I liked this book but I really wish I enjoyed it more. Overall, I really like the characters, especially Mary. She's like the fun aunt who doesn't have kids if that make sense. Zoey moved from LA to NY so it was cool when places in LA that I was familiar with were mentioned. Miles I feel like is just a cinnamon roll. Also, there's Filipino representation because Zoey is part Filipino and she loves bibingka which is basically life.

Ok so what didn't work for me? The whole enemies to lovers thing is cute. The execution of their love story just wasn't working for me. It didn't feel like they were communicating with each other. Sure, they indirectly were but it took forever, in my opinion, before it picked up. I also wish there were more cute scenes between the main characters.

Ghosting: A Love Story, is about Miles, a ghostwriter for a dating website—he essentially helps those who can’t help themselves talk to prospective dates. Miles also has just had his heartbroken and can’t seem to get his life nor his job back on track. Then there is Zoey, a struggling screenwriter who has just moved to New York and takes a job at a competing dating website.

The two meet at a café, fighting over free day old biscotti and soon become competitors to see who can get the best table at said café each day.

They soon take up clients who have matched and find themselves corresponding without knowledge of who they’re actually talking to.

I found this book an easy and fast read. Also very cute, I honestly didn’t want to put it down! It has a lot of the things I love: witty banter, multiple POV, well developed characters with great backstories, slow burn romance and a little steam.

I’m a big fan of Zoey’s sass and I loved Miles’ sweet heart. I was rooting for them the whole time! I would definitely recommend this to fans of Abby Jimenez, (author of The Friend Zone and HEAP) if you like witty banter and to those who like slow burn romances or enemies to lovers tropes.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley, for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ghosting was an interesting romance. I loved how it sort of reminded me of “You’ve Got Mail” but with a modern day twist with today’s dating apps.

Zoey and Miles were definitely likable most of the time. I liked their quirky personalities and thought they play off each other well.

The pace was a little slow in the beginning for my liking and it took me a long to get into. And the coincidences were kinda like...okaaaay. But I guess if worked for the lighthearted rom-com that this book happens to be. In the end, I found it quite enjoyable.

In their debut collaboration, Sarvenaz Tash and Sarah Skilton have joined forces to write a romance that will make you want to explore New York City in an instant! Ghosting: A Love Story follows two ghostwriters who know how to help others find love, but don’t quite know how to help themselves in the same department.
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. Meanwhile, 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. The only thing Miles and Zoey share is their daily battle for Café Crudité'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. 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?
I loved the concept of this novel! The world of ghostwriting is one I was unfamiliar with so the idea of two people trying to help others find love, yet be oblivious to their own feelings, was fun and flirty! The emails before each chapter helped shape the world of ghost-writing and both Miles and Zoey were fun to read about, but I almost wish there would’ve been more details about some of the minor characters, like Aisha, Leanne, and Clifford.
I also really enjoyed the setting of New York and the realm of possibility that exists there. The way that Miles tries to make Zoey fall in love with the city and to see his appreciation for the Big Apple was really cool to read about and made me want to hop on a train to Manhattan immediately!
However, if I’m being honest, it took me such a long time to get into this book and I think it’s because of all of the set up that needed to take place to make the world of ghostwriting comprehensible. I also found the build up to Miles and Zoey’s relationship to be a bit too slow for me. If you like a slow burn romance, then you might appreciate it more than I did; however, when the main characters don’t actually have a full conversation until the book is halfway done, it’s a bit too slow in my opinion.
While it took me a bit to get into it, I did end up enjoying this story! It was a little cheesy at times, but overall, is a fairly entertaining read. If you're looking for a summer rom-com that has a lengthy build-up, but fun conclusion, then I would definitely check this book out.

Honestly, this is a unique, entertaining, and overall smartly-written novel, but it is a little bit slow-moving for me. I rounded up to 4 stars because it's better than 3, but not quite 4, on my scale.

