Title: The Ghost on My Couch
Author: L.A.Gilbert
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover artist: Paul Richmond
Buy Link: Buy Link The Ghost on My Couch
Length: novella, 168 pages
Genre: Contemporary/fantasy/ paranormal mm romance
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
A guest review by Sirius
Summary: An intelligent and funny twist on “I fell in love with the ghost” theme
Blurb:
Alex Tanner is a male nurse who divides his time between his job and his television schedule. His idea of the perfect partner, like so many other people’s, is a tall, dark, and handsome man. Preferably alive and breathing. Surely that’s not asking too much? Then an uninvited guest—a ghost, of all things—forces Alex to question what he’s always looked for in a lover and his definition of what makes a person so beautiful.
Review:
Alex is a twenty-seven-year-old nurse who lives in a small flat, earns a modest salary of eighteen grand (which made me raise my eyebrows until I realized that he lived in London) and is a lonely man who deals with the everyday problems life throws at him as best as he can until one day the problems become a little out of the ordinary. Alex comes home after a crappy day at work and finds a man on his couch watching TV. Alex freaks out at the unexpected guest until the guest helpfully points out that he does not know how he appeared in Alex’s flat and that he is a ghost. As expected, Alex freaks out even more, goes to his neighbor and good friend Andy for help, but of course Andy cannot see anybody in Alex’s flat. Andy leaves, the ghost shows up again and Alex is left to deal with his guest.
I confess, when I saw the blurb for this story, my first reaction was “oh, how very boring and unoriginal this one probably is”. I wanted to sample this author though, so I decided to give it a try and I am very glad that I did. I liked this story very, very much. I loved how much depth the author gave to the both guys. This is the kind of story where we do not see too much happening in the outside world; the action is mostly happening in the Alex’s flat where we get to know Alex and Sid (the ghost) more and more as every day passes, while Sid is stuck at Alex’s place. We get to know not just about their life in general, but some of those little character quirks that made me feel that I was reading about real people, not just characters in the book. Things like Alex’s favorite food being appetizers and why, and that he prefers to eat them in the alphabetical order, and Sid loving Van Gogh’s Irises and how he relates the painting to his life.
The guys have an oddly charming chemistry going on between them. I loved how they are both pretty ordinary looking, at least in comparison to the hunks in many other stories I have read. It was enjoyable to watch how they look to each others eyes, while they are getting more and more attracted to each other. Although, seriously, I would like to eat Alex up at any time, even if he is upset about not having a six pack lol. Sid is such a sweetie and I loved his cat. He is a very shy, very big man with a huge heart and it was a joy getting to know him. I think I fell in love with him the moment he hid in Alex’s freezer for the first time because he did not want to be a bother.
One thing to note, if for you explicit sex is a must have in the story, this story is not for you. There is one short and not very explicit sex scene in the epilogue and that is about it. Personally I was glad that the author developed the characters so well even that meant less time for sex, but that’s just my individual preference.
I really enjoyed how the story ended, at some point I would have called this ending to be very original in the “fell in love with the ghost” subgenre, because most stories I have read with this theme end with another guy dying and joining the ghost. I liked that this one ended differently, even if by now I have read a few similar endings as well.
Two problems:
I would have probably graded this story even higher, but for me the lesson that Alex was supposed to learn did not feel that much of a lesson, if that makes sense. He did not seem to me to feel too much agony when he fell for Sid; I mean he did, but because he was a ghost, not because he was not as gorgeous as Alex’s other flings were. I think what I am trying to say is that I just read it as a love story, not a love story with a morale, which I felt author intended for me to read. Additionally, I think we were supposed to feel that Alex was shallow, but he did not to this reader at all. Shallow people do not do what Alex did for Sid before he even was in love with him.
I also was not quite sure why Alex’s coworker Jackie was present in the story. I mean, I understand what plot function she is performing, but I did not feel that much would have changed in the story had she not been there in the first place.
Hmmmm sounds really good!! The cover is awesome and cute!!
Cover is very good Larissa, I agree and it reflects the story very well.
I absolutely loved this one! This is the story to lift your spirit when you are depressed. The story was funny, sweet and angsty in just the right amount. While I loved both guys, Andy and Baldrick the cat were my favorites. I can’t recommend this one strong enough. :sendoutlove:
LadyM I LOVED the kitty so much!
Great review! 🙂 I felt the same way you did about it.
I read it in one sitting and I know I will be rereading it!
it was just such a sweet book, I can definitely recommend this one!!
