I read for pleasure, so I often find great joy in the stories I pick, more often than not. But this experience was like next-level joy for me. It was like getting mini endorphin hits every time I picked it up to read a little bit more. It was a fun, sweet, deeply romantic, and highly addictive read… and I’m crashing hard with a book hangover now it’s over.

Jillian and Daniel’s love story was a beautiful, heartfelt thing to witness. Starting with a bit of a Ghost vibe, but quickly evolving into more of a Just Like Heaven inspired tale, I immensely enjoyed the twists and turns this story took, making the reader open their mind and hearts to the potential of unexplainable phenomena relating to fate and universe.

As other readers have mentioned, this story felt like it was split into two distinct halves, but I enjoyed them both of equal measure.

The first part of the story follows shy, virginal relationship columnist, Jillian Nejat, as she finds herself “haunted” by a half-naked man when she moves into her new apartment in NYC. After determining she’s not going insane, Jillian and Daniel (the supposed ghost), hit it off and become quick friends, feeling a connection deeper than either has experienced with another human being before now.

Daniel, not knowing who he really is, beyond his name and an innate sense of small things remembered, takes it upon himself to try and help Jillian in her struggle to connect with men and in her need to be inspired for her writing. But along the way, over weeks of shared proximity, they fall in love, happily spending every minute of their days together forging what they acknowledge is an unconventional and potentially hopeless relationship.

Right up until Daniel disappears without a trace.

The second half kicks in with a new vibe and a new sense of purpose for Jillian, who is lovestruck and heartsick worrying she’ll never see Daniel again, but determined to open herself up to the life Daniel was sure she deserved.

Going into any further detail would ruin the wonder of the lovely and heart-warming story that unfolds in the second half, but romance readers rest assured that the tone of this story remains low on the angst and high on the romance and swoon-factor, with an ending well and truly worthy of the Happily Ever After stamp of approval.

I enjoyed this story a good deal, and I liked the characters and the originality of the story even more. Literally the only complaint I could come up with when trying to move from my happy-satisfied emotional response, to my critical-thinking side of my brain, is that perhaps the story was overlong, drawing out chapters and scenes that may not have been necessary to the story to have the exact same impact. But even then, that’s such a minor complaint of mine, it hardly bares mentioning.

In terms of a new-to-me-author experience, Ghosted was an absolute delight and pleasure to read. It honestly won’t take any convincing on my part to interest me in attack-reading sequels to this story, especially considering that next-up is Serena’s story (Jillian’s physicist bestie), who stole damn-near every scene she was in (even if it was just over the phone because she lives in Geneva). I’m open and eager to read what Ready does next!

3.5⭐️

I love Sarah's writing, I think it's safe to say she is one of my favorites, but I didn't love this story as much as her previous ones. :(

The last 40% of the book saved the book for me though. It has the usual emotional depth, writing and maturity I came to expect from Sarah Ready. It finally picked up and became the kind of story I can get invested into. I even got weepy at some point.

But for the first part, I almost rolled my eyes, some parts were a bit cringy and cheesy and happening too fast.

It's not even the ghost or paranormal aspect or the "Just like Heaven" vibe that didn't sit well with me (btw, totally different story except for the way the hero/heroine meet!!), it's the insta-love.

Ironically enough, the love story was less believable than the there is a ghost in my living room thing. They were exchanging "I love you's" and "you're my light" and "I see you and I see your heart" in a matter of days but I feel like there wasn't enough depth or context for that too happen. To me, it was rushed and unrealistic, sweet to the point of too sweet. And the heroine went from very shy to very clingy in what felt like a blink of an eye.

Then, obviously something happened (no spoilers!) as they couldn't have lived in that happy bubble "I know you're a ghost and you probably need to move on but all I want is you so I don't care" and after some more fumbling, reality came knocking. Aaand that's when we got to see the true characters, their life, their interactions, their spirit, their beliefs, their connections with friends or family and all that beautiful thing that was missing at the beginning. Where the story shined.

Or maybe I am too jaded and I'm more drawn to the tragedy and poor characters breaking apart than being bubbly happy these days. Entirely possible, considering my latest reads. 😂🫣 Sorry.

So. All in all. I did enjoy the story, but it has ups and downs so it's not my favorite of Sarah. That space will always be for Jace and Andrea in my heart. 💙🫶🥹

Oh btw, there is a HEA and a very nice one at that.

But I am looking forward to her next book whatever that may be. She has such a beautiful way with words and emotions and especially with describing the world and making you feel part of it, that I cannot wait to see where she takes us next.

