Ghosts That We Knew

by Amity Malcom

While still running from the ghosts of his past, a trans man reluctantly returns to his hometown and runs straight into the arms of a ghost who is about to change his future.

Hayes Hastings never expected to go back to Broomstick Bluff. Yet with a faltering family business and parents unwilling to step up, he returns to help his beloved grandmother with the ghost tour company that put his family on the map.

He’s determined to hate the small town suspended in an eternal autumn just as much as he’s dead set to leave on the first day of winter with as little contact with the town’s residents as possible.

But before he can even start his first day of work, his carefully planned world is knocked off its axis in the form of a beautiful employee dressed as a witch with wildfire hair, a familiar cinnamon scent he can’t place, and a carefree attitude unlike anything he could ever dream of possessing

What starts as the pair being pushed together as co-workers quickly escalates to spooky late nights and steamy afternoon apple orchard make-out sessions. Yet as they grow closer, both letting down unsuspecting walls, one secret stands to tear them apart forever.

And it just might be big enough to send Hayes Hastings packing for good.

Genres: Romance, Paranormal, LGBT, Queer, Paranormal Romance

299 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 3, 2026

About the author

Amity Malcom writes books about people, sex, and people having sex. Her books are full of humor and heat that she only wishes she possessed in real life the way her characters do on page.

When she isn’t procrastinating on her next manuscript by devouring romance books at an unhealthy pace, you can find her exploring Washington DC alongside her wife, planning extravagant vacations she’ll never be able to afford, and trying with haste to pet every animal on the planet.

Only four awards away from winning an EGOT, Amity is proud to be a champion of underrepresented relationships and loves to celebrate queer joy in all its various forms.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cozy and sweet! The characters are so well written and diverse. I absolutely loved how they were described in the book, especially Sage! She was plus size, gorgeous, and confident and I loved it!!

I thought the paranormal aspect of this book was so interesting! It’s not your typical ghost romance and I thought it was very fun! The whole spookiness of the town was also so fun! It’s so cozy and cute and I think this would be so good during the fall!

Sage and Hayes had such a fun dynamic. I thought there spicy scenes were really well done and I loved how they discussed boundaries and what they were comfortable with beforehand.

Also that cover?? Absolutely stunning! I love Dilan’s art and was so excited to see that they did the cover!!

Overall, this is a very cute paranormal romance and I enjoyed it!!

Read if you like:
🩵 Trans rep
🩵 Plus size rep
🩵 Paranormal
🩵 Small town

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Amity Malcom for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! Thoughts and opinions are my own!

[Lisa Ann D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎃“All I ever wanted was to become human. To find someone to live with. To love. I love you, Hayes, I love you, and I want to spend every day of the rest of my life with you. Do you hear that? Life, Hayes, singular. Because this is the only life I have now, and it’s the only one that’s truly ever mattered.”🎃


· · ─ ·💀🧡🎃─ · ·

𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗜 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪
Ghosts That We Knew by Amity Malcom @amitymalcomwrites
299 pages
Published August 3, 2026
𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ★★★★☆
(I rated this 4 but I might go bump this to a five. As I write this- I’m not sure 4 is truly adequate)
𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗙𝗔𝗕! If anything- I wanted more spice between our main characters.
I eat up some trans rep! (When not exploiting or demonizing… you know what I mean.) The rep in general was very well done in this story. It was natural and beautiful—- 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲! Adored Hayes & Sage.
Great read overall. The ghostly elements were perfect. The flow was nice and the pacing never felt stunted.

· · ─ ·💀🧡🎃─ · ·

Tropes & Other Goodie Goods:

* BISEXUAL FMC
❤︎ TRANS MMC
✸ COZY PARANORMAL ROMANCE
➽ OPPOSITES ATTRACT
• SILLY HALLOWEEN VIBES SMALL TOWN
• PLUS SIZE FMC
• 𝖧𝖮𝖳
❥ 𝖫𝖨𝖳𝖤 𝖥𝖤𝖬𝖣𝖮𝖬 𝖳𝖧𝖤𝖬𝖤
• APPLE ORCHARD FUN TIME
• HALLOWEEN COSTUME PARTY
❤︎ 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗈𝗈𝗈𝗈𝗈 𝗆𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾!

