She was brainwashed into believing she could save mankind.Now, she’s the one who needs saving. Abandoned with his two younger brothers, Milo Vega was placed in foster care. Now a twenty-year-old high-school senior covered in gang tattoos and working as the school’s janitor, he is living a life vastly different from the one he was destined for. When another foster joins the family, this one from … joins the family, this one from the psychiatric facility, Milo’s skeptical. A rare genetic condition makes her unlike any girl he’s ever seen, and he wants nothing to do with the one he calls Ghostgirl.
Despite his reluctance, his protective instincts flare when she enrolls in school, and eventually, an unlikely friendship grows between them. When a tragic event snaps her fragile psyche, Milo is faced with the possibility of never seeing her again.
Unless he risks it all to save her.
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JB never fails!
OMG!! I loved this book!! Ghostgirl totally blew me away in a way I wasn’t expecting! This story follows an albino girl named Mercy who’s just trying to be normal after an entire lifetime of being brainwashed into believing she’s an angel with healing powers. Foster home life is a constant reminder that she’s not what she thought she was. But, in the harsh reality, she finds Milo….an ex-gangster who’s trying to get his life together for his brothers. Their connection is anything but normal…it’s unique and innocent and beautiful and powerful. This book is wonderful and I highly recommend it! I’m excited to read book two! You’ll fall in love with these characters! Five MERCY AND MILO ARE MAGIC stars!!
“An extraordinary girl who longs to be ordinary.”
“Ghost” into this story. Don’t read reviews. Let it come to you organically and enjoy this unique story. I was captivated from the first page. My emotions were all over the place. The story has a steady pace and build up. There are so many unique characters.
Milo Vega never thought he’d be a 20 yr. old in foster care and a “super senior” trying to graduate high school. He works hard and is close to achieving his goal which is to take care of his younger siblings. He was born a ‘Saint’ and has the gang tattoos to prove it. But life has taught him many hard lessons.
“It’s better to be good than to be powerful.” News flash: being good sucks.
Mercy Bernadette is a new addition to Milo’s foster family. She came from a psychiatric facility. Mercy is stunning, sheltered and unique. Although Mercy and Milo are polar opposites on the outside, inside they share many of the same fears and insecurities.
The journey that Milo and Mercy experience is one that starts out unsure and awkward but blossoms into more. Sacrifices are made. Mercy was “destined” to be great. But everything is not always as it seems. What is she really? There are a series of events that lead both Milo and Mercy to make difficult decisions. But, are they trading one hell for another? What is the cost of freedom? Selling your soul?
This story! The buildup was intense. It is about family, love, and sacrifice. I had a hard time putting it down! I felt as though I was right there, living in that house and sharing those experiences. And the ending….well, just hold on tight……
“She was brainwashed into believing she could save mankind.”
“Now, she’s the one who needs saving.”
4.5 stars
J.B. Salsbury always manages to give me unique stories that I find myself completely engrossed in. Ghostgirl is just another one that sucked me in.
As per usual I went into this one blind and let me tell you it surprised me completely. This story is unique, the characters are captivating especially Mercy aka Ghostgirl. The mystery surrounding her had me mesmerized.
Even more so the relationship that builds between Mercy and Milo become quite intense and as the storyline continues as some twists come about their situation has me desperate to see what happens next.
This is not your typical romance, it’s refreshing, addictive and the storyline flows so well that the next thing you know, you’ve finished the book without taking a breathe.
J.B. Salsbury always manages to bring a fresh storyline that I can honestly say I’ve not read anything like it before.
First it is not PARANORMAL
How do I write a review on a book, without giving away any of the plot, because giving away just one part this story will truly spoil the book for other’s? This is my dilemma after reading GHOSTGIRL by JB Salsbury. that literally took my breath away, it was an original superb fantastically good read, but also sadly for me ended on a Flipping Cliff hanger. JB SALSBURY is a new author to me but if this is what she puts out, she has a new fan, I would go as far to say that it is up there so far this year with My Torin by K Webster, Tragic Beauty by Iris Ann Hunter, Midnight Blue by LJ Shen, The Bikers Baby by Sam Crescent, Welcome to the Dark Side, Giana Darling as my favorites of the year so far !!!I I truly can’t begin to describe the story I have just finished reading.Or how much it effected me.
