Thanks to RBmedia and NetGalley for the advance listener copy!

This was a fun and heartwarming listen, a cozy ghostly rom-com! It took me a little while to warm up to Gabriel, the grumpy lawyer forced into taking a break from work, but I instantly connected with Ida, the quirky and lovable ghost haunting his new rental.

The banter between Gabriel and Ida was one of the highlights of the story. Watching their relationship grow from reluctant roommates to friends to something more romantic was well-paced and charming. The sexual tension added a nice slow-burn dynamic, though a few moments felt a little awkward or over-the-top.

I appreciated the thoughtful inclusion of mental health representation. Ida’s struggles with OCD, both during her life and as a ghost reconnecting with the world, were handled with care. Gabriel’s support as she began facing those challenges again added real emotional depth to their relationship.

The narrators did a great job bringing the characters to life. The only thing that would have improved the audio experience was duet narration for a more immersive feel.

Overall, Ghostly was a sweet, unique love story with humor, heart, and a hint of haunting.

This is a wonderfully, whimsical story! I love a good ghost love story and this fit the bill, although the events leading till the finale was unique. I loved it! The narrators, Chris Chambers and Stefanie Kay, of the audiobook were great! Their voices and tone were perfect for the characters! Overall, a happy, feel-good story with an awesome audiobook!

Casper with gender roles reversed
Grumpy/Sunshine
Angst
OCD rep
Found family

After a case gone wrong, Gabriel moves to the small town of Buttons to excape media attention. The Victorian house he's renting is 'haunted' by Ida, a lovely 25 year old, since 1888. Gabriel is helping Ida either move on or come back to life. This is the story of what happens next.

I am absolutely in love with Ida and Gabriel's story! Their interactions are so heartfelt, and their banter is unparalleled. Gabriel does a lot of growth in this book.

The dual narration is spectacular! I love that the POV changes seamlessly between characters without having to announce whose POV we are in. I am completely in love with this book!

Hauntingly Good Read!

A refreshing take on Victorian/modern romance novel. The concept itself was hilarious and the characters loveable. The ending scene with the shooting star really got me. I was teary eyed. Such a fun book, I’d love to get a book two maybe with a male ghost in another house!

As an audiobook, this is a sweet, heartwarming cozy tale of two lost souls (one being literally a ghost and the other lost on what path he wants to be in). Gabriel is quite the successful lawyer and thinks he has it all, but a mistake (sleeping with a client) gets him in the black books with the firm who tell him to lie low until it all blows over. Very convenient, or maybe fate that he ends up renting an old Victorian house in a small town complete with a resident ghost that only he can see. Let the fun begin! I loved their interactions! Both when they are trying to figure out a way to live with each other which leads to wanting to help each other (I love how Ida can become an expert in anything just by haunting websites on the internet!) and then the sparks of love. Yes, there are complications, but since this is a cozy story, there are solutions and the characters grow and figure out better dreams to follow. Trials are conquered and love and forgiveness lead to happily ever after for all who deserve it.

The narrators did a wonderful job of bring this story and the character of Gabriel and Ida to life. And I think being able to hear the emotions of the characters make it even sweeter and I really enjoyed listening to the adventures of bringing spirits back to life and learning how to connect with people who in turn will help you out. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to this lovely haunted tale of love and second chances!

This was cute and playful! I'm glad that this is listed as being the first in a series. I will absolutely be checking out the others when they come out. I love funny, light paranormal stories and this was delightful. Ida was the best. The plot summary describing her as a "peppy ghost with anxiety issues" perfectly captures her character. She was so funny and sweet. Also, all the world building and magic around her character delighted me, like how she becomes an expert on certain topics by haunting objects, the amulets and so on. We also get some mental health rep with her. Gabriel was good, as are all the side characters (except for the evil ones and Sean/Shawn).

I think that Ida and Gabriel's chemistry read more as friendship than romance. And as a result, this felt a little bit like a young adult paranormal puzzle solving adventure. Which I am absolutely here for and thoroughly enjoyed. But people should know that so that their expectations are managed.

Both narrators were good, although Stephanie Kay in particular did a really excellent job capturing Ida's spirit.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC. This comes out tomorrow, June 24, 2025!

Ghostly was a quick and fun read that I did not want to stop listening to. From the opening of the book, I knew I was going to enjoy it. I loved the premise of the book and thought it was very unique. Also, the characters were so interesting and lovable. I loved watching their love blossom and grow - as well as their individual growth. This book really spoke to me about forgiveness and letting go too. This was my first book by Kate Serzenta and I look forward to reading more. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did a fantastic job. 🩵

I would like to thank Tantor Audio and NetGalley for giving me an ARC (which did not sway my opinions or review).

