The Neverloving Dead

Haunted Hearts

by Tal Frost

It all sounds so simple: help Gethin stop a serial killer. Then Gethin will leave him alone and go ‘on’ into death. And Patrick can get on with his to leave limbo in the other direction. Backwards, into life...

Repressed ex-priest Patrick died centuries ago. Now he roams London, feeding on men, building energy for a second chance at life and love. Emotions cost energy, so he avoids them.

Fun-loving Welshman Gethin struggles with anger after his violent murder. The only thing he’s ever committed to, dead or alive, is stopping his killer before he kills again. But he's failing.

Purely to be rid of him, Patrick agrees to help. But as the clock runs down and emotions get messy, will their deal cost more than either of them intend?

The Neverloving Dead contains strong horror and er0ticism, ghostly rules, ghastly deaths, Welsh idioms, multiples and an ecclesiastical auctioneer. It’s dark. You’ve been warned.

Haunted Hearts – Everyone deserves a happy ever afterlife!

Haunted Hearts is an Own-Voices Paranormal Romance Series about love and the things that go boo in the night. Join us on our romantic journeys over ten books from some of your favourite authors! Be sure to read the entire series so you don’t miss a moment of falling in love, or sometimes falling into a happily ever after-life! Each book is a standalone but why not read them all? Everyone deserves the HEA!

Genres: Paranormal

219 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 14, 2024

About the author

Tal Frost (he/him) is a trans, mostly gay author from here, there & everywhere. He writes gay/queer supernatural fantasy involving demons, angels, werebears, wyrdlings, a few humans, magic and hot sex. He loves dancing, velvet, cups of tea, frost in the moonlight and weirdish music. He lives in Devon in the UK.

Reviews

[patrícia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very sweet and romantic, in a dark morally dubious way, even with the icky feeding and all 😅. This is a Tal Frost book, you can see by the quality of the writing, his fervent mind, plot shenanigans and hellish hot sex🔥

I love Patrick and Gethin and I so glad they got they HEA enjoying themselves in the obscene, filthy, sexy, lovely limbo🖤

“So maybe we can just enjoy ourselves, you know? Have weird sex and, I dunno, solve crimes. Together,”🫶

The missing star… it’s all that jizzz… not a fan 😢and the Stuart fucking situation, that added nothing to the plot and was a bit off character … together hot, apart 👎.the end, well I would’ve prefer something different… maybe I’ll find better words to explain in a few days 🙌

I received a copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.

[isthisakink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somebody wanna explain what the fuck just happened—to my brain, specifically? Because I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t even close to what I just read.

I mean, I’m dumb, so like, maybe I don’t understand what genres are anymore. That’s probably a perfectly valid thing I should consider. HOWEVER, this didn’t feel like horror to me? I’m also weird, though, so don’t listen to me. At this point I’m just trying to gather my thoughts and stop crying. I just went through A LOT, okay? You’ll be here soon. You’ll get it.

Heed the trigger warnings and be kind to yourself while you’re reading, because it’s HEAVY, babe. Phew. But holy fucking shit it’s amazing. Like, the author’s imagination boggles the mind. At least my smooth one, but I digress.

Seriously. I wish I could read notes on the writing journey and experience all of the elements and details that were created but never used. That’s still the thing that gets me going. The creative process is my JAM, buddies. This whole thing was my fucking bread and butter.

From the title to the afterword, every part of this book hit (for real, though, these afterwords keep making me ugly cry and want to dole out hugs). The detail was richer than some thousand-page, multi-book epics. The premise alone was giving so much, but then add in the actual story, the multiple plot points that were all given the attention and resolutions they deserved, the characters who felt just as real as myself because they were given flesh and blood, the symbolism and hidden meanings… everything was like the most intricate puzzle that none of the pieces were missing from or damaged in any way.

You could glue this puzzle together and frame it and it would be considered fine art.

In less than 300 pages, too. That’s still fucking me up. The blurb did not prepare me. The word count was deceptive.

I have loved every book in this series, but this one was on another level. Easily one of the very best books I’ve read all year. It’s too unique to be anything else. It will grab you with far better grabby hands than mine and won’t let you go. I rarely have book hangover, and I have more HH ARCs to read, but I’m gonna need a minute. Or five. Yeah, probably five.

