Flunking with a Ghost

Haunted Love #6

by Baylin Crow, Iggy Toma (Narrator)

Listening Length: 3 hours and 51 minutes

Liam:

Moving to the sleepy town of Havens Hallow, Massachusetts, during my senior year hadn't been part of my future plans. Not to mention the ancient house my father bought sits next to the creepiest place imaginable—a graveyard full of battered stone statues. It's a far cry from the upper-middle class neighborhood we left behind.

That wasn't the only thing I had to walk away from. My position as the star quarterback of my old team has now been replaced with a not-so-cozy spot on the sideline.

With a football scholarship on the line, I can't afford to be benched. But my grades are in the trash and my mood is buried somewhere beneath the soil of my new personal nightmare.

I need help, and fast. August Sanders, a classmate in my new school, volunteers to tutor me. As much as my bruised ego hates it, I can't turn down the offer.

However, he forgot to mention a pretty important detail that sends shivers through every cell in my body.

August isn't a student. Not anymore. He's not even made of flesh and bone. And apparently I'm the only person who's been able to see him in more than three years.

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Audiobook, Ghosts, Fantasy, Queer

4 pages, Audiobook

Published August 15, 2023

About the author

Baylin writes gay romance stories full of sweetness and steam. She's best known for her Sugar Land Saints series that follows a college football team set in Texas, which she also calls home. Whether writing books or reading them, Baylin spends the majority of her time tucked into the pages of stories about men who love other men. She has two amazing children, a spoiled cat, a hyperactive dog, and a heavy addiction to caffeine.

To be alerted by email when I release a book, please follow me on BookBub or sign up for my newsletter through my website.

Happy Reading! ❤📚

Reviews

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 5th book I've read in this series (reading out of order). This was my favourite!
I absolutely loved August and Liam.
Yes, I guessed what the ending would be at the beginning of the book, but sometimes you just need a simple, cute, adorable, ghosty romance ❤️

[Head in a book · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super cute read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[It's a Solid Maybe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok I'm going 2.5/3 because it was super short... but entertaining. I liked the premise but it missed seriously amazing storyline opportunities. I listened to the audio and I like it well enough. That Night toward the ending was kind of the biggest reason it went from a solid 3.5/4 to a 2.5 because literally the biggest thing everrr that the entire story lead up to and Crow chose to skip ahead 2 years instead, inevitably making light of the crux of the story then doubledback and kind of summarized the climax.liked WTF. But for a 3 hour story it was entertaining enough.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't bad but the twist was too predictable and since the book is so short there wasn't enough time to really develop the relationship. I would have prefered one more chapter where they get to meet each other for real before getting the time jump for the epilogue.

[Betty Loves Books Galore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is friends to more romance, featuring Liam and August, and is book nine in the Haunted Love multi author series. This is a reread for me, I absolutely love this book and fall in love with it even more every time I read it.
Liam moves to the eerie town of Havens Hallow and struggles with losing his star quarterback status, slipping grades, and the creepy graveyard next door. When classmate August offers to tutor him, Liam discovers August isn’t a living student at all but a ghost only he can see.

I won’t tell you too much about this one as I don’t want to spoil it but I highly recommend you read this, it’s brilliant.

Audiobook is so beautifully done. Love Iggy Toma!

Things to expect in this MM romance are:
Book 9
Multi author series
Spooky Novella
Nerd x Jock
Tutor x quarterback
Ghost x human
Close proximity
Mystery
Slow burn
Hurt/Comfort
Little bit of spice
Both fall hard
HEA

[Pertan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it fine right until the end. It ended in the middle of the story! I would have liked reading through the agony of Liam finding August missing, and them explain/avoid explaining them. To cramp that into the epilogue is like the author ran out of steam. “Can’t be bothered with finishing this story properly, I’ll just cramp every loose end into e really short epilogue and be done with it…
Disappointed!