*ARC provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. Thank you

Memorabe quotes:

“Maybe,” I say, then at Daniel’s raised eyebrows I say, “Fine. We’ll be friends.” Kindred spirits. Emphasis on spirit.

“If I could live,” he says, “I’d live for you.”

“If I could give you anything,” Daniel says, “I’d give you heaven.”

“Of course I love you,” he says, his voice a low rumble that caresses me, warm like the breeze of his touch. “Me loving you is the only solid thing I have to hold onto in this half- life. It’s the only thing I know is real.”

You’re like a flame. I’m drawn to you. Everyone else is muted, but you burn bright.

This definitely wasn’t for me. A little too much open door content for my preference… and while I was hoping to jump on board with the whole paranormal romance, I just wasn’t able to

This was a bit of a stretch for me, given the ghost plot 😂 but it was really fun and tenderhearted at times. I enjoyed the banter and the chemistry between the leads. This was my first Sarah Ready and I’ll definitely read more maybe one with a less bonkers plot 😂

I did not finish this book at about 45%. Initially, it seemed very promising and the main character was so quirky and relatable.

However, I was not a fan of the Insta-love plot line and it seemed too twee and cutesy most of the time. I found I was really struggling to get through it so eventually just had to give up.

Thanks to netgalley and publisher for the arc!

Daniel my beloved omgggg! Wow that was a rollercoaster of emotions! I adored them together and wish we had even more time with them. The twist wasn't what I expected and I loved the subplot romance so much! I've not read a story like this before it is unique in its plot completely. I could have done without the angst and sadness it hurt my soul for them.

I loved this!!!! It was such a fun read and really enjoyable. I definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC on exchange for an honest review.

Ghosted is a paranormal romantic comedy about a relationship specialist who is unable to communicate with men, save for the ghost that haunts her apartment. The novel is entertaining and enjoyable to read, with a touch of heart and comedy. It is not a wonderful read, though, because of several problems and restrictions.

The main character in the book is Jillian, a podcaster and blogger who struggles with acute social anxiety around males. When a guy named Daniel shows up in her flat, she has just moved into a lavishly mirror-adorned Manhattan studio with Star Trek memorabilia in tow. In actuality, he haunts the location as a ghost. Daniel, a wealthy playboy in real life, gives Jillian dating advice and story ideas so she can prevent her following from dwindling. It's a setup that's surprisingly helpful.

The book's premise and the chemistry between Jillian and Daniel are two of its strong points. The author does a wonderful job of constructing some humorous and heartwarming sequences between them thanks to the novel and humorous premise of a ghost assisting a dating expert. There are some funny and enduring lines in the conversation, which is clever and compelling. With a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers dynamic that is both infuriating and fulfilling, the romance is lovely and sensual.

However, the book also has some weaknesses, such as the lack of character development, the excessive use of tropes, and the poor editing. The characters are not very likable or relatable, especially Jillian, who is too insecure and passive for most of the book. She has no personality or agency, and she is constantly being saved or manipulated by others. She also falls for Daniel too quickly and easily, despite his questionable actions and motives.

Overall, this book is an enjoyable and entertaining read, but it could have been better with more creativity and complexity. I would recommend it to fans of paranormal romance who are looking for a quick and easy escape.

Thank you to NetGalley and W. W. Crown for providing the ARC.

Another absolute banger of a book from Sarah Ready.

I've been on a kick of ghost romance stories lately, but I think this is the best take on the trope. Where the story ended up was not where I thought it was heades and Ready does an excellent job at subverting expectations.

I love Jillian and Daniel's interactions and conversations, and how they were so willing to help each other with their predicaments. I loved how the story played out on the page. I am already a fan of Ready's works, but I think this one just became my new favorite. I laughed, I cried, and I rejoiced at the ending. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Thank you so much to Net Galley, W.W. Crown Publishers, and Sarah Ready for providing this cute paranormal romance for my honest review. I really enjoyed this book. It is sweet, quirky, romantic, and very entertaining. I could have done without the Star Trek references and it drags a bit in the middle, but overall I enjoyed this book very much. If you love paranormal romances then I highly recommend this one. Thank you again for allowing me to review it.

I wanted to like this book. I really, really wanted to like this book but sadly that didn’t happen. When I first saw it on Netgalley and read its description and all the good reviews, I thought I had found the perfect book to kick off my Halloween Series. And I did enjoy it initially. The quirky characters, the mystery around the ghost, and his importance in the main character, Jillian's life. It had me thoroughly entertained.

