I do NOT want to reveal too much about this book. The blurb was written in a specific way so we go in knowing very little. There are some books where this is a must... The Ghostwriter is one of those books so I’m going to tell you about Alessandre Torre’s writing and how this book made me feel. This was the first book I have read by Torre, however, I have a few on my kindle. I just haven’t gotten to them yet... you know, the ol’ TBR pile is stacked high! I have fallen in love with her writing during The Ghostwriter. Torre paints a picture with her words as if she was showing you an image.

There is a quote in this book that is complete perfection: “It’s not hard to write a book. The words are easy. What’s difficult is the ability to breathe life into them.” While I do not know if it’s actually easy to write a book, I do know that Torre put so much breathe into her written words that you could feel them pulsing with life. Her story took on a life that consumed me for a day while I devoured it as quickly as I could.

The Ghostwriter is written so flawlessly that you won’t know if you like the main character or not. You won’t be able to explain why such a sad and, somewhat, melancholy book can cause you to ignore your real life surrounding you. There is a horribly, beauty to this book that everyone will appreciate and relate to... sometimes life is exactly that... horribly, beautiful. This book will leave you completely stunned. If you’re like me, it will leave you speechless. I’ve waited nearly a week before writing even this bare review down. The real and raw emotion this book left me with was almost embarrassing... by the last page I was sobbing. Yes, sobbing... you know tears pouring down my blood-shot eyes while sniffling the snot trying to run out of my nose. Lovely, huh? Keep tissues handy, you will need them!

I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... my opinions.

***4.5 ‘Side Effect’ Stars***

Alessandra Torre’s name is one of those that when you hear it you automatically associate with romance, even if you haven’t read any of her books your brain goes automatically goes to that word: Romance. So when I heard she had written a book that wasn’t romance I was intrigued and when I saw it up on NetGalley I had to request it just to see what she had come up with and what a journey it was. This isn’t a happy, light, swoony book in anyways, but there is a sense of rightness in the path to redemption Helena takes that made it a fascinating read that kept me turning the pages until the bitter end.

I wouldn’t say that I liked Helena ~ she isn’t someone that wants to be liked, but I did find her fascinating in how she saw the world and how she did her best to control everything and everyone around her. She is stuck in her head and her view of what is right and wrong isn’t extreme, just filled with no areas of gray ~ unless it has to do with the characters of her romance novels.

As for the story itself. I really enjoyed the style in which it was told and how everything was revealed. There is a lot of inner monologuing going on, but it works perfectly with this story because of who Helena is. There are other characters that come into play, Mark is my favorite, and they bring a bit of light to the story, but also help to give us a better and more well rounded understanding of the very enigmatic Helena Ross. Overall, this was an interesting and intriguing read that kept me guessing right up to the very end.

3.5 “Writing Secrets” Stars

ARC via NetGalley.

Thank you!

I think it's never enough to say that this book isn't a romance. At all. So if you know Alessandra Torre because of her steamy romance stories, don't come expecting more of the same. You'll get to meet a completely different side of her with this book.

Writing a review for this book isn't an easy task. I believe readers should go into this knowing just as little as the blurb tells . THis way, they'll get to experience each reveal and each twist. That's how I did it, and it worked for me.

I have to say I was surprised at how different this was from Alessandra Torre's previous books. The writing is still as good, but while in romance stories the author needs to make the main characters likable and relatable, Alessanda Torre didn't pull back from making Helena complex and, yeah, unlikable. Getting behind Helena's actions and reactions was hard--half the time I was just perplexed at how rude she was--but even that didn't make me want to stop reading. Normally, when I can't connect with the main character, I have to fight the urge to just drop the book and go read something else, but this didn't happen here. I wanted to know what had happened in Helena's life to make her that way. I wanted to follow her story.

