Really loved the cover & description. Audiobook just didn't mesh with me. I wouldn't say it was bad, it just wasn't my taste for a book afterall.

This was such a charming read. I've always been a fan of romances including ghosts. A scandal caused Gabriel to move to a small town where nobody knew him. He ended up moving into a haunted house. Ida, the spirit haunting the house, is so cute. I love the author's take that Ida could haunt objects as well as locations and people. It gave the haunting a fresh perspective. Ida wasn't just stuck in Victorian times, she was up to date with technology and reading. The contract was also very fun to read, like a little scavenger hunt for the characters that not only was supposed to keep Ida from becoming a vengeful spirit, but also allowed the MCs to get to know one another on a deeper level.

Dual narration - Chris Chamers & Stephanie Kay

Mysterious, funny, and cute.
Really enjoyed it despite it being dual narration and 3rd person POV. It is definitely different and a tad strange but overall a good listen.

5 ⭐ 0 🌶️ 5 🎧

This was so stinking cute. I loved the entire premise of ghost and human, roommates to lovers and the execution was so well done too. Gabriel and Ida were really wonderful characters and I adored watching them fall in love.

I really enjoyed the entire Perry storyline as well, especially how it ended. While they are technically blood, it felt like found family which is one of my most favorite tropes. The whole curse bringing them together and yet their kids calling him Uncle Perry just had me melting into a puddle of goo.

The audio was fantastic too. Stefanie Kay is one of my favorite narrators and Chris Chambers was great as well. Thank you Tantor for this advanced listen!

First of all thank you to Kate Serzenta, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me early access to this audiobook! All opinions in this review are my own.

This was a strange book man…

Its about Ida a 130ish year old Ghost who haunts a home in buttons.

She kind of wallows around the home cause no one can see her. Until she meets Gabriel.
A famous lawyer who ended up in the tiny town of Buttons due to a scandal and to his shock can see ghosts! They both complete tasks to see if Ali can move on to the great beyond. Or maybe they don’t even want to…..

This book was cute but hella confusing. I love me some dual narration only I don’t quite love it when he is talking for half a chapter and then she cuts in for 4 minutes and then it goes back to him.

It just kinda gives me whiplash cause there isn’t any rime or reason for the constant switching mid chapter.

I hated their 3rd act breakup so much. What he did was absolutely not understandable imo.

What I do think deserves a trophy is Ida her OCD depiction. It was so realistic and well done. A great representation.

If you love the tv-show Ghosts and slow-burn romance then this is the perfect book for you!

This book was fun and lighthearted but also broached serious topics without making it too heavy. Deep characters with good character growth and a storyline that kept me interested all the way through even though I felt that the story dragged a tiny bit in some places.

The narrators did an amazing job voicing their characters. I am the type of person that listens to a book in 2-2.5 speed and I’ve come to learn that not all narrators are made for that but I felt like Chris Chambers and Stefanie Kay would work in any speed because they still sounded relatively natural and I appreciate that a great deal.

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this advanced listener copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started Ghostly by Kate Serzenta, but I’m so glad I gave it a chance. This audiobook took me on a journey that felt both eerie and surprisingly emotional. I was pulled in from the beginning by the moody, almost poetic atmosphere. Serzenta has a real gift for painting scenes that feel both intimate and haunted—perfect for an audiobook.

The story isn’t just about ghosts in the traditional sense. It’s more about the things that haunt us emotionally—grief, loss, memories we try to suppress. The main character’s journey really resonated with me. It felt personal and real, even as supernatural elements started to unfold. I appreciated that the story didn’t rely on cheap scares or over-the-top twists. Instead, it builds slowly, focusing more on mood and emotion than action—which worked really well for me.

The narration was solid. The narrator had a calm, almost meditative tone that matched the story’s pace and vibe. There were a few moments where I wished for a little more intensity—especially during emotional or suspenseful scenes—but overall, it was a strong performance that enhanced the story rather than distracted from it.

My only critique is that the middle section dragged a bit. There were a few scenes that felt repetitive or could’ve been tightened up to keep the momentum going. But by the end, I was fully invested and felt satisfied with where the story landed.

If you're looking for an audiobook that blends the supernatural with emotional storytelling—something a little spooky but also introspective—I highly recommend Ghostly. It’s one of those stories that stays with you after it’s over.

Ida is a lonely spirit who just wants to spend her afterlife around people while enjoying things like reality TV, books, and the Internet. Gabe is a big shot attorney who believes he is infallible… until he’s not. When Gabe rents the old Victorian where
Ida‘s spirit is stuck, the two come together to try to find a way to help Ida move on to the afterlife before Gabe goes back to his normal life. After working on the required tasks to move on, they learn that there’s potentially a way for her to come back to life. What should have been a short stay in the town of Buttons turns into a longer stint that allows Gabe to not only fall in love with Ida, but also with the town and its people. However, Gabe still has a life to get back to.

