The Ghost on My Couch by L.A. Gilbert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Ghost on My Couch is incredibly sweet, entertaining, and romantic. It’s a near pitch perfect romance that’s sure to please fans. The characters are utterly adorable with just enough geekiness in them to appeal, but enough chemistry to sizzle. The premise should be tired – the ghost and the living fall in love – yet the great humor, whimsy, touching emotion, and sheer entertainment factor make this something funny and adorable. You won’t want to miss this.

The story starts with male nurse Alex home after a long day at work. He’s just settling into his nightly routine when a ghost, Sid, appears in his apartment. At first Alex doesn’t believe what’s going on but soon the two forms a tight bond that transcends their physical differences. Sid may be a ghost but the two connect on a deeper level. However when Alex starts to come to terms with the fact they can’t ever really be together, his emotions start to take over.

The premise is familiar but the writing is what elevates this story to something truly enjoyable. Alex is the sole third person narrator as he struggles with day to day work while falling in love with a ghost. Sid is the vulnerable, gentle giant that is trying to cope with his new existence and sudden feelings of love. Together the two are simply adorable and wonderful together. The characters feel real and fully developed with a lot of subtly and nuance. The situations may be the obvious ones sometimes – such as the ex-bf dropping by for sex – but for the most part the characters and writing are what sets this romance apart from others.

Part of this is the excellence use of humor and sly wit. From the truly inspired back and forth banter/dialogue scenes to the great secondary characters and even the quiet OCD quirks of both men are all very endearing. You simply can’t help falling in love with these men and this story. Alex’s good friend Andy (the names are too close together) is very entertaining as a very loyal but disrespectful friend. The story of the three legged cat should be cliché but instead comes across as wonderful and touching. It’s really the details that make the story so wonderful with Sid’s habit of hiding in the fridge when upset to Alex’s small touch of straightening a magnet in lieu of being able to actually touch Sid. These quiet moments elicit a great deal of emotion and show how deep their connection forms.

To be fair there is a suspension of disbelief required to buy into the various coincidences and events. Most of the details are pretty convenient to help move the story along, but considering this is a romance I doubt these issues will bother anyone. The writing and characterization should help overcome any qualms in that area. The great use of humor is really something to be commended as it’s not over the top or too sugary but instead fitting and just right for the slightly geeky characters. There are a lot of sly references that should please fans as well.

There is a lot to recommend about this story but mostly it’s a sweet romance without going too far. There’s not even any on screen sex but the connection between the two men, Sid and Alex, is palpable. Watching them fall in love is lovely and likely to resonate well with romance fans. I easily recommend this one.

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