The whole mystery behind Helena's "confession book" was the main reason I kept reading. I had an idea of what had happened from the beginning, but I didn't know how and why, and when the truth came to light, my heart broke a little for her. It still didn't make me like or understand her 100%, though. And you know what? That's also okay. I don't have to love Helena or any other main character to enjoy their story. When well done, an unlikable narrator can make the book special (see my love for Gone Girl by Gillian Flyyn).

Besides, Helena's literary agent and her writer rival brought enough likability to make up for Helena's grumpiness. I loved how these two characters came into Helena's life and refused to leave even though she initally treated them so badly. They made her less lonely and therefore more human.

I had a few problems with pacing and with Helena's reactions after she learns "the truth", but I can say this book surprised me in a positive way. I wasn't expecting something so raw, but that's what I got, and it fit the premise and the complexity of the characters perfectly.

Alessandra Torre has been a favorite author of our blog for a long time. She is such a versatile writer, who can really write (successfully) any genre!

The Ghostwriter is not her typical genre for sure! It is more of a mystery/thriller than a romantic story-line. But it is beautifully written and captivated us from the first page! The story is raw and breathtaking and we highly recommend it!

The Ghostwriter opens with the primary narrator proclaiming that she is a murderess and that she has three months to live. Most of us would assume we’ve got the story figured out from the start, but in Torre-esque style, that is just the tip of the iceberg.

The Ghostwriter is not a romance, per se. However, this incredibly suspenseful contemporary fiction is a story of love. It tells the tale of love between newlyweds, between parent and child, and the sort of love that comes from years of acquaintance. That said, The Ghostwriter is not a sunny-field-of-flowers sort of read. I was pensive, distraught, angry, sentimental, and sad while reading this book. It has been quite some time since my eyes teared-up over a book; The Ghostwriter is definitely a book to keep the tissues at the ready.

The layers of the richly developed characters and their relationships are exposed as Helena shares her story with her ghostwriter. High strung, creative, crazy, wildly successful are all good descriptions for the main character Helena Ross. She is OCD, a bit of a recluse, and she is much more. Helena is a complex character, and while she might not be completely likeable, you can’t help but empathize with her. I loved the intense competition between Helena and her fellow writer, Marka Vantly—the terse, barb-riddled correspondence between the two masks their individual feelings that their competitor just might be better in every way.

From word one to the last I was in this story—like a specter hovering in each scene. The Ghostwriter is a gripping book that I literally didn’t put down once I started it. The story starts slowly with the introduction of characters and setting, with the tension steadily building to a crescendo like a banshee’s wail. Judging by my pounding heart, reading this book, might be equivalent to a cardio workout.

Avoid reviews with spoilers—it will absolutely ruin this book for you. Grab this book, get your chores done, and start reading. The Ghostwriter by Alessandra Torre is one of my top reads for 2017.

When I finished The Ghostwriter by Alessandra Torre, I put my iPad down and just took a minute. Or two. I needed them. This book was powerful, emotional and raw. One of the best books I have read this year. The prologue set the perfect tone for the book. Because you know something is coming. Something big. By the time I reached the last words, I was drained.

Helena Ross is an internationally known author. Many of her books have been bestsellers. She has written fifteen romance novels. You would think love and romance fills her life. You would be wrong. And now? Now in just three short months, she needs to write the most important book of her life. Her confession.

Helena Ross stopped living four years ago. After the day her life changed irrevocably. Her existence now is her words and the empty space of her home that haunts her every waking moment. I was not sure how I felt about Helena at first. She was difficult, rude and condescending to those around her. Cold and distant, she was unlikeable and someone you could never relate too.

But now that she has only three months to write this one last book, she needs helps. She needs a ghostwriter that can capture the words she needs to expel. What she has hidden from everyone for the last four years. She decides to enlist the help of her nemesis. An author she despises on principal, but one she knows can tell the story as needed. But she is in for the surprise of her life when she gets that help she so desperately needs.

And so we embark on the journey that was Helena’s life. We get some insight on how she was raised and how she became to be the woman she is today. We learn of her happy times and her lowest times. We begin to see a Helena that has many layers. Does this make her likeable? Relatable? I am not sure, but it made her human. Her story is heartbreaking and maddening. But it is her story to tell.