· · ─ ·💀🧡🎃─ · ·
𝖨 𝖫𝖮𝖵𝖤 𝖳𝖧𝖨𝖲 𝖣𝖤𝖣𝖨𝖢𝖠𝖳𝖨𝖮𝖭:
To the ghosts and the wanderers, and to everyone who has found strength in authenticity.
· · ─ ·💀🧡🎃─ · ·


𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗕𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀.
❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎
𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥
𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗙𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥
𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗗𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗘 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥
✨🌈✨

[Kai · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars rounded up
I'm gonna start by saying someone will like this book. It's a millennial cringe nothing burger but I know that hits for a lot of people and I so dearly hope they find this. Also the cover is gorgeous.
Now for all my problems with it
First, the writing is just bad. Like writing-your-first-fanfic-in-middle-school bad. There's absolutely no showing, just telling. There's no discernable theme from the text. Most of our main couple's relationship development happens off screen and we're just told about it. The fall and Halloween theming is so heavy handed I want to say it distracts from the plot but there's nearly no plot to distract from. Like just from a technical perspective it's a poorly written book
Then the characters just feel weird. Speaking as an autistic trans guy, the way Hayes talks about his life just feels weird. Like he's the idea of a person instead of an actual character. Sage felt a bit more realistic but the millennial therapy speak coming off of her did flatten that a good bit
This next part is a minor pet peeve, but the magic system just doesn't make sense and it REALLY feels like the author doesn't know how ghosts work. Like it seems like ghosts in this world are just humans who keep reincarnating since sage keeps telling us about the multiple times she's died, and her only real "ghostly" attributes are 1) sometimes turning invisible and 2) not being able to taste or smell.Why would we do it like that. That's like a vampire that doesn't suck blood but can run real fast. Kinda missing the whole point of the monster
And then the sex. There's a content warning at the beginning for femdom, and we see sage repeatedly discussing kinky thinks she wants to do with Hayes to Hayes, and then the only onscreen sex is completely normal vanilla sex. Why make me watch her tell this guy she's going to edge him until he's begging and then just have some fingering and one orgasm and that's it . Even in the epilogue we're not doing much. Come on.
I did like the way the author describes sage's body. She's fat and hot and they do not let you forget the fat part. I appreciate that at least .
(I received a free copy for review)

[kilmosnaps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly - this was so super cute, cozy romance.

I loved the small town steeped in Halloween vibes. The town was full of super quirky characters and it felt like a real town.

I fully bought Sage and Hayes’ burgeoning relationship and loved that she was the dominant one.

This was pure low stakes conflict even though it dealt with real life issues like Hayes’ relationship with the town because of how he was treated before he left and his body dysmorphia/also how Sage originally became a ghost.

I really liked all the ghost/paranormal town lore we received. That was interesting and I could’ve used more of that. The ghost reveal was kind of a nothing burger and happened so late in the book, I was like this is kind of anticlimactic.

Is this going to be a book series? It totally could be - small town full of quirky characters and paranormal characters. Sign me up. That last scene with Tilly (Sage’s BFF/witch) and Hayes, felt like a set up. Also, Hazel, Hayes’ grandmother is a GOAT character and I want a prequel novel about her life.

Special Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

Publication Date: August 3, 2026

‘Most people didn’t take well to finding out ghosts were real, despite the fact that the large majority of us were harmless and nothing like the pop culture favorites made us out to be. Last time I tried, I couldn’t walk through walls. And I had to use doors like every other mortal. And while we could hide ourselves at times, seeming to disappear into our surroundings like a chameleon, it took practice and dedication to get it right.’

Of course, I desperately wanted to be human. But after centuries of being reborn into different bodies, I wasn’t sure it was a possibility. Across the cottage, the front door opened.

