A perfect morning. A perfect husband. A perfect daughter. A perfect lie."

The Ghostwriter is Alessandra Torre's latest, and greatest, new release. It's the kind of novel you go into blind and finish a changed person, pushing it on your fellow readers and trying desperately to not giveaway the story while still being convincing that "they have to read it now." Okay, maybe that's just me. It's an unpredictable novel, with the main character most kindly described as emotionally vacant and mean. The reader gets to know Helena's inner-most thoughts from first person point of view, while also seeing her from the outside perspective of a handful of secondary characters from the third person perspective. Alessandra Torre further adds to the novel by giving us a book within a book, the start of each chapter of Helena's novel providing us glimpses into her past and the events that left her closed off and aloof. We discover she isn't vacant of emotion, rather she's drowning in it and fully aware of the mistakes she's made as a wife and mother.

"Soulmates or Tragedy. And sometimes, both."

I had tears in my eyes 20% in, I was exclaiming out loud by 40% that this was such an amazing book, and at 70% I tweeted that I suspected this had a chance of being my top read of 2017. I never could have predicted the ending, the twists, the past that had turned Helena into the witch the townsfolk never saw. Helena is difficult to like, but she's impossible not to feel for. My heart broke for her, I ached over the life lessons she never should have had to learn, and I hoped so dearly that something positive could come of her terrible prognosis. Helena is a fierce woman and it was incredible to read the book from her perspective. The secondary characters were phenomenal as well; I loved the little bits of gossip that made Helena real, the people who come to her side unwelcome, but necessary, and the constructive change they brought to her bleak world. I felt every emotion as I read The Ghostwriter and I slipped into this book like it was my life too, it was like being a writer myself. It was captivating, heartbreaking, and so profound.

"It's not hard to imagine a happier version of you."

I am a massive fan of Alessandra Torre and I thought I knew what I would be getting out of The Ghostwriter, but it was beyond anything I could have ever imagined. It's a stunning novel that highlights Alessandra Torre's storytelling ability and her strength as a wordsmith. I was held captive by this book from beginning to end, not even tears and the suffocating emotions that the book brought on could stop me from reading. Though it is about a very challenging subject matter, I think the original story line and the pacing of the novel took it from uncomfortable to thought-provoking. The Ghostwriter doesn't read like previous novels from Alessandra Torre, it's an outstanding example of her versatility and will captivate fans of all genres. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would, because The Ghostwriter is absolutely my Top Read of 2017.

"We all have a Happily Ever After, each story just needs to pick the right time to claim it."

The Ghostwriter has headed straight onto my top reads of 2017, horrifically beautiful, brilliantly written to wring every last ounce of emotion out of you, I cried great big buckets of tears after turning that last page, so caught up had I been in this story and the characters within it.

Helena Ross is a hugely successful romance novelist, many bestsellers under her belt, now she finds her time is limited - Helena is dying. Before she does she wants to write one final book - the one that tells a truth she has hidden from for years. Realising she cannot do it alone, she hires a ghostwriter making a surprising choice as she does so.

This book is enduring and resonant - from the very first page when we meet the spiky, often unlikable Helena right to the very last moments when you understand her so very well - Alessandra Torre has written a barnstormer of a story, avoided all sense of the obvious, dropped well below the radar of cliche and just simply immersed the reader in this woman's life - and the life of those around her during her final months on earth. As her backstory unfolds, as her ghostwriter follows her lead, you simply cannot stop reading and reading - layer upon layer, The Ghost Writer is at once melancholy and uplifting, intensely sad, yet redemptive, I'm not even sure I can describe how I felt at the end of it.

The characters are larger than life, they burst from the page with a radiant intensity - Helena herself, the writer with whom her relationship changes, her agent who is both aghast and confused by what Helena is demanding, all of them will stay with you long after the story is done. The intuitive way the author points you towards an understanding of them, the truly heart breaking ultimate resolution, the pure power of it, well this is what I look for in my reading life. The ones that make me look outside myself, the ones that make me cry those cathartic, final tears before finally putting them aside. Those.

