Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook. I loved the narration. Both characters go through pretty drastic transformations halfway through the book, and Sarah Naughton captured the shift perfectly while still carrying the essence of the character. I had no issues following along and enjoyed the cadence, especially since Jillian is a very eloquent character.

Ghosted starts with Jillian moving into a new, dirt-cheap apartment to be closer to her job. The space is covered in floor-to-ceiling mirrors. Not in a spooky way, but in a sex-maniac way. But the star trek fan is an optimist in all things. Until she turns and finds that a ghost is lurking in her new home. Not in a spooky way, but in a sexy way because Daniel is HOT!

The first half is filled with their hilarious misadventures as ghost Daniel tries to convince her that he’s (1) not dead and (2) not a sex maniac. While also ghost-writing her column to add more sex haha. Am I saying sex alot? Well that’s to compensate for the overuse of “making love” in this story. But push through, I swear it’s worth it.

The second half is sweeping romance and longing as Jillian has to overcome her life-long reservations and fight for the love she feels for Daniel. I’m glad that the author took her time because I enjoyed every yearning page. Not slow-paced at all, these two keep it interesting every step of the way with food-gasms and coincidental stalking. The story brings you to a soft landing at the end so you won’t be left shattered on your bedroom floor.

The highlight of this book is Sarah Ready’s atmospheric writing. It’s a treat, truly. Both Jillian and Daniel have a way of looking at the world that is translated perfectly in the author’s words. I saw it, felt it, knew it. Her writing is like the scene in Breaking Dawn II, when the new vampire wakes and everything is crystal clear and more momentous than it used to be. I've only been to New York once, and I felt like I was right back there. Wide eyed and in absolute wonder. And when the rain came down on that fatal night, my heart ached under the strain she created. This is an excellent read.

This audiobook took me a while to get into. I’m think I’d prefer reading the hard copy. Jillian’s inability to interact with men felt drastic at the beginning. Daniel the ghost comes across as genuinely thoughtful and kind. The storyline moves at a good pace. Overall, an engaging, unique book I’d especially read during spook season October.
Thanks #NetGalley for the arc!

3.75 Stars

Jillian is a columnist who specializes in dating and relationships. Despite her professional expertise, Jillian struggles with her own love life and finds it challenging to interact with men. After moving to a new apartment, Jillian discovers that she is not alone - a ghostly presence shares her new apartment. Surprisingly, Jillian can communicate with the male ghost (Daniel), and the two begin to form a relationship. Initially, Daniel assists Jillian with her dating difficulties, and over time, the relationship deepens until the two become romantically involved. However, they face a unique obstacle: how can they make this work? Jillian is alive, while Daniel is not.

At first, I must admit that I wasn't entirely fond of the first quarter of the novel. It felt a bit too cheesy and corny. However, as the story progressed, it became more emotional and delved deeper into its themes.

Overall, a fun read with some twists! Would recommend it to fans of contemporary romances.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Ready, and W.W. Crown for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

Actual rating: 3.25 stars!

'Just Like Heaven' meets 'The Lake House' in the new Sarah Ready’s book, Ghosted.

I really liked the idea of the novel. Even if ghosts are a little bit more used in romance stories nowadays, Ready created interesting characters that stand out.
Jillian is a journalist that write suggestions for the love life of people, even if she never had one and she can’t talk with men (like at all! She just freezes). Enter Daniel, our without a t-shirt ghost that “infest” Jillian’s new apartment. He doesn’t remember anything about his life except for his name. Also he didn’t take well the be dead part of the ghost thing.
The start of their relationship is a little rough, but then Daniel understand that the motive because he is still here is because he has to help Jillian with her love life.

I enjoyed reading the scenes between the two protagonists, but I think that the evolution of their relationship is really fast. I would have preferred a slow burn.
The dialogues are catchy and they say the right things, but a lot of the time it feels that all is concentrated on the sexual site of the relationship. I didn’t really like this, especially because of how Jillian is presented at the start of the book and the fact that he is a ghost. I think that the stories with this kind of plot have the possibility to concentrate on a more emotional bond between the characters, that unfortunately I didn’t see here.

At half of the book the story takes a direction that I didn't see coming. On one hand this can explain why their relationship is a lot rushed at the start, on the other hand I believe that the book could have been divided into two novels, so that a lot of plot points could have been expanded. Because a lot of moments or changes happened too fast and without a consistent consideration.

The book also talks about the subject of “mate” or “predestinated people”, but not often. I think that if this concept had been more expanded it could have explained why they fall in love so quickly.

The paranormal part of the book is interpreted in a scientific way. The writer make you believe in the story and why ghosts exist.

The secondary characters are also interesting and they make the story more real. I would love to read their stories someday.

I found the audiobook of Ghosted really enjoyable.
The story is interesting and you want to go on for understand what happened to Daniel and if they will have their happy ending.
I would have preferred a slower relationship, but they are really cute together.

