I was excited to read this book and it did not disappoint. The story was so current and relevant to life for women today, showing with humour and heart the struggles women in their 30s face in all of the relationships in their life. It was great to read about a strong, successful, self made women who navigates these struggles with her friends, family and beau’s, that didn’t finish with the usual cliche ending. It was charming, witty and honest, with laugh out loud moments and a few tears. I could have happily continued to read about Nina and those in her life for many more hours. Thank you netgalley!!

A great debut novel from Dolly Alderton. Ghosts is exactly what you’d expect it to be, Alderton prizes friendships above romantic relationships, but also highlights the importance of hope in love. The descriptive power Alderton has is so immersive and is what makes this book. Nina’s heartbreak in watching her father’s deterioration, but also her acceptance of who he becomes, how the shared memories will always be there and his soul will not change is lovely.
It’s a fantastic novel, if you listen to Dolly’s podcast you can see her completely in this book. It is utterly her. Ghosts is good but there’s also room for growth and development. The first of many fictional books from Alderton I hope.

I really enjoyed this book and read it really quickly - Dolly is a droll and observant writer and it was easy to eat this up.
The first section of the book feels a little forced - we're not given much space to get introduced to Nina, there's a lot of telling and not showing about who she is.

So this is very exciting, for the first time I have been gifted a book in exchange for an honest review. I say the first time because I’m really hoping this happens again, so thank you Penguin and Netgalley for giving the opportunity to do this! Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ll probably have seen or heard of Dolly Alderton because of her old columns or her memoir Everything I Know About Love. I read her memoir earlier this year and absolutely loved it, so when I saw that she had a debut novel coming out I was psyched!

Ghosts focuses on the phenomenon of ghosting when dating, alongside the almost ghostly illness that is Dementia. The story follows Nina Dean, a woman in her 30s as she explores the realm of online dating as her friends are all attempting to settle down and seem to be more and more distant, and her father is starting to suffer with Dementia. Immediately I was hooked on the premise, Alderton’s humour mixed with some really emotional issues? Sign me up!

When I picked it up it didn’t take long for me to start laughing, if you’ve read Everything I Know About Love, you’ll be able to see where Dolly Alderton shines through with her humour and observations about friendship and dating. The romance aspect is good, and if you’ve ever been on dating apps you’re probably familiar with the concept of ghosting, having been ghosted or been the ghost. The dating aspect of the book was good, it was like even though you knew from the premise that he would disappear you still wanted it to not happen! I think that it was interesting to see the fallout of the relationship as well and see how both characters were flawed within it, both imaging a version of the other like the Ariana Grande lyric goes “Painted a picture, I thought I knew you well”. In fact thinking about it now, I think in my head could actually be the perfect song to describe their relationship.

When I say this book had me laughing, I do genuinely mean it, there were times where I was laughing out loud. Purely because it can be so relatable, funnily and painfully. I wasn’t far in when I came across the quote “The very best version of a piece of work was when it was still just an idea and therefore perfect.” and I laughed because it is so relatable to me, somebody who wants to write books but hates writing them because I lose interest as soon as I get to a bit I deem ‘boring’. When you’re reading Ghosts there will be points where you relate to the things Nina thinks or does, or even the things her friends do. It’s awkward at times, and so painfully real, and I think that is a blend that Alderton does fantastically.

Although I don’t want to compare the two books too much, in Everything I Know About Love Alderton reflects on how most of what she knows about love has come from her female friendships, and I think this also shines through in Ghosts. It is a theme that is clearly important, with the friendships that Nina has being written so well, from the little things that irk her about her friends, to the friendship break ups that she experiences. As someone who has experienced a couple of friendship break ups it was so nice to see one done really well, how the little frustrations build up over time to erupt. Break ups are something Alderton writes well about, with her recounting how Nina and her ex broke up as well, and I loved it because it was so good to see an amicable break up and exes be really close friends. So often there is a demonisation of exes, and I liked the subtle reinforcement that it is okay to be friends with an ex, and with their new partner (even if Alderton does also write the awkwardness that can come with that).

I think the thing that truly stands out to me about Alderton’s work is the writing on dynamics. She clearly thinks a lot about the dynamics of friendship and how they change over the years, with people getting into relationships/getting married/having children. And it’s fascinating to read about what she thinks, because sometimes I read it thinking “that’s so true!”. As we get older we do change and the things we’re interested in change, so reading Alderton’s takes on friendship group politics etc is fascinating to me, and it’s something she also incorporates into dating, although I still think it shines through best when discussing friendship.

