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cmorris109's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
jillmlong's review against another edition
2.0
I have liked previous novels by Heather Graham but this one just didn't work for me. There was a lot of civil war history in this book that I found boring and didn't enhance the story in any way except word count. There was also many characters in this story and it was hard to keep track of them, especially since they all seemed on the periphery.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.
the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a huge fan of this author's paranormal books. Especially the ones set in the South. I love how she incorporates the history of the cities. I am not crazy about the romances mostly because they always feel very underdeveloped. However, I don't read these books for the romances, so it doesn't bother me too much. Although, I wish she would stop using the word writhing in the sex scenes. It always makes me think they are in agony not ecstasy. (lol) Overall though this was another great book by this author, and the mystery kept me guessing until the end. So kudos to the author for that!
patachap's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
sandylovesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this book up thinking it would be good to read. I've read some of Heather Graham's books before and had a half and half reaction. Some were really good and others were a no-go. But this book was good enough to finish. The things I loved about the book were the ghosts. Monty, the older ghost, watches Netflix and hums The Twilight Zone theme. There is also his grandson, Justin, another ghost. They are the only ones I was interested in when reading the book. This book was also a who-done-it mystery. Two people disappeared within 2 years of each other, and two people died under mysterious ways. Kristi, the main female character, is the owner of the bed & breakfast where they hold seances and all manor of bad things happen. I didn't like Kristi or Dallas, the main male character. Eh, it just held my attention enough for me to want to read to the end.
Here are some notes I wrote while reading the book.
page 40 - I don't like how the author writes her women. They are like the old gothic romances with the women running away from the haunted mansions on the cover and needing the man to rescue them. I was waiting for Dallas to pat Kristi on her head. The poor dear.
page 59 - Monty appears to Kristi and she runs down the stairs and out the door straight into the arms of Dallas, because, of course. The next time she sees Monty, he knocks on her door, and asks, politely, if he can come into her bedroom. This is when she finds out he watches Netflix and hums the theme song to The Twilight Zone.
page 61 - The second ghost appears. Justin is the grandson of Monty and they both watch over the house.
page 103 - Oh no! He's sitting alone. Thank God he had a cell phone because people would think he was crazy if he was sitting alone.
page 107 - Dallas is having a hard time focusing on his job when Kristi is around. She is so pretty. So I guess if she were a dog he wouldn't have a problem focusing on his job. She is so pretty and he is so, I don't know, God-like.
page 157-159 - Oh no. The sex scene. How incredibly....I have no words....I think I might puke. There's nothing to it and it's so blah. Kristi and Dallas really don't have any chemistry at least none that I could see. We are supposed to believe they are falling in love.
page 250 - Slavery is one of the worst things one human can do to another human and was a huge blot on the history of the US and just as much in other countries as well. And unfortunately, not much has changed. That was only a part of what the Civil War was fought about. But to have character after character say that slavery was bad does not make me think these people are so good because they say that.
page 259 - The reason this book is on my sandy's trigger shelf. The dreaded wink. I hate it. But it's not so bad this time. It was to Kristi from Jonah, who is the elderly caretaker of the house. He was teasing her about being nice to Dallas. Kind of a wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
page 322 - Oh no, no, no. Sexism at it's finest. Kristi is joking that she could take a young lady in a fight. Dallas, in all his shithead attitude, says " I'm sure you're fierce in a hair-pulling fight." Yeah, fuck you Dallas! I'm sure you also think Kristi will be upset because she will break a nail.
I hope the author doesn't write anymore misogynistic assholes but I have a bad feeling.
The book was ok and had me wanting to read it to find out who killed those two people and can they find proof that Monty didn't kill his wife. For a book at 377 pages the ending seemed a bit rushed and I didn't care for the conclusion of Dallas and Kristi. So I probably will not read anymore Krewe of Hunters books. Maybe I'll try another series with more ghosts.
Here are some notes I wrote while reading the book.
page 40 - I don't like how the author writes her women. They are like the old gothic romances with the women running away from the haunted mansions on the cover and needing the man to rescue them. I was waiting for Dallas to pat Kristi on her head. The poor dear.
page 59 - Monty appears to Kristi and she runs down the stairs and out the door straight into the arms of Dallas, because, of course. The next time she sees Monty, he knocks on her door, and asks, politely, if he can come into her bedroom. This is when she finds out he watches Netflix and hums the theme song to The Twilight Zone.
page 61 - The second ghost appears. Justin is the grandson of Monty and they both watch over the house.
page 103 - Oh no! He's sitting alone. Thank God he had a cell phone because people would think he was crazy if he was sitting alone.
page 107 - Dallas is having a hard time focusing on his job when Kristi is around. She is so pretty. So I guess if she were a dog he wouldn't have a problem focusing on his job. She is so pretty and he is so, I don't know, God-like.
page 157-159 - Oh no. The sex scene. How incredibly....I have no words....I think I might puke. There's nothing to it and it's so blah. Kristi and Dallas really don't have any chemistry at least none that I could see. We are supposed to believe they are falling in love.
page 250 - Slavery is one of the worst things one human can do to another human and was a huge blot on the history of the US and just as much in other countries as well. And unfortunately, not much has changed. That was only a part of what the Civil War was fought about. But to have character after character say that slavery was bad does not make me think these people are so good because they say that.
page 259 - The reason this book is on my sandy's trigger shelf. The dreaded wink. I hate it. But it's not so bad this time. It was to Kristi from Jonah, who is the elderly caretaker of the house. He was teasing her about being nice to Dallas. Kind of a wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
page 322 - Oh no, no, no. Sexism at it's finest. Kristi is joking that she could take a young lady in a fight. Dallas, in all his shithead attitude, says " I'm sure you're fierce in a hair-pulling fight." Yeah, fuck you Dallas! I'm sure you also think Kristi will be upset because she will break a nail.
