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Ali Mackay wants a nice man, it’s a shame she’s dated some real losers in her search for a man who will love her for herself, plus-size and all.

Ty ‘Ghost’ Sinclair regularly rides to her rescue, he always has done ever since school.

But after one unexpectedly hot encounter between the two best friends, can Ghost convince Ali to give their relationship a go, or will her fear of changes ruin everything?

268 pages, ebook

First published May 18, 2013

29 people are currently reading
836 people want to read

About the author

Angela Verdenius

66 books677 followers
I am a mixture of things - full-time worker, cat owner, writer, bookworm, supernatural horror movie buff, mystery series fan, and daydreamer.

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5 stars
223 (27%)
4 stars
257 (32%)
3 stars
229 (28%)
2 stars
50 (6%)
1 star
38 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
Profile Image for Samantha.
522 reviews135 followers
March 1, 2022

⭐⭐⭐

I like this authors writing style.
I like that it is a friends to lover story.
And like that it is a curvy or plus size heroine. (plus size rep👍)
Not too much angst and very little to no conflict.
And I also like that the main characters are ordinary people with everyday lives.

But this book …. was kind of a let down….. because...

Ali's self esteem issues were too prevalent in the story…. And they got a little bit repetitive.
And Ali had little to no character growth when it came to those issues.
She was kind of opinionated…. But had no real confidence in herself… more like false bravado.

I like Ghost, he was sweet and caring and understanding …. but also patient.
Profile Image for Shanu.
521 reviews3 followers
August 7, 2013
What is it with authors who write long dialogue instead of an actual story line? I'm tired of books being 75% one-sentence-dialogue and 25% character's-thoughts. I'm starting to think that publishers have really lowered their standards.



Sorry for the rant. My point is i didn't like the writing style.

Ali can't seem to find the right boyfriend but thanks heaven, she has her best friend around who soothes everything and calls her "honey". I mean... "honey"? really?

I thought i'd like this book because of the plot but it was poorly written : if they know each other for so long how come Ty realizes only now not only his feelings for her but also how luscious she is? I've read other books with the same intrigue but this time, i wasn't okay with it. The author failed to make this realistic.

Maybe i just picked this book at the wrong time, because i usually like cliché romance chick lit (and i like them especially for the clichés) but this time i couldn't help rolling my eyes. Also i'm a bit frustrated because i failed to see the fluff and mushiness in it. The characters all fell so empty and a bit... not stupid but, simpleton?

And why do heroines always beg to be kissed?
“Don’t stop. Don’t let me go,” she whispered, pleaded, her voice husky with need. “Please, Ty, please.”
“Ty, please. Please, Ty…please…”
*pucking*

This book isn't atrocious but it's nothing ground breaking. It's short so you might as well give it a try.
Profile Image for amanda s..
3,108 reviews95 followers
November 15, 2013
Not exactly my favorite. Sure, Ghost—or Ty, is cute, very heroic and I'm instantly in love with him and Ali's independent and very confident for a big girl, but there are moments where I want to shake Ali and scream "get a grip!" On her face. Haha.

It's a good thing, confidence, for a big girl characters. It's hard to find on books and I think this book is perfect. But the storyline's very, how do I say it, short? Even though it is only 8-9 chapters, but on Angela's previous books, 8 chapters could be very heart warming yet I don't feel it in this one. Too much focused in Ali's feeling and inside conversation instead of action. :/

But overall I enjoyed it. Can't wait to read Lori's story!
Profile Image for Anna D..
506 reviews
March 10, 2014
Friends to lovers theme – check!
Hot hero – check!
Curvy heroine with pluck – check!

What can I say? even though I set a high bar for this author’s books she seems to always hit the mark! She is a go-to author for BBW CRs and her books and I just see eye-to-eye. This is book #8 that I’ve read of this author and I really thought that it would feel repetitive by now because all the heroines are plus sized and all but one so far have insecurities about her weight and most of the men are the fit, hunky, sensitive, and protective types. However, each and every one of her books draw me in and they feel fresh and unique..and Call on Me is no exception.

