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bibliophilebree's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
3.5
scvallese1's review
4.0
While I'm not normally one for paranormal romance, I was recommended Memento Mori because I have loved another PNR series (by Kristen Proby), so I wanted to give this book a shot- and I'm glad I did! I really enjoyed this haunted series set in New Orleans (one of my favorite cities!)! I loved Hanlen and Dev! They were perfect together!
I will say that, because I don't read much in this genre, it took me a little longer to catch on to some of the verbage that goes with paranormal activity, but once I started to get the hang of it, I couldn't put this down! I'm looking forward to more!
I will say that, because I don't read much in this genre, it took me a little longer to catch on to some of the verbage that goes with paranormal activity, but once I started to get the hang of it, I couldn't put this down! I'm looking forward to more!
daisyknox's review
5.0
All reviews posted at Tales of Love, Life, and Murder
Paranormal romance isn’t usually my favorite so I was expecting a good story but nothing to rave about, until I started reading. Now I stand corrected. This story is riveting. Hanlon doesn’t believe in the supernatural and she has a very specific, intensely personal reason for that position. But when she meets Dev, she can’t deny the unexplainable things that start happening around her. There’s definitely more to the world than just the physical that we can explain, but is she open to it?
The chemistry between Dev and Hanlon is hot and they have an obvious connection that transcends the physical, even if they can’t explain it. Between the tension, romance and paranormal, there’s the suspense of hunting a killer and I hung on every word. This is a great read and an excellent start to a new series. I love this story and can’t wait for more. I received an ARC from Grey’s Promotions in exchange for an honest review.
kaitinreallife's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
trish_beautifulchaosreviews's review
5.0
Ever have one of those books where you haven't read the author before, you know nothing about them, and you're really unsure of the book? And then you start reading and WHOA
bookdragonheart's review
5.0
Overall, this is a great PNR, based on the backdrop of behind the scenes of a New Orleans ghost hunting reality show, with the additional driver of a serial killer plotline. For someone like me, whose guilty pleasure is ghost hunter shows, having that as a premise for a PNR is a ton of fun, and I absolutely loved it!
Hanlen is back in New Orleans after ten years away (after the murder of her best friend) to open up her family’s plantation estate to a reality television ghost hunting team, lead up by Dev. Hanlen, however, is a skeptic, and really has no interest in any of it, and just wants to get it over with. That is, until she meets the enigmatic Dev. Dev is not rattled at all by Hanlen’s skepticism, actually, he even welcomes it, but that’s really because he knows the truth of the world because he actually sees, speaks with, and interacts with actual ghosts on a daily basis. And that’s literal. There are characters in this book that are ghosts, and while they’re not primary, they are definitely integral to driving the story. And Dev and Hanlen’s chemistry is pretty instant on both sides, yet it feels natural and right. There’s not a lot of pretense between them, the core conflicts really don’t surround their relationship - they’re attracted to each other, and they definitely don’t waste a lot of time making that clear.
As Dev’s team prepares for their shoot at Hanlen’s estate, we get the behind the scenes of this reality show. The team of the show, an eclectic group of believers, practitioners, technicians, and skeptics, work to pull everything together, do research, be ready for filming. It’s actually a fascinating conglomerate of people - Dev is a Vodou Houdon, with his own magic and spirit connections that drive the show, a witch, an excommunicated priest, technical experts, and a psychologist skeptic. They are an interesting group as well, and the characters definitely add to the overall feel of making this more realistic. But while all this is happening, a serial killer lurks in the wings. The even more fascinating part, is that we actually get peeks into this person’s mind - each time there is a murder, we get a chapter from their POV, and it totally adds to the creepy and ominous feel of the book.
Avoiding any spoilers, I really loved the way all the different aspects of the story melded together so well. The personal side - the backstories for Dev and Hanlen and their personal connections to the supernatural world (even when unaware), the machinations of the ghost hunting show behind the scenes, and how the serial killer activity ties into all of it, it really worked. Overall, everything comes together in a way that just made this an absolutely enjoyable book in every way.
Hanlen is back in New Orleans after ten years away (after the murder of her best friend) to open up her family’s plantation estate to a reality television ghost hunting team, lead up by Dev. Hanlen, however, is a skeptic, and really has no interest in any of it, and just wants to get it over with. That is, until she meets the enigmatic Dev. Dev is not rattled at all by Hanlen’s skepticism, actually, he even welcomes it, but that’s really because he knows the truth of the world because he actually sees, speaks with, and interacts with actual ghosts on a daily basis. And that’s literal. There are characters in this book that are ghosts, and while they’re not primary, they are definitely integral to driving the story. And Dev and Hanlen’s chemistry is pretty instant on both sides, yet it feels natural and right. There’s not a lot of pretense between them, the core conflicts really don’t surround their relationship - they’re attracted to each other, and they definitely don’t waste a lot of time making that clear.
As Dev’s team prepares for their shoot at Hanlen’s estate, we get the behind the scenes of this reality show. The team of the show, an eclectic group of believers, practitioners, technicians, and skeptics, work to pull everything together, do research, be ready for filming. It’s actually a fascinating conglomerate of people - Dev is a Vodou Houdon, with his own magic and spirit connections that drive the show, a witch, an excommunicated priest, technical experts, and a psychologist skeptic. They are an interesting group as well, and the characters definitely add to the overall feel of making this more realistic. But while all this is happening, a serial killer lurks in the wings. The even more fascinating part, is that we actually get peeks into this person’s mind - each time there is a murder, we get a chapter from their POV, and it totally adds to the creepy and ominous feel of the book.