The famous ghost tour founded by my great-great-grandfather has grown into a multinational franchise in highly populated cities across the country since it first opened… Dark and scary forests, witches and warlocks, ghosts ? It was woven into the fabric of my very being.

I wasn’t sure who cried more when I left Broomstick Bluff two days after I graduated—her or me. Deep down, I think she knew this town would have killed me if I stayed after high school. At eighteen, I had been resilient, but it was nothing compared to the walls I had up now.

Ghosts weren’t much different from humans, though in our case, we were given multiple attempts to get our lives right, each time in a different body. Still, though I had been around a time or two, it never got old to see familiar faces, no matter the medium in which we crossed.

And Hayes? He was… Laughter to my side clued me into the fact that I had remained silent too long. “Oh, this is going to be delicious,” Tilly said.

I had tried so much of my life to fit in that the idea of standing out in my thirties, of making any sort of waves, was enough to cause hives. I was comfortable and out, back home.

The scent of cinnamon I had come to associate with Sage exploded across my lips, and I wanted to get lost in it forever. To taste it on my tongue and brand it in the depths of my memory.

This woman was capable of eating me alive.

“You deserve to feel good, Hayes. Tell me, does it feel good? Do I feel good?” He responded with a vigorous nod. “No, baby, use your words.” Hayes shivered at the pet name, seeming to search his brain for his words before responding. “S… so good. You feel so good.”

It was the best first kiss of any of my lives. I wanted it desperately to be my last first kiss. In fact, I was starting to think I wanted Hayes to be my last first everything. And that fact was almost enough to scare me alive.

“You want me, you have to tear my panties off my body.”

“So good, Hayes. I told you that you were good at following directions. Now tell me how it feels, how does it feel to be inside of me?”

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5.

Heat Index: 7/10

Release date: 8/3/26

This was made for fall. For one thing, the small town setting of Broomstick Bluff sits in a perpetual autumn, with a quirky history that kind of gives "Pawnee, but darker". There isn't much darkness in the novel itself, just a little melancholia in what is ultimately a cozy, slightly spooky romance. It'll make you feel like you're easing into eeriness, but with a good bit of hope and a lot of soft feelings.

What lies between Sage and Hayes isn't their emotional connection, or for that matter chemistry. It's the fact that Sage is a ghost. Now, Amity Malcolm's approach to ghosts is a little out of the ordinary, and quite interesting. The entire town is out of the ordinary, which isn't nothing, but isn't as massive a deal as it would be in the ordinary world. It gives a very Practical Magic feel, in which people kinda know, and they kinda don't. It adds to the sense of atmosphere in the book, and makes it one of my favorite things about the story, really.

As for the romance—well, it's very sweet. I don't mean sweet as in chaste, because it certainly isn't that. But Sage and Hayes like each other from the jump, they fall in love, because why wouldn't they, and though that obstacle is quite an obstacle… it resolves itself in a manner that perhaps pulls the punch a bit.

The relationship, the vibes, the characters on point—the plot and conflict could've used some punching up. Though, to be clear, I did appreciate that while Hayes's transition (well prior to the story) wasn't flawless, and he had people in his life who weren't great about it and his own insecurities—that isn't the driving conflict of the novel. It's part of who he is and why he struggles to envision staying in Broomstick Bluff. But he's multifaceted, and so his problems are multifaceted. Plus, he has Hazel; and that made a huge difference.

I think I just wanted more stuff. I would definitely try another book by Amity Malcolm, but I'd love to see the drama bump up next time. The characters and the romance and the sex and the sweetness are all there, the story just needs more OOMPH.

The Sex:

Very hot and with a good of variety, plus openness to kink. The content warnings give a heads up about femdom, and while Sage does boss Hayes around in bed (while checking in on his comfort and employing BDSM-safe practices), it isn't intense. They don't quite have what I would call a major "dynamic". At least, not yet.

That doesn't mean it isn't QUITE enjoyable to read about!

