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Haunted Love
My name is Thea Bell and I was murdered.
I always assumed that death was the end. So when my life was cruelly taken away from me, I never thought I would get a second chance to say what I needed to.
But then I was given a choice, a choice that allowed me to see the people I had left behind, and I knew I had to take it.
I wanted to say a proper goodbye. I needed justice for what happened to me.
But even in death, things rarely go to plan.
I never expected to meet him. I didn't anticipate falling in love. I hadn't considered the repercussions of coming back. I never realized I would put another person in danger.
I didn't know my actions were going to haunt us forever.
My name is Detective Aiden Mercer, and I think I have gone insane.
I am seeing the murder victim of my current case alive and in the flesh, and that is simply not possible.
I can see her, hear her, touch her. She’s real to me, however I know this cannot be real. Right?
But try telling my heart that, because as I grow closer to catching Thea’s killer, I also fall deeper into trouble.
Because love is rarely anything but trouble and I know this love will haunt me forever.
I always assumed that death was the end. So when my life was cruelly taken away from me, I never thought I would get a second chance to say what I needed to.
But then I was given a choice, a choice that allowed me to see the people I had left behind, and I knew I had to take it.
I wanted to say a proper goodbye. I needed justice for what happened to me.
But even in death, things rarely go to plan.
I never expected to meet him. I didn't anticipate falling in love. I hadn't considered the repercussions of coming back. I never realized I would put another person in danger.
I didn't know my actions were going to haunt us forever.
My name is Detective Aiden Mercer, and I think I have gone insane.
I am seeing the murder victim of my current case alive and in the flesh, and that is simply not possible.
I can see her, hear her, touch her. She’s real to me, however I know this cannot be real. Right?
But try telling my heart that, because as I grow closer to catching Thea’s killer, I also fall deeper into trouble.
Because love is rarely anything but trouble and I know this love will haunt me forever.
257 pages, Unknown Binding
First published February 1, 2015
39 people are currently reading
372 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Frances
29 books404 followersReader. Author. Book Hoarder. I’m asexual. I believe in human rights. That means BIPOC and LGBT+ people matter and deserve respect and protection. Trans people exist and they deserve every right given to cis people. I believe Palestine should be free and that what is happening to them is genocide. Books are political and if you don’t like hearing that, then you’re likely on the wrong side of history. Sit in your discomfort. Banning books is barbaric and pointless. Strict gun laws save lives. Amplify important and minority voices. Keep reading. Keep learning. Keep trying to do better.
I only have facebook (which I rarely use) and instagram (which I use only slightly more). Any other social media platforms with me on them are impostors.
I only have facebook (which I rarely use) and instagram (which I use only slightly more). Any other social media platforms with me on them are impostors.
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February 23, 2015
When I started Haunted Love by Jessica Frances, I thought I knew what it was going to be about by reading the synopsis. Let me tell you, I was not prepared for this book. Jessica Frances, you have done it again with this one. Just Wow! This book has humor and gripping suspense, but mostly, for me anyway, this was a love story. It is a story of two people destined for each other, each needing the other desperately without even knowing it. But finding each other at the most inopportune of times, when their days together will be limited.
Theresa Bell or Thea, is a twenty seven year old, third grade elementary school teacher. She lost her parents many years ago in a tragic accident. Her grandfather raised her and her brother Flynn but she devoted her life to taking care of Flynn. He has just graduated from college and has moved nearby Thea. He hasn’t even unpacked yet. After a disastrous two year long failed relationship, Thea doesn’t date, instead devoting her life to her students and to her brother.
“My life is now over. My hopes, dreams, and plans are gone. I’m only twenty-seven years old. How can my life be finished already?”
“Why did this have to happen to me? What did I do to deserve to have my life taken away so young?”
Thea’s life is brutally ended at the young age of twenty seven. But she can’t leave her brother. Who will look after him? When she is to go through the gates of heaven, she is given the choice to go back but under certain stipulations. She will be attached to only one person and only that person will be able to see her. And it will only be for a limited amount of time. She, of course, assumes it will be Flynn but when she finds herself back on earth staring at her own body, it is the eyes of the Police Detective that lock on hers.
“It feels so real. I feel so real.”
Detective Aiden Mercer is at the home of Thea Bell, examining the crime scene. When he enters the bedroom and begins to examine the body, he looks up to see the same face as the one of the dead woman looking at him. He is convinced that he has had a mental break. He is seeing a dead woman. He can hear her, touch her, feel her. And wherever he goes, she goes. Aiden is devoted to his work. They are horribly short staffed and his life is pretty much his work. He forgets to eat most days. He rarely sees his family. He does not date. There is no time for relationships. When asked what he does with his free time when he finishes a case, he answers that he works on old cases. Now, though, he finds himself stuck with a permanent roommate that only he can see. Obviously he has been working too hard. Maybe he just needs some sleep. But, she doesn’t go away.
As Aiden and Thea spend time together, they work to solve her murder. Thea, though, is still worried sick about her brother so she convinces Aiden to spend time with him and help him. She cooks for Aiden and nags him about his eating habits. She forces him to visit his family. Aiden never felt lonely but the more time Thea is there, the closer they become, the more he realizes what he was lacking in his life. If she was alive would they have met? Would they have fallen in love? Were their souls destined for each other, sadly only finding one another until one of them has died? They know that giving in to the growing attraction between them would only cause heart break. They realize their days are numbered, and that Thea will most likely have to leave once her murder is solved.
This book completely floored me. I loved the impact Thea had on Aiden’s life. She completely turned his life around, making him re-evaluate what was important to him. As they work together to unravel the mystery of her death, love blooms and their lives are forever changed. The ending is beautiful. You will shed a tear. Aiden and Thea will be in my head for a long time to come. Thank you so much, Jessica, for giving me the opportunity to read your book for an honest review. I loved every single page.
October 15, 2019
Not as good as I expected but still readable...
The blurb of the book was pretty alluring so although I do not prefer to read paranormal, I decided to read this one.
It starts in an impressive way. Thea, the newly murdered girl, who happens to be our heroine, starts to tell her story.
The heroine was a teacher who was living alone. She had only her little brother alive as family. She is raped and murdered violently (no graphic definition) and now she finds herself in a place too white with a man who looks like Santa. He says he will help her transition to the next life but she doesn’t want to get adjusted to her next life. She wants to go back and make sure her brother is OK and also find her murderer to ensure justice for her death.
She is told that she can go back as a ghost but there is a catch. She will be attached to one person only and this person only will be able to see her.
She accepts it and goes back as a ghost. And the only person who can see and talk to her is the detective who is investigating her murder. Convenient, right? But things don’t go as expected because she doesn’t remember the details of her violation and murder so she cannot be of much help. And also, for some time, the detective doesn’t believe she is real, he just thinks he is going insane. Who wouldn't, right?
After a while, Thea gets used to being a ghost and Aiden, the detective, gets used to a ghost following him around everywhere. Slowly, they develop a bond and Aiden promises to never drop her case but he will always try to find her murderer.
The book is told by dual point of view and it is not depressing all the time. It has its fun moments, as well. There are side characters who are members of family and they contribute to the story a lot.
Being together 24/7 brings Thea and Aiden closer day by day and they are also physically attracted to each other.
Now, you expect an epic love or something - right?
Nope, there was no epic love and I was kind of disappointed. Such a good plot wasted - so such a shame, if you ask me...
Here are all the things that bothered me:
1. I always prefer my romance novels with a good amount of steam in it but while I was expecting an epic love and fearing that I would shed tears as their love is star-crossed,
their bonding happens on the sexual level and the way they find each other sexually attractive was more focused on compared to what they felt for each other within their hearts.
I reiterate, I like my romance hot, but it just DIDN’T FIT here. Maybe an epic love making would fit but no, it was nowhere close to epic.
(Let me also warn you that this book is not steamy hot despite those sex scenes. Even the first kiss comes after the 2nd half. And the supposedly hot scenes weren’t that hot if you ask me.)
2. My second criticism is about how she claimed she needed to go back to make sure her brother was OK and then, how the detective’s sexy ass becomes her main focus. Most of the time, she forgot about her brother and lusted after Aiden's body.
3. Another thing that didn’t feel right was how obsessed she was about cooking for Aiden. Preparing 3 meals for him! And his love of her began with her amazing cooking! Why did the writer choose cooking “as her hobby” I have no idea but it irritated me - Imagine a ghost getting up early to prepare breakfast for the sexy detective. Huh, weird!
And when she insisted everyone should eat 3 proper meals everyday, it was too much. Also, I lost count of the scenes they went shopping for food.
