Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sweet and somewhat whimsical which is usually not my jam but it's hard to explain in this book. It makes you feel warm. It's quite endearing.
Genre: Contemporary paranormal romance. It's basically a contemporary romance with ghosts.
Series information: Standalone
Steam Level: 3 out of 5 (Open door) - So romance.io says it's open door, but I thought it was more closed door. There is an extended foreplay scene, but imo there was no sex on the page.
Romance Level: 4 out of 5 (Romance story with an independent non-romance plot)
How I Read It: E-book and audiobook borrowed from Libby
Audiobook performance: 4 out of 5 (Perfectly captures the story and characters)
I really enjoyed the romance part of the story. The ghost aspect was such a great way to introduce tension. The characters really fell in love by talking and getting to know each other, rather than anything physical. I loved the MMC being there for FMC in her darkest hour. I also loved the reveal of the circumstances leading to FMC and MMC meeting.
The rest of the story I was much more meh about. A lot of the book is dedicated to the FMC's character growth independent of the MMC, which I had a lot of issues with. The book really belabored her flaws too much. And when she finally achieves her growth, it was like a switch that was flipped and all of a sudden she learned all her lessons. There wasn't really any actual development in the character development. I also wasn't a big fan of how all the side characters were handled. It definitely felt like they all only existed to either pressure the FMC or to teach her a lesson. It's also weird that the FMC is allowed to wallow so much in her own self pity. Even though the tragedy that happens affects her whole family, most of the other family members are not given any room in the story to be sad or grieve.
Series information: Standalone
Steam Level: 3 out of 5 (Open door) - So romance.io says it's open door, but I thought it was more closed door. There is an extended foreplay scene, but imo there was no sex on the page.
Romance Level: 4 out of 5 (Romance story with an independent non-romance plot)
How I Read It: E-book and audiobook borrowed from Libby
Audiobook performance: 4 out of 5 (Perfectly captures the story and characters)
I really enjoyed the romance part of the story. The ghost aspect was such a great way to introduce tension. The characters really fell in love by talking and getting to know each other, rather than anything physical. I loved the MMC being there for FMC in her darkest hour. I also loved the reveal of the circumstances leading to FMC and MMC meeting.
The rest of the story I was much more meh about. A lot of the book is dedicated to the FMC's character growth independent of the MMC, which I had a lot of issues with. The book really belabored her flaws too much. And when she finally achieves her growth, it was like a switch that was flipped and all of a sudden she learned all her lessons. There wasn't really any actual development in the character development. I also wasn't a big fan of how all the side characters were handled. It definitely felt like they all only existed to either pressure the FMC or to teach her a lesson. It's also weird that the FMC is allowed to wallow so much in her own self pity. Even though the tragedy that happens affects her whole family, most of the other family members are not given any room in the story to be sad or grieve.
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
If the movie Just Like Heaven and the show The Haunting of Hill House had a book baby, it would be this. I absolutely adore magical realism in romance, and this is a new fave.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes