Going into this one I was expecting something firmly focused on dating apps but thankfully there’s so much more to this book!

Nina is in her early thirties and single so decides to try a dating app, given the blurb and title ‘Ghosts’ it doesn’t come as a surprise when Nina is ghosted by the first man she meets and makes a connection with. But that’s just a small part of Nina’s story and character and it turns out there are plenty of other ghosts in her life.

The biggest one being childhood nostalgia, which she is forced to confront in a different way as her beloved father deals with dementia. I was impressed with how well this was represented, in particular the relationship between Nina and her mother as they both struggle to come to terms with the diagnosis and what it means.

Being in her early thirties, Nina is also at that stage of life when many of her friends are settling down to marriage and children, including her ex-boyfriend. While Nina certainly experiences some moments of feeling left behind, it was refreshing that being in a relationship wasn’t her main motivator. Instead, it was interesting to consider the changing dynamics between long term friends as they move in different directions.

Finally, I was relieved to find Nina wasn’t a thirty-something single woman who constantly finds herself getting into scrapes or hugely embarrassing situations. While I’m not averse to those sort of characters it was nice to read about someone who is just a bit more relatable. Nina has worked hard to become a new homeowner and published author, in many ways she has her life in order but of course, like everyone, she has their own internal struggles and drama!

Really surprised by this one, a lot more to it than you’d first expect and for quite an easy read it has a lot of heart!

I had high expectations for this book and it completely lived up to them. I fell in love with the character of Nina, and became completely emerged in her world. There was a lot to relate to, and the writing was beautiful.

When a character Is described as beguiling I always think flowery! Beguiling makes me think a bit too romantic a bit too much away from my type. I get what the author was saying but you need to love or loathe characters and if you are neither way it doesn’t work for me. Saying that it’s a nicely written book with. Emotional moments.

Never this year have I read a book where so often I’ve been nodding along to what Dolly has written. It’s wise, it’s funny and it’s engaging (and a lot of time, what she’s written rings true). Nina Dean has a good life: true, she’s not in a relationship with The One, but she has her own flat, a good career, friends and family. She tries online dating and meets Max, who suggests he’s all into their relationship on their first date and suddenly, Nina feels life is treating her a little more kindly. And about time too. But with family dramas – so many readers will feel their heartstrings ping when reading – friendship woes (the battle between the singletons and the settled down) and a flatmate who isn’t exactly quiet, Nina has a lot on her plate. This is Dolly’s fiction debut and I can’t wait to see what else she produces. Her non fiction is on point, but it’s clear her fiction is every bit as good.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. It is set to be published in October 2020.

"Ghosts" by Dolly Alderton is the story of Nina, a 32-year-old single woman who starts using a dating app for the first time in her life and complains about being ghosted by men. I guess the book probably tries to be funny, but it fails.
It's a first-person 350-pages whining, interspersed with painstakingly detailed accounts of Nina's everyday life and word by word transcripts of banal, pointless dialogues among flat, stereotypical characters who all seem to despise one another.
The protagonist herself is nothing but the caricature of a millennial in the worst possible way, pretty much dislikable all throughout the story.
The writing is inflated, with too many adverbs and adjectives, a way too liberal use of capital letters, cursive and even underlined text, which would be appropriate for a comic book, certainly not for a novel.
To top it all off, there are the silly and downright insulting questions ("is all heterosexual sex rape?"), some embarrassing grammar mistakes (such as "Lola had been given me") and the numbers that don't add up (Nina celebrates her thirty-second birthday... and soon after she declares she is in her thirty-second year, except that she actually is in her thirty-third... if only the author could count!).
As for the style, the descriptions make no sense at all and the dialogues are totally unrealistic ("He's a bit... twilighty. You know?" "No." "There's something dark and magic about him, while being wholesome. Wholesome in an essence-of-man way. He's sort of biblical." "Essence of man?" "Yes, like it's all stripped back so he's just... instinct and hair. I can't explain it." "Is he funny?" "Kind of").
Then there are the interminable, insufferable exchanges of texts: there's A WHOLE CHAPTER that consists only of texts, repetitive, banal and in no way useful to plot progression or character development
And do I even mention the appallingly racist representation of Italian immigrants to the UK? Since when is ridiculing an ethnic minority funny?