MIles and Zoe are both fascinating characters. Their inner thoughts are fascinating. And the novel's representation of dating apps, catfishing, ghost writing and virtual relationships that cannot translate to the real world is an viewed through an interesting lens.

I love that Miles and Zoe are "frenemies" at the cafe without realizing it. I just wish they had started truly interacting and developing their real relationship a bit earlier in the story.

This story featured quirky characters, the lovely setting of New York City and some crazy situations. The main characters fall into a "Cyrano" situation by ghost writing dating profiles and DMs for clients but end up falling for each other. It felt unique and fun and I had a great time in this romantic comedy of a love story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars! As a huge fan of The Holy Trinity of Romcoms - You’ve Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally, and Sleepless in Seattle, Ghosting was the perfect book for me. A modern You’ve Got Mail filled with romcom references, Ghosting was a funny, sweet story featuring many lovable characters. I read it in a day and it was the perfect book to read by the pool!

Fans of The Honey Don’t List by Christina Lauren and Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey, NEED this book.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting take on modern romance and the business of dating apps. Told from the point of view of two ghost writers who help would be daters communicate with potential matches through social media. Zoey works for a company that provides ghost writers for future daters. Miles works for the man who basically stole the idea from the head of Zoey's company ( his ex-wife). Both Miles and Zoey find themselves competing for a specific table at an internet cafe and sort of fighting over the free food-stale though it may be. Neither one is aware of what the other does. To add to the complexity of the situation, they are both ghosting for two people who are trying to make a match.
I loved the irony of Zoey and Miles being soul mates on their social media while disliking each other in real life.
This story had a lot of themes woven through the main plot and I had a bit of a issue getting into the story initially but I'm glad I kept reading because it was actually a fun read. The scenes where the two actual daters- both somewhat quirky- get together and struggle because they really haven't communicated prior to the first date is both funny and cringey. When Zoey and Miles finally connect as themselves it's a relief. This is a great summer read-funny, interesting and a good HEA at the end.

Heat Factor: Almost but not quite fade to black
Character Chemistry: They actually had pretty good sparring partners chemistry
Plot: You’ve Got Mail meets Cyrano de Bergerac plus other stuff going on
Overall: Fun-with-a-lot-of-caveats

Shortly after I received a copy of Ghosting: A Love Story, I was updating my Goodreads list with it, and I noticed that author Sarvanez Tash left a review saying that her and co-author Sarah Skilton’s goal was to make each other laugh with a rom-com homage to Nora Ephron, etc. I think this is helpful to understand because this book is a little bit next-level in the twee department. Especially the emails that begin most chapters.

Oh, and I was reading an advance copy, so this may have been changed in the final version (I can only hope), but the way the text conversations were written made me absolutely bananas. It was so difficult to read. They were all inline, but without quotation marks, so half the time I was like, “WTF is happening?” And the authors didn’t have anything against quotation marks when the characters were actually speaking! I don’t understand!

The absurdity is everywhere! First, the idea that a dating copywriting consulting job even exists (but if it does, of course it’s in New York) is pretty wild. Second, the protagonists are working for competing copywriting providers because the husband and wife duo who created the original got divorced, and that’s a whole mess. Third, these protagonists are supposed to be really great at their jobs (especially Miles), but they are honestly terrible at either listening to or meeting their clients’ needs. Fourth, they frequent the same coffee shop and play a “who got the big table first” sniping game with each other. Fifth, they end up living next door to each other (surprise!). I mean, the list goes on.

Sometimes, especially after a run of reads that are high-angst or that make me think really hard, all I want is a really fun read. Low angst, low drama, playful, fun. Ghosting is not without its serious moments--Miles just got dumped by his fiancé, who is pregnant with another man’s babies(!), and Zoey was pretty much neglected and then abandoned by her selfish, globe-trotting parents--but I would categorize this as a true rom-com. One that leans more playful than outright funny. I never laughed out loud, but I did snort at the absurdity more than once. That said, in some ways it leans into its humor by relying on stereotypes that some readers may not enjoy. Miles is a “Jewslim”--his dad is an Egyptian Muslim and his mom is an American Jew--so we get jokes about Jewish mom stereotypes, for example. Loads of New York, LA, and Florida stereotypes are played on. (I mean, the Brooklyn artisanal scene kind of did this to itself, right?) So if you’re not interested in a type of humor that “pokes fun”, you might want to give this a pass.

