Audiobook Review: The Magpie Lord by KJ Charles

The Magpie Lord (A Charm of Magpies #1) by KJ Charles
Amazon, Audible, Goodreads
Time: 7hrs and 56 Minutes

4.5 Pants Off

Blurb: A lord in danger. A magician in turmoil. A snowball in hell.

Exiled to China for twenty years, Lucien Vaudrey never planned to return to England. But with the mysterious deaths of his father and brother, it seems the new Lord Crane has inherited an earldom. He’s also inherited his family’s enemies. He needs magical assistance, fast. He doesn't expect it to turn up angry.

Magician Stephen Day has good reason to hate Crane’s family. Unfortunately, it’s his job to deal with supernatural threats. Besides, the earl is unlike any aristocrat he’s ever met, with the tattoos, the attitude... and the way Crane seems determined to get him into bed. That’s definitely unusual.

Soon Stephen is falling hard for the worst possible man, at the worst possible time. But Crane’s dangerous appeal isn't the only thing rendering Stephen powerless. Evil pervades the house, a web of plots is closing round Crane, and if Stephen can’t find a way through it—they’re both going to die.


Warning: Contains hot m/m sex between a deeply inappropriate earl and a very confused magician, dark plots in a magical version of Victorian England, family values (not the good kind), and a lot of swearing.

Review

THE LORD ASSHOLES 

So I’m so glad I decided to listen to this on Audio. The story is already magnificent and the narration made The Magpie Lord all the more magnificent. 

The Story: 5 Pants Off 

I really do love the heck out of this book. I am a fan of things creepy and a story filled with twists and turns and The Magpie Lord had it all. The characters are deeply rich, the storytelling topnotch, and the sexy time is definitely sexy. 

Lucien Vaudry aka Lord Crane on more than one occasion has tried to kill himself while deeply asleep and each time becoming more successful than the last. He knows he needs help and so he calls in local magician that comes highly recommend. Seems the title of Lord is deeply cursed which has Lucien feeling some sort of way because the sins of his father and brother shouldn’t fall on him since he’s been exiled for quite sometime. But in order to stay alive he will the need the help of Stephen Day, the tiny feisty magician who also hates his guts (sins of his father and all). 

What then transpires is next level creepy shit, ghosts of old, and magpies. Crane and Stephen clash in a most delicious type of way and they make the story all the more worthwhile. They got so much chemistry I was in flames. While I would call this a slow burn you won’t mind cus it burns so good and it’s quite delicious enjoying it for a second time. 

Let me also mention it’s freaking hilarious. The greatest balance of creepy with hilariousity.  

The Narration by Cornell Collins: 4 Pants Off 

Yes, yes, and yes. Having read the book previously, listening to it brought a very different level of excitement. The narration was so on point, each character so very well developed in both uniqueness and personality.  

I am all for this and I’m so much looking forward to listening the rest of the series.  

I am both happy in my pants and my ears.

Review: The Charlatan's Conquest by Vivien Dean

The Charlatan's Conquest (Phantom Fixers #1) (Dreamspun Beyond #2) by Vivien Dean
Dreamspinner Press, Goodreads, Amazon, Audible
Novel: 216pgs

3 Pants Off

Blurb: A Phantom Fixers Story

With love and ghosts, the challenge is figuring out what’s real.

Software engineer Cruz Guthrie needs money for his sister’s cancer treatments. He needs it so badly he’s willing to stand in for a ghost hunter friend and investigate a millionaire’s supposed specters. It should be an easy gig—after all, nobody thinks the haunting is real.

Neurological researcher Brody Weber is furious that Cruz would take advantage of Brody’s father. But his mind changes when spirits manifest—and he realizes Cruz genuinely wants to help. When they learn the paranormal activity centers on Brody, Cruz is willing to fight to free Brody from the entities determined to make his life miserable. With a little help from friends and family—both living and dead—they must figure out why Brody is attracting spirits and how to banish them. Only then can they pursue a future together.

