I've been excited about this book since I first heard about it, and it did not disappoint. The characters sucked you into the story and the story kept you turning pages as fast as you could. I devoured it in a day. I loved it.

A great read.

Zoey is new to NYC, and doesn't really want to be there. She takes refuge every day in the cafe across from her apartment, with a daily fight with Miles for the best table.

Little do they realise that they both do the same job for rival companies, and are soon chatting to each other as ghostwriters for Bree and Jude.

Her friend Mary is trying to push them together, and you want them to have a chance too, but just when things all look like they are going to work out he screws things up when his ex-finance turns up on his doorstep. After he hurts her will Zoey stay in the city she was only just starting to love, or run back to LA?

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

I actually really enjoyed this book after a rocky start. There are two voices, Miles and Zoey. In the beginning, both of them are more than a little cringe-worthy and not very likable. However, they both really grow on you (which, I suppose is the point). This book is a very slow burn but there is a lot of witty banter throughout that makes it easy and fun to read. The two main characters are supposed to be 30 and 31 but honestly, seem much younger. They are both a little immature and it feels like they are just starting off in their careers but it works for them. Again, maybe that is the point of the book. Overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend.

What do you think of when you hear the word ghosting? If you ask that to anyone that has been a part of the dating scene since 2010, they'll quickly reply something along the lines of "when someone abruptly ends all contact with a person without explanation". In Ghosting: A Love Story, ghosting in the traditional manner is discussed, but the title is actually referencing ghostwriting.

Miles and Zoey both work for companies that offer ghostwriters to people looking for love, but struggle to move their relationships from the dating apps into a real-life success story. Their job? Provide enough witty repertoire prior to an in-person date that is consistent with their client's true personality, with an end goal of helping them meet the love of their life. Miles and Zoey's first encounter causes them to become nemeses, but unbeknownst to them, they interact again as Jude and Bree's ghostwriters (their clients), and the sparks fly.

There were two main plot lines in this story: enemies to lovers and Cyrano (ghostwriting). Unfortunately, I felt that both reached a conclusion in an anti-climatic manner. There was no true moment of tension when both characters learn that they were actually communicating as Jude/Bree with one another. I found it hard to fathom a way that the ghostwriting would have actually worked, considering how unlike the conversations that Miles/Zoey were having were to Jude and Bree's actual personalities. I feel that if Jude would have actually been Miles and he met the real Bree, it wouldn't have worked out. I also struggled with the number of extremely over-the-top, obnoxious characters, such as her parents, Clifford, and even Bree.

On the other hand, I found the references to pop culture and classic romance movies charming, and there were times when I actually laughed out loud . I loved Mary and her eccentric ways, as well as the love she clearly felt toward Zoey. I loved Aisha, and would have enjoyed seeing her more throughout the novel. Overall, this was a decent, light read that can be enjoyed quickly. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the Advance Reader's Copy.

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.**

Title Ghosting: A Love Story

Author Tash Skilton

Description from Amazon

LEAVE IT TO THE EXPERTS—TO BREAK ALL THE RULES

Online Dating Ghostwriting Rules to Live by

MILES
Dumped by his fiancée, not only is Miles couch-surfing across New York City, but downsizing has forced him to set up shop at a café. Also, he no longer believes in love. Not a good look in his line of work . . .

Do not present a “perfect” image. No one will trust it. Nor should they.

ZOEY
Zoey’s eccentric L.A. boss sent her packing to New York to “grow.” But beneath her chill Cali demeanor, Zoey’s terrified to venture beyond the café across the street . . .

Think of your quirks—such as cosplaying B-movies from the 1980s—as a “Future Honesty.” Save these as a reward only for those who prove worthy.]
The only thing Miles and Zoey share is their daily battle for Café Crudite’s last day-old
biscotti. They don’t know they’re both ghostwriting “authentic” client profiles for rival online dating services. Nope, they have absolutely nothing in common. . . . Until they meet
anonymously online, texting on the clock . . .