Ghost is just the friend-to-lover a woman dreams of. The bottom line is that he’s just a good man AND he HOT! They had such an easy friendship and almost instinctive connection that it wasn’t too hard to believe that their intimate relationship wouldn’t be explosive! There was heat and passion but there is also tenderness and unmistakable love between the two.

It was believable that when these two found attraction for each other that Ghost was willing to go full throttle into a relationship with Ali wanted to stop it before it ruined their long-term friendship. Ali’s vulnerability and fears were endearing especially seen through Ghost’s eyes but I liked that he wouldn’t let her fears get in the way of something amazing.

As usual in this author’s books, there is a supportive cast of characters that add fun, humor, and a sense of community. I look forward to reading the next book in this series and also Officer Adam’s book :)
Profile Image for namericanwordcat.
2,440 reviews439 followers
August 27, 2013
I always enjoy and friends to lover story. This one with a two horror nerds and life long best friends is very sweet and unexpectedly spicy good when we get done to business.

They are really both struck out of no where with the lust/love bug and that is fun as are the cats and the love of the scarey and the small town gossip fests.

Less fun are Ali's self esteem issues and the fact that this book drags at first. It is repetitive in the beginning and not that engaging. However, it does redeem itself.
Profile Image for Elaine.
1,234 reviews40 followers
January 29, 2016
Another nice read by Angela Verdenius. While Ali was an interesting heroine and I liked her and Ghost was just perfect - I loved him (you hear that God, take notes, this is exactly what I want in a guy) I found the chemistry between them lacking. I enjoyed their friendship but I just didn't see them as lovers. The jump from friendship to love didn't convince me.
Profile Image for Vampress Bathory.
468 reviews90 followers
January 10, 2015
4.5 stars, that absent 0.5 is there only because the heroine pissed me off at some point and yeah being a woman myself, I am pretty hard with heroines and I judge 'em fiercely because I just know how we think. The hero was perfect as always, but with him being perfectly penned by Angela V we knew that already!
Read this!!
Profile Image for starsaga.
772 reviews8 followers
July 18, 2013
This was a sweet read. 3.5 stars,
I liked this book, I liked the characters and it was a light shortish read with some erotic moments. I liked that it was mostly about the relationship between Ghost, whom I adored and Ali whom I liked. It followed the friend to lovers theme that I love in romance books and that part was done very well indeed. The dialogue was snappy and entertaining. Pacing of this story was too slow for my tastes and there was way too much time spent in Ali's head while she sorted out their entire history it seemed, when she was understandably worried about how things would end. However, I did not need to know all of those details and I skimmed quite a bit. I wished they would have also spent more time together in the book because when they did, it made it a way better book. I thought the set up was well done for the coming books in this new series of standalone books and I look forward as always to reading AV books because they are sweet, funny and lovely.
Profile Image for Ivy Deluca.
2,372 reviews332 followers
March 13, 2015
I've gotten to the point where I automatically buy any books by AV because I like her writing style and her BBW heroines. This book was good, and a nice setup to another series. It just lacked a bit of drama. It was a fairly straightforward romance with little conflict and as a result, was pleasant but not earth shattering. Still, I am looking forward to the next.
Profile Image for Janey.
478 reviews22 followers
November 15, 2014
sweet read, Ghost and Ali made a really cute couple, ghost sounded gorgeous with his soulful eyes and long hair, as usual the banter between the two was funny and the other characters were a hoot, looking forward to reading Ali's sister's book next.
Profile Image for Never Stop Reading or Dreaming.
898 reviews31 followers
July 21, 2017
I just love ghost! He is everything you want in a man. He's beyond caring and is always looking out for Ali. I just love them together, plus ghost hunting is such a fun topic. I love home they bond over that. Plus Ali has some kick as fight in her! You go girl!
Profile Image for Felita.
1,210 reviews52 followers
April 2, 2018
Cerita friends-to-lover selalu menarik untuk dibaca. Seberapa lama mereka berteman, siapa duluan yang menaksir, apakah romance diantara mereka one-side ? dan lain-lain.