Absolutely highly recommended

32 year old Helena has been a very successful romance author for the last decade.
She also has been married and had a daughter.
But both Simon and Bethany are not in her life anymore. We have no idea what happened.
We only know that Helena has only three more months to live and she wants to write one last book. Not a romance. A true story kind of thing. But we don't really know what the story is. Only that it's the story of her life.
And since she doesn't have enough energy to write a book she would normally have a year for, in three months - she hires a ghostwriter. Who better than her archenemy - smut author Marka!
Only Marka is so not who Helena expected ...

What will happen with Helena & her ghostwriter???
Will the book be finished on time?
And what will be in it?????
READ THIS BOOK TO FIND OUT!☺

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Huh!

That was so not what I was expecting. Especially after just watching Alessandra's Hollywood Dirt on PassionFlix! ☺
I already kind of knew that it wouldn't be a romance - but I was hoping for a bit of something sweet or adorable!
And even though there wasn't .... it was an amazing book.
A different kind of book, but still amazing.
It's not a thriller - not a mystery - even though it is kind of mysterious and/or suspensy until we find out what happened at the end. ☺
It's a story so full of pain and hurt and guilt and fear and regret.

I loved reading it. (Does that make me weird?🤔 )

Helena is an amazing character. Amazingly broken and flawed and talented ...
The way Alessandra desribes her and everything around her - I felt like I was right there with her - or at least sitting in front of Netflix watching THE GHOSTWRITER! Please Netflix, come do this!!!

Marka was also really great - a good friend to Helena in that last chapter of her life.

What can I say without spoiling anything...

Don't expect a romance.
Don't expect a happy end.
Expect a bit of crazy and weird.
Expect to feel.
Expect to be thoroughly entertained and left with a lot to think about.

THE GHOSTWRITER was such a heartbreakingly sad story. A very moving and emotional last chapter in the life of a bestselling author. Don't be afraid - read it!!!

P.S. I needed a box of tissues at the end. ☺

Wow.The Ghostwriter was captivating from the very first sentence.
It was so not what I was expecting yet This book was addictive. It's so unlike any book I've ever read. Bare with me ok? It IS a romance book yet isn't, It IS a suspense/ mystery yet really isn't, It's a tad odd and weird at the same time yet sad and beautiful. I loved loved this book!

Helena is a 32 year old writer. She's the 'Queen of Romance' novels with over 10 books under her belt. She a little eccentric and there's nothing in this world that she loves more than to write words- writing is a drug for Helena.
Helena has a sense of humour and wonder, it just choose to come out in her novels and not in her human interactions.
In this final book, Helena plans to write a manuscript where the heroine will be closer to her than any other she's ever written. A heroine whose shoes she has filled, whose steps she took,decisions she mad,sins she committed. A book that mirrors her, a story that will be immortalized. Yet at the same time her greatest fear though is that people won't read it. That she could end up in the clearance bin.

This book, like the character manages to slip humour into the darkest of situations, adding just the right about of life to keep our hearts from stopping. It's mysteriously beautiful- full of suspense and a roller coaster ride of emotions.
This book is  vivid, painful, unexpectedly heartbreaking and beautiful!
A MUST MUST MUST read!!!

The Ghostwriter is a beauty of its own kind. It's incredibly emotional and possibly even vulnerable. It's unexpected, poetic, sad, and cathartic. It's one of those books that will think for you- you just seem to melt into the pages as if it's your own life right in front of your eyes. I am highly impressed by this one and almost at a loss for words to say about it other than it's a must have book for all readers in 2017.

This book is unlike anything that I have read in a long time. Perhaps it is also unlike anything Alessandra Torre has ever written? I can't be sure because I have only read a handful of her novels in the past, but it is quite different than one would originally think. It's NOT a romance novel. It's not the type of book that will leave you wanting more and it's certainly not one with a happy ending (although this can be debated because I think there IS happiness in the ending). It's sort of like a letter of death (for lack of a better word). Readers KNOW what is going to happen yet, they need to see in unfold before their very eyes. It also has an air of suspense because what lead to the events that surrounds the story remains a mystery until the end.

With that, I refuse to give away any of the plot for two reasons. First, there is simply no way that I can sum up this book and do any justice to it. It's the story of someone’s life and the aftermath of tragedies. How could I possibly explain it all without giving anything away? I can't. Secondly, this is the type of book that needs to be read and felt without spoilers. So, do yourself a favor and grab this one. But be aware, it is incredibly heartbreaking but also meaningful.

