Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC!

When I requested this ARC, the first thing that captured my attention was the cover and the theme. I love Christmas and I want to read more and more holiday themed novels closer to the holiday, so I was quite surprised when I saw I was approved to receive the book. I went into this quite blind, and did not even know what to expect, but I am so pleasantly surprised.

Ghosted at Christmas is the perfect feel good romcom Christmas book. It is really fast paced, quite funny and there are a few heartfelt moments. As a big fan of Christmas I enjoyed all the little traditions and Christmas related details. It did put me in a very festive mood and generally uplifted me after a busy day at work. The story was constructed well and worked.

The only reason I am not giving the full 5 stars is because of the main female character Mia. She was quite annoying and rude at times. The story does suggest that her reaction is due to miscommunication but even with that in mind the lead male character Sam was always portrayed as sweet and genuine guy, therefore Mia was very often very out of line of how she was treating him, which I did not like.

On the more positive side I really enjoyed the small magical realism with the character John, he was funny and sweet and great edition of the whole plot.

Really pleasantly surprised with this book and really happy to be given the opportunity by NetGalley to have this ARC, I would definitely recommend this, I believe it will feel even better read in December. I would stay on the look and read from this author more.

An easy read, with a fun ghost included. Mia seems to be successful at being ‘ghosted’ Glad we never got to meet James because Sam was my favourite. We love a happy ending don’t we

I really enjoyed this once such a unique happy Christmas story’ John was definitely my favourite character loved his pranks. This was so heartwarming a beautiful easy read with amazing characters.

This book had it all! I was in the mood for an escape and this book provided that for me. I was laughing crying and in a mess of tears all at once! I enjoyed our MC finding love but it was tough to see John’s story too and it broke my heart a little. Such a beautiful romance that will give you all the feels and a tear or two as well

I have very mixed feelings towards Ghosted at Christmas. I started out the book absolutely hating the main character (more on that below) and there seem to be quite a few inconsistencies with the plot. I’m not sure if Mia is intentionally an unreliable narrator or not, but either way, it was a little all over the place.

Mia did slowly grow on me over time but to be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of any of the characters in this book. Mia’s parents and brother were probably the best out of the lot.

It’s kind of problematic to say firstly “dreadlocked person” and then to describe said person as stinking of body odour and weed. After this interaction Mia goes on to say she tried weed once and it didn’t affect her. Umm ok? What was the point in all of that?

It’s quite hypocritical of her to comment on someone else’s body odour when she proudly says she wears her favourite Christmas jumper all month long. I get that this probably doesn’t mean every day but you can almost guarantee a Christmas jumper isn’t dryer-safe and air drying clothes in the UK in the winter is horrific. So how often is said jumper being washed? Am I being too critical to a character I’ve known for less than 10 pages? Probably, but she’s annoyed me already.

Mia’s reasoning for why she hates Sam is a bit ridiculous. Yes, he kissed her back the night before but that doesn’t mean when he asks if you want to join him at the pool after hours that you should get in with no clothes on to surprise him. That’s taking things too far if you ask me, especially as they’d only kissed once. If anything Sam should hate Mia as she’s exposed herself to him, which is a crime right? Such a weird thing for her to decide to do.

Also, the timeline of their relationship makes no sense. The pool incident happens the day after they kiss for the first time but then Mia starts reminiscing about a night they spent together, which she surely didn’t do after the pool incident because even six years later she still hates him for it. Have I missed something? There’s also a mention of a first kiss that happens after a tennis match, but I swear their first kiss happened in his uni dorm.

Ok, enough ranting about Mia. Onto the parts of Ghosted at Christmas I actually enjoyed.

The paranormal twist part was pretty good. It felt a little forced at times, but it was a refreshing plotline for a festive romance. The little pranks Mia and John played on Sam were hilarious. There’s something about switching out every pen he uses for ones that are completely dried up that’s actually hilariously evil. A good ol 'case of chaotic neutral.

The snow ball fight and Christmas Day were the best chapters of the whole book. I didn’t really care for the romance, I actually would have preferred Mia and Sam to just be friends, but once they actually talked through their problems they became much more likeable. Although, actually Sam was always likeable. Anyway, these chapters, alongside Mia cooking, were my favourites. I actually wish the epilogue was about her following her culinary dreams. The letter from John was a nice ending though.

Ghosted at Christmas was a pretty decent read, but not one I’ll be jumping to recommend. I think if the very start of the book didn’t make me hate Mia right out the bat, I probably would have liked this more. It’s pretty hard to root for a happy ending for a character that puts a sour taste in your mouth.