Sebelumnya Ali dan Ty sama sekali ga ada rasa "tertarik". Mereka udah sama-sama nyaman. Ty selalu menyelamatkan Ali dari kencan butanya yang selalu gagal. Ali lah yang paling mengerti Ty, dari hobi Ty berburu "hantu" sampai rasa humornya yang ngga biasa.

Ty selalu menasehati Ali, kalau mau kencan tuh ama cowok baik-baik. Selama ini Ty selalu heran kenapa Ali pilih teman kencan yang semuanya cowok ngga bener. Yah, itu pun setelah Ty "menyeleksi" siapa yang ngedekatin Ali.

Suatu kali Ali lagi-lagi gagal kencan. Yang biasanya Ali lakukan adalah menelepon Ty dan meminta dijemput. Tapi kali ini, Ali pergi menyendiri di tepi sungai. Ty yang mendengar kabar itu langsung menyusul Ali. Tadinya Ty cuman mau menenangkan Ali, muncul suatu perasaan ingin tau seperti apa rasanya bibir Ali.

Dari sini, baik Ali dan Ty sama-sama merasakan ada yang berubah diantara mereka. Teman tapi lovers. Ali dan Ty sama-sama baru menyadari kalau mereka bisa menjadi lebih dari itu.

Temanya sederhana. Tapi mba Angela menuliskan kehidupan Ty, Ali dan adiknya Lori dengan gaya metropop ala kota kecil. Tetangga kanan kiri mereka tau sangat dekat. Jadi begitu ada hal yang digosipkan, langsung menyebar dengan cepat. Khususnya, saat Ali menemukan hal yang kurang ajar pada teman kencannya dan menyiram air langsung ke mukanya.

3 bintang
Profile Image for Agnieszka.
275 reviews4 followers
March 11, 2019
Would be 3* but after several books of THE SAME characters I'm just DONE! Every dude is a super hunk, every girl is obese and is supposed to be proud of it (which is MEDICALLY impossible to be a good thing) , everybody has cats (are there any other animals on this planet anymore?), and THE WORST? 'the secret' ...my Lord! There are so many ways to describe 'activities' during sex scenes but 'little clitoris' and aforementioned 'the secret' were in EVERY single scene and just hit me over the head one too many times! How realistic it is that a group of friends consist only of muscular Adoni and fat girls? Where's diversity? I could enjoy the books more if someone even had a proverbial dog.
Profile Image for IGirasoliGialli.
128 reviews10 followers
May 23, 2013
I've read all of Angela's bbw books and liked them all very much. But this book? Best. of. them. All. I think that Angela has really found her voice. This book created the cutest little Australian town that I totally want to go visit! The hero, Ghost, was awesome! He was possessive (even when just friends) but not OTT with it. He was hot! (Who wouldn't love a writer who works out and has an awesome body?) He was the right mix of that book boyfriend we love to read about (like...Travis, Kellen, and that dude from REAL) except we'd probably even like this hero in real life. The heroine, Ali, was authentic. She had hang-ups and insecurities and fear of taking that step with her best friend, Ghost. I really felt that Ali, too, was unlike other BBW heroines that can sometimes get on your nerves with the hang-ups. Her issues were legitimate and it was not a constant string of woe-is-me. I understood her issues, I felt that she was just being honest. (Even if I didn't totally agree, I got it, and it didn't bother me.) But whenever these two are together? OMG. Their banter is great! They are so perfect for each other and you, the reader, are screaming at them- Don't you see??? Well. I was at least. Maybe you will too. Get it! Read it! Love it!

