Hot Ghost Summer

ExorSquad

by Sam Northman

Haunting #434: Plot 47 (Bowen’s Farm)

Number of ghosts: 76

Location: Clawson & Stoker Land Development Group, Cockfosters, London Borough of Enfield.

History: An incomplete build, Plot 47 is a shell of steel supports and reinforced concrete. Following numerous reports of thundering strong enough to shake the ground, deep and resonant bellows, heavy snort-like vocalisations, an intense burning smell, sightings of a ghostly figure, a short but vicious string of work-related injuries, and the recent death of a foreman, workmen now consider it cursed and have downed tools.

Wanted: A swift and discrete resolution. Bonus offered.

The ExorSquad Team: Hollis Nachtmann (Tech Support), Theo Irving (New Recruit)

The Complication: Theo. He can do as he’s told, he just prefers not to. Especially when that vein in Hollis’s head throbs. Are veins sexy? Theo thinks so. Theo is Hollis’s problem.

The ExorSquad Series is a collection of standalone MM romcoms centred around the unfortunate employees of ExorSquad Ltd, the UK's shadiest ghost-busting operation. Expect supernatural shenanigans, things that go bump in the night, sizzling encounters, and hard-won happy-ever-afters.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Ghosts, Gay

365 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication October 1, 2026

About the author

Sam Northman: lover of gay romance, Norse mythology, and urban uantasy
Sam loves all things mythological and can get lost for days in old sagas, but what they enjoy most is reimagining these stories for readers looking to escape to another world.

Specifically crafted to touch a reader’s heart, each story is an unforgettable journey filled with romance, mythical creatures and thrilling adventures. Fall in love with compelling characters, be transported to enchanting realms, explore the magic of urban fantasies, and experience the beauty of love and passion in every heartfelt tale.

Reviews

[angie_bookrecs · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK WAS THIS BOOK?!
I'll tell you what it was. It was CRACK 😂

I thought I was signing up for a paranormal romance about ghost hunters.

Instead, I got supernatural royalty, ghosts, a tattooed brat, an emotional-support cow, workplace incompetence, murder, mystery, supernatural bullshit, and enough chaos to keep me entertained from beginning to end.

I fucking LOVED it.

Hollis was immediately interesting. He's serious, controlled, ridiculously competent and very clearly used to being the one who knows what he's doing. Always in control...

Then Theo shows up.

Poor Hollis never stood a chance 😂

Theo was an absolute menace, and I couldn’t get enough of him. He's cheeky, impulsive, stubborn and constantly getting himself into situations where Hollis has to either rescue him or deal with the consequences of his decisions.

Which is especially funny because Hollis has RULES.

And Theo does not give a single fuck about those rules 😬

The chemistry was instant and the tension was SO GOOD. Hollis has this incredibly controlled, Dom energy, while Theo is just a cute brat waiting for someone to tell him what to do.

Theo's relationship with Brigid absolutely melted me. The way he cares about her and finds comfort in taking care of her was one of those little details that told me exactly what kind of person he is.

And Hollis...man.

There's something really satisfying about watching someone who has spent his entire life living according to duty and expectation slowly realise that he is allowed to want something for himself.

Their relationship becomes about more than attraction. It's about trust. Protection. Acceptance. Finding a home in another person.

And the romance just kept getting better.

The spice? Delicious 🫠
The emotional connection? Even better.
The humour? Perfect.
The supernatural chaos? Give me more.

And the fact that I became emotionally attached to an emotional-support cow was frankly not on my bingo card, but here we are.

I laughed. I cried. I swooned.
I got emotionally attached to a ghost.

And apparently, I now believe that ghost-married is a perfectly legitimate relationship status.

[Vanessa Bergstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I’d like to start this review by saying that if my best friend was a cow, I’d definitely risk my life to save her! Also, I now need a best friend cow. 🐮 Part of the ExorSquad series, this book follows Theo, a human, and Hollis, a technomancer, as they try and un-haunt a haunted land development plot. Let’s also not forget that Brigid the cow is in this book. I absolutely loved this book! Theo is absolutely precious and I loved the dom/sub dynamic between him and Hollis. It was so beautifully written.

[Avid Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

This was a great addition to the series! I liked the power dynamic between Theo and Hollis, and how it progressed into a loving (mostly) relationship. I enjoyed reading the perspective of a techromancer dom with control problems. Especially when his goal was to manage an unruly himbo brat with BABY tattooed across his throat.