GHOSTGIRL is such an amazing story. The storyline is unique and captivating reals you in from page 1 till the very last. I have never read anything like this book before. I love new ideas and authors who push the boat out. Gets you out of your comfort zone, and makes you look at things in a complete and humbling way. This book does that and more.
My review is going to be very different than what I usually put out, focusing on the sheer depth of feelings while reading the book. I will try not to talk about the story line at, my advice is to go in blind as just one aspect of it will spoil your enjoyment. It does deal with things that as an English woman I don’t understand, I have seen it obviously , and the news reports and on films, but this we don’t have or at least not like America does and that is Gangs, that is all I will say on the subject, because I truly don’t want to say anything that will detract your enjoyment from this book. The author has written it in Dual ‘POV’, but for the most part it is from Milo’s ‘POV’. It is told mostly in the present tense, but you also get flashbacks throughout the story. Which I normally don’t like but with this particular book it works.
The book ripped out my heart, had it racing so fast at one time. I have cried shouted screamed especially at that bloody cliff hanger. As the author guides you through the passages your mind throws up question after question and some are answered, but new ones arise by the end. Some reviews Say it doesn’t end on a Cliff-hanger but it does, it could I suppose end there but with a lot of unanswered questions. It has left me wanting more. so. Mercy and Milo’s story has to continue there for it is a cliff hanger and I personally can’t wait to see what happens. I also don’t think you need to wait for the next book to come out. This is one you can enjoy now! Which is why I am doing the review as you all know how much I HATE them. I personally will read this again it was that good.
I want to say this book is a cross between a Young Adult and New Adult romance. This is a clean romance and I do like the Smut, but I think for this book you didn’t need it. You would have sullied the female lead and you don’t need that believe me you do not need it. Milo is 20 years old but is still a Senior in high school. I promise you will understand more when you read this book. Mercy is also in high school.
THIS IS A MUST READ !!!!!
I HONESTLY CAN NOT SHOUT OUT ENOUGH ON THIS BOOK. IT HAD EVERYTHING I LOOK FOR IN A BOOK NAILED DOWN AND LATCHED PERFECT EXECUTION OF THE DELIVERY, THE AUTHOR TRANSPORTED YOU INTO THE LIVES OF TWO DAMAGED OH SO DAMAGED PEOPLE AND MAKES YOU FALL IN LOVE, UNDER EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES
Ghostgirl
* A review copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review *
I can’t even believe to describe the story I have just finished reading….but in the BEST WAY!!!!
Ghostgirl is such an amazing story. The storyline is unique and captivating. I honestly have never read anything like this book before.
I continue to be amazed at J.B. Salsbury’s creative mind. Her books are some of my favorite books. I loved her Fighting Series, but her standalone novels have totally knocked it out of the park. Each on has been completely different from each other or any other book for that fact.
This review is going to be very vague, mostly just focusing on my feelings while reading the book, and pretty short. I can’t talk about the storyline at all, because I don’t want to say something that could spoil any part of this story. What I will say is that this book is that it is told in Dual POV, but mostly from Milo’s POV. It is told mostly in the present tense but we do get some flashbacks throughout the story. Those help fill in the backstory.
This book will have your heart beat racing and mind running. As you read this story you will have so many questions, and yes they are answered in this book, but new ones arise by the end. No this book technically doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, because I felt what happened in this book was settled and answers were given. But it does leave you wanting more. So I would say this is a To Be Continued ending. Mercy and Milo’s story will continue and I can’t wait to see what happens. I don’t believe that you need to wait for the next book to come out. This is one you can enjoy now!!!
I want to say this book is a cross between a Young Adult and New Adult romance. Milo is 20 years old, but is still a Senior in high school. You’ll understand more when you read this book. Mercy is also in high school. This storyline takes place in a high school setting and I would say that it is mostly clean. I will tell you there is some kissing scenes and some talk of sex, but the sex line is not crossed. So I guess, read this book and decide for yourself how you’d label it. I just know I will label it a MUST READ!!!
I honestly can’t rave enough about this book. It had everything I look for in a 5 star read!! One of the best books of 2018 for me. This is definitely a book you don’t want to miss reading. Don’t wait….READ this book NOW. I don’t think you will be sorry.
I picked this one up after seeing a recommendation from K Webster.
I’m glad I did.
I absolutely LOVED this book. Such a fresh concept and I loved reading most of it from the male POV. Milo is such an amazingly written character. I’m absolutely invested in him, and I’ve already picked up the next book, Saint, to read next.