I didn’t even mention how much I loved the love story. HE WAS WILLING TO GIVE UP HIS (AFTER)LIFE FOR HIM THE WHOLE DAMN TIME AND YOU CANNOT TELL ME THAT ISN’T FUCKING ROMANCE.🗽😭

5/5. Please never stop writing. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk (aka unwanted opinions soup). I still don’t know what to say or how to say it. All of the stars are yours. That it’s OV is just the icing on the perfect cake. I could read stories from this world indefinitely. This whole series has been too good for me to explain.



**[I received an ARC from the author. All ratings, reviews, and opinions are my own.]**

[Christian Baines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply unsettling and strangely sweet in unexpected ways.

[Darryl Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a romantic and living ghost story, a series of these ghosts helping solve murders perhaps is needed

[Saskia Veldhuis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of the most original and unusual stories I've ever read. This was a very intense and beautifully written journey starring two ghosts, starting with so much misunderstanding and distrust and slowly developing into so much love that both were prepared to lose themselves forever for the other. The epilogue was truly amusing, ending the book on a very different note. The afterword was really touching, and I hope with all my heart that the author finds more of himself during his own journey.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this strange and eerily odd book, a two hundred year old ghost of a priest, Patrick is damned to limbo by virtue of being put to death for fornicating with a man. He tries to regain a body by feeding off other men's spend. He stumbles on another ghost, Gethin who was murdered and wants to stop his killer. The two engage in pleasuring each other and then living men to try to attempt corporeality in the flesh. With unique limits set to spirituality, revenge, love and escape to another plane, this book stretches your imagination and morality values. It is a unique concept turned into modern limitations. Tal has quite the imagination. I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary opinion.

[Blake Allwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm ashamed to say this book has sat in my TBR for way too long. I finally got to it and OMG this is quite a ride. Tal Frost is so creative in his spinning of a ghost story.

If you want something different that entices your senses, you can't find a better read!

Full out 5 stars from me!

[b00ks_in_nature · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mind your triggers, there are some heavy things in here. The whole thing is fairly angsty as well. Love that it is Own Voices, and the Acknowledgements at the end were pretty great. The story itself is… well I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it. It was so imaginative, and definitely not a premise I’ve seen before. I enjoyed it and will check out more by the author.

[DLB2572 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not What I Was Expecting

As my title says, this wasn't what I was expecting but in a good way. It was a lot better. It was so interesting and very entertaining to read. I would read the trigger warnings before reading though.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[Ryan Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Neverloving Dead by Tal Frost is a prurient exploration of unsettling horror intertwined with morally ambiguous queer/gay eroticism. This narrative reaches into the darkest aspects of human experience, exploring the pains and pleasures that come with the power of choice, especially when choice, conscious or otherwise, is removed. Yes, there’s romance, affection, and authentic connections, but make no mistake, Frost isn’t afraid or ashamed of being visceral in his depictions of gay sex and intimacy. His voice as a gay/queer writer of homoeroticism is forthright and colourfully descriptive. It’s not for the faint of heart or those looking for less graphic (and often) depictions of gay sex in varied forms. This paranormal romance leaves a haunting impression that will linger long after you’ve turned the last page.

For my full unedited review go to www.ryanlawrenceauthor.ca

[Colin Dereham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must admit, I badgered the author into letting me be the first one to read this—the premise was just too intriguing to pass up.

“The Neveloving Dead” is an absolute cracker of a tale—gripping and entertaining from beginning to end. The prose is sparkling, the story is razor-sharp and the pace is exhilarating. The author now owes me big time for the two sleepless nights he kept me up with eyes like saucers trying to soak in every word.

Patrick is a ghost who has been stuck in limbo for two hundred years after being led to the gallows over sins of the flesh - and he was a priest, no less. Since then, he has done what he can to build and conserve his energy, taking life as calmly as possible, and extracting the only substance that can give him sustenance. Unfortunately, that substance can only be gained through the nocturnal emissions of men, whom Patrick liases with in intimate ways as they sleep.

Enter Gethin, a rookie ghost who was bumped off by a serial killer three years ago. He’s uncontrollably angry and out for revenge, desperate to stop this killer from his murdering spree. Unfortunately, two more murders have happened and he’s been powerless to do anything—and now a third is on the way.

Due to guilt Patrick feels over his past sins, he takes pity on Gethin and tries to teach him how to survive, how to stock up on energy—enough so that Gethin can complete his mission and go on to the afterlife. But Gethin is appalled by Patrick’s method of extracting the elixir he gets from these amorous sleeping men.

A riveting battle of wits ensues, with either ghost becoming depleted to the brink of insanity. But eventually, they work it out. And boy, it’s scorching when they do. There are many ribald scenes in this novel—habanero-level ones. The scintillating activities two ghosts and various living men can get up to together—well, you’re just gonna have to take my word for it.