I have to say, I loved Mark. He came in with one thought when he met Helena, but somehow Helena touched him in a way that only a memory of a loved one can. He was a good man and the perfect partner for Helena during this time and to help put her thoughts into words for her final book.

I absolutely loved The Ghostwriter by Alessandra Torre. This book consumed me from the start. It was such a powerful story of a broken and lost person. I felt her pain, her loss, her grief. This is not a romance, but a story of a person’s downfall and final redemption. Helena was not an easy person to like, but you will come to understand her. This was one of the best books I have read this year and highly recommend reading it!

Expiration dates…….so many things possess them. It’s the final notice that many ignore. When it comes to your life, it puts a finality on every moment that has passed. A chance to reflect on the good and the bad. For Helena Ross – writing has always been the focus in her life. The ‘final notice’ on her time on this earth leaves Helena contemplating a story that must be told. The final chapter on that untold tale that will shake things up when she is gone. The only question is how can this final book be written before Helena’s passing? The only solution Helena can see revolves around a Ghostwriter.

With quirks and demands throughout her career that have left her ‘friendless’ and alone, Helena knows that there can be only one person who she trusts to make this book happen. A rival in the industry known for turning out book after book. What Helena didn’t expect was to have the people she turned away rally around her for this final hurrah!! A culmination of years worth of trials and tribulation that have lead to this moment. A final time to place pen upon paper.

Nothing could have prepared Helena to relive those moments with someone that was quickly becoming more ‘friend’ than ‘foe’. The only question remaining is if this last verse will make it to see the light of day. Putting all of her hurt and heartache aside, Helena pushes through the pain to find the courage to share one of the most epic novels with the one that will help her through it all.

First let me start by saying that if you are a fan of the author, this novel is unlike any of her previous works. The story has a life of its own that will lead you down a path of heartache and hurt. While I enjoyed the story as a whole, I managed to figure out the plot long before I probably should have. There were moments that I felt could have had more realistic occurrences. The premise that a Ghostwriter would automatically accept Helena’s terms without much resistance just didn’t pan out for me.

Then there is the tag line that the novel falls into the suspense category. Nope…..definitely not suspenseful in the content. Which was a bit of a letdown when I finished the book. With that said, The Ghostwriter DOES have one of the more unique story lines to date from the author. A fact that should be acknowledged in this market of repetitive story ideas. The Ghostwriter falls into its own category. One that will lead readers on a path of indecision, second looks, and a heartache so deep you will feel it through the words in each chapter.

Ghostwriter is a book to go into with a open mind. I was shocked and so deep into reading I couldn’t put it down. I felt like I was writing Helens story and feeling everything thru her eyes. This isn’t a romance story it’s full of heartache, lies and hidden life. This book really opened my eyes to how we see people from the outside but do we truly know someone? Or is everyone just full of lies and hiding the real them? The author gave me chills and I even had to stop reading at one point because I was so shocked and shaking. A very unique story that has you gripping your kindle till the end. 5/5 stars definitely in my top 2017 Reads for its uniqueness ****Reviewed for Sweet & Spicy Read provided for a voluntarily Advanced Reader Copy of this book ****

I have no words…
I don’t know if I will ever be able to talk about this book or how I felt while reading it.

This book haunted me, touched me, I couldn’t put it down, I cried, I have been horrified, I have been tensed from page one to the last.
This book is my first one of Alessandra Torre, and it will not be the last one. No romance here but a mystery novel, a psychologic one.

Helena Ross is a famous best-seller author. Her last wish is to finish writing her last book: the most important of her life. She has three months to do it because she is dying from cancer. It will be about her life and all the secrets inside it.
Well, that was her plan but she knows that it will be impossible because she needs one year to write a novel… So her last chance is to ask the help of a Ghostwriter, so she asks Kate, her agent, to find him.

Yes, this book is about sickness/illness but it is not just about that. To be honest, it’s a small part of the plot, more like a deadline.

