Ghosted

This book took me a few chapters to settle into but once I did, and got to know the characters and understand the backgrounds and how they all had ended up on a gay cruise (even though the 3 main characters are not gay) I was all aboard for what turned out to be a moving,funny,emotive,thought provoking,quirky and very immersive read,I grew to love Silas,Ellen and Julia and the many adventures they have aboard the Christmas cruise
There are some very poignant parts to the book,a cancer diagnosis,a Lupus diagnosis (rarely discussed in books) drug addiction,accepting your child’s sexuality….the list is not exhaustive and the book does not shy away from exploring these and other issues,I felt at all times in a sympathetic but honest way,nor did it always offer solutions or vibrant flag flying outcomes either but then life doesn’t always offer that either
This book was different,the author has written it in a way that you are constantly thinking throughout as you read and I enjoyed this,some of the non main characters are challenging but that was good too,I loved the ship descriptions and really enjoyed the very clear effort the author has made into making this anything but a forgettable story,impressive and enjoyable

Overall, an enjoyable, rollicking read about a man playing Santa on a gay cruise, who is on his way to hopefully reunite with his son, from who he has been estranged from for many years. In the span of a week, we get romance, crime, adventure, ghosts, sexuality, addiction, There was a lot to like, even love, about the book. The author doesn't wrap every situation up in a soppy Hallmark moment. It's obvious none of the characters are perfect and are all kind of quirky in their own way.

Did I mention ghosts? Both Silas and Ellen both see and speak to their dead spouses, at least when they're alone. The ghosts help them to figure out dilemmas in their every day lives, even perhaps, new romantic escapades. There was some confusion for me at the end, when one ghost makes an appearance at a a moment I didn't expect, and about which I'm still confused. about.

What brought it down from a 5* book to a 4* book for me were two things: Silas' relationship with his sister-in-law and the fact that there were two Britishisms which should have been caught (I'll let you find them!) and the pages about Boxing Day. It's not a thing in the US. None of the characters are British or even Canadian, and didn't bear noting as such. It's just the day after Christmas.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. All the opinions expressed are mine, and freely given. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Good fun but with a touch of pathos, this reminded me a bit of some of Marian Keyes’ early work. The author covers so many genres here - romance, mystery, drama, tragedy and even a touch of the supernatural. The premise itself is hilarious and makes for the perfect setting for the various events that unfold.

This was such a fun book! It made me laugh out loud many times. New Yorker, widower and 'professional Santa' Silas French is estranged from his grown up son and drifting through life when he hears a double whammy of bad news that leaves him jobless for the holidays.

A chance tip from his local bar sees him apply for a job as Santa on a gay cruise that happens to be docking in at Miami, where his son lives with his husband and kids just in time for the Christmas.. This is the first book I have read by this author but it definitely isn't going to be my last

This book had a great storyline, The author did a good job of combining serious themes with comedy, and a touch of romance thrown in too. At first look you might think the book was going to be dark and depressing - family estrangement, health issues, losing partners but it didn't come across like that - credit to the author's writing. The characters were well-written and likeable.

A really impressive and insightful novel which was not at all what I was expecting! The story had so many different themes and brilliant characters that I instantly warmed to. The book had equal parts humour and upsetting moments which blended really well. The book touched on many serious subjects such as miscarriage, cancer diagnosis and grief. I was very impressed with the description of Ellen’s Lupus diagnosis. As a fellow Lupus patient I was pleased to see that information was being shared as I haven’t come across the subject before in a novel. Overall I was very impressed with this book and I would definitely recommend it. I’ve given it 5 stars!