Never remind the client you’re their Cyrano.Once you’ve attracted a good match, let the client take over ASAP.

Soon, with their clients headed for dating disaster, both Miles and Zoey’s jobs are at stake. And once they find out their lines have crossed, will their love connection be the real thing—or vanish into the ether?. . .

Release Date May 26, 2020

Initial Thoughts

I’ll be totally honest, this book sounded cute but the major appeal was that it started with a “G”. I’m almost finished with my 2020 Alphabet Challenge (to see my full progress, check out my Instagram here). I thought the premise sounded like a modern twist on You’ve Got Mail and I liked that idea.

Some Things I Liked

Nerd culture. I loved that this story featured characters that like something they classify as nerdy or dorky. Years ago, liking certain fandoms was not mainstream and people didn’t used to talk about that kind of stuff on first dates. I thought it was fun to see the idea of fandoms and passion for a story brought into the limelight as a desirable quality.
NYC at its finest. I loved the walking tour and the vivid details of the city. Maybe it’s quarantine that’s making me miss it – but reading this story really made me miss working in NYC.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

Some of the plot points were heavier than I wanted in a rom-com. Miles’s ex and the pregnancy and then his poor decision making were just some of the items that I didn’t really feel like were light and fun for a rom-com. Similarly, I thought Zoey was a little impulsive and wacky (not always in a funny way) when it came to Jude. I thought some of the decisions the main characters made were a little strange, thus changing the mood of the story.

Series Value

I would continue to read this series if the next books focused on other characters. I don’t think there’s much more to do with Zoey and Miles but the side characters in this story had some potential. Is this a drop everything and pick up the next book kind of series? No, not for me at least. But, if there is more to this world, I’d keep reading because the premise is interesting and the dialogue is fun.

Final Thoughts

I liked this book. I think it was a modern spin on a classic story. It was heavier than I was expecting in certain areas but overall, it was enjoyable.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

Well Met by Jen DeLuca – if you like enemies to lovers and down-to-earth quirky characters, try this series by Jen DeLuca. The second book is coming out in September.
What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter – if you liked the You’ve Got Mail vibes, try this YA rom-com.
The Move by Whitney Dineen – if you liked the “starting over in a new town” vibes that Ghosting had, try this book by Whitney Dineen.

#NetGalley #ghosting

Cute, funny read. I actually laughed out loud... This author is clever and observant and very funny. Her characters reflect her wit and their banter is adorable and hilarious.

This book is about Zoey and Miles.. Zoey is a reluctant NYC transplant from LA; Miles is a soft-hearted romantic New Yorker. They both work for rival ghost writing dating sites. They also fight over the "good" table in their local cafe. They hate each other, then they don't...

I found Zoey's loneliness and anxiety really personal and hard hitting, but I also related to Miles' family and love of his city. I liked his romantic sensibilities as well as his dumped fiance bitterness... I felt like his struggle to stay positive and optimistic about people and love was very realistic.

This book is light hearted but has real characters and a sweet story. Thanks to netgalley for this ARC.

I love a good enemies to friends story! This story was so cute and fresh, I haven’t read a lot of stories like it. I loved the characters so much and the quirks they had. I usually like a little more steaminess in my romances but this was adorable. I would have liked the ending to have been a little longer and more detailed about where the main characters ended up after but I was satisfied. All in all I enjoyed this read, it was funny, sweet and light hearted.

Laugh out loud funny!! I was charmed and completely entertained. There are areas of the delightful RomCom that will leave you with stitches in your side and swooning just a few passages later.

