First off thank you so much for the early audio . Loved it . Sweet cozy paranormal romance. Love a good dual audiobook. Both narratives were really good . Kept me interested the entire time .

3.75 ⭐
I honestly didn't think I was going to enjoy this book but I had so much fun!! ✨

The story is about Gabriel, a high-profile lawyer, who finds himself in a scandal and has to retreat to this Victorian home in a small town. While there, he meets this ghost named Ida who has been there since like the 1800s. They also find a contract which can basically send her Spirit away and give her peace once and for all. Such a fun story, would definitely recommend!! Also, thank you so much Net Galley and Tantor Audio for the audiobook!!

Ghostly by Kate Serzenta with narration performed by Chris Chambers and Stefanie Kay is a paranormal, friends-to-lovers romance. Gabriel is a prestigious lawyer who finds himself suspended after being entangled in a scandal. He rents an old Victorian home in a small, tightknit town, only to find a ghost residing in the home and he is the only one who has ever been able to see her. Ida has been trapped in this in between state for more than 100 years and is excited to have someone to finally connect with. Overall, this was a fun and light read however I struggled to stay engaged and found that the story took a little too long to develop. The narrators were perfect for the story and it seemed like the voices matched the personality of each character really well.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio, and the author for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute read. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the way our narrators brought the characters to life. It was well read, the pace was great and the storyline flowed well. I loved Ida, she was such a fun character and the banter between her and Gabriel was hilarious.

Ghostly shenanigans, a wholesome small town and an improbable love story.

Ida & Gabriel met under very interesting circumstances. Fate certainly brought them together! The moment Gabriel could see Ida when no one else could I knew they were going to be special together. And to think if Gabriel hadn’t made such questionable professional decisions they might never have met.

The whole roster of characters in the town of Buttons were so open to Gabriel joining their ranks (after an initial bumpy start). And they added a lot of heart to this story. Even though Ida couldn’t leave the property she craved human connection and found it in the townspeople & Gabrielle most of all. Their tentative friendship morphed into such an important connection for both of them.

I was all about the details in this story, particularly Ida’s ghostly abilities (popping into objects and the like) and Gabriel’s research to release Ida from ghost-hood. It all added up to such a warm tale.

Thoroughly enjoyed the narration by Stefanie Kay and Chris Chambers, I was so invested!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this terrific ALC!

This book was amazing! I really enjoyed how this story played out between Ida and Gabriel. I'm 100% jealous of Ida's ability to basically absorb the information in a book in no time, just thinking of all the books I could read if I could do that...ugh! Anyways, I very highly recommend this book, and I can't wait to see what the next book is like :)

Ghostly is a delightful blend of paranormal charm, heartfelt romance, and witty banter, brought vividly to life through engaging dual narration. The story follows Gabriel Vane, a disgraced attorney sent into temporary exile after a scandal, who retreats to a creaky Victorian house in a sleepy town. There, he meets Ida Huxley—a spirited ghost with a flair for haunting household objects and a century’s worth of pent-up energy.

As Gabriel and Ida navigate the terms of a mysterious supernatural contract, their unlikely partnership blossoms into something deeper. The audiobook’s narrators perfectly capture their evolving dynamic, with Ida’s quirky optimism balancing Gabriel’s cynicism. The OCD representation is handled with care and adds depth to both characters.

With its cozy small-town setting, clever dialogue, and a touch of magical realism, Ghostly is a warm, funny, and emotionally satisfying listen. Highly recommended for fans of paranormal romance with heart and humor.

I rated this book 3.5 stars out of 5.

A small town romance with a varied community of side characters. Gabriel our MMC is a lawyer hiding away from a scandal in the small town of Buttons. Unbeknown to him he chooses a haunted house to reside in while the heat cools off.

Here enters our garden loving ghost, Ida. The pair come together to try and find a way to help her pass over, but along the way feelings become muddled and the very thing they are trying to do becomes the opposite of what they both want.

A cute romance where the individual side characters were all great creating a lovely community. I thoroughly enjoyed Ida's character and her internal monologue. Her narrator was great and I really enjoyed her voice for the character.

Fav bit- The fmc openly admitting to her past bad behavior and her realistic fear of falling back into patterns of behaviors she isn't happy with.

While the first half of this book followed a well trodden path, the second half was not necessarily my cup of tea.

*Spoilers for the plot below*

First of all the MMC makes several decisions which I didn't feel happy about, which for me put into question his loyalty and kinda squashed the idea of him having genuine feeling for the fmc. Maybe I've read too make "touch her and die" books but I want my mmc to have eyes only for the woman he is planning to end up with and not spend time in the last half of the book trying to be with someone else.

