Tag: LGBTGIA paranormal romance

Review: Spooky Business (The Spectral Files #3) by S.E. Harmon

Rating: 5 🌈

Spooky Business finishes up the amazing paranormal trilogy from S.E. Harmon. The author manages to pull off an absolutely perfect series finale that ties up all of Rain Christiansen and Daniel McKenna’s relationship issues satisfactorily as well as finalizing the cases the Brickell Bay, Florida PI squad (and the FBI) were investigating.

As with everything Rain seems to come into contact with , it’s all connected once more in Spooky Business but the how’s and why’s are so complex and the methodology to getting the answers so labyrinthine that the reader is so deeply involved with the investigations (yes, multiple) that when the true danger to Rain and Danny becomes apparent, it’s not from the person everyone would suspect.

How surprising ! And shockingly perfect! And it makes for a needed character growth that begs for a sequel trilogy. Especially given that ending!

An aspect of these stories is that Harmon never lets us forget the person and lives behind the ghosts Rain encounters. A conversation with a ghostly cantankerous grandmother turns into an unexpectedly poignant and loving moment. And I’m sniffing when I least thought I would.

The investigations are filled with raw emotions, moments of pain, confusion, and death. Ghostly and the very realistic.

Harmon also finds humor and threads it throughout to mitigate the themes of murder and death the plots deal with.

Amazing writing, incredible characters, storylines that are complex and beautiful in their way. This is a series you won’t want to miss. Including this fantastic finale.

Read them in the order they are written for relationship and storylines development.

I’m highly recommending this and the series.

The Spectral Files : 3 of 3:

✓ P.S. I Spook You #1

✓ Principles of Spookology #2

✓ Spooky Business #3

https://www.goodreads.com › showSpooky Business (The Spectral Files, #3) by S.E. Harmon – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Being insatiably curious is a good way to end up dead.

Rain Christiansen, cold case detective and reluctant medium, is very aware of that fact. But when infamous serial killer Thomas Kane wants to meet, there’s no way Rain can say no. He also can’t refuse Kane’s offer—find his missing wife, Delilah, and he’ll reveal the location of his victim’s bodies.

Rain has never turned down a good quid pro quo, and he doesn’t intend to start.

The hunt for Kane’s wife leads to yet another cold case, three copycat murders, and an investigation where nothing is as it seems. Soon, Rain is dealing with a ghost unlike any he’s ever dealt with before…a ghost capable of doing things he shouldn’t be able to do. How can Rain control something he doesn’t even understand? And what will he do when the unknown threatens the safety of the most important person in his life?

Rain is starting to realize that he can only battle the supernatural with the supernatural, and that is spooky business indeed.

Review : Spirited Situation (Ghostly Guardians #1) by Louisa Masters

Rating: 4.75🌈

Spirited Situation is the first book in the new Ghostly Guardians series by Louisa Masters and it’s a wonderfully entertaining paranormal read!

We meet our two main characters in a bar, both looking for a hookup after long sexual dry spells. It’s instant chemistry, a night of insanely hot sex, then they leave the motel the morning after, not even exchanging names or particulars.

Of course , it doesn’t stay that way.

One of the men, Josh, is a man who’s been able to see, and talk to ghosts his entire life. It’s cost him jobs, apartments, and friends. Now he’s interviewing for a job that he’s hopeful will be the answer to all his immediate needs. It’s in a renovated estate that offers tours, including ghosts. Has living quarters attached and a small enough town that its own ghostly population should be fairly small.

What he doesn’t count on is the guy he hooked up with being the blacksmith/historian also employed by the estate and living there too.

That’s Ewan. Huge, happy to see his hookup , until a misconception gets in the way.

Louisa Masters sets the foundation for her new series by building her found family of living employees and very lively ghosts , all residing together at the estate.

While we’re getting to know everyone from Josh, who can see and talk to all our ghostly characters, Ewan our lover and blacksmith, the Manager Kieran, Skye at the front desk , Daniel who runs the historical farm to some of the wonderful ghosts like Hattie, Maisie, Joe , and Johnny.

It’s quite the cast but it’s never overwhelming because each is such a great personality. And each ghost is invested in Josh and Ewan’s romance as much as we are!

That’s so much fun. Especially ghosts like Carter who are late to gay sex and want all the inside scoop!

Overlaying all of this is the series storylines. One that gets neatly resolved but a larger one is left to be part of further storylines in the future books. I can’t wait for those!

Masters has a way of making her books feel like I just picked them up and then it’s over. They are so smoothly written, so well plotted, and the characters so engaging that the time just flies by.

Now to wait until the next which is Kieran’s story. I wonder who he will be paired up with? Hmmmmm

I’m highly recommending this new novel! It’s a great story and a entertaining start to a new series!

Reviewer note: Not a 5 because lack of last names bugs me. Always has. Pls pls give your characters last names. Ty. This note for any and all authors out there.

Ghostly Guardians:

✓ Spirited Situation #1

â—¦ Vortex Conundrum #2 – coming 2022

https://www.goodreads.com › showSpirited Situation (Ghostly Guardians #1) by Louisa Masters | Goodreads

Synopsis:

When you can talk to ghosts, things are bound to get spirited.

The ghosts have been there since before I can remember. When I was a kid, they doted on me, but as I got older, they got more demanding. I’ve spent my whole life seeing and talking to dead people and trying to pretend I’m not, because the living just don’t understand. Nobody wants to be around the freak who claims to see ghosts.
Until I go to Mannix Estate.

Once a private country home, then a posh hotel, it was closed after a suspicious incident but is now an immersive historic experience. It’s also haunted AF, and everyone knows it. Finally, I’ve found a place to work and live where I can be useful. Where I’m actually wanted.

