To Have & To Haunt

The Possess Saga #4

by J.A. Howell

Ghosts aren’t the only thing that can haunt you...

Nolan and Harley have been in paradise for the last year, head over heels in love. When Nolan proposes and they find out Harley is expecting, it seems they both will have everything they ever wanted.

Or will they?

Nolan’s kept the horrors of his past locked away. After all, he has Harley and Finley’s Pub is doing great. None of it matters anymore, right? But when the news of nuptials and babies has the opposite intended effect with his estranged mother, the ghosts of his past come rushing back, and the memories of them are terrorizing him nightly. But he can’t tell Harley. On the verge of marriage and parenthood, Nolan must figure out a way to deal with his past, or let it consume his future with Harley.

Harley’s always known she wasn’t normal. Seeing Brody’s ghost only confirmed that. But now a killer is on the loose in Midtown and she’s having visions of each victim’s death. Will she be able to help them and accept just how different she truly is? Pregnant, engaged, and contending with an overbearing mother-in-law, Harley isn’t sure she can take on the responsibility and the future laid out in front of her.

They say love conquers all. But as Nolan and Harley struggle with their own secrets, will their love be enough to keep them together?

Or will the things that haunt them finally tear them apart?

Genres: Paranormal

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2013

About the author

J.A Howell is an office drone by day, and a writer by night. Her love of writing took off when she was eleven years old and decided to fill a composition notebook with stories to read to her friends. Many years (and notebooks) later, not much has changed. She still loves writing and sharing her works with others. When she isn’t writing, she can often be found trying her hand at whatever artistic pursuit strikes her fancy.

Reviews

[Christi Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Review:
Oh wow, there is a lot going on in this book...and ALL of it is good....and creepy....and suspenseful....and emotional....with a dash of gorgeous romance thrown in.

This book takes us back to my favorite couple....Harley and Nolan, who met and fell in love in the first book of this series, Possess. This couple is under a lot of stress right now. The book begins with Nolan proposing to which Harley informs him that "surprise" they're pregnant, too. That stress brings on some unexpected consequences.
1. Harley's powers of "sight" are becoming more. Now she's seeing deaths right before they occur, along with the regular ghosts.
2. Nolan is having nightmares about his time in jail and the secrets he's hiding about that. He's not sleeping and it's affecting him. He needs to tell Harley everything.
3. Someone is stalking Harley, but she can see the stress that Nolan is already under so she's hiding that from him.
4. Nolan and his mother have had a rocky relationship since he went to jail. His mother does NOT like Harley at all and is not being real quiet about the fact.
5. These two are totally and completely in love, but both are trying to protect the other by hiding secrets. You know that's never going to end well.
But in the midst of all this stress is humor and fun, too. Grant from Scotland comes to visit. We met him in Cameron and Aggie's book. I love him! He provides great moments of levity to the story as well as a support for Harley. I really liked how close they became in this book.

If you read J.A. Howell (and if you don't, you NEED TO!!!), then you know she always has all these great little details that tie to the other books. This one has a tie-in to her other series (book #1, Mistaken) that had me squealing when I realized. I love those kinds of little things that just make me smile.

I maintain my belief that J.A. is one of the best writer's out there that hasn't been discovered yet. Her books are so layered with details and emotion. They are a pure joy to read, both as a reader and a writer, and this one is no exception. I started it and didn't put it down until it was over. LOVE this series and it's so perfect for October....hello, ghosts...and a few NEW twists to the paranormal side of the series. I can't wait to see how all that plays out!

[Anny hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

***** I received and ARC copy for an honest review *****


Wow just finish reading book, Love it I am so in love with this series is not even funny.

This story pick up right where Possess My Heart finished. this book is so full of surprises and twist I love it, love the characters, love it that we finally get to find out what Harley is, I love it that you get to read it from both point of view, and we finally get to be inside Nolan head.

We finally get to know more about Nolan and get to see what he when through while he was in jail. I have to say I cried knowing everything that he when through, and how he is trying to keep everything under control, love it how he get to show how much he love Harley, and how he always tried to spoil her, love it how he is always picking on her and how they going back and forth.

We also finally get to know what Harley is and where she comes from. also she gets to see more ghost and murder, but while going through all of this she is trying to keep it hidey it from Nolan, but Grant is their to comfort her and she gets to see Grant as a little brother, love it how she shows how much she loves Nolan, and how much she show him that she trust him, and that she is always gone be their for him.