The portrayal of Dementia was also very well done. My nan has Dementia to the point where she no longer recognises any of the family, but reading about Nina’s dad experiencing the early stages of Dementia really took me back to when my nan first started to experience Dementia, although I was not around for most of it. It was good to see how Alderton portrayed it well and how it affected Nina and her mother in different ways, she didn’t shy away from writing about how hard it can be for others, which is an incredibly important part of Dementia. It was heartbreaking, but it is very real and important for those that have not experienced the pain of it in order to understand how to help people that may be experiencing it.

I think one of the underlying themes that was done extremely well was that you never know what’s going on in someone else’s life, I know it’s stereotypical and very obvious but at the same time it is so true and done so well. As the novel goes on you realise more and more that everyone is putting up facades of who they want to be/seeing other people as the facade they’re given and it doesn’t take long for those facades to crack. Whether it’s the neighbour, the boyfriend, the friends or her mum, everyone in Nina’s life including herself is putting up a facade and trying to pretend they’re fine when there’s a lot going on beneath the surface, everyone wants to seem perfect. These cracks appear so often and eventually they all crumble so that you get a nice resolution where people talk to each other, and I loved it. I keep saying that, but it is genuinely true, I do love this book and I think Alderton definitely does what she aimed to do.

I think the only things that I didn’t like was the few errors I noticed on the kindle edition with spacing, although I’m sure that is just because it is an ARC and not the retail version yet. I also wished a few more things had happened like a confrontation with Max, although I did enjoy the substitute we got instead, other than that there was nothing I could really fault it on and I really liked the journey that Nina went through, and how she feels at the end.

I’d really recommend that you preorder this, or pick it up when it comes out because it is really worth it and I hope that you all enjoyed it as much as I did! It’s genuinely funny and a breath of fresh air, and I genuinely think that it can help you understand dating and friendships better.

Love,
Carey

Seeing I couldn’t review on Amazon, I’ll review here.
It’s a story about a Woman in her Thirty’s trying online dating app for the first time.
This story is current with today’s settings and the language is raw so expect swear words. I love the plot line of the story and the twists along the way. It isn’t a book just based on dating but also family and friends.
I felt for Nina Dean (main character) all through the book. Like I could relate to her especially one thing no body but my mum knows, that you actually wrote about.
The story also talks in great detail about Nina’s Dad who has dementia and you researched well on the topic, as I use to work in a care home and seen it first hand what a dementia victim how they suffer and also how the immediate family suffer to see a love one go through this.
I don’t want to ruin the story for others so Trying not o let to much out. But this story has a lot to give it’s readers tears,laughter and appreciation of what you have in your life.
What the book lets me take away after reading is, you don’t need to be a relationship all you need in your life is Family and friends, and if a relationship happens then it’s a bonus.
Dolly Alderton please write a sequel, need to know a few things!
Ps I loved the Margaret Thatcher quote with a difference!
Think I’ll be looking at what other books Dolly has wrote.

There is a line between auto fiction and self insert fan fiction, but the line is not that thin and it should be entirely possible to avoid the latter in your debut novel.

Absolutely fell in love with this! Really thought it was a modern look at dating for a modern woman. Plus the story was engaging. Dolly is a great writer and that really shines through in this.

Unlike most of the other reviewers, I wasn’t overly familiar with Dolly Alderton before reading Ghosts. I don’t listen to her podcast and I haven’t read her memoir, therefore I wasn’t sure that she would be my cup of tea (although I knew that she has an army of devoted fans who are eagerly anticipating this novel).

I was very pleasantly surprised by Ghosts. It’s more cynical than I expected (in a good way!) and very dryly funny. Plotwise there are no massive shocks but her writing is excellent and her observations about dating and being surrounded by friends who only want to talk about their babies etc were perfect. I also liked the subplot about the protagonist’s dad who is struggling with dementia.

It is similar in tone to Adults by Emma Jane Unsworth and Expectation by Anna Hope, so if you liked either of those novels then you’ll probably love this. Overall, Ghosts exceeded my expectations and I will be reading her memoir soon.

Loved, loved, loved this! A sharp, funny, heartbreaking page turner of a tale. The observations on dating, friendship and families is spot on. I was grateful that, although there is a happy ending, it is not full on Mills and Boon, and there is acceptance that one's life may be different from what everyone and you expected, but that does not make it wrong, it is just different.
Go out and read it now!