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC of this book.
This book was highly entertaining and felt deeply honest. I laughed a lot but there were also moments that pulled on my heartstrings. I'm still cautiously making my entrance into the world of contemporary fiction but the books I've read so far have been a promising start.
I enjoyed following our main character through the turbulent world of dating but I also loved watching her navigate her familial relationships (the main character's mum was truly gob-smacking in more ways than one!) and friendships. Her often biting and totally relatable social commentary had me constantly eager for more. I adore this author's writing style - it frequently felt like I was gossiping with a close friend and we were rolling our eyes in tandem.
I often didn't know whether to laugh, gasp or cringe but I loved every second of it.
So excited to read more like this!

Like literally everyone, I really enjoyed Everything I Know About Love, so was excited to read Alderton's first work of fiction. Ghosts very much inhabits the world you might expect - a strong female protagonist dealing with the challenges of relationships. Not just romantic ones - in fact, although there is a central romantic plot that most directly deals with the idea of ghosting, the most important relationships in this book are those Nina shares with her close friends and family. It's funny and sad and honest, and sensitively done. There was a moment where I thought the author was about the go with a massive cliche ending, but it turned out to be a tease - probably a deliberate one - and I liked it all the more for that.

This was a fun one! I love how the author wrote Nina and her interactions with her friends. the book made me chuckle more than a few times. I really enjoyed my time with these characters.

A running joke between myself and my bookseller babes is that I wish that Dolly Alderton was my wife. I adore her podcast ‘The High/Low’ with fellow writer Pandora Sykes, I devoured her memoir ‘Everything I know About Love’, I am deeply committed to The Sunday Times (I say it’s for the book reviews…)
1. So I can read it on the shop floor on a Sunday Morning with my coffee and pretend I am still at home eating a bacon sandwich and doing the crossword
2. Genuinely so I have a rough idea as to what “ummm it was reviewed this morning; it possibly is about German cars and foreign holidays? Do you know the one I mean?” might actually mean. But to be really truly honest with you, it is because I want a Dolly fix. Deep, deep down we all need to know how to resolve ‘I’VE BEEN HAPPILY MARRIED FOR 19 YEARS, BUT I CAN’T GET OVER MY FIRST LOVE’ or ‘MY BOYFRIEND WON’T ADD ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA’. I have been in a monogamous relationship since 2010, I have absolutely no idea how to navigate these sorts of dilemmas and I am utterly relieved that ‘Dear Dolly’ will do it for me.
I had such high expectations about this book I was almost too nervous to read it. So now, the morning after I started and finished ‘Ghost’, I feel so sad. So sad that I was glutinous and devoured it all in one go. So sad that Nelly, Dean and Lola are no longer in my life, making me smile and cry in equal amounts.
Dolly writes about female friendships in their very truest form, so raw and rude and passionate, if you wouldn’t help undress and shower your best friend because she threw up on herself after drinking far too much, are you even best friends?
I desperately wanted to gush about the storyline she had so accurately portrayed between Nelly and her father, but it is the most important part to me, it is so delicate, it unfolds into the biggest and most life affirming love story in a women’s heart. I cried a lot; I am crying now as I write this.
Dolly has only affirmed in my mind that she is as kind and thoughtful as she is hilarious and deeply insightful.

Ghost’s is due out - 15/10/2020
Available for Pre Order now -
https://www.waterstones.com/book/ghosts/dolly-alderton/9781785177255

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books for the ARC of this book.
I must say I was pleasantly surprised. Read the first few pages and thought not going to be able to read this, too “girly “ and silly for me much like her writing in the Times, but I persevered and was very glad I did.
I found myself loving Nina and Lola. The background story of Nina’s Mum and Dad was absolutely delightful and the book grew and grew. Definitely well worth a read, perfect for holidays.

I was expecting to absolutely adore this given how much I loved Dolly's memoir Everything I Know About Love.
It took me a while to get into it and I was apprehensive, but soon found myself engaged with the plot and read it really quickly.
I feel that the storyline with Nina's father was very well done and I enjoyed the exploration of the various types of 'ghosting'. I think that most women around my age will find something to relate to in this book.
Overall, I would say this is a solid and enjoyable book and would definitely recommend, I think my expectations were a little high as I'm such a big fan of her previous work.

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin and Figtree for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to read this debut novel from Dolly Alderton after absolutely loving her memoirs 'Everything I Know About Love' and finding it hilariously relatable. I suppose Ghosts was an OK read, there were some funny parts, it was easy reading and pleasant enough, I just thought the story wasn't quite as well thought out as it could have been.

I understand the author hasn't wanted to end the novel on a happily ever after and has left things more true to life where not everyone gets the guy and the perfect life - but it really made the whole book a little pointless and disappointing. I enjoy a good chick lit and the purpose of those books is to be uplifting and positive when you need a boost, this didn't leave me with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Very well written, amusing with likeable characters - not one I'll read again but this won't stop me from reading whatever Dolly Alderton does next!

