3,5 ⭐️

I had never read any Lisa Unger until last year when I read Confessions on the 7:45 and absolutely adored it. It was so dark and twisted I could not unglue myself from it.

Last Girl Ghosted sounded like it was gonna be another big hit for me, and initially it was, but I don’t know what happened halfway through but I found myself losing interest in the story, not finding any of the excitement I found in her previous book.

When Wren met Alan on a dating app she didn’t expect to fall in love with him, but she did, so when three months later he mysteriously disappears, leaving no trace at all of his online presence, she is flabbergasted. Even more once she learns that she was not the only one and that he might be implicated in the disappearance of another three girls.

The beginning was so good. I got immediately drawn into Wren’s story and her relationship with Adam. It was dark, engaging, with hints of a traumatic past…I was completely in until the story started to focus on Wren’s past. I didn’t find the direction it took particularly interesting (not really a fan of survivalists’ stories) and found there were too many inner musings and lots of unreasonable and not justified decisions.

Towards the end the tension came back but I found some dialogue a bit cheesy and the ending not really surprising (I guess I was hoping all the time for some of the same kind of twists I loved in Confessions in the 7:45).

Although it started really good, with a really powerful premise, it went into a not so enjoyable direction for me (there was even some hunting, which I totally hate). Despite this it was still a quick read and some of my most trusted bookish friend loved it, so maybe it was just me.

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of the very best books I have read this year. I was hooked in minutes.
I finished section two at my normal bedtime but could not wait to read section three so had a late night.
Better still I did not figure out how Adam had so much information on Wren till very near the end and even with that knowledge I did not get all of it.
Marvellous book. A new author to me so I now have her eighteen earlier books on my TBR list.

Last Girl Ghosted is a compelling thriller laden with secrets, obsession and vengeance about an online dating match turned deadly cat-and-mouse game. It'll certainly make you think twice before you swipe. She met him through a dating app. An intriguing picture on a screen, a date at a downtown bar. What she thought might be just a quick hookup quickly became much more. She fell for him—hard. It happens sometimes, a powerful connection with a perfect stranger takes you by surprise. Could it be love? But then, just as things were getting real, he stood her up. Then he disappeared—profiles deleted, phone disconnected. She was ghosted. Maybe it was her fault. She shared too much, too fast. But isn't that always what women think—that they're the ones to blame? Soon she learns there were others. Girls who thought they were in love. Girls who later went missing.

She had been looking for a connection, but now she's looking for answers. Chasing a digital trail into his dark past—and hers—she finds herself on a dangerous hunt. And she's not sure whether she's the predator—or the prey. This is an enthralling and compulsively readable psychological thriller that hits the spot superbly well and is absolutely chilling. It plays on our stranger danger fears but this time over the internet where anyone can claim to be anything which is what makes it so scary. It's unsettling and inventive, intense and mesmerising with some epic twists that remain on the right side of believable, and Unger sure knows how to have you clinging on for dear life as she ratchets up the tension to palpable proportions. An insanely good yarn with a great female protagonist that will keep you guessing and will certainly make you think twice about online dating. Highly recommended.

This book was dark and spooky and an excellent book to start reading during October. There were lots of twists and turns and for a good chunk of the book, I had no idea what was going on (in a good way). It kept me guessing and wondering how things connected and how the past equaled the present.

There were multiple points of views and also a jump from past to present, which I really enjoy reading. The characters were very well crafted, I felt like I knew them and understood them (especially Wren the main character).

Why the 3 star review then? I felt like the book was too long… in the last third of the book, I kept reading because I was interested but I didn’t find it as compelling and intriguing as I did in the beginning. The end was good, but I found it a bit lacklustre.

Also, the constant description of the online dating world left a sour taste in my mouth. It seemed to portray that only lonely desperate people use online dating and it’s only for hookups - which I think is a total overgeneralization.

Would I recommend this book though? Yes definitely- it has all the goods of a suspense/thriller/mystery novel.