Expect:
-workplace romance
-forced proximity
-power play
-sunshine/grumpy
-emotional support cow
-lots of exploded lightbulbs

[Stepphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whole ExorSquad series so far has had me in my feels so deep, and Hot Ghost Summer is no exception. The characters are so well written, and the dynamics between Hollis and Theo are so enthralling that it was hard to take breaks for things like food and sleep.

Hollis Nachtmann comes from a long line of paranormal experts; in fact, he’s the heir to their ghost-hunting dynasty based out of Austria. He came to London to get a job with ExorSquad to help finish off the development of an app that combines centuries of knowledge in one, easy to navigate, place. The only problem with ExorSquad, apart from the infuriatingly incompetent boss Gerald Pickett, is that the employees keep on ending up dead. It’s a good thing Hollis is tech support and isn’t required to go out on jobs. Until, that is, he is teamed up with Theo and sent to a haunted building site.
Hollis is a Dom, and he recognises something in Theo immediately. He’s also a stickler for the rules because he knows how dangerous this profession can be. Hollis is protective; he will ensure the safety of what belongs to him, no matter the cost.

Theo Irving is a sweet country bumpkin, but he’s sick of living a half-life in the countryside, so he moves to London where he has the freedom to be himself and live authentically. Except you can take the bumpkin out of the countryside, but the country stays with him; in this case, Theo’s love and devotion to animals, Cows in particular. He’s lonely and can’t seem to keep a job, so he’s determined to do his best in his new role at ExorSquad. He’s also a complete Brat, and when he meets his new colleague, he gets the feeling that there may be more to this handsome, rigid man, and so he does what Brats do best. Theo tests the limits.
Theo is the biggest ray of sunshine that ever shone down on London. He is kind-hearted, loving, and will bend over backwards to help. He’s also a total flirt, and will defy orders if he thinks there may be some “funishment” in his future.

I loved how the relationship between Hollis and Theo developed, and how their feelings morph as their relationship goes well beyond colleagues, taking many twists and turns along the way.
I really enjoyed Theo’s character in particular; he’s the lovely ray of sunshine I needed in my life, and his love for animals, especially his best friend Bridge, really helps cement his character as someone who tries to do his best for those he loves. I love how he comes across as this flirt who’s thinking with his... member, but he’s very intuitive and has great instincts.
I also loved how Hollis will do anything to protect his Brat and keep him out of danger, and those “funishments” when he broke the rules... well, they brought on quite the sweat! I enjoyed how Hollis’s sense of ownership of Theo manifests and helps him develop his technomancer powers to protect Theo from his own choices.

This story was so good, 10/10, no notes, but now I need more from Hollis and Theo as they create a life together.

[Holly Deacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

👻 HOT GHOST SUMMER by Sam Northman — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Okay… Hollis and Theo. THAT'S the book. 😂

This one takes the whole “enemies to lovers” situation and throws it straight into a paranormal blender because how do you even begin a romance when one of you accidentally killed the other one?!

Hollis Nachtmann is the tech expert of ExorSquad—the guy who knows what he's doing, keeps everyone organised and probably has approximately zero patience for Theo Irving's particular brand of chaos.

Theo is the new recruit, and somehow manages to accidentally kill Hollis during a ghost-hunting mission.

Yep.

Killed him.

And instead of that being the end of their story, it becomes the beginning of the most ridiculously complicated relationship imaginable because Hollis is now a ghost, Theo is still very much alive, and the two of them are forced to work together to deal with a dangerous haunting.

I absolutely LOVE the setup.

There's something so deliciously chaotic about Hollis being forced to spend time with the man responsible for his death. You'd expect nothing but anger and resentment, but being trapped together gives them the chance to actually see beneath all that irritation.

And the forced proximity works brilliantly because they literally cannot escape each other. 😂

The paranormal side gives the romance plenty of tension too. They're not just trying to figure out their feelings—they're dealing with a genuinely dangerous haunting while Hollis is trying to adjust to his new existence as a ghost.

And underneath all the supernatural chaos is that surprisingly emotional question:

What happens when the person who took your life becomes the person you can't imagine losing?

That was the part that got me.

Their dynamic gives the story plenty of humour, but there's enough emotional weight underneath it that their relationship doesn't feel like a joke.

It's basically:

“You killed me.”

“I'm sorry.”

“…Fine. Help me solve this haunting.”

“…Also, why am I falling for you?”

😂😭

The whole concept is wonderfully ridiculous in the best possible way.

It's paranormal, it's romantic, it's chaotic, and it's got that ExorSquad flavour of supernatural disasters happening to people who probably should have chosen literally any other career.

