Member Reviews
This was a cute story about two individuals who ghostwrite for people looking for love. I did not know how to feel about this from the beginning since I have never heard of this concept before but apparently it is a real thing that people are getting involved in. This is the story of Zoey and Miles who work for 2 competing companies (each owned by a former member of a married couple) who specialize in helping individuals create new dating profiles and teach them how to interact with matches in order to find their one true love. Zoey and Miles both take on new clients and without realizing it they are speaking to each other while assuming the identities of Jude and Bree who are looking for love and are tired of meeting the wrong people. Slowly Zoey and Miles start to fall for the "fake" interactions with their respective potential mates. While in "real life" they are mortal enemies at a local cafe for the biggest table by the window and day old baked goods.
I really enjoyed the love story not only developing between Zoey and Miles but also between Jude and Bree. It was nice to see it play out for both couples especially when they all start being their authentic selves. Also, Zoey as a character was charming and watching her growth from a girl who missed LA and hated New York to a girl who was comfortable riding the subway by herself was great.
Thank you to netgalley and Kennsington Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This was such an enjoyable book. I loved how it was about 2 people who were ghosterwriters for dating sites. It was such a unique take on the traditional dating app and sites books.
I did enjoy the romance between Zoey and Miles and how it started with fighting over the best table at a coffeehouse and little did they know they were falling for each other online posed as different people.
It's a fun, witty and romantic book that I flew through!
So this book is a like a slow burn love story *sigh* that takes a long time to happen. It’s about Zoey and Miles who are ghostwriters for dating services who are like in an online relationship *smile* but in the real world they argue about the best spot at the cafe *laugh*It’s such a cute book that reminds me of You’ve got mail.
I really enjoyed this book. Zoey and Miles are the kind of characters that you know in real life. You have friends or family like them and this will make you laugh even harder when reading this book. They work for competing ghost writing companies who are helping people write better dating profiles to find true love but both of them think they suck in their own love life. They are modern matchmakers per say. They also both live in New York and Miles loves it and Zoey is new here and is not loving it yet. She’s full of fear of it. She is also poor and not liking Miles cause they are fighting over a table and free biscotti that’s a day old in their favorite cafe. This book has wonderful characters and the scenes are wonderfully written and I love the Harry met Sally vibes it gives. I enjoyed it and made me laugh during a time that has been difficult.
If you find yourself missing 90s RomComs, and wishing for something a little more up-to-date, this is the book for you. There was a lot I loved about Ghosting, which between it's Carrie Fisher-esque wingman character (Queen, I miss you), and it's snappy dialogue and quirky set up, felt so much like When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail - and in almost all of the best ways.
Miles and Zoey work for competing companies as 'ghostwriters' for a matchmaking services. When they start a table war at the same cafe, they're unaware that this fact.
In all reality, this is probably a 4.5 star book - it would have been a 5 star if Miles and Zoey hadn't completely driven me nuts with their utter lack of self-awareness around the 30-40% mark, but thankfully they got better! It was a mere blip of me wanting to smack fictional characters, in an otherwise deeply enjoyable story. It has all the tropes, the pithy dialogue, the meet cute, the slightly unbelievable set-up, that mostly just works. And it also has the honor of holding my attention during this pandemic, which has honestly been something I've been struggling with. I'm going to be recommending this to any of my romcom loving friends, cause it was honestly a delight.
What an original story. This was such a neat premise. Miles and Zoey both ghost write for two rival dating sites to help couples find love.
I love the wit that the author uses. You can tell she is a fun lady. Also, I loved learning about many places that would be fun to visit in NYC.
I did have a bit of a hard time getting into the book. It was intriguing but did not capture my full attention until about 40% in. This doesnt reflect negatively on the overall book though. I really enjoyed this story. Miles and Zoey were so fun!
Thank you Kensington Books and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
"Not to get all hair metal power ballad about it, but love is an illusion. It's just a smokescreen for future heartbreak. Why do it to yourself? Why? Either they'll leave you, or you'll leave them or - best-case scenario - you live together happily until one of you dies and leaves the other one completely destroyed and a shell of their former self."
SYNOPSIS | Miles & Zoey are both ghost writers for rival online dating companies although they don't know that their clients have matched and they're actually flirting (& falling for!) each other.
MY THOUGHTS | I actually enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. I liked the witty banter between Miles & Zoey and found myself chuckling at their coffee shop table rivalry. I really enjoyed the premise of this story and a light & fluffy romantic comedy is exactly what I was looking for right now. For me personally there were too many references to the fictional "Undersea" show and characters that I just didn't relate too or care about.
