I didn’t just like this book - I loved it and hard to put down and switch the light off!
The whole storyline is cleverly well observed, funny, reflective and sad all at the same time.
Nina is the main protagonist -
navigating life with online dating and friendships (all of who at differing stages of their lives) in her early thirties whilst also dealing with aging parents, one of whom is struggling with dementia and slipping through her fingers
A thoroughly enjoyable humorous but poignant read.
Read it - you will not be disappointed!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this novel.

My opinion of the book is conflicted due to the conflicting feelings I felt when reading it. It was well written, modern and pretty relatable. I easily found myself in the main characters shoes, her annoying friends annoyed me.
However, overall I found it somewhat depressing . This could be because I am similar to the main character in terms of things such as age and being childless. Perhaps that meant that I took the content too personally, however I usually enjoy being able to relate to a character.

Nina is a 32 year old single woman living in London. Her friendships are being strained as she is the last single one in her circle, her dad is developing dementia and the men she meet on dating apps are charming lost boys who refuse to grow up. There are so many ghosts in this story, our past selves, friendships, relationships, memories. Nina's story really resonated with me, navigating the milestones of adulthood, whilst secretly feeling you want the car your parents had in your childhood to come and take you "home". I loved how warm and witty Dolly's writing is without shying away from the harsh truths about our modern lives, how we all pretend to each other on social media.

I loved this book, even though as a 30-something online dater it started to make me very self-conscious of all the silly things we say and do when trying to find that "match"! The ghosting and gaslighting men are so close to the truths that friends and I have lived through, it made reading and relating incredibly easy if not always comfortable. The only minor criticism was that the "sex-over-the-sink" scene didn't ring as true as the rest of the book, but maybe I'm a prude and this is where I've been going wrong all my life!

True to life and so easy to identify with. Nina thinks she has, at last ,found love until she is "ghosted". Why are some people totally unable to commit, yet enjoy new relationships, encouraging the other person to fall head over heels? Well written, Dolly Alderton conveys all the emotions that Nina endures, including the acceptance of her father's tragic fall into dementia.

Really, really enjoyed this - spot on if you have ever done internet dating as a white woman in your thirties or have friends who are married with kids. Funny, astute, topical and well written.

I devoured this book in a couple of days. Dolly has a beautifully engaging writing style that hooks you in quickly, it's witty and engrossing. She’s a brilliant author. It’s the first fiction book I’ve read by her, having previously read "Everything I Know About Love". 

It tells the story of Nina, a food writer in her early thirties living in London. It encompasses living in London, getting older, friendships and relationships in your thirties, navigating the murky world of dating apps, family, and ageing parents. It’s accessible, relatable, at times funny but also sad in parts and very compelling - it beautifully encompasses the highs and lows of life in a remarkable way, through realistic characters. Would highly recommend.

I received a free copy from Netgalley.

A fantastic book that encapsulates female friendship and living in London in your 20s/ 30s. I’ve immediately told all my friends to read it

Incredibly funny in a bittersweet way, I found this to be too close for comfort at times. Trying to explain the feelings tied up with being ghosted is extremely difficult, especially if it has happened more than once. You feel as if there is something wrong with you, and it can absolutely destroy your confidence. Friends that haven't experienced it will look at you with disbelief, as if it's your failing, when all you've done is what we all do, and fall in love. Stay positive and don't let the ghosts haunt you!

So well written and thoughtful. Made a real change from the psychological thrillers I usually read and I loved it. Hope to read more from this author

I read Dolly's memoirs with my book club and didn't really enjoy them that much, but this book is a gem! At first it feels like so many other chick lits but once it takes off it is refreshing and original. Nina is a well-constructed character that you can really believe in and the peripheral characters are all well put together and each bring something important to the narrative. I expect this will resonate even further with younger readers but I found lots to think about in this book, despite being far older than the target audience. I hope Dolly writes many more novels in future.

I enjoyed Ghosts - it’s a nice Sunday afternoon book. And really funny in parts! Would be good for people who enjoyed The Flatshare or One Day In December,

I really enjoyed Ghosts- thank you for the ARC Netgalley! Although I found the book a little slow to get going with fairly hefty chapters it was excellently written and I was quickly invested in the lead character Nina. As well as modern dating the story looked closely at friend and family relationships and included the struggle with her father’s health.
I’m looking forward to reading more by Dolly Alderton and will be quick to recommend this to friends. A good 4 stars.