[Natalie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feb 2025
Kindle edition

Read for a group challenge week 4. Another one off the TBR and mostly picked because it was short. It was cute. Didn't like the jealous QB, he was a dick, one that got what he wanted in the end which was a bit meh. Another not actually dead just in a coma boyfriend in waiting. It was fun and sweet.

[Christopher Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a surprising delight! My only complaint is it’s too short!!!!! I wanted more of August and Liam! Smutty in the second to last chapter.

[irwins · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐

I really liked the whole book but the ending basically ruined it for me

I don't like how we go from August waking up from his coma, wanting to see Liam, to a fucking two year time skip

I also don't like how Liam spent the whole book saying how important football was to him and then we find out he fucking dropped it in a sentence during the time skip

I know this is a short book but if already wrote 70 pages you might as well write at least just three more so we can see Liam's pov of finding out August went missing/woke up. And at least a paragraph saying why he chose August over football

[Jooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is so my kind of fated/destined romance with a hint of paranormal and a loved every second.
So wondering why I don't rate higher? Well this was too elaborate for a short story, but missing something to be considered a full length story.

[Choyang · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Flunking with a Ghost' ('Haunted Love #6)
by Baylin Crow

I got hooked in by the title; I'm usually a sucker for ghost/paranormal stories, especially if it's also a MM tale!

This was an interesting premise: teen jock flunking a maths class? (not news, lol). BUT having a teen nerd guy/ghost to tutor this aforementioned jock? Sounded like fun!

I really liked how this storyline started out, especially Liam the jock's dad buying and moving them into this new-to-them but decrepit vintage Victorian house, situated next to...(yep, you guessed it) a very old, run down graveyard, situated behind a creaky (of course it is) iron-gated fence. That came complete with a teen-boy ghost!

Anyway, I basically liked how they slowly developed their friendship, once they figured out they could see and speak to, and even touch each other, which was evolving into something more, both before and after Liam discovered that maybe August wasn't exactly who...or what... he pretended to be.

There's August's trauma of being in a car accident, and ending up as a peculiar type of ghost, coupled with Liam also being in a car accident at the same time & location, but his Mom not surviving. Double trauma and feelings to share!

Where this storyline fell short was near the ending, after their memorable sex-love scene, when Liam comes out of the hotel's bathroom, only to discover that August has disappeared!

Fade to black...

But then, fades back in...with an epilogue that is TWO YEARS LATER! What the hell?

Skipping a HUGE chunk of the storyline to rush into some kind of sloughed-off ending is NOT ok, not by a long shot! Really lame!

The author cheated us readers of the big hospital reveal of Liam and August's reunion (and not just a half-assed little "memory recap"), and of them getting to know each other all over again.

Especially disliked August's mother putting the "thumbscrews" to Liam, constantly interrogating him about how and where he knows August (Jacob, to his family) from? Two years later she still comes across as a suspicious bitch, not as someone who welcomes her son's boyfriend, whom he loves, into his life and family.

So, the author missed a big opportunity for a more complete storyline and a satisfying wrap-up to this cute tale of two boys, trapped in alternate realities, but somehow able to cross that barrier to interact with each other.

[Plaguedoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute little ghost story with a HEA. Liam is a football player at a new school after his dad buys a creepy old house next to a cemetery. August is a ghost that had been living in the house after he had died in a wreck on the road nearby; he's an odd ghost though, as he has no memories after waking up to see his body being pulled from the wreckage, and can also touch things if he wills it. After Liam hears August speak one night, August decides to test things out to see if he can be seen, as well.

The close bond they create is sweet, and the spiciness is a slow burn. The one spicy scene in the book is quick and not all that detailed, but the story is relatively short and the characters are young, so I really didn't mind it much. My only complaint is the time skip after the big reveal. While the story does do a bit of backtracking, I really would have liked to see how the whole thing played out in more detail.

[Katriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liam and August's story is very unique! I don't think I've read something quite like this before, it was a really enjoyable story to read! Liam has been having a tough time ever since his mom died and his dad decided to move them to a different town, into a house that looks haunted. Oh yeah, its also next to a cemetary. He didn't think he would make a friend so quickly, or that the friend he met was actually a ghost...

I really enjoyed how this was written, even though August is a ghost in some ways there was always that question floating around as to why he was still 'stuck'. I liked how that question took a while to get answered, it gave these two men tine to figure out what they mean to each other and they got to learn more about each other gradually as well. I enjoyed the ending quite a lot, I think that was a nice way to wrap everything up. All in all a great paranormal romance story.

[Mariansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liam and August are the sweetest. I was all hearteyes throughout this story!

Being a ghost story it holds everything I expected. The fact that someone is invisible, not everyone can see the ghost and the wonder of someone else seeing/hearing/feeling you. I just adore August, and my heart aches from thinking about how lonely he’s been. Liam changes everything, and they become each others everything!
I love that it was slow burn on the relationship side, it fits the story and we get to experience these two forming a friendship first. And when they do decide to explore the attraction between them… sizzling hot, with some of the dirty talk that I always appreciate. Baylin knows how to write it!

Even though there’s no loose ends in this story, in my opinion, the ending could have been a bit longer. But it’s a sweet, low angst, enjoyable story 💛

[Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Ghost Story

I loved this sweet story about a ghost with no memory, and the boy who can see him. August is a ghost that died over 3 years ago but has no memory of who he was. Liam is a young man who has no choice in relocating with his father to a new town. Liam's life is football, but his new coach has no problem benching him if he doesn't have passing grades. August discovers Liam can see and hear him and they strike up a friendship when August starts tutoring Liam. Their feelings begin to grow beyond friendship, until Liam discovers August is a ghost. Once Liam comes to terms with August being a ghost, he's determined to help August discover who he was. What they discover will change them forever. Can they have a happily ever after, or will Liam have to watch August move on? Beautiful story that I highly recommend.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This is such a fun, ghost romance! Crow starts off well by setting the scene, evoking a sense of something supernatural and creepy. But then August and Liam meet and are so cute, with lovely banter. Along the way she hints at August’s fate, and I love the use of the necklace August is attached to.

This is a novella, but it doesn’t feel too short, except that I loved the characters and their interactions so much, I would have loved more time with them. The jump to the epilogue was a bit jarring, but honestly, I don’t know how it could have been improved on. What happened in between was definitely better told than shown, so I think Crow made the right choice.

I listened to the audiobook too, and Iggy Toma once again did a great job with the narration. He never fails to enliven a story.

[Arwen Reads Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a lovely read!

I needed something quick and easy to read, with low angst, a nice but simple intrigue and some fluff, and I got just that! I wanted some ghost romance and I got it.

Their romance had a nice build up, objectively fast-paced but when it's not something that I mind much. The intrigue was nice: some points were obviously predictable while some others weren't, which I liked. I still got surprised and I enjoyed it! And gosh, Liam's dad is the best dad ever.

Sure, I would have liked it if it was a little bit longer so we could see more of what happened before the ellipse. I wasn't mad, though: it's more rooted in curiosity than frustration.

The only time I’d truly felt like myself since arriving in Havens Hallow was when I was with August.

[Sarah H · Rating 5 out of 5]

so much fun!

I definitely remember reading this book last year & recalling how much I had loved it. I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of ‘August’s’ ghost & how the author chose to use the lack of remembrance to make the story not only move forward but also differ from every other book in this series, in that most if not all ghosts didn’t know everything about their lives before death & were miraculously brought back to life in one way or another. The fact that August/Jacob was in this case not a real ghost really made the storyline interesting to me at least. Definitely was a fun 3+ hours both read ebook & listened to audio today. I would definitely read this book again & again. 6⭐️ 💜💜💜

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely loved!!