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

A hopeful take on a situation that unfortunately too many women find themselves in. It doesn’t quite have the same universal appeal as Everything I Know About Love but Alderton has tried to create characters who will seem relatable to the reader and therefore they can share in and learn from the narrative.

I really enjoyed Dolly Alderton's non-fiction debut, and love her podcast 'The High Low' with Pandora Sykes so was desperate to get an advance copy of this, which I am so thankful I did! It was a real page tuner, some times I cried, sometimes I laughed, but always I loved it. It is a modern day love story, many readers may be able to relate, but if you know Dolly's work, there is no doubt that she has smashed it. Would thoroughly recommend to, well, anyone! Make sure you grab yourself a copy of this book when it comes out in October!

I had previously read and enjoyed Dolly's non-fiction book so had high hopes for this one.

It was...fine. It's a fun story and some elements of the storyline are good, the in-depth storyline about ghosting is great for example and not something often talked about in fiction, despite it being so prevalent in modern culture! Despite that a lot of the characters and their personalities and interests felt like easy millennial stereotypes, rather than a full character. If you're looking for an easy to read contemporary fiction you'll probably enjoy this.

I've loved Dolly's non-fiction writing for a long time and was overjoyed to see that the same clever, witty prose encompasses her debut novel. I loved it.
My review on Twitter (@Hilary_Alison)
I am a crier (my friends will confirm) but I rarely cry for books. GHOSTS, however, had me sobbing. Sobbing, but also snort-laughing, and sagely nodding my head in recognition - Thank you
@dollyalderton for this MASTERPIECE

Really enjoyed this light hearted book. It was very funny. At these times it was good to get away from from it all a brilliant read she is such a funny character. However very heart warming at times her relationship with her dad.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I became a fan of Dolly Alderton after her non-fiction book and was interested to see how she moved across into fiction. She has the same witty way of writing and covered some hard issues such as dating, friendship, growing up and also dementia and the ways in which all of them relate to being 'ghosted' in some sense. This book was written in a way that is relatable to many readers,

I would recommend this book to others but would also tell them not to compare it to her memoir which even though I hate to admit, I did until I fully got into the book.

As a longstanding fan of Alderton from the High-Low podcast, I was particularly anxious to read her fictional debut. To my relief, Alderton’s natural affability oozed throughout the novel. While Nina is undoubtably influenced from Alderton’s own experiences, Nina’s humour, heartbreak and role as a food-critic is positively Ephron.
Throughout the novel, Nina faces many painful rights of passages for thirty-something women. Though her career is thriving, her personal life is full of complications. Previously ironclad friendships are strained by engagements and children, her love life is fickle and the achievement of being a first-time flat owner is threatened by the omnipresence of a rude neighbour.
Ghosts refers to the new dating technique of ghosting, as well as the decline of health of Nina’s father. Once an exuberant and beloved professor, Nina struggles to cope with the role reversal in which her parent needs care. Alderton writes the effects of dementia on a family with sensitivity, sympathy and careful research. The devastation of his dementia is two-fold. Not only is he the ghost of Nina’s memories of her beloved father but Nina’s father struggles to distinguish between past and present, aggravating ghosts of his own.
Refreshingly, I enjoyed Alderton’s embrace of technology which is often disregarded in fiction despite having an undisputed role in our relationships. Like Queenie, Alderton shows how the use of texts and emails within the narrative can not only blend into fiction seamlessly but illustrate the key moments in the relationships themselves.
Overall, it was a light, enjoyable read. Fans of Alderton’s own persona will love this, as there is much paralleled in its style, quick observations, and humour. Others looking for a well-paced read will enjoy the merits of Alderton’s past experience as a story producer. Nina’s life unfolds almost scene-by-scene rather than chapter in this pleasingly structured plot, filled with rich descriptions of a filmic quality.
I would recommend Ghosts to those who enjoy their romance with humour, endearing calamity and fulsome family dynamics. Laced with only a few clichés, the passion between Nina and lover Max is written with intensity and palpable frustration. However, just as Alderton’s ‘Everything I Know About Love’ ultimately celebrates female friendship, Alderton’s novel aims to free Nina and the readers from the liminal digital lurch.

I really enjoyed this debut novel from Dolly Alderton. Nina was a character you could really get behind and feel for. It’s a funny yet real observation of relationships & family. Would definitely recommend - 4****

Thanks to NetGalley, Dolly Alderton & the publisher for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my review.