A thrilling supernatural novel that also engagingly investigates the nature of fandom.
After a fatal car accident, a young man becomes a psychic in this gay paranormal romance.
Mari’s novel has a killer opening line: “The world around Adrian Sinclair was dead.” It’s the middle of winter, and Adrian is still reeling from the loss of his best friend, killed when their car was hit by a drunk driver two years before. Around the time of the crash, Adrian developed psychic powers, allowing him to see and communicate with ghosts, demons, and other paranormal entities. Enter the Crossroads Paranormal Research Society, a team of young men who investigate hauntings for a popular YouTube channel with a huge fan base. They take Adrian on as their new trainee, hoping to hire a psychic to join them full time. While Adrian spends much of the first third of the novel attempting to keep the fact that he’s gay a secret, romantic tension builds as he develops feelings for Yukio “Yu” Gaetz, a stoic-seeming demonologist and CPRS team co-founder. Bad news for Adrian: Fans of the show have shipped Yu with the other co-founder, Lukas Kessler, under the ship-name “Yukas”—and rabidly defend their favorite pairing. Even worse news: There’s a supernatural entity out there that seems to be targeting psychics, so joining CPRS could put Adrian in its deadly line of fire. Mari skillfully handles a sometimes-tense, other times swoonworthy romance that escalates as Adrian becomes more involved in the team, learning more about his incredible powers and developing deeper relationships—all while otherworldly danger looms. The burgeoning relationship at the novel’s center keeps the drama fresh and lively, aided by dynamic character development. One of the best elements of the book, however, is the inclusion of text from an online fan forum, which makes CPRS feel like a real, popular team of supernatural investigators. Likewise, the large fandom—with thousands of interactions on the forum and conventions with packed audiences—allows Mari to investigate themes involving toxic parasocial relationships, such as the negative impact of shipping on real people.
A thrilling supernatural novel that also engagingly investigates the nature of fandom.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 9798986829814
Page Count: 508
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This slightly smutty monster romance feels more like a spectacle than a deliberately paced story.
A woman travels to Scotland to unravel her late father’s past and meets a grumpy Scotsman with his own secrets.
Keyanna MacKay was brought up by a single father who was always tight-lipped about his upbringing, so when he dies, she’s left with no family. Key decides that learning about his life before he left Scotland would be a good way of keeping his memory close and perhaps connecting with long-lost relatives. She discovers a grandmother and other extended family in Scotland, but they’re hardly welcoming. “I know who you are....And you shouldn’t have come,” are the first words her grandmother says to her. Lachlan Greer has little patience for the American he’s already written off as clueless. When he witnesses Key’s snubbing by her family members, his grumpy demeanor gives way to begrudging pity, and he starts helping her navigate the local community and try to build a bridge to her grandmother. At first, this book seems to be a contemporary romance with light magical undertones involving a family’s mysterious curse, but it quickly devolves into a monster romance heavy on shock value. While monster romance can be fun, it doesn’t work here. Key and Lachlan’s chemistry is bumpy, and the pace of their relationship as they go from disastrous first impressions to a happily ever after is all over the place. Ferguson tries to combine too many elements—including a grumpy-meets-sunshine pairing, a mystery with sensitive family dynamics, and the complicated logistics of falling in love with a cryptid—leaving several threads not fully resolved. The setting is the most positive element, with Scotland’s lush greenery providing the perfect whimsical background for hunting down long-buried family secrets.
This slightly smutty monster romance feels more like a spectacle than a deliberately paced story.Pub Date: Dec. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9780593816851
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet and sparkling adult debut.
A romance ghostwriter who’s lost her motivation after a breakup is haunted by the spirit of her newly departed editor in this whimsical paranormal romance.
Florence Day doesn't believe in love or happily-ever-afters any longer. Unfortunately, she’s also the ghostwriter for a prominent romance novelist and is currently trying to finish her fourth and final contracted book. The deadline for her latest manuscript has already been pushed back several times, and her new editor, Benji Andor, isn’t allowing for any leeway. Florence can also see ghosts, an ability that’s made quite a name for her in her hometown but also partly contributed to the devastating end of her previous relationship. On the eve of her deadline, Florence finds her life upended by both an unexpected kiss with her editor and the sudden death of her beloved father. Returning home comes with its own set of baggage, though Florence holds out hope that her father’s ghost will appear for one last goodbye. She’s shocked, however, when the spirit that visits her isn’t her father but Ben Andor, mysteriously dead only a day after she’d met him. Now Florence must not only navigate her grief and fulfill her dad's last wishes, she must also contend with Ben’s confused ghost following her around until they can correct his unfinished business. The zippy banter between Florence and nearly everyone she meets keeps things moving at a sprightly clip. Every interaction is a delight, and getting to know the cast of characters in Florence’s orbit adds excitement to the book. The romance takes a bit longer to build, though, and flits in and out of focus. Florence and Ben share such chemistry that it’s a shame readers are often left waiting for them to interact. The ghostly element is fun and fresh, adding slightly higher stakes to Florence and Ben's happily-ever-after.
A sweet and sparkling adult debut.Pub Date: July 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-33648-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
SEEN & HEARD
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