This was a quick, cute read that really required the reader to suspend disbelief. Gabe was a bit hard to like at first, but he came around with time. Ida was a complicated character who deserved so much more than her first life gave her. I didn’t find their romance to be super believable because aside from the forced proximity due to sharing a home, we didn’t get to see them interact a ton based on the fact that they literally couldn’t touch. But, overall, I thought it was a charming story with a lot of actual character growth rather than the stuff I encounter in other books where they just *say* someone has changed.

4 stars

-victorian ghost x modern day lawyer
-mental health rep
-only he can see her
-small town named buttons
-ghost that can’t leave her house

TRIGGERS
-suicide (off page)
-family abuse
-mental health facility
-ghost haunting
-cheating

This is the fluffiest fluff that ever did fluff! Such a cute, fun, little read. Gabriel is a hot shot lawyer who gets in some hot water when he has an affair with his client. In order to let everything settle, he leaves town for a 6-month hiatus. Little did he know that he would find Ida in his Victorian rental. Ida is so bubbly and excited to be able to talk to someone again! You could feel her energy flowing from the pages! She is so full of life for a ghost, even though she has some trauma to work through.

I love the interactions with Gabriel and Ida. They have lots of fun and witty banter back and forth. The side characters are also such a fun time! The Schuyler sisters are super fun! I cant wait to see who the next couple is going to be in this series.

The audiobook was great! It is dual narration and they both did a great job! I would definitely listen to either of them again. Overall, this was a super cute fun read and I would recommend it to anyone who is in need of a contemporary romance pallet cleanser with a side of the paranormal!

Thank you to Netgalley and Tantor Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this cute, cozy little ghost love story. The audio was so much fun to listen to and it made it that much more enjoyable. I loved that the chapters seamlessly bled into one another at times, switching characters in the middle of a moment. The story itself was fun and easy to get lost in while still keeping you engaged and wanting to know more.


Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the audio ARC!

The premise of this one is wild and the book delivers in a fun and interesting way, but this book is a solid 3 hours longer than it needed to be. The parts that worked were fun but the parts that didn’t felt like they dragged on for AGES.

This was a fun one! As I listened to the audio version of Ghostly, I kept thinking about what a cute movie this story would make! I could definitely see this novel adapted into an adorable Rom Com.

This book had all the elements of a."cozy" read for me. Can "Cozy Paranormal" be the new hit genre? There was the grumpy vs spunky trope, where Gabe is serious, down on his luck and miserable while Ida is chatty and full of life (although...dead.) The found family aspect was also very heart warming. The quaint small town setting was endearing, complete with a Christmas festival. The stakes were rather I suppose for the "cozy" genre, but it didn't feel stressful. The love story was sweet and gentle. And although the premise is somewhat hard to believe, the ending is quite satisfying.

This audio had dual narrators whom both did a fantastic job bring the story to life.

A big thank you to Tantor Audio, Netgalley, and Kate Serzento for giving me this audio ARC in return for my honest review!

If you are looking for a light hearted paranormal romance, then you are going to enjoy this one!
This book follows Ida - a ghost from the 1800’s stuck in a house with no clue how to pass on to the afterlife, and Gabriel - a lawyer caught in a scandal involving one of his clients. He ends up renting Ida’s house in his efforts to hide from reporters and somehow he is the only person who can see and hear her. They find a book with tasks to help her pass on to the afterlife but during the process they fall in love and try to figure out a way to bring her back to life.

I listened to this audiobook in one day because the two narrators really brought this book to life for me and made it enjoyable. I thought they had the right amount of inflection and emotion, which made it so easy to listen to.

I love that these two characters are so imperfect. A big part of the book is each character learning about themselves, growing, and accepting their own flaws.

The only thing that bothered me was that I don't really like books with cheating and honestly couldn't tell whether or not Gabriel had broken up with his client/lover before moving into Ida’s house. It wasn't explicitly stated that they had but also she talked about “getting back together” which implies that they did? The beginning between the two of them felt like a relationship to me but maybe they weren't committed, it wasn't all that clear. Also, Ida is a ghost, so they can't technically touch each other but they do have a very spicy conversation during that time. So that could be a potentially grey area for you if you're not into that sort of thing.

Overall, I loved this book, it was so whimsical and cute! I rated it 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

There is one scene that's sort of explicit as far as spice goes, so I would rate this book 1 on a spice scale.

I definitely recommend this book!