There was plenty of ways for him to have this distance from the fmc to make him realise his feelings without adding another woman to the mix and painting her to be a villan. Other than this plot point I was quite happy with the fact he didn't suddenly drop all his hopes and dreams just because he fell in love.

1/ 5 chilli

⭐⭐⭐⭐,5

I came for the cozy vibes i stayed because of the plot . This book made me giggle out loud . It is a lovely relaxing read that gets interesting as the plot goes on . Out main characters are very well described and the mid book twist was unexpected to say the least (and very much welcomed) .Even if i know what is going to happened i was really invested in the story and i have to say that the narrators make an amazing job.
The finale was not a surprise but the journey was surprising at times with some twists and turla that made this book so much fun.
The only thing missing for me that would have made it a 5⭐ was that at times i felt the story was a bit dragged and monotonous.
This book would make a lovely movie 🥰

⭐️: 4
🌶️: 1

Favorite Quote:
You’re gay?!
Who do you think Mark is?!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio and Kate Serzenta for sending me an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to start off with saying I’m not a huge fan currently of the main protagonist being male. Love interest? Absolutely especially if they are emotionally mature. But main character? Not usually. Call it a bias if you like, but it’s just not been my vibe as of late. So I already wasn’t sure what to expect when jumping into this.

Thankfully the book is dual POV and narration. Since this is an audiobook that I was sent, I will mention the narrators. The female narrator was great and really brought Ida and her anxieties/hopes/fears to life. I felt like Ida was a fully fledged person (er or ghost) that I just so happened to hear all of her inner monologue. The male narrator…I was less of a fan of. I have a feeling his character choice was intentional but Gabrielle just came off as pompous. It made me almost want to turn off the audiobook 10% in. The hautiness of his inflection just grated on me. But I pushed through hoping it would be less severe as he grew as a character and let go of his “big city ego”. Sadly, not the case. But by the point I realized it, the plot had me enough in a hole that I wanted to know what happened next more than caring about how much I disliked the voice choices.

The pacing in this book threw me off a little. The first contract was on track to being completed very quickly and at almost 40%. There was nothing that hinted at what the next 60% was going to be about. And then the second contract part popped up. Which okay made sense but then at around 80% shit hit the fan and it took FOREVER to get to the resolution. I wanted more time with them at the end and not in epilogues. Like immediately after the events of the end of the book. That part would have been a lot more interesting than some of the lulls in pacing.

I did really appreciate the OCD representation. While it is not something I personally struggle with, from what I do know about it, the writing and manifestation seemed very accurate. Mental health representation in books is so incredibly important. Especially when done correctly and from a place of understanding and education. The contrast with how OCD was treated in the 1800s vs now was also interesting albeit slightly heartbreaking.

Overall I really enjoyed the story but for me would probably have liked it a lot more in physical or e-book form. I might do a reread later in one of those options to see what I missed when I was trying to tune out the male narrator. Definitely recommend!

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audiobook.
I was really enjoying this book until I don't know the book started feeling like it was written by a Gen z... I am not how old the author is but it felt like she was trying very hard to make that generation happy with the story plot and in the meantime I found it just blah... I love synopses like this meaning a person that is alive moves into a new place and a ghost is there haunting it. At first, I loved the character but then it started bringing in characters that felt forced and mental health stuff that is just forced and feels out of place. I am just so sad cause I was very excited about this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to review. This book is all it sets out to be: adorable, witty, romantic, and funny! I loved Ida and Gabe and everyone in their little town. Highly recommend for anyone wanting a light and easy read!

Ghostly
by Kate Serzenta
narrated by Chris Chambers and Stefanie Kay

***Five Stars***

This story was adorable and something outside of my normal. I loved the paranormal part of the story and how it all worked out in the end. I didn't love the 3rd act break up, but we know they happen and should prepare for them accordingly. haha Wynona is horrible and I hate her.

The narrators were great!

Ghostly by Kate Serzenta is a sweet, quirky paranormal romance that reads just like a Hallmark movie—with a supernatural twist!

The story follows Gabriel, a disgraced lawyer who retreats to a small town for a fresh start, only to find himself face-to-face with a ghost named Ida… that only he can see. The first half of the book gave me major Ghosts (the TV show) vibes—full of witty banter, lighthearted moments, and Gabriel's awkward but endearing attempts to help Ida move on.

The second half shifts into a more heartfelt romance as Gabriel and Ida grow closer, and the stakes get higher when they attempt to bring her back to life.