Refreshingly unique.
I can’t say enough about this book. Such an original concept and captivating cast. I loved both Mercy and Milo. Five shining stars!
I may not be an angel, but even ordinary people are capable of extraordinary things when faced with the life and death of those they love.
GHOSTGIRL was a unique, beautiful, unforgettable romance from the brilliant mind of J.B. Salsbury .
At first, I went into this thinking it was a paranormal read, but surprise, surprise it was not. But Ghostgirl was not just another story, but a tale that was unlike anything I have ever read.
I absolutely loved Milo and Mercy’s tale. They were two souls brought together and destined for more together, so that’s why I am itching to get my hands on the next book to discover how Milo and Mercy’s story ends.
I loved every second of this equally emotional and unexpected story. Definitely a story you do not want to miss!
I had the pleasure of reading the ARC for Ghostgirl. I couldn’t get through the pages fast enough. I’ve been reading non-stop since it hit my Kindle. Sneak reading at work and staying up late trying to finish because I had to know LOL. Ghostgirl is so different from what I’ve read previously in JB Salsbury books but don’t let that deter you. I’m totally IN LOVE with where this is headed. It’s going to blow your minds and I can’t wait to see everyone fall in love with it too!
Milo is covered in gang affiliated tattoos. A twenty-year-old high school “super” senior and working as the school’s janitor. His life hasn’t always been this way. His father is El Jefe, the boss of the Latino Saints (LS) and his goal was to groom his sons into gangbangers. Milo became a LS soldier at 15, slipped away from the life when his father disappeared the day he ran to Mexico, nine days after his mother disappeared. Abandoning Milo and his two younger brothers they we’re placed in foster care.
Mercy was born with a rare genetic condition. She was held captive and brainwashed into thinking she’s an angel with healing powers. She was picked up by border patrol unconscious and taken to the Los Angeles Psychiatric Health Care Facility.
When Milo and his brothers are told another foster child will be joining their family they have doubts. Changes will have to be made in the house with the younger boys sharing rooms again. The foster parents don’t share whether it’s a boy or a girl and shocked when they first meet her. Milo doesn’t know what to think of the new girl he calls Ghostgirl.
At first, Milo avoids being around Mercy until he gets to know her. Once he does, he starts protecting her especially at school when she’s anywhere near Carrie. The most popular girl at Washington High and the one he’s taking to prom. Carrie feels threatened when he’s close to Mercy and when she sees them together she tries to get in between them.
Milo and Mercy have a connection he can’t explain. He starts to fall her not knowing she feels the same until they have their first kiss. Gahhhhhhh this FIRST kiss…MELT!!!
“I take my time, slowing things to a crawl in order to memorize every dip and curve of her mouth. Her lips are warm and pliant, and if I could curl between them and live there forever, I would.”
“Her cheeks are flushed and her lips swollen and the color of a raspberry, probably from sucking all the blood to the surface. I wonder what other parts of her pale body I could make flush with color.”
Ummm this right here ^^^^ YES! This is just a sample. Bonus – the kiss is long and hot.
As innocent as the first kiss went, it caused further problems. They wanted to be around each other all the time but their foster parent Laura didn’t agree because Mercy is still under 18 and Milo is 20.
Something tragic happens and it flips Milo and Mercy’s world upside down. Things from their past resurface. They have to make decisions and sacrifices that will alter their life forever.
“He trusted me implicitly to be his friend, and I was doing my best. But I was falling for him, and falling for him fast.”
This book was recommended to me by my good friend Hulya (THANK YOU!). I will keep this short and say that I really enjoyed it. There is just something about imperfectly perfect characters that own a piece of my heart. Colton is amazing, he is different but that just makes him more perfect to me. I also loved Lilly because she knew what she wanted and went for it. Nobody or anything could stop her. I especially loved the scenes when Lilly and Colton first met. It was super cute and I couldn’t get enough. I am happy there will be a sequel to this book and can’t wait for it to release!
“You’re my Lilly. You’ve always been my Lilly.”
I adore JB Salsbury. Ghostgirl isn’t like anything I’ve ever read before!!
Milo tries to keep his distance. He focuses on school, work and his brothers. But he soon realizes that Mercy is slowly making her way under his skin and into his heart. He’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe.
This book had my anxiety going through the roof. I found myself wanting to hurry up and finish it but at the same time not wanting it to end.
