Although I liked the concept of Taddeo’s ‘Ghost Lover’, the execution just didn’t sit right with me. The writing was incredible, the content was really sub-par. Unfortunately, it followed the same trend as ‘Three Women’, telling the stories of upper-middle class, straight, white women, the strife they face during intimate relationships and struggles with body image (to the extent where some parts of the book titre on the edge of fatphobia), claiming to be representative of the whole female population. If these are autobiographical stories, I wish it could be stated for context, otherwise the perspective is just unrealistic.

This book seems to be marketed as ‘feminist’, however in my opinion it mostly just consists of women putting other women down, which is neither feminist nor sexist. The characters in each short story all seem to share one personality, defined by being shallow and self-conscious, pretty much the only perspective we receive in the book. Just because something is written by a woman, or from the point of view of a woman, does not mean it is a work of feminist writing, something I learnt after reading this. I didn’t find this book empowering at all.

Nevertheless, Taddeo’s writing is some of the best I’ve ever read. The prose alone is the book’s only redeeming quality, sometimes outshining the plot and the only reason I didn’t ‘DNF’ the collection. I really hope Taddeo diversifies her characters in the future as I’d be interested in diving back into more of her work, she clearly has the potential to write a genuinely great book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for providing me with an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

So this was brilliant … not a lot more to say!
It’s an exquisite collection of short stories - I loved the subject matter (unlikeable, insecure women) and the writing style (clever, bold and sharp). Lisa Taddeo skilfully examines themes of ageing, desire, obsession, beauty, worry and pain: life in all its dark, awful brutality. Magnificent!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All views are my own.

I have been reading this collection of short stories over the last couple of weeks and savouring them. Reading one between each book I have read. I love Lisa Taddeo writes. I read Three Women and Animal and can remember them in great detail as I will Ghost Lover. I can't quite describe what is is that appeals to me about Taddeo's writing, it is so unique. There is nobody I can compare her writing too, she is so unapologetically herself.
As are the characters within this collection. I loved how they were all portrayed and I especially enjoyed reading about the older women.
A great collection and one I will buy and reread.
An author I would love to sit down with and ask hundreds of questions.

Whilst I own both Three Women and Animal I must admit to not having read them yet. As such Ghost Lover is my first taste of Taddeo’s writing. Whilst hers is a style of writing that demands to be read and debated, I have to admit that these stories were not for me. I do, however, still look forward to reading her other works.

Ghost Lover is a series of nine short stories. All of the stories are focused on women and are based in America, mainly LA & New York. For the most part the women are in their 40s and 50s and yet a few stories contain 20 something women. The stories explore ideas of obsession, love and grief.

For the most part I found the stories to be exceptionally bleak. There were far two many throwaway references to people saying they’ll kill themselves, and then one actual suicide that made me feel really uncomfortable overall. Additionally a lot of the stories seemed to emphasise, through the protagonists own low self worth/body image, that the only desirable type of woman is one who is exceptionally thin and traditionally beautiful. I have seen some reviews suggest that the stories can come across as fatphobic and I’m mindful to agree.

Despite these stories not being to my personal tastes there is no denying that Taddeo is a very impressive writer. Whilst I didn’t enjoy the content I can appreciate the way in which she writes and how she draws you so deeply into her narratives. I appreciate she is an author whose stories court controversy and I have no doubt that Ghost Lover will provide some excellent points of discussion amongst readers.

I appreciate the opportunity to have read this, and whilst it wasn’t for me I’m sure it will be enjoyed more by others.

These short stories are really thought provoking, and, in my opinion, so incredibly sad. They show how so many women are battling with depressive, harmful thoughts on a daily basis. A theme amongst them is the amount of time and energy so many women are putting into their looks in order to make themselves attractive to men. I much preferred some of the stories to others. I found it hard to get into the very first one, so it's worth persevering if you don't like it. However, I had hoped the final one might link some of the characters, but the only links are the themes. .

An intriguing, thought provoking collection of short stories - but as with all collections, any reader might not enjoy everything inside. Her style is distinct throughout all her writing, her bitingly dark prose clear on the pages. With thoughts about love, loss and lust - this collection attempts to delve into female desire and longing.

Unfortunately, I found some of the writing problematic to say the least and couldn't find myself getting into the stories as I have with her other work.