This story just grabs ahold of you. I loved august(Jacob) and Liam. Their easy relationship and how they just clicked was beautiful to watch as it evolved. August was so lonely and quite surprised to find someone who could hear and see him. And Liam got the shock of his life when the boy who had been he tutor, fast friend and boy he was falling for was also a ghost. Crazier things have happened. Loved their story and how Liam was determined to help august get his story. Wish we had more.

[Mandy Tunstill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply Amazing ❤

WOW......... Absolutely amazing was hooked from the start the haunted love series is fantastic love all of them and in this one Liam and August are something special together from their first meeting to the friendship building between them with Liam needing a tutor and August who's so lonely he's drawn to Liam because he's the first person to see and hear him in 3 years the connection between them oh my beautiful and Liam can't believe the boy he's falling for is a ghost and is determined to help him find out what happened to him recommend so much. ❤

[Rebeka Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enter ghost stories with vague expectations about how things will go down. And I always enjoy reading what I wasn't expecting. This is a pretty short story so areas that I felt could be expanded upon weren't, which is perfectly fine since this isn't a long book. I really enjoyed how everything played out and seeing the connection build between the two characters.

This was an overall sweet story and I'm planning to buy the paperback so I can add it to my personal library. This is definitely a reread for me!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet story

I really enjoyed this story. The author does such a great job leading you down a path where you are sure you know the destination but then…SURPRISE!

I loved August and Liam and the way their story was told and their relationship built. The climactic moment is great. The ending is a bit abrupt and there are a lot of questions swirling in my head but it was a fun read and I’m going to search out the other books in this series.

[Lukas · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a nice reading. It is the first time that I read something themed with a ghost romance.
I really enjoyed the narration of the events and it was really well made... Even though the fact that August being a ghost could touch things and a person was something unusual or something I'm not used to imagine due to the adaptation of this theme in movie and other books. But it was really nice that it ended in a happy ending.

[Kassandra Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flunking with a Ghost

I’m not sure what it is about these books but I’ve loved every single one I’ve read. Trying to figure out the mystery behind the ghost and how the two MCs will be together is part of the enjoyment. Reading through to a satisfying conclusion is the best part.

Highly recommend.

I was gifted a free copy of this book from the author and also read it in KU.

[Evelyn Bella (there WILL be spoilers) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What did I just read???? And why was it kinda good???? 💀💀💀💀

I've discovered a new favorite trope that I can't tell people about IRL.

This gave me so many fond memories of Meg Cabot's Mediator series. Which I didn't finish back then so now I'm wondering how it was resolved.

So. Much as I didn't like the borderline soapy way this ended, I honestly enjoyed the read. Unusual plots are always a fun read.

Sigh. Off to find other books where one of them is dead.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great love story with many twists

This book leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling, it's definitely a feel-good comfort read. It is sweet and engaging, with a good story, well-built characters, and an unexpected ending.

This is the first book by Baylin Crow that I've read, and I am definitely going to check out her other ones.

[... · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-star read. Very sweet. It definitely felt like the author didn't have time to finish the book, but for what it was, I enjoyed it. My first time with this author and while I'm not in a rush to go track down more of their work based on this one, I'd definitely read another if the premise caught my eye.

[Zalu · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot was predictable but I didn’t have problems with it since the book itself was enjoyable. But the ending… the last chapter was very anticlimatic, that ”two years later” thing right after an emotional scene just threw me off, I truly needed that scene to be shown from both sides and preferably be at least a bit longer as it was the moment I’ve been waiting for the whole time.

[Moon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sugary sweet with a dash of spice, but not much spook.

This was a tender and sweet little love story. Liam and August were adorable together, and the writing was enjoyable. However, between the last page and the epilogue, it felt like a HUGE chunk of the story was missing. So much so that it left me with too many questions rather than a satisfying end. 3.25 stars.

[Brennan Klein · Rating 3 out of 5]

TBH, even though the dialogue was clunky, this was better than I expected in terms of having a plot-driven supernatural mystery. But WHOA it goes from 0 to 60 within the space of a paragraph once the late-breaking sex scene kicks in.