Review

The Charlatans Conquest is the second book in the Dreamspun Beyond series and quite a disappointment for me. I really wanted to like it because ghosts man but failed to wow me… 

Cruz Guthrie has decided to fill in for his ghost hunter best friend. While he isn’t 100% behind the idea he would greatly benefit from the twenty thousand payout that would help with his sister medical bills. He doesn’t like the idea of doing a job that Etienne has already proven the lack of ghosts but the client is sure that he is being haunted and won’t take no for an answer. So spending 2wks doing a house cleansing seems like a money making vacation. What should have been a super easy job comes with some complications when the clients son Brody Weber shows up, and clearly Etienne was wrong because the house is haunted and there is more than one ghost. 

Brody doesn’t want anyone taking advantage of his father and clearly this charlatan is. Pretending he’s a ghost hunter and feeding his father s disillusionment, but Brody has got a secret that makes him a hypocrite and also a tad bit on the stupid side. Brody knows his father isn’t being haunted and he knows the strange happenings have everything to do with him. For someone who deals in neurology his brain is real slow on the uptake.  Now he has to deal with his attraction for Cruz and also realize for all these years his ass has been haunted by some trouble-making possible malevolent ghosts (who knew).  

Now it’s up to Cruz and Brody to figure out how to rid Brody of his hitchhikers while also falling into serious like. Cruz is this sweet family orientated guy who really wants to help Brody and Brody just wants to have a little bit of normalcy. Things are moving forward but first they’ve got to exercise some ghost. 

I wanted to like this a lot more because umm ghost and creepy are my thing but this really failed to spook or keep my interest. The writing was good, and the story was nice but overall I became bored and lost interest. The relationship between Cruz and Brody is hella sweet and Cruz’s friend Etienne offers up some intrigue as to how he started seeing ghost and made it his job, so I’m definitely interested in that. Otherwise there wasn’t much here for me. 

Overall, an alright read but it missed its mark with me….

Review: Duck Duck Ghost by Rhys Ford

Duck Duck Ghost (Hellsinger Series #2) by Rhys Ford
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 214pgs

4 Pants Off

Blurb: Paranormal investigator Wolf Kincaid knows what his foot tastes like. 

Mostly because he stuck it firmly in his mouth when his lover, Tristan Pryce, accidentally drugged him with a batch of psychotropic baklava. Needing to patch things up between them, Wolf drags Tristan to San Luis Obispo, hoping Tristan’s medium ability can help evict a troublesome spirit haunting an old farmhouse.

With Wolf’s sister handling Hoxne Grange’s spectral visitors, Tristan finds himself in the unique position of being able to leave home for the first time in forever, but Wolf’s roughshod treatment is the least of his worries. Tristan’s ad-hoc portal for passing spirits seems to be getting fewer and fewer guests, and despite his concern he’s broken his home, Tristan agrees to help Wolf’s cousin, Sey, kick her poltergeist to the proverbial curb.

San Luis Obispo brings its own bushel of troubles. Tristan’s ghost whispering skill is challenged not only by a terrorizing haunting but also by Wolf’s skeptical older cousin, Cin. Bookended by a pair of aggressive Kincaids, Tristan soon finds himself in a spectral battle that threatens not only his sanity but also his relationship with Wolf, the first man he’s ever loved. 

Review

Oh! How I’ve missed a Rhys Ford book. Duck Duck Ghost was a roller coaster ride of scares, thrills, and sexy men. This by far has to be scariest and craziest book by Rhys that I’ve read so far and that’s saying something.

We first met Tristan and Wolf back in Fish and Ghosts. Where Tristan ran a sort of ghost hotel and skeptic debunker of all things supernatural Wolf Kincaid visited to the hotel to prove that Tristan was all types of bat shit crazy. He went looking for ghosts but found love instead. The second book finds the boys relationship on the rocks and Wolf is out again telling Tris he’s still sort of bat shit crazy even after seeing definitive prove that ghosts are real and sometimes they’re out to kill you. 

With Tris being all mad at his lover, and the hotel losing some of its ghostly mojo, a rekindling of love needs to happen. My boys decide to once again to go do a little ghost hunting and they get more than what they bargained for. What sounded like a mild (maybe haunting) turned out to be something that would freak anybody’s freak. 

This book brought us an eclectic mix of characters and ghosts and I was just so in love with it all. I love Tristan’s interaction with his ghostly guests and Rhys does such a remarkable job of making them so memorable that I found myself wanting to know their stories -how they fell in love, how they lived and how they died-. They each brought humour and craziness to an already wonderful story.
  