Loved it! I didn't want this book to end, it's fresh, it's honest and most of all its real. It's what life and love is actually like, this is a must read!
Thank you.

Dolly Alderton is a natural storyteller, another one for her long list of talents.

This novel is different. When I was reading it, I felt like I was on the other end of the phone to my friend Nina, our lead character, listening to her experiences and seeing what she was going through.

It is honest, informed and relevant. It reflects the reality of being in your thirties; the highs, the lows, the changing dynamics in relationships with your parents and your friends. I am in my mid thirties and this novel so accurately depicts that feeling of time passing by and the heightened sentimentality you often begin to feel at this age. There are also many moments of humour, some of my favourites are in the descriptions of social situations (other peoples weddings!!) and the online dating world, it really is accurately told.

The reason this novel is different is because, in my mind, tradition went out the window. We do not have the standard beginning, middle, "will they won't they", crescendo of a happy ending. This is reality. It reads like reality. After being immersed with the characters for a period of time, it leaves you with the same uncertainty that they feel about what is to come next.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and I predict it will be a well deserving huge success when it is released on October 15th 2020.

Many thanks to @netgalley, @duchessoffigs and @penguinukbooks for the opportunity to review

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Dolly Alderton's debut novel is painfully beautiful and lushly impressive. It is an astonishingly fresh story that explores being thirty-something, single, and falling in and out of love. One of its great strengths is the sympathetic approach to the relationships between all its central characters. It is evocative and sad but also heart-warming and passionate. All told with an unforgettable honesty.

Sometimes life doesn’t go according to plan. But maybe we need to rethink our plans? In Dolly Alderton’s sharp and funny debut novel Ghosts, Nina Dean a successful food writer with loving friends and family, plus a new home and neighbourhood seems to have it all together.. When she meets Max, a beguiling romantic hero who tells her on date one that he's going to marry her, it feels like all is going to plan.

But as in most romantic comedies, a man has derailed things. And everywhere she turns, she is reminded of time passing and opportunities dwindling. Friendships are fading, ex-boyfriends are moving on and, worse, everyone's moving to the suburbs.

Is she doing it all wrong? As you’d expect from the sharp Alderton, Ghosts takes a different view. One where strong relationships can coexist alongside boozy Sundays, families thrive as well as friendships, and women can forge their own path.

One assumes there are echoes of Dolly Alderton’s own life in this – a writer, living in London, with great girlfriends and going on dates – but maybe that just makes it a more truly drawn piece. Great fun and I’m sure the precursor to many more.

As always Dolly hits the nail on the head about so many things. A wonderful debut that was very light, funny and hugely readable (the Marian Keyes endorsement is spot on) but I loved the passages where it took a more reflective deep dive into love and all the crap that comes with it.

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

Unfortunately, I DFNED this book at around 20%.
I found it hard to connect with the characters and their experiences they were struggling with throughout the first part of the story. I am definitely not the target audience for this book so my experience was unfortunately cut short from my enjoyment.

Ghosts follows a year in Nina’s life in which she deals with changes to her family, friendships and dating life, it also explores her experience and the impact of getting ghosted.

I really enjoyed the writing style of the book especially how Nina was written; it was interesting to read about her thoughts on certain things and her feelings about being ghosted and the emotional impact it had on her. The book goes into a lot of detail on everything and I thought I would be bored however I liked the way the story was told and found it entertaining and an honest read. The book is slow paced but the pace suits the book as it is dealing with a lot of issues and the book spends time addressing these issues and the emotions and conflicts caused by them, I did however thing that the last 20% of the book was rushed with a lot of things happening and getting resolved quickly which was weird as nothing really happened in terms of the plot and then all at once there was a lot of conflict in the book. I expected more focus on her family and her career/new book especially as there is a lot of focus on her friendships/ghosting aspect – I loved Lola and their friendship, I guess I felt like the ending to the family/career aspects were glossed over and not given as much depth as the other aspects.

3/5