This is not a love story. It's not light and fluffy with a happily ever after. It's not easy, doesn't have a lovable, endearing heroine or anything I would usually expect. But none of that matters. It's still the best book I have read this year, hands down. And I've read a LOT.

Helena is an odd duck. She kind of makes me wonder if most writers are a little eccentric and live in a different world than the rest. Choices she has made in life, the way she's been with people, or handled certain situations, made me at time downright uncomfortable. Many times, it was easy to forget how young she was.

This IS told from multiple perspectives. The very most important focus- getting out her final story, her final truth. And even though the whole story leads to that big moment, I was still shocked. Surprised. Sad and confused. It was as hard for me to read as it was for her to tell. If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would.

I'm really not sure where to start my review of The Ghost Writer. I've read Alessandra's work many times and enjoyed it. Compared to what I have read before, yes this is very different. For starters as the book genre states this is general fiction and I must stress I went into this book knowing that. There is not romance, it is not light, it's hard going, at times grueling and somewhat dark.

At times I struggled with this story, why you may ask? Well taking aside the genre which I don't read often at all (I only requested this book on NetGalley as it was one of Alessandra's books and I like her as an writer) I didn't really like the characters either. Helena isn't the easiest character to like. I found her wooden, robotic and odd. But I feel she is meant to be that way too. We know throughout the story she is unique, different, maybe odd and has quirks. I don't want to talk about the other characters too much as its all leads the story of the last 3 months into a seamless piece of fiction which is heart wrenching, raw and eye opening towards the end. In fact I feel the last 25% of the book is where everything comes together and you finally learn what happened and why. The other characters were well chosen and well wrote, even the cow part made me smile as it was different. Something you may think insignificant yet relevant in the story. Many times I felt like skimming but I felt like I owed it to Helena to hear her words, even though I was impatient and needed to know what was going to happen (Or had happened).

Do I think you should read this book? Well, if you like general fiction which is depressing, slightly dark and enticing (Making you read it even though you know the outcome is never going to be good) read this book. If you like Alessandra's previous work and want to see just how well she can write in a different scope - read this book. If you want romance, sex and a HEA don't bother. 4 stars for a unique book that I read in 1 sitting and could not put down.

Get ready to get your socks knocked off in the next book by Alessandra Torre-The Ghostwriter!!!

I was sooo excited when I seen this book being mentioned on social media and y'all it does not disappoint!!! Your emotions are going to be tested.

A note from the Author: * This book is not a romance. It is contemporary fiction, but very suspenseful in nature.* And ohhh sooo good!!

Now onto my review: Helena Ross is a famous romance author-she is a bit eccentric, umm well, maybe a lot...lol She has a dark secret. She receives some devastating news and decides that her last and final book she writes will be a confession. She has three months to do this confession. She has three months to figure out if she can get a book written although she will need some help getting it done...A Ghostwriter.....

Sooo I am stopping my review here, I don't want to say anything else to ruin it for you!! I gave this book 5 iScream Books Cones!! If you have read any of Torre's books and if you are like me, you will just love this book!! I could not wait to find out what the confession was, this is one of those books I wanted to cheat and turn to the end of the book and find out the heck this secret was..lol But I was a good girl and did not do that...lol Sooo worth the wait!!!

5 Another Brilliant Side of Torre Stars
* * * * * Spoiler Free
It is 1:30 AM and I just finished this book. I should go to sleep as I have work tomorrow and an early start. Instead, I am sitting here and thinking back to my first Alessandra Torre experience. I was new to Goodreads, made a few friends and was somehow directed to a little series. The first entry was To Have, Part One of The Dumont Diaries.

From the start, I was taken with it... So taken, I took it upon myself to reach out to the author and let her know. I wrote to her and surprisingly enough... She wrote back. From that first contact, I was lucky enough to get to know the person who was responsible for those words which captured my imagination.

That was in August of 2013.

Alessandra Torre has written a lot of books since then. She has done many different types of romance books. All of them crafted, focused and with a specific flavor. Some darker than others, some maybe more RomCom... but all of them clearly sit in the Romance category.

This book... Not a Romance at All.

