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The Gin & Tarot Club #1
An Enchanting Case of Spirits
When a fortieth birthday celebration leads to a ghostly visitor, four friends find themselves navigating surprising mysteries and spiritual hijinks, in this clever debut from Melissa Holtz.
Alyssa Mann isn’t adventurous, not since her husband died and she found herself the single mom of a teenage daughter. But there’s no way to avoid celebrating the big 4-0, so when her best friends drag her out for drinks and a tarot reading, she throws caution to the wind and decides to see what the spirits have to say. It’s all fun and games, until she wakes up the next morning with a wicked hangover—and a ghost perched on the edge of her bed.
Sheer panic sends her running to get help from Nick West, the (very attractive) detective who lives next door. When he finds no one inside, Alyssa has to accept that she really did see a ghost. As the dearly departed keep appearing, Alyssa and her friends do their best to learn how to control her newfound power. Trading insults with ghosts, tracking down family heirlooms, and getting closer to the skeptical but helpful Nick is more fun than Alyssa imagined. But when looking into one ghost’s past reveals unexpected—and unwelcome—facts about Alyssa’s late husband’s death, she discovers she just may be in over her head.
Alyssa Mann isn’t adventurous, not since her husband died and she found herself the single mom of a teenage daughter. But there’s no way to avoid celebrating the big 4-0, so when her best friends drag her out for drinks and a tarot reading, she throws caution to the wind and decides to see what the spirits have to say. It’s all fun and games, until she wakes up the next morning with a wicked hangover—and a ghost perched on the edge of her bed.
Sheer panic sends her running to get help from Nick West, the (very attractive) detective who lives next door. When he finds no one inside, Alyssa has to accept that she really did see a ghost. As the dearly departed keep appearing, Alyssa and her friends do their best to learn how to control her newfound power. Trading insults with ghosts, tracking down family heirlooms, and getting closer to the skeptical but helpful Nick is more fun than Alyssa imagined. But when looking into one ghost’s past reveals unexpected—and unwelcome—facts about Alyssa’s late husband’s death, she discovers she just may be in over her head.
368 pages, Paperback
First published April 9, 2024
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April 2, 2024
Melissa Holtz combines a paranormal cozy mystery with some romance in her debut novel
An Enchanting Case of Spirits.
Alyssa Mann’s fortieth birthday has arrived and her friends Nina and Lanie aren’t about to let her sit home alone. After dragging her out for drinks, they surprise her with a visit to a psychic, Madame Corinne. The next morning, Alyssa wakes up with a hangover and a man perched on the edge of her bed.
In a panic, Alyssa runs next door to her detective neighbor’s house. Nick West searches and doesn’t find an intruder and Alyssa finally accepts that she saw a ghost. As other ghosts appear, she and her friends work to learn how to control her power and investigate the deaths of the ghosts.
The characterization is great in this novel. Alyssa isn’t adventurous, but she is organized, clumsy, and witty. She’s also a widow with a teenage daughter. Nick is skeptical, courteous, hates hypocrisy, and lives for the chance to help others. Alyssa’s daughter Ava is studious, empathetic, protective, and funny. Lanie is smart, charismatic, and loyal. Nina is practical, analytical, and has a secret she won’t share with her friends.
Romance and humor mix with amateur sleuthing and police investigations into several deaths providing a lighthearted and entertaining read. However, there was one secret that wasn’t revealed. Why refer to it multiple times and not have it play a role in the plot? Will there be a second book with these characters that resolves it. The pacing was a little slow in the beginning of the novel. While the connections made were a little obvious, I still enjoyed the story and the characters, but wished the ending wasn’t quite as rushed as it was.
Overall, this was a funny and light read that entertained me. If this becomes a series, I would read the next book. Themes include friendship, family, grief, romance, death, romance, helping others, and much more.
Berkley Publishing Group and Melissa Holtz provided a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently expected to be April 9, 2024.
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My 4.09 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
In a panic, Alyssa runs next door to her detective neighbor’s house. Nick West searches and doesn’t find an intruder and Alyssa finally accepts that she saw a ghost. As other ghosts appear, she and her friends work to learn how to control her power and investigate the deaths of the ghosts.