Avoiding any spoilers, I really loved the way all the different aspects of the story melded together so well. The personal side - the backstories for Dev and Hanlen and their personal connections to the supernatural world (even when unaware), the machinations of the ghost hunting show behind the scenes, and how the serial killer activity ties into all of it, it really worked. Overall, everything comes together in a way that just made this an absolutely enjoyable book in every way.
lilibetbombshell's review
4.0
Real Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
When I review and rate a book, the first thing I take into account is if I vibed with the book. If I don’t vibe with a book, I can’t read it. The second thing, and probably the most vital thing, is how much fun I had reading the book; or, if you want to look at it through a different lens, how much I enjoyed the book. That enjoyment can come in myriad forms. This book’s enjoyment just came in the form of it being a fun book to read.
Am I a sucker for New Orleans lore? Yes. Unashamedly so. Do I love the decentralized religions like Voudun and all types of witchcraft? Always have! Do I love haunted houses (especially plantation houses) and mysteries? Oh yes. Do I love serial killers? Ever since I was a kid!
Did I find the book revelatory? No. Romantic? Not really? Steamy or spicy the way I like it? Not really. Did I find it kind of obvious? Pretty much.
But it was fun to read. And therefore it wasn’t time wasted.
When I review and rate a book, the first thing I take into account is if I vibed with the book. If I don’t vibe with a book, I can’t read it. The second thing, and probably the most vital thing, is how much fun I had reading the book; or, if you want to look at it through a different lens, how much I enjoyed the book. That enjoyment can come in myriad forms. This book’s enjoyment just came in the form of it being a fun book to read.
Am I a sucker for New Orleans lore? Yes. Unashamedly so. Do I love the decentralized religions like Voudun and all types of witchcraft? Always have! Do I love haunted houses (especially plantation houses) and mysteries? Oh yes. Do I love serial killers? Ever since I was a kid!
Did I find the book revelatory? No. Romantic? Not really? Steamy or spicy the way I like it? Not really. Did I find it kind of obvious? Pretty much.
But it was fun to read. And therefore it wasn’t time wasted.
onceupon_a_bookdream's review
3.0
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
Memento Mori is a paranormal suspense romance by author Rayvn Salvador. I am new to the author's writing, but I'd be willing to read more of her books in the future, especially if they involved this cast of characters.
Hanlen left New Orleans after the death of her best friend / other half. She returns now to assist a paranormal TV show as they investigate her family home. She is very much a skeptic when it comes to the paranormal, but she can't deny her strong connection to the host of the show Deveraux Glapion. Dev is a ghost hunter and Vodou Houngan who helps ghosts find peace and show the world respectfully of their existence on his television show. His soul instantly recognizes Hanlen as his other half and as they get to know each other they discover they have more in common. Outside of their growing relationship, people are being murdered and Hanlen seems to find herself in the middle of it. She is the killer's end goal, and it might take more than Dev alone to save her.
Where to start with this one, there was a lot going on, and I don't want to give spoilers. Firstly, I loved the setting, I can't get enough of New Orleans! I liked that we are given both main characters point of views with the added bonus of the killers' point of review. There were so many great characters, but I feel like Dev stole the show with his abilities to see and speak with the afterlife and his respect for the craft. Hanlen was his opposite being a skeptic, but I appreciate that she also respected his beliefs without believing herself. They two of them have a very insta love situation which was cheesy at times and I could have done without, but it is what it is. The intimate scenes between them were open door but not very descriptive, more vaguely described. There's a bunch of other members of the crew that were great additions to the story and I would love to read more about.
This was an enjoyable read, especially for the month of October. A romance that's rich in history, ghosts, and mystery.
Memento Mori is a paranormal suspense romance by author Rayvn Salvador. I am new to the author's writing, but I'd be willing to read more of her books in the future, especially if they involved this cast of characters.
Hanlen left New Orleans after the death of her best friend / other half. She returns now to assist a paranormal TV show as they investigate her family home. She is very much a skeptic when it comes to the paranormal, but she can't deny her strong connection to the host of the show Deveraux Glapion. Dev is a ghost hunter and Vodou Houngan who helps ghosts find peace and show the world respectfully of their existence on his television show. His soul instantly recognizes Hanlen as his other half and as they get to know each other they discover they have more in common. Outside of their growing relationship, people are being murdered and Hanlen seems to find herself in the middle of it. She is the killer's end goal, and it might take more than Dev alone to save her.
Where to start with this one, there was a lot going on, and I don't want to give spoilers. Firstly, I loved the setting, I can't get enough of New Orleans! I liked that we are given both main characters point of views with the added bonus of the killers' point of review. There were so many great characters, but I feel like Dev stole the show with his abilities to see and speak with the afterlife and his respect for the craft. Hanlen was his opposite being a skeptic, but I appreciate that she also respected his beliefs without believing herself. They two of them have a very insta love situation which was cheesy at times and I could have done without, but it is what it is. The intimate scenes between them were open door but not very descriptive, more vaguely described. There's a bunch of other members of the crew that were great additions to the story and I would love to read more about.
This was an enjoyable read, especially for the month of October. A romance that's rich in history, ghosts, and mystery.
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