Love, love love this short story collection from such a talent like Lisa Taddeo - everything I want from short stories: glamour, darkness, the ugly beauty rich, wealthy white women undergo to remain beautiful. Loved the repetitions of the stories in the collection, so easy to read them one after another which sometimes I struggle with with collections but they were so perfect and echoed each other like clarion calls they were delicious. Like the same fish floating around in different corners of the same rotting reef. In each story there was a recognisable trait, the heartache and the depravity that women carry within them their whole lives. You'd think the unhinged, sex mad woman trope would feel overdone but it is borne anew with this fantastic short story collections. I couldn't stop reading it. Love when Taddeo does fiction and her poeticism is in full force here - cannot wait to read the next thing.

I’m not sure why I put myself through this because while I quite enjoyed Three Women in the context of 2019, I don’t think I liked Animal very much, and by a few stories into Ghost Lover I was less than enthralled. But I continued on only because another review pointed out to be how absurd Taddeo’s imagery is and I had to collect my own worst ones:
“The whole nut of her was senseless as a toenail.”
.
“The evanescence of obsession was like a sagging tit.”
.
“In Manhattan the blue [sky] was washed-out, blue like you had just slept with some guy in the same small room in which your best friend had slept with some other guy.”
.
There are definitely more, these are just the ones I felt strongly enough about to write down. None of it makes any sense and gives the stories, which are trying to be gritty tales of (mostly older) women and sexuality, a childishness that doesn’t suit them.

Behind anonymous screens, an army of cool and beautiful girls manage the dating service Ghost Lover, a forwarding system for text messages that promises to spare you the anguish of trying to stay composed while communicating with your crush. At a star-studded political fundraiser in a Los Angeles mansion, a trio of women compete to win the heart of the slick guest of honor. In a tense hospital waiting room, an inseparable pair of hard-partying friends crash into life’s responsibilities, but the magic of their glory days comes alive again at the moment they least expect it.
In these nine riveting stories, two of which have been awarded the Pushcart Prize, Lisa Taddeo brings to life the fever of obsession, the blindness of love, and the mania of grief. Featuring Taddeo’s arresting prose that continues to thrill her legions of fans, Ghost Lover dares you to look away. This book is original, suspenseful, and with complex characters that spring irresistibly to life on the page! Wonderful….

Some of these stories I loved and the author has a wonderful way of writing descriptions of feelings that really capture what it’s like to be female and human. Some of the stories about the lives of women really sum up what it’s like to be younger and the accounts of 40 year old women most welcome and under represented in literature.
I didn’t love all the stories though. Some capture something a little less universally female and too American for my taste. The book was well written though and deserved a good rating but I found myself putting off finishing it which isn’t a great sign. Read through netgalley for an honest review

I'm in two minds about Lisa Taddeo's books. While I adore how she writes, I don't like what she writes about. This book reads like a fictional iteration of Three Women (thankfully not Animal!) and her writing continues to blow my mind, however while the first few stories were fine I didn't like the cynical and misogynistic tone of the last couple of stories. I will continue to keep an eye out for her future books, but I suspect that Lisa Taddeo is simply someone who won't write the stories I want to read, albeit in her inimitable beautiful way.

Though not my favourite of Taddeo's works (I will always adore Three Women) I enjoyed this collection. As always, some were hits and some were misses as in every collection, but overall this was solid and one I enjoyed picking back up every few days.

Raw. Powerful. Stark. Unsettling. Unapologetic.

All the things I would expect from Lisa Taddeo's latest offering. 9 short stories exploring women, and their complexities, rivalries, obsessions, friendships, traumas, loves.

Each story was as compelling as the last, giving me just enough to get a sense of the woman within, without becoming predictable.

It feels angry and brutal, and honest. Some parts of this felt like Taddeo had reached into my brain and put my thoughts, worries, concerns, grief onto the page. Easy five stars.

I own Lisa’s two previous books - Three Women and Animal - and yet, no matter how many rave reviews I see, I’ve not actually read either of them, but I know she’s a popular writer.

I have made no secret of my general dislike of short styles, but 2022 might be the year that finally sways me, with a collection read by Maggie Shipstead and now Lisa Taddeo.

They are beautifully written. Obviously there are some I liked more than others, as is probably quite normal, but overall they’re probably the best collection of short stories I’ve come to read. They’re raw and ugly and shows humanity at its worst - and occasionally, their best.

My main issue with short stories is they’re never long enough to get your teeth into and they seem a bit wishy washy. But Lisa has found a nice balance between giving enough plot but it doesn’t drone on. She’s stripped it to the bare bones of what is necessary for the characters and storyline.

