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eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Stars
New series by Louisa Masters, and I was excited about this. I've been having a hard time with her Here Be Dragons series, but this one seemed more like her Hidden Species series—meaning there's more to the plot than just romance, which I feel Masters is better suited to.
The story follows Josh, who's able to see and talk to ghosts. It's something that's caused a lot of problems in his life. So when he sees a job opportunity at a haunted hotel, he thinks it could be somewhere he'll be less likely to be seen as crazy. The job turns out to be better than expected in ways I won't reveal.
The secondary protagonist is Ewen, Josh's one-night-stand, who turns out to be his coworker. I liked the relationship between the two. They were cute and drama-free. There was some initial misunderstanding that felt unnecessary but was harmless. And while I wish authors could give the premature declarations of love a rest, I've all but given up on that cause. And I liked both characters enough to not be too bothered.
There were various side characters, and they were all interesting, the ghosts were hella fun, and Josh was a great protagonist—smart, funny, caring and competent. His competence reminded me of Sam from Demons Do It Better, who I adore.
The plot with the ghosts and the paranormal problem was done well. I liked learning about the supernatural elements of this world. There was some interesting stuff in here and hints of plenty to come.
Unfortunately, the climax wasn't the best. The characters were able to get information, but a lot of the solving depended on Josh, and then he suddenly just knew how to do stuff he'd never done before. And that wouldn't have bothered me nearly as much if not for these lines earlier in the book:
See, I read a lot of genres, and I try to regulate my expectation for each book. This is a 240-page romance novel. Yes, it's a paranormal romance, and one in which the paranormal elements are just as important, but I wouldn't expect the same set-up and pay-off from it that I would from a 600-page epic fantasy. That would be ridiculous. But pointing out something like this and then doing the same thing 100 pages later is hypocritical. Whether the hypocrisy was intentional or unintentional is anyone's guess. Though I'd put my money on the latter.
Overall though, I enjoyed this book, and I do recommend checking it out. I'm also looking forward to the rest of the series.
New series by Louisa Masters, and I was excited about this. I've been having a hard time with her Here Be Dragons series, but this one seemed more like her Hidden Species series—meaning there's more to the plot than just romance, which I feel Masters is better suited to.
The story follows Josh, who's able to see and talk to ghosts. It's something that's caused a lot of problems in his life. So when he sees a job opportunity at a haunted hotel, he thinks it could be somewhere he'll be less likely to be seen as crazy. The job turns out to be better than expected in ways I won't reveal.
The secondary protagonist is Ewen, Josh's one-night-stand, who turns out to be his coworker. I liked the relationship between the two. They were cute and drama-free. There was some initial misunderstanding that felt unnecessary but was harmless. And while I wish authors could give the premature declarations of love a rest, I've all but given up on that cause. And I liked both characters enough to not be too bothered.
There were various side characters, and they were all interesting, the ghosts were hella fun, and Josh was a great protagonist—smart, funny, caring and competent. His competence reminded me of Sam from Demons Do It Better, who I adore.
The plot with the ghosts and the paranormal problem was done well. I liked learning about the supernatural elements of this world. There was some interesting stuff in here and hints of plenty to come.
Unfortunately, the climax wasn't the best. The characters were able to get information, but a lot of the solving depended on Josh, and then he suddenly just knew how to do stuff he'd never done before. And that wouldn't have bothered me nearly as much if not for these lines earlier in the book:
I hadn’t realized until this very second how much part of me was hoping that I’d know. That I’d get here, and it would be like one of those “chosen one” movies, where the good guy gets thrust into the bad situation and instinctively knows what to do to save the day.
That didn’t happen.
See, I read a lot of genres, and I try to regulate my expectation for each book. This is a 240-page romance novel. Yes, it's a paranormal romance, and one in which the paranormal elements are just as important, but I wouldn't expect the same set-up and pay-off from it that I would from a 600-page epic fantasy. That would be ridiculous. But pointing out something like this and then doing the same thing 100 pages later is hypocritical. Whether the hypocrisy was intentional or unintentional is anyone's guess. Though I'd put my money on the latter.
Overall though, I enjoyed this book, and I do recommend checking it out. I'm also looking forward to the rest of the series.
mnwakeford's review
4.0
Light hearted romance with a cast of eccentric ghosts
Fun and quirky story featuring a cast of eccentric ghosts at a haunted country house retreat. Ewan and Josh, the main love interests, are likeable characters, but I felt their romance took a backseat to the drama in the story. This is not a particularly angsty read, as apart from a minor misunderstanding at the beginning, there is not much keeping the lovers apart. Nevertheless, this was a quick and enjoyable romp with plenty of action and smut.
Fun and quirky story featuring a cast of eccentric ghosts at a haunted country house retreat. Ewan and Josh, the main love interests, are likeable characters, but I felt their romance took a backseat to the drama in the story. This is not a particularly angsty read, as apart from a minor misunderstanding at the beginning, there is not much keeping the lovers apart. Nevertheless, this was a quick and enjoyable romp with plenty of action and smut.
fishreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Josh is somebody who has been able to see and talk to ghosts since he was a kid. This has made his life difficult, as pretty much everybody considered him a freak. Unable to keep a job and a place to stay, Josh thinks applying for a job at Mannix Estate, a haunted mansion/boutique hotel, might just be the thing that will help him find a place where he can belong.