Ugh, I loved this book. It's incredibly witty, funny and heartwarming. I loved the two authors combined writing style.
It's a modern day rom-com filled with banter and charm. Miles and Zoey are rivals as ghost writers for competing online dating services, (unbeknownst to them). They are also rivals at a coffee shop, competing for space and day old baked goods.
I love Miles's character. He is nerdy, hipster and adorable with an inner hopeless romantic that is absolutely charming. He is also heart broken and a tad bitter about his situation with his ex-fiance. But he can't deny his attraction to cute and quirky Zoey. Zoey is new to New York, from LA, and just trying to get by, make some money and hopefully figure herself out a long the way. Both characters are quick witted and charming in their own ways.
This is more than just a rom-com though. It is an ode to New York and the modern dating world. The supporting characters are just as fun an interesting at the main characters, despite their small roles. This would make a totally adorable indie romcom movie for sure.
Overall, I really liked this book. I laughed out loud and fell in love with the characters. It also made me want to visit New York!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

This book is a hilarious commentary on dating in the modern era.

Zoey and Miles are both online dating ghostwriters, i.e. clients hire them to spruce up their profiles, and also to chat with potential matches on their behalf. They are also frenemies who fight over the last day-old stale biscotti at their local café. What they don’t know is that they’ve been chatting with each other online for weeks – posing as their respective clients Bree and Jude, of course – and getting along brilliantly. Soon they both find themselves breaking the #1 rule in the handbook: don’t fall in love with your client’s match.

So what will happen when they find out the truth? Unfortunately, the answer to this question comes too late in the book. I thought the first half of the book was a little… cluttered? A lot was going on in the beginning, and I didn’t really get invested in the book until about 65% of the way in. Too much time was spent discussing their crazy work lives and crazy bosses (Zoey’s boss Mary was an amazing character though!), their clients’ dates, and the Star Wars-inspired Undersea movie that Miles is obsessed with. And as such not enough time with Zoey and Miles IRL, which is a real shame because both MCs are hilarious, snarky, and their fears and motivations are oh-so-relatable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The format or the ARC threw me a bit, because the texts read like the rest of the text, but the story was charming and well paced, I loved their connection, it was a fun, light read.

Oh my gosh. I loved this. It's a romcom that loves romcoms. Even better - it has the flavour of a 1990s romcom. Zoey and Miles are both ghostwriters for people using online dating services - and of course they end up talking to each other while pretending to be other people. The premise was too good to pass up. And this book definitely delivered.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The plot was intriguing but I felt like it took too long for Zoey and Miles to connect and instead there was a lot of information on their jobs. I liked the side characters-Mary in particular. I really wanted to like this book more than I did.

I have to admit: this was smart, unique, entertaining book and I actually enjoyed inner monologues of the characters, cultural references, dating apps’ false advertisement and side effects of virtual build relationships and of course hiring literary Bergeracs as ghost writers to find your ideal match is great plot idea!

But the book was too much wordy and too slow for me! Nearly half of the book, both characters focused on their ghost writing careers and deal with so many absurd situations with their clients and gave each other mean names, cold shoulders, sneaky and hostile glares. The romance parts and their back stories left for the second half of the book and you gotta read a lot of pages till you reach the juicy parts. ( unfortunately we waited too much for GreatScot and DuschessB’s matching parts: which are the online nicknames of our couple.

I wish we may see the matching part and their frenemies to friends to lovers without knowing their identity story-line earlier. And I didn’t like much about Miles: I found him so pretentious, arrogant and I couldn’t empathize with his heartbreak with his ex who cheated and dumbed him, expecting another man’s child. But I liked Zoey and her relationship with Margareth (boss, mentor, big sista), her struggles to gain her freedom and discover the outer world parts, her insecurities and awkwardness attracted my attention. She was lovely kind of quirky character and I hate the guts of her family.

Overall: We have lovely heroine and not so ideal book-boyfriend, irritating hero, smart banters, dialogues, inner monologues. But as I told before the pace is too slow, wordy and we spent so much time till we learn more about characters and their so slow burn chemistry. The book seems like more about online datings’ parody than a cute, sweet romance. I can see the both of the authors are so talented but I wish they could edit some parts and build the couple’s love story a little earlier. I was about to stop reading so many times and it was a little painful experience for me to focus on the story.