4. Also, there were many scenes where Aiden and Thea talked to each other in public or held each other in public. I wondered why they never cared that people would think he was talking to himself and going crazy. They were too careless.
5. I know it is hard to write a ghost romance but there were too many plot holes, like them buying her new clothes in a shop and me asking how the new clothes change from being visible to everyone to being invisible when she wears them.
It was also weird that she wasn’t hurt when she was shot by a gun while she was a ghost but the shirt she was wearing had a bullet hole in it.
6. As for the mystery part, I had some guesses and one of them came true in the end but it was too forced in my opinion. I was praying it wouldn't be the case but it was.
And until they solved the mystery, some parts were really boring.
My final thoughts on the book:
Well, I loved the general idea behind the story, a dead girl coming back to the world to solve her own murder case and meeting the love of her life after her death – yeah, the idea was pretty awesome. However, it wasn’t executed well enough to live up to the expectations it has created. It didn’t make me feel the love of soul-mates, as the writer obviously intended.
The book has a good message, though. On many occasions and conversations, it makes you think of your life and question yourself if you are living it fully or not. Also, it makes you appreciate life and makes you remember what’s important in your life.
The Epilogue & the ending:
Well, as you can imagine, the concept of love between a living and a dead person sounds sad in itself. Therefore, it can't end happily ever after - not before they are both dead, anyways.
The writer has made some mistakes all through the book but thank God she didn’t force-feed a ridiculous happy end to us. I liked the Epilogue and how it ended. It is a bitter-sweet end, as it should be.
All in all, it is still a readable book despite all its flaws and all, which is worth 3 to 3,5 stars.
The blurb of the book was pretty alluring so although I do not prefer to read paranormal, I decided to read this one.
It starts in an impressive way. Thea, the newly murdered girl, who happens to be our heroine, starts to tell her story.
The heroine was a teacher who was living alone. She had only her little brother alive as family. She is raped and murdered violently (no graphic definition) and now she finds herself in a place too white with a man who looks like Santa. He says he will help her transition to the next life but she doesn’t want to get adjusted to her next life. She wants to go back and make sure her brother is OK and also find her murderer to ensure justice for her death.
She is told that she can go back as a ghost but there is a catch. She will be attached to one person only and this person only will be able to see her.
She accepts it and goes back as a ghost. And the only person who can see and talk to her is the detective who is investigating her murder. Convenient, right? But things don’t go as expected because she doesn’t remember the details of her violation and murder so she cannot be of much help. And also, for some time, the detective doesn’t believe she is real, he just thinks he is going insane. Who wouldn't, right?
After a while, Thea gets used to being a ghost and Aiden, the detective, gets used to a ghost following him around everywhere. Slowly, they develop a bond and Aiden promises to never drop her case but he will always try to find her murderer.
The book is told by dual point of view and it is not depressing all the time. It has its fun moments, as well. There are side characters who are members of family and they contribute to the story a lot.
Being together 24/7 brings Thea and Aiden closer day by day and they are also physically attracted to each other.
Now, you expect an epic love or something - right?
Nope, there was no epic love and I was kind of disappointed. Such a good plot wasted - so such a shame, if you ask me...
Here are all the things that bothered me:
1. I always prefer my romance novels with a good amount of steam in it but while I was expecting an epic love and fearing that I would shed tears as their love is star-crossed,
their bonding happens on the sexual level and the way they find each other sexually attractive was more focused on compared to what they felt for each other within their hearts.
I reiterate, I like my romance hot, but it just DIDN’T FIT here. Maybe an epic love making would fit but no, it was nowhere close to epic.
(Let me also warn you that this book is not steamy hot despite those sex scenes. Even the first kiss comes after the 2nd half. And the supposedly hot scenes weren’t that hot if you ask me.)
2. My second criticism is about how she claimed she needed to go back to make sure her brother was OK and then, how the detective’s sexy ass becomes her main focus. Most of the time, she forgot about her brother and lusted after Aiden's body.
3. Another thing that didn’t feel right was how obsessed she was about cooking for Aiden. Preparing 3 meals for him! And his love of her began with her amazing cooking! Why did the writer choose cooking “as her hobby” I have no idea but it irritated me - Imagine a ghost getting up early to prepare breakfast for the sexy detective. Huh, weird!
And when she insisted everyone should eat 3 proper meals everyday, it was too much. Also, I lost count of the scenes they went shopping for food.
4. Also, there were many scenes where Aiden and Thea talked to each other in public or held each other in public. I wondered why they never cared that people would think he was talking to himself and going crazy. They were too careless.
5. I know it is hard to write a ghost romance but there were too many plot holes, like them buying her new clothes in a shop and me asking how the new clothes change from being visible to everyone to being invisible when she wears them.
It was also weird that she wasn’t hurt when she was shot by a gun while she was a ghost but the shirt she was wearing had a bullet hole in it.
6. As for the mystery part, I had some guesses and one of them came true in the end but it was too forced in my opinion. I was praying it wouldn't be the case but it was.
And until they solved the mystery, some parts were really boring.
My final thoughts on the book:
Well, I loved the general idea behind the story, a dead girl coming back to the world to solve her own murder case and meeting the love of her life after her death – yeah, the idea was pretty awesome. However, it wasn’t executed well enough to live up to the expectations it has created. It didn’t make me feel the love of soul-mates, as the writer obviously intended.
The book has a good message, though. On many occasions and conversations, it makes you think of your life and question yourself if you are living it fully or not. Also, it makes you appreciate life and makes you remember what’s important in your life.
The Epilogue & the ending:
Well, as you can imagine, the concept of love between a living and a dead person sounds sad in itself. Therefore, it can't end happily ever after - not before they are both dead, anyways.
The writer has made some mistakes all through the book but thank God she didn’t force-feed a ridiculous happy end to us. I liked the Epilogue and how it ended. It is a bitter-sweet end, as it should be.
All in all, it is still a readable book despite all its flaws and all, which is worth 3 to 3,5 stars.
January 1, 2020
What if you met the man you are supposed to spend your life with…after you're dead?
Thea Bell is murdered and is given a choice of staying in the afterlife or return for a time. She returns as a ghost to comfort her brother Flynn but finds that it's Detective Aiden Mercer that is the one that she is attached to and that can see her, not her brother Flynn. As Aiden works on her case to find the killer they slowly start to fall for each other, but how can there be a future together, when one of them is dead?
This is actually the second book I have read this week about a ghostly romance. I have not read a single one before this year. I actually can't remember that if I have read about ghostly romantic books before. The Ghost of Canterville isn't really that romantic and it's the only book I can think off the top of my head. Then again I had completely forgotten that I should have read this one a couple of days ago. So it's probably just a coincidence.
Anyway, ghostly romance books are an interesting subject, there are some problems with a relationship when one is dead and the other one is the cop trying to find the killers. Thea is attached to Aiden, so she can touch things around him (also touch him which later on becomes very handy when their relationship becomes more…intimate). It's a murder case and Aiden is working trying to find Theas killer and at first he is a bit freaked out that he can see Tea, but they soon work things out. There are things that I find a bit odd, she gets short and gets new clothes. I mean she is dead? How can a ghost get a bullet hole in its clothes and get new clothes? Shouldn't a ghost be bulletproofed?
I found myself enjoying this book, it was tragic and romantic. I could have lived without the sex scenes, but they weren't that many so that wasn't a big deal. I must admit that the whole concept of love with a ghost really is tragic in itself. I mean it can't end happily ever after, not in this life anyway (I have seen the movie Ghost so I know). But still, it is an interesting new thing to read about.
3.5 stars
I received this copy from Xpresso Book Tours in return for an honest review!
Review also posted on A Bookaholic Swede and It's a Mad Mad World
Thea Bell is murdered and is given a choice of staying in the afterlife or return for a time. She returns as a ghost to comfort her brother Flynn but finds that it's Detective Aiden Mercer that is the one that she is attached to and that can see her, not her brother Flynn. As Aiden works on her case to find the killer they slowly start to fall for each other, but how can there be a future together, when one of them is dead?
This is actually the second book I have read this week about a ghostly romance. I have not read a single one before this year. I actually can't remember that if I have read about ghostly romantic books before. The Ghost of Canterville isn't really that romantic and it's the only book I can think off the top of my head. Then again I had completely forgotten that I should have read this one a couple of days ago. So it's probably just a coincidence.