But this Book...is the one where you get to say... You knew all about the author, Alessandra Torre, before everyone else did. Because this book is the kind where other readers of Women Fiction, Thrillers/Mysteries, Psychological Dramas... those readers are going to discover her and think they have found something special....But you will be able to say...Smugly...

You knew she was special all along.....and it's nice to see others catching up.

Now you might think, damn that is some praise...I must be a bit off... going on and on about this book to say all of this...and that could be true...

But for me...this book struck a chord...The idea of it all and how it was done... The way we were led down a path we knew was going to difficult... but didn't know why...The way all of the layers were stripped away and what was left was the raw, real experience...

I am sorry I cannot tell you anything specific... I truly feel you need to go into this with just the blurb. Just know you are in the artful hands of Alessandra Torre and in my opinion, she will not let you down.

Sometimes, despite my best intentions to stick purely to my TBR I get drawn in and tempted by other books when browsing Netgalley, most of the time I end up with something either decent, or mediocre. But occasionally I end up with a book that's so good it will give me the book hangover from hell. The Ghostwriter by Alessandra Torre is one of these books.

I find reviews where I loved a book so much despite its maudlin content, really difficult to write. So be patient with me reader, please.

The Ghostwriter's main character is Helena Ross, a published author of romance novels who pulls in 6 figure advances (I know right, a budding writer's dream), she is a snarky, self absorbed, grumpy, old woman in a 32 year old's body. Then she finds out she is terminally ill. The diagnosis and her short prognosis convinces her that it's time to write a novel about her own life. Her confession. The reason her behaviour has become even more erratic, the reason she lied to the police and the reason that her husband and child are no longer with her.

This book had so many emotions. I was tearing through it at a rate I rarely do these days, so absorbed did I become in Helena's story. A character who is so flawed, so desperately unlikeable and yet one we can all relate to. The solitary life of a reader and writer who cares for nothing else but.

The distress she feels and the anticipation at finally discovering what had happened. The writer leads us along the path of the ghost writer themselves, learning everything about Helena before the final secrets are revealed. Causing us to live, moment by moment with her, desperate to know, making our own assumptions until wham! It hits you like a dumbbell in the face.

This novel walks away with an easy 5* rating. This is One that will leave me reeling for a while.

That was an incredibly emotional read. This was an original storyline and I enjoyed every word. Helena is dying... and she has been holding onto some very powerful secrets. Her last book is also her confession. A big thank you to DCA via Netgalley for a copy of this book to read and review in return for an unbiased review. I will certainly be looking out for this author again

This is the first book I've read by Alessandra and I cried all the way through. I know normally she writes romance but this is anything but that. By the first chapter, I was addicted. I've never read anything like this before. It was so intense and I still can't stop crying. What a way to capture a reader. I'll definitely be reading more of Alessandra's books.

THE GHOSTWRITER is my joint favourite book of 2017 and I've read upwards of 200 this year. This is a contemporary suspense read with challenging subject matter but with the kind of writing that beautifully navigates you through the difficulties.

There are three main characters in this story but Helena is at the helm. She's an author but this time she needs a ghostwriter to help her tell this story and it's her autobiography she's telling. Her husband Simon is at the fore, as is the ghostwriter Mark.

"I hate Simon with my entire soul, and I love him with every other inch of my body, and neither really matters."

Helena is a character that is rather hard to like. She was a hermit to all intents and purposes. The why of this was a question I asked of the book all the way through. I felt compassion for her but the more I got to know of her behaviour to other human beings, of the realities of her parenting, the more I struggled with who she was. I questioned her mental health, diagnosing disorders but it didn't really matter. Over time, I came to an understanding of who she was, of her self awareness and her fight for others. I admired her.

A lot of this story is about Helena and Simon, on the face of it their marriage was uncomplicated, underneath, it was so complicated that it took the whole book to fathom the depth of the secrets, lies and subversive deceit. I'm not even going to speak to my feelings regarding Simon but it felt 'off' early on.

"Maybe we're normal. Maybe every husband drives his wife crazy. Maybe every wife falls short. But it doesn't feel normal. It feels like we are at war. A war I am losing."