This book is more about writing, the love of it! The need for an author to write, the process, the path from an idea to a manuscript and toward a book. You will be immerged in the publishing world with agents, contracts etc.

I have been captived by the story! I couldn’t stop thinking about it even when I closed the book.
Helena‘s story deeply moves the reader, there is no concession. We follow the story chapter by chapter to reach the truth, the final revelation.

Alessandra is a suspense genius, she gives us clues during all the novel. She gives us her story, we have the sensation to be a guest behind the scene because we know that each word, each clue leads to the revelation, exactly the same way Helena lives with her book.

I really loved Helena character: her spirit, her comes back, her sarcasm. I was touched by her personality. The same way I was touched by the Ghostwriter: his words, touches, he is really important for the story and I love their duet.

We can call it a psychologic mystery, a « behind closed doors » story between the past and the present.

When I finished the novel, I was totally moved. Moved by the story, the feelings, the words and last but not least: Alessandra’s style which adds « un je ne sais quoi » so real and alive.

I didn’t expect anything when I started the novel and yet I have been hooked from the first page! I highly recommend it!
You can see my review on my blog: https://lilynotebook.wordpress.com/2017/10/03/the-ghostwriter-alessandra-torre/

The Ghostwriter

by Alessandra Torre

DCA



General Fiction (Adult) , Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 02 Oct 2017

I am reviewing a copy of The Ghostwriter through DCA and Netgalley:

Helena Ross only has three months to live, three months to write the last book of her life.

Helena Ross has written fifteen romance novels, ten of them becoming international best sellers, but will she be able to finish her final book?

Helena is only nineteen when her agent gets her first novel

Helena does not really have friends, her time was spent either reading or writing.

Realizing she is not going to have the energy to do this final book so she ask her agent Kate to find a Ghostwriter.

Her final book will bring the truth she had hidden from the police to light, the truth about her husband and daughter.

Five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Really good read. Once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. Something different from Alessendra, which is good to see.

The Ghostwriter isn't my normal read. This book is not full of fluff and a swoonworthy lead. No, this book is raw and dark, full of suspense that makes it impossible to put down. I know because I finished it at 2:30AM. I didn't even realize what time it was I was so engrossed in this book. The Ghostwriter left me in awe of Alessandra Torre's talent. This isn't my first book by her, in actuality, I'm obsessed with her writings. Going into each book I know to hold on tight because she is about to take me on a wild ride, giving me small clues along the way. It's full of twists and turns and will leave you begging for more. The Ghostwriter is no exception.

Helena Ross is a bestselling author. She's obsessive almost to the point of compulsive. My emotions toward Helena were just as much a roller coaster as the book was. At certain points I enjoyed her character and felt for her, other times I severely disliked her. I am 100% okay with that though because it evoked many emotions from me. I love a book that allows me to feel.

The Ghostwriter is hands down my favorite book of 2017. This book will stay with me for a LONG time. I can't stop thinking about and it's been days since I've finished. I want to do a re-read and see what clues I might have missed the first time. I don't want to divulge too many details because this is the type of book that you need to experience first hand. Everyone should experience this book. Let Alessandra take you on that roller coaster of emotions. I promise you won't regret it.

Wow! This book is another well-written, incredible read by this phenomenal author.
The Ghost Writer is gripping, page turning, thought provoking and so much more!
If you're looking for an incredible read filled with pain, amazing words and a unique read by this incredible author-- trust me, The Ghost Writer is for you!!!
#suspenseatitsfiniest
#anotherphenomenalread
#Iwillreadanythingthiswomanwrites
#theghostwriterwillstaywithyoufordaysafterwards

This story was cleverly written and so engrossing that I read the first half so quick.

I needed to know the secrets Helena was dying to share.
There’s a twist in here that had me gasping and laughing, it was a great scene.

It’s not a romantic story and it's very emotional to read. You feel her pain and despair and you can’t help but be heartbroken for her.