Anyway, ghostly romance books are an interesting subject, there are some problems with a relationship when one is dead and the other one is the cop trying to find the killers. Thea is attached to Aiden, so she can touch things around him (also touch him which later on becomes very handy when their relationship becomes more…intimate). It's a murder case and Aiden is working trying to find Theas killer and at first he is a bit freaked out that he can see Tea, but they soon work things out. There are things that I find a bit odd, she gets short and gets new clothes. I mean she is dead? How can a ghost get a bullet hole in its clothes and get new clothes? Shouldn't a ghost be bulletproofed?
I found myself enjoying this book, it was tragic and romantic. I could have lived without the sex scenes, but they weren't that many so that wasn't a big deal. I must admit that the whole concept of love with a ghost really is tragic in itself. I mean it can't end happily ever after, not in this life anyway (I have seen the movie Ghost so I know). But still, it is an interesting new thing to read about.
3.5 stars
I received this copy from Xpresso Book Tours in return for an honest review!
Review also posted on A Bookaholic Swede and It's a Mad Mad World
March 18, 2015
“You are mine, woman, and I am yours. Until you, my life was desolate. I existed, but I didn't truly live. Now I live, even in my death.”
-----Gena Showalter, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of paranormal and contemporary romances, as well as young adult novels
Jessica Frances, an Australian author, penned her new adult paranormal romance book, Haunted Love that captures the love of two souls in death and life.
Synopsis:
My name is Thea Bell and I was murdered.
I always assumed that death was the end. So when my life was cruelly taken away from me, I never thought I would get a second chance to say what I needed to.
But then I was given a choice, a choice that allowed me to see the people I had left behind, and I knew I had to take it.
I wanted to say a proper goodbye. I needed justice for what happened to me.
But even in death, things rarely go to plan.
I never expected to meet him. I didn't anticipate falling in love. I hadn't considered the repercussions of coming back. I never realized I would put another person in danger.
I didn't know my actions were going to haunt us forever.
My name is Detective Aiden Mercer, and I think I have gone insane.
I am seeing the murder victim of my current case alive and in the flesh, and that is simply not possible.
I can see her, hear her, touch her. She’s real to me, however I know this cannot be real. Right?
But try telling my heart that, because as I grow closer to catching Thea’s killer, I also fall deeper into trouble.
Because love is rarely anything but trouble and I know this love will haunt me forever.
The story begins with Thea- a regular woman with a good career. But what did Thea do to die so early and that too murdered on the hands of someone else? In her afterlife, Thea is told that she would get an opportunity to visit one person from her life, unfortunately that too came with **conditions apply**. The person she gets to see is Aiden Mercer- a workaholic detective, who worships his work and can never think anything other than his cases. When Aiden sees the ghost of Thea, he believes that it's due to his workload that he is seeing the vision of the woman whose murder he is investigating. But soon it becomes evident that Thea is a ghost and she is here to guide Aiden to help him catch the culprit of not only her case but also of others. Eventually their partnership blossoms into something promising, and soon without their knowledge their love becomes haunted and challenging.
I rarely read any paranormal romance books, so this happens to be a new beginning in my reading genre preferences. Jessica Frances is a new name for me and because of a blog tour, I got this opportunity to read it. Anyways, the book is pure soul touching, has the power to make you feel the raw emotions that the author portrayed in her story, and the mystery- will simply keep you on your toes.
But what kept me turning the pages is the partnership-turner-relationship of Aiden and Thea. The author depicted their relationship so skillfully yet with time, so their slow yet evolving relation demands patience and when you watch them falling in love will simply warm your heart by putting a tear into your eyes. In fact, I liked, now striking the author tried to keep it, by not portraying the sweet relationship with passion and lust, rather than portraying with warmth and depth.
The plot is layered with not only painful and deep emotions, there are lot of light moments to cherish for that will make you laugh and smile. Well, let's just say, the emotions are depicted in a balanced manner. The story-telling/ narrative style is simple and articulate. In fact, the conversation between Aiden and Thea sounds pretty intriguing yet enthralling. The characterization was the only flaw in the book, or it maybe due to the fact that I prefer reading realistic novels, which is why, I felt the characters to be out of depth and through their conversation we could create a mental picture of them.
The author portrayed the mystery quite proficiently. I mean, it was so easy for to guess the identity of the killer, midway through the book, but the author managed to bring out the word, OMG from my mouth, at the end of the book! I mean, please don't guess, there are lot of clues that will give us a wrong idea, moreover, if you read it with a clear mind, then the story will keep you anticipating till it's very end.
Overall, the pace is really good, moreover, the mystery is pretty tightly wrapped under the clouds of haze and confusion. The picture of death is pretty grim an sad in the beginning, but once the story starts unfolding, death becomes more pleasant and less scary! Thea is the perfect epitome, who will provoke our thoughts to think about how the good life passes by without our knowledge while we busy climbing the ladders of success or whatever.
Verdict: Insanely beautiful story that brings out all kinds of emotions from it's reader.
Courtesy: I received the book for a blog tour!
-----Gena Showalter, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of paranormal and contemporary romances, as well as young adult novels
Jessica Frances, an Australian author, penned her new adult paranormal romance book, Haunted Love that captures the love of two souls in death and life.
Synopsis:
My name is Thea Bell and I was murdered.
I always assumed that death was the end. So when my life was cruelly taken away from me, I never thought I would get a second chance to say what I needed to.
But then I was given a choice, a choice that allowed me to see the people I had left behind, and I knew I had to take it.
I wanted to say a proper goodbye. I needed justice for what happened to me.
But even in death, things rarely go to plan.
I never expected to meet him. I didn't anticipate falling in love. I hadn't considered the repercussions of coming back. I never realized I would put another person in danger.
I didn't know my actions were going to haunt us forever.
My name is Detective Aiden Mercer, and I think I have gone insane.
I am seeing the murder victim of my current case alive and in the flesh, and that is simply not possible.
I can see her, hear her, touch her. She’s real to me, however I know this cannot be real. Right?
But try telling my heart that, because as I grow closer to catching Thea’s killer, I also fall deeper into trouble.
Because love is rarely anything but trouble and I know this love will haunt me forever.
The story begins with Thea- a regular woman with a good career. But what did Thea do to die so early and that too murdered on the hands of someone else? In her afterlife, Thea is told that she would get an opportunity to visit one person from her life, unfortunately that too came with **conditions apply**. The person she gets to see is Aiden Mercer- a workaholic detective, who worships his work and can never think anything other than his cases. When Aiden sees the ghost of Thea, he believes that it's due to his workload that he is seeing the vision of the woman whose murder he is investigating. But soon it becomes evident that Thea is a ghost and she is here to guide Aiden to help him catch the culprit of not only her case but also of others. Eventually their partnership blossoms into something promising, and soon without their knowledge their love becomes haunted and challenging.
I rarely read any paranormal romance books, so this happens to be a new beginning in my reading genre preferences. Jessica Frances is a new name for me and because of a blog tour, I got this opportunity to read it. Anyways, the book is pure soul touching, has the power to make you feel the raw emotions that the author portrayed in her story, and the mystery- will simply keep you on your toes.
But what kept me turning the pages is the partnership-turner-relationship of Aiden and Thea. The author depicted their relationship so skillfully yet with time, so their slow yet evolving relation demands patience and when you watch them falling in love will simply warm your heart by putting a tear into your eyes. In fact, I liked, now striking the author tried to keep it, by not portraying the sweet relationship with passion and lust, rather than portraying with warmth and depth.
The plot is layered with not only painful and deep emotions, there are lot of light moments to cherish for that will make you laugh and smile. Well, let's just say, the emotions are depicted in a balanced manner. The story-telling/ narrative style is simple and articulate. In fact, the conversation between Aiden and Thea sounds pretty intriguing yet enthralling. The characterization was the only flaw in the book, or it maybe due to the fact that I prefer reading realistic novels, which is why, I felt the characters to be out of depth and through their conversation we could create a mental picture of them.
The author portrayed the mystery quite proficiently. I mean, it was so easy for to guess the identity of the killer, midway through the book, but the author managed to bring out the word, OMG from my mouth, at the end of the book! I mean, please don't guess, there are lot of clues that will give us a wrong idea, moreover, if you read it with a clear mind, then the story will keep you anticipating till it's very end.
Overall, the pace is really good, moreover, the mystery is pretty tightly wrapped under the clouds of haze and confusion. The picture of death is pretty grim an sad in the beginning, but once the story starts unfolding, death becomes more pleasant and less scary! Thea is the perfect epitome, who will provoke our thoughts to think about how the good life passes by without our knowledge while we busy climbing the ladders of success or whatever.
Verdict: Insanely beautiful story that brings out all kinds of emotions from it's reader.
Courtesy: I received the book for a blog tour!