They are very adult, definitely NSFW. There is definitely an obvious theme running through them all, and for me, that’s the theme of female age, and feeling worthy or too old for a man’s love, which is fascinating for a younger person to read.

There was one story I couldn’t finish, it just didn’t hold my attention, but surprisingly - given my general dislike of the medium - I enjoyed the others. My favourite was definitely the first story, the eponymous Ghost Lover, it had a bit of everything and flowed really well.

If I’m honest, I’m not going to go out and buy up all the short stories, they’re still not my favourite type of story, but I’m not completely afraid of them now, which is a triumph in my eyes.

I saw this collection of 9 short stories by Lisa Taddeo as an opportunity to become acquainted with her work which I know many readers have loved. Did I like all the stories? The honest answer is no, not all of them appealed, but I did appreciate her distinctive writing style, the vibrant and well written prose, which was a particular highlight for me. It focuses on women, through time, flawed, with their competitive rivalries and judgements, insecurities, loves, losses, friendships, traumas, abuse, the madness of grief and obsessions. There is a shocking raw brutality present that left this reader feeling markedly unsettled and disturbed at times. Set in a number of different locations, featuring a wide ranging cast of mostly well constructed characters, it examines women and their feelings, their pain, complicated emotions, on beauty, identity, the process of ageing and its impact on the female body, sexuality, sex, desire, relationships, and the repercussions of poor decisionmaking.

My personal favourites were Grace Magorian, Air Supply and Ghost Lover. Definitely a memorable and impactful collection of short stories, and be prepared to find many of the women unlikeable. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

This was an incredible collection, each one was as powerful and perfect as the one before it and the one after it. I loved it

I often find collections harder to rate as the quality can vary between entries, but this is one of those rare exceptions. I don’t think I’ve read such consistently well written, developed and bold short-stories before Ghost Lover. From all-consuming obsession and love, to inescapable insecurity and trauma, there is nothing Taddeo shies away from in this read.

Exploring the harsh and unforgiving female experience, Lisa writes incredibly raw and unapologetic characters with such substance and humanity. I felt more invested in some of these women than others I’ve spent full length novels with, and (whether I care to fully admit it or not), I feel that myself and every reader will see reflections of themselves in these nine stories.

My favourite entry was the obsessive and arresting ‘Forty-Two’, the last sentence was just stunning.

I adored reading these candid and at times ugly stories of desire, obsession, sexuality and insecurity in the lives of such human characters. Told from many perspectives with Lisa’s confronting style, this is a must read!

Thank you as always to NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing and the author herself for the opportunity to read and review this gorgeous collection early.

Nine short stories from the author of Three Women and Animal, both of which I really enjoyed. As in her full length pieces, these short stories are centred on women: their worries, desires and relationships. Most are harsh and unsparing – I found little room for humour in these pieces. Love is often coveted but is frequently out of reach and sometimes unrequited. The sex comes with abuse or is of a trivial, throw away nature. There is desperation (even sometimes thoughts of suicide) amid an all embracing mood of unfulfillment.

So the stories are dark, that’s no real surprise after reading Taddeo’s earlier books, but there’s also a good deal here draw the reader in. The tales are bold, unpredictable and varied enough to keep you guessing. Sometimes sentences are delivered in short, staccato rhythms and at other times the delivery is loose and meandering. I found it an exciting, unpredictable collection, even if several stories failed to fully draw me in. My favourites are Beautiful People, Grace Magorian, Air Supply and Maid Marian. Each of these forced me to draw breath and contemplate what I’d read as I reached its conclusion.

If you’re in the mood for lust, loneliness, loss and longing then look no further, this collection has it in spades. Also, if you’ve sampled and appreciated the author’s previous work then I think you’ll find plenty to enjoy here.

The Ghost Lover is the latest offering from acclaimed author Lisa Taddeo. Through this collection of nine short stories, Taddeo explores such topics as friendship, desire, and aging, in her own inimitable style.

While I enjoyed her novels, I have to say I possibly prefer this collection, albeit some stories are stronger than others. While her novels have a tendency to wander (not necessarily a bad thing) these stories are more tightly packaged and I think I liked that aspect.

Taddeo shys away from nothing and while that might not be everyone's cup of tea, I feel it's what makes her writing work so well.

Thank you to Lisa Taddeo and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.

I immediately knew I wanted to read Ghost Lover when I saw that Lisa Taddeo has got a new book as I've very much enjoyed 3 Women. Unfortunately, this collection of short-stories didn't live up to my expectations and I found it very hard to engage with most of them.