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.

👻 This book was INCREDIBLY different from what I thought it would be. I expected quirky but I got profound… and I really appreciated its depth.

👻 This is an unflinching look at the single life of a woman in her 30s. From the pressure to find “the one” to dealing with aging parents, this book hit several topics that impact and influence a woman’s life.

👻 I particularly appreciated the peek into how friendships between women change when some get married and start having kids and others stay single.

👻 The title is genius! Not only is it about ghosting (disappearing from a relationship), but also the ghosts of our former selves and experiences and how those continue to impact us as we get older.

👻 I particularly loved the relationship between Nina and her father. Heartwarming and sad in equal measure.

👻 I appreciated the ending. It wasn’t all tied up in a neat little bow and I love that because it was realistic.

👻 I absolutely recommend this book, but don’t expect a romantic comedy. It is so much deeper than that.

Thank you @NetGalley and @KnopfDoubleday for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I received a reviewer copy of Ghosts by Dolley Alderton from the publisher Knopf Doubleday from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: Nina Dean is single. She is still good friends with her ex-boyfriend who is happily with someone else. Her dad is entering the early days of dementia and her mother seems to be having a midlife crisis. All her friends but one are having babies and this is also causing distance. While all this is going down, she is relieved to find that she has met someone who has instant chemistry with and could be the one but then he ghosts her.

What I Loved: This book is so relatable as a 30 something. I think this is a really realistic perspective of what it is like to be single while everyone around you has kids, buys homes, and gets married and how you feel judged for not being there. This book definitely seems like a book you'd like if you liked Sally Rooney but our main character Nina doesn't read as self centered as some of Sally's characters. I found the storyline with friendships waning out very believable and sympathetic. I also thought Alderson handled the character's grief and struggle with losing her beloved father to dementia. It was well done and relatable.

What I didn’t like so much: At times the character has trouble overlooking her own biases. And these parts got annoying while listening. I also didn't buy the whole greatness of Max so that love story was not my favorite.

Who Should Read It: People who love Sally Rooney. People who are single and 30 something. People who want a compelling story of challenges as a 30 something.

Summary: A well written story of being 30 something and living your life, parent challenges, friend drama, ghosting, and more.

Ghosts
By Dolly Alderton

This is a story about a young thirty something gal trying to maneuver the ups and downs of dating, aging parents and friendships.

Nina Dean is ghosted by a man she fell for and who claimed he loved her. All while trying to deal with her dad who is in the beginning stages of dementia.
It’s a great story if you are looking for something light and funny. While reading this story it made me realize not to take anything for granted. Whether it be the health of parents, a living friendship or a fly by night relationship. Enjoy life because you never know when you could lose someone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the advanced copy in turn for my honest review.