The characterization is great in this novel. Alyssa isn’t adventurous, but she is organized, clumsy, and witty. She’s also a widow with a teenage daughter. Nick is skeptical, courteous, hates hypocrisy, and lives for the chance to help others. Alyssa’s daughter Ava is studious, empathetic, protective, and funny. Lanie is smart, charismatic, and loyal. Nina is practical, analytical, and has a secret she won’t share with her friends.
Romance and humor mix with amateur sleuthing and police investigations into several deaths providing a lighthearted and entertaining read. However, there was one secret that wasn’t revealed. Why refer to it multiple times and not have it play a role in the plot? Will there be a second book with these characters that resolves it. The pacing was a little slow in the beginning of the novel. While the connections made were a little obvious, I still enjoyed the story and the characters, but wished the ending wasn’t quite as rushed as it was.
Overall, this was a funny and light read that entertained me. If this becomes a series, I would read the next book. Themes include friendship, family, grief, romance, death, romance, helping others, and much more.
Berkley Publishing Group and Melissa Holtz provided a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently expected to be April 9, 2024.
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My 4.09 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
May 19, 2025
Cozy, charming, and delightfully spirited!
This audiobook was exactly the kind of lighthearted, feel-good escape I love curling up with—or in this case, popping in my earbuds for whenever I had the chance. An Enchanting Case of Spirits is a paranormal romance with heart, humour, and just the right dash of ghostly mischief to keep things lively.
Alyssa Mann is a relatable, refreshingly older heroine—forty and fabulous—whose reluctant leap into the world of tarot readings and spirits opens the door to a full-blown haunting. What follows is a delightful mix of mystery, friendship, and flirtation as Alyssa and her tight-knit group of girlfriends navigate unexpected ghostly guests, a few secrets from the past, and an adorably grumpy detective-next-door.
🎧 Narrators Piper Goodeve and Aaron Shedlock were a joy to listen to. Their voices brought warmth and personality to the characters, adding an extra layer of charm to an already enchanting story.
This debut had me smiling, laughing, and genuinely looking forward to pressing play again—such a comforting feeling. It’s so refreshing to see older characters given centre stage in a genre that so often skews young, and Melissa Holtz does it with heart and humour to spare.
Also—how cute is that cover? Perfectly captures the playful, witchy vibe of the story.
Highly recommended for anyone craving a cozy paranormal escape with spirited friendships and just the right amount of romance.
This audiobook was exactly the kind of lighthearted, feel-good escape I love curling up with—or in this case, popping in my earbuds for whenever I had the chance. An Enchanting Case of Spirits is a paranormal romance with heart, humour, and just the right dash of ghostly mischief to keep things lively.
Alyssa Mann is a relatable, refreshingly older heroine—forty and fabulous—whose reluctant leap into the world of tarot readings and spirits opens the door to a full-blown haunting. What follows is a delightful mix of mystery, friendship, and flirtation as Alyssa and her tight-knit group of girlfriends navigate unexpected ghostly guests, a few secrets from the past, and an adorably grumpy detective-next-door.
🎧 Narrators Piper Goodeve and Aaron Shedlock were a joy to listen to. Their voices brought warmth and personality to the characters, adding an extra layer of charm to an already enchanting story.
This debut had me smiling, laughing, and genuinely looking forward to pressing play again—such a comforting feeling. It’s so refreshing to see older characters given centre stage in a genre that so often skews young, and Melissa Holtz does it with heart and humour to spare.
Also—how cute is that cover? Perfectly captures the playful, witchy vibe of the story.
Highly recommended for anyone craving a cozy paranormal escape with spirited friendships and just the right amount of romance.
August 10, 2024
Definitely cute & cozy for a spooky season read! Nothing life-changing, nothing excellent, but cute! 3.5 🌟
April 9, 2024
An Enchanting Case of Spirits by Melissa Holtz is somewhat of a romantic paranormal fantasy with a heaping side of mystery. The story in An Enchanting Case of Spirits is one that does change the point of view between the characters with a friends (neighbors) to lovers slow burn romance.
Alyssa Mann has been in mourning since her husband died in a horrible accident but Alyssa’s friends really want to see her get back to normal and have a little fun for a change. When Alyssa’s friends suggest going to a tarot reading to celebrate her big 4-0 Alyssa figures what the heck, nothing will probably happen but just what if she could contact her husband?