Want to read
January 8, 2019🎁 FREE on iBooks today (1/8/2019)! 🎁
Blurb:
My name is Thea Bell and I was murdered.
I always assumed that death was the end. So when my life was cruelly taken away from me, I never thought I would get a second chance to say what I needed to.
But then I was given a choice, a choice that allowed me to see the people I had left behind, and I knew I had to take it.
I wanted to say a proper goodbye. I needed justice for what happened to me.
But even in death, things rarely go to plan.
I never expected to meet him. I didn't anticipate falling in love. I hadn't considered the repercussions of coming back. I never realized I would put another person in danger.
I didn't know my actions were going to haunt us forever.
My name is Detective Aiden Mercer, and I think I have gone insane.
I am seeing the murder victim of my current case alive and in the flesh, and that is simply not possible.
I can see her, hear her, touch her. She’s real to me, however I know this cannot be real. Right?
But try telling my heart that, because as I grow closer to catching Thea’s killer, I also fall deeper into trouble.
Because love is rarely anything but trouble and I know this love will haunt me forever.
Blurb:
My name is Thea Bell and I was murdered.
I always assumed that death was the end. So when my life was cruelly taken away from me, I never thought I would get a second chance to say what I needed to.
But then I was given a choice, a choice that allowed me to see the people I had left behind, and I knew I had to take it.
I wanted to say a proper goodbye. I needed justice for what happened to me.
But even in death, things rarely go to plan.
I never expected to meet him. I didn't anticipate falling in love. I hadn't considered the repercussions of coming back. I never realized I would put another person in danger.
I didn't know my actions were going to haunt us forever.
My name is Detective Aiden Mercer, and I think I have gone insane.
I am seeing the murder victim of my current case alive and in the flesh, and that is simply not possible.
I can see her, hear her, touch her. She’s real to me, however I know this cannot be real. Right?
But try telling my heart that, because as I grow closer to catching Thea’s killer, I also fall deeper into trouble.
Because love is rarely anything but trouble and I know this love will haunt me forever.
August 2, 2018
4.5*
A beautiful, sad, dark and brutal story about finding your true love, your soul mate, while overcoming difficult circumstances. I loved it!
A beautiful, sad, dark and brutal story about finding your true love, your soul mate, while overcoming difficult circumstances. I loved it!
October 20, 2019
I knew going in that this was going to be different. And it definitely was.
When Thea is brutally murdered, she is given the chance to return for a limited time. With the need to see her brother and make sure he is okay, she is whisked away and finds herself at her very own crime scene. Aiden has been put in charge of finding the murderer but he’s a bit distracted by the person who is harping at him about his lack of manners and poor investigative skills. But what’s really got him worried is that he’s the only one that can see the woman. The woman that looks exactly like his murdered victim.
Thea is a real go getter. She’s determined Aiden will find her killer and she continues to push him to do so. But she also needs to ensure that her brother is okay and she pushes Aiden to check on him, causing Aiden to take a more active role in his life. While she may be a firecracker, she’s also sweet and caring and a nurturer at heart. Her care of Aiden was amazing and I loved the way he responded to her.
Aiden is a workaholic. He has let family fall by the wayside and as a result his relationship with them has dried up and is almost nonexistent. He is aggravated by Thea’s pushiness where they are concerned, but in the end is thankful she did so. As someone who never really wanted a romantic relationship, he learns to embrace what he has with Thea relatively well…knowing that eventually she will leave.
I loved how this relationship begins with a bit of animosity between Aiden and Thea. It slowly changes and watching these two together was fun, steamy, and completely enjoyable. While some of this was a bit slow as there wasn’t much going on in the investigation, it soon picks up with another case and from that point on I was pretty much glued to the story.
I ended up really enjoying this book. It is unique and original with a beautiful love story at its center.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
When Thea is brutally murdered, she is given the chance to return for a limited time. With the need to see her brother and make sure he is okay, she is whisked away and finds herself at her very own crime scene. Aiden has been put in charge of finding the murderer but he’s a bit distracted by the person who is harping at him about his lack of manners and poor investigative skills. But what’s really got him worried is that he’s the only one that can see the woman. The woman that looks exactly like his murdered victim.
Thea is a real go getter. She’s determined Aiden will find her killer and she continues to push him to do so. But she also needs to ensure that her brother is okay and she pushes Aiden to check on him, causing Aiden to take a more active role in his life. While she may be a firecracker, she’s also sweet and caring and a nurturer at heart. Her care of Aiden was amazing and I loved the way he responded to her.
Aiden is a workaholic. He has let family fall by the wayside and as a result his relationship with them has dried up and is almost nonexistent. He is aggravated by Thea’s pushiness where they are concerned, but in the end is thankful she did so. As someone who never really wanted a romantic relationship, he learns to embrace what he has with Thea relatively well…knowing that eventually she will leave.
I loved how this relationship begins with a bit of animosity between Aiden and Thea. It slowly changes and watching these two together was fun, steamy, and completely enjoyable. While some of this was a bit slow as there wasn’t much going on in the investigation, it soon picks up with another case and from that point on I was pretty much glued to the story.
I ended up really enjoying this book. It is unique and original with a beautiful love story at its center.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
March 3, 2015
Life is awesome, life is kind... Life interrupted? That's a whole new different story.
NOTE: I firmly believe that I am afraid of death. Ever since I found out the real gravity of death, I have dreaded it. It's this unhealthy fear that I often think of. I don't think I have Thanatophobia, but yeah.. I kind of hate dying. I hate the notion of the people close to me dying. It brings me to tears just thinking about it. More importantly, I hate that I too, would die someday. It would totally suck to leave my loved ones here and pass on. Why am I putting this in my review? It's so you would know why I'm very attached and kind of emotional about this story.
You see, Theresa Bell had a promising life. She had a brother, a good career, kids to teach and a whole life ahead. She was going about her normal life when everything was pulled under her. She died... and not in a good way, not that there's a good way to die, but you know.. There's a less morbid way of dying. That isn't what happened to her, so I think it's just fair that she came back. Yes, she came back. BOY DID SHE COME BACK.
Aiden Mercer is a workaholic. He's a detective with a purpose. He does his job and he does it well. The problem is, he does it too much. Aiden doesn't have a social life. He's always in the station. When he's not working with a current case, he goes back to age-old cases just to see if they missed something. He doesn't talk to his family as much as before. He doesn't even know what's happening in his brother's life. He needed a wake up call and damn if he didn't get one. When Thea suddenly enters his life in her afterlife, his world is shaken and it will never be the same again.
Thea and Aiden go to lengths in order to give justice to her and many others. Their teamwork is surprisingly good for a workaholic detective and a persistent ghost. The author sure made me feel like I already know the killer... but noooo, trust me.... IF YOU THINK YOU KNOW, NO... YOU DON'T. Haha! The mystery is just soooo intriguing and it gets deeper.
The love part sure is sweet. It's gradual. Definitely not abrupt. In fact, Aiden hated Thea at first. He treated her like she was some figment of his tired (REALLY, REALLY TIRED) mind. It's a "slowly-but-surely" scenario. I love that they kind of beat the odds and well... They found their match, granted, in a very unlikely way, but still. :)
What do you do when you're stuck with a ghost 24/7?
You help her as she helps you pick up your life.
You become friends with her...
You like her...
Then you fall in love with her.
But... Do you let her go?
What I also love about this book is how it ended. No matter how otherworldly this book is, the plot made it so that it would stick to reality more. You'll know what I'm talking about once you finish the book. I promise. :)
This is a story that will make you see the things in life that you're missing. In my note above, I said that I'm afraid of dying. I think I'll ammend that and say... I'm afraid of missing something. Missing something means I haven't done everything that I wanted or could have done in my life and that will truly suck. Thea is a character that voices out all the things that we could have done. The what if's, the I should have's... even the I shouldn't have's... it's all here in her story.
So I guess what I'm saying is that you should read this book because it will make you appreciate life and literally live life to the fullest.
Live.
That's just it.
November 18, 2015
Thea Bell is dead. When given the choice whether to cross to the 'other side' or return as a ghost to make sure her baby brother is okay, and going for the latter, Thea finds herself attached to Aiden Mercer, the Detective investigating her murder case. He's the only one who can see, talk to and touch her, and after constantly butting heads at first, they slowly fall in love. But their love is star-crossed. Thea is back on borrowed time and will eventually have to leave Aiden and her 'life' behind, but until then, there is not only one murder to be solved.
