bookscoffeepie's review
4.0
Julian really needs a job. Oliver is a medium - a real one. They become a sort of team when Julian’s sister and brother-in-law entice him to join the cast of a new ghost-hunting show, taking the place of resident skeptic. Over the course of their first episode together, attraction blooms, as does suspicion and deceit.
This was an engrossing, enjoyable read, with all the right amounts of red herrings and questionable behavior to keep me invested to the end. Julian respects Oliver too much to just sign off on what he feels is hokum, while Oliver cares enough for Julian that he understands where the skepticism comes from but won’t change for him. That dynamic provided just the right amount of tension to the romance throughout. On top of that, there’s the whole mysterious-deaths thing (yes, plural) just adding to the entertainment value. I can’t wait to see where Julian, Oliver, et al end up next.
This was an engrossing, enjoyable read, with all the right amounts of red herrings and questionable behavior to keep me invested to the end. Julian respects Oliver too much to just sign off on what he feels is hokum, while Oliver cares enough for Julian that he understands where the skepticism comes from but won’t change for him. That dynamic provided just the right amount of tension to the romance throughout. On top of that, there’s the whole mysterious-deaths thing (yes, plural) just adding to the entertainment value. I can’t wait to see where Julian, Oliver, et al end up next.
roguesmith's review
4.0
In brief: Julian Weems isn't having the best of luck at the moment. He loves being an anthropologist but after losing his dream job, opportunities aren't exactly coming knocking for him. Then his sister talks him into becoming a professional skeptic on a TV show doing paranormal investigations, and how hard can that be, it is all fake, right? Then he meets Oscar Fellowes, who just happens to be this cute Brit who is actually the real deal, a real medium who can actually see dead people. Add in TV and brother-in-law shenanigans and there you have it.
This is yet another new author to me, I picked it up because the whole premise intrigued me, I loved the idea of the whole paranormal investigation angle, and I'm glad I did. First of all, this book is fun. More than once I found myself amused by the antics of Julian and Oscar, and the interplay between them, and between Julian and Oscar's business partner and friend Ezra, and Julian's sister Cece. Julian eating a peach was a particular favourite, that did make me laugh out loud.
I loved the whole slow burn of the mutual attraction between Oscar and Julian, and that it wasn't forced but allowed to develop organically. Also really loved Julian slowly coming round to perhaps believing a little in ghosts, even though he was hired to be the skeptic, it was so good that he wasn't horrible about it and approached it in a more scientific way - which he is. Also loved that Oscar was the real deal, and I also hate all the bells and whistles of some of these 'paranormal investigations' so it was a refreshing change.
It's not 5 stars totally because I got a little lost with the huge cast of characters, both people and ghosts, and I also felt I wanted some more of the ends tied up. What happened to horrible Cynthia, did Thomas and Jacob actually end up paying for what they did?
That said, I loved it enough (and Oscar and Julian) that I'll look out for the next one when it comes.
This is yet another new author to me, I picked it up because the whole premise intrigued me, I loved the idea of the whole paranormal investigation angle, and I'm glad I did. First of all, this book is fun. More than once I found myself amused by the antics of Julian and Oscar, and the interplay between them, and between Julian and Oscar's business partner and friend Ezra, and Julian's sister Cece. Julian eating a peach was a particular favourite, that did make me laugh out loud.
I loved the whole slow burn of the mutual attraction between Oscar and Julian, and that it wasn't forced but allowed to develop organically. Also really loved Julian slowly coming round to perhaps believing a little in ghosts, even though he was hired to be the skeptic, it was so good that he wasn't horrible about it and approached it in a more scientific way - which he is. Also loved that Oscar was the real deal, and I also hate all the bells and whistles of some of these 'paranormal investigations' so it was a refreshing change.
It's not 5 stars totally because I got a little lost with the huge cast of characters, both people and ghosts, and I also felt I wanted some more of the ends tied up. What happened to horrible Cynthia, did Thomas and Jacob actually end up paying for what they did?
That said, I loved it enough (and Oscar and Julian) that I'll look out for the next one when it comes.
cabc's review
3.0
This was a cute and fun mystery and an overall pleasant read. I did figure out all of the twists and mysteries almost immediately, but I still enjoyed watching everything unfold. I liked all of the characters, especially Oscar and Ezra who are an adorable best friend duo. I would personally call this romance lite. There’s not much focus on the romantic relationship and it’s very low heat (there’s one brief scene). And while, yes, there is some chemistry between Oscar and Julian, there’s a bit of a forced proximity that influences their relationship. I hope the second book follows the same main characters and has more romance.