Alyssa ends up getting more than she expected at the tarot reader but still ends up disappointed when heading home. The next morning however Alyssa wakes to a strange man in her room that poofed away when confronted. In complete shock and terror Alyssa runs to her neighbor, Nick West, who happens to be a detective and is happy to help but Nick never expected to be investigating a ghost though.
An Enchanting Case of Spirits is a debut novel from author Melissa Holtz so of course I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one. Thankfully what I found was a fun story that kept the pages turning all throughout. I do think that this one was a little heavier on the mystery side of the novel than the romance but I didn’t mind at all. I enjoyed the side of ghosts this one offered up just as much as the main characters and when finished I would definitely give this author another try if she writes more in the future.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Alyssa Mann has been in mourning since her husband died in a horrible accident but Alyssa’s friends really want to see her get back to normal and have a little fun for a change. When Alyssa’s friends suggest going to a tarot reading to celebrate her big 4-0 Alyssa figures what the heck, nothing will probably happen but just what if she could contact her husband?
Alyssa ends up getting more than she expected at the tarot reader but still ends up disappointed when heading home. The next morning however Alyssa wakes to a strange man in her room that poofed away when confronted. In complete shock and terror Alyssa runs to her neighbor, Nick West, who happens to be a detective and is happy to help but Nick never expected to be investigating a ghost though.
An Enchanting Case of Spirits is a debut novel from author Melissa Holtz so of course I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one. Thankfully what I found was a fun story that kept the pages turning all throughout. I do think that this one was a little heavier on the mystery side of the novel than the romance but I didn’t mind at all. I enjoyed the side of ghosts this one offered up just as much as the main characters and when finished I would definitely give this author another try if she writes more in the future.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
September 28, 2025
An Enchanting Case of Spirits had such an intriguing premise, and that’s honestly the only reason I stuck with it until the end. Unfortunately, the story dragged on far too long, and I found myself losing interest along the way. The writing style didn’t really work for me either, and I couldn’t help but feel there was a lot of room for improvement. A great idea, but not the most engaging execution.
dnf
August 2, 2024I can't really rate a book after only 13%, can I? But those 13% were quite bad. 🙈
There was something really weird with how this book was written, if you ask me.
Disjointed, messy, and weirdly unsympathetic.
The main character was annoying from the moment she was introduced, but when she found the neighbour helping her with random little things, something to be incredibly rude about, she lost me completely. I just wanted to kick her out of my life so I quit the book. 🤷🏻♀️
The unreasonably rude medium had grated on my nerves before that + how all-over-the-place the seance was.
I mean, the story and characters were sprawling all over the place. Every word that just popped into the author's mind seemed to have been transferred unfiltered to the book.
So... Ehh. No. No formal rating this time. To be honest, I am wondering what the heck all 4+ reviewers were smoking while listening to or reading this book... 😅
There was something really weird with how this book was written, if you ask me.
Disjointed, messy, and weirdly unsympathetic.
The main character was annoying from the moment she was introduced, but when she found the neighbour helping her with random little things, something to be incredibly rude about, she lost me completely. I just wanted to kick her out of my life so I quit the book. 🤷🏻♀️
The unreasonably rude medium had grated on my nerves before that + how all-over-the-place the seance was.
I mean, the story and characters were sprawling all over the place. Every word that just popped into the author's mind seemed to have been transferred unfiltered to the book.
So... Ehh. No. No formal rating this time. To be honest, I am wondering what the heck all 4+ reviewers were smoking while listening to or reading this book... 😅
June 8, 2024
2 stars because the premise had a lot of promise. However, the MC Alyssa was insufferable and mean to literally everyone, including her best friend and the supposed love interest. I was waiting for her to become a decent person and that just never happened. I was also waiting for the humor that other reviewers mentioned and I honestly never saw it unless snarking at everyone in a truly mean spirited way is considered humor these days. There’s banter and then there’s being a bitch and the MC never learned the difference.
February 4, 2024
3 Stars
An Enchanting Case of Spirits is Melissa Holtz's debut novel that begins with the main character, Alyssa Mann, celebrating her 40th birthday with friends and a psychic. After the death of her husband, Alyssa hopes to communicate with him, but she gets more than what she bargained for when she spiritually opens herself up. She begins to see ghosts; which means only one thing, they need help crossing over. Her sexy, next-door neighbor, Nick West, is a detective who only wants to help any way he can. Not only do they help ghosts, but sparks begin to fly between Alyssa and Nick…
Pros:
- I like Nick. He's charming and helpful
- Fast-paced writing style
- Ghost story, see below
Cons:
- I like the aspects of a ghost story, but not the actual ghosts? I found most of them too snarky
- I wish there were more scenes between Alyssa and Nick. There are only a few kissing scenes… I was hoping to get more!