I really enjoyed the balance of humor, heart, and a touch of magic. The audiobook was well-narrated and brought the small-town charm and characters to life. My only critique is that there’s a single dirty talk scene that felt a bit out of place with the overall cozy, whimsical tone of the story.

If you're looking for a unique paranormal rom-com with just a pinch of spice, this one’s worth checking out!

Can you have a meaningful relationship with someone only you have the ability to see? You'll have to read the book to find out! This plot is so original and well-crafted that I literally had the hardest time putting it down to go to bed at night and to work the next day! Fortunately, I had the audio version which is so well narrated with dual narration that you really feel like you are there with the characters that have come to life! Audio is such an amazing way to read a book as it can travel with you and you can listen while doing other things, but even better than that, it truly brings the story to life if the narration is good. This book has very good narration. Dual narration is when you have a male narrator who reads the chapters that are written from the man's perspective and does all the other voices present in that chapter and a female narrator does the chapters from the female's point of view as well as all voices present in that chapter. It really helps break up the chapters and breathes more life into each chapter. Now, back to this specific book! The characters are well crafted and woven in such a manner that you really feel connected to them. This allows you to sink more fully into their emotions and actions making the story so much more real! The plot is outstanding and of course if you are looking for a happily ever after story, then you'll get that in this sweet paranormal romance story as well!

Ghostly is a charming and easy read for both romance and paranormal readers. We follow Gabriel, a big-time lawyer, who needs to escape the city to let a scandal die down. He moves to a small town with lots of interesting characters and a house that is, potentially, haunted. Gabriel soon comes across the ghost in the house, Ida. Ida is excited to have a new tenant around. They agree to work together on a contract to release Ida from her ghostly state. While working on releasing Ida, their relationship grows and sparks fly. Will they be able to fulfill the contract and go towards the future they planned? Or will their developing bond get in the way?

I listened to this on audio, and it has dual narrators. The audio is simply fantastic, and I would recommend picking up this story on audio. The narrators were perfect for the characters. Their voices matched the personalities to a tee. I really believe the audiobook heightened my enjoyment of the novel.

I really loved Ida in this story. She has a great, fun attitude and is very intelligent with all her years of haunting. She was definitely the highlight of the novel, for me, and I wanted to see her happy. I also liked Gabriel, but he made some decisions, particularly in the later portion, that were really frustrating. The whole contract to release Ida from her ghostly state was fun and light-hearted. I enjoyed how many characters from the town became involved in their lives and with the quest.

I do think the pacing of the novel was a bit off. Some portions were more engaging than others, and I don’t think it needed to be as long to get the same emotional payout.

Overall, I had a good time with this paranormal romance. This would be a great book to pick up if you are looking for something paranormal but still comforting and light-hearted. I would recommend picking up the audiobook and giving it a try.

A charming ghostly romance in a small town with nosey neighbours and new friends. Gabriel starts off a little unlikeable so it took me a while to warm up to him but as his relationship with Ida and the town develops he definitely grew on me. I liked Ida and seeing her struggles with her OCD and her past, as well as all the emotions that came with that. We have flash backs to get to know Ida better and a little insight into her past haunting.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

I was excited to read this book after reading the blurb and thought it sounded like a fun story. I wasn’t disappointed. The story was actually more in depth and longer than I thought it would be and was interesting and entertaining throughout. I had the audiobook, which was well narrated and easy to listen to. Recommended.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
A sweet romantic comedy with small town vibes and a paranormal twist.

I loved this book! The MMC wasn’t the most likeable character in the beginning, however, I really enjoyed his character growth and how the dynamics between him and Ida progressed. Ida was adorable! She had such cute vibes.

The supporting characters really helped give the story some more depth and added some fun and lightness to the story as well.

The narration was performed by two narrators and they did a great job, it was easy to follow along, clear, good pacing and enjoyable to listen to.

Thank you to the author for this ALC, I am voluntarily leaving this review.

I absolutely loved this book! The storyline was original and captivating. Imagine a blending of historical, supernatutal, and modern romance. A ghost from the past befriends a human and strives to gain mortality again. From start to finish, I was completely hooked. It gave me all the feels!
The characters were wonderfully developed and easy to connect with. I found myself invested in their story. The romantic tension was spot-on, and the supernatural twist added a layer that made the story stand out from other romances.
The narration was also well done. The narrators were clear, engaging, and easy to follow.
If you're looking for a romance that’s heartfelt, imaginative, and a little bit ghostly, this is definitely the book for you!


Thank you for allowing me to review this book