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.