This book follows Nina who is in her 30’s and if you are single and there or have been there then you know how sh***y it can be. You want to root for her simply because of how tough life can be and how the dating world can be so terrifying at times.

This book was ok enough. I didn’t love it, but didn’t hate it. It made me laugh, but I also felt like I couldn’t really connect with the main character. I’d like to reread it eventually because it has potential, could have just been not the time for me.

Ghosts, Dolly Alderton

#TaysTakes 7.2 / 10

Nothing like a current day story about not having your life together just yet while exploring the warzone that is modern day dating. I don’t read a ton of romcoms but Alderton’s story had me genuinely laughing out loud and was very relatable.

Ghosts follows Nina Dean, a published food author in her early thirties, who is recently out of a long relationship, entering the realm of online dating. Throughout the book, Alderton puts women in different stages of life (single, married, engaged, newly pregnant, new parents) and comments how none of these particular aspects makes one person better than another despite society saying that those married, in a house, with kids are the ones who have it together. The dialogue between characters and human situations Nina finds herself in makes the book so funny and so relatable. I really enjoyed the different relationships and dynamics, and how these change over time for all of us, the books explores without taking on a level of seriousness.

This book was such a treat and is definitely worth the read. It will make you feel like the things you’re going through are things everyone is going through and you’re not losing your mind!

This book made me laugh out loud at times. It was like a small window into what the younger generation is dealing with when it comes to dating apps, romantic relationships and being “ghosted”.

This is a sharp and insightful look into the life of a thirty-something woman who feels stalled in life. Despite a good job and good friends, she's constantly comparing herself to those around her and feeling like she's falling short, which was VERY RELATABLE. The dating app bits were laugh out loud funny, and her honest thoughts and feelings about life had me rereading sentences often to really let them sink in. Nina felt the right amount of imperfect, if that makes sense. She made mistakes, but it never felt forced or contrived...just like a normal person moving through life and not always getting it right. The relationships with her parents were especially poignant and interesting. This is not really a rom com, though it does feature both roms and coms, so don't expect the average rom com formula here. I really enjoyed this book, and kind of want to go back and underline some quotes so that I can crochet them onto pillows...if I knew how to do that.

This book is a delightful mix of comedy and social commentary, with some profound observations about the challenges facing the younger generation in their romantic relationships. It made me laugh out loud at times, but I was also struck by the thought-provoking messages that it conveyed. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an enjoyable read and an insightful look into the modern world.

I ran out of time and was not able to read this book in time. It looks good, and I am hoping to be able to re-visit and read it soon.

i don't have anything to say except that Dolly Alderton is an amazing writer and this was unputdownable for me. the only reason why this wasn't a five star, like the other stuff i read from her, is that the ending left me feeling a little bleak and there's nothing wrong with that obviously but i just wasn't feeling it and my ratings are always intrinsic to my feelings. i will never be objective because in my mind the world revolves around me <3 sorry

to conclude: i love Dolly Alderton. I will aways read whatever she comes out with

While this wasn’t the greatest, this wasn’t the worst I’ve read recently. Its hard to put what I liked and didn’t like. Maybe I’ll be more into the next book this author puts out

I am so confused by the amount of love this book received. I was expecting so much more than I got. I don't feel that the main characters was fleshed out and whatever happened with Max? Why didn't she get closure? Or burn his house down?

This romantic comedy will make you laugh out loud and fall in love with the main character, Nina Dean. She seems to be satisfaction with everything in her life yet she doesn't have the perfect someone still. Then she connects with Max through a dating app, the man of her dreams until he disappears. "Ghosts" zeros in on Nina confronting the reality of her not-so-perfect life and making it so relatable to what we all have to deal with daily. Dolly Alderton is able to add humor and build empathy through her moving debut novel.

I think that anyone that loves a well-written love story that deals complicated life issues, this is the book for you. Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for allowing me to read this for an honest review.

This book is engaging and is written really well. Definitely don’t come in to this expecting a rom com though. It is more of a contemporary fiction novel worth some heartache and will tug at your heart.

This book was not what I expected but it drew me in and made me want to know how things ended… it had a very realistic pace and the end, while not the typical rom-com ending, was just right.