“The Neverloving Dead” is a gay urban fantasy with exhilarating twists and turns and sizzling erotica, but what about the romance? Maybe we could call it Enemies to Lovers—after all, they are at loggerheads for the bulk of the book. But the payoff is huge. You want a HEA? Well, this one was two hundred years in the making, and it’s dead satisfying.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Neverloving Dead is the sixth book in the Haunted Hearts series.

He is a new author for me, I have to comment that his writing style is excellent, both the descriptions of situations, feelings and character development.

Patrick has been dead for two hundred years, he is a repressed ghost, both when he was alive and when he was dead, trapped in limbo, whose goal is to become corporeal again. To do this he feeds on people, on the energy extracted during sex, although there is another way, Patrick prefers this one. He is always in control, shutting out feelings, both positive and negative. I connected with him a lot, although he seems to be a bit dry, he cares a lot for Gethin, but because of his low self-esteem he thinks he is not worth it.

Gethin is another ghost, trapped in limbo but who died a short time ago, and his goal is to catch his killer, with whom he has a kind of connection that tells him when he is going to kill someone. For this he needs to be corporeal, at least for a while and not fade into nothingness. This is where Patrick comes in.

I am really like all the books in this series, but this one in particular mixes horror with romance very well, because, ultimately, it´s a love story between ghosts, addressing a topics such as consent, self-repression, and forgiveness.

I had this author on my tbr, because his Hammer Falls series caught my attention, which I definitely have to read.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good ghost story but I can count on one hand how many had two ghosts as the main characters.
Patrick had been a priest when he died, wanting to be alive again, he passed the days collecting energy to make his dream come true. Gethin was murdered, angry and plotting revenge on the person who did it to him.
This was a story I did not want to put down. Watching Patrick and Gethin never give up, the constant battles between them had me on tenterhooks wondering if they would get their HEA. I loved that they both had strong characters and never backed down but then they had their tender moments. Patrick saving Gethin even though he knew the cost. Both had their own trauma which they had to overcome to get the person behind the murders and there is one scene which is so beautiful written that I had to take a moment away. I am not going to say which one as I do not want to ruin this story for you.
The investigation on Gethin's murder runs through the story and I enjoyed watching them put the pieces together. There is a lot of angst to this story, which for me was expected.
I love Tal Frost's work, the way he tells a story how imaginative his work is, well I wasn't expecting how the ghosts got their energy and I hope we can get more of Patrick and Gethin. I would love them to have their own series solving mystery for the recently departed. This is a great addition to the Haunted Hearts series

[Aly York · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this ARC for my honest opinion. The Neverloving Dead by Tal Frost grabbed my attention and kept me wanting to continue to progress down path the story forged. Patrick was a priest whom did not live in life and was condemned in death to forever roam in limbo. Gethin lived a life he enjoyed and was snuffed out early from a horror. Patrick is on a path of gaining life back to do it all over again when Gethin catches in in the act and becomes angry since he knows Seth.
Patrick decides he will have to look after Gethin. This one move that Patrick makes lead the characters down a path that spirals and takes you to the climax of the book. Each of these characters are facing things traumas and have to address them head on. Patrick is addressing trauma from religion and the church that he has had since he passed over 200 years prior. Gethin has to deal with never being enough, no one loving him and murder from a priest. Trauma is what makes this book even more human. Reading how the characters handle these situations and navigate a world where the living and dead and co-exist and communicate. This is a book many people can relate to pieces of each of these characters. Patrick is also someone who was closeted in life and needed to be shown how to love and live out of the mindset and not hide who he really is. The story is a sweet romance between Patrick and Gethin while navigating trauma, murder and sex. I would recommend this to my friends.

[DMCechak · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Neverloving Dead - Limbo

The Neverloving Dead - Limbo

‘When he’d first died, before he’d uncovered his pathway back to life, he’d spent two decades seeking a priest to speak it. To release him. After all the curses, prayers, crosses and bellowing at him to return to Satan, he’d vowed never to set foot inside a church again. Until now. For Gethin.’

Tal Frost has such a huge talent for epically creative stories. Stories that give us characters with depth, whether in an appealing form or one that drags us through darkness.

The Neverloving Dead shines its light on Patrick, a long dead priest, killed because of his physical intimacy with another. As the victim of a brutal serial killer, Gethin, as a ghost, finds himself still on the earthy plain because he feels the need to stop any more heinous killings.