Duck Duck Ghost, was one action packed scene after another, and lets keep it 100 I was legit spooked in some scenes there. There ain’t nothing scarier than bat shit crazy kids, and this had one hell of bat shit crazy kid. While I was in love with all those elements I wasn’t a fan of how it all ended. I wanted an epic throw down and the build up felt like it was inevitable but overall I was let down. I felt like it just ended and kept thinking that, this whole ghost thing could have been solved 70pgs are so in. The legit introduction to an actual ghost hunter served no purpose and provided filler or something, like don’t get me wrong I liked him and am intrigued but bud needs to go back to the school of ghostbusters. 

Overall, an entertaining read which left me wanting more especially with that ending (shooketh). DDG is authentically Rhys Ford and it will provide a nice creepy read on a bright sunny afternoon and if you dare a very creepy read in the dead of night while in the dark of your bedroom.  

Review: Book 1 Fish and Ghost

Review: Spirit by John Inman

Reviewed by Whuppsy
Spirit by John Inman
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 214pgs
5 Pants Off

Blurb:
Jason Day, brilliant designer of video games, is not only a confirmed bachelor, but he’s as gay as a maypole. One wouldn’t think being saddled with his precocious four-year-old nephew for four weeks would be enough to throw him off-kilter. 

Wrong. Timmy, Jason’s nephew, is a true handful. 

But just when Timmy and Uncle Jason begin to bond, and Jason feels he’s getting a grip on this babysitting business once and for all, he’s thrown for a loop by a couple of visitors—one from Tucson, the other from beyond the grave. 

I’m sorry. Say what? 

Toss a murder, a hot young stud, an unexpected love affair, and a spooky-ass ghost with a weird sense of humor into Jason’s summer plans, and you’ve got the makings for one hell of a ride.

Review
This story had so many things going on and it was Wonderful!!

Jason has taken on the responsibility for his nephew Timmy for 4 weeks while his sister and her boyfriend take a vacation to the east coast. Jason had no idea what he was getting into!!

Jason is this wonderfully flaky man. He’s got such loyalty and honor. He’s this single gay man who works from home designing video games. Jason is funny, smart and an all-around good guy. He is this guy who has bought his sister’s house after her husband disappeared years ago. He’s loved this house and is happy to buy it and make it his own. Jason makes me laugh as he has this wonderful sense of humor and he is just flamboyant enough in his ways that just makes him so very endearing. I love listening to him and know that he’s going to make me laugh.

Sam is the other MC in this book. His brother, Paul married Jason’s sister, Sally and had Timmy. Sam is in San Diego to see Timmy and find out what has really happened to Paul. Sally has cut off all communication with Paul’s family. He’s this young man who is an engineer and was in the Navy. He’s got all the wonderful sense of honor and loyalty for family. He loved his brother and he knows that something bad has had to happen for him to leave and not have ANY contact with his family. Sam comes and meets his nephew and meets Jason again for the second time, yet this time is so very different. He’s a grown man with needs that Jason seems to fill.

The secondary characters of Timmy and the resident ghost were just great!! Timmy was this great character. He was not only this wonderfully vibrant child; he was also this smartass child who was on point with his sarcasm. He was not only one of the catalysts in this story, but he was this sweet, innocent child who was wronged in the loss of his father. His mother, Sally and Jack, her boyfriend were these characters that had some screen time and yet, whenever, they were on screen there was always something going on. They just weren’t the nicest of people and you could feel that. The ghost in Jason’s house was the wonderfully big presence. The ghost showed itself to Timmy and to Jason and Sam in ways that scared Jason and Sam, but was always so very gentle with Timmy.

This story had so much happening, the bonding relationship between Jason and Timmy. The romance between Jason and Sam, the ghost and the presence it had in the house. The mystery of who the ghost was and why it reacted the way it did. Not only did this story have a great romance and a mystery to solve (how very Scooby Doo of me). The humor that Timmy, Sam and Jason had working in this story was just the best. I loved the dry, sarcastic humor. I loved that there was lots of smartass comments thrown back and forth. That it was taken in the spirit (great reference of the title, if I do say so) in which it meant. I loved that these three worked not only as a team but worked on becoming a family.