An original plot line, complex characters, and twists and turns to drag you in to the story, Ghostgirl, is its own brand of romance and mystery. Milo and his brothers have been living in a foster home since the disappearance of their mother and the escape of their crime lord father. Milo has a plan to finish high school, adopt his brothers and move on with their life from his previous affiliations. When a quiet girl with a mysterious condition and an even more mysterious past, Milo’s beliefs will be tested and pushed to the limit.
Mercy, aka our Ghostgirl, is albino and her strikingly pale skin causes her to be a beacon for trouble. Milo doesn’t trust Mercy at first but is intrigued by her for some unknown reason. As he fights his pull towards her, Milo manages what months of therapy for Mercy could not; he begins to break her out of her quiet shell and delve into her traumatic past. As more layers of Mercy unveil themselves, Milo sinks deeper under her spell and falls for her. When chaos strikes and Mercy’s belief in her “powers” come to light and threaten everything Milo holds dear, these two have to fight everything they’ve feared to find a way out.
I cannot express how much I love this story. So unlike any other new adult romance, Ghostgirl pulled me in from the start and never let go. I love that the main point of view is Milo’s as it allows us to become invested with him and his brothers before we truly get to know Mercy. Milo also doesn’t have this immediate attraction to Mercy; as he learns more about her he begins to see her in a new light. This slow burn was completely satisfying as their feelings developed alongside the story. Pieces of Mercy’s past slowly come out as the puzzle of what truly happened to her begins to form. Navigating the past with the struggles of teenage life and Milo’s dangerous family history made a story full of twists turns that I am BEGGING Salsbury for more!
Completely mind blown!!
Love this BOOK!
Milo is protective, genuine, and fierce…
…he will protect the ones he loves at all cost.
…trying to better his life he is “supersenior “ and works as janitor…
Milo feels a pull toward Mercy, but tries to fight it!
This book captivated from the first page until the end!
Compelling me to turn the pages, and pulling deeper into the story..
The next book can’t come fast enough!!
Have you ever stayed up late, reading a book you can’t put down, and then wake up the next morning still thinking about the story? Ghost Girl by JB Salsbury is that kind of book. I didn’t want to put it down or for the story to end. (Good thing it doesn’t) It’s a love story unlike one I have ever read. A story of two people who are complete opposites finding the realness in each other to make an unlikely pairing.
Milo lives in a foster home with his two younger brothers. The eldest son of a notorious gang leader in LA, Milo has fought to keep his brothers out of the hands of the gang. Living in a foster home that welcomes all of them has become his life. Even at the age of twenty, he still has a home there. He’s working for the school he attends as well as finishing his education. He doesn’t want to be the next gang lord. He just wants to provide a safe home for his brothers. He’s on track when his foster family takes in another teenager.
Mercy has lived a confined existence. Her looks make her stick out from most and she has been made to believe she is more than she really is. It is the only life she has ever known. Her world comes crashing down when she wakes up in a psychiatric facility and then is taken home by her therapist. She is thrown into a life so unknown to her. She has no idea how to be a teenager or even what the outside world is. Fortunately for her, she has found a guardian angel in Milo. He teaches her and protects her at first out of concern, but then out of love. He will do what he needs to do to keep her safe from people still looking for her. Including going back to a life he gave up. Mercy is everything to him.
JB Salsbury has brought these two characters together and in turn has created a beautiful love story that no one would have expected. You become entranced by Milo and Mercy’s story. Already a huge fan of her work, this book solidified to me why I will always fangirl over JB Salsbury. It takes a lot to tell such a moving story and she nailed it. Seems like I say this a lot, but thank you JB Salsbury for introducing Milo and Mercy to me. XOXO
This was my first J.B. Salsbury experience, and I am completely smitten. Honestly, this book was everything I’ve been looking for, and didn’t even know it.
The story starts off with a bang, and the writing pulled me in immediately. No, seriously. I opened the book and then suddenly it was a couple hours later and I was just coming up for breath, already totally in love with every single thing I was reading. I was drawn to both Milo and Mercy’s stories and loved them so much in all their furiously flawed glory. I loved how Ms. Salsbury straddled the line between YA and NA and somehow managed to capture all the best parts of each.