So I’m giving smart, humorous dialogues and references: 4 stars

Romance and chemistry : 2 stars

On average :I’m giving 3 stars. I still want to read this duo’s new books. This one has so much potential and promising start. I wish I could love it more or skip the first half to reach the second and more satisfying parts of the book.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for sharing this entertaining story in exchange my honest review.

I love a good Cyrano plotline - add to that the trial and tribulations of modern dating, and you can sign me up!

The story was a bit different from most modern dating novels I've read. I really liked the idea of two rival companies that work to obtain clients who need help with their online dating profile.

Anyone who's used apps knows how hard it is to start up a conversation and maintain it. So this was a really relevant idea, and I'm a little tempted to start something like TITMH (yeah, the acronym sounds exactly the way you think) myself.

Miles and Zoey are both dealing with some stuff, personally and professionally. They don't necessarily think the idea of romance is practical, but continue to endorse it for their clients.

Even so, they're not fully convinced of their services until both of them end up ghosting with each other. This leads to a series of hilarious scenes where Miles and Zoey struggle to be professional and end up working to stop their clients from being with their match.

Tash Skilton's writing really drew me into the story. I loved her snarky observational style. I enjoyed the banter between Miles and Zoey and their inner monologues were hilarious.

There was a good balance of humour and emotional scenes, and the emails were a really nice touch.

I liked the ingenuity of the dating apps invented for the story, and how well they were described through conversation, as opposed to an info dump. In fact, so much of the book could have been an info dump, but the author cleverly wove it into conversation or inner dialogue.

What I didn't like was the style in which the texts were written. There were some points I couldn't tell where the text ended and narration began. It would have been helpful to have the texts in a different font, or indented on the page.

I loved the characters and enjoyed their backstory, especially Miles. It's so rare to see Jewish and Muslim mix children, for the reason the author mentions - so his parents' story was refreshing.

Miles himself is a lovely character. Practical, reluctantly optimistic and kind. He has his flaws, in terms of letting his insecurities after a bad break up guide his emotions, and being kind of prickly at times. But he's endearing in how he's quick to see his mistakes and find ways to make up for it. He's sweet, thoughtful and real - definitely a break from the alpha wall street type heroes who let one bad relationship define them. How Miles handles everything is so much more real.

My heart went out to Zoey. When I learnt her back story, it really hit me in the feels. I wish we had heard the full story a little earlier. I was a bit annoyed by her reclusive behavior at times. I knew there was a reason, and when revealed, it made sense - but it could have been hinted at during the times she struggled at the start.

Nonetheless, she's a great character - smart, funny and self-aware. She's lonely and isn't sure whether she likes it or not. It's something introverts deal with all the time, that feeling of being content by yourself, but also wanting more. She's socially awkward but makes it up with her wit. She knows her shortcomings but tries so bravely throughout the story to overcome them. She just needed a life push.

The side characters were great. Clifford was fantastically annoying and we all know someone like him. I wish we had seen more of Leanne than through emails, I'm sure she would have been great. Ayesha was a wonderful buffer between Miles and Zoey.

Evelynn was hilarious and I really enjoyed Jude and Bree's side story - they were amazing characters on their own.

I loved Miles' parents and hated Zoey's. But the star side character was of course, Margaret. She was eccentric in the best way and I loved her relationship with Zoey. She also brought a geeky fandom side to the story which I loved.

In terms of the buildup, there was definitely chemistry and I enjoyed the gradual progression. Rivals to friends to more is always a nice arc.

I wish that it hadn't taken so long, though. It took almost 40% of the book for Miles and Zoey to tolerate each other. Too much of the book focused on internal office politics and matching with different people. It would have been nice if GreatScot and DuchessB had matched earlier and spent more time chatting online - even if Zoey and Miles were still at odds IRL. I really wanted to see more of that anonymous connection between the ghostwriters, which I didn't get enough of. That would have elevated the story for sure.

Overall, I think Ghosting drew from some typical rom com tropes and offered them up in a fresh and relatable take on modern dating!