~Reviewed by Phyl~

Received in exchange for a honest review.

Have you ever read a book and be so floored by it that words just escape you? See the talent of the author and how they spread their wings and do it so eloquently that you are in awe?

The Ghostwriter by Alessandra Torre did this for me. I have been reading Alessandra since she wrote the delicious Brad DeLuca and was riveted by Deanna Madden in the Girl in 6E which began to show us the depth of Ms. Torre’s writing skills but here we see her skills be brought to a new level. If you are looking for the deliciousness of a Brad DeLuca this is not the Alessandra Torre book for you. This book is more real and dark. It rivets you from the moment you begin the prologue and doesn’t let you out of its web until the end where you are just in shock and awe at what you read. It isn’t a bad shock and awe mind you for Torre brings you into another level of her amazing writing and mind. Where she takes on some heady topic and doesn’t sugar coat it but hits it head on. I feel like I stepped back into the movie The Ghostwriter with the reporter, mystery of death and the darkness that is there lurking.

Helen Rossa is a character that is rough around the edges. Always one who was rigid and precise but so so talented. And not a character you expect to like. But as she slowly is unraveled before you you see what has shaped her and Torre does this brilliantly. We see how she became who she is and what is driving her. You watch her grow as a character as does Mark. And no they don’t grow together but in maturity and depth.

Torre has written a complex story that is mature and has characters with depth and feeling even when you don’t think it. She draws you into this world and caresses you with hints of the darkness lurking and tantalizes you with the story of Helen now and than. With what shaped her, how she became the way she is but also the things she is learning now with the help of Mark and her editor. She grows and finds peace as she faces her own mortality and guilt that has weighed her down and taken over her life.

The story is eloquent in how it is written and yet is dark in its undertone. Not dark like thriller dark but dark in the foreboding and what has happened to create the Helen of today. It is real and complex. Riveting and captivating and just addictive as you delve into who helen is and what has weighed her down and she needs to be free of. As Helen releases her burdens and ferociously lets the truth come out and finds peace you see that the layers to this woman and her life are so compelling and sad. Torre does an excellent job in just drawing you into this story that is a need for the character to occur. She propels you forward and keeps you wanting to learn the truth until the last word is written and you are wrung dry from the emotion the story evokes and awe from the growth and beauty of Torre’s writing and scope of talent.

Helena Ross is a successful author living with a secret. Even though Helena writes relatable characters, she has struggled with establishing connections and guards her essence with certain rules. For the past four years, Helena’s choices further compounded her need for a solitary existence. After receiving news of her terminal illness she decides to tell her story and learns the value of honesty, acceptance and friendship.

“Once I write her story, she will be real, she will be exposed, dead to edits but open to everyone’s eyes.”

Over the next three months, Helena shares her story in what will be the last book of her career. Along the way, Helena’s defenses become penetrable and her perspective seems to slightly shift. While this occurs, the inevitable is looming and the tension of Helena’s secret mounts.

“How can a person know what they can handle if they aren’t challenged by life?”

Told in multiple POVs, Helena’s words set the landscape of a grim narrative about a neglected attempt at marriage, motherhood and other successive failures. With a strong secondary cast supporting the pacing of Helena’s biopic, they add dimension to the tragedies but also breakthrough moments underscoring the gravity of Helena’s loss of time and misdirected behavior.

As the story unfolds, the pacing is fairly measured with questions being raised at different intervals in search of the ultimate answer with a twisty revelation. While Helena doesn’t make it easy to like her, she does have relatable emotions, especially those that make her question how to assimilate or experience a sense of normalcy. Of course, her deepest regret is eroding what’s left of her emotional and physical strength.

Knowing this book is Alessandra Torre’s first foray into the non-romance genre, it is a worthy effort showcasing her stylistically recognizable prose. Though I was expecting a deeper connection with the protagonist and felt some plot points needed further introspection, the story held my interest and I empathized with the reality of her predicament.