I love how they all get alone with each other how they treat each other as a big happy family. the one character that I did not get into that I really wanted to get her out of the book and hung her up on a tree up side down was, Martha Nolan mother goodness I don't like her at all she kept getting me mad.

I really had fun reading this book, and I hope that once you read it that you get to enjoy it and love it as much as I did. now I just cant wait for the next book in this series.

Once Again I am Gone Say It THANK YOU AUTHOR J.A. Howell For This Amazing Series You Made Me A Very Happy Woman.

[Ange from Cover to Cover Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 4 in the Possess Saga. This left me with so many emotions. One being that I want to hunt down J.A. Howell and scream at her!

So here we go….in the first two books we learn that Nolan was in prison while he was being held on trial for the murder of his best friend’s girlfriend. In To Have And To Haunt, J.A. goes more in to depth and we learn way more. I remember many times while reading that I was mentally screaming NOOOOOOOO DON’T DO IT J.A.!!!! But I know her, she did it.

And that’s not even all! So Nolan proposes to Harley (yay!!). Aggie and Camden are back in Midtown all in love and happy (yay!!). Harley discovers she is pregnant. Yay? Well normally yes but holy mother of books! Nolan’s parent are extremely traditional and old fashioned. The proverbial shit is going to hit the fan. They don’t approve of Harley being pregnant before marriage, well it’s more Nolan’s mother than anything else. She pushes for the wedding to happen before Harley begins to show. Poor Harley!

Well that’s not even all! Harley seems to have some paranormal power and now it’s in full power while she is pregnant. She is seeing dead people all over the place and even having visions of things yet to come! FICTION AT ITS GREATEST!

Harley never knew about her father because it was a fling her mother had. Well until now. We learn all about him and stuff starts making sense when it comes to Harley and all the weird things that have happened to her.

This was a truly fantastic book. I flew through it not being able to put it down and not know what was going to happen next. At the beginning, I never would have imagined the ending being what it was! Truly, J.A. Howell has an amazing talent and I can’t wait to read more of her works!

[Bookish Satty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb! Superb! Superb! So far this is the best book of this series. The mystery that you will get in this part is awesome and I ate down all my nails just because of the suspense. There is an awesome surprise in this sequel but I’m telling you that because I know that this fact is definitely going to make you try this one out – so the surprising fact is that our own Harley is part Fae!!! Can you believe it? Oh, we also meet Harley’s Father and he is no ordinary man, why not? Well, you’ll get to know that when you’ll read the book!
Here we got to enjoy a lot of action and another surprise for you guys, guess what? Harley is pregnant and she is going to have a daughter and we will also get to enjoy Nolan and Harley’s marriage. Yipeee!!! Nolan’s mom is pain in the ass, literally but she is just cautious about her son but her rude behaviour towards Harley made me hate her but at last she made me cry with an awesome surprise that she gave Harley. In this part we again got to see Grant and as usual his jokes and flirty habit followed him from Scotland to Mid-Town.
The mystery of the serial killer who is wreaking havoc in Mid-Town kept me hooked to the story and the drama that we get to enjoy here is fabulous. A very engaging read and I would definitely recommend it to ya all, enjoy!!!

[Roxanne Kade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, I found myself in murder mystery/horror/paranormal/contemporary romance that I enjoyed so much in book one. But this story only got darker and more twisted. Not only was Harley more open to seeing ghosts and the like, but premonitions plagued her and drove her into a twisted supernatural web of deadly proportions that finally brought to light the father she never knew.


Howell certainly knows how to throw a wrench in her character’s lives, and this book was action-packed, with plenty of intrigue and suspense. But aside from the paranormal mystery and evil that turned Harley’s life upside down, the haunting secret that Nolan kept hidden for so long was even more chilling. My heart broke for him. How that poor man came back from all the devastation he’d been through was beyond me. I’m just so glad he found happiness and some peace in his life.


I cannot wait for the next book in this series. I’m excited to see what happens when Emma arrives.

[Tammy Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nolan and Harley seem to finally let things settle down and let their relationship go to new levels. Nolan proposes and Harley is expecting. Life seem to finally be going their way and they are able to put things behind them and move on. That is if they both can finally let go of the past and the things that haunt them the most. As Nolan must come to terms with his past before it costs him his future Harley is having visions of a killer on the lose and victim after victim is plaguing her. Can Love truly save these two or will the ghosts from their pasts be the end of what was to be Harley and Nolan's happily ever after. To Have and To Haunt is a fabulous addition to this saga as this once broken puzzle starts to finally piece itself together for me I can't wait to see what J.A. Howell has up her sleeve next for this saga!