This is one of John’s greatest works and I love all of his books. He’s always got such humor and he can really allow a story to unfold. I enjoy taking the time to read and experience his wonderful body of work and this book is no exception. The story flowed smoothly along and you were never taken out of what was going on in the story. You were on this journey with Jason, Sam and Timmy and you wanted to solve the mystery just as much as they did. You wanted them to have their HEA.

This was worth the read. You won’t regret taking the leap and falling into this story.

5 Pants Off

ARC Review: Fish and Ghost by Rhys Ford

Fish and Ghost (Hellsinger #1) by Rhys Ford
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 240pgs
4 Pants Off

Blurb:
When his Uncle Mortimer died and left him Hoxne Grange, the family’s Gilded Age estate, Tristan Pryce knew he wasn’t going to have an easy time of it. He was to be the second generation of Pryces to serve as a caretaker for the estate, a way station for spirits on their final steps to the afterlife. The ghosts were the simple part. He’d been seeing boo-wigglies since he was a child. No, the difficult part was his own family. Determined to establish Tristan’s insanity, his loving relatives hire Dr. Wolf Kincaid and his paranormal researchers, Hellsinger Investigations, to prove the Grange is not haunted.

Skeptic Wolf Kincaid has made it his life’s work to debunk the supernatural. After years of cons and fakes, he can’t wait to reveal the Grange’s ghostly activity is just badly leveled floorboards and a drafty old house. The Grange has more than a few surprises for him, including its prickly, reclusive owner. Tristan Pryce is much less insane and much more attractive than Wolf wants to admit and when his Hellsinger team unwittingly release a ghostly serial killer on the Grange, Wolf is torn between his skepticism and protecting the man he’d been sent to discredit.

Review
Wolf Kincaid's job is to debunk the whole Supernatural everything. You have a pestering ghost, he'll come in and prove that it doesn't exist and likely your ass was in a con. So he doesn't know what to think when people show up asking him to prove that their nephew is unstable because he claims to see ghosts and might run a little hotel for them. Call Kincaid in, for the sheer purpose of blowing that shit out of the water and wanting to see what kind of person leads their family to wanting to have him committed. So he takes the case and brings his team to once again prove the absurdity of ghosts and the remarkables of science. He wasn't expecting Tristan Pryce and the crazy of The Grange.

Tristan has lived his whole life with ghosts and is used to the skeptics and his family thinking him crazy. It’s no surprise when a team shows up to prove that he's making shit up but its al types of surprising when it comes to Wolf. First, he's there to try to prove he's insane, second he's disturbing the hell out of his guests, and third the man is just too attractive for his own good. Tristan can't just up and kick out but if its ghosts their looking for, its ghosts they are going to get (even if they don't make it out alive).

Shit goes crazy when Wolf's assistants get in a lover's quarrel and a engagement rings gets thrown into a pond letting all hell loose. Releasing a psychotic serial killer loose on the grounds of The Grange and ruining the one home Tristan has ever known. The ghosts are in whack, Tristan was almost murdered by a psychotic granny, and Wolf might have to start believing that ghosts and crazy might be a legit thing, who knew? Then there are all these feelings between Wolf and Tristan which further complicates thing. But feeling aside, it’s time for them to go all ghostfacers and bring crazy granny down before she murders everything in sight. First things first, you can't bring a ghost down without calling mom.

Can I just say that a Rhys Ford book is always entertaining. Her characters are two parts sexy and three parts crazy and they always steal a bit of my heart. I love the innocence of Tristan and how he takes a firm stand when it comes to his ghost hotel (believe him or not, he's gonna keep on keeping on). Wolf has that bad boy defiance air about him, and there is no way you'll remain with your pants on. So many quirky characters jammed pack in a very entertaining read.

Should You Read It? All fans of Rhys should be on this one like white on rice cus trust me it’s crazier on the inside. While not my fave Rhys Ford out there, it’s still highly entertaining and I look forward to more from Pryce and Kincaid and the all types of trouble they will be getting up to.