As Mark helps Helena to tell her story, something special happens, a chink of light, of friendship. Mark was my ray of good in this book and I admired his friendship towards Helena, complex though it was. Mark was carrying all the same questions that I had as a reader, waiting and waiting for the answers.

"We are climbing the hill towards the climax, though Mark doesn't know that yet. He has no idea that all of these pieces, all of the stories, are blocks of dynamite, carefully placed and positioned for eventual explosion."

The book started as hugely intriguing, even a little mellow. The suspense built and built to crescendo of need to know the answers and I blew through the last 70% to reach the conclusion. What happened was utterly unexpected, the whys, the how's and the tragedy. The context of the answers were difficult to read but ultimately fulfilling in what was a excellently developed story with characters that don't often come along.

I am a fan of all the genres Alessandra Torre has written, I've read all of her books but I favoured the 6e series. THE GHOSTWRITER is her best work to date. I am emotionally drained and at a loss after reading this book because it was just that good.

A copy of this book was provided by the author through netgalley in return for a honest review.

Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.

4.5/5 stars

Initial Thoughts: I had no idea what to expect from this book. But it was really good. This book is not a romance. The author describes it as contemporary fiction with some suspense. I think that is accurate.

The main narrator is Helena (she is in her early 30s). She is a very different narrator. She is a best selling romance author. But she is cold and emotionally distant.

I like books that are different and that make me think.

When I finished this book I had tears pouring down my eyes. I like books that make me feel. This book made me feel.

Review:

The Ghostwriter is a standalone novel. I would describe it as Contemporary Fiction with some suspense.

The main character is best selling romance author Helena Ross. The first line of the book sets the tone. And it is clear right away that this story is not a romance with a happily ever after. It is interesting that the author makes this clear upfront.

The book is told in multiple POVs. Helena's POV is first person, while the others are told 3rd person.

Helena's biggest author rival is erotica writer Marka Vantly. I loved everything about this rivalry and especially how this part played out.

Right from the start it is clear that Helena is not your regular heroine. Her relationship with her agent Kate is filled with rules. In just a couple of chapters the author shows us Helena's personality. She is rigid, controlling and demanding. I was intrigued with her right from the start.

The tone of this book was so different than most books. Helena was so cold that I was completely fascinated by her and how she acted.

The book takes places mostly in New London, Connecticut (where Helena lives).

Helena has a book to write. But she has a self-imposed deadline of 3 months. I liked everything about the book she was writing and it was so interesting to see the writing process.

I like books that are unpredictable. I like books that make me think and that are different. This book is all of those things and more. The story was so intriguing. I did not want to put it down.

The book included an element of suspense as we found out more about key elements of Helena's book. It was riveting, especially the end. I could not wait to see how things would play out.

I love it when a story moves me. But it's not that often that tears are rolling down my cheeks by the end. But The Ghostwriter did that to me. Even more remarkable is that I felt this way even with a narrator who could be considered unlikable. This book was thought-provoking and captivating. If you only read romance books with happy endings then this book will not be for you. But I would highly recommend this book to anybody who loves great writing and an original, moving, and fascinating story. This book was full of suspense. And it made me feel so much. Great story!

4.25 stars.

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

I love Alessandra Torre's writing a lot. She does a great job in coming up with stories that are different and unpredictable. I hesitated before picking up this book, I didn't know if I would like it or not. I went with my gut and trusted Alessandra to come up with a great story. The blurb doesn't give away a lot, however I don't think you need to know more than that. I loved the main character Helena, she is a bit different and does things her own way. I was looking forward to seeing her character develop throughout the story, and I couldn't wait for the truth to be revealed.

"It's not hard to write a book. The words are easy. What's difficult is the ability to breathe life into them."

I enjoyed this book a lot. The writing was excellent, and I didn't expect anything less from this author. I wasn't completely connected to the main characters and that is probably because I felt like there was more to be told. I especially wanted to know more about the other very important character in this book. I also figured a few things out halfway through the book before the big reveal, which decreased the shock effect on me. I think if I didn't predicted it, I would've rated it a solid 4.5 stars. It was very emotional and original. I haven't read anything like this book before. Especially the last 20% of the book had me hooked and on the edge of my seat. I couldn't contain my tears. The mystery effect especially in the beginning did a great job in keeping me hooked.