This was cute—I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, but I ended up really enjoying it. Both narrators were great and brought a lot of personality to the story. It dragged a little in parts, but the cozy vibes totally made up for the slower pacing. I’m definitely looking forward to continuing the series.

The narrators did an amazing job at bringing this book to life. This is a lovely paranormal contemporary romance book. This reminded me of a hallmark movie with a paranormal twist. The FMC is Ida who was misunderstood due to the time period of when she was alive. Ida is sassy, smart and just trying to make sense of her current predicament. Then the MMC Gabriel who is a successful lawyer that finds himself in a bind after being extra involved with a person connected to his current case.

Gabriel takes his employers recommendations and ends up in a Victorian style home. At that time, we can sense the small-town vibes. I loved both characters together and how they help each other. Overall I loved the book from start to finish.

Thank you so much to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for this copy of Ghostly.

Adorable paranormal romance. I love how both of the characters were ocd. Great story of found community. The narrators did a wonderful job bringing this story to life.

This book was fantastic, the narrators really made a great job with it, I'm glad we had dual narration. We follow Gabriel a successful lawyer that gets involved into a scandal. He decides to move far away to avoid the press and there he meets Ida, the ghost that lives in his new home.

I absolutely loved both characters and their arcs, both together and apart. They have great chemistry and character growth. The story is really interesting, the plot is compelling and funny but at the same time heartwarming. Just what I needed!

This is such a great cozy fantasy read, just lovely. I'm so happy it's the first one on a possible series. I can't wait to read more.

Thank you so much to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for this copy of Ghostly!

I loved everything about this book. I was hooked from the start. I like how both main characters had a little bit of OCD, and how Gabriel helped Ida work through it. The timing of getting to know Ida’s backstory was also perfect. I was cracking up at the necklace/interview scene! I really wasn’t sure how they were going to tie everything together at the end, but it was so good.

I listened to the audiobook for this and the narrators were awesome! I like how they intertwined Ida’s perspective (even one or two words at times) into Gabriel’s.

Highly recommend this one!!

This was a cute little paranormal contemporary romance. I listened to the audiobook and it was a quick listen, easy to follow. I liked the duo narration. This gave me such Just Like Heaven movie vibes. Guy moves into a new place that happens to have a female ghost haunting but not really haunting the place. Victorian house, small town vibes. Ida was a fun character to follow, her curiosity was not all in your face. Gabriel is a lawyer on suspension and basically told to lay low for 6 months. I love his coffee obsession, and when he was trying to bring Ida some coffee because that was his love language. I liked their banter and conversations. While I didn’t really enjoy the last half of the book (I’m looking at you cheater) I was happy all that was resolved. I also liked the OCD representation!

I was hopeful that I’d love this book, as the premise was right up my alley, but one of the narrators distracted me so much that I listened to it at 3x speed to finish it quickly. (This is probably not something that will bother most people - I’m just picky when it comes to narration.) The paranormal aspect of the book was fun, the setting was charming, the OCD rep was interesting, and I liked Ida as a character, but Gabriel was very hard to appreciate. Overall, I really enjoyed the book, but I wished Gabriel was more endearing.

Thank you to Net Galley, RBmedia, and Tantor Audio for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

*Ghostly* by Kate Serzenta is an atmospheric, small-town paranormal romance with a creative premise and charming cast of side characters. The story follows Gabe, a disgraced attorney seeking solitude after a scandal, who retreats to an old house outside the city. There, he meets Ida—who has lived in the house as a ghost for over a century. Though she’s been able to haunt objects, she’s never been able to interact with the living—until Gabe. Together, they first try to help her move on, but halfway through, the stakes rise as they attempt something riskier: resurrection.

I thoroughly enjoyed the setting and the quirky townspeople—especially the Skylar sisters, who are an absolute delight. Ida is a bright spot in the narrative: funny, curious, and full of life (despite being dead). I found Gabe’s transition a bit jarring, though. He begins very much the grumpy, closed-off type, but his attraction to Ida felt sudden and not as gradual or emotionally grounded as I would have liked.

As for the audiobook experience, the voice talent really brought the characters to life. Chris Chambers nailed Gabe’s curt and clipped tone, and Stefanie Key’s performance as Ida had a bubbly, endearing quality. One note: there were moments where character point-of-view shifts happened mid-chapter without much signal, which might be clearer in print, but felt abrupt in audio form.

The pacing dragged a bit in the middle, and while I appreciated the story arc, the resolution felt rushed compared to the slower build. That said, the epilogue was a standout—sweet and satisfying, offering the kind of extended happily-ever-after I always hope for.