4 Pants Off

DarienMoya

Review: Ghost of a Chance by Ari McKay

Reviewed by Fehu
Ghost of A Chance by Ari McKay
Torquere Press
Short Story: 74pgs
4 Pants Off

Blurb:
Dr. Mason Beaulieu thinks rival ghost hunter Haywood “Fort” Fortenberry is sexy but too credulous when it comes to the paranormal. Fort thinks Mason is attractive but too cynical. When they’re offered a chance to be locked up in reputedly haunted Wisteria Grove on Halloween night, however, both men jump at the chance.

Storms and mysterious sounds keep them busy during the night, and they discover a mutual respect for each other’s skills. As the investigation continues, Fort learns the truth behind Mason’s seemingly dismissive attitude, and Mason finds a new appreciation for Fort’s open-mindedness. But when an unexpected intruder derails the investigation, they learn that more than just hunting ghosts can offer them thrills and chills.

Review
I didn't know what to expect with this one and it turned out to be a nice Halloween surprise!

Mason wanted to believe in ghosts, but after some youthful disappointments, he decided to tackle his obsession with the paranormal more rationally and invested in good equipment to help him search for a proof that ghosts exist. Years later, retired after selling one of his better gadgets, a special camera for a very good price, Mason retired in his 30's and joined a group which sought that tries to find logic explanations for the ghost hunting's, that people reported.

In the course of his work Mason finds himself intrigued by a hot and prickly Psychology Professor, Haywood “Fort” Fortenberry, who is his rival and is a member of a group that tries to prove ghosts exist. Unfortunately for Mason, his flirting does not seem to work on Fort, but he has another chance to get close to the man, when they are both chosen to do moderate a live show on Halloween, about ghosts in Wisteria Grove, which is rumored to have ghosts in various rooms.

I liked the pacing of this story; especially the first half was fabulous as far as the introduction of the character goes. Fort and Mason did not fall in love on first sight and one could see how Mason slowly developed an interest in the guy, which Fort begun to return only in the last part of the second half.
All in all the characters are very likeable and the dialogs don't get boring, but are engaging and well written.

However the ending and the epilogue did not work for me. They just met an old lady and were in a supposedly hunted house and they decided to have sex on the couch in the front room? Not like the sex on the former battle field was better. Honestly this one would have been perfect with all the good sexual tension and the sex might have been better left of scene or for when they got home.
For all people who like me are not fans of horror, this story is pretty perfect. The ghost is pretty friendly at least the one Fort and Mason do get to see.

4 Pants Off

Review: Dead Man and the Restless Spirits by Lou Harper

Dead Man and the Restless Spirits (Dead Man #1) by Lou Harper
Self-Published
Novel
4.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
Dying sucks hairy monkey balls, even when you're not the stiff.

Denton Mills has a secret: he can see dead people. Or rather, how they died. It's quite a drag in a city like Chicago, teeming with the echoes of the no-longer living. Rather than whine about it, Denton has learned to live with his troublesome talent. His adaptability comes in handy when he meets his enigmatic new neighbor.

Bran Maurell catches Denton's eye right away, but unfortunately Mr. Tall, Dark, and Mysterious is as standoffish as he is alluring. However, after an unexpected introduction from Bran's cat brings the two men together, Denton discovers they have a mutual interest in the spirit world. Herbalist by day, Bran moonlights as a witch, performing house cleansings for a fee.

From Bran, Denton learns that his knack for interacting with the dead qualifies him as a necromancer. It makes good business sense for them to team up and rid Chicago of its pesky spirits one grateful client at a time. Amongst ghostly adventures the attraction between the men is impossible to ignore. They seem like perfect partners—unless Bran's not-so-little secret comes between them.

Review:
I am so in love with Lou Harper's Paranormal romances, it’s freaking insane. With Dead Man and the Restless Spirits following the same set up as Spirit Sanguine, it was all a freaking delight. And to see a character I previously enjoyed get his HEA was a real joy to read.

Denton Mills can see dead people and sometimes it sucks a whole lot. He's learnt to care with his episodes, but just like death they can come on all unexpected like. So he tries to live as normal as possible, by holding down a job and hope echoes of the dead don't intrude on his day. When a friend shares that there is an apartment up for rent, Denton jumps at the opportunity to move into a nicer place. But of course there is no such thing as perfection, because Denton is warned about the next door neighbour who may or may not be a serial killer. One thing is for sure that sourly neighbour isn't into making friends, but Denton is no quitter.