Y'ALL. If you have enjoyed The Shop Around the Corner / In the Good Old Summer Time / You've Got Mail, this book is a solid contender for the next, modern version. Two people who have a coffeshop meet-cute that spurs a rivalry for day-old biscotti and their favorite table don't realize that they have actually been messaging each other online... because they're professional Cyranos for the lovelorn on dating sites, tidying up their profiles and helping clients get to the moment when they meet in person. Add in a character that is an homage to Carrie Fisher, emotional growth for both leads, and some cute witty banter, and I'm 😍
Admittedly, rom-con is not my go-to genre. I am always wary of cheese and corniness, I want it to feel natural, I want a goofy grin on my face as I root for people who actually seem like real people and not rom-com tropes. But it always feels so hard to find.
Thankfully, I can always count on Sarvenaz Tash to deliver and Ghosting is no exception. Deliver, she does. I think this might be my favorite of her novels yet.
I love a slow burn, I love witty banter, I love people who are developed as people, not just love interests.
I hadn’t read anything by Sarah Skilton before but now it is obvious I’ve been missing out. Looking forward to rectifying that soon.
It took me a hot minute to get into the storyline of Zoey and Miles, but once it hit I was HOOKED. Who doesn't love a, hate to love romance? I wasn't a huge fan of the emails exchanged between the employers and employees at the beginning of every chapter, it seemed completely out of context in comparison to the rest of the story. Luckilly the emails were such a small part of the book. I loved this book so much I preordered a signed copy from The Ripped Bodice bookstore as suggested by the Authors! I can't wait to add this to my shelf! Thank you NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my hoest opinion.
Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately I couldn't get into this modern romance. The author uses too many pop culture references and the characters are so consumed by their internet chatting that the romance seemed to take a backseat. I'm sure its a true portrayal of how modern dating is like but on paper it's just not as interesting.
I also wasn't crazy about how hung up the hero was about his pregnant ex girlfriend. Just not what I was expecting.
Zoey is recently moved to New York, in order for her to work on her script. But she has to take a job as a ghost writer for a company that helps people with their dating profiles.
Miles works for a rival company. He’s recently had his heart broken, and has given up on love.
When Zoey and Miles are given clients, they begin to write to each other. It seems to them that their clients are not a match. But when they meet at a coffee shop, they instantly dislike each other.
I really enjoyed this story. It was funny, and sweet. And the characters were well written, and you could feel what they were feeling. This story had me hooked from page one. It was written wonderfully and keeps you interested. I definitely recommend this story.
Thank you Netgalley and Keningston for sharing this story in exchange for an honest review.
The love story is about two ghostwriters for opposing dating sites. Zoey, an L.A. native, is begrudgingly sent to New York by her celebrity boss to peruse her dream of writing scripts. Miles, a New Yorker by heart, was recently dumped by his fiance who is pregnant with another man's baby. Both Zoey and Miles have an unfortunate encounter at a local coffee shop which causes a war over the coveted window seat and an instant dislike for each other. While they work each day at the coffee shop, they have no idea that their clients have matched with one another. So things get more interesting when Zoey and Miles begin to fall for their clients. Will they realize that they are actually in love with each other or will they continue to hide behind their computer screens until the whole thing blows up in their faces?
I have to be honest and say that I really struggled to get through this book. The formatting on the Kindle made it difficult to read. The e-mails from the bosses were really tiny. Also, the author would have the characters send something in the chat on the app but also include the character's thoughts without a font change, which made it difficult to follow. I think I was frustrated with this aspect at the beginning of the book, which made it difficult to love the rest.
Once Miles and Zoey started forming a friendship, the book picked up again. It was funny to watch them react to their clients dating, but I prefer the romance between the two characters. I loved how the taped tours helped Zoey face her fears of the city and how Miles helped her through dinner with her parents. That being said, I am not sure how the title ties into the plot.
I would have to give this book a 2 or 2.5 stars out of 5 for formatting, unrelated title, and some romance/character development.
This book reminded me why I loved reading. I was totally sucked into the story to the point I forgot to eat lunch! It might have to do with a few things:
a: Zoey is half asian like me so Yay!!! Loved the halfie representation.
b: My current single stating and increasing loss of faith in dating apps
c: my lack of employment and trying to figure out what to do...
Pretty much our main characters Zoey and Miles are ghostwriters for rival dating apps that start falling in love with the person they're trying to get their client with. They of course have to know each other in real life and they kind of hate each other! Just playing on some of my fav tropes.
First of all their dating conversations are dream conversations and honestly I feel like should be mandatory for all dating people to read! Like stop sending me hey!
Also I really enjoyed the way everything wrapped up and the relationships between the main characters and their friends/family felt real and honest (maybe not so much the emails from their bosses though those were amusing to read). I also really appreciated the conflicts that were brought up because they made sense to the progression of the story and weren't just thrown in to cause conflict and actually required the characters to look at what they want and who they are as people.
4.5 Stars
This book had such a fun and unique take on a classic story. Two individuals unwittingly bantering with one another and falling for the other person without realizing who they are actually conversing with via text. I can honestly say I've never heard of ghostwriting on dating sites before, not that it would entirely surprise me to find this is an actual service.