- Alyssa and her friends are OK characters.
- More of a mystery element than I wanted it to have
Overall, it was ok. The author left it open to a series, for sure. I may read it. However, I would pass on this if you wanted a ghost story AND more heated scenes between the h/H. It's definitely a slow burn with only a few kisses. 3 Stars.
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this arc, all of my reviews are my own. This publishes on April 9th, 2024.
An Enchanting Case of Spirits is Melissa Holtz's debut novel that begins with the main character, Alyssa Mann, celebrating her 40th birthday with friends and a psychic. After the death of her husband, Alyssa hopes to communicate with him, but she gets more than what she bargained for when she spiritually opens herself up. She begins to see ghosts; which means only one thing, they need help crossing over. Her sexy, next-door neighbor, Nick West, is a detective who only wants to help any way he can. Not only do they help ghosts, but sparks begin to fly between Alyssa and Nick…
Pros:
- I like Nick. He's charming and helpful
- Fast-paced writing style
- Ghost story, see below
Cons:
- I like the aspects of a ghost story, but not the actual ghosts? I found most of them too snarky
- I wish there were more scenes between Alyssa and Nick. There are only a few kissing scenes… I was hoping to get more!
- Alyssa and her friends are OK characters.
- More of a mystery element than I wanted it to have
Overall, it was ok. The author left it open to a series, for sure. I may read it. However, I would pass on this if you wanted a ghost story AND more heated scenes between the h/H. It's definitely a slow burn with only a few kisses. 3 Stars.
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this arc, all of my reviews are my own. This publishes on April 9th, 2024.
April 25, 2025
Thank you to PRH Audio for the copy, all thoughts are my own.
This was kind of adorable. This sweet romance had an engaging plot line with the mystery going on. The twist of the supernatural was a good plot driver. It made for a good kick off read of spooky season. The bad guys were honestly pretty predictable, but it was still a good read!
❤️ Tropes ❤️
💋 sweet romance
💋 widowers second chance
💋 neighbors
💋 opposites attract
Alyssa has been broken. Her husband died in the car accident that they were in a couple years ago, and now she’s turning 40. Her friends drag her out to celebrate and drinks turn into going to a seance. Only something follows Alyssa home. Or should I say someone. Billy answered their call, and now he won’t leave until his unfinished business is wrapped up. And that all hinges on Alyssa’s ability to make her cop neighbor believe that she is seeing ghosts. Easy peesy lemon squeezy.
This was kind of adorable. This sweet romance had an engaging plot line with the mystery going on. The twist of the supernatural was a good plot driver. It made for a good kick off read of spooky season. The bad guys were honestly pretty predictable, but it was still a good read!
❤️ Tropes ❤️
💋 sweet romance
💋 widowers second chance
💋 neighbors
💋 opposites attract
Alyssa has been broken. Her husband died in the car accident that they were in a couple years ago, and now she’s turning 40. Her friends drag her out to celebrate and drinks turn into going to a seance. Only something follows Alyssa home. Or should I say someone. Billy answered their call, and now he won’t leave until his unfinished business is wrapped up. And that all hinges on Alyssa’s ability to make her cop neighbor believe that she is seeing ghosts. Easy peesy lemon squeezy.
December 6, 2024
DNF.
Interesting premise and the bones of the story might have been there but the actual writing wasn't up to the task.
Needed a better editor. Also needed a proofreader and/or continuity reader.
1. FMC was insufferable and unrealistic, had no reliable voice
2. Exposition was clunky and forced
3. Dialogue was dull
4. Someone needed to sit down with this book and a calendar and get all the "yesterday"s and "two nights ago" figured out because they were all over the place. It's such a simple thing and really shows that the people in charge of making this book either didn't care or aren't particularly careful.
Interesting premise and the bones of the story might have been there but the actual writing wasn't up to the task.
Needed a better editor. Also needed a proofreader and/or continuity reader.