Ailish, this one will be a reread for me too. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Sirius
I think I’m going to read this one. It sounds like such a delightful and different story and Sid seems to be a charming ghost. What a treat. Thank you for this.
Wave, I hope you will like it. I am having trouble imagining how anybody could not to like Sid 🙂
Great. Yet another to add to my TBB list. :thinker:
I saw this, was slightly intrigued by the blurb and excerpt but just wasn’t sure. Thanks for the review!
Sherry, let me know what you think if you decide to get this one 🙂
Ooh, I am intrigued – and especially as it’s set in London. I do like finding more British writers. Thanks for the rec, Sirius!
You are welcome Josephine. As I mentioned in the review I did not realize right away that it is set in London that is why suggestion of american nurse earning 18000 while working in the hospital threw me off. I know it is a very VERY tough job, but as far as I know nurses in the hospitals earn a lot more than that. That is why when I saw that it is in London I was like, ah, ok. I still think it is very sad that hoospital nurse’s salary is so low.
Anyway, hope you enjoy it.
This sounds like a real find- one for a miserable day. Thanks Sirius.
Raine, it is a good one to cheer you up on the miserable day, absolutely.
hid in the freezer because he didn’t want to be a bother – gosh, I need to read that. 😆
Thanks for the review, Sirius!
Yep, and more than once too :), even though it is not the easiest hiding place for him poor thing. I hope you like it Feliz.
Although I am not big on ghost stories — scary or not — I think i will definitely pick this one up. Like others, I am intrigued. Thanks Sirius.
I think this one is worth stretching the horizons Lynn :). Hope you will enjoy it.
I really liked this one. It was a different read… not at all silly which a lot of writers try to do with a ghost to “lighten” up the storyline. It was good.
Absolutely reece, I am glad you enjoyed it.
I am so glad this is a good book since I loved her other book “Witness” so much. I was impatiently waiting for another book from her. Witness is a fave re-read for me. Off to buy!
Suzi, so I take it you recommend her “Witness”? I definitely would love to read something else by her and I am keeping my fingers crossed that you will like this one as well.
Hi Sirius, Really good review. I absolutely loved this story! I’m not ashamed to say that I had tears in my eyes a number of times while reading, not because it was sad, but because I really felt what Alex and Sid felt for each other and ached for them to be together. I also laughed out loud several times – Sid hiding in the fridge? LOL Absolutely brilliant!
I did guess what was going on rather early on, but it didn’t ruin the story for me. Conversely it made me feel better about what was happening. I liked how Alex matured during the course of the book as he got to know Sid better and fell in love.
And the no sex was actually very refreshing (there was that brief non explicit scene at the end). I have taken to skimming through most sex scenes, and only stop to read if I see dialog other than “yeah baby!”.
My only complaint would be that I didn’t get why Sid was haunting Alex. Was it explained and I missed it?
Hi Tj, thank you very much. And I was not complaining about the lack of sex scenes at all, I am the kind of reader, who will enjoy great sex scene only if there is a plot and great characters to go with it. And if I were to be given a choice, I would take plot and characters with great chemistry over explicit sex at any time. Just my personal preference. I was simply warning the readers for whom explicit sex is a deal breaker in deciding whether to buy the story.
I do not think it was said why Sid was hunting Alex either, I just assumed that high powers decided it was time for them to meet 🙂
Sorry Sirius. What I meant by my comment about the sex is that I felt it wasn’t missed. I know that you said it to warn readers who look for that in their m/m, and that’s important to do.
OOOO, sorry for misunderstanding Tj, yes I agree that sex was not missed for me as well.
Sirius,
I read this authors first book and really enjoyed it. I’d hope this one would be just as good. Im gonna pick it up. It’s a great thing when an author can reel you in with an awesome storytelling and explicit sex isnt the core of the story. Dont get me wrong, Im all for the explicit sex.
Hi Hannah, I think I am going to get Witness then. I hope you will enjoy this one, even though it does not have explcit sex.
Thanks Sirius for this recommendation. Bought the book yesterday after reading your review and really loved it. I completely agree with Everything TJ says.
I was pulled out of the story a bit by some of the details of Alex’s job. A qualified nurse starts on £21000a year, with a 15 – 20% increase on that In London. I thought Alex had been a nurse for longer than a year so would be earning more. I also don’t know of a nurse who would work on a range of wards and departments as it was suggested that Alex did in just one day.
Hi Rachel, oh I see so even in London nurse would earn a bit more than what Alex was earning. Thank you for letting me know that, I really was surprised by such low number. Glad you enjoyed the book overall.