Becoming fast friends with his neighbour Bran Maurell is easier said than done, because damn is the man a bit antisocial. Though, he did manage to get into his cat's good graces. Denton has to decided to kill him with sugar and before he knows it he's finding out that Bran is a witch and Denton is about to accompany him to a cleansing. Seems Bran gets rid of ghosts for a living, he's not exactly loving what he does but he does it anyways (or else mommy will get him). Denton finds himself smack dab in the middle of the very things he's been trying to avoid, but he does get to spend more time with Bran and that is a plus.

Their sexual chemistry is off the chain and they work well together, but Denton can't help feel like Bran is holding something back. They have incredible sex but Bran seems to always be wearing all his clothes, and Denton has had enough of that. What he uncovers is a surprise and all types of awesome, and I don't want to give anything away but let’s just say I got all types of Hell Boy feels.

Denton and Bran are entertaining, sexy, and so hilarious. Follow them as they cleanse a restaurant from a troublesome ghost, rid a girl from a possession, and reunite lovers in the afterlife while battling a meddling mom. I love the characters that Lou Harper has created, and Dead Man and the Restless Spirits has now made her a must read author for me. I was just blisssed out while reading this and I can't wait for more (keep em coming Miss Harper).

Should You Read It? Hell Yes!! A wonderfully written paranormal with great characters, and non-stop entertainment. Denton will steal a bit of your heart and Bran will just capture all of it. It should be on everyone's must read radar.

4.5 Pants Off

Review: The Haunting of Timber Manor by F.E Feeley Jr

Reviewed by Fehu
The Haunting of Timber Manor by F.E Feeley Jr
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 230pgs
3.25 Pants Off

Blurb:
While recovering from the recent loss of his parents, Daniel Donnelly receives a phone call from his estranged aunt, who turns over control of the family fortune and estate, Timber Manor. Though his father seemed guarded about the past, Daniel’s need for family and curiosity compel him to visit.

Located in a secluded area of the Northwest, Timber Manor has grown silent over the years. Her halls sit empty and a thin layer of dust adorns the sheet-covered furniture. When Daniel arrives to begin repairs, strange things happen. Nightmares haunt his dreams. Memories not his own disturb his waking hours. Alive with the tragedies of the past, Timber Manor threatens to tear Daniel apart.

Sherriff Hale Davis grew up working on the manor grounds. Seeing Daniel struggle, he vows protect the young man who captured his heart, and help him solve the mystery behind the haunting and confront the past—not only to save Daniel’s life, but to save his family, whose very souls hang in the balance.

Review:
A haunted house and an heir who isn't aware of his family past, a great setting and a plotline I love, but the ping pong point of view, not so much. Daniel has recently lost his parents and after their death received a letter from his father’s sister, who invited him to visit her for his summer break from law school, an aunt he never heard of before. The story starts like a horror movie, a dark lonely street through the woods, rain and night and just Daniel in his car. A wolf distracts him and he nearly crashes, that's when he meets Hale, a local sheriff who has his suspicions about Daniel’s aunt house and who takes a special interest in Daniel.

Strange things begin to happen, when Daniel arrives, something awakens and gains strength in the house. The reader knows this since one of the switching POV's is the ghosts! I would have understood if the different point of views were from Daniel and Hale, but there was the maid, the aunt, the ghost, Daniel, Hale and the medium, for me it took away some of my focus and distracted from the storyline. It was more of a jumping from point to point than a straight line. The changing POV's might also be the reason why I didn't buy the romance or wasn't really focused on it.

I couldn't say if this was a romance or a bad horror movie, but since the romance was lackluster, I choose to read it for the ghost story. Still I ended frustrated with the book and had to take a break from it.  Why? Well in a horror movie, don't you find it frustrating that the character goes down to the cellar, where the killer is, or opens the door after hearing all the strange noise, in a storm, when the power is out and he or she is all alone. Daniel’s behaving like a character in a horror movie and not the rational one and he wasn't the only one I was frustrated with, his aunt had made me also want to hit something.

