Swiftly Dusted: The Ghost on My Couch by L.A. Gilbert

L.A. Gilbert

The Ghost on My Couch

Dreamspinner Press, March 23, 2011

Links: Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
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.

Genre & Keywords:
M/M Romance, Paranormal, Ghost, Geeky Characters, Humor

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 2 out of 3
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The Ghost on My Couch is such a fun and sweet story. I’ve read it a while ago and it still makes me smile when I think about the main characters and their endearing romance again. It’s an über romantic love story between a guy and a ghost who appears at the guy’s apartment one day. From the first descriptions of both characters I was enamored of them. Sid, the ghost, is big, shy and a bit geeky with his bunny slippers and Ghostbusters t-shirt. Alex is a dedicated nurse who likes to watch Grey’s Anatomy and is, like Sid, adorable and cute without realizing it.


The way Alex freaks out when he discovers Sid sitting on his couch was the first time of many times I laughed out loud while reading this story. Additionally, I chuckled a lot (for instance when the three-legged cat Baldrick is described) and often smiled tenderly (thanks to moments like Sid hiding in the fridge). The development of their special relationship is entertaining. Although there are no on page sex scenes, there’s still plenty of sexual tension. But more than that, it was wonderful to see the emotional connection between Alex and Sid grow.

The plot has a little bit of angst too, because of the whole ghost versus man of flesh and blood issue. There’s no way this couple can have a ‘normal’ relationship (in the Biblical sense) of course. But it wouldn’t be a romance without a HEA ending, so it’s safe to say they find a solution to their problem. It’s not overly original (Reece Witherspoon has done it before in one of her movies) but it works very well for this story. For me at least it did, but I’m always willing to suspend some disbelief when the story is as well-written and the characters are as engaging as they are here.

The Ghost on My Couch is one of those books you wish you had plenty like them on your shelves because you can never have enough of this type of story. It’s the kind of story you can be sure of that it’ll entertain you, move you, make you smile and keep you engrossed until the last page, while it leaves you feeling satisfied and happy once you’ve finished it. It’s a book I would recommend to all lovers of the romance genre and that I would easily buy as a birthday present for every book loving friend I have.
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