And honestly? Hollis being the ghost while Theo is the living one is such a fun reversal.


Sam Northman really looked at the classic “how did you two meet?” question and went:

“Well… technically, Theo killed him.” 😂

[Nikki Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

👻🔥 ARC REVIEW – Hot Ghost Summer by Sam Northman 🔥👻

Hollis is an Austrian prince, a grumpy Dom, and a tech genius working with ExorSquad to create his own ghost-tracking app. Theo is a brand-new hire with a bratty attitude that immediately gets under Hollis's skin. When the two are paired together to investigate a ghostly situation, things go spectacularly wrong—and Hollis ends up dead at Theo's hands.

Except Theo has no idea how it happened... and things may not be quite what they seem.

Hollis soon finds himself trapped as a technomancer inside his mobile phone, making him Theo's very own poltergeist. Hollis is furious that his life has been cut short and his work left unfinished, while Theo is devastated by what happened. Forced together, the two develop a hilarious love-hate relationship as they try to uncover the truth about Hollis's death.

And then there is Brigid—the emotional support cow! 😂 Theo confides in her because, well, she's a cow and can't tell anyone. I absolutely loved this unexpected addition to the story.

When Brigid goes missing, Theo is led back to the very job site where Hollis died, setting off a chain of events involving greedy landowners, ghostly cows, a revenant, possession, and a whole lot of chaos. As the truth behind Hollis's death begins to unravel, Hollis realises that the anger and hatred he has been holding onto may have been completely misplaced.

With their souls tethered together, Hollis is eventually able to manifest in his human form again, and the relationship between these two becomes something much more than either of them expected. The grumpy Dom and his bratty Theo made for such a fun dynamic, especially with the Dom/sub elements woven into their relationship.

This story was funny, fast-paced, sweet, spicy and completely chaotic in the best possible way. There were so many twists and turns, and every time I thought I knew where the story was going, something else happened.

If you enjoy paranormal romance, ghosts, mystery, hilarious banter, grumpy/bratty dynamics, technomancers, emotional support cows and a romance that literally refuses to let death get in the way, then you definitely need to check this one out!

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up
I kinda felt lost in the the ether on this one at times. I loved how we were set up for grumpy/sunshine with forced proximity. What's better than only one bed? Well it would be a spoiler to say, but they are really close!
Technomancy is new to me. There were a lot of technical descriptions and I appreciate the effort they took, but some of them did not enhance my understanding of the elements. I will be assuming this is a me thing though, however, I would've enjoyed the book more with less of the nitty gritty. More page time given to Hollis harnessing his powers and taking us along on the discovery would have been fun! More time understanding Hollis as a whole would've been awesome.
Theo was such a good soul. Who else could have a cow for a best friend? I adored how he cared for Brigid and the wee ghosties. The details that he notices about Brigid liking colder weather and such were excellent additions. I liked how he would always work things out, he just needed time to process. I wonder how Hollis would feel to know that his behavior was so cow coded?
Another fun addition to the ExorSquad!

Thank you Sam Northman for this ARC. This review contains my own opinion and personal thoughts on the book.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Review of advanced copy recieved from author*


Loved the premise of the book, and especially like Hollis being incorporal at times, stuck inside of electronics.

However, there were a few things that didn't work for me.

Hollis thought that Theo killed him. If that was me, I'd be plotting revenge the entire time, and thinking how to get back at Theo. I wouldn't be thinking about how hot he was, and how much I wanted to 'punish' him in a sexy way.

I also wish we had gotten more of Hollis figuring out his powers and how to use them, along with more interactions between the two characters where they weren't pining so soon after meeting one another. The relationship just seemed a bit fast and unrealistic to me. Because we also brushed over Hollis learning his powers he went from being able to do nothing, to fighting away other ghosts.

While I wish the story spent time on other details, I loved Brigid the cow, and thought the actual haunting was (sad) but pretty interesting.

I'd be interested in checking out the other books in the series.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot Ghost Summer is part of the ExorSquad series, which follows the employees of a ghost-extermination company who earn low wages and have to pay for their own transportation to the various locations where they work. The books can be read independently and in any order you like.

Hollis is the heir to an Austrian family who wants to finish his life's work—an app—and to do so, he needs to work for ExorSquad. Even though his own grandmother knows more about ghosts than the company's owner does. Theo is a young man from rural England who moves to London to prove himself, and the only job he can find is as a ghost hunter.
On his first day on the job, he’s paired with Hollis, who makes it pretty clear that Theo has to do everything he says—which Theo doesn’t do.