Overall, *Ghostly* is a charming, creative listen with some unique twists on the ghost romance trope. While a few structural and character pacing issues left me wanting a bit more depth, it’s a solid addition to the genre with lots of heart.

3.5 ⭐️ ALC Review of the audiobook

Dual narration for the win! Honestly, it’s the way to go. The narrators for this one did great. They both did so good bringing the characters and story to life, and they kept me wanting to keep listening.

This is a really cute, fluffy story. I loved the main and side characters in this one. The banter between the two main characters is great. It’s a fun palate cleanser. It did take a little bit to really hook me, but once it did I didn’t want to stop listening.

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the ALC. 🖤

I got the pleasure of getting to listened to the arc audio book and I loved every minute of it. The duet narration and the narrators did a wonderful job here. It honestly made the book better, I upped my rating because of it.
This was a heartwarming and whimsical story.

A successful lawyer Gabriel, on a fast track to become partner, gets involved in a scandal. Forced to lie low, he decides to run away to a small town, to live in an old Victorian house for the next six months. But the house comes with an unexpected guest. Ida, a woman who lived and died there, and it's now haunting it. Surprisingly, Gabriel can see her. To ensure himself some peace from a chatty ghost, he decides to help her cross over by fulfilling a magical contract. But the more time they spend together, the closer they get. And when they discover there's a contract that would bring her back to life too, the race to fufill that one first is on. Will they succeed?

I really enjoyed the pace of the story and the setting. The small town reminded me of the town i grew up in, I loved meeting all of the people that lived in this amazing town.

Ida was such a great character, sassy and such a light, even do she struggled. I was rooting for her since the beginning. She was charming and sassy.
I didn't always liked Gabriel, some of his decisions were highly questionable, to say the least. But i loved them together, even thou they were an unlikely couple I could feel them falling in love with every chapter. Their banter was one of my favorite things i found myself laughing out loud many times through out the book.
Overall, it was a fun book and I'll always have a soft spot for stories with ghosts, my favorite type of books are a little ghostey!!!!
This is my first encounter with the author and I would like to read more. I really liked her writing style, i will be checking out more of her books

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this audio ARC.

The banter and yearning between Gabriel and Ida was so good.

The way Ida was able to interact with the world was very interesting - possessing things in order to absorb information and enjoy entertainment was fun.

I enjoyed how the book concluded, but disliked how we got there. It wasn’t even a third act break up, they just separated. I wish something else happened. To be honest, it took me out of the story as it was a complete 180 from how the majority of the book was progressing.

The audiobook really saved me here as I could increase the speed to get through it quicker. The narrators did a great job. The production and performances were done well.

I listened to the audiobook and I really enjoyed it. I love duet narration and the narrators did a wonderful job here. It honestly made the book better, I upped my rating because of it.
This was a heartwarming and whimsical story.

A successful lawyer Gabriel, on a fast track to become partner, gets involved in a scandal. Forced to lie low, he decides to dissappear to a small town, to live in an old Victorian house for the next six months. But the house comes with an unexpected guest. Ida, a woman who lived and died there, and it's now haunting it. Surprisingly, Gabriel can see her. To ensure himself some peace and quiet from a chatty ghost, he decides to help her cross over by fulfilling a mysterious contract. But the more time they spend together, the closer they get. And when they discover there's a contract that would bring her back to life too, the race to fulfil that one first is on. Will they succeed?

I really enjoyed the pace of the story and the setting. The small town was charming and I really liked the people we met there.

Ida was such a great character, sassy and such a light, even do she struggled. I was rooting for her since the beginning.
I didn't always liked Gabriel, some of his decisions were highly questionable.
I did liked them together though, even do they didn't always make sense. Their banter was the best thing.

The main issue is the last 20% of the book. I didn't like the direction it took at all. I honestly hated it, and I would've gave this a lower rating if it wasn't for the audiobook.
I liked the conclusion, I just wish we got there differently.

Overall, it was still a fun book and I'll always have a soft spot for stories with ghosts, they are my favourite.
This is my first encounter with the author and I would like to read more. I really liked her writing.

3.5 stars.
Thanks to RBmedia and NetGalley for the ARC of this. I listened to the audio of this one and narrators did a great job, I particularly liked Stefanie Kay who voiced the FMC. This story was cute and fun and without spoilers I did feel like the 'third act breakup' didn't entirely make sense. This was a cozy small town romance with a side of mystery and ghost. Parts I liked - Ida and the Schuyler sisters/the town. The ghost 'magic'. Things I didn't love - Gabe, third act breakup and the backstory for Ida.
Character rating - 3.5.
Setting rating - 3.5.
Plot rating - 3.