[IC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, the sequel I've been waiting for since Possess.

This is Nolan and Harley getting engaged and learning they are pregnant. Then it's time to meet the mother-in-law. Yeah, it doesn't go off to a great start.
And on top of all that, there is a murderer on the loose killing all these college girls and Harley is having visions of their deaths. AND Nolan is having nightmares from his past in prison.

It's a lot. But it doesn't overwhelm you, I've really enjoyed this series and I'm excited for the last? book in this paranormal/urban fantasy romance story.

Thanks J.A for gifting me The Untimely Death of Brody Walsh, Posses My Heart and To Have & To Haunt.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty darn good

I'm slowly becoming addicted to this series. You gotten such a great bond with all of the characters. The series is moving from paranormal to super natural which isn't a bad thing. I hope the next book digs deeper into that aspect. I hope to see more of Fate and learn more about Harleys fae abilities. I didn't read the book right before this one because I don't do well with she loves me she loves me not thru an entire book. I had no problem following along in this book.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one too! Glad to see a storyline that incorporated the past & present, & tied up some loose threads. Have read all these books in one huge sitting & can't wait to finish the 5th.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

[review also posted on my blog http://beentherereadthatreviewedthebo...]

To Have & To Haunt is the fourth book in the Possess Saga series which I chose to throw myself right into the middle of. I haven’t read any of the first three books, although I do own one of them so this review is solely based on book four.

However, after reading, I’m pretty sure I’m gonna have to go back to the beginning of the series and start in the right order. Not because I was confused at all but simply because I could not put To Have & To Haunt down!

Seriously, J.A. Howell just threw my emotions everywhere. I didn’t know whether to cry, laugh, sympathise, scream or just cover my eyes. I was gripped right from the very start.

I really liked Harley and Nolan’s relationship and how they were in love without it all being perfect. There were secrets and a disapproving mother and it just made me fight for them even more.

The flashbacks were done really well too, and I loved the moments when Harley saw some shocking events before they actually happened. It was all written in a really suspense-building style, and I was hanging off every word.

I think maybe if I go back and read this book when I’m not feeling as ill as I am, it would possibly get a five star rating. But reading this on my sickbed, I did find a couple of little niggles which stopped this. The main one being sometimes I found it a little difficult to follow Nolan’s parts when his accent was written how it would sound. Whilst I appreciated the author’s way of writing, I did feel myself getting a little lost in this (but I think that’s probably just me being weird and sick).

Despite this, J.A. Howell has gained herself a new fan with To Have & To Haunt. I will go and buy the rest of the series and read and rave about them if they’re anywhere near as good as this instalment. A must read.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Amber Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing read. First of all, while it is Book 4 in

a series and I have read along in order, one could read this

book as a standalone without being lost. There is just enough

backstory that it isn't redundant for someone following the

entire series, but the majority of what's going on is new for

this gang. We are treated alternately to the POV's of Harley

and Nolan; it is good to 'hear' Harley again as she is a very

likable character and a strong woman. Some more trouble

manages to find its way to her but there is a good reason for

that and it's explained in the story. While this is going on

her fiance Nolan has his own personal drama to content with

and each is sort of stuck in their own little worlds, neither

giving full disclosure to the other. Some misunderstandings

arise making for more drama which is always fun. The mother-

in-law from hell adds even more emotion to this book . Harley

oh Harley what can you say of all the characters you are my

favorite.You are so me with your stubbornness and pigheaded

attitude.And Nolan oh my lord who don't love a gorgeous sexy

Irish man.
This book has action, mystery/thriller/suspense going on,

murder, plenty of drama both familial and couples and a bit

of paranormal and as always with Howell: humor. What I love

is it's all set in small town New England where everyone

seems to know everyone adding another side to the drama. This

is a super fast read as Howell is able to paint clear

pictures for the reader without being too wordy. Very well

developed characters that I cannot seem to get enough of.
Howell manages to work in a ton of laugh out loud parts