I thought this book was exceptional. It made me laugh and cry in equal amounts. I found the parts about ghosting particularly relatable but the part that affected me emotionally was the story about Bill and his battle with dementia. I found his story to be heartbreakingly sad but his decline was so beautifully written and the illness is so misunderstood that I felt that his was an important story to be told.

This book packed so much more than I expected. I'd started off expecting the storyline to simply follow 32 year old food writer, Nina, through the highs and lows of dating in your 30s. It did. That part of the book was OK...

What I really loved about this book however was the focus on her "other" relationships.

Nina's family situation was written with so much warmth and realism. Watching her and her mother both respond to her father's illness in such different ways was such a stark reminder of my own fathers terminal illness and how different loved ones coping behaviours can be. (I actually had a quick google to see if the author had lost a parent, as it just felt so very real!).

Seeing how Nina's relationship with her oldest girlfriend was stretched and strained as their lives headed in different directions felt like a subject rarely touched on but keenly felt by so many women of a similar age. I think this is actually the first book I've ever read that explored this theme - seems odd not to have come across it before.

Finally, if I wasnt sold already, the cover Illustration is 👌!

Every once in a while along comes a book that everyone should read and Ghosts is one such book. Honest, perceptive, poignant and more than that, amidst all the pain, gloriously funny. A proper laugh out loud book. Just brilliant.

Dolly Alderton writes like a dream. I adored Everything I Know About Love and the accompanying podcast was also amazing. She is easy to listen to and easy to read and I don't mean that in a dumbing down way. I mean that it's a bit like sitting with one of your mates chatting and not realising where the time has gone. I was curious to see how this style would translate into a novel, but she has done it wonderfully. I absolutely devoured Ghosts. I read it in a day and was sad when it finished. It will undoubtedly be labelled as whatever the modern day equivalent of chick lit is, but this does it (and a lot of other books like it) a huge disservice. There is nothing wrong with tackling big issues in an intensely readable way and this is what Alderton does. Nina Dean is a great protagonist. She is a woman who is bright, independent and who stands in her own power, but she still wants love and connection, both with a partner and her friends and family. It becomes harder and harder to juggle these needs as time progresses and we root for Nina as she deals with disastrous dating, her ageing parents and the friends who are leaving her behind as they marry and settle down. I have made this sound mundane and it really isn't. It's empathetic and warm and thoughtful and I rather loved it.

I absolutely loved this. I've read Alderton's EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LOVE twice, and have loved it just as much on both reads. My hopes for this novel were high and I wasn't disappointed. Alderton's writing was beautifully descriptive and I devoured the novel in 2 days.

My only criticism is that certain events throughout the novel tended to happen rather quickly and were sometimes omitted. I can see why some things weren't included (e.g. moving inside to a bar), but others I would have preferred more detail on. E.g. at the start of M and Nina's relationship, I wanted more description and information on how they spent time together. I hoped it would come later but I was left on tenterhooks!

That's my only criticism, though. I'd really recommend this novel, and - no spoilers - the end brought me a lot of joy.

*thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK for the advanced copy in exchange for this review

Centred around millennial and food writer Nina, Ghosts looks at the landscape of life in your thirties. That life can be summarised as a loss of friendships, a dwindling pool of eligible bachelors, and a revised look at your life as your expectations haven’t been met quite yet. After her break up with long term partner Joe, Nina downloads dating app Linx to help her find love, as she’s feeling the pressure as she’s one of the last singles she knows apart from her friend Lola.

This book delicately looks at the feelings of responsibility and relationships - in dating, friendships and family territories. It is a heartfelt and emotionally challenging story to read but it’s got a rawness and a vulnerability to it. There’s witty and astute comments woven into the narrative, and a plethora of relatable observations made by Nina. I found myself empathising with her and Lola’s tales of modern dating, being caught up in the more nostalgic elements as Nina reflects on her life and choices she’s made. It’s a story of love - modern dating, female friendships, and the enduring and sometimes not ideal love we build with our family.


As the title suggests, this is a story about being ghosted. Ghosted by love interests who disappear thanks to the digital era dating scene where your paths never really have to cross. The ghosts of old friendships and differing life choices and the judgement that comes with the decisions made by someone you thought was so similar, and how your life differs from theirs. And also in this novel, ghosts of the past - as Nina’s dad is suffering with Dementia - and her relationship with her parents suffers as a result, especially with her mum who is struggling to see her husband slip away.

There’s a richness and depth to the characters, and a charm that comes with exploring human emotions and the psyche that Dolly Alderton has done so well. It’s thoughtful, emotional and at times laugh out loud funny. I thought I’d be disappointed by the ending as things appeared to be resolved easily, but I wasn’t - I was charmed, it was great that Nina finally got something good (or realised she had it good all along).