2.5/5

This was a cute romance, it seemed almost natural to suspend belief and have a ghost help with the matchmaking! John is such a nice ghost and doesn’t want to haunt or howl and yet when he gets chatting to Mia he gets on board with her plans. This is a lovely romance, with misunderstandings and stolen looks and yet it is also a nice discovery of John the ghost and who he is. The friends and family add another good layer to the book with their quirks and personalities. A calm and kind read.

A nice cosy Christmas ghost story, with a heroine who has been holding a grudge for a while, is trying to forget about her latest attempt at romance as she’s a feeling she’s been let down again. So she’s off home to try to have a magical Christmas, what could go wrong?

I felt the start was a bit slow, and I was slightly irritated with Mia’s moaning, but things perked up nicely when John appeared. The result was inevitable, but there was an easy to read story to get there. Nicely descriptive especially about Mia’s family home and gardens. I’d like to hear more about her great aunt Gertie, she sounds as though she’s had an interesting life. A quick and easy Christmas read.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A 4 star rating from me. Loved the plot and the storytelling and relatable, likable characters. Loved every single second reading it.

This is a Christmas romance and a Christmas ghost story beautifully wrapped in a shiny red bow of RomCom.
A fun, well-written read for the festive season.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
On publication, I will post the blurb and my short review on my blog and on GoodReads.

Mia espera pasar unas tranquilas y alegres fiestas en la tradicional fiesta navideña que su madre organiza cada año. Pero nada sale como planea: una tormenta de nieve cancela todos los trenes, obligándola a soportar un agotador viaje en autobús, y al llegar a la casa familiar descubre dos sorpresas nada agradables. La primera: James, el hombre con el que salió recientemente, la ha ghosteado justo antes de Navidad. La segunda: su hermano ha invitado a pasar las fiestas a Sam, el hombre con el que Mia comparte un pasado doloroso y que es la última persona que quiere ver.

Entre el bullicio familiar, los recuerdos, y encuentros incómodos con Sam, Mia intenta aferrarse a su espíritu navideño. Pero sus planes de ignorarlo se complican cuando las circunstancias los obligan a convivir más de lo esperado… y a replantearse si es posible cerrar viejas heridas en medio de luces, nieve y algo de magia navideña.

____


Se supone que Mia odia a Sam por algo que le hizo hace unos años, ya que la humilló frente a todo el equipo de natación, pero solo es necesario que lo vea para que se le olvide esto y quiera saltar a sus brazos. Estuvo entretenido, pero esperaba por lo menos algo de venganza o, ya mínimo, que hablaran antes de que ella anduviera suspirando nuevamente por él.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Holiday spirit? Check. An actual ghost? Also check!

Mia thought being ghosted by her ex was bad… until he shows up at her family’s Christmas, turning the oh-so-merry holidays into a week-long romcom nightmare, the kind of disaster that somehow keeps us readers wanting more. The best (or worst?) part? No escape. Just awkward vibes and way too much unresolved tension.

Let’s enter John, an actual ghost who’s been stuck in limbo for over thirty years… and somehow, Mia’s the first person who can actually see him. With nothing better to do (and maybe a shot at finally moving on), John figures he’ll help her get over her ex… or win him back for the matter.

What follows is a week of unexpected friendship, a little ghostly meddling, and a whole lot of paranormal sparks, and yes, with the world’s most unlikely wingman!

Ghosted at Christmas gave me a mix of laughs, sweet moments, and, let’s be honest, a bit of festive chaos. It’s the perfect pick if you’re craving a light read with a paranormal twist. Sure, sometimes I wished for a bit more background and extra spark, but overall, it’s a sweet holiday story about second chances and unexpected connections. If you like your Christmas reads with a side of ghostly shenanigans, this one might just hit the spot on your holiday menu.

Ghosted at Christmas is a feel-good romantic comedy by Holly Whitmore. I have come to enjoy romance with an element of fantasy, so this book was right up my alley!

Mia has escaped to her family's home in the country for Christmas. She's happy to escape her normal day-to-day after being ghosted by her now ex-boyfriend. But things take an unexpected turn when she arrives to discover her brother's best friend Sam is also staying with her family for the holidays. Sam was the one who broke her heart all those years ago, and even now, despite her best intentions to exact revenge upon him, she finds herself drawn to him.

What kind of revenge you may ask? Well here is where we get to the fantasy element of the book, because it just so happens that her cottage is occupied by a ghost. This ghost, John, is very happy to have someone who can finally see him and talk to him after 30 years of being alone. And as it turns out he's also very happy to lend a hand with creating a bit of mischief for poor Sam!

Ghosted for Christmas made me laugh more than a few times, and would make a great holiday read. If you enjoy exes to lovers, forced proximity and a paranormal twist then be sure to give this book a read!