But then it started to go downhill. For the most part the story dragged on with scenes that could have been fit in a few paragraphs but were spread over an entire chapter with repetitive descriptions of the littlest things. And the constant Star Trek references (which I’m sure the fans of the series would enjoy) felt like inside jokes where people like me who weren’t born in the US or are unfamiliar with the series were left out. I could never understand its significance in the scene or how it helped it move forward.

I was very much into the story in the beginning but started to lose interest around the 30% mark. From 40% I just skimmed over the book because reading it started to feel like a task instead of something I was doing for fun. The story did pick up at around the 60% mark which brought back my lost interest. I was sure I was going to give two stars for this book but the last part about time travel and the rush of seeing whether the main characters would end up together added one star to the initial rating.

Final comments? This could have been an amazing book with the most intriguing plot but it lost its charm along the way. It had a lot of potential which could have been realized with better execution.

I’d like to preface this by saying I am in the minority of people who reads spoilers for everything possible. I need to know what happens so I can emotionally prepare. The reviewers at Goodreads offered zero spoilers, so I went through the rollercoaster of this book completely blind.

That being said, I LOVED this book. If anyone were to ask me my favorite book for the last 15+ years, I would automatically tell them The Time Travelers Wife, but this book might be fighting for that spot.

I am usually not into insta love unless it’s fated mates style, but there was something special in this. I kept looking at the percentage read on my kindle asking myself “ok so we are in love WHAT is going to happen?!”

There were so many layers (and I don’t want to spoil it since I had to “suffer” without them everyone else has to as well) but ugh it was just SO good.

Not to be dramatic but this book might be my new personality for a while.

Ghosted by Sarah Ready

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I would have finished this book in 2 days if my life wasn’t so chaotic.

A nerd and a ghost fall in love. Ok, well that isn’t the whole story, but what if I told you after Jillian moves into a new apartment she is greeted by a shirtless ghost. Why was he drawn to her? Can they figure it out before it is his time to move on?

I absolutely loved Ghosted and can’t wait for book 2. I have been grabbing all of the audios for Sarah Ready’s books off Netgalley since Josh and Gemma Make a Baby and this book absolutely didn’t disappoint.

The Narrators were perfect and that is saying something considering I like to listen to my books at 2x+ and the narrator didn’t sound robotic when I put it at 2.5x

I really loved this book. I’m sad it took me so long to finally pick it up and read it. It was so sweet and I honestly couldn't put it down until I finished it.

I enjoyed this book and the twists and turns it had in a romance with a little paranormal aspect. Sarah has really great stories with great chemistry. It dragged here and there due to its length but overall I enjoyed the story.

This book was a delight. I loved the connection that Daniel and Jillian shared. I loved the mind bending theoretical physics the book explored. The banter was entertaining and the side characters endearing. This was a really cute rom com with a twist. The only negative I had was that the pacing was sometimes a little off, and the ending was somewhat predictable, but overall I adored it.

I liked this book! The FMC was very easy to relate to and I enjoyed her character very much. I wasn't as much a fan of the MMC, but he grew on me towards the end. I would very much enjoy another book in this series. I liked the first 60% of this book more than the ending, but overall it was very enjoyable. I'm looking forward to reading more of this authors work.

I was most appreciative of an ARC because I love this author, but sadly this book just let me down. While Demi Moore and Patrick swayze may have ruined ghost interactions for me, or maybe the fact that I love Star Wars way more than Star Trek, I don't know but just something just didn't do it for me with this book. It was too long in parts. Some areas that could have been expanded on were glossed over. And the whole middle just bogged me down and bored me. The ending got a little better until they went to the other country. I don't know. It was just a little bit of a mess. More so than the other books. I'm not even sure if I would give the sequel a try. But I will continue to still read this author because I like her other books a lot.

This is such a cute story, and really original too! I have never read anything like it. I love the plot, and i love the characters (um i need me a daniel).

The book was quite on the long side, and i must say that halfway through the book i thought we were already nearing the ending. However, there was much more coming, and it was so fun to read the second half after that first one. The second epilogue was also a really good addition!

I also really liked the mention of the gala, whose name i of course remember from the space between, another novel bij sarah ready. I love it when worlds come together like that.

Really fun, definitely recommend! Cant wait for book 2 and read about Serena.

audio is really nice as well, i really liked the narrator

Ghosted is such a magical love story. It's about fate and destiny and that one true love. I loved every minute of it.

Sarah Ready is my go to favorite romance author. She's creative and crafts swoony heartfelt romances that will make anyone believe in love.