1. FMC was insufferable and unrealistic, had no reliable voice
2. Exposition was clunky and forced
3. Dialogue was dull
4. Someone needed to sit down with this book and a calendar and get all the "yesterday"s and "two nights ago" figured out because they were all over the place. It's such a simple thing and really shows that the people in charge of making this book either didn't care or aren't particularly careful.
November 7, 2024
Cover 4; characters 4; Plot 5; Pace 4; Intrigue 4; Logic 4; worldbuilding 4; Writing 4; Enjoyment 4
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book so let me tell you in case you're interested (listed in order of how prominent it is in the story). This is primarily a story about a widow learning how to start living again. She gains the power to see ghosts, a plot device that is not fully explored/explained. There is a murder mystery that runs deep within the backstory of most of the MC's. And finally, there is a slooooooooooooow burn romance with a hunky alpha-male detective next door.
This was a fun, sexy (no on page sex), spooky tale that I enjoyed. The murder plot wasn't a giant surprise, but I don't think that was the point of the story. Nor was the FMC's ability to see ghosts. This dealt heavily with how to get back into life after grieving the death of a loved one. Our FMC is a few years into life without her husband so we don't see the grieving process but we do see her trying to get back to living. I think the ghosts really do a good job of playing off of that.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher though it published a while ago and I purchased my own copy of the audiobook for this review.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book so let me tell you in case you're interested (listed in order of how prominent it is in the story). This is primarily a story about a widow learning how to start living again. She gains the power to see ghosts, a plot device that is not fully explored/explained. There is a murder mystery that runs deep within the backstory of most of the MC's. And finally, there is a slooooooooooooow burn romance with a hunky alpha-male detective next door.
This was a fun, sexy (no on page sex), spooky tale that I enjoyed. The murder plot wasn't a giant surprise, but I don't think that was the point of the story. Nor was the FMC's ability to see ghosts. This dealt heavily with how to get back into life after grieving the death of a loved one. Our FMC is a few years into life without her husband so we don't see the grieving process but we do see her trying to get back to living. I think the ghosts really do a good job of playing off of that.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher though it published a while ago and I purchased my own copy of the audiobook for this review.
April 25, 2024
Thanks for the free e-book & ALC @berkleyromance #Berkleypartner #Berkley & @prhaudio
An Enchanting Case of Spirits is Melissa Holtz’s debut novel. It’s a paranormal romance that has major cozy mystery vibes, and it’s such a fun read!
Alyssa Mann is mourning the unexpected death of her husband. She has no interest in celebrating her 40th birthday, but when her friends insist on getting her out of the house, she reluctantly agrees to go for drinks and a tarot card reading. When Alyssa wakes up the next morning, she has a bad hangover and a strange man perched on the end of her bed. Alyssa freaks out and runs next door to Nick, her sexy detective neighbor, for help, but when he doesn’t find anyone, Alyssa comes to accept that she has seen a ghost. When more spirits start to appear to her, it becomes clear that she has the ability to communicate with the dead.
Some of the spirits following her are pretty obnoxious so Alyssa decides to enlist her friends and play amateur sleuth to determine what their connections are to her and/or to each other in hopes of sending them on to their final resting places.
I really enjoyed the cast of characters in this book, as well as the humor and cozy mystery vibes. The romance takes a backseat to Alyssa trying to figure out her newfound power and getting rid of the ghosts, but I still enjoyed the chemistry between Nick and Alyssa.
I alternated between the ebook and audiobook and enjoyed both. Piper Goodeve & Aaron Sherlock narrate the audiobook and I especially enjoyed how they played up the humorous in the story. Such a fun listen!
I’m not sure if this will be a series or a standalone, but I would love to revisit this world so I’m hoping for more books.
An Enchanting Case of Spirits is Melissa Holtz’s debut novel. It’s a paranormal romance that has major cozy mystery vibes, and it’s such a fun read!
Alyssa Mann is mourning the unexpected death of her husband. She has no interest in celebrating her 40th birthday, but when her friends insist on getting her out of the house, she reluctantly agrees to go for drinks and a tarot card reading. When Alyssa wakes up the next morning, she has a bad hangover and a strange man perched on the end of her bed. Alyssa freaks out and runs next door to Nick, her sexy detective neighbor, for help, but when he doesn’t find anyone, Alyssa comes to accept that she has seen a ghost. When more spirits start to appear to her, it becomes clear that she has the ability to communicate with the dead.
