REVIEW: Ghosted by Sarah Ready

In Ghosted by Sarah Ready, If anyone in Jillian Nejat’s life thinks it’s ironic that she writes an advice column about love and relationships when she herself has spent many years alone, they’re nice enough not to mention it. They’ve also accepted the fact that Jilly can’t speak to men. At all. She’s rendered speechless in the presence of any guy not in her family. Hence the years of no successful dates and no romantic hopes. Everything changes when Jilly moves into a new apartment in NYC. Aside from the fact that it looks like a place where low budget adult films are made–there are mirrors *everywhere*!–it’s the shirtless, gorgeous man who literally appears out of thin air that freaks her out. As does the fact that he seems to be the one male on the planet (spectral plane?) she can speak to easily.

Serena says, “Your apartment is haunted by a sexy, shirtless ghost.”
A cold breeze blows across my neck, ruffling my hair, and I spin around, my heart pounding.
“Ghosts aren’t real,” I say, as I press my hand against my pounding heart. The window wasn’t open. Where’d that breeze come from?

After their first shocking and abrupt meeting, Daniel keeps popping up in Jillian’s apartment. She soon admits to herself that it appears he really is a ghost–even if he isn’t ready to admit it to himself yet. In an attempt to help him move on, or whatever ghosts do, she allows Daniel to meddle in her nonexistent love life by helping her on her dates, which are normally catastrophic. And oddly enough, it works. Jilly finally speaks a few words to her dates, enough to get by. It’s too bad that the only man she can think of is Daniel. Being that he’s a ghost, she knows it would be silly to fall in love with him. But that’s exactly what her foolish heart goes and does.

‘He reaches out, strokes his fingers over my cheeks, my jaw, tenderly traces my lips. It doesn’t matter that he isn’t truly touching me, because this touch, this moment, I can feel it in my soul.’

An imaginative spin on a ghost romance, Sarah Ready’s Ghosted was a captivating, swoon-worthy trek through one woman’s disastrous love life where she learned to let go of the past and fall headfirst into her spectacular future.

‘Love exists beyond time.’

CW: View Spoiler »Depression, grief, suicidal thoughts (not detailed), stalking/mental illness, suicide (not detailed), attempted mugging. « Hide Spoiler

After finishing and absolutely falling in love with Ghosted, I’ll admit I’m still piecing together some of the finer details of Sarah Ready’s mind-bending but utterly delightful newest novel. Her take on a ghost and human falling in love was unique as well as filled with the charm I expect in her work. But the sheer magnitude of this story took me by surprise. It encompassed everything imaginable: friendship, loss, physical and mental hardships stemming from grief, career concerns, and a romance so pure, so special that it was destined to happen one way or another.

I know it sounds far-fetched that a human and a ghost could fall in love, but this is one of those epic stories where you just have to go with it and let the author take you on a wild ride. And it was worth it. Because Jillian and Daniel were oh so deserving of finding someone who loved them for who they truly were. Yes, their relationship was as non-traditional as it gets. And it seemed as though they wouldn’t find a way to make it work long term. But the way Ready wove the scenes together, adding little–okay, big–twists here and there, I couldn’t help but cheer them on and enjoy every single moment Daniel and Jilly spent in each other’s lives.

In addition to being a sweeping romance between star crossed lovers, Ghosted showcased some terrific friendships with people every bit as quirky and wonderful as our couple was. Each secondary character brought out something different in Daniel and Jilly, showing their many interests along with their true personalities. (And if you’re a sci-fi fan or a Trekker, this book is definitely for you!) Oh, and be on the lookout for a bonus love story subplot between two ancillary cast members that I think you’ll adore.

QOTD: Have you read any “ghost romances”? If so, any you can recommend?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: September 26th, 2023 | Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC |

Jillian Nejat is the only dating and relationship expert on the planet who is incapable of speaking to men. If they’re living, if they’re breathing, it’s game over. With her bank account at zero, her career a dumpster fire, and her dating life in a ten-year slump, she moves into a tiny, dirt-cheap NYC apartment. Unfortunately, the apartment is already occupied. Daniel (no-last-name) is a sexy, shirtless, six-pack wielding heartthrob who is also…dead. He isn’t living. He isn’t breathing. He’s a ghost. He’s also the only man on the planet who Jillian can talk to. Soon, Daniel’s convinced that it’s his afterlife mission to resurrect Jillian’s love life. He knows, if he helps her fall in love then he can move on. Jillian agrees. The last thing she needs is a Lothario ghost haunting her living room. But then, one practice date leads to another, one confession leads to more, and suddenly Jillian fears she’s falling for the one man she can never have.