I enjoyed it immensely; set against the backdrop of a summer heat wave, the story unfolds along with the mystery the two characters face. Along with a cow providing emotional support.

[Wayne Tunks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 5 in the ExorSquad series, and my 4th read (will read 4 5th!!), and another great addition. This truly is such a fun and wonderful series, I am very excited to read more. This one follows a similar theme but at the same time feels very different. Admittedly it starts a little slower, but once it hits its stride, it was hard to put down.
Hollis comes from a royal line of ghost hunters, and is trying to complete his ghost database while slumming it at the ExorSquad. He is sent to investigate a haunting at an empty plot and has to take new recruit, Theo, who is clueless but loveable. Very quickly, Hollis is killed and becomes a ghost tied to Theo, who he thinks murdered him. It's hate turns to love, with cows thrown in for good measure.
There's a lot of great humour in this book, and some very spicy scenes.
A great read!

[Menoa]

Thanks to the author for the arc !

Saddly I enjoyed this one less than the other, I won't give a rating but it's a solid 3.75.

The characters where enjoyable and I loved Theo, he's a sweetheart and it's almost impossible to not like him. And his emotional support cow was everything.

Hollis was a lot of fun too, grumpy and slightly annoyed at being dead !

Buuuuut while I liked their characters, I struggled to see their connection. But thats on me, I rarely love Dom and sub dynamic and their love life is strongly based on that!! Like I said it's a me problem.

Other than that I had a lot of fun reading this one too, and this serie is just soooo much fun. I especially love to see a new rule being added for each book in the Exorsquad handbook !

[Destynnee Realta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished, Hot Ghost Summer,, it is one of the books in the multi author series ExorSquad.

5/5 stars.
The banter.
The bratting.
The longing, hating and obsession. 😈😝❤️🔥

If i could, I would erase this from my brain so I could read it again as if I never have.

This is definitely worth checking out, and getting to know Theo, and Hollis. And Bridig.

I laughed. I longed. I swooned when Hollis came to terms with it all. And I was so glad that the emotional support cow did not die!

I can not wait for the whole series to be out, so that I can read them again.

If you enjoy a but of a darker romcom, with some kinda hate fucking, and ghost marriaging your coworker. Definitely check this out.

Also, thank fuck someone kinda put Gerald in his place a bit. That twatmuffin!!!

So, if you enioy
MM
Darker RomCom
Emotional Support Cow
Ghost x Human
Spitting in your mouth
Kinda Public S3x
And a heart made for 2

Then definitely check this one out!!!

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this book was soooo good!!!

I loved Theo and Hollis, especially their d/s dynamic was brilliant!! I absolutely loved how their relationship evolved through the story and especially the particulars about Hollis being a ghost!!

The writing was amazing, and the ghost case our protagonists had to deal with was excellent!!!

Also, Bridgit was perfect and I am in desperate need for an emotional support cow!! Please?!

(And the cameo was got👀👀👀 absolutely peak!!)

Overall, a great book, definitely worth it and so much fun!

[Henna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars

Yes! This series continues to be amazing!
I especially liked the take on technomancy, a bit different from a normal ghost story. Also, and emotional support cow was a great idea, I want one too.
Hollis is a ghost hunter royalty, Theo is new to it all. An accident happens and they're stuck together. I loved the mystery of what happened and who did what.
Also the squee I squeed when certain someones did an appearance!
Need more!

[Melissa Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much drama, leads to so much fun!

Instant attraction to misunderstanding to hate to overwhelming attraction to love. This leads to some complex relationship dynamics.

Very hot spice: stern dom and bratty sub, who is almost always teasing his dom.

Interesting plot with mystery and adventure that keeps you engaged.

I received an advance copy, and this is my honest opinion.

[Kayla Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic book in an awesome series. Seriously loving these so much. This book is no exception absolutely phenomenal. The characters are so much fun and the plot is super interesting. You can’t go wrong by reading this book.

[Diana Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ate this book in 2 days. I loved the plot, i lovecthe Dom/Brat push and pull. I loved the technomancer aspect of it. I relate to Theo and his empathy for all the creatures not just humans. How deeply it affects us when we see anybody suffering and wanting to help.

[Gen Bigras · Rating 4 out of 5]

Technomancer? First time reading something like that and i love it!! I got soo attached to Theo and Hollis, now I need my own Brigid to get me over them!

Each book of this series keep surprising me.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hollis and Theo have an interesting coming together that is a little like war and fun smexy times. The story had a good mystery with sone creepy bad guys, ghosts and otherwise.