Some of the spirits following her are pretty obnoxious so Alyssa decides to enlist her friends and play amateur sleuth to determine what their connections are to her and/or to each other in hopes of sending them on to their final resting places.
I really enjoyed the cast of characters in this book, as well as the humor and cozy mystery vibes. The romance takes a backseat to Alyssa trying to figure out her newfound power and getting rid of the ghosts, but I still enjoyed the chemistry between Nick and Alyssa.
I alternated between the ebook and audiobook and enjoyed both. Piper Goodeve & Aaron Sherlock narrate the audiobook and I especially enjoyed how they played up the humorous in the story. Such a fun listen!
I’m not sure if this will be a series or a standalone, but I would love to revisit this world so I’m hoping for more books.
July 30, 2024
rate: 3.25/5
this had a really strong premise and beginning but it started to flag in the middle. switched to audiobook which helped - definitely not a bad book just think it was a little too long/meandered a little bit. but i love a good witchy/medium book especially with mystery and romance so it checked all the boxes for me
this had a really strong premise and beginning but it started to flag in the middle. switched to audiobook which helped - definitely not a bad book just think it was a little too long/meandered a little bit. but i love a good witchy/medium book especially with mystery and romance so it checked all the boxes for me
May 31, 2024
this did a lot, maybe tooooo much, and also there were a couple parts that made me full on cry?? I didn't like the ending though
July 11, 2025
Rating 2 Stars
What a fucking waste of a 2 for 1 credit deal with audible. I wish I had just borrowed it on Libby or Hoopla so I could have just dropped this book a chapter in. I just had to grit my teeth and was determined to make it through for the credit price and hope it got better. Spoiler alert: it gets only a fraction better but not even close to enough.
First of all the main character Alyssa was definitely in the realm of something that could start with the letter “C” or the letter “B” but don’t want to use curses that demean women. I’ll go with asshat. Asshat is whiny. Is a spoiler sport for when her friends want to go out and have some fun to help take off her mind from the loss of her husband. She finds out she now has a gift to see spirits and is too churlish to listen to anyone. Is nasty to her friends Laini and Nina several times and they did not deserve it. Finds the detective neighbor next door hot. But no asshat is not ready for a relationship. But wait he is really really hot so maybe I can get in his pants? No I really shouldn’t. I now also got spirits who need my help but I don’t want to help. Actually I want to embrace my gift. No it’s the ghosts are assholes and I don’t want to deal with them. Nevermind I will continue to help and now help my friend Nina get out of the marriage she was blackmailed into. All this whiny back and forth gave me whiplash.
Nick was a meh love interest. Didn’t seem really cut up about his fiancée dying after a long bout of illness. Also going to start a wishy washy back and forth if my neighbor is nuts or do I just want to bang her? Ugh.
Only getting another star instead of just one for interesting ending. Glad I can say nope to the sequel and kick these characters to the curb.
What a fucking waste of a 2 for 1 credit deal with audible. I wish I had just borrowed it on Libby or Hoopla so I could have just dropped this book a chapter in. I just had to grit my teeth and was determined to make it through for the credit price and hope it got better. Spoiler alert: it gets only a fraction better but not even close to enough.
First of all the main character Alyssa was definitely in the realm of something that could start with the letter “C” or the letter “B” but don’t want to use curses that demean women. I’ll go with asshat. Asshat is whiny. Is a spoiler sport for when her friends want to go out and have some fun to help take off her mind from the loss of her husband. She finds out she now has a gift to see spirits and is too churlish to listen to anyone. Is nasty to her friends Laini and Nina several times and they did not deserve it. Finds the detective neighbor next door hot. But no asshat is not ready for a relationship. But wait he is really really hot so maybe I can get in his pants? No I really shouldn’t. I now also got spirits who need my help but I don’t want to help. Actually I want to embrace my gift. No it’s the ghosts are assholes and I don’t want to deal with them. Nevermind I will continue to help and now help my friend Nina get out of the marriage she was blackmailed into. All this whiny back and forth gave me whiplash.
Nick was a meh love interest. Didn’t seem really cut up about his fiancée dying after a long bout of illness. Also going to start a wishy washy back and forth if my neighbor is nuts or do I just want to bang her? Ugh.