Instantly, I was intrigued. I felt sucked into Wren’s world with – let’s be honest – a concept well-known to me. It is a great beginning, but somewhere around 40% in, I lost interest… I don’t know what happened. I guess, I didn’t really find the direction it took to be all that convincing.
It was a struggle for me to finish. And even though the suspense picked up again towards the end, I never managed to get my enthusiasm back.

Oh well, I guess this one wasn’t for me…

This was a really unique book. I often found myself completely in awe of where the story was headed, along with being shocked and excited. :)

I've read a few Unger books and they have so far been good, but this one is a whole new level, and I think I've found one of my favourite reads of the last few months.

Wren is such an interesting character and I love how she is strong, yet vulnerable and determined but slightly wary too. I don't want to spoil anything so can't go into the plot too much.

Congratulations to Lisa Unger for a fab new thriller, that will stay with you for a long time. I know I am still thinking about it.

Recommended for fans of psychological thrillers, domestic thrillers and complex brain teasers.

When Things Are Too Good To Be True…
.. it means that they usually are. Doesn’t it? Confiding in the good looking, charismatic Adam, her perfect dating app match, Wren may have made a big mistake. He may have been a perfect match but he is still a stranger. When he disappears, when she’s ghosted, events take a very dark turn indeed. Fast flowing psychological suspense where not everything is as it seems. A compelling, tense and sinister read.

Secrets, lies, duplicitous behaviour, themes around identity, past tragedy, twists and turns... If you like your books stacked with these elements then this will not disappoint.
Wren is loved up with a guy she met on a dating app. They met, clicked and one date turned to two, two turned to staying over. Until, one day, she decides to spill the beans on her past. Which I am going to leave you to discover as the author intends but suffice to say, it's a bit dark... Next day he stands her up and then goes on to ghost her. Vanishing into thin air with only a "something's come up" text which really doesn't cut it. And then a private detective approaches her spinning a tale of women all of whom have/had connections to the same guy... All of whom are missing...
And that's all you'll get from me as this is definitely a book where knowing less is more going in. In fact, if you are going to read more reviews, I'd be careful as there are things you need to only discover as the author intends or their impact will be less...
Wren is a complex character as you will discover. Spoilers prevent me from saying much more but she has a dark past and has battled a lot to keep that past hidden. What is happening in this book threatens the very core of all this so as well as heartbreak from being ghosted, she is also feeling very threatened. I found her easy to connect to and felt for her along the way as she tried to figure it all out.
Pacing is great and consistent with the narrative all the way through. Apart from the necessary scene setting and character definition there is little in the way of words outwith the narrative which meant that the story got on with itself very well indeed. There is definitely a lot going on in the book emotionally - spoilers prevent me from expanding further on this but it does cover quite a few quite heavy themes. All dealt with without sensationalising.
And the ending when it came was wholly satisfying albeit I was pretty knackered by the time we got there!
All in all, a cracking addition to an already well impressive back catalogue. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This book started off strong. I loved the first half of the story. Especially nowadays everyone can relate to being ghosted by someone they met online. Though after the first half I had trouble staying interested in the story, which is just because what kept happening wasn't grabbing my attention. But this could very well be on me as the reviews show so many people who loved all of this story and everyone is different. So I definitely recommend you try out Last Girl ghosted!

This is the first book I have read by Lisa Unger and to my surprise it is her nineteenth novel. This certainly won’t be the last time I select one of her works as I found this a genuine page turner, with an excellent and well thought out plot that had me reading long into the night. Split between past and present, the story of Wren Greenwood gradually develops. An online dating encounter matches her with someone who seems to be ideal and a serious romance quickly develops. A meeting of minds and bodies seems almost too perfect. And it is. As suddenly as it began, it’s seemingly over as Adam ghosts Wren. Unable to understand, she embarks on a dangerous journey to get answers. A great read that hopefully highlights the dangers of online dating and the risks of believing that what someone tells you about themselves may not necessarily be true.

This is my first read by this author, chosen because I loved the premise of the book, and boy am I glad I requested to read it.