“(…) the reason Daniel hadn’t moved on was because of unfinished business. (…) Is love unfinished business? Or can you just keep loving someone even if you’re not together and they don’t know that you do. Is that the end of it? Is that finished business?”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Touches on death. Contains some sexual content.

“Ghosted” follows Jillian Nejat, a socially awkward Trekkie that hasn’t been able to speak coherently to men in the past 10 years—that is, until she moves into a sketchy apartment in NYC that isn’t as vacant as was originally advertised. But, I mean, how can you advertise an apartment with a very physical haunting? Daniel is a man-ghost of sorts who isn’t sure about his past or his future, but he’s pretty sure he’s stuck in the in between in order to help Jillian find true love. But what if true love is between the impossible and improbable? What if Daniel is lingering on for reasons bigger than either of them can fathom?

This novel, full of twists and turns, is Sarah Ready’s newest murder attempt against me and my fragile emotions. “Ghosted” absolutely devastated me. I’ve read quite a few of lovable characters brought to life by this author, but none as lovable as Jillian and Daniel. I was rooting for their happiness and peace from the start.

Do not grab this book if you’re not willing to cry in public, because, trust me, you will. I cannot recommend this book enough, specially if you’re looking for a book with really palpable sexual tension but not so much of the in-page spice. “Ghosted” will be amongst my favorite reads for 2023, I can feel it.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: September 26, 2023
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Listen...I'm not a Karen who hates love and romance, but what I do detest is CRINGE and CHEESINESS.

I am not the ideal demographic for this type of novel, but hey, every once in a while, a reader needs a fluffy and light little palate-cleanser, and this novel was going to be that, except that it wasn't, and I spit it out almost as soon as I began to taste it, because it was NOT GOOD, in the way that pickles are not good with Jell-O.

This was an audiobook, and the first thing that irked me was the length of it. Almost 14-15 hours of a romance novel seemed a bit excessive. Then when I started hearing the unnecessary descriptions of random, meaningless things, and the 'padding' inserted into the story that served no useful purpose, I understood why it was so long. And that was just the first few chapters. I pity the narrators who have to read books like this for a living. I hope they get compensated well!

Starting out the gate, so many things were annoying. Why did it have to be an apartment that used to be an erstwhile sex-den or whatever covered in mirrors? Why couldn't it just be a regular apartment in a seedy neighbourhood?

Why did the best friend of the FMC Jillian have to be a highly intelligent but also highly annoying Star Trek fan-girl?

What has happened to the woman in this story that she is so TERRIFIED of speaking to men? To the guy selling hot-dogs? What did he ever do to you? And yet she goes on a blind-date the same night, and falls in love with a ghost eventually (mercifully, I didn't get to that part, but it's pretty obvio that's what happens later in the story).

Oh, and the rambling! ANd the descriptions of everything! Don't even get me started....! If you're imagining a Demi-Moore & Patrick Swayze-esque ghostly romance, please, I beg you, step away from this book IMMEDIATELY.

This was a DNF for me very early on, and that's saying a lot, because I am very respectful of the time and effort and creativity that it takes for an author to write a book, and I always try to make it to the end to be able to form a fair and unbiased opinion. But this book was just....NO.

I'm glad I stopped listening when I did, because I would have just been in a bad mood for the rest of the week, despairing the hours of my life that I would never get back, and I would end up saying a lot of nasty things about this book, so all in all, small mercies that I stopped listening.

However, thank you Netgalley and W.W.Crown for the ARC of this title in exchange for my honest feedback and review.

Reminded me of the dead romantics. Interesting story.
EXTREMELY slow slow burn. Found myself fighting to get farther into the story.

Everytime I thought I knew what was going to happen next, I ended up being wrong, and I loved it! This book has instalove, soul mates, and the perfect mix of hilarity and suspense. A Rollercoaster well worth the ride! Highly recommend!

Ghosted was my first Sarah Ready book. This book reminds me of a spicy version of the movie “Just Like Heaven”. The narration by Sarah Naughton was done so well and was so cute; would definitely listen to more books from the narrator.

Now, I did have a few issues with the spice. I don’t generally care for spice in my books so this is probably a me problem… But $ex with a ghost? Kinda weird, and lost me.

The first half of the book I enjoyed a lot more than the second half. I felt the second half dragged and I found myself tuning out when it came to the office/coworkers.

I would still give Sarah Ready books another go.

Loved this romance!! This was the perfect October read. Falling in love with a ghost?! I really fell in love with the characters and felt very invested in their lives. This really got me in the mood for Halloween and made me want to enjoy the moments with my husband more!

