A hilarious and heartfelt journey through love, loss, and thirty-something life

Dolly Alderton’s debut novel, Ghosts, is a masterful exploration of modern love, evolving friendships, and the bittersweet complexities of adulthood. Both laugh-out-loud funny and achingly poignant, Alderton delivers a sharply observed portrait of a woman navigating the emotional minefield of her early thirties with wit, warmth, and unflinching honesty.

Nina Dean appears to have it all: a successful career as a food writer, a supportive circle of friends, and a new home in a bustling neighborhood. When Max, a charming and self-assured romantic, enters her life with the bold declaration that he’s going to marry her, it feels like the missing piece has fallen into place.

Yet, beneath the surface, Nina grapples with the realities of aging and the shifting dynamics of her relationships. Friends are settling into suburban domesticity, ex-boyfriends have moved on, and her once-close connections are fading. Meanwhile, her family life is in flux, with a mother embracing a perplexing mid-life reinvention and a beloved father slipping away into the fog of dementia.

Ghosts is far more than a rom-com—it’s a profound meditation on the struggles of reconciling life’s unpredictability with the expectations of adulthood. Alderton’s signature wit and razor-sharp observations elevate the novel, as she deftly examines themes of identity, loneliness, and the modern dating landscape (yes, ghosting is involved).

The novel’s characters are richly drawn and heartbreakingly real, from Nina’s sardonic humor to her parents’ endearing quirks. The narrative oscillates between humor and melancholy, mirroring the rollercoaster of emotions that come with navigating love, loss, and self-discovery in a world that seems to move too fast.

Whether you’re in your thirties, approaching them, or looking back on them, Ghosts resonates with its universal truths about life’s messy, unpredictable beauty. It’s a book that will make you laugh, cry, and nod in recognition at Alderton’s astute observations.

For anyone seeking a deeply relatable, sharply funny, and emotionally satisfying read, Ghosts is a must-have on your bookshelf. Dolly Alderton has proven herself a formidable voice in fiction, crafting a story that is as tender as it is witty.

The book follows single women in their 30s who join a dating app and navigate through life with married friends and friends with children. The main storyline or title features the “ghosting” concept. The book was a little bit predictable in the situations. Also there’s some trigger topics such as dementia.