Dual timeline, switching between the past and present life of Wren, the survivor of a childhood tragedy who now helps others through an advice column and blog. Her world is turned upside down when the man she meets online ghosts her, she is told that other girls with traumatic pasts have also fallen for this man and subsequently disappeared. The suspense builds nicely and the layers of this dark thriller are slowly revealed. The characters are engaging, the story well paced and absorbing. I LOVED the way she transported me to the different times, thoughts and emotions experienced by Wren, the sprinkling of news stories showing current events (covid/environmental catastrophies) made the story feel even more real when reading, I honestly devoured it and grudgingly put it down when the real world needed my attention.

Reading the acknowledgements I was delighted but not surprised that this author has a big back catalogue she has definitely honed her skills - I have now purchased a couple of her earlier books and will definitely be looking out for Lisa Unger's future offerings.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and give an honest review in advance of publication.

Lisa Unger does it again! Last Girl Ghosted is a suspenseful, dark, and twisty read with a cast of intriguing characters.

Wren is a successful advice columnist and podcaster living in New York City. She joins a dating app (Torch) at the behest of her best friend, Jax. It isn’t long before Wren thinks she’s found true love, but when her new beau suddenly disappears leaving only a mysterious text message, Wren finds herself in the middle of a tragic mystery. 3 missing women, a private detective, and a trail that leads back to her own hometown and her darkest secrets. Who is this mystery man, and will Wren ever reveal the full truth?

I really enjoyed this read; like Confessions on the 7:45, Unger manages to dream up dark and complex female characters that are severely flawed but loveable. I was hooked in from the start and, as always, Unger manages to strike that difficult balance between suspense and romance that so many authors fail to achieve.

My only critique is that the reader can guess the backstory/resolution much sooner than the intelligent cast of characters. This diminishes the integrity of the characters and believability of the story, that Unger worked so hard to create, in exchange for a few more moments of story telling that weren’t necessary. However, I don’t feel it detracts enough from the book as a whole to impact my star rating.

Definitely a 5 star read for me, and I can’t wait to see what Unger thinks up next.

Thank you to Park Row for an advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review

This is a fantastic book. It has everything a psychological thriller needs to make it to the number one spot: an excellent premise, multi-dimensional characters, swift pace and issues to think about once the reader turns the last page.

On the surface, the book is about a woman who finds her perfect match on a dating site, only to have him disappear in mysterious circumstances. However, the book is also about topical issues like loneliness caused by the lack of face-to-face interaction, family love, guilt, forgiveness, return to nature, healing.

Probably Lisa Unger's finest yet.

Although not a fast paced or edge of your seat read, I found this very engrossing. It ticked along very nicely and I was never bored despite it being around 400 pages long. I enjoyed the style of writing and the brooding sense of danger which was ever present. I did work out some of the pieces of the puzzle ahead of the reveals but this did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. Everything tied together very well. I will definitely be buying this for my library and promoting it as well as seeking out the author's other titles.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger isn't just a very good story but a bit of a polemic on society today and in particular relationships where strangers meet ,have sex and mostly part still strangers the next morning, where "courtship" is a swipe on an App and dinner or a few drinks.

Wren Greenwood has a very successful career as an "Agony Aunt", broadcasting advice to people who ask for her help on relationships and life's problems in general. Ironically her own love life is non-existent until,at the urging of best friend Jax, she starts to use a "hook up" App..
After a couple of unsatisfactory experiences she find Adam Harper on the App, they click and very quickly it seems they become very close, she tells him the dark secrets of her past..............then Adam disappears. Not only does Adam disappear but so does his entire online presence and his phone number no longer works......Wren has been Ghosted.

As Wren searches for Adam it turns out she's not the only one doing so and he's not all he appeared to be....but then neither is Wren as the revelations about her past throughout the book reveal.

This is a good story,though it does flag in places ,the characters sometimes take a few paragraphs saying something a couple of sentences would have covered. That aside it's a good read, with a bit of thought-provoking social commentary as a bonus, good enough for me to read from start to finish in a day.