Zoey and Miles' meet-cute is less than romantic. A squabble over free day-old baked goods leads to a bitter rivalry and weeks of oneupmanship between two starving artists living on crumbs in New York City. Each going about their lives which consist of little else beyond work, having no idea who the person on the other end of the screen they are conversing with actually is.
I loved both Zoey and Miles, their backgrounds, personalities, idiosyncrasies, made each of them a joy to read about and follow their journey. Only one decision in the novel made me hold back that last half star rating, I had a hard time accepting the character flaw after falling for the character throughout the novel.
This one didn’t grab me as much as I was hoping.
I really liked the frame of it but what was in the frame left me a bit bored / beleaguered.
It might be for some folks it just wasn’t doing much for me (my attention span is likely picky right now, too).
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review P
This was an absolute delight! I occasionally find myself frustrated when reading stories with cases of mistaken identity, or when the reader knows more than the character in the store, but the pacing of this was perfect! The author gave the characters exactly enough to keep the story moving and keep the reader interested and invested. All of the characters in this book are well developed - not just the main characters. I feel like we could see stories from the point of view of others in this book - hello Dylan and Charles!
3.5 ☆
Tash Skilton (duo aka. Sarvenez Tash & Sarah Skilton) did a pretty good job with this. How? It was funny AND romantic. These are the kind of romances I like, where it's not all about sex, it has true jokes and banter, but there is (good) sex, at the right moment.
We have a 2020 relevant plot. Online dating scene, where ghost writers accidentally fall in love when they are meant to be impersonating their clients. Miles and Zoey also have a coffee shop table war going on, in real life. They don't realise they are flirting online at the same time. They both work for different companies, but their bosses used to be married. This was slow-burn and I felt the chemistry between these two. This was ultimately a hats-off to the movies The Shop Around the Corner (Who else KNEW about this?) and You've got mail.. I'm always up for this kind of fun.
There were also some deep themes (family stuff, post-cheating-breakup) and one other major aspect (Mary) to it. I felt they deserved to be there and kept the plot moving. Overall, it wasn't perfect, it was a touch far-fetched, it needed a little bit of fine tuning, but it was enjoyable for the most part. I'm really glad I read it.
(ARC kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Very cute rom-com! I loved Miles and Zoey together; their relationship progressed very well. More complex than the usual romance novel.
First of all, I would like to thank Kensington Books for sending me an #ARC via #NetGalley of Tash Skilton's #GhostingALoveStory in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Ghosting: A Love Story is written by Tash Skilton, which is actually a pen name for two authors, Sarvenez Tash and Sarah Skilton. Ghosting: A Love Story has two narrators; Miles, a New Yorker who is going through a rough breakup, while working in an industry that helps people fall in love as a ghostwriter for clients on online dating sites, and Zoey, a newcomer to New York who is having trouble adjusting, and works as a freelancing ghostwriter for a competing agency.
I have to start by saying, I freakin' loved this book. For many reasons.
* It's unique. We have all read romances where enemies fall in love, but this is just done in such an organic and modern way.
*C.H.E.M.I.S.T.R.Y. Miles and Zoey have so much chemistry it's insane. From the moment they meet, even when fighting, it's electric. Even when they aren't together, you can't help but feel a sense of rightness between them. When they are together, its intense and beautiful, but not overwhelming so. It's just perfect.
*Entertaining. I laughed way too much reading this. Their banter with one another is refreshing and fun. And feels real. Not just their words, but the situations they get themselves into. Without getting spoilery, I feel like every city should celebrate National Cheese Day.
*Authentic. The characters feel like people that actually exist. They talk the way friends and I talk. The setting is equally realistic. New York tends to be a bit romanticized ... and for sure, there is a lot of love for New York in this book. But it's real too. I've only been to NYC once, but the descriptions of certain smells, the sound of a train coming in to the subway platform, and the people ... I was transported back. I have read a lot of New York based books, and this is the first time I felt like I was there again.
The characters are so well written and fleshed out. I liked Zoey. She's a girl I would actually be friends with. Low-maintenance, intelligent, sarcastic, and a lot stronger than she thinks. Her battles with anxiety struck a cord in me, and it was very easy to relate to her. Miles was an easy male protagonist to fall for. I've ALWAYS had a thing for nerdy, hipster type guys, and he fits the bill. The fact that he is a self admitted romantic ... swoon. The side characters are just as fun and interesting, which gave the added bonus of never being bored in the book.
I highly, HIGHLY recommend this one. Obviously Sarvenez Tash and Sarah Skilton work amazingly well together, and I am crossing fingers for more projects to come from them. In the meantime, I think I will check out their individual books as well. If those books are even half as good as this one, I will be in for a treat.