Overall-
Was it a 5-star read? No. Only because I wanted an epilogue, I wished it was a little longer (I loved that town!) and that there was a little more "smexy" time.
Would I read it again? Yes. (I might go do that right now!)
Will I read the next book about Ali's sister? Absolutely. I can't wait for those two to get. it. on.
Profile Image for Suzanne (Under the Covers Book blog).
1,746 reviews565 followers
July 27, 2013


Ali Mackay and Ty "Ghost" Sinclair have been best friends since school, the only person Ali is closer to is her sister. But can the friendship turn into more, or will Ali allow her insecurities to stop her from seeing that love is a lot closer than she thinks.

I love an Angela Verdenius book they are like comfort food without the calories. I can sit back with one of her books and although I know what is going to happen, the sweet love story always has me reading more.

From the start you know Ghost and Ali are perfect for one another, even if they don't realise it yet, and as they begin to see each other as more than just pals, the chemistry between them grows culminating in some hot scenes between them. Ali, although confident and sassy most of the time does have some body insecurities and I loved watched Ghost smexy his way into making her love her curves.

I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series about Ali's shy sister and (I am hoping) the very sexy paramedic next door!
Profile Image for Jo.
45 reviews16 followers
July 19, 2014
Aside from how annoyingly stubborn Ali is, I liked this book. Yeah yeah the whole cliche best friend relationship is usually nothing too special since it's overdone, but Ghost was awesome. He was so protective and so alpha-male. LOVED IT. I loved the fact that he had weird interest like ghost hunting. I think that's so fun and I want a friend like that! I love people who have interest that are out of the norm. The only thing that really bothered me about Ali was that she was desperately searching for love. Finding love is one of those things that you can't force yourself to search for. It's something that happens when it happens. You can't go around finding it, you'll just be forcing yourself to like something that you truly don't like, or will regret in time. I also hated how stubborn she was, I was close to giving up on the book because she was way too stubborn when Ty was trying to talk to her about the sex. She was also kind of pathetic. Like when she thought he was breaking up with her, her reaction made me roll my eyes. Aside from all of that she was an okay character. But I wish she was a strong woman who was confident with her curves and didn't need a man's approval.
Profile Image for Kimberly Walter.
1,638 reviews15 followers
May 21, 2013
Ali tries so hard to get a man (maybe a little too hard lol) and is always disappointed that they all end up being jerks. But never fear Ty "Ghost" Sinclair to the rescue. (LOL) They start to see each other in a different light after their sizzling hot encounter one night.

It was a great book. But Ali got on my damn nerves with her repeatedly saying stuff about not change in their relationship, ugh. Im like get over it already. But other then that, I abso-freakin-lutely loved it :D. I especially loved the scene where Ali slaps that guy Chris with the flowers, that was fantastic couldn't stop laughing my ass off. This book was filled with easy banter, lots of humor, some sad points (where it made me cry), and of some very sexy hot scenes that make you melt. I can't wait for the next book. And I hope the other characters that haven't got their story yet will get one, like Sam from Virgin Sex Queen, and of course the new characters Adam and Matt. Looking forward to Lori's book. Keep up the awesome writing Angela Verdenius.
Profile Image for Maura.
3,883 reviews112 followers
March 4, 2017
Ghost is super sexy. And their first time together - OMG! So hot!

However. This being the third Angela Verdenius book I've read, I'm discovering a very annoying habit with her heroines. In order to increase suspense I guess, they each have this tendency to avoid the issues. And not just mentally either. They act like children running away from problems. The heroine in this story decides to avoid Ghost, and after arriving home and seeing him waiting in the window, backs the car out again and goes somewhere else. This sort of thing irritates me, because its also insensitive. Your best friend wants to talk to you and you run from him? (Can we imagine how hurt he must feel at that?) What an childish idiot! Its as though the heroine's insecurities provide her with an excuse to act like a teenager. And this is the theme I'm seeing and not liking in her books -all of the heroines do this and I don't like it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Alpha Possessive Heroes.
482 reviews864 followers
May 26, 2013
I'm a big fan of bbw books but usually the heroine tends to be weak or too insecure but Ali is a wonderful character with a strong personality that I loved almost from the beginning! She's curvacious and I liked that eventho she's in a plus size, she doesn't put up with crap! She's cute, spitfire, sassy and just so likeable that I found myself unable to put the book down.