making her books extra fun. Cross dressing, brawny guys, bets

and drunken nights with hilarious consequences and just some

really funny analogies. I think this series would work for

fans of all genres, truly.
5 stars

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is more creepiness, suspense, romance and emotional turmoil in store. In To Have And To Haunt we return to Harley and Nolan.
Harley and Nolan are under an immense amount of stress as the course of true love never runs smoothly! The story starts at Christmas in the pub with everyone there, when Nolan proposes to Harley. Harley’s reply? It takes her a while to get there but eventually she answers Nolan with “I’m pregnant”.
Harley is seeing more and more ghosts, but not only that she has started to have visions of people dying; as her power of ‘sight’ develops. Harley also learns that she has another stalker, she hides this from Nolan as she can see that he is stressed.
Nolan is stressed because he is suffering more and more nightmares about his time in prison and he doesn’t want to tell Harley what happened for fear that she won’t look at him the same way.
The other cause of stress for them both are Nolan’s parents. Nolan has had a very strained relationship with his mother since he was in prison, and she’s very traditional. Harley fears that her future in-laws won’t like her, especially once they learn that she is pregnant and not yet married.
Harley isn’t too wrong. Nolan’s mother hates her and makes it fairly clear. She seems set to try and destroy Nolan and Harley’s relationship.
Harley and Nolan are both trying to protect each other by not talking about what is bothering them. However; will keeping secrets help or will it cause more problems?
Grant also comes to stay and brings with him some lightheartedness and support especially for Harley.


The books are layered with emotion and detail. They are a pure joy to read, and I can’t wait for book 5: Possess My Soul to be released in 2014.

[PelicanFreak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing read. First of all, while it is Book 4 in a series and I have read along in order, one could read this book as a standalone without being lost. There is just enough backstory that it isn't redundant for someone following the entire series, but the majority of what's going on is new for this gang. We are treated alternately to the POV's of Harley and Nolan; it is good to 'hear' Harley again as she is a very likable character and a strong woman. Some more trouble manages to find its way to her but there is a good reason for that and it's explained in the story. While this is going on her fiance Nolan has his own personal drama to content with and each is sort of stuck in their own little worlds, neither giving full disclosure to the other. Some misunderstandings arise making for more drama which is always fun. The mother-in-law from hell adds even more emotion to this book as I just love to hate her and , well, I cannot repeat my name for her here.

This book has action, mystery/thriller/suspense going on, murder, plenty of drama both familial and couples and a bit of paranormal and as aways with Howell: humor. What I love is it's all set in small town New England where everyone seems to know everyone adding another side to the drama. This is a super fast read as Howell is able to paint clear pictures for the reader without being too wordy. Very well developed characters that I cannot seem to get enough of.

Howell manages to work in a ton of laugh out loud parts making her books extra fun. Cross dressing, brawny guys, bets and drunken nights with hilarious consequences and just some really funny analogies. I think this series would work for fans of all genres, truly.

[Tammy Gould · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good book. By now I need to be honest I was done with the way everyone was speaking. I know that they are Scottish and Irish and they will have the accents and all but it sometimes just gets in the way of reading the book.

I am so glad that Harley and Nolan are getting married and having a baby. I wondered if her other powers came because she became pregnant. The way she handles these other powers is awesome, and she just rises to the challenge of it. No matter what everyone else says she does what is needed to be done.

When Harley finds out Nolan's biggest secret in the world it does not phase her at all. She still loves him no matter what! Knowing things about him and the things that haunt him. She is the rock he didn't think she would be. It was sad to see that he felt that she could not handle anything that he would tell her. But, then if you knew his secret I can see how he thought she might not support him no matter what. I feel that if you love someone then you can work through it.

This book made me cry a few times. Which surprised me a lot, I did not think that this would be such a tear jerkier. It had me mad, sad, confused, and all other types of feelings. I like a book that can evoke those types of feelings in you.

[Kim Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about a roller coaster ride!! Every emotion you can think of will come out of you while reading this book....and it's all awesome. You get more information about Nolan and Harley. Aggie and Camden are back too. There's so much going on I don't want to give away any spoilers. I'm looking forward to Book 5 but I don't want the series to end.

[Joy Whiteside · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this. Once again I could not put it down. J A Howell is an amazing author.

They are that good. It moved along at a great pace, has amazing characters and a fantastic story that will grab you.

Looking forward to reading the next one. Will be starting on it soon.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing paranormal saga of Harley and Nolan.

[Rebecca Waldron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woop, woop!!!

Thank God there's another book! I was incredibly bummed, about half way through, thinking that this was it. I am so in love with this story, and EVERY character! Love, humor, sadness. So many feels with this series! And.... Sexy Irishmen! And Scotsman! Woooohoooooo!!