He gets the job, and both his new boss and the residing ghosts seem to take a liking to him. However, Josh finds himself a bit thrown when he discovers that Ewan, one of his new coworkers, is also a man he shared a hot one-night stand with on the first night he arrived in town. While Josh is trying to find his footing and avoid getting involved with Ewan, the ghosts come to him with a secret they've been hiding for the past 50 years.
He gets the job, and both his new boss and the residing ghosts seem to take a liking to him. However, Josh finds himself a bit thrown when he discovers that Ewan, one of his new coworkers, is also a man he shared a hot one-night stand with on the first night he arrived in town. While Josh is trying to find his footing and avoid getting involved with Ewan, the ghosts come to him with a secret they've been hiding for the past 50 years.
This was a good introduction to the series with plenty of likable characters and slowly revealed mystery. Thanks to a convenient misunderstanding in the beginning, the romance progression between Josh and Ewan wasn't too fast. Instead, Josh and Ewan had a little more time to get to know each other instead of immediately acting on their instant mutual attraction.
The romance was somewhat underdeveloped because the story focus is divided between the romantic and the supernatural aspect. This is not something I minded all that much because I've come to expect it from this author's previous paranormal series. Instead, I was excited that I had another series to dive straight into, and I could appreciate the slow but steady expansion of this particular universe to include other supernatural elements and the progression of the story from knowing about the existence of ghosts to learning aboutthe threat of demons and mysterious energy vortexes .
The romance was somewhat underdeveloped because the story focus is divided between the romantic and the supernatural aspect. This is not something I minded all that much because I've come to expect it from this author's previous paranormal series. Instead, I was excited that I had another series to dive straight into, and I could appreciate the slow but steady expansion of this particular universe to include other supernatural elements and the progression of the story from knowing about the existence of ghosts to learning about
Themes: dual POV, one night stand, coworkers to lovers, ghosts, small towns
sunnysideup's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
tatynaf's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A very funny story in which the lack of romance is compensated by the humor of the ghosts that inhabit Mannix State.
This is the first book in the series, so we are introduced to the world in which the series will unfold and the characters. They are all very well developed and absolutely adorable. In this case the main couple is Josh and Ewan but the side characters are also very important because the central thing is the mystery that they have to solve together and although we have a conclusion it is obvious that the problem will come back to haunt them.
I really enjoyed reading this story and want to continue the series.
faerietrails's review against another edition
3.5
To be honest, I misread that Josh was a paranormal investigator, but the fact that he was just a normal guy looking for a job that wouldn't make him look like a weirdo talking to ghosts was a fun little twist. I was impressed by the number of times I actually laughed out loud- the writing is witty, the characters are charming, and overall it's a heart-warming story that understands that the premise is kind of silly.
The romance is okay, but it felt like they had less chemistry as it progressed. They still have their sweet and sexy moments.
The romance is okay, but it felt like they had less chemistry as it progressed. They still have their sweet and sexy moments.
lollymac's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content
aubreysmith9412's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Being able to see and speak with ghosts has been a challenge for Josh his whole life. But finding his dream job at Mannix Estate, a known haunted tourist destination, is about to change all that.
Josh is accepted, and welcomed at Mannix Estate with wide open arms. He makes friends quickly with his colleagues, and even befriends the spirits who've made Mannix their home. But what makes it better is that the tall, strong, muscular blacksmith Ewan has caught his eye. And the feeling is mutual.
While trying to balance his new work responsibilities and his feelings for the charming smithy, Josh is made aware of a very, very dire situation by the ghosts. A matter of life and death, really. And really, what's a little world saving added to your plate during your first month on the job?
Through what can only be described as a situation of pure chaos, the crew at Mannix Estate seem to have resolved one problem - but they still have another on their hands, with no idea how to resolve it. But as far as Josh is concerned, that's an issue for another time. He has a smithy to snuggle, and cuddle, and cherish, and love.
Josh is accepted, and welcomed at Mannix Estate with wide open arms. He makes friends quickly with his colleagues, and even befriends the spirits who've made Mannix their home. But what makes it better is that the tall, strong, muscular blacksmith Ewan has caught his eye. And the feeling is mutual.
While trying to balance his new work responsibilities and his feelings for the charming smithy, Josh is made aware of a very, very dire situation by the ghosts. A matter of life and death, really. And really, what's a little world saving added to your plate during your first month on the job?
Through what can only be described as a situation of pure chaos, the crew at Mannix Estate seem to have resolved one problem - but they still have another on their hands, with no idea how to resolve it. But as far as Josh is concerned, that's an issue for another time. He has a smithy to snuggle, and cuddle, and cherish, and love.
sus_would_rather_be_reading's review
5.0
This entire series was fire. No complaints. All perfection. This last book does a brilliant job wrapping up the series and opening the door for the spinoff.
Nick Russo does a brilliant job with this narration. Highly recommend hitting the audiobook format for this series.
Nick Russo does a brilliant job with this narration. Highly recommend hitting the audiobook format for this series.