I am a fan of psychological thrillers and Lisa Unger delivers in Last Girl Ghosted!

Wren is a podcaster who is encouraged to join a dating website where she meets Adam. They hit it off, start dating, and everything goes well until Adam disappears. It is then suggested that Adam is linked to a missing woman and Wren makes the decision to investigate for herself. As the story unfolds we realize that neither Wren nor Adam are who they say they are.

In the cat and mouse novel we are never quite sure of what is real. I appreciated that Lisa Unger creates tension in this story that gave me an uncomfortable feeling which made me want to stop reading at the same time that I couldn’t put the book down!

The characters in this book are well developed and, as always, I love strong female main characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. It’s not what I was expecting to be honest. It was great starting off but as I read on it got a bit boring. I kept going and it turned out a really good book. The storyline was good and the characters where brilliant. Very well written. I would recommend this to anyone.

Lisa Unger knows how to hook the reader from the start and keep them riveted until the last page. I have read a couple of her other books and she never disappoints.

In this tale, Wren Greenwood meets a guy on a dating app and he charms her completely. She finds herself falling for him and after 3 months he suddenly disappears without much explanation apart from a message saying that something had come up. Not only has he physically disappeared but his digital presence disappears too. Wren has no way of contacting him and is devastated. Then she meets a private detective who is also investigating this "Adam' on behalf of a client whose daughter has also disappeared after dating this guy. Wren and the PI team up to unravel the mystery of this guy, find out who he really is, and what has happened to the previous women in his life.

The mystery is complicated by Wren's own backstory which is told in flashbacks. There are twists and turns in the plot as the psychology of both Wren and 'Adam' are gradually revealed. I enjoyed the read up until the ending which disappointed me as I found it unbelievable given what we know about genetics and heredity. I'm not saying that heredity determines your fate but there are a number of traits that are inherited and this seems to be ignored in this 'fairytale' like ending.

A thriller about a woman, Wren, who tries out online dating, finds an amazing guy, Adam, and gets ghosted by him.
It quickly turns to a dark thriller, Adam deletes all of his social profiles and disappears.
Wren then decides to haunt for him, but is she the hunter or the doe?

It is a dark thriller about obsession and secrets. It was a book I could not put them.

Thank you to HQ and Netgalley for the Arc of this book.

This was my first book by Lisa Unger and I had no idea what to expect. I don’t give plot spoilers or talk about what is already explained in the blurb but rather my views and feelings.
This was a deliciously dark, tense and compelling read! The characters were very well-developed, brought to life convincingly by their human frailties, their hidden strengths and later the understanding that comes from their back stories.
Wren Greenwood, the main character, has obviously worked hard to create her happy, peaceful and fulfilling life, working as an agony aunt. The reader is left to wonder about her past from the snippets of information you glean. Her strength of character and determination in overcoming trauma is immense. Her best friend Jax is a colourful and joyous character, enveloping her friend in family and love. Robin, her other friend adds a fascinating alternative view to the story.
Adam on the other hand is dark & brooding, whilst being respectful and gentle with Wren’s hidden layers. Once Bailey Kirk, an ex-NYPD detective, now a PI, arrives you have a wealth of characters to give depth and understanding to the plot.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story and was slightly unnerved by the socially reflective aspects that made me consider modern society as a reader. There are so many threads to dwell on: missing girls; childhood traumas; advice columns; friendships; forgiveness; online dating; ghosting and the pace of the world we live in.
The story is narrated mostly from Wren’s POV, alternating with tales from the past, of a family who ‘dropped out’ and became survivalists. Some of those parts I found hard to read emotionally. It is a totally different setting and feeling. Some parts are also told from Bailey’s POV.
This book had me gripped from the first few pages and I longed for time to read more. I loved the ways the threads all intertwined and came together to reveal all the secrets, my mind was working overtime. The ending gave me the answers I needed whilst also leaving me wondering about the future. Needless to say I loved it!!