May 15, 2018
In Walsh's American debut, a woman desperately tries to find out why the man she spent a whirlwind week with never called.Sarah has just separated from her American husband and is visiting her hometown in England when she meets Eddie. He's kind and charming, and although they only spend one week together, she falls in love. When he has to leave for a trip, she knows they'll keep in touch--they're already making plans for the rest of their lives. But then Eddie never calls, and Sarah's increasingly frantic efforts to contact him are fruitless. Is he hurt? Is he dead? As her friends tell her, there's a far greater likelihood that he's just blowing her off--she's been ghosted. After trying to track Eddie down at a football game, Sarah starts to become ashamed of herself--after all, she's almost 40 years old and she's essentially stalking a man who never called her. But as Sarah slowly learns, she and Eddie didn't actually meet randomly--they both have a connection to an accident that happened years ago, and it may have something to do with why he disappeared. The tension quickly amps up as the secrets of Eddie's and Sarah's pasts are revealed, and the truth behind their connection is genuinely surprising and heartbreaking. The barriers between Sarah and Eddie seem insurmountable at times, and although their issues are resolved in a tidy manner, the emotions behind their actions are always believable. Walsh has created a deeply moving romance with an intriguing mystery and a touching portrait of grief at its heart.A romantic, sad, and ultimately hopeful book that's perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes.
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July 2, 2018
Walsh’s bittersweet debut tackles the perils of modern dating. When Sarah meets Eddie in London, she’s sure she’s met the love of her life. After a whirlwind week of romance, Eddie leaves for a trip and tells Sarah how excited he is to see her when he returns. Then he stops returning her texts and calls. Sarah’s friends tell her she’s fallen victim to that terribly modern method of break-up, ghosting. But when she discovers Eddie’s friends haven’t heard from him lately, either, she worries something horrible may have happened. Little does she know that reason for Eddie’s radio silence might be worse than a cowardly breakup, and, indeed, the truth is gut-wrenching, truly surprising, and heartbreaking. Flashbacks to Sarah’s magical week with Eddie provide ample justification for her refusal to just let it go, but she’s also self-aware enough to know how desperate she looks as she keeps searching for Eddie. Though the ending comes abruptly, this tale of heartbreak will please readers who enjoy a good twist.
Starred review from May 15, 2018
Sarah fell head over heels for Eddie the moment she saw him. A chance roadside meeting led to a drink at the pub, which led to a 12-hour date, which led to a week so full of memories she didn't think she'd be able to forget any of the details. They tore themselves apart long enough for Eddie to promise to call her after he returned from an already-planned trip, and Sarah knows he can't come home soon enough. When Eddie doesn't return any of Sarah's texts or calls two weeks after he was supposed to return from his vacation, she can't stop reliving that one perfect week over and over again. What was she missing? Had he really felt nothing for her? Or was he hiding something from her, and did it have anything to do with the secret that she'd been hiding from him? A perfectly paced domestic drama centered on two lovely, lonesome people, Ghosted is a brilliant debut novel that explores the power of fate. Writing like a British cousin of Liane Moriarty or Maria Semple, Walsh has a gift for blending complex characters, intricate backstories, and neck-snapping plot twists.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)
August 1, 2018
"Love at first sight" describes Sarah and Eddie's relationship, but after six blissful days together, Eddie is off for a long-planned holiday. He promises to call but doesn't. Sarah is baffled by his disappearance but soon realizes that they don't know each other as well as she thought--and that the secrets they've kept could tear them apart. Walsh reveals her characters' backstories deliberately, with surprising twists along the way. The clues are there, but they're so well hidden that readers will turn back to the beginning after the full reveal, because the truth changes the story. VERDICT With its intriguing premise and appeal similar to blockbuster authors Liane Moriarty and Jojo Moyes, Walsh's debut is poised to be one of this summer's breakout hits. [See Prepub Alert, 1/29/18.]
Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
August 1, 2018
Sarah meets Eddie, and they have six fabulous, love-drenched days together until he heads off on a scheduled vacation and fails to call from the airport as promised. Despite what her friends say, Sarah knows something has happened to him. Big in-house excitement for this English author's American debut.
Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.