There are only two problems: I spent a hot, sweaty, satisfying night with Ewan the blacksmith before I knew we’d have to work together. Everyone knows sex with colleagues is a bad idea, right? Even if he’s the world’s most ripped cinnamon roll.

Plus, the ghosts are keeping secrets. There’s something going on that’s not normal, even for a haunted estate. And I suspect that when the truth comes out, I’m the one who’ll have to deal with it… and it won’t be good.

Review: Jon’s Spooky Corpse Conundrum (Jon’s Mysteries #3) by A.J. Sherwood

Rating: 4.75🌈

Jon’s Spooky Corpse Conundrum is the penultimate novel in this series and one that brings the emotional elements that have kept Jon’s deep insecurities about himself and his ability to have a person willing to commit themselves to him, given his gifts, at play. Yes, it’s all about Jon’s past history and his family.

That element is neatly woven into a complicated case about a historic house and a missing corpse.

Sherwood takes a long look at multiple relationships here. Doesn’t matter whether they be in the past, in the present, or one’s looking towards their future together. All get inspected under the author’s narrative lens, to see how each one , each decision made with regard towards a making or breaking a relationship impacted those now.

It’s an emotionally painful for everyone, cathartic for some, devastating for others. For Jon it lead him forward, letting him move into another stage of his relationship with Donovan and his own family.

I love where Sherwood is leading us with this story and it’s elements. The growth in the main characters and new depth to their relationships just makes the book. Along with a great mystery of course!

This is one novel where too much detail in the review gives away too many revelations coming in the story. Even one spoiler is one too many.

This is a tremendously gratifying journey and series. We have another to go.

See you at the series finale. Until then, I’m highly recommending Jon’s Spooky Corpse Conundrum (Jon’s Mysteries #3) by A.J. Sherwood .

Love the author! Read the series in the order they are written!

Jon’s Mysteries series:

✓ Jon’s Downright Ridiculous Shooting Case #1

✓ Jon’s Crazy Head-Boppon’ Mystery #2

✓ Jon’s Spooky Corpse Conundrum #3

◦ Jon’s Boom Shaka Laka Problem #4

✓ Brandon’s Very Merry Haunted Christmas

Jon’s Spooky Corpse Conundrum by A.J. Sherwood – Goodreads

Synopsis:

I’ve investigated some pretty strange cases in my life, but I have to say this is a first. A corpse—a murder victim—has gone missing during the middle of an investigation, and no one has any clue where it went. Psy is called in to clear the investigative team, make sure they’re not an accomplice. It’s a four hour drive outside of Nashville, to a place famous for being haunted, so none of us are particularly eager to go.

And then we arrive on scene and I see who we’re dealing with and I want nothing more than to turn around and go right back to Nashville.

This case is complicated and strange, and absolutely nothing is as it seems at first glance. Even with my eyes, it’s going to take some digging to get to the truth.




Tags:

haunted house, disappearing corpses, not in a zombie way, Donovan doesn’t do ghosts, family drama, because families are complicated, muuuuurder, bareback sex, terrible parenting, Donovan puts up with a lot to say the least, developing relationship, Garrett’s a good bro, sometimes, yeeeeeeeeeeeeees, FINALLY, healthy life choices, possibly wrong forensics, I don’t even know, I tried, no ghosts were harmed in the making of this story, supernatural elements, the author regrets nothing

Review: The Enchanter’s Flame (The Ellwood Chronicles #1) by Michele Notaro

Rating: 4.5 🌈

It was a gorgeous cover that drew me to another new fantasy series and new author. It’s glorious colors and outstanding design had me stopping and grabbing the synopsis.

Never underestimate the power of a great cover!

Michele Notaro’s first installment absolutely lives up to that cover! Full of magical characters, a plot full of mystery and murders, and a universe that has a foundation that expands to embrace each new revelation as the story continues.

And it starts so mundanely. With a series of murders and a detective looking for clues to the identity to the serial killer.

That’s our introduction to Det. Sebastian Fitz, ex Special Forces, now a recently transferred Detective who’s been assigned a murder investigation that soon turns into that of multiple murders, with the same weird MO.

Drained blood, tortured victims, and symbolic markings bring Ailin Ellwood, a specialist, into Seb’s case and life.

The story and characters start off slow but as the author builds more of her universe and the characters get more involved in both the investigation and each other, then it starts to come together.

The further I read , the more the characters revealed about themselves, the more I connected with everyone and this story until at parts I was sobbing.

The ending sets up the plots and major conflicts coming for the next story. I’m headed that way.

I’m definitely recommending The Enchanter’s Flame (The Ellwood Chronicles #1) by Michele Notaro. What terrific characters!

The Ellwood Chronicles series:

✓ The Enchanter’s Flame #1

◦ The Witch’s Seal

◦ The Enchanter’s Soul #3

◦ The Witch’s Blood #4

◦ The Enchanter’s Heart #5

â—¦ The Enchanters New Kids #6

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Enchanter’s Flame by Michele Notaro – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Strange things are happening all around Brinnswick. Things that remind me of a piece of my past I’d rather forget. Girls are being killed, drained of blood, and left with strange markings on their bodies. When I finally connect the cases together, a specialist is called in—though, what he’s a specialist of is beyond me.

When the chief assigns him as my new partner for the case, I can’t help but groan on the inside. Why of all people would I be assigned to Ailin Ellwood? The man is a disaster waiting to happen and a jerk to boot. A sexy jerk, but a jerk nonetheless.

What will Sebastian think when he discovers Ailin’s specialty? Will he make a run for it or will he stick around and discover a world of magic hidden beneath the city’s surface?

***The Enchanter’s Flame is the first book in the Ellwood Chronicles. It’s a paranormal romance that contains explicit material and is intended for mature adults 18 and over.***