So your fiancé dies, in your family house, he is pushed, when no one was home who could have done it, with the ring pushed down his throat. No reason to be suspicious or want to leave the house. Your mother dies, screaming that she saw your dead brother and that he was still around hounding her. Oh, well, why not stay in that charming place. Your brother saw the ghost and fled the house first moment he could. Oh, why don't we invite the son, the only remaining living family member into the house where all your family died, some under very strange circumstances. Reasonable, it's not like his father would have hated the idea, forbidden it or anything, oh no. So your solicitor dies in the house with a look of horror on his face when you find him, no reason to believe something was wrong there. Honestly, she takes oblivious to a new level or just plain delusional, with no shred of logic or self-preservation! She is rich and chooses to stay alone in the house where all her family died. Why???? She admits that after the death of her fiancé she was afraid anyone she'd bring into the house would die. Why then, bring your last living relative there??

Of course Daniel proved their blood relationship by being similarly stupid. No, dreams of one's dead father telling you to get out are not enough reason to leave. BUT when you get scratched, tripped, when no one is there, don't you start wondering? His father never mentioned his family, never visited them and Daniel does not start to wonder why for the most part of the story. Let's just say I would have liked to kick some sense into the characters for a long time.

The story itself was quite interesting and never boring and it's written well enough. I just wish the characters behaved a little less like the one in bad horror movies, because that kept ripping me out of the story, since I was frustrated by their actions. If you like bad horror movies and want one with a gay romance on the side, then this is the perfect book for you.

Review: The Gravedigger's Brawl by Abigail Roux

Reviewed by Fehu
The Gravediggers Brawl by Abigail Roux
Riptide Publishing
Novel: 250pgs
5 Pants Off

Blurb:
Dr. Wyatt Case is never happier than when he’s walking the halls of his history museum. Playing wingman for his best friend at Gravedigger’s Tavern throws him way out of his comfort zone, but not as much as the eccentric man behind the bar, Ash Lucroix.

Ash is everything Wyatt doesn’t understand: exuberant, quirky, and elbow deep in a Gaslight lifestyle that weaves history into everyday life. He coordinates his suspenders with his tongue rings. Within hours, Wyatt and Ash are hooked.

But strange things are afoot at Gravedigger’s, and after a knock to the head, Ash starts seeing things that can’t be explained by old appliances or faulty wiring. Soon everyone at Gravedigger’s is wondering if they’re seeing ghosts, or just going crazy. The answer to that question could end more than just Wyatt and Ash’s fragile relationship—it might also end their lives.

Review:
Just the right book to get into the mood for Halloween!  So let me ask you something...Are you afraid of ghosts? No, well Wyatt wasn't either, at least at the beginning...

Dr Wyatt Case works as curator of a history museum in Richmond and the most exiting things that happen to him, are his run ins with the board trustees. He loves his job, but recently the trustees have made it their goal to haunt him in his workplace so he is glad to escape when his best friend Nick, suggest visiting a new place: Gravedigger's Tavern.

At the tavern, Wyatt meets a very charming bartender, Ash and they couldn't be any more different, but here at least opposites attract. After Wyatt’s less than stellar behaviour in the aftermath of their encounter, he searches for an excuse to visit Ash. Gravediggers history is the excuse and its there where Wyatt finds inspiration for a new exhibition, to attract a younger crowed. What is more interesting than ghosts and haunted sites, right?

Meanwhile strange things happen at the Gravedigger’s Tavern, odd noises, music playing on its own, reflections of a man in the mirror and electricity acting up, but then again it’s an old building, with a lot of history, or that’s what they tell themselves. Especially Ash seems to be attracting the strange happenings and soon it follows him outside the bar.

At the same time, Wyatt is researching the taverns history and finds out about mysterious murders happening there and a lot of skeletons, which were literary buried in walls. It’s up to Wyatt, Noah and the Gravedigger’s crew to find some answers and get some help, and think fast, if they want to save Ash, because it turns out that even if you don’t believe in ghosts, they do believe in you!

The ghost story is spooky and while Wyatt’s and Ash’s relationship didn’t pull me in that much, the story did. I loved the descriptive writing and could see the places in my mind; the sense of place was really well done. The supporting characters were interesting and I think I would have loved to read more about Noah and Caleb’s relationship. Also, the history parts appealed to me.

This story has the right Halloween atmosphere, suspense, romance and horror and while the first copy I had went missing, at least my ereader proved itself immune to the books curse. Gravediggers Brawl kept me turning pages up to the very end.

5 Pants Off