Ghosts starts off telling the tale of Nina and her friends. It seems to be ordinary banter about life in your 30’s with no mention of ghosting. One begins to wonder if the book is mistitled but it turns out that is all part of the suspenseful plot. Dolly Alderton keeps you wondering and guessing throughout, which is the recipe for a thoroughly entertaining read. Realistic, suspenseful – you’ll enjoy Ghosts!

Funny, off beat humor. Found the book light hearted. I often found myself chuckling while reading. Left me smiling. Looked forward to each reading. Recomend.

I chose this book because it was a Read Now and it sounded very interesting unfortunately, it fell very flat for me and I couldn't get into it. I found it boring and repetitive. I hate reading books about spoiled friends being jealous of everything. The only part I enjoyed was the father's increasing decline, that part of the story was interesting. This just wasn't the book for me.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

It took me a minute to get into this book. I was thrown by some British slang and references that I didn't get and that I found really distracting, and I almost stopped reading really early on because I just wasn't invested in the book. But I kept reading, and I'm glad I did.

I'm still not sure what the main point of this book was. It was a bit meandering, starting with the difficulties of a single 30 something woman dating, but also touching on many more issues that plague women of that age, such as managing aging parents and changing parent/child dynamics, dealing with illness in parents, managing friendships with both other single friends and friends who are married with children, and the differences of expectations placed on women and men in relationships. It all seemed mostly realistic and relatable (with some issues still with cultural differences, plus the fact that by the time I was 33 I was married with 2 kids and a SAHM so I can only imagine that the single life is realistic. Almost all of the characters drank heavily without it being a problem or issue, which I also found jarring and problematic) and brought up many poignant and salient points without being overly dramatic or out there.

One of the main over-arching ideas of the book is that as people age, we all confront an acute homesickness for not just the actual places we grew up, but for our family and the simplicity of being a child. But one issue I had with this is that Nina had a pretty idyllic childhood, so while this idea worked for her, I didn't find it universal or even something I related to. I also liked that the book explored how men really could spend their 30's wasting their time in relationships when they still weren't sure what they wanted and weren't ready to settle down, and then when they were older and ready, they could find a younger woman to start a family with, while women don't have that luxury. But the book never explored the connection that Nina's parents fit that model (older man, younger woman), and that some of Nina's and her mother's difficulties arose because of her parents' age difference.

Overall I really enjoyed the author's voice and the realism of the story, but felt it would benefit from a slightly sharper focus.

I received an email that Ghosts was being offered as a "read now" and was intrigued by the premise of a 30-something Londoner being ghosted by a guy who seemed perfect for her. It sounded like it would be a funny rom-com and I love nothing more than voicey British chick-lit. Sophie Kinsella and Mhairi McFarlane are among my favorites.

But I'm 5% in and I feel like I've been reading forever and absolutely nothing is happening. I dislike everything about this from the "oh no my gay friends aren't acting gay enough because they're not sexually promiscuous"
to the "it's the first time out since we had our baby do you want some crack?" to the "oh god if I wear makeup I'm not a feminist."

I love being a mom, but I could care less whether or not you want to have kids. Likewise for almost everyone I know. And if this is (based on a few reviews I've read) nothing more than a rant about hating married people and a childless gal with the perception everyone thinks there's something wrong with that, I'm going to bow out.

DNF.

Thank you to Knopf Books for making this available to read on NetGalley. Unfortunately, it's just not the book for me.

I didn't always follow the concept of ghosting as the more modern meaning of a friend disappearing and kept trying to invoke ghosts of the past idea or ghosts of childhood. That is not what this book is about. I also realized I wasn't in the land of Hallmark and happily ever afters. Nina has foibles and though I wanted to like her more, I couldn't really engage with the main character. I did enjoy her girlfriend, Lola - and the differences between them were entertaining and likeable. Maybe a younger audience is the place for this book.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I am definitely in the minority here when I say this book fell flat for me. With the exception of her father, who has dementia, he was unable to relate to any of the story. This is very possibly due to the fact that I’m almost a senior and have grandchildren. My life has already done the dating and marriage bit.

I really wanted to like this book. And there’s a lot to like and a lot to connect with: the trouble with men, trouble with mothers, trouble with girlfriends, a close family member with dementia. I’ve dealt with them all. But I walked away from this one with a shrug. The prologue felt like chapter one more than an actual prologue. The writing tended to be too long winded for my taste. I can see people loving and connecting with this book but I’m not one of them.