The idea of being involuntarily jobless and homeless isn’t particularly funny, but that’s what both Miles and Zoey are facing--for slightly different reasons--when they end up on opposite ends of a dating match. Their emotional investment in the match is only the first problem they have professionally. As I mentioned, they become so interested in each other--thinking they’re talking to the date, not another ghostwriter--that they begin to actively sabotage the relationship while also trying to keep the couple together. There were moments when I honestly thought they should be fired, because yikes.

Then, too, because Zoey is terrified of leaving a 5 block radius around her apartment, I spent at least 60% of the book worried that she had pretty serious depression or anxiety. Which, of course, she couldn’t afford to seek help for because she’s a freelancer who can’t even afford breakfast when the book begins.

The man who runs the competing ghostwriting company where Zoey works--Clifford, ex-husband of Miles’s boss--is a lawsuit waiting to happen, and he doesn’t even care. Racist, sexist, narcissistic → that’s Clifford, and I had mixed feelings about finding humor in what was honestly an extremely toxic work environment (even if it was freelance). It’s clear he was included to be just the mess he was, but women--especially women of color like Zoey (half-Filipino) and her colleague Aisha (Miles’s cousin)--just brushing off this kind of behavior as “Whatever, that Clifford! He’s a mess! Hahaha!” might skate a little too close to condoning and normalizing that behavior for me. It’s no fun to take everything seriously all the time, but...

Now I’m going to talk about a problem that occurs at the end of the book, because I think it’s really important, but if you don’t want to get into what might feel spoilery, read no further.

***

When Miles and Zoey finally come together, it’s really lovely. Neither of them gets wildly distressed or angry about the situation they’ve found themselves in, which was nice. The real issue ties back to Miles and that ex-fiancé and her babies. And I’m not sure the conclusion of this book really addressed the situation Miles and Zoey found themselves in. It gets, maybe, 80% there.

Miles and Zoey are both about 30. Miles thought his life was all squared away, envisioning his marriage and future children with the fiancé until it all crashed down around him. He’s on the farther side of 30. Zoey, on the very near side of 30, perpetually (intentionally) single, and trying to figure out her career, has not been envisioning family and children. They end up having a conversation about wanting children, which almost never happens in romance novels, even though I have seen it be a dealbreaker in more than one of my friends’ romantic relationships. So I was like, “YES! We’re gonna have a meaty conversation!”

We don’t. :( Miles, having envisioned a certain life, has to consider what’s most important to him: having the family he wanted or having a partner who’s perfect for him but who might not come with the kids he’d hoped for. And the biological clock is ticking!!! Of course, there are no guarantees in life, so it is important to be with a partner for their own sake, not for the possibilities of something that may or may not happen. But one partner wanting children and another partner not wanting children is a serious flag for that relationship. It’s one of those times when love just isn’t enough. Children are for life. No takebacks.

I’m not sure I would have been satisfied with Miles changing his mind about children being important to him or with Zoey changing her mind because Miles wanted children. That the authors portrayed this as Miles taking the conversation seriously and Zoey not realizing quite how important it was to Miles was probably the only thing that saved it in the end. But the two of them moving forward and not taking the time to consider the importance of this question seriously--when it had been such a problem for Miles in particular only pages earlier!--felt a little bit too easy. I did not have a ton of confidence in the long-term success of their relationship because the one thing that might keep them apart was never truly addressed.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

