Nina Dean is a food writer after being a school teacher and deciding writing about food was to be her career. She is in her early thirties and has decided that she really would like to be in a relationship which has not happened for a while and after talking to her friend Lola who is also single, decides to go on a dating site. She meets a man called Max and all becomes rosy for Nina. He is fit, romantic and wants to spend all his time with her and the relationship moves on very fast even to the point of telling her he is going to marry her. She feels happy and content and then suddenly Max disappears and does not answer is phone calls, texts etc. She is devastated She also has to deal with being an Usher for an ex partner and the insistence of his wife to be which she does reluctantly. She has Lola to go out with which helps until Lola meets a man and that turns out to be fraught with drama. She also has the added pressure of her dad vanishing into dementia and a mum who is having a mid life crises but is probably burying her head in the sand as a mechanism to help through her husband’s failing mind.
This book is lovely and although sad in places it is something we can all relate to and is written beautifully

Fascinating and moving.
A close look at the horrors of the modern world of internet dating, ghosting and of friends who are so self absorbed that they do not realise that all is not well.
I was totally on Nina's side- braving that world with little support from her loved ones and her emotional upheaval as she is ghosted by the too good to be true Max is painful to read.
I did get a bit angry with her as the story unfolds but all in all a book that is witty and enjoyable whilst still being sensitive to these modern world dilemmas.

I did not really know what to expect of this book, I requested it (from NetGalley) because I have read the author's columns in the Sunday Times.

I loved reading this book and felt that I was walking beside the author as she navigates 'coming of age' in her twenties in terms of the big decisions that face younger women in the 21st Century, questions and options that did not occur in my life at the same age, some 40+ years ago. The difficulties of online dating (nightmare), ghosting (horrendous), family relationships (always tricky), fickle friends dealing with their own set of dilemmas (this hasn't changed much since the 70s either) are all explored with a wonderful light touch whilst not shying away from the really serious life decisions that sit underneath. I read it virtually in one sitting and towards the end felt like cheering for the main character. It is a book that will appeal to women of all ages - and possible a few men too, Highly recommended.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more into romance stories and literary fiction however I wanted to take the opportunity to read something from outside my norm. And I am glad I did!! Thank you for  opening up my mind to something totally different.

This is not a book about ghosts, it’s about ghosting, being ghosted.

Nina has hit her 30s and is single. Her best friend Lola (and online dating expert) helps her to sign up and meet the man of her dreams. Which she does when she meets Max. They are perfect together, they message each other all the time, stay over at each other’s places, cook together and do everything that a couple in a new relationship do. Then he says he wants to marry her. But the next morning he leaves and she doesn’t hear from him. Until...!!!

This lady knows how to write. I was kept interested from start to finish - full of laughs, emotion and empathy. Absolutely brilliant, I can’t wait for the author’s next book. Rated 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This resonated with me so much! There are so many issues, problems and difficult emotions that go hand in hand with being a single woman in your thirties and Alderton deals with them all beautifully through her main character Nina.
Nina is a typical 30-something, who happens to have a massive online following, so in lots of way her life appears perfect but of course, it isn’t.
She feels like she’s losing her friends, is “ghosted” when she tries out online dating and is losing her dad to dementia.
I really related to Nina and thought she was a great character, a little annoying at times but I think that was deliberate. Some of the things that she goes through are painful to read but also painfully true and apt for the present time.
I enjoyed the way it was written but this definitely isn’t a literary masterpiece. The writing style is plain and this more a book that’s making a statement about contemporary gender standards then a book that whisks you away into another world.
I really enjoyed it and think it would make for excellent reading and discussions.

I, like most of the rest book world it seemed, loved Dolly's first book Everything I Know About Love, and so it was with great excitement that I opened up Ghosts - her debut novel. Ghosts is a story all about the modern phenomenon we all know and loathe - ghosting. This is when someone just stops answering any messages and disappears from your life - almost as if they never existed in the first place. While I was initially trepidatious about using this topic to base a whole story around, it was done in such a thoughtful and heartfelt way that I soon didn't mind. It gives a sense of the ominous, however, to Nina as she first meets wonderful Max. Knowing the theme of the novel, it is hard to trust him, as we know it will all soon fall apart. Which is why I was so glad it did - and quickly. And so what happens for the rest of the story was a pleasant surprise. Ghosts feels intensely modern. Nina is a successful millennial - owning a flat in London and a famous food writer. But he quest for love is far from over. Her plight feels relatable, but it is her relationship with her family and friends that really fleshes out Nina Dean into an entire human - one you really enjoy spending time with. Overall, Ghosts is a very strong start to what I hope is a long writing career for Dolly Alderton - I await her next book eagerly!