The idea of this book is really good. I did enjoy it, but found parts repetitive. However, I did want to finish and was very curious on how it would all wrap it. Not my favorite, but I did enjoy it and it was worth the read.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC I was able to read this book.
I'd give it 3.5 🌟, it just wasn't relatable for me and the ending was lacking, otherwise it was an enjoyable read. I did like that it wasn't a typical happy ending, but I wanted more closure. Maybe it is my lack of understanding as I'm a happily married woman and have never experienced app dating (thankfully!!!)²

There is a lot here. I liked the theme of ghosts in our lives more than the more obvious meaning. I liked the storyline about Nina's dad, although I could have done without the weirdness between Nina and her mom. I LOVED Lola (I may have snorted at her love language.)

Nina was self-centered, judges others while acting the same or worse, and makes terrible decisions. (see: everything with the neighbor; if that one thing came earlier in the book, I probably would have stopped reading.) And when she looks at the bruise a man inflicted on her during sex like it's jewelry--um, what? Cal me a prude, but no. And who CARES about her middle name? How often does anyone ask your middle name? Is this a British thing? (Also, I had to look up so many words. This book made me feel like I don't speak the same language.)

The writing itself is beautiful, and there's a lot I found relatable. Seriously, when are men going to be held to a higher standard than man-child, or directionless lambs, as the writer asserts? She's spot on about how women are talked to and discussed when they aren't married. But she missed the mark on her snide comment about someone identifying "she/her" "despite very clearly never being in danger of being misgendered". When cisgendered persons identify pronouns, it becomes more normalized for everyone, so just stop that ridiculosity.

I don't know that I would read something else by this author, but I can see how many others will enjoy it.

I didn’t wind up finishing this book. It was good, just not quite my thing! But I know there’s a customer base at work that I can recommend this to.

Unfortunately this book was a waste of my time. Even for chick lit, it was just boring, and repetitive.
2 spoiled single friends in their early 30’s looking for love and being jealous of those who have found their mates and settled down. The only meaningful part was how Nina dealt with her Dad’s increasing decline into Alzheimer’s , there she showed more maturity than she did in her relationships.
Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy.

Nina George Dean (She was given the middle name, "George" in honor of George Michael who's song "Edge of Heaven" was number one on her birthday) is our main character. She’s a 31-year-old, single, successful food writer. She's got quite a bit going on in her life: She meets Max on a dating app called 'Linx Online'. He boldly claims he is going to marry her on their first date. Using dating app ‘Linx Online’ she meets Max - sturdy, rumpled, he declares he’s going to marry her on their first date. She is losing her beloved father to dementia, her mother is re-inventing herself, meanwhile, all her friends are settling down, getting married, buying homes, having kids.

Naturally, as it is a humorous novel about a single woman in London, it's going to get compared to Bridget Jones Diary. While I can see some similarities, there is a lot more depth to this book. There were moments that made me laugh (Nina's cynicism and her vivid description of her menopausal mother come to mind) yet it was also very moving (especially the parts about her father and his struggles with dementia after a stroke). Nina's observations about men, online dating, are so vivid and apt. It's nice to see thoughts I've had, reflected in a book. That sense of recognition is comforting.

I knew this book would be good but I didn't expect it to be this good. The writing was just so superb and I was there for the friendship between Nina and Lola. I wish I had a friend like her in my life.

Thank you, #NetGalley for providing me with this read in exchange for my honest opinion. I will be recommending #Ghosts to all my bookish friends.

his is the 1st Book of Dolly That I have read and I really Enjoyed this Book

This Book tells the story of Nina who's a food written and also a internet dating and this book tells the story of the adventures she gets up whilst battling internet dating and also her dad that gets diagnosed with Dementia

I really enjoyed this book, and would give it 4 out of 5 stars

With thanks to Netgalley & Penguin Uk for the ARC of this book in exchange for this review

Wow, this book was INCREDIBLE!!! It was at times incredibly funny, light, and amusing, then at others, deeply and heart-wrenchingly devastating. I originally categorized this book as a romance, but it is definitely much more than that. I would say it is a coming of age story—how Nina grows into her own, how her relationships with her loved ones (and even her neighbor downstairs) develop over the course of the year or two during which the novel takes place. I wish I could read this book again for the first time, and be able to feel all of the incredibly powerful emotions again. I can’t say enough kind words about the story and the writing!