Only getting another star instead of just one for interesting ending. Glad I can say nope to the sequel and kick these characters to the curb.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2024
I was pleasantly surprised by just HOW much I enjoyed this paranormal romance debut featuring a widow who is reluctantly celebrating her 40th birthday with friends and accidentally unlocks previously unknown medium powers when they visit a tarot reader.
Soon Alyssa finds herself helping spirits deal with unfinished business and solving multiple cold case murders, including figuring out who was responsible for the accident that caused her husband's death.
I loved the romance between Alyssa and neighbor detective Nick who is also grieving the sudden loss of his wife and finds himself becoming a believer when Alyssa starts trying to help him with clues she learns from her spirit 'friends.'
Fresh, fun, and heartfelt, this was thoroughly entertaining and I really hope there will be more books featuring Alyssa and her friends, especially after the way this book ends! It was also good on audio and is perfect for fans of books like Sarah Adler's upcoming, Happy Medium.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley and @prhaudio for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review! This was a perfect combination of female friendship, low spice romance and murder mystery with an occult twist.
Steam level: kissing only
Soon Alyssa finds herself helping spirits deal with unfinished business and solving multiple cold case murders, including figuring out who was responsible for the accident that caused her husband's death.
I loved the romance between Alyssa and neighbor detective Nick who is also grieving the sudden loss of his wife and finds himself becoming a believer when Alyssa starts trying to help him with clues she learns from her spirit 'friends.'
Fresh, fun, and heartfelt, this was thoroughly entertaining and I really hope there will be more books featuring Alyssa and her friends, especially after the way this book ends! It was also good on audio and is perfect for fans of books like Sarah Adler's upcoming, Happy Medium.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley and @prhaudio for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review! This was a perfect combination of female friendship, low spice romance and murder mystery with an occult twist.
Steam level: kissing only
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January 20, 2024DNF. This just isn't doing anything for me.
August 29, 2024
repetitive, characters just aren’t that interesting to me, and I really did not care about the romance. I’m sure this could be the perfect book for someone else but it didn’t work for me at all.
September 21, 2024
Very predictable plot, book dragged on alot. Main character wasn't very likeable.
March 26, 2024
This book was fun! It starts out with our main character Alyssa celebrating her 40th birthday. Her husband recently died in a car accident so she has been kind of recluse. Her friends get her to go out for a celebration dinner. They end up at a psychic's and Alyssa tries to contact her husband. In the morning she ends up with a ghost stuck to her who is NOT her husband. She has to try to figure out how to get him to move on.
I liked Alyssa, it was obvious she was stuck in a kind of rut after her husband dies and it's nice to see her friends really rally around her to get her back into the swing of things. She was determined to figure out why this ghost is now stuck to her, to get him to move on and once things get rolling to figure out if maybe his death is related to her husband's death. She formed a friendly relationship with her neighbor Nick, the cop. She feeds him information about the case through the ghost (Billy). Nick was a great character too. He was skeptical, but just as determined to figure out some of these cold cases (or cases that may have been closed that should not have been).
The plot was fun. At first it was almost silly, these 3 friends summon a ghost, but it turns serious when all these inconsistencies in each case and similarities between them become known. While the first genre of this book says romance, I think it reads almost like a cozy mystery. There were a lot of things that became known throughout the book and it was fun to follow the clues through ghosts. The ending was exciting and satisfying. While this book looks to be a standalone, the very last line opens the door for a sequel, or another book with a different character as the main character.
There were 2 narrators of this book one female for Alyssa, and one male for Nick. They were both really fantastic narrators. They were easy to listen to and brought the characters and story to life.
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for an ebook copy and PRHAudio for an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I liked Alyssa, it was obvious she was stuck in a kind of rut after her husband dies and it's nice to see her friends really rally around her to get her back into the swing of things. She was determined to figure out why this ghost is now stuck to her, to get him to move on and once things get rolling to figure out if maybe his death is related to her husband's death. She formed a friendly relationship with her neighbor Nick, the cop. She feeds him information about the case through the ghost (Billy). Nick was a great character too. He was skeptical, but just as determined to figure out some of these cold cases (or cases that may have been closed that should not have been).
The plot was fun. At first it was almost silly, these 3 friends summon a ghost, but it turns serious when all these inconsistencies in each case and similarities between them become known. While the first genre of this book says romance, I think it reads almost like a cozy mystery. There were a lot of things that became known throughout the book and it was fun to follow the clues through ghosts. The ending was exciting and satisfying. While this book looks to be a standalone, the very last line opens the door for a sequel, or another book with a different character as the main character.