This book has it all. Tragedy, suspense, humor, love, mystery. The perfect mix of a beautiful romance and a riveting crime story. Fantastic and lovable main and secondary characters. Engaging writing. Sizzling chemistry. I loved Thea and Aiden together.
I would have given this novel 5 stars, had it not been for all the plot holes/ illogicalities/ loose strings.
1) So around Aiden, Thea is able to touch and move things. I can totally live with that. I don't always need an explanation for such things, especially in the paranormal genre. What I need some clarification on, though, is what other people see when she does. Even Aiden himself repeatedly wonders if people would see the car door open and close when Thea gets in his car. Whether his guests would see cooking utensils floating through the air when she cooks. But this issue is never being elaborated on.
2) Thea, as a ghost, wears normal clothing. Aiden even buys her new clothes when all she has are the things she got murdered in. I kept wondering... do they become invisible as soon as she puts them on? Do they become visible when she takes them off again?
3) Aiden accidentally mentions Thea's name in front of his family when they keep grilling him about a possible girlfriend. At the same time, Flynn, Thea's brother, is being integrated into the Mercer family. Flynn talks about his dead sister, Aiden's family knows about a woman called Thea and keep interrogating him about her, his boss knows the victim's name. How come no one ever makes any connection?
4)
Also, I could have done without the sex. I'm the first person who appreciates a little (or a little more) steam in a romance read, but although it was neither overly descriptive nor a lot of it, I felt like it just didn't fit here. I would have liked it better as a 'clean' romance.
I just realized that, though I really loved this book and gave it 4 well-earned stars, I wrote a lot more about the things I disliked.
So I'm going to conclude this review with some positive adjectives I'd use to describe this story.
Beautiful - emotional - gripping - tear-jerking ... Highly recommended.
ARC provided by the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book has it all. Tragedy, suspense, humor, love, mystery. The perfect mix of a beautiful romance and a riveting crime story. Fantastic and lovable main and secondary characters. Engaging writing. Sizzling chemistry. I loved Thea and Aiden together.
I would have given this novel 5 stars, had it not been for all the plot holes/ illogicalities/ loose strings.
1) So around Aiden, Thea is able to touch and move things. I can totally live with that. I don't always need an explanation for such things, especially in the paranormal genre. What I need some clarification on, though, is what other people see when she does. Even Aiden himself repeatedly wonders if people would see the car door open and close when Thea gets in his car. Whether his guests would see cooking utensils floating through the air when she cooks. But this issue is never being elaborated on.
2) Thea, as a ghost, wears normal clothing. Aiden even buys her new clothes when all she has are the things she got murdered in. I kept wondering... do they become invisible as soon as she puts them on? Do they become visible when she takes them off again?
3) Aiden accidentally mentions Thea's name in front of his family when they keep grilling him about a possible girlfriend. At the same time, Flynn, Thea's brother, is being integrated into the Mercer family. Flynn talks about his dead sister, Aiden's family knows about a woman called Thea and keep interrogating him about her, his boss knows the victim's name. How come no one ever makes any connection?
4)
Also, I could have done without the sex. I'm the first person who appreciates a little (or a little more) steam in a romance read, but although it was neither overly descriptive nor a lot of it, I felt like it just didn't fit here. I would have liked it better as a 'clean' romance.
I just realized that, though I really loved this book and gave it 4 well-earned stars, I wrote a lot more about the things I disliked.
So I'm going to conclude this review with some positive adjectives I'd use to describe this story.
Beautiful - emotional - gripping - tear-jerking ... Highly recommended.
ARC provided by the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 15, 2019
This plot had so much potential. It could have been an epic 5 star read had the book been set up differently. He waits 22 years and then finally gets to see her again. He never falls in love again, gets married, or has children. 22 years of loneliness, yet it isn’t described at all. I wanted to read about that longing and loneliness. I wanted to read about his heartache. I feel robbed!
I really feel this book would have been successful had the author written the book from only Aiden’s point of view 22 years after the investigation when he’s in his 50’s telling the story with flashbacks. It would have been the ultimate 2nd chance romance. Describing his feelings now and how his life has been for the past 22 years, reminiscing about his 1st and only love.
I really feel this book would have been successful had the author written the book from only Aiden’s point of view 22 years after the investigation when he’s in his 50’s telling the story with flashbacks. It would have been the ultimate 2nd chance romance. Describing his feelings now and how his life has been for the past 22 years, reminiscing about his 1st and only love.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2019
This is a story that will stay with me the rest of my life. I experienced so many emotions from the first page on, I was drained by the end! To me, that is what a good book does. First of all, this talented author wrote with impeccable grammar, which made reading this story so effortless and enjoyable - and she has an amazing storytelling ability that just hooked me and slowly pulled me in making it nearly impossible to stop reading and put this book down. This is something I want to experience again and again when I read, which means I will definitely be reading more by Jessica Frances! 
November 25, 2015
I've never been a big ghosty person. I'm not saying that I don't believe in ghosts ... I'll just say that I don't NOT believe in ghosts. I've never really enjoyed movies about ghosts (except Ghostbusters, hello!) and because of that, I've not picked up a book about them either. I find the whole concept a bit creepy, actually. Just a thought of someone watching ... nope. Nopeity nope nope. I was a little shocked when I felt this book kind of call out to me to read it. I second guessed myself and decided that I wouldn't even try it and then I changed my mind a few days later. I'm glad that I did! While I may not pick up a ghost book every day because of my experience with Haunted Love, I definitely won't count them out in the future!
Before I get into the super deep stuff on this one, I did want to talk about the amount of mistakes ... it's staggering. There were at least two per page. I have to be mistaken, right? Yeah, I'm not. The mistakes were word mashups ... likethingsbeingwrittenwithnospaces ... which is super annoying and sometimes confusing and THEN throw in a few homophone issues (overseas/oversees). It was a little frustrating and really took away from the overall experience of the book. The no spaces thing ... dude. I would be totally pissed if this is what my editor put out there. I just wish that this had been an ARC and then I wouldn't even need to bring this up but it is what it is! Hopefully, it will be fixed for future editions.
Finding a connection with a character within the first few pages of a book usually means that I have found a new favorite author. And I did. I instantly fell in love with Thea. I loved her spirit, drive and compassion. She was a very well-rounded person ... for a ghost. Experiencing her journey with her made me love her that much more. I can't really understand her situation because I've never been a spirit but the author really makes you empathize with Thea and put yourself in her shoes. I enjoyed every part of the book that she was involved in.
Detective Aiden ... gosh, I think I might have enjoyed him as much, if not more, than Thea. He is one of those "good catches" that almost every mom has talked to her daughter about. He's a well respected police detective that makes it a personal mission to close every case as quickly as possible even if it means the loss of any kind of personal life he would have otherwise had. He's hyper focused on his job and you can't help but love him for that fact alone. The situation between Aiden and Thea was heart-wrenching. It was difficult to read at times because you quickly realize the no-win situation they are both in. And I'll just say this ... there is a situation involving Aiden, Thea, a tree and a heavy make-out session ... that whole cringe-worthy scenario makes the entire book worth reading.
I won't say anything else about the book because there are numerous secrets that you need to experience on your own but if you enjoy any kind of romance novel, you'll enjoy this one. Don't let the ghost thing hold you back because it makes for an amazing story.
* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *
Check out more of my reviews at Little Miss Bookmark!
April 20, 2015
Haunting Story but a little too cliché
I would definitely say that the story is pretty alluring. It opens explosively that you can’t stop yourself from reading further. I like the way the author opens the book with a crucial turn of events so that the hook is set right on for its readers.
The book has a good story plot but it only remains solid for the first half as by the second half , the book suddenly hops over to cliché romance and spoils the fun that was slowly developed by the first half of the book. Suddenly all that you have building seems pointless and the ending seems a little rushed and packed up in haste pulling all the loose ends in one giant knot to finish it as there are a whole lot of unanswered questions and events that still haunts so yes in that regard it is definitely haunting
I am also not very happy with the language as it is not smooth and velvety. it needs a little brushing and polishing but narration power is pretty decent. The plot in my opinion went a little too sweet and romancy. Certain aspects are a bit hard to digest and to bite on. The logistics and reasoning are not sufficient to help you savor the story nicely.
The book has a powerful first half but towards the second half the plot just slips badly and jumps to territories and aspects that seem a little inappropriate or intrusive at times. It’s the second half and the ending that needs a little bit more credibility and work since at present it seems a little rushed up and not that perfect. The story had a strength that slipped up midway. For a paranormal or thriller aspect, it may not provide much but for a romance, this book is beautiful and the book do manages to moves your heart.