The intensity of these two beings, who find themselves sharing time and space, is complicated by miscommunications and needs unheeded.

As part of the all male, multi author series, Haunted Hearts, Tal has provided a successful addition and readers are gifted a spine-tingling journey through a deep and desire filled MM love adventure!

[Heather Duff · Rating 4 out of 5]

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“So maybe we can just enjoy ourselves, you know? Have weird sex and, I dunno, solve crimes. Together,”

That quote pretty much sums up a perfect HEA.

Two ghosts, an unusual and intriguing way to gain energy, and a serial killer roaming the streets of London.

This was a super interesting story with so many layers and intricacies. It was dark with some questionable morals but it was also passionate with a lovely ending.

Their path was tumultuous. Not just because Gethin was so angry about his death, but also his difficulty in understanding Patrick and his choices on how to ‘live’. But the journey was emotionally satisfying and really made you think big thoughts. Morals, existence, choices, religion….

I was definitely captivated.

[Ellie Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The startlingly original, intelligent and intriguing premise drew me into this story from the first page. I'm used to ghost stories depicting the impact of a haunting on a living being, whereas this story concentrates almost entirely on the spirit world and two ghosts stuck in limbo.

Patrick, a former priest, undead for two centuries, has, with great discipline has found a way to survive as an incubus. Gethin, a more recent departure and a passionate, larger than life character, is unable to move on because he fears that his murderer will continue to prey unchecked on other men in the gay community. The way these two polar opposites find a way to work together to track down the killer is not only a compelling storyline but explores their emerging feelings for each other.

There's a great deal of thoughtful social commentary neatly woven into the imaginative worldbuilding, and it also works brilliantly on a smaller scale as an unique and moving love story about unconventional redemption. Unusual in the best of ways!!

[Tom Chapps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tal Frost spins a dark romance between two ghosts stuck in limbo - one damned, the other there till he solves his murder. When Patrick throws out caution to help Gethin, he tells himself it's just to get rid of him but, as the story unfolds, we see behind Patrick's careful exterior, and start to see what really drives him and holds him back.

A spicy book with unusual sex and grey morality (though in the sort of a context that makes you think!) In the end maybe it's about what any of us might do if we were desperate, AND what we might put aside for love. Because this is also one heck of a romance! A whole book of unspoken feelings, all arriving at a totally unexpected conclusion that I loved! And the Afterword is amazing!

[Deborah Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not expect this book. Right from the start, it grabbed me. I stayed up past my bedtime to finish it. Patrick has been dead and in limbo for 200 years. He was a priest and was hung when other priests discovered he was gay. Now he spends his time hunting for "meals" from the living, but refuses to drink blood. He's an incubus so he's learned to not wake the humans. After getting his meal from Stuart, he finds Gethin, a ghost who was murdered by a serial killer. Getting is still hanging around because he wants to stop his killer once and for all. Patrick and Gethin start out rocky but team up to find the killer, with a little help from Stuart.

Tal Frost has created a wonderful story, with interesting characters. It was totally unexpected and I loved the story.

[Deb Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I didn't expect that! Another excellent story from Tal that I absolutely loved! Such a dark, unique, imaginative yet strange story about a ghost, Patrick who was a priest that is in limbo after being put to death for fornicating with a man! When he meets Gethin who is another ghost seeking revenge they try to become corporate by engaging in sexual acts between themselves and men that are still alive. Despite this "weird" storyline I was completely enthralled from beginning to end!
I received a free arc copy and this is my honest review

[Likes2Explore · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES YES YES.

Do yourself a favor and read this book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this unique tale of redemption, love and a quest to stop a serial killer once and for all.

I want to be in the room and see Patrick and Gethin in action :) So HOT and so sweet!

This series is making me realize that I may have a thing for ghosts that I didn’t know about.

Thanks for this fabulous story Tal. I needed this smile right now!

[Juniper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patrick and Gethin’s story weaves elements of horror and mystery and vengeance and weirdness (and I mean that last one in the best and most supernatural way) alongside threads of real sweetness and a surprisingly deep romance– it’s strange and compelling and well worth checking out. 4.5 stars.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[stardragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two ghosts one gone for over two centuries one only a couple years. Gethin was murdered and can’t leave until he stops his murderer. Patrick helps Gethin track down the killer. This story is tragic, romantic, strange and witty. Throughly enjoyed.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE READ.

This was one amazingly intriguing read with such an entertaining story. Great writing and characters are very memorable. Please mind the triggers. This is another great read from the multi-author Haunted Hearts series.

[Maggie]

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