There were 2 narrators of this book one female for Alyssa, and one male for Nick. They were both really fantastic narrators. They were easy to listen to and brought the characters and story to life.
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for an ebook copy and PRHAudio for an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
April 28, 2024
Thanks so much to @berkleypub for the free book! #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #BerkleyBookstagram
What a fun read! This was like cozy mystery plus paranormal! The characters were so fun and relatable! I absolutely loved the romance as well! I think this was just such an excellent debut novel, it certainly doesn’t read like one, the plot was easy to follow and the reveals kept the story exciting! The ending though!!!! Will there be more!? A few unanswered questions leave the story hanging! I want to know! Had such a great time reading this one and would absolutely recommend this one!!!!
What a fun read! This was like cozy mystery plus paranormal! The characters were so fun and relatable! I absolutely loved the romance as well! I think this was just such an excellent debut novel, it certainly doesn’t read like one, the plot was easy to follow and the reveals kept the story exciting! The ending though!!!! Will there be more!? A few unanswered questions leave the story hanging! I want to know! Had such a great time reading this one and would absolutely recommend this one!!!!
September 8, 2024
I loved this book ♥️♥️ Three friends visit a medium and leave with more than they were expecting. Alyssa finds herself able to see ghosts now and with the help of her friends and the sexy neighbor cop, she gets involved with solving their unexplained deaths. I thought this story flowed well. I loved the small town vibes, the characters, Nick—the sexy cop 😉; all of it hit just right for me. Can’t wait to see what the rest of the books have in store.
October 23, 2024
Oooh!! 👻🔮💀👻🔮💀👻🔮💀👻🔮💀👻🔮💀 I really, really liked this story!! I cannot wait for the sequel! That CLIFFHANGER 🤭😍😫
This book was much more mystery than romance, and part of me was hoping for more romance, but the fact that there will undoubtedly be a sequel likely means that romance will continue (right?!) to unfold in the next book!
Thoroughly enjoyed! 💜🩶🤍
This book was much more mystery than romance, and part of me was hoping for more romance, but the fact that there will undoubtedly be a sequel likely means that romance will continue (right?!) to unfold in the next book!
Thoroughly enjoyed! 💜🩶🤍
September 27, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ a paranormal cozy fall mystery! I really enjoyed the medium aspect mixed the police man next door aspect of this story! The way it ended left it open for a 2nd one. I’ll definitely read, if so.
Didn’t love the slow burn. Hoping for more spice in the next one! Even if it’s closed door.
Didn’t love the slow burn. Hoping for more spice in the next one! Even if it’s closed door.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2024
Really fun book i bought as a tame halloween read. Glad but also disappointed the ghosts weren’t a touch spookier.
July 14, 2025
I liked this. Would be perfect to read around Halloween
November 4, 2024
4⭐️ this book had me wanting for more! I literally cannot put it down. I love all the characters, the plot it was definitely an amazing October read! Fun & mysterious.
June 28, 2024
Alyssa and her friends celebrate her 40th birthday with drinks and a tarot reading. The next morning, Alyssa wakes up with a stranger in her house. She asks her neighbor, Nick, who is a detective, for help. Nick doesn't find anyone in the house, and Alyssa is faced with the fact she saw a ghost.
An Enchanting Case of Spirits is told from Alyssa and Nick's points of view. An enjoyable cast of characters. An entertaining story with mystery and romance.
An Enchanting Case of Spirits was lighthearted and fun. Recommended for fans of paranormal cozy mysteries and romance.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
An Enchanting Case of Spirits is told from Alyssa and Nick's points of view. An enjoyable cast of characters. An entertaining story with mystery and romance.
An Enchanting Case of Spirits was lighthearted and fun. Recommended for fans of paranormal cozy mysteries and romance.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2024
Imagine not being a believer in the occult but agreeing to having your tarot read and wham! There's a ghost in your life. Alyssa and her friends are the kind of galgang everyone needs, even if Alyssa's still mourning her husband... and when the ghosts arrive, demanding she help them pass by solving the mystery of their deaths, they're all in on helping her. Of course, having a hunky detective next door doesn't hurt, right?
eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
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