Nina has everything she could want. Her own flat, she’s a published author, and amazing friends. The only thing missing is a relationship and at 33 she thinks it’s time to try. When she meets Max and he declares on date one that he will marry her, things quickly become serious. Until he disappears without a word…

Ugh I hated Max so freaking much. Even before he ghosted, he was so self centered and such a jerk overall. I really didn’t understand what Nina saw in him. Overall I would say that most of the men in this book were pretty infuriating, but I think that was the point of the book! But damn did Nina and Lola deserve better than the jerks they dated! I enjoyed the read, but it did remind me how depressing dating is!

Ghosts

First off I wanted to say a HUGE thank you to @NetGalley for this gifted copy of Ghosts. I really loved this book, but I will say it also made me SO angry sometimes at Max, at Nina’s mother, at her friends, at the curveballs of her life. But there was so much character and charm in the story telling and it made me really excited to follow along on Nina’s journey. Dolly Alderton’s debut novel is full of whit and fun and just the best amount of British humor, friendship, and rom-com genius.
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Nina George Dean has it all. From her loving family and friends, to a job she loves as a food writer. With her second book hitting the shelves soon, she has finally been able to afford her own small little flat in London. It’s perfect, if you don’t count the work it needs and her angry downstairs Italian neighbor.

Now that she’s settled, she is finally ready to jump back into the dating world. Enter online dating apps and a slew of new dating rules courtesy of her adorable and lovingly eccentric friend Lola.

Meeting Max feels like a dream come true and they connect instantly and fall fast. But when he finally tells her he loves her, then immediately ghosts her the next day, she can’t help but wonder where it all went wrong?

3.5 stars

If you didn't listen to Edge of Heaven by Wham! while reading this book, you were missing out. I'm now a little bit scared that it will be in my Spotify Top plays of 2021.

Nina George (Michael) Jean is a published author of cookbooks, a columnist and.... a single thirty-something. Actually, he is still friends with her ex-partner and not all bothered about his new relationship. She is currently in that odd stage of life, most friends are getting married, purchasing a house in the suburbs with their 2.5 kids and labrador named Gus. She lives in her own apartment in London with a nuisance neighbour, struggling with her latest book and managing her elderly father dealing with a complex illness. Oh, and there is the mysterious Max, from the app Linx.

Nina is a wonderful narrator. The modern-day Bridget Jones, without the spanx (because who needs them!) and the ugly Christmas jumper. She is Laugh Out Loud funny, witty, and has the most interesting point of view about her crossroads in life. I related to her strained relationships with old friends who have moved on and her complex nature of watching her parents grow older. Her bestie Lola is comedy relief, Hilarious (with a capital H) and I can picture Vanessa Kirby playing her.

I enjoyed the majority of Alderton's book but would have loved to rate it higher. It truly one for fans of the 90s and 00s romantic comedy genre. I adored the strong beginning and ending chapters. There was just something lacking 3/4 of the way. Without spoilers, I was just disappointed about her interactions with a nemesis character, I would have liked to see a less, clear-cut resolution. However, I very much enjoyed diving into Nina's world for a few days and I'm looking forward to Alderton's next book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this great text, for my honest feedback and opinions. I love the cover of this addition, a perfect addition to a Summer TBR.

Ehh.... Sometimes it is best to leave things as is: if it's not broken, do not try to fix it! This goes for our lives too. If you are having time of your life, your relationships are strong and you have nothing that makes you question yourself and your self worth; I think you are in a good spot. No need to jump on that dating app bandwagon and start minimizing yourself and your value based on how few idiots decided to act.

Nina was happy. She was very successful compared to many people her age. She had her issues too such as her father's declining health and her mother's interesting ways to cope with the situation, but she was still in a good place to figure things out. Until she decided that it was a great idea to go on a dating app to find someone.... Carefree and confident Nina was gone with the wind!

Ghosts is a light-hearted story of modern day relationships and makes you feel like I'm not the only person who is doing these things. If you are up for quick read that will make you laugh and cry at the same time, go for it.