Ghosting: A Love Story by Tash Skilton | review. ⁣
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⁣Genre: Contemporary romance. ⁣
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⁣Rating: Four stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Happy Pub Day to this cute book! Miles and Zoey are in a fierce competition every day to get the best table at their favorite coffee shop! What they don’t realize is that they work for rival “ghostwriting” dating apps and they have secretly been talking to each other! Of course, they are soon falling for each other online and throwing sarcastic quips at each other in real life. ⁣
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⁣🤳🏻 I enjoyed the creativity in this story. Miles and Zoey’s online communication was quirky and fun. Plus, they both worked for hilarious bosses who were constantly sending out ridiculous emails. It worked! ⁣
⁣🤳🏻 I loved that this story was set in New York City! And Miles made a sweet tour of his favorite neighborhood that had me swooning. ⁣
⁣🤳🏻 My main complaint- this book was too much of a slow burn. They didn’t realize they liked each other until 80% through the book! Too slow... I need more action! ⁣
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⁣Are you a fan of slow burns? ⁣
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⁣𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘒𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 @𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 #𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 #𝘎𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘈𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Ghosting: A Love Story is a contemporary romance written by the writing team of Sarvenaz Tash and Sarah Skilton under the pen name Tash Skilton. Miles Ibrahim doesn’t believe in love anymore, his fiancé dumped him six weeks ago, he’s couch surfing as she took the apartment and now she’s posting on Facebook about her baby bump and he’s pretty sure he’s not the father. These things are making it difficult for him to do his job which is helping people present their best selves on on-line dating apps. Zoey Abot is supposed to be writing a screen play but living in New York terrifies her and she’s making ends meet by also working for a company that helps people with their on-line personas, it just happens to be run by the ex-husband of the the CEO of the firm that Miles works for. The coffee shop where these two meet becomes a battleground as they struggle to get the good table and the last day old biscotti never realising that they have also met online just not as each other. I found this story to be charming and an entertaining read. Medium Steam. Publishing Date May 26, 2020. #NetGalley #GhostingALoveStory #TashSkilton #KensingtonBooks #ContemporaryRomance #bookstagram

Despite finding both characters selfish and annoying for most of the book (like 70% of it, I thought they were horrible people), they won me over in the end or maybe I finally realized they belong together? It reminded me a lot of You've Got Mail - messaging each other but not knowing that the other person was behind the screen name, one person finds out and doesn't tell the other person - but set in today's time. A lot of the story felt contrived but sometimes you just need a mindless chick-lit book.

3.5/5

Who doesn't love a romance that blossoms over exchanged texts? Not moi! I was very eager to pick up Ghsosting because of the premise. I'm also a pretty big sucker for books set in NYC. Along with the fact that Sarvenaz Tash, who has written some of my favorite YA books, is attached to this, I knew this was a book I would devour. And devour I did! I had a great time reading this book and will definitely not shy away from recommending it to romance nerds.

Zoey has just moved to NYC from LA per her boss' insistence that she needs some growing up to do. She's a little grumpy about the whole thing and hasn't really ventured outside the coffee shop she hangs out at all day. This cafe is where she also happens to meet Miles and so begins a daily battle for a nice table and that last day's biscotti. Unbeknownst to either of them, they are also connecting online as their clients, who they ghostwrite for as part of a dating service, are falling for each other. As you can imagine, between the daily back-and-forth between the two, and them trying to halt their clients from heading towards what could be a dating disaster, there were plenty of humorous moments peppered throughout Ghosting. It was a truly fun read for me. If you're a fan of banter that has you grinning from ear-to-ear, this is definitely the book for you. And of course, watching them fall in love through their online personas was a whole other charming experience. It was freaking cute seeing them bond emotionally and slowly fall in love. I thought the final reveal about their true identities was satisfying. I liked that it wasn't dragged out and that the two had a good conversation about it.