Ms. Salsbury is a masterful storyteller and the story she’s woven for us here is compelling, fascinating and filled with feels. Like, all the feels. It’s powerful and emotional, yet also sometimes light and easy. My heart raced and swooned, and nearly overflowed with the aching tenderness between Milo and Mercy whose chemistry burned so slowly and sweetly that it was impossible for my heart not to wrap itself completely up in them. My mind flit about, frantic to unravel all the mysteries nestled between these pages. It was enthralling, and enchanting, and one of the best things I’ve read all year.
I don’t want to give anything (not anything) away, but suffice to say that I’m positively starving for more of where this came from! In the end, this exciting, stunning, gritty and so exquisitely original story is an absolute must read!
I saw this beautiful cover and immediately had to check out this book. The blurb drew me close and I knew I needed this story in my life.
A unique story of a girl and a boy. Two different sides of life yet so similiarly connected. I lost myself, immersed in these words and a story of life, love and being mature beyond your years. Sacrifice and surviving against everything ingrained inside.
Epic, tragic, twisting and it makes you think. A puzzle to solve but a pieces are missing and the picture isn’t complete. But it will be…it promises to be.
Gasping, breathtaking, intriguing and moving beyond my words. I stayed riveted to my chair unable to stop devouring each and every word, needing that next page flip and the next lung full of air.
An entrancing read keeping you vested until the last page then leaving you needing more. I can’t wait to see where the story ends for these tremendously strong characters.
Ghostgirl is one of those books I started reading because the blurb enticed me to do so. It sounded original, plus I love this author’s writing style. Let me just start by saying that this 10 star story was one of the best I’ve ever read. Why you might ask?
1. It’s very well written with pride and with a thought out plan.
2. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read before.
3. It’s highly addicting. I basically read it in less then 24 hours. Once I started reading it I had to finish it even if it was 3am.
4. It’s really intriguing too, it kept me guessing until the very end.
5. It’s full of suspense.
6. It’s a forbidden love story. First love too.
Emilio “Milo” wants to graduate high school and move on with his life. A Foster child with 2 other brothers. He’s a 20 year old in high school. It’s all mapped out until Mercy comes to live with their foster family. She’s unlike anything he’s ever met. Plans will be changing this is their journey.
If your looking for a story with plenty of steamy scenes, look elsewhere. But if your looking for unconventional characters that will suck you in so deep that you can’t crawl out and be intact, this is the story. A storyline that had me devouring this story in just a few short hours. The storyline, the characters and the seamless plot is all originally crafted.
There is a cliffhanger though. But please don’t let this stop you from picking up this story. This story is so remarkable that I will not be forgetting it anytime soon.
Story told in a dual POV but mostly Milo’s. I want more soon. I strongly recommend this story.
Ghostgirl was completely unexpected. I couldn’t have anticipated the intensity of either Emilio or Mercy’s history, how profound their connection would be, or the lengths they’d go to to protect one another. I was blown away by every part of this book and look forward to reading more.
Every second of this book was fraught with tension. I was completely engrossed with putting together the details of both of their pasts; hers more so, since she didn’t recall much of what she’d been through. The things she’d endured before she’d come to live with Emilio’s foster family were insane. Every time we got a flashback to her life before she was found I was disgusted by how she was exploited by the only people she knew. Emilio’s past, while not as much of a mystery, was equally exploitative and may have been even more upsetting since the person putting him through things a child shouldn’t have to endure was his father.
Mercy’s unfettered trust in Emilio was both fabulously naïve and exactly what he needed. Their connection may have been sudden and somewhat unexplainable, but it felt real. Their relationship, from the very beginning, was something they both needed. Mercy needed someone to protect her without suffocating her, someone to help her find herself after years of being told she was something else, and Emilio did all of that for her. Emilio needed someone outside his family to see him as more than his father’s son, more than the gang-banger school janitor, someone to give him another reason to be more than society expected from him; Mercy gave him all that and more. Their dynamic was full of compassion and understanding, their love for one another shone like a beacon, regardless of any consequences they might face.
Ghostgirl is the first book in this duet from JB Salsbury. The second book, Saint will conclude Mercy and Emilio’s story, so these books can not be read as standalones. This book ended in a comfortable place, so while I’m eagerly anticipating the next one, I don’t feel like I was left in the lurch. Ghostgirl is written in dual first-person perspective, narrated by Mercy and Emilio.
This is the first book of JB Salsbury’s I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Her writing was emotionally powerful and drew me completely into her story. She painted vivid pictures with her prose and kept me completely entranced with her world and her characters. I was wholly impressed with her storytelling and look forward to reading more of her work.