The Conclusion:

While this isn't a flawless novel, it is promising and enjoyable. I would love to see more in this weird little town, with more delightful (and hot) characters falling in love. Just with a little more conflict next time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amity Malcolm for giving me a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Adeselna · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Ghosts That We Knew” is a cozy, low stakes paranormal small-town romance featuring Sage, a ghost who works for a ghost tour company, and Hayes, the grandson of the company’s owner. Hayes has left the town of Broomstick Bluff, hoping to never come back after years of bullying and being lonely, but since his grandmother needs help, he returns hoping it won’t be long, but as he meets Sage, Hayes feels like the small town has something new and better to offer.

When I say that this is a low stakes and cozy, I mean it. If you want a paranormal book with almost no conflict, this is perfect for you. Hayes has gone through a lot, and I kind of hoped that we got to witness some of it. It’s all very “tell”, and sometimes we got some glimpse of his hurt from the past. While I understand that the bullying he went through was horrifying, I feel like we were only told. There is a lot of tell throughout the book, especially with Hayes and Sage, it’s almost as if there are scene jumps and time jumps where we are told things happened.

Sage is a very good person, she’s bubbly, she’s positive. It hurt me a lot to see Hayes feeling so seen only through Sage, when it kinda felt like it was the bare minimum, but then I remember people are sh!t, and Sage is a sweetheart. Although she’s sweet and she takes Hayes out of his shell, their relationship unravels in a bit of an odd way. Thet go on dates through town, but when it comes to work, they work very little together. I feel like there were threads to connect some scenes missing. There’s a lot of talk about ghosts, but some scenes feel uneven, to the point where I forgot everything about Sage being a ghost.

The book does have an incredible Halloween/Autumn vibe, I felt like I was reading this at the wrong time with 34/93F degrees outside. I felt like I should be reading this with a hot cocoa and not with an iced coffee, trying to not sweat. I will say Amanda writes scenery beautifully, and Sage is also very well-written. She has a lot of humor, a lot of positivity that feels good.

“Ghosts That We Knew” is a fantastic book if you want something for your spooky season that is just cute, no angst, just vibes, some spice, with minimum conflict. If you’re in the mood for a feel-good book, this is the book for you in 2026!

NOTE: I will not comment on specific trans terms, since I am not educated enough on those, so I cannot state any opinion on the trans rep. I will leave that to the community in other reviews :)

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Best cover of the year hands down. It is stunning! I saw the top surgery scars on the male model and instantly downloaded this and I’m glad that I did because this was a lot of fun! I loved how low angst this was and it had just the right amount of spice. Hayes and Sage are both really likable and I loved their romance. Great chemistry between the two of them and I loved how dominant Sage was. That woman knows how to make Hayes go weak in the knees and I loved that. Hayes is the sweetest guy. He’s been through some shit in his youth and is a bit sheltered but it was wonderful watching him come out of his shell.

For a few things I didn’t particularly love, the world building and magic didn’t make a lick of sense. I wanted more. How exactly how Sage’s past lives and her being a ghost all worked didn’t feel explained well. Also, there’s a lot of telling instead of showing in the writing but besides that this was a wonderful and cozy read. I’d recommend it for sure. I can for sure see myself reading this again.

Spice: ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥/❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥
Content Warning: Mentions of past bullying and transphobia, MC estranged from parents

[Kirsten (shadow.mommy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first found out about this book, I was super excited to read it because a cozy yet spicy paranormal romance with queer leads is basically a perfect premise. However, it wasn’t as good as I was hoping. I feel like the romance between the two leads was a little rushed. Instead of spending time with characters while they got to know each other, the author was like “they went on dates” so I feel like we as readers were left to fill in a lot of blanks. I also feel like there was no real conflict in this book. Hayes was originally reluctant to be back in his hometown but he got over that extremely quickly, and his and Sage‘s relationship’s only roadbump was when he found out she was a ghost, and he got over that quickly as well. I loved that this book had great spice and a dominant female main character because that isn’t common in romance novels. I also loved the trans representation in Hayes. It is clear that Amily Malcom put a lot of care into writing his character. This book is full of queer joy and we need more of that in the world right now.
Overall, it wasn’t terrible, but there wasn’t anything about it that was super great either. I think the concept is super interesting and I just wish the story had been better to go along with it.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an advance copy of the book.

