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wardenred's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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
4.75
I was trying not to be bitter, but I’m genetically wired that way. It’s in my DNA, right next to punctuality and a love of chocolate.
I got a rec for this book when I was searching for something to fill the hole left by Charlie Adhara’s amazign Big Bad Wolf series, and it definitely scratched the same itch. The vibes are different, but it’s also a great mix of romance and paranormal mystery.
I absolutely loved Rain as the protagonist and narrator: his self-deprecating snarkiness, his struggle to coming to terms with the whole ghosts thing, even his cowardice about feelings—because of the way he overcomes it over the course of the story. Danny took longer to grow on me, mainly because of how trigger-happy he was when it came to the detective work and the mixed signals he sent at the start. But I came to understand him and find him a fascinating character as I read. Funny thing, normally I prefer dual POV in my romance, but in this case, I feel like sticking to Rain's viewpoint and showing Danny through his eyes really added to the story rather than detracting from it in any way.
The romance itself is second chance done exactly right, or at least exactly how I like it. Something that really calls to me. The reasons why these two didn't work out the first time around were made clear early on, just like the fact that they still mattered to each other and that each of them had his own narrative of how it all went wrong. At the same time, practically from the first reunion scene, it was easy to see how good they could be for each other if they figured out a way to merge those two narratives and move forward in sync. The "one step forward, two steps back" dance was awesomely done, the chemistry was through the roof, and the confusion of slipping back into the life that used to be home to find it subtly different but no less appealing was beautifully conveyed. I loved how the snark of it all co-existed with moments of rough introspection on Rain's part.
The mystery plot was pretty well done, too: it kept me guessing for long enough, and damn, that final extended interaction with the villain was tense. If inclined, I could nitpick a few parts about the last third of the book or so: there was definitely a moment where the mystery plot slogged a little, as well as a couple of points where the different plot threads—the romance, the mystery, the ghosts, Rain's relationship with his family—got fanned out a bit too much. It all came together again really well in the end, though, so those small bumps in the road did absolutely nothing to lessen my overall enjoyment. Honestly, I barely thought of them in the moment, thoroughly distracted by all the cool snarky dialogue and the feels.
The ghost lore seems super interesting, but it's also very clearly just being set up for the future books, with plenty yet to reveal. The ending suggests that the very next installment might dive way deeper into those esoteric things, and so I'm really excited to pick it up soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Drug use
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