I really enjoyed this book. Nina is in her thirties with a successful career as a food writer. Having come out of a long term relationship she decides to use internet dating. When she meets Max she thinks all her dreams have come true, and he seems to feel the same. Until he ghosts her! This is a very insightful book, showing the pressures on young women, particularly for those who would like children at some point. I would recommend it as a good, thought provoking read. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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This is the 1st Book of Dolly That I have read and I really Enjoyed this Book

This Book tells the story of Nina who's a food written and also a internet dating and this book tells the story of the adventures she gets up whilst battling internet dating and also her dad that gets diagnosed with Dementia

I really enjoyed this book

With thanks to Netgalley & Penguin Uk for the ARC of this book in exchange for this review

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for approving my request to read on netgalley . Ive not read any of Dollys previous books which are all non fiction. I will definitely be checking those out.

I loved this culturally apt book. This is fresh,modern ,funny ,warm and relatable. Im sure you have or know someone whos been ghosted. Though this is the title its not the only subject matter .

Nina goes on a journey of self discovery and soul seeking. This is a tale of identity,finding who you are and making your mark on the world.

Highly recommend if your fan of Holly Bourne and Dawn Porter.

Published 15th October.

This is Alderton’s first fiction novel and I wasn’t really sure what to expect as I haven’t read any of her work before, which I will definitely change after reading this as I thoroughly enjoyed it!⁣
This is a very enjoyable and easy read. It is refreshingly honest and addresses so many topics and issues that we experience every day; lost love, loneliness, new love, friendship, family and more. ⁣
The vibes I got from the book are a mix of Queenie and The Flatshare. Some hilarious laugh out loud moments but also some very real and emotional moments that connect with the reader. Nina is going through a trying time in her life with a sick father, tense friendships and the always frightening London dating scene - many of these are things the we can relate with on a personal level.
⁣I really loved some of the friendships that are portrayed in the book and you could really picture these people in real life. Nina and Lola's friendship is fantastic and I love how Alderton makes the reader want to join these two girls for drinks. They're unapologetically honest with each other and I think nowadays many of us find it hard to find true friendships like that if living abroad or far from friends.
One thing I found really interesting in the book was how Nina labelled and described different friendships; those we are friends with because we always have been, those we are friends but only in group settings, those we may know the least amount of time but have so much in common with due to meeting later in life when are interests are more established and many more. We all have friends who fall under so many of these categories and it really makes you think about the different roles these people play in your life.
I found Nina's friendship with Katherine really interesting; staying friends because they've known each other their whole lives but not really investing time or effort into keeping it an authentic friendship. Sometimes we need to just accept that this is the case and decide on the best way to work on that and how to fully appreciate each other again.
Then of course there is Nina's relationship with her father. This really got me in a lot of ways because I am really close with my dad and my granddad had dementia. This journey Nina embarks on is really raw and beautifully portrayed.
You may have noticed how I haven't addressed Max...this is mainly because I still don't know how I felt about this part of the book and I also don't want to spoil it. I guess as well, I haven't been single for over 3 years so I probably didn't relate to it as much as some other readers would.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and if you’re looking for an easy read, then I would highly recommend this. ⁣

I did enjoy this book but felt the ending should have been different. The world of internet dating is strange and ghosting is prevalent, this story touches on the emotional impact of this but I felt it would have been nice for Nina to find a happy ending

Dolly Alderton can do no wrong. This story is about so much more than just being ‘ghosted’ by a man. She explores themes like female friendship, dementia, growing up, and being one of the last ‘single’ friends in your thirties (and how there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that). It’s written in such a compassionate and poignant way and the descriptions are attentive, nostalgic and so vivid. I recognized Dolly in some of the passages: beautiful depiction of Hampstead Heath, references to food and music, funny one liners. I loved the message it tries to convey, and the extreme relatability of the plot. I’m excited to re-read this over the years.

Let me introduce you to Nina George Dean - the middle name in honour of George Michael who was number one when she was born. She’s 31, single and a successful food writer. Using dating app ‘Linx Online’ she meets Max - sturdy, rumpled, he declares he’s going to marry her on their first date. Her dad is disappearing to dementia, her mum is rebranding herself, her best friends are Lola and Katherine, other friends are settling down, marrying, kids, the whole nine yards.

I thought I’d like this book as I enjoy Dolly’s Sunday Times column but I didn’t just like it, I love it. It’s so clever, acutely observed, reflective, funny yet so sad at times, it’s real, full of hopes and dreams, trust and loss of trust - all the illusions and delusions of life. Thee are so many ghosts in Nina’s life such as those who ghost you online, the ghost of who her father was and his relationship with her and her mother, the ghost of your twenties self and of friendships, the ghosts of your plans and the life you thought you’d have. Her father’s dementia is described so movingly and accurately as my father similarly became a poor benighted ghost and what really strikes a chord is Nina’s believe that no human can be deleted. The characters are great too, Nina is fantastic and deserves more, I love her memories of the safety of childhood and treasuring of her father. Lola is a terrific character too and I love her brand of wisdom which is comforting. There are moments when you feel Nina’s hysteria such as her reluctant attendance at a weekend hen do ( pins and eyes!) and oh yes, Prosecco is true venom. The end is perfect and Nina just ‘Gotta to have faith, faith faith’! Couldn’t resist.

