Mindy Carlson

I have the privilege of getting books through NetGalley. That’s basically a reviewer site where people like me get advanced copies of books electronically and then we give them our thoughts. I just read Ghost/Writer by Diana Peterfreund and it was *amazing.*

Ghost/Writer is incredible. I couldn’t put it down and read it in 2 days. If I could give this more than 5 stars I would.

A funny and charming tale about those regrets that come back to haunt us and how we should see them not as ghosts, but as opportunities to live.

Bianca is a ghostwriter. She tried writing her own work years ago, but the idea for an epic underworld fantasy she shared, and hoped to co-write with Sutton St. Clair was then taken by Sutton and turned into hugely successful series. Think Hunger Games plus Twilight plus Game of Thrones levels of success – including the money, fandom, merch, and Hollywood tie-ins.

Then Sutton dies and declares in her will that only Bianca can finish the series.

Bianca, struggling to pay her Brooklyn mortgage with her werewolf motorcycle game erotica ghostwriting, reluctantly takes the job. Even though it means she’ll have to write the book in Florida at Sutton’s ridiculously gothic mansion.

There she has to navigate life on a deadline with Paisley, Sutton’s overly devoted and controlling assistant and Carson, the son Sutton had way too young and was forced to give him up for adoption. Carson’s there to sell the house and for no other reason. Cue the sparks flying.

And then there’s Sutton. Or, rather, her ghost. Sutton is a fully realized character with limitations, desires, blind spots, and arrogance. Her conversations with Bianca were some of my favorite parts of the book.

LOVES!
– The narrative is so delightfully voicy!
– Bianca has sass and heart and is a heroine you want to cheer for.
– The ghost doesn’t feel weird or forced or gimmicky. Sutton is her own character with foibles and desires.
– Paisley! She could’ve been written as a mustache twirling villain, but she’s given her own 3-dimensionality and opportunities for the reader to feel sympathetic towards her even though I’d never invite her out for a coffee.
– Carson is a needed grounding force in the book. He’s outside the world of The Veil (the book Bianca is ghostwriting) and yet was cursed by his birth mother to be forever associated with her work. The nuance there about controlling versus honoring is extremely well done.
– The setting is *wonderful.* I love the house as a gothy, kitch destination that a normal person would never actually live in, but it allows for the possibility of weirdness to happen.
– The romance. I love that it’s not a bolt from the blue, but rather two people appreciating each other and eventually falling into deep feelings.
– The ending is so satisfying. We get to see the launch and everything is looking up for Bianca and Carson.

Ghost/Writer is being released on April 13, 2027. You can preorder it from Amazon, (I only type the Zon here because it’s become a bestseller list of it’s own) or Bookshop.org, or from your favorite independent bookstore.