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.

Dolly Alderton's Everything I Know About Love was such an incredible read, and I was so excited to read her first novel.

I really enjoyed this - and related to it in a lot of ways, as a 29 year old, at a kind of cross road in my life where some friends are getting married, some are still living as though we are teenagers. I liked getting to know Nina, and enjoyed the part about her father struggling with dementia - this was the strongest part of the book for me.

The one part I was a bit unsure about was her and Angelo...it felt a bit unrealistic.

But all in all, a fab read that I devoured in a day.

I am a HUGE Dolly fan so I was very excited to read this and it arrived just in time for a holiday. I found it slightly slow to start but once it got moving I got completely immersed. I particularly thought the thread following the main character's dad was really moving and well done.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I did wonder if this was fiction or non-fiction quite a lot at the beginning but then I got too lost in the story to remember. Very timely, accurate and an essential book to help navigate the treacherous dating seas.

A book that I could relate to from a personal perspective as Nina faces luther cruel motions of her beloved father's progressive disease. I loved the friendship between Nina and Lola and the way the girls faced the cold reality of dating in the 21st century. Brilliantly written and a great follow up to Dolly's memoir which I read recently.

I found this book incredibly difficult to like and enjoy. From the very opening of the book, the narrator seems very vapid, narcissistic, and immature. It felt as though Ghosts was trying to be a modern day Bridget Jones, but failed to create the same sense of humour, sentimentality, and camaraderie. The way the narrator describes all of the other characters we encounter in the story makes them all seem like flat, two-dimensional caricatures. She seems to hate everyone, even the people who are supposed to be her best friends.

Whilst the title works on many levels — the narrator is ghosted by an online date, and the family plot dealing with Alzheimer’s where a character becomes a ghost of their prior self — I think I expected more from the online dating storyline. The narrator meets a grand total of one man from a dating app. In a book that is supposed to reflect modern dating this just felt a little like a cop out.

Whilst this book does have many reviews full of praise, sadly it just wasn’t for me.

Finally, a commercial novel that I enjoyed! This is a fun, extremely readable debut novel by Dolly Alderton - not as enjoyable as her brilliant memoir, but great nonetheless. Nina is a relatable millennial heroine with more substance than your typical chick lit character. The book explores themes of friendship, mother-daughter relationships, illness, and dating - including the dreaded ghosting that the title alludes to. It’s gently funny, sweet, and thought-provoking at times. I do agree with other reviewers about the conclusion of a certain storyline, that is wrapped up in a strange way that makes little sense in terms of both characters and plot - but this doesn’t ruin the book as a whole. It has only made me more keen to see what Dolly does next.

I absolutely adored Dolly Alderton's memoir about life in her 20s 'Everything I know about Love' and it was one of my favourite books of 2018. So I was thrilled to receive this much anticipated digital ARC of Dolly's debut novel 'Ghosts'.
Nina Dean is a 30 something food writer and Alderton looks at her changing female friendships, her experience of online dating and her relationship with her parents. I found the latter particularly moving as Nina's father is living with dementia and Alderton writes powerfully and emotionally about this.
This is a funny, moving, warm. insightful and gorgeous read that I did not want to end and I would highly recommend it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.

What a great way to spend a wet Sunday! I do not often sit and read a book in one sitting, but the unique blend of fun and terrifyingly true situations kept me hooked. Thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish.

Nina is a food writer in her early 30's, looking for love. When she matches with Max on a dating app, she thinks she has found the one. But is he really the right guy for her? Although I'd say the book has romance at its heart, it's about a whole lot more than that. Family relationships, friendships, identity and the idea of home all come into the mix and make it a fully-rounded, captivating novel.

Like Olive by Emma Gannon, this book also really resonated with me. I saw a lot of my friends and myself in Nina. I could hugely sympathise with her frustration of using dating apps & trying to make real connections with people.

For me, the romance between Nina and Max was sexy and exciting, without being really cringy. I enjoyed reading about the ups and downs of their relationship but the parts of the book I enjoyed the most were the moments Nina spent with her parents - (her father is suffering from dementia which is portrayed exquisitely by Dolly) - and her friends.

There are scenes that stay with me from this book. In particular, the time that Nina goes back to her childhood home and reflects on the difficulties that she's now facing with her father's deteriorating condition. I had to share this quote which just absolutely broke my heart:

'I would make a strong case for the argument that every adult on this earth is sitting on a bench waiting for their parents to pick them up, whether they know it or not. I think we wait until the day we die.'

Maybe it's because I lost my dad when I was 20 but it just made me weep when I read it.

While I was reading the book, there were times I found myself urging Nina not to do certain things, as if she was my pal asking for advice. She became like a friend & I would certainly give the book a re-read. I would also love to read a sequel with the same characters - I just loved being a part of their world.

A bittersweet novel that reminds you to appreciate those who always have your back.