Nina has a lot going on in her life. She is a thirty-something English teacher who left her job to become an author. Her first book was a great success, and her second book is close to being released. She has great friends, and a great family. Her father’s health is failing, and she has a complicated relationship with her mother, who is struggling with her husband’s decline.

Nina has everything – except a relationship. So, she decides to join a dating app to remedy this. She meets a man that seems to be the one (I mean, he tells her he’s going to marry her after their first date!). But, for unexplainable reasons, Max ghosts her.

Nina moves on, and then Max returns. And he leaves again.

I struggled to connect with the main character, so it was difficult for me to invest in the story and give it a higher rating.

Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf and Dolly Alderton for an advance copy of this book.

I did not enjoy this book. The MC was insufferable. Annoying. Grating. Ugh, just awful. I couldn't stand her and being in her head so yeah, didn't enjoy my time there. I felt sorry for her parents and what they were going through. I didn't like Lola. I didn't like Katherine. I hated Max. I hated Angelo. Not a book for me. In my opinion, definitely not "A smart, sexy, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy."

Fun, light read. I thought Ghosts was a cute novel that I would recommend. The characters were relatable and like real people you could be friends with. This was my first read by Dolly Alderton, but definitely will not be my last!

The story line is what originally caught my eye, it’s so intriguing! I think that overall, this book is well-written and one of a kind. It is described as cynical romantic comedy, and I feel like that was perfect description! Have already recommended to friends!

This is a quirky book that hits deeper than it may appear on the surface. Nina is in her 30s and really at a crossroads. She recently entered the world of dating apps. Her friendships are challenged as she has a difficult time connecting with those who are finding themselves at a different stage in life with marriage and having children. Her father is starting to struggle with his mental stability and health. She finally feels like one aspect of her life has moved along for her when she meets Max and the two seem to have a strong connection instantly...until months later, he ghosts her.

This is presented as a romantic comedy but there is no HEA here and, while the banter is really funny, there are so many other parts that are truly so sad. The way she supports her dad as he deals with his Alzheimer's and the change in their relationship was touching and heartbreaking at the same time. I hated the way that Max was dealt with and that Nina had to go through so much with him. I did really enjoy the realness of the relationship with her friend. The feisty relationship with her neighbor really made me laugh several times. I just don't know that I'd characterize it as a rom com but more along the lines of women's fiction.

All in all, I liked this one. It was witty and had the same feel for me as Notting Hill. I think if you know what you're going into and are okay with not having a traditional romance, you will enjoy this one.

Interesting concept. I enjoyed most of the story, but really thought our MC should have either kicked him to the curb when he showed back up after AGES, or at the very least made him grovel for waaaaay longer. Also, the downstairs neighbour bit was super weird for me. I feel like they could have fought it out very differently and came to the same outcome.

Whenever I read literary fiction, I always think of them as "quiet reads." There's no real plot - not in the sense of a mystery or thriller where you're waiting for the big thing to happen or the big twist. It's just a peek into a moment in someone's life, make observations, and then see your way out.

This story is about Nina. She's in her early 30's and she's to the point where her singleness is starting to make her feel judged. She's surrounded by couples and families now instead of the single friends she had in her 20's. She always thought she'd have a family and a husband and she's starting to feel the comments, the side-eyes and she's starting to wonder if she should panic a bit. Feeling the pressure, she joins a dating app.

But Nina is pretty happy with her life as it is. She's secure in her career which makes enough for her to live on and be comfortable. She has solid friends she loves and she appreciates her quiet nights if she chooses or her late nights drinking. However, Nina is also not facing that her dad is ill. And his illness isn't getting any better.

It was interesting to learn Nina's world as she navigated dating apps, her friends and their relationships and their judgement that she was still single. I loved her friend Lola and how comfortable she was in her own skin but also how sad she was that she didn't have a partner to navigate life with. Katherine also tugged on my heartstrings and she tried to hard to make her world look so perfect. But I can't saw I loved Nina or that I felt fully pulled in to the story. I felt the beginning drag a bit and that held me from really enjoying the rest. It did work out, I liked how much Nina grew to know who she was in the end. There were a lot of good thoughts in here and I appreciated them, just didn't love Nina.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.