I was not really sure what to expect from this book. I somehow thought it was a ghost story and slowly realized it was a memoir as I read along. It was an intriguing story about the author's marriage to her egotistical husband and how she managed to survive all the hardship that came with it. I enjoyed reading this memoir and I guess love makes us all do strange things!

A vivldly narrated and complicated novel with riveting characters and a fascinating plot. Highly recommend this book.

I enjoyed this. It lagged in the middle and I took a long break from it but I’m glad I went back to finish reading it.

It always meke me feel a bit awkward when I have to rate a mamoir, because you don't only rate writing you also rating someone's life choices.
When you review a novel you can say that MC's choices were stupid and ridiculous and not at all believable. Saying the same about a real person's choices might sound harsh and rude.
Here the author's life choices were... questionable and doormat-y, to say the least. All I can say that more times than not her behavior mage me RAGE. She was so blind, so complant, so submissive it made me not only roll my eyes and sigh but it made me angry. But I guess it's easy to say as an outider.

The writing is good, it kept me hooked, but this book would defs profit from yet another round of editing.

I'm giving it three stars, just because I feel it would be better with ommiting all that spiritual/medium/ghosts/life coaching/spiritual guides bull.

With its intriguing title, “The Ghost Marriage: A Memoir” (2021) written by Kristen Mickelwait, is a thought provoking debut of marriage and the change that follows after marriage ends. Mickelwait is the first place recipient of The Ledges 2004 Fiction Awards Competition for her short story “Parting With Nina” she lives in the San Francisco Bay area.

While some women would have reservations before becoming seriously involved with a divorcing father with four daughters, Mickelwait was dazzled by the handsome ambitious Steve Beckwith, an attorney in a prestigious law firm. After their marriage, the Beckwith’s were blissfully happy—until the reality of caring for the demands of their two small children and a large luxury home set in. Steve was exhausted by overwork, a long commute, seldom helped around the house, and spent money recklessly. Kristen was stressed out, overwhelmed homemaker, and would attribute her unrealistic expectations to her parent’s long happy marriage.

In addition to the coronavirus pandemic, the opioid epidemic has taken a terrible toll in American family life. It was unclear when Steve’s opioid addiction began, or if it was related to his cancer treatments. It was noticeable that Mickelwait seemed to lack genuine compassion for Steve’s health crisis, and was highly critical of him throughout the book, oftentimes without considering her own role and responsibility for the challenges they faced as a couple and with co-parenting. Eventually Mickelwait arrived at a level of peace and acceptance following the trauma she experienced, her life seemed more fulfilling, currently she is writing a novel for publication. (2.5*) With thanks to She Writes Press via NetGalley for the DDC for the purpose of review.

I feel this book should be renamed as "Fugue State" but that's neither here nor there...

I actually enjoyed reading this book. A lot of Kirsten's experiences in her relationships with Stephen/Steve aren't particularly interesting or new as far as relationships go, but she writes in a way that makes it all easy to read. She whines a lot about how she's trapped, but does try to make the effort to get out of it. It's an all-around blamefest!

And I think my heart broke a little during that cupcake scene. Sigh.

Many thanks to the publisher and author for the ARC.

Overall, I felt kinda meh about this book. Not necessarily bad, but not particularly memorable either. Giving it 2.5/5 Stars.

I could not put this book down. I found myself riveted to see what Kirsten Mickelwait's narcissistic bastard of a husband (apologies to his children) would try next during their marriage and endlessly messy divorce. Equally fascinating was her journey to forgiveness as she struggled through the process of dealing with the mess he left her. Mickelwait shares her humiliations and her triumphs as she tries to come to terms with those elements within herself that drew her to her husband and alpha after alpha after their marriage ended.

A memoir of a marriage that never should of been, The author the wife in this marriage gives us her intimate point of view off all that was wrong and her suffering..I found a peek into this marriage her husband their awful marriage fascinating.#netgalley#shewritespress.

The Ghost Marriage is an interesting read. It tells the story of a marriage that disintegrated and had lingering effects. Written by Mickelwait, it’s her version of the events of her marriage and the aftermath. I had empathy with a lot of her story. Overall, it’s an interesting story.

Wow, what a book. Very interesting. Enjoyed reading it.

Thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this boom. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

There seems to be a new sub-genre of memoir written by people recounting their marriages/long-term relationships with bizarre persons and/or circumstances. This one is written well, yet it's always baffling reading one person's view of a 40 year family relationship.

Kirsten is smitten with a charismatic and wealthy man who woos her and treats her well. Shortly after marriage cracks appear as he begins purchasing properties, morphs his conservative and well-bred image into a series of caricatures of the Wild West, and begins working from the road rather than home more often than not. Undeterred, Kirsten and he have 2 children and continue this dance of buying homes, moving around the Napa valley, and catering to him whims.

After 20 years of this, as she decides to divorce him, it turns out he's been wasteful with money, leaving her with massive debt. At around this point, he becomes ill with cancer and dies. After his death, Kirsten reaches out for spiritual therapy and psychics to help her understand her attraction to this man.