I would definitely say that the story is pretty alluring. It opens explosively that you can’t stop yourself from reading further. I like the way the author opens the book with a crucial turn of events so that the hook is set right on for its readers.
The book has a good story plot but it only remains solid for the first half as by the second half , the book suddenly hops over to cliché romance and spoils the fun that was slowly developed by the first half of the book. Suddenly all that you have building seems pointless and the ending seems a little rushed and packed up in haste pulling all the loose ends in one giant knot to finish it as there are a whole lot of unanswered questions and events that still haunts so yes in that regard it is definitely haunting
I am also not very happy with the language as it is not smooth and velvety. it needs a little brushing and polishing but narration power is pretty decent. The plot in my opinion went a little too sweet and romancy. Certain aspects are a bit hard to digest and to bite on. The logistics and reasoning are not sufficient to help you savor the story nicely.
The book has a powerful first half but towards the second half the plot just slips badly and jumps to territories and aspects that seem a little inappropriate or intrusive at times. It’s the second half and the ending that needs a little bit more credibility and work since at present it seems a little rushed up and not that perfect. The story had a strength that slipped up midway. For a paranormal or thriller aspect, it may not provide much but for a romance, this book is beautiful and the book do manages to moves your heart.
June 17, 2019
I'm blown away..usually I don't read those tipe of stories but I promised myself that one day I will..and I'm not sorry that I did. Wonderful and heartbreaking love story with a crime to solve,just the way I like it!!!
Thank you Jessica,as always amazing story!
Thank you Jessica,as always amazing story!
November 8, 2020
Why did I wait so long to read this?
Why did I wait so long to read this story? It has sat on my kindle for a While ( maybe two years). I would start it and stop it. I finally read it all the way through. Once I got past the part where Thea goes back and meets Aiden the story picks up.
Many times throughout this book I have gotten teary eyed. Not many books do that to me. I thought this book was going to be cheesy but it wasn't. It was a great story where the ghost tries to go back to comfort her brother but ends up attached to the detective assigned to her murder case.
I enjoyed reading this book. It had some emotional scenes and a few romantic parts. It was a beautiful story. I'm glad I finally read it.
Why did I wait so long to read this story? It has sat on my kindle for a While ( maybe two years). I would start it and stop it. I finally read it all the way through. Once I got past the part where Thea goes back and meets Aiden the story picks up.
Many times throughout this book I have gotten teary eyed. Not many books do that to me. I thought this book was going to be cheesy but it wasn't. It was a great story where the ghost tries to go back to comfort her brother but ends up attached to the detective assigned to her murder case.
I enjoyed reading this book. It had some emotional scenes and a few romantic parts. It was a beautiful story. I'm glad I finally read it.
February 23, 2015
Emotional. Funny. Suspenseful. So beautiful.
The first thing I have to say is that this book made me cry my eyes out at the end!
The progression isn’t typical of most romance books, well, paranormal romance. Meaning there is no love, or lust, at first sight. The progression is really slow and meaningful. More of finding a common interest, bonding over it, then growing into something more. I really, really enjoyed that aspect of the book.
The relationship between the ghost and detective was incredible to read. For half of the book, they are both adjusting to a change in their life, or afterlife.
Thea is adjusting to the reality of being dead, and a ghost. While Aiden is adjusting to having a ghost follow him everywhere. Later is when everything falls in place.
Besides being a romance, this book is also suspenseful and can be considered a mystery. Aiden is trying to find Thea’s killer with no leads, no clues—a cold case. However, Thea is going to haunt him until he solves it. I absolutely love how Frances pulled everything together!
The book’s focus is on remembering what’s important in life, living life to the fullest, and having no regrets. Again, I love this! It has serious meaning, yet has humor in it that will make you giggle and laugh out loud. It has an atypical romance, but shows love between different types of relationships—both romantic and familial. And, most importantly, like all Frances’s books, it is engrossing!
The first thing I have to say is that this book made me cry my eyes out at the end!
The progression isn’t typical of most romance books, well, paranormal romance. Meaning there is no love, or lust, at first sight. The progression is really slow and meaningful. More of finding a common interest, bonding over it, then growing into something more. I really, really enjoyed that aspect of the book.
The relationship between the ghost and detective was incredible to read. For half of the book, they are both adjusting to a change in their life, or afterlife.
Thea is adjusting to the reality of being dead, and a ghost. While Aiden is adjusting to having a ghost follow him everywhere. Later is when everything falls in place.
Besides being a romance, this book is also suspenseful and can be considered a mystery. Aiden is trying to find Thea’s killer with no leads, no clues—a cold case. However, Thea is going to haunt him until he solves it. I absolutely love how Frances pulled everything together!
The book’s focus is on remembering what’s important in life, living life to the fullest, and having no regrets. Again, I love this! It has serious meaning, yet has humor in it that will make you giggle and laugh out loud. It has an atypical romance, but shows love between different types of relationships—both romantic and familial. And, most importantly, like all Frances’s books, it is engrossing!
June 26, 2019
This isn't your typical love story. It's a slowly developing love between a man and a woman while they work together to discover who murdered her since she is now a ghost!
A fun story and believe it or not, an ending that you can be happy with.
A fun story and believe it or not, an ending that you can be happy with.
December 29, 2015
I thought it would be a good idea to read this book. It sounded interesting (crime, ghost helping solve the crime yaaay) and I love the movie with Patrick Swayze, so what could go wrong? Everything.
For one, Thea is such an irritating character. She claims over and over again that it's her brother she came back for and that he's her highest priority, but when sexy detective Aiden enters the picture, she seems to forget about her brother and focuses on lusting after Aiden's strong arms, awesome six pack etc. There is no dealing with her death. Like not at all. At first Aiden acts like an asshole, constantly yelling at Thea and saying mean stuff to her, and then all of the sudden she becomes the only woman who's able to posses his heart. There is very little of actual investigation, a little more of sexy times that seemed too cliche for my taste, and a lot of Thea and Aiden getting horny for each other in their minds. This is not what I wanted. This is not it at all.
Also, every time I read a description of Aiden and Thea standing in a public place talking I couldn't help thinking 'there are people around! you're looking like a loon talking to yourself Aiden. Stop expressing so much emotions or move somewhere less crowdy'.
I would have liked: more focus on the investigation, more Thea dealing with what happened to her. Look,
I would appreciate less: insight in Thea's dirty thoughts of Aiden/Aiden's dirty thoughts of Thea, 'funny' moments (read: awkward moments that felt super forced) between Aiden, his brother, and Thea's brother, cliche statements from Thea such as this little gem:
I am jealous of the intimate touch the water is allowed to have over him.
intimate touch. water. Who says things like this? Thea. Throughout the whole book.
Around 40% of the book I was really bored, but I thought it would pick up my interest in the second half. Nope. It didn't. I'm giving it 2 starts because this book is not terrible. Apart from all the irritating cliches, the writing is not so bad. However, I read tons of romance books like this one, the only difference is that here one of the characters is a ghost. A ghost who is allowed to touch only one living person - Aiden. Eh give me a break. I'll just watch Ghost tonight to wash away bad impression created by Haunted Love.
For one, Thea is such an irritating character. She claims over and over again that it's her brother she came back for and that he's her highest priority, but when sexy detective Aiden enters the picture, she seems to forget about her brother and focuses on lusting after Aiden's strong arms, awesome six pack etc. There is no dealing with her death. Like not at all. At first Aiden acts like an asshole, constantly yelling at Thea and saying mean stuff to her, and then all of the sudden she becomes the only woman who's able to posses his heart. There is very little of actual investigation, a little more of sexy times that seemed too cliche for my taste, and a lot of Thea and Aiden getting horny for each other in their minds. This is not what I wanted. This is not it at all.
Also, every time I read a description of Aiden and Thea standing in a public place talking I couldn't help thinking 'there are people around! you're looking like a loon talking to yourself Aiden. Stop expressing so much emotions or move somewhere less crowdy'.
I would have liked: more focus on the investigation, more Thea dealing with what happened to her. Look,
I would appreciate less: insight in Thea's dirty thoughts of Aiden/Aiden's dirty thoughts of Thea, 'funny' moments (read: awkward moments that felt super forced) between Aiden, his brother, and Thea's brother, cliche statements from Thea such as this little gem:
I am jealous of the intimate touch the water is allowed to have over him.
intimate touch. water. Who says things like this? Thea. Throughout the whole book.
Around 40% of the book I was really bored, but I thought it would pick up my interest in the second half. Nope. It didn't. I'm giving it 2 starts because this book is not terrible. Apart from all the irritating cliches, the writing is not so bad. However, I read tons of romance books like this one, the only difference is that here one of the characters is a ghost. A ghost who is allowed to touch only one living person - Aiden. Eh give me a break. I'll just watch Ghost tonight to wash away bad impression created by Haunted Love.