[Kelsie ✨]

Thank you to Amity Malcom for letting me read and review this book early. All thoughts are my own!!

I am so bummed to say that I have to DNF this book at 30%!!

I loveeeee the trans rep, and I loveeeee the plus size rep, and I loveeeeee the cover, but I do not love instalove in the slightest.

I’M SORRY I REALLY WANTED TO LOVE IT, but when at 30% the characters are having these conversations about their feelings for each other when they’ve had (excluding text convos) like four, maybe five on page interactions that were just the two of them, I have a really hard time believing the intensity of their feelings. There was so much of the book telling us that they were having more interactions than we got on page and that they were building a connection, and we weren’t getting to see it play out.

I do think this is mostly a case of personal preference when it comes to romance books, but I am just not a fan of a fast burn unless I know before I read the book. Maybe I’ll come back to it one day, but it’s just not working for me right now.

[Ania · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute small town, paranormal romance, great for those who like Halloween and witchy vibes.

I loved the way the characters were described, in a very positive and factual way, without any negative emphasis on appearance. Sage's confidence was refreshing, and I enjoyed the way she took charge in the relationship. It was different to the usual dynamic in most romance books.

It was a little surface level though, with lots of pretty speeches about feelings, without much evidence to back it all up. Personally, I like a slightly more "show don't tell" approach when it comes to relationship development in romance.

The ghost thing also wasn't explained enough for my liking, especially considering that Sage wasn't the typical type of ghost you'd expect.

The happy ending was lovely though, and perfectly concluded Hayes and Sage's story.

[Rune · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a refreshing read. It was cozy, cute, and not without hardships.
Amity did a beautiful job showing the love between Hayes and Sage and not hiding who they truly were. They had a natural and raw chemistry, and even with the PNR aspect, it felt real to me and relatable in so many ways.

Transgender Representation, Plus-size Representation, Paranormal Romance, small-town romance, Cozy PNR, 2SLGBTQIA+ Representation & Author, Perfect for autumn/spooky season, well-written spice, and the autumn activities were awesome to have as a theme.

I really enjoyed this and can't wait to see what comes next!

El's Scales:
⭐️ 4/5
🌶️ 3/5
Overall: I enjoyed this read and will be adding it to my physical shelves ASAP!
Thank you, NetGalley & Amity. I received an ARC copy, and this is my voluntary, honest review.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghosts That We Knew is probably the best cozy paranormal romance I've read. I'm not usually a huge fan of cozy books because unlike vampires I LOVE stakes. Amity Malcom did a good job at maintaining a central conflict that moved the plot forward while keeping the book relatively low stakes. The central conflict revolves around Hayes somewhat reluctantly returning to his hometown to help his grandmother get the family business in order; Hayes isn't a fan of Broomstick Bluffs' perpetual Autumn, nor is he looking forward to reuniting with his childhood bullies. I really empathized with Hayes, so it was easy to keep reading his story. The romance does rely a bit on telling and not showing, but Hayes and Sage were quite adorable. This has potential to turn into a small town series that I'd love to keep reading.

[Amber Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cozy! One of those nice, sweet books where there’s no major drama, no big bad. The Halloween themed small town made the perfect backdrop to our main MCs - the man who returns home to visit and the ghost that has lived in the town for decades. Sage is an absolute sweetheart and I really wanted to see her get an HEA. Hayes had some things to work through and they were able to do it together, which was amazing. The use of ‘ghost’ as a supernatural creature here was unique to me and there was a lot of hand-wavy magic that wasn’t fully explained. This novel did handle several delicate subjects very well - transness, plus size, mental health, consent, etc. I wanted a little more conflict but overall it was a very enjoyable read!