I definitely recommend checking this book and plan on reading more by this author.
I definitely recommend checking this book and plan on reading more by this author.
isalaur's review
4.0
This looks like the start of a fun series. I really enjoyed this opener. The MCs are engaging, the storyline is interesting, and the secondary characters help propel the story. I figured out the mystery pretty early on but that didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book.
Julian is an academic in need of a job and his sister offers him one he needs but isn’t thrilled about. His brother-in-law is a reality tv producer and they are doing a show about hauntings and murder and they want him to be the professional skeptic. The show is based on a YouTube series by a well known British psychic, Oscar, and his partner and best friend Ezra. When Julian and Oscar meet there is an immediate attraction, much to their surprise and Ezra’s annoyance. The mystery involves the strange deaths of several members of a wealthy family, over time, on the family estate in upstate NY.
The relationship between Julian and Oscar moves well and is interesting given their dynamic for the show. I liked both of them and wanted to root for them. They both have backstories that made me want to wrap them up in hugs.
The mystery of the murders is interesting and there are lots of clues as to what occurred. I enjoyed this as it really annoys me when the solution to a mystery is based on information the reader never gets. I want a mystery to allow me to be a detective too and this one does a good job of it. The clues here decrease in subtlety until it’s glaringly obvious by the end, though for some reason not to our protagonists which didn’t work well for me. Given their backgrounds they should have picked up on some of these clues. I kind of empathized with the one ghost at one point who had to be thinking “what do I have to do to get these morons to understand?!”
Likewise there were some character inconsistencies that needed better attention. I can’t be specific as there would be spoilers but there are points where I just wanted to shout at some of the people/actions. There is a subplot with secondary characters that never quite gels for me…it needed more explanation. The same is true of Oscar and Ezra’s relationship which gets glossed over. There is a lot of switching between first and last names and nicknames which gets confusing at times (or maybe only for me!)
The ending is kind of abrupt and I felt it needed a better reveal. Some elements are never fully explained (when a secondary character is asked about a key element she kind of shrugs and says a version of “could be”) and the consequences for people’s actions isn’t made clear. The epilogue is a set up for the next book so I assume we’ll get more detail.
Overall I enjoyed the book and will definitely read the next one. The desire for more detail is partly a wish for more of this world building and a greater sense of victory for the MCs so clearly I’m invested.
**I voluntarily read an arc and this is my unbiased opinion.**
Julian is an academic in need of a job and his sister offers him one he needs but isn’t thrilled about. His brother-in-law is a reality tv producer and they are doing a show about hauntings and murder and they want him to be the professional skeptic. The show is based on a YouTube series by a well known British psychic, Oscar, and his partner and best friend Ezra. When Julian and Oscar meet there is an immediate attraction, much to their surprise and Ezra’s annoyance. The mystery involves the strange deaths of several members of a wealthy family, over time, on the family estate in upstate NY.
The relationship between Julian and Oscar moves well and is interesting given their dynamic for the show. I liked both of them and wanted to root for them. They both have backstories that made me want to wrap them up in hugs.
The mystery of the murders is interesting and there are lots of clues as to what occurred. I enjoyed this as it really annoys me when the solution to a mystery is based on information the reader never gets. I want a mystery to allow me to be a detective too and this one does a good job of it. The clues here decrease in subtlety until it’s glaringly obvious by the end, though for some reason not to our protagonists which didn’t work well for me. Given their backgrounds they should have picked up on some of these clues. I kind of empathized with the one ghost at one point who had to be thinking “what do I have to do to get these morons to understand?!”
Likewise there were some character inconsistencies that needed better attention. I can’t be specific as there would be spoilers but there are points where I just wanted to shout at some of the people/actions. There is a subplot with secondary characters that never quite gels for me…it needed more explanation. The same is true of Oscar and Ezra’s relationship which gets glossed over. There is a lot of switching between first and last names and nicknames which gets confusing at times (or maybe only for me!)
The ending is kind of abrupt and I felt it needed a better reveal. Some elements are never fully explained (when a secondary character is asked about a key element she kind of shrugs and says a version of “could be”) and the consequences for people’s actions isn’t made clear. The epilogue is a set up for the next book so I assume we’ll get more detail.
Overall I enjoyed the book and will definitely read the next one. The desire for more detail is partly a wish for more of this world building and a greater sense of victory for the MCs so clearly I’m invested.
**I voluntarily read an arc and this is my unbiased opinion.**
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