February 22, 2015
Haunted Love is a beautiful, heartbreaking love story that is unlike anything I've read before. I laughed, I cried, and I'm so glad I decided to give this one a try.
The story starts off with Thea, our heroine, telling us about the day she was murdered and how she was given the choice to come back as a ghost to make sure her brother, Flynn, is going to be okay without her. She's told that only one person from her old life will be able to see her and she goes in with high hopes that it'll be Flynn... But it's not.
Aiden is the detective working on Thea's murder investigation and thinks he's going insane when he starts seeing her ghost. To be completely honest I didn't really like Aiden in the beginning. He was such a jerk to Thea and where I kinda understand where he's coming from it just really put me off. I mean, the poor woman was just murdered and he's all woe is me about it.
Anyway, after Aiden is properly chastised by his grandma about being a jerk to Thea I actually started to like him. And once he started opening up to Thea and realizing that he was falling in love with her, he stole my heart right along with Thea's.
There is a lot of mystery surrounding Thea's murder and I loved watching them work together to figure it out. They didn't really have any leads and Aiden was worried that he wouldn't solve it before he was taken off the case but he never gave up.
While I loved the budding romance between Aiden and Thea, I think my favorite parts where when he was helping Thea's brother, Flynn. He went above and beyond what any detective should for a victim's family and the fact they remained close until the end... It was perfect!
Now, about the end...
Despite my disappointment with the ending, this was a great read that I would definitely recommend.
*ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
The story starts off with Thea, our heroine, telling us about the day she was murdered and how she was given the choice to come back as a ghost to make sure her brother, Flynn, is going to be okay without her. She's told that only one person from her old life will be able to see her and she goes in with high hopes that it'll be Flynn... But it's not.
Aiden is the detective working on Thea's murder investigation and thinks he's going insane when he starts seeing her ghost. To be completely honest I didn't really like Aiden in the beginning. He was such a jerk to Thea and where I kinda understand where he's coming from it just really put me off. I mean, the poor woman was just murdered and he's all woe is me about it.
Anyway, after Aiden is properly chastised by his grandma about being a jerk to Thea I actually started to like him. And once he started opening up to Thea and realizing that he was falling in love with her, he stole my heart right along with Thea's.
There is a lot of mystery surrounding Thea's murder and I loved watching them work together to figure it out. They didn't really have any leads and Aiden was worried that he wouldn't solve it before he was taken off the case but he never gave up.
While I loved the budding romance between Aiden and Thea, I think my favorite parts where when he was helping Thea's brother, Flynn. He went above and beyond what any detective should for a victim's family and the fact they remained close until the end... It was perfect!
Now, about the end...
Despite my disappointment with the ending, this was a great read that I would definitely recommend.
*ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
April 22, 2015
After participating in the book blitz for Haunted Love, I immediately went and requested the book for review. Although ghost + human relationships are always a hit or miss for me, the premise of this one was just too intriguing to pass up.
This was such a unique romance and story line. Not only is there the budding romance, but there is also a murder mystery (more than one, actually) but it was so much more than that.
Their relationship doesn't start off on a good note. I mean, Aiden starts to see Thea at the murder scene, so obviously he is bound to feel crazy. As time goes on though, and the constant banter and humor continues - Thea breaks down Aiden's walls and pushes him to see his family, embrace life and live to the fullest. Because Thea knows just how precious time is.
Like I mentioned before, ghost + human love stories don't always work in my favor - but Jessica did a great job with how Thea was able to return and how the afterlife in the story is. It's quite unique.
Romance aside, they worked together to solve her murder - uncovering secrets and horrifying details of other crimes that have never been solved. There were times when I did feel like things were going TOO WELL for them though. I was able to push that aside and just enjoy everything though.
My only other small issue was I felt like Thea and Aiden both flipped a switch too suddenly. The relationship was building up and then all the sudden, BAM, it was more. I loved them together though - my heart just ached for them - because they genuinely loved each other and their circumstances were less than ideal, ya know?
Overall I adored Haunted Love. The ending and epilogue had me tearing up - such a beautiful ending. Even though it's not the end for them - not in the slightest.
*I received a copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours/Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*
This was such a unique romance and story line. Not only is there the budding romance, but there is also a murder mystery (more than one, actually) but it was so much more than that.
Their relationship doesn't start off on a good note. I mean, Aiden starts to see Thea at the murder scene, so obviously he is bound to feel crazy. As time goes on though, and the constant banter and humor continues - Thea breaks down Aiden's walls and pushes him to see his family, embrace life and live to the fullest. Because Thea knows just how precious time is.
Like I mentioned before, ghost + human love stories don't always work in my favor - but Jessica did a great job with how Thea was able to return and how the afterlife in the story is. It's quite unique.
Romance aside, they worked together to solve her murder - uncovering secrets and horrifying details of other crimes that have never been solved. There were times when I did feel like things were going TOO WELL for them though. I was able to push that aside and just enjoy everything though.
My only other small issue was I felt like Thea and Aiden both flipped a switch too suddenly. The relationship was building up and then all the sudden, BAM, it was more. I loved them together though - my heart just ached for them - because they genuinely loved each other and their circumstances were less than ideal, ya know?
Overall I adored Haunted Love. The ending and epilogue had me tearing up - such a beautiful ending. Even though it's not the end for them - not in the slightest.
*I received a copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours/Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*
April 22, 2015
4.5 Stars
It was the synopsis for this book that had me one-clicking, but it was the authors talent for reeling the reader in that kept me turning the pages until the very end. The storyline was unique (I've never read anything like it before, anyway!) and there was a great mix of mystery and romance.
In all honesty, I thought the prologue was really cheesy. If the book carried on that way, I probably would have DNFd it, but as soon as chapter one arrived, the story completely took off and I was carried away with the surprising, unravelling plot.
There were some fantastic twists and turns--at least one that I even I wasn't expecting--and I found it really easy to just sit and read the whole day away. The characters were likeable and even though their days were numbered--the lead character was a ghost after all--I found myself rooting for them to find a way to truly be together.
The book went full circle and it ended how it began--with a really cheesy epilogue! But do you know what? It may have been cheesy but it was the absolute perfect way to end the book. I was left with a huge smile on my face and tears misting my eyes.
If you're looking for a book that's slightly outside the box, then this is the one to pick.
It was the synopsis for this book that had me one-clicking, but it was the authors talent for reeling the reader in that kept me turning the pages until the very end. The storyline was unique (I've never read anything like it before, anyway!) and there was a great mix of mystery and romance.
In all honesty, I thought the prologue was really cheesy. If the book carried on that way, I probably would have DNFd it, but as soon as chapter one arrived, the story completely took off and I was carried away with the surprising, unravelling plot.
There were some fantastic twists and turns--at least one that I even I wasn't expecting--and I found it really easy to just sit and read the whole day away. The characters were likeable and even though their days were numbered--the lead character was a ghost after all--I found myself rooting for them to find a way to truly be together.
The book went full circle and it ended how it began--with a really cheesy epilogue! But do you know what? It may have been cheesy but it was the absolute perfect way to end the book. I was left with a huge smile on my face and tears misting my eyes.
If you're looking for a book that's slightly outside the box, then this is the one to pick.
January 8, 2015
Beautiful, intriguing, suspenseful... Did I mention beautiful?
(Full review to come.)
(Full review to come.)
November 19, 2019
I'm not crying, you are!
I absolutely loved this book from start to finish, the ending was just beautiful. It was a proper rollercoaster of emotions with planty of twists and yep, I cried... a lot, so be prepared! The book was beautifully written and if I could give more than 5 stars I would!
I absolutely loved this book from start to finish, the ending was just beautiful. It was a proper rollercoaster of emotions with planty of twists and yep, I cried... a lot, so be prepared! The book was beautifully written and if I could give more than 5 stars I would!
May 19, 2015
I cut my book nerd teeth reading books where time travel and other worldly characters were at the center of the plot. I believe a bit of whimsy lends itself well to romance stories and Jessica Frances blends the two in a distinct way. Now, add in a well plotted mystery and you have all the makings for a great read.
It’s difficult enough navigating a relationship in the purely physical world, so adding a ghost as your main character is going to add many layers of complexity. It also gives the author a lot of creative leeway and the author has this in abundance. Our two main characters are on the opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. Aiden Mercer is closed off and not interested in much of anything except for work. When Thea Bells’ murder becomes his primary case Aiden gains Thea’s ghost as his near constant companion and he now has no choice but to become emotionally involved. As for Thea, she cared deeply for her family and was adored by her students and was invested in her community. However, in life they share a sense of loneliness; Aiden’s withdrawn and Thea is simply without a much needed companion, someone to care for her and for her to care for.