Im a person who prefers reading books over listening to them. That being said I LOVED “Ghostly” and its narrators. Now the male Narrator isn’t not what I imagine for Gabriel but Chris Chambers is a great narrator and I’ll be excited to listen to more of this works. A dual narrated audiobook will
Always ALWAYS be better than just one narrator narrated audiobooks and this is dual narrated by Chris Chambers and Stefanie Kay. For the story itself, “Ghostly” by Kate Serzenta has been on my TBR since it released. Gabriel, a lawyer on suspension for 6 months, moves into a Victorian house. In the house he finds Ida, a ghost with anxiety issues (which same) who can’t move on to the afterlife. With Gabriel’s help the two try to complete the supernatural contract that will let Ida move on. I really like the story. It gave me Jessica Claire “Go Hex Yourself” vibes. Also the fact Ida is a Victorian ghost as I am fully entranced in my Bridgerton era. But she has anexity issues and longs to watch ‘90 day fiancee’ really made her a funny bit relatable FMC.

Thank you to Kate Serzenta, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Longer than it needed to be by at least an hour, if not two. Took way too long to conclude. I wanted to make the "get to the point" gesture, you know, circling one's hand at the wrist.

Not sure how I felt about Ida's ability to "haunt" things--go inside them and learn every piece of information available. A little too convenient--and why didn't Ida do that to the spellbook? I can't remember if that possibility was addressed or not. But they had so many questions about the spells, yet she didn't "haunt" it to absorb it in its entirety? Also, were the missing pages in the library copy ever explained? And I'm surprised the author of the book never came into play. With a name like "Brenda B. Bustin" and all their questions about the magic, I'd have thought they'd try to track her down to learn more. Never crossed their minds.

And being able to experience movies and TV as if in real life by "haunting" the TV? That made no sense to me whatsoever. Not a fan of that. Manipulating electronics isn't new for ghosts, but a TV isn't people on a stage, it's just a box of light. I could imagine a ghost going into it and being able to manipulate the light and thus the image on screen, but not being able to view a movie as if on set with the actors.

The characters were likeable, endearing, and sympathetic, even Perry and the townspeople, and when we finally, finally got to the epilogue, the HEA felt well-deserved.

Ghostly is a light-hearted and heartwarming story. It’s probably not something I would’ve picked up on my own, but I ended up enjoying it more than I expected. That said, I’m not totally convinced by the storyline. Like, I get it’s fiction, but... really? Some parts definitely had me raising an eyebrow. Still, it was a fun and easy read overall.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Ghostly is haunting in the most beautiful way—equal parts heartache, healing, and hope.

Gabriel is a logical, no-nonsense lawyer just looking for peace in a quiet rental. What he finds instead is Ida—the ghost who’s been haunting the house for decades. But unlike everyone else before him, Gabriel can see her. Speak to her. And, without meaning to… fall for her.

Ida is lonely but vibrant, sharp-witted and kind. She’s been stuck in this home with her unseen mental health struggles—specifically OCD—misunderstood and mislabeled in her time. For the first time, she’s not alone. Gabriel doesn’t flinch at her compulsions or her vulnerability. He listens. He sees her. And she begins to feel like maybe her story isn’t over.

When they discover a magical book offering a chance for Ida to move on—with a twist in the fine print that allows Gabriel to complete the tasks on her behalf—they set off on a journey of healing, closure, and impossible love. As each task reveals more of Ida’s story, their bond deepens from friendship to something deeper. But what do you do when you fall in love with someone you can’t keep?

This book wrecked me in the most hopeful way. It’s not just a ghost story—it’s a story about being seen, about mental health and misunderstood women, about the power of quiet love, and about risking everything for the person you can’t imagine living without. And yes… there’s a twist. One that made my heart leap.

You need to read Ghostly. It lingers long after the last page.

DNF. But not at any fault of the book. Literally, it's not you, it's me.

I don't read contemporary, so this was my fault for not fully understanding the premise. I saw victorian ghost, and assumed much more paranormal than contemporary. The story sounds great, and From what I did listen to, the narration is fantastic. Just not the right story for me.

“You haunted Temple of Doom again, didn’t you?”

A disgraced lawyer moves to a small town to wait out a scandal and ends up exactly where he’s meant to be.

A lonely ghost is trying to make the most of her afterlife when said lawyer comes in and turns it all upside by finding a way to either help her move on to the afterlife or maybe, just maybe get a second chance at living.

Who knew a ghost romance could be so cute? The banter was *chefs kiss*. The OCD representation was very well done.

The narrators did such a good job portraying these characters and truly brought them to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the ARC of the audiobook!

I loved this book, I cried many times, and I giggled and laughed with the characters. Ida, a sweet ghost, meets Gabriel, a fancy lawyer, in the house where she passed.
The love between the two starts immediately and we can’t wait for their happy ending. The flashbacks from Ida old life really broke my heart, I couldn’t imagine someone having that kind of family. Her having OCD and being considered “strange” or even ill broke me. The ending made my heart full of love.
Loved it overall ❤️