I hope the author doesn't write anymore misogynistic assholes but I have a bad feeling.
The book was ok and had me wanting to read it to find out who killed those two people and can they find proof that Monty didn't kill his wife. For a book at 377 pages the ending seemed a bit rushed and I didn't care for the conclusion of Dallas and Kristi. So I probably will not read anymore Krewe of Hunters books. Maybe I'll try another series with more ghosts.
felinity's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
I had no idea this was part of a series until I came here to write the review, and I liked the book, so it obviously stands well on its own. I'm sure people familiar with the series would get more out of it, but I enjoyed it (albeit with some eye-rolling for the quick connection and hookup.).
I had no idea this was part of a series until I came here to write the review, and I liked the book, so it obviously stands well on its own. I'm sure people familiar with the series would get more out of it, but I enjoyed it (albeit with some eye-rolling for the quick connection and hookup
Spoiler
between Kristi and Dallas. The individuality of the ghosts was a nice touch, but the murderer reveal seemed a little clumsybookwyrm_lark's review
3.0
FBI agent Dallas Wicker sees ghosts. Kristi Stewart, new owner of Savannah’s reputedly haunted McLane House B&B, doesn’t believe in ghosts… until her several-times-great-grandfather shows up in her room with a warning.
Dallas has been sent to unofficially look into two “accidental” deaths and two disappearances, all of them in the neighborhood of Kristi’s inn. The mystery focuses as much on if and how the deaths and disappearances are related as it does on who is involved. And as Dallas and Kristi edge closer to finding some of the answers, it appears Kristi may be in danger, too.
I like this series; it’s light (in its way) despite the darkness of murder and the presence of ghosts. In fact, the ghosts in these books are usually benign, often helpful, and sometimes disarmingly matter-of-fact about their noncorporeal state. However, the writing is a little uneven from book to book, and the prose is merely workaday; it tells the story well enough, but there’s nothing outstanding about it. The stories usually make up for that, and the main characters in most of the books, while not complex, are usually human and relatable.
For the most part, that is true of The Summoning as well. I really liked practical, kind-hearted Kristi; she’s loyal as well as intelligent, and her journey from shock and denial to acceptance of the ghosts’ reality comes across as very believable. Dallas is typical of the heroes of the series: protective, professional (except when it comes to Kristi), and mostly unflappable, the sort of guy you would want on your side (or by your side) when there are both ghosts and murder in the air.
However, while the mystery in this book was satisfying and kept me guessing for quite a while, the romance felt more pro forma than compelling. The characters were instantly attracted (attracted, not insta-love), but their first intimate scene seemed to come almost out of the blue. I expected more build-up toward it; instead, Graham offered little development of the relationship leading up to that point, and Kristi’s actions in particular felt out of character. Following that scene, the narrative focuses in on the mystery, and I enjoyed the remainder of the book for the light, slightly spooky diversion that it is.
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.
Dallas has been sent to unofficially look into two “accidental” deaths and two disappearances, all of them in the neighborhood of Kristi’s inn. The mystery focuses as much on if and how the deaths and disappearances are related as it does on who is involved. And as Dallas and Kristi edge closer to finding some of the answers, it appears Kristi may be in danger, too.
I like this series; it’s light (in its way) despite the darkness of murder and the presence of ghosts. In fact, the ghosts in these books are usually benign, often helpful, and sometimes disarmingly matter-of-fact about their noncorporeal state. However, the writing is a little uneven from book to book, and the prose is merely workaday; it tells the story well enough, but there’s nothing outstanding about it. The stories usually make up for that, and the main characters in most of the books, while not complex, are usually human and relatable.
For the most part, that is true of The Summoning as well. I really liked practical, kind-hearted Kristi; she’s loyal as well as intelligent, and her journey from shock and denial to acceptance of the ghosts’ reality comes across as very believable. Dallas is typical of the heroes of the series: protective, professional (except when it comes to Kristi), and mostly unflappable, the sort of guy you would want on your side (or by your side) when there are both ghosts and murder in the air.
However, while the mystery in this book was satisfying and kept me guessing for quite a while, the romance felt more pro forma than compelling. The characters were instantly attracted (attracted, not insta-love), but their first intimate scene seemed to come almost out of the blue. I expected more build-up toward it; instead, Graham offered little development of the relationship leading up to that point, and Kristi’s actions in particular felt out of character. Following that scene, the narrative focuses in on the mystery, and I enjoyed the remainder of the book for the light, slightly spooky diversion that it is.
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.
brandilovesbooks's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
emmar's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0