At the heart of it is Aiden’s role to discover Thea’s murderer, and in this we have a great suspense story. I really enjoyed how this played out, with some cleverly devised twist and turns as the perpetrator is exposed. The story starts right in the thick of things. Then the pace slows a bit as the two get used to each other but picks up again as the mystery unfolds.
There is no fast way to logically explain why or how Aiden is seeing Thea in her ghostly form. The author does what is necessary to slowly build their connection. At times they are equally frustrating as they don’t treat each other particularly well. This means that it isn't always an easy read, with the snark and attitudes they throw at each other. But it’s entirely necessary and serves to reveal their individual idiosyncrasies. And so the romance that develops between the Aiden and Thea leads to undeniable bond and makes for a quirky "once in a "lifetime" romance.
Haunted Love is a book I thoroughly enjoyed and a 4 star read. I recommend this story to fans of anything by Cecelia Ahern and of Marc Levy’s Just Like Heaven
Favorite Quote:
"Love doesn’t know limitations. It doesn’t matter how you fall in love or the reasons you shouldn’t, only that you do. I see it, and I don’t know whether to be thrilled that someone has been able to thaw that heart of yours finally or heartbroken for you because of the tragic circumstances."
It’s difficult enough navigating a relationship in the purely physical world, so adding a ghost as your main character is going to add many layers of complexity. It also gives the author a lot of creative leeway and the author has this in abundance. Our two main characters are on the opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. Aiden Mercer is closed off and not interested in much of anything except for work. When Thea Bells’ murder becomes his primary case Aiden gains Thea’s ghost as his near constant companion and he now has no choice but to become emotionally involved. As for Thea, she cared deeply for her family and was adored by her students and was invested in her community. However, in life they share a sense of loneliness; Aiden’s withdrawn and Thea is simply without a much needed companion, someone to care for her and for her to care for.
At the heart of it is Aiden’s role to discover Thea’s murderer, and in this we have a great suspense story. I really enjoyed how this played out, with some cleverly devised twist and turns as the perpetrator is exposed. The story starts right in the thick of things. Then the pace slows a bit as the two get used to each other but picks up again as the mystery unfolds.
There is no fast way to logically explain why or how Aiden is seeing Thea in her ghostly form. The author does what is necessary to slowly build their connection. At times they are equally frustrating as they don’t treat each other particularly well. This means that it isn't always an easy read, with the snark and attitudes they throw at each other. But it’s entirely necessary and serves to reveal their individual idiosyncrasies. And so the romance that develops between the Aiden and Thea leads to undeniable bond and makes for a quirky "once in a "lifetime" romance.
Haunted Love is a book I thoroughly enjoyed and a 4 star read. I recommend this story to fans of anything by Cecelia Ahern and of Marc Levy’s Just Like Heaven
Favorite Quote:
"Love doesn’t know limitations. It doesn’t matter how you fall in love or the reasons you shouldn’t, only that you do. I see it, and I don’t know whether to be thrilled that someone has been able to thaw that heart of yours finally or heartbroken for you because of the tragic circumstances."
May 3, 2015
What can be said about Jessica Frances' Haunted Love other than WOW! You will need your tissues at the ready.
Do You like a good Ghost story? This is for you.
Do you like a nice little romance? This is for you
Maybe you enjoy getting stuck into a mystery? This is for you
How about a crime story? This is for you.
I'm not kidding Haunted Love has something for everyone and some. The story will evoke some deep emotions, as I said earlier you Will need those tissues, I was howling in places, then rolling around laughing in others, confusing my husband and embarrassing myself to boot. I suggest a private read maybe.
Haunted love is well written, perfectly paced, and the characters, both human and ghost are well described and believable. Paragraphs alternate between Ethan in first person, and Thea in first person, not something I like generally, but Jessica worked it perfectly so the story followed through without any repeats or back tracking. This way of writing made the characters far more interesting too.
So this book really needs to be on everyone's to read list!
Do You like a good Ghost story? This is for you.
Do you like a nice little romance? This is for you
Maybe you enjoy getting stuck into a mystery? This is for you
How about a crime story? This is for you.
I'm not kidding Haunted Love has something for everyone and some. The story will evoke some deep emotions, as I said earlier you Will need those tissues, I was howling in places, then rolling around laughing in others, confusing my husband and embarrassing myself to boot. I suggest a private read maybe.
Haunted love is well written, perfectly paced, and the characters, both human and ghost are well described and believable. Paragraphs alternate between Ethan in first person, and Thea in first person, not something I like generally, but Jessica worked it perfectly so the story followed through without any repeats or back tracking. This way of writing made the characters far more interesting too.
So this book really needs to be on everyone's to read list!
March 11, 2016
I loved Haunted Love; the story was gritty and hard to read at times, but it was a beautiful love story that went past the grave. Theresa "Thia" is brutally murdered at the beginning of her story and when she is offered to go on and "hang" with her relatives in a perfect day of her choosing, she declines and decides to stay on "Earth" to be with her brother, who is her only living family. The catch is that only one person would be able to see her and she has no say in the matter. Of course the person she happens to get attached at the hip is Aidan, the detective who is investigating her murder. She drives him crazy, but he is overworked in a city that is being terrorized by a serial killer. As they closer to each other, Thia teaches Aidan that there is more than just his job, there is family and other relationships out there. This was a really beautifully written bittersweet story.
March 13, 2015
After reading Haunted Love just looking at the cover turns me into a blubbering kleenex sniffling mess!
Sometimes death isn't the end as Thea is about to find out, she also gets more than she bargained for when she's given the chance to say goodbye.
You see Thea was murdered and when she meets up with "Santa" she gets given a second chance but this also comes with
conditions.
Aiden , the detective working her case is a real workaholic and this caae is about to become really personal , it quite literally will rock his foundations.
Jessica Frances has the ability to keep on your toes and just as you think you have it ....you realise you missed the plot again LOL
Haunted Love is a beautiful blend of mystery, love,heartache and again goes to show that love can take any form and knows no bounds.
Its a real snotfest so be warned. You will also feel the need to make a bucket list and you'll be humming "I don't want to miss a thing" by Aerosmith !
A hauntingly beautiful ★★★★★ read
Sometimes death isn't the end as Thea is about to find out, she also gets more than she bargained for when she's given the chance to say goodbye.
You see Thea was murdered and when she meets up with "Santa" she gets given a second chance but this also comes with
conditions.
Aiden , the detective working her case is a real workaholic and this caae is about to become really personal , it quite literally will rock his foundations.
Jessica Frances has the ability to keep on your toes and just as you think you have it ....you realise you missed the plot again LOL
Haunted Love is a beautiful blend of mystery, love,heartache and again goes to show that love can take any form and knows no bounds.
Its a real snotfest so be warned. You will also feel the need to make a bucket list and you'll be humming "I don't want to miss a thing" by Aerosmith !
A hauntingly beautiful ★★★★★ read
September 20, 2015
This story made me sad yet--well, I really couldn't say happy because of the events and ending that occurred. The best word that I can come up with to sum what I felt after turning the last page was satisfied.
I like how it's a perfect blend of mystery, romance and the supernatural. It did not feel off as their story progressed. They both learned a lesson from each other and the encounter that brought them together in the first place.
If you are into the supernatural romance, then Haunted Love is a book you shouldn't miss.
You can also see this review on The Bookwhore Diaries
I like how it's a perfect blend of mystery, romance and the supernatural. It did not feel off as their story progressed. They both learned a lesson from each other and the encounter that brought them together in the first place.
If you are into the supernatural romance, then Haunted Love is a book you shouldn't miss.
You can also see this review on The Bookwhore Diaries
November 23, 2015
This book was okay. I really just read it to the end just to see how the author was going to play out the scenario. I did get a little bored with it after awhile. I did not however expect it to end the way it did. At least it was logical because the whole time I kept thinking to myself what far fetched ending is going to end up happening. It was not bad.
November 29, 2015
At first I wasn't sure if it was a comedy or a love story but as I read I realized it was both. Thea and Aiden were such an unlikely pair but they ended up mixing so perfectly . This book really makes you wonder is someone watching over you? At times it was a little sad but then it made you happy, overall, a great feel good story
Reviewed on behalf of Once upon an Alpha
Reviewed on behalf of Once upon an Alpha
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