Zoey and Miles were pretty great protagonists for this book. While the love story between them is a strong component of Ghosting, I liked how the authors took the time to really build up these characters and their individualities. It was nice that the book was written in dual POV because you got to see what was going on in each others' heads. They are both dealing with their own set of issues. Zoey is a little bit lost in NYC and in terms of her career, and Miles is nursing a broken heart after his fiancee broke up with him. The secondary cast also easily stole the show. In terms of elements that did not work for me, I'd have to say that I found the book to be a bit dense and wordy at times, particularly in the middle. Thankfully, I was able to push through, so it wasn't a deal-breaker for me.

Ultimately, Ghosting kept me entertained and that's all I ask of a good book. It delivered on a cute romance, had some tropes I enjoy, and had a likable cast. I'll look forward to reading more from this author duo.

I received a free copy from Net Galley and the publisher. The two main characters work for online dating services, not knowing that they are chatting to each other when working for their clients.

This book was fun to read. The dialogue was witty and smart. There were many times I found myself smiling and laughing. At first I didn’t like Zoey all that much. But she grew on me with her sense of humor. I liked the cultural references throughout the book. This was a cute romance!

I could totally see this made into a cute RomCom movie. Zoey, freshly moved from LA to NYC, hasn’t ventured much beyond the coffee shop across the street from he apartment. For this California girl, NYC is challenging to navigate. Plus, she has a favorite table in this coffee shop. It’s a prime table and she really likes to sit there. She also likes the free day old baked goods. One day, the guy in front of her (Miles) takes the last of the baked goods and snags her table. There might have been some yelling. There were definitely hard feelings. And now she’s determined to get the table first-every day!

Here’s where it becomes like a movie. Miles and Zoey have the same job for competing companies. They are ghost writers for people who are on dating apps (genius idea! No idea if it’s truly a job), and they are messaging each other for the people they are representing. And they like each other, but don’t know that they are talking to each other.

Fun to watch the relationship, both as ghost writers and real people, develop. There are supporting characters that are a lot of fun. This was cute and satisfying. I was rooting for Zoey!

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve never read either of the co-authors other works but I bet I’m missing out!

I LOVED this book. It was a trifecta of trope perfection; enemies to lovers, online love and Millennial nostalgia. Add a dash of banter and *kisses fingers* pure gold.

Miles and Zoey were cute, fun, and hilarious. I loved the characters and their quirks. Mary was the best!

10s across the board! Would recommend to a friend.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute and quick read. At first, I loved Miles and Zoey annoyed me. But, as I got to know her I started to love her too. A very enjoyable read.

This was cute.

It definitely had character careers that I hadn't read before (online dating profile ghostwriters!) which I enjoyed and I enjoyed the banter between Zoey and Miles and Mary (what a crazy yet fun character!)

Is it a little slow? Yes, but it's a slow burn romance between two people who have no idea they are actually romancing each other while they have this semi hate/petty competitiveness going on over a coffee shop table (and don't tell me that you don't know what table is the best in your coffee shop, cause I bet you do, lol!) Zoey came off a little reclusive and although we eventually find out what her story is, I felt like that part of her personality was drug out a little bit, but it worked! It helped paint Miles as this native New Yorker who could show her his passion and love for the city while making her comfortable. I personally would have liked the reasons behind her fears revealed a bit earlier though to make her more relate-able. Overall, I enjoyed it!

Online dating has a new spin: someone else manages your profile and talks on your behalf. While this doesn't feel realistic, it does make for a cute story. Zoey and Miles find each other through some extraordinary circumstances. First as strangers then as online profile corresponders. It's a fun light hearted story taking you through their first few months and a look into their future to come. While there is always twists in the plot, in the end they find their way back.
I recommend this book to anyone looking for a light hearted modern day romance. Definitely an enemy to lovers type of storyline.

Looking for a book to make you forget life and enjoy all the feelings of a new relationship? This book is for you! I am very stingy with my four- and five stars, but this book definitely earned four stars.

I love the ghostwriter job that the book describes (and think it’s such a great idea)! The author keeps you entertained throughout the book, and just when you think you know what’s going to happen, PLOT TWIST! I definitely laughed out loud and lost my breath a few times while reading this book. Definitely a summer must read!