Ghosting, eh, ladies? What's that about then, amirite? Thank God I'm not straight. Though admittedly in my one relationship with a man, he did manage to ghost me, so I'm not entirely innocent about this reprehensible modern practice which needs to get in the sea.

Like me, Dolly Alderton's protagonist Nina Dean uses a lot of fifty-dollar words. She praises her editor's 'didacticism' and sees her dinners out as 'culinary excursions.' Instead of 'I can't get enough' she says 'An abundance wouldn't satiate me.' I wasn't sure I could keep going with all this, but then thankfully the emotions kicked in and the adjectives calmed down.

As in her millennial memoir, where she writes far more beautifully about the death of her best friend's little sister than anything else, Alderton's writing is at its strongest when she is talking about grief - loss of friendships, a dementing parent and, of course, being ghosted. It's not particularly uplifting and treads such familiar territory it can't really be called original, but like the author's non-fiction writing, it manages to be more than the sum of its parts.

Dolly Alderton is such a great modern writer, I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, observations and dialogue in Ghosts, her debut fiction novel. It was a very entertaining, multi-layered and thought provoking read.

Many thanks to Penguin, to Ms Alderton and to NetGalley efforts allowing me to read and review this excellent book.

Ever since Dolly Alderton announced she was writing a debut fiction novel over a year ago I was desperate to read it. Everything Dolly writes I adore and this was no exception!

Nina is a 32 year old single teacher turned food writer and has just joined the dating world of online. dating. We follow her journey trying to decipher this minefield of dating which is all too familiar for us millennials.

I really related to the character of Nina and was absorbed with the story right away, she came across as such a compelling female lead character. She was well balanced, strong yet flawed, successful yet questioned her career commitments and the holy grail of relationships managed to maintain a strong relationship with her ex boyfriend (something that many strive for, yet fail to accomplish!)

Dollys writing is beautiful, there is a rawness in the way she conveys many different relationships, yet delivers them with such detail and humour. I enjoyed how the title of this book describes a lot more than what is just on the surface, not only is it about Max from the dating app ghosting her but also the ghost of her father before his dementia, the ghost of her best friend now pre occupied with her family and the ghost of her previous long term relationship.

This book was so much more than your typical rom com, it delved into heartbreaking detail about dementia with Nina’s father and how hard this can be to accept not only by a daughter by also by a partner. Seeing dementia first hand within my family I thought this was handled sensitively and even led me to shed a few tears at the delicate way Dolly drew the book to a close.

I would really recommend this book, it was enjoyable, heartbreaking and a pleasure to read. I can’t wait until October to add this book to my already full to bursting shelves!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Penguin General Uk & Fig Tree for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I want to say up top, I love Dolly Alderton's "Everything I know About Love" and I was excited to hear about her first work of fiction, Ghosts, and even more delighted that I got an advanced copy to read and review.

As always, Dolly Alderton's writing is poignant, evocative and relatable and I got swept away into the story quickly and I managed to finish this within a day (although I very much never wanted to finish it because I enjoyed it so much).

Our protagonist is Nina Dean, newly-turned 32 year old former English Teacher turned food author. We follow Nina through her 32nd year of life, and all the paths it takes her down and some that it returns her to. We see Nina take steps forward and back at the same time. It's very real (sometimes unflinchingly so) but the attention to detail on the most painful of emotions really made me invested in Nina and her family and friends and I found them easy to imagine and relate to as if they were my own, which is a testament to Dolly's writing.

It's a story about love, in all forms, and covers how all kinds - fragile, strong, fleeting and unconditional - can look, and how all those types of love impact us on the daily and over the course of our lives.

I'm honoured I didn't have to wait until October to read this and I can't wait to read more from Dolly Alderton.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I am a big fan of Dolly Alderton's book Everything I Know About Love and was looking forward to reading her debut novel and I wasn't disappointed.

I'm probably not in her target audience as I'm a bit older than her protaganist Nina, but I can appreciate the trials and tribulations of a woman in her 30's and having to navigate the online dating scene.

What I like about Dolly's writing style is her ability to delve deep into human emotions and not just keep her books light and fluffy. Nina's father's decline due to dementia tugged at my heartstrings especially when her mum finally broke down. It felt very real and raw. The ending of the book also didn't go down the happy ever after path which to me seems much more realistic of how life really is and I appreciate reality vs escapism.