[Shan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book at no charge. This is my honest, voluntary review.

This is a queer MF romance, a standalone story set in a small town with a paranormal theme. Hayes Hastings is a trans man who loathes to return to the town he grew up in but wants to help his gran. He meets an employee in the ghost story tours his family founded, and he is enchanted from the start!

What a unique book with well-written characters and an engaging storyline. I especially loved the representation of a trans character who is written in a beautiful but believable way with flaws and fears. I also liked the quirky small town with puntastic names and a feeling like I’ve been there before. I sincerely hope that this becomes a series as I would love to see more from this world/town!

[Cass · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the concept of this book really interesting, which was why I requested the ARC in the first place. I liked the world building the author did here, especially their take on ghosts. It was very originally and fun to learn about as I read the book. Sage is character in particular was really delightful, she was funny and whimisical and her point of view was my favorite. I liked Hayes and Sage's relationship but sometimes the writing between the characters felt a little stilted/awkward. Overall though, I did enjoy Ghosts That We Knew. It was a perfect cozy, small town romance to read when you needa relaxing afternoon.

[E Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy at no charge. This is my honest and voluntary review. 

Read for: Humor, heat, Halloween and the supernatural, and a sweet and hot love between a voluptuous ghost and hot hottie trans man returning to the hometown he left firmly in the past. 

It took a minute for things to pick up, but I really loved all the main and side characters and the cozy/supernatural fall setting. 

I highlighted some of the spicy scenes to reference in my review and let me just say: WHEW! Varied and hot. 

Really love when a book balances humor, emotion, and the two leads absolutely banging nasty. Ghosts That We Knew 100% does that and was a great read as I long for fall. 

[RiahsReading · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Do you ever think it’s ironic that I’m an actual witch dressing up as a fake witch to lead people on ghost hunts?” “Only as ironic as me being an actual f-ing ghost dressing up as a fake witch to lead people on ghost hunts.”

I received an eARC of Ghosts That We Knew by Amity Malcom in exchange for an honest review. Here are my thoughts!

👻 Sage loves her life in Broomstick Bluff. She loves leading ghost tours and the way the whole town leans into the Halloween spirit all year long. Aside from being dead, Sage’s life is pretty great. Being a ghost means that she’s forced to keep her distance from folks, which has made her (after)life pretty lonely.

Hayes never thought he’d step foot in Broomstick Bluff again. The town’s obsession with the supernatural is annoying at best, but it was the hatred he faced as a trans teen that has kept him away even as an adult. But when his grandmother needs help with her business, Hayes heads back to his childhood home to help her.

When Sage and Hayes meet neither can deny their immediate attraction, but are those sparks worth the risk of being honest with each other? 👻

I knew the second that I saw this cover I was going to be reading Ghosts That We Knew. A fat and queer ghost romance? Hell yeah! I hit that request button so fast on NetGalley it wasn’t even funny.

Let’s start by talking about this cover y’all. It is absolutely stunning. I love how you can clearly see that Sage is fat and how sensual the whole posing is. I will admit, the cover does lean very historical in my mind - so I was kinda taken aback when it was a modern day romance.

After you get past the cover, the rest of the book is a bit of a mess. I say this somewhat lovingly, because I did enjoy the book overall - but there was some definite room for improvement.

To me the biggest miss was the magic system. Sage is a ghost, but in this world that means…she keeps reincarnating and “living” over and over as a human who can’t taste food? She does have some ghostlike powers - turning invisible, messing with electricity, but the whole concept just felt…weird and a bit incomplete. There’s also witches and hints of other types of magic, but since they weren’t main characters they were less developed.

I also felt like Sage was a much more fleshed out character than Hayes was. I’m writing this review about a month after I read the book, and Sage is still pretty memorable but Hayes is pretty much a blur. I remember that he had anxiety, loved his grandmother, and was trans. But outside of that…not much. I think some more time developing his character would’ve done wonders!