Lovely cosy story. Loved the concept but slightly drawn out. I realised this was the first book of a series and that did intrigue me as I did love the idea. Just felt there was a lot of descriptive narration towards the end and I just wanted all the dialogue. Looking forward to #2

This book…. I loved it. Thank you NetGalley, for being able to receive an arc of the audiobook. I’ve always enjoyed Sarah Ready’s books. Josh and Gemma Make a Baby was always my favorite. This one is absolutely now tied for the top spot.
It’s amazing that I enjoyed just about all the characters and their back stories. But Daniel…. he may be my new favorite book boyfriend.
If you like Abby Jiminez and Christina Lauren, run, do not walk, for this one!!
Full of friendship, love, some heartache, happiness and laughs. I’d highly recommend this to all my friends.

I absolutely 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕕 this book!! I’m a sucker for a good 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚, and this one did not disappoint! It was a truly unique take on a paranormal romance. Add this one to your TBR immediately! I absolutely adored the storyline and characters. This is the third book I’ve read by Sarah Ready and I’ve been a big fan of all of them but this one was my favorite! She really pulls on your heartstrings with this one. 🥹 I was completely hooked and I couldn’t put it down. I was dying (pun intended) to know what happened to Daniel and how it was going to end.

Ghosted is a contemporary romance by Sarah Ready featuring ghostly shenanigans, heart-wrenching love across lifetimes and realities, and finding your soulmate despite the odds. This is my first time reading Ready's work, and I was delighted! A huge thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Ready, and IBPA for providing me with an audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

“Marry me, and I’ll give you the stars.” -- SWOONING!

What I loved:
- The romance took time! It was not insta-love for Jillian in the first half, and it was not insta-love for Daniel in the second half. It was almost like a will-they-won't-they situation.
- The supporting cast felt fully fleshed out and like I knew who they were outside of helping Jillian progress through the plot.
- Jillian's personality was an accurate portrayal of social anxiety.
- The emotions of this book, oh my gosh! It felt like a rollercoaster, and I could never predict I would feel in the next chapter.
- The comedy aspect of this was so well-written. The coffee shop pen dropping scene was hilarious, and I laughed out loud on my commute home.

Room for improvement:
- I didn't love how Jillian was pregnant right away in the epilogue. It was an unsatisfying end to their story, and it almost felt out of character for Jillian.
- I felt like the middle third (40% - 60%) of the novel dragged on. There were times I swore I should be farther, but I was only at 50-55%. This is most likely a pacing issue, but I do understand this choice from an author's perspective.

Overall, I am rating Ghosted 4 out of 5 stars, which means I thoroughly enjoyed this title and would recommend it to my audience!

Ghosted by Sarah Ready

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I would have finished this book in 2 days if my life wasn’t so chaotic.

A nerd and a ghost fall in love. Ok, well that isn’t the whole story, but what if I told you after Jillian moves into a new apartment she is greeted by a shirtless ghost. Why was he drawn to her? Can they figure it out before it is his time to move on?

I absolutely loved Ghosted and can’t wait for book 2. I have been grabbing all of the audios for Sarah Ready’s books off Netgalley since Josh and Gemma Make a Baby and this book absolutely didn’t disappoint.

The Narrators were perfect and that is saying something considering I like to listen to my books at 2x+ and the narrator didn’t sound robotic when I put it at 2.5x.

I really enjoyed this book! This is my first read from Sarah Ready and I will definitely be reading more. I loved watching Jillian and Daniel not only grow as individuals but with each other. Even though the book was long it kept me entertained. I enjoyed the unique spin on how Daniel came to be a ghost.

Sweet. Funny. HEA with lots of crazy in between. A meet cute or two, maybe 3.
I felt like it should have ended many times but it kept going.
It wrapped up nicely. Especially loved the 2nd epilogue.

I loved this book! It’s funny and sad and predictable, but so wonderfully so. The premise of the story is very reminiscent of the movie Just Like Heaven starring Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo. There are definitely differences from the movie. I was hoping that the MC was in a coma and not hallucinating through the first half of the book. There was a very awkward sex scene between the FMC and a ghost? Other than that, I really enjoyed the story. It was very well paced and wasn’t too over the top

I enjoyed this book and the twists and turns it had in a romance with a little paranormal aspect. Sarah has really great stories with great chemistry. It dragged here and there due to its length but overall I enjoyed the story.

So I ended up doing the Kindle version over the audio even though I received both via ARC......
I was most appreciative of an ARC because I love this author, but sadly this book just let me down. While Demi Moore and Patrick swayze may have ruined ghost interactions for me, or maybe the fact that I love Star Wars way more than Star Trek, I don't know but just something just didn't do it for me with this book. It was too long in parts. Some areas that could have been expanded on were glossed over. And the whole middle just bogged me down and bored me. The ending got a little better until they went to the other country. I don't know. It was just a little bit of a mess. More so than the other books. I'm not even sure if I would give the sequel a try. But I will continue to still read this author because I like her other books a lot.