Steeped in contemporary fiction with elements of suspense The Ghostwriter is a book about sacrifice, loss, and acceptance.

Alessandra Torre has a winner with the Ghostwriter. The plot feels fresh, the writing is evocative and the characters, especially Helena Ross, quickly come into sharp focus.  Full review at dailywaffle.com. 4 stars.

Alessandra Torre is one of those authors I constantly mean to pick up. A handful of her books have appealed to me, begging to be read. In particular, The Girl in 6E, written as A.R. Torre, really appeals to me – it’s a book that has sat on my to-read list for far too long. I’m not sure what it is about The Ghostwriter that resulted in it being my first Alessandra Torre read, but I know it will not be my last.

As this is my first Alessandra Torre read, I cannot compare it to the author’s prior work as many fans can. I can just use word of mouth to express how it is different. It is not a romance like the author’s other work. It is contemporary fiction but focuses more upon the suspense than other elements the author usually focuses upon. I could go on about the things that are supposed to be different, but it really doesn’t mean much coming from me. All I can do is explain why I enjoyed this one so much, and why I’m more than happy to read more of the author’s work.

From the get-go, the synopsis of this one intrigued me. An author with a dark secret, writing a book to let out the truth. I was intrigued. I wanted to know more. My mind instantly came up with many possibilities, and so many ideas filled my mind. As ever when a range of emotions filled my mind, I wasn’t at all sure what this book would actually give me. It would give me something interesting, a fact I was sure about, but I wasn’t quite sure what the specifics would be.

From the very first page, I was pulled into the story. I was intrigued by the characters, interested by the events, and curious about the truth. There was plenty in this book to keep me reading. I came to enjoy the characters so much – enjoying their idiosyncrasies, enjoying their attitudes, and enjoying the way they played off each other. I really did come to love the characters, constantly wanting more. They were wonderful characters to put into the events that played out, seemingly simple things that had a huge impact.

Throughout, the undercurrent of mystery kept me second-guessing. I love a good suspense novel; I adore books that leave you unsure about the specific details. I really enjoyed the way everything in this one came together – I will not give specifics, don’t worry – finding it to be a wonderful blend of so many things. There was darkness to it, real emotion, and all the necessary elements to ensure a person connects with the story. The specifics were unexpected, revealed to us at the very last second. I usually prefer it when little hints are dropped throughout the story to allow us to guess what the details are, but I found I really enjoyed how this one prevented us from making those guesses. We knew there was something, but we could not say what until the details had been handed over to us. It certainly kept me guessing, and I loved the way it held my attention.

Despite being an emotional hit at the end of the book, I do feel as though things were a bit sudden. I understand why it ended the way it did, but I had expected something… more, I guess. I wasn’t expecting a happily ever after, we all knew how it was going to end, but I did feel as though it wasn’t quite the punch I had hoped for. Just before the end we get the big reveal, and then things taper off ever so slightly – I believe this is simply a reflection of my preferences with suspense novels, though.

Overall, I loved this one. It was a brilliant introduction to the author’s work and I’m certainly going to be reading more in the future. In fact, reading this one has left me annoyed for having failed to pick up an Alessandra Torre book sooner.

Go into The Ghostwriter with an open mind. Forget anything that you have ever read by Alessandra Torre before. Be ready for a journey and revelations that will captivate and astound you. It will tear you to pieces and quietly put you back together again. You will cry, you will laugh, you will be stunned on several occasions. It will all be worth it in the end.

Be prepared to have your heart twisted into knots. You'll want to hate Helena, then pity her and finally connect with her broken spirit. I found this story the best of the year and will take a long while to get over. As a successful author she needs to have her story told but is too weak to write it, asking for a ghostwriter was her only option. Helena Ross wants her readers to know about her married life, her beautiful daughter Bethany and the events that changed their world forever. This was my first Torre book and I'm anxious to get to another. I requested a copy from Netgalley and never thought I'd be selected, but I was thrilled to receive a copy. My review was written voluntarily with the hopes you will grab this book and dive in.