Ghost is pretty awesome too! I loved that he's always been protective when it comes to Mackay sisters. He's a sexy writer, honest and quite possessive to Ali. The character development between Ali and Ghost are nicely done. I loved their interactions and the banters are quite enjoyable to read!

I thoroughly liked this book and will definitely wait for Lori's story! :)
Profile Image for Genney Blass.
1,314 reviews27 followers
May 27, 2013
4.5 stars. Once again of my favorite authors did it again. I seriously have to go to Australia. Love me some Ghost and Ali. It is true what they say living in a small town everybody knows your business but and the gossip from on little thing turns to a mile. That is totally 100% truth. It is not only you live with you family you also live with your neighbors among others. Ghost was my hero from the moment I read this book. Bravo to Ms. Verdenius, can't wait to read Lori and Matt story plus can you probably make a story about Chris and a nice BBW that will be very enjoyable to read. Cheers!
Profile Image for Yalda CM.
231 reviews4 followers
September 1, 2013
Oh my I so forgot to mark this one as read!!! I finished months and months ago!!! It is a pretty sweet book...A really down to earth story with a real feeling to it, and that's what i enjoyed the most of it. Anyone can relate to it, everyone has that amazing friend with whom at least u fantasize once hahahaha and thats what i loved about it, i felt it as my own while reading it. Gotta love Angela Verdenius's books! :-)
Profile Image for Rachel Smart.
603 reviews8 followers
November 11, 2016
Wonderful!

This is an amazing story of best friends who realized that they love each other. The beginning is showing how close they really are. There is humor (I woke my husband up giggling in bed). Ali is afraid to take their relationship to the next level because of her own insecurities. Ghost is ready. This is an excellent building of their story and the journey as they realize the depth of their feelings. I love Angela Verdenius' stories!! I think I own them all! I am re-reading them because they are that good!! Enjoy!
Profile Image for Hillian.
9 reviews
June 6, 2014
After reading this book, I can only say ....wow.

A great friends to lovers book. The characters are easy to relate to, there's no fluffy lovey cheap romance that we see in so many books nowadays, and the sex scenes were actually really hot. This book made me immediately go after the sequel Lean on Me by Angela Verdenius
Profile Image for Vanessa.
102 reviews28 followers
May 19, 2013
A very funny and sweet read, with excellent characters, good chemestry, a nice plot, and just enough heat to keep things interesting ;) I had a very good time reading Call on me and I'm looking forward the next installment in the series.

PS : I'm french, so my English is somewhat lacking, and I must say the aussie slang glossary at the beginning of the book really came in handy ;)
Profile Image for Dr. Bronwyn Ph.D of Smutology.
423 reviews
June 9, 2013
I'm a big fan of Angela Verdenius.

What I loved about this book is that the heroine was strong, intelligent and knew exactly what she was willing to accept.

Ghost was easy to like and was never going to let Ali get away with running from the relationship.

I think this may be one of her best! I can't wait for next instalment.
1 review
June 20, 2013
I really loved this book and can't wait for lori's book to come out! Ghost was just so sweet and possessive. Ever since I read Cop's Passion I've checked Angela's website regularly for new books. I can honestly say she's one of my favorite authors, I've read all her BBW books and now i dream of moving to Australia and finding my own personal Hunk! :)
Profile Image for Twinkle Doloeras Tito.
40 reviews
February 14, 2014
this is one of the best friends turned lovers kind of book ^_^ it was quite a fun read.. and there was a lot (yeah A LOT) of intimate scenes with too much elaboration.. i only gave it three because i've read something like this before and truth be told , there were some pages i skipped on reading ;p
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews

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