So, overall, I think you may have guessed this is an easy five star book for me, a fantastic read and hard to put down. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the much appreciated ARC

I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. It tries so hard to strike that good balance between serious commentary on relationships and ageing as well as humour and kitschy romance- but it just wasn't there for me. Especially the relationship development toward the end of the book (which I won't go into in full detail- but let's just say it was VERY out of the blue and VERY weird). The book deals with ghosting of many forms, from dementia to dating apps, and the story of Nina and her family was perhaps the best part of this book for me, but the other factors disappointed me a lot.

I thought as well that the main character had *some* substance, but honestly not enough- it was this generic approach to the millennial main character who didn't really voice as much of herself as she could've. I wanted a lot more of the vulnerability in this book, and less of the speedy relationship and the complete lack of closure. I get that was partly a commentary on the whole idea of ghosting, but do men really vanish after proposing marriage so often? And some of the commentary about this generation being raised by PlayStations was just weird as hell. I don't know, maybe I'm missing a part of the puzzle, but this book just didn't bring it all together for me.

Alderton has a real talent for writing prose, whether fiction or non-ficiton.

But I had the same problem with this as I had with her memoir, I just can't relate to it. Alderton is knighted the voice of the Millenial generation, but I just don't get it. I, not many other women I know, don't have the same white, middle-class woman privilege. This was reflected in Ghosts. It was just like reading her memoir and I struggled to see it as something overtly creative and unique, it seemed like Everything I Know About Love but with a different main character.

However, the issues addressed through Nina's father's dementia was interesting and effective

Ghosts follows Nina over the span of a year of her life between her 32nd and 33rd birthday. She has a career she loves, a great group of friends and her hard-earned first flat but she is still looking for someone to share it all with. She is still good friends with her ex, the only proper boyfriend she's ever had til they broke up a few years ago, since when she decided to focus on her career so the world of dating apps is new to Nina- along with all of the issues that go with being able to have so many potential dates at the very tip of your fingers.
I really enjoyed this book. There is an assured, warmth to the writing and it is incredibly well observed. Although it deals with some difficult issues it is incredibly funny at points (I had to move to another room so as not to wake up my sleeping baby because I was snorting with laughter) but is also well balanced with a bit of sexy-time and a couple of really moving scenes; the scene between Nina and her mum particularly got me.
It is an easy read which feels very real; I could recognise myself, my parents and many of my friends in the cast of characters, unfortunately quite a few of the men I've dated too. As someone who enjoys the author's non-fiction work I was delighted to find that I find her fiction as much of a joy to read. It comes out this October and so will be a really cosy autumnal read but when the paperback comes next summer I imagine it will be in many people's hands as we (hopefully) return to the beach or poolside.

“Come on then, what ghosts are you bringing to the orgy?”

Ghosts is a book all about the footprints we leave on the world and on each other. It’s about how we see ourselves, how we present ourselves, and what others see, as well as the traces of us that hide in the shadows somewhere in between. It is also a very funny, relatable and unpretentious book, which combines moments of earnest reflection with hilarious, snarky humour (SO many gems that made me snort with laughter - the tone is set early by the protagonist’s mother and her literary salon: ‘Reading Between the Wines’).

The book covers the modern dating phenomenon of ‘ghosting’ but deals with so much more. What it has to say about nostalgia, identity, friendship and change had me hooked and resonated with me on such a personal level that I was highlighting sentences every other page (very unlike me!). Dolly Alderton handles big themes—including dementia— with humour, empathy and insight.

I was excited to read the book because I love Dolly’s work on The High Low and her previous book Everything I Know About Love. All of the things I admire about her previous work are here and I particularly appreciated her honest look at the value of female friendships and the way these can change with marriage and children. That said, if you haven’t come across Dolly’s work before, there is no better time to take a look!

Thank you so much to Penguin UK and NetGalley for an advance review copy of Ghosts in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting book, with a number of elements of the story that any woman who has dated in recent years will recognise. It is at times fun, intriguing and poignant, and tugs on the heart strings. At times you are frustrated with the characters, as you can be with your friends and their data sagas... when you feel like shaking them and saying No don’t go back!

A witty and insightful story about the state of modern dating and being one of the few singletons in the midst of a sea of married friends.

An interesting and enjoyable read.

Dolly's skill as a writer, from her background as a journalist, is just as apparent in Ghosts as in her columns and in her debut non-fiction book, "Everything I Know About Love".

Touching on many of the same themes - the challenges that face young women across the country as they navigate the minefield that is having a career, dating, keeping up with your friends, family and more - this book is sure to be a hit with the readers who enjoyed her first book.

Where I struggled to relate to Dolly in certain chapters of Everything I Know About Love (simply because some of my experiences were not the same), this had added depth as a result of the additional characters, and I'm sure that this will only extend its reach, particularly to those who may not be familiar with Dolly from her previous writing.