This romance between Hayes and Sage was sweet, and I enjoyed the spicy scenes overall. I appreciated that there were conversations about the importance of setting boundaries around sex, but hate that this was never followed up on. Introducing the “stoplight” method to only have neither character ever use it just feels like a cop out to me.

The book wasn’t all bad though! I actually enjoyed it a lot.

Obviously I loved that we had a fat character who got to be simultaneously fat, gorgeous, and confident. It’s so rare to see that combo!

The whole book was also almost sickeningly cute. The fall aesthetic, the ridiculous amount of puns, and the romance came together in a really fun way - as long as you were prepared to suspend your disbelief and embrace the campiness.

Altogether I gave Ghosts That We Knew 3.5 stars and would definitely consider picking up more books from this author in the future. What do you think? Will you be picking this one up when it’s released on August 3rd?

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Spooky Tours to Becoming Human to Falling in Love

This was such a wonderful story! The trans and plus size rep was sensitively and genuinely done. I loved the support and consent, communication and check ins.

Fairly low angst, well paced and intriguing. I would love to visit or live in a small town such as Broomstick Bluff. While Halloween isn’t my favorite holiday, I adore autumn and the openness and welcoming vibe is definitely a place I’d love to be a part of.

Highly recommend!

[Ms. Malcom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as an arc. I’ve read everything Amity has ever written and this story is my new favorite. The story is lovely and touching about finding love and feeling comfortable with yourself, whether you’re a ghost or a human. It’s funny, cute, has a little bit of spice, and a nice warm and cozy feel. Definitely recommend.

[Marcella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the troupe and initial idea, but I feel like it's missing something. My personal taste would be slower pace on the romance because they're getting to the spice very early one. I love Hayes and Sage characters and would love to see more buildup before that. Overall, cozy small town romance with a sprinkle of paranormal.

[Karla Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great if you’re in the mood for something emotional, cozy and very sweet. Ghosts That We Knew was well paced and character driven. The characters were well written, lovable and diverse.
I gratefully received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I liked this book so much that I pre-ordered it at about halfway.

[Nicole Doliner · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVED these characters! The plot was a little funky, but I love how sweet Sage was for Hayes and how they both learned so much about themselves along the way. Plus, we love a confident plus-sized FMC! <3

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

First up, I’m obsessed with this cover! It’s gorgeous. There are many things I liked about this including the characters, the trans masc rep, and the town. It’s a sweet, easy read.

3.5 ⭐️’s
3 🌶️’s

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!

This is so so cozy! If you want like traditional holiday vibes, but the holiday is Halloween, then this is 100% the book for you. It's fairly low angst and just sweet and easy and fun.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, this wasn't for me.

Ghosts That We Knew had a great start and the interesting magic system kept me engaged.

However, by about 60% I was bored. The potential of the story wasn’t realised and opportunities for conflict were wasted. Things were left unexplained and I felt as if we were just lurching from one “cozy” small town event to another.

The writing was clunky at times, but generally enjoyable.

I received an advance copy of this book at no charge. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Amanda]

Could not get excited to read it. I tried the first 2 chapters, even with knowing I usually go longer into the book, just nope... Maybe a not-right-now

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cozy paranormal romance set in a town where it is always Halloween and every business has some sort of punny name had me ready for fall (who am I kidding, I'm always ready).

Sage and Hayes start out as co-workers but their relationship quickly morphs into friends who make out in apple orchards. And soon Hayes is starting to forget all the reasons he swore off this town forever.

I found it to be a sweet, sexy and low stakes romance best read with a cup of something warm on a rainy day. Yes, it was that cozy of a book for me.

Thank you to Amity for an early copy. Pick up Ghosts and any other book in her backlist on KU!

[Tara Kat (MagnoliaPigeonBookBlurbs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The cover????? Immediately yes!!!!
I knew I was going to love this book from the cover alone!! I’m so glad I picked this up! I read Ghosts That We Knew in one sitting and couldn’t put it down! Perfect read for Fall! 🍁