The Ghost and the Grimoire

by Laura Hawks

Confederate Soldier Elliott Stone made numerous mistakes in his life. When he betrayed his comrades, he was tortured and murdered.

For over a century and a half , his only refuge is the sanctuary of the house built where he took his last breath.
He was content in his solitude...until she came and disrupted his whole world.

Daniella Yankovich inherited the beautiful Colonial Home. It came at a time she needed tranquility and peace from the N.Y. rat race. Little did she know her fortuitous blessing came with a cantankerous spirit.

Now a Civil War of wills in the house has begun. Will the North prevail or will the South rise again?

405 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 7, 2015

Reviews

[Nathalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I bought this book at the NYC Bookcon (2017) because the plot sounded like the kind of stuff I tend to write. The author was really nice and I enjoyed talking to her.

The main plot was okay. I liked it a lot. It wasn't THE BEST PLOT EVER, but it wasn't bad either. The character design was a big plain, but it made sense so I didn't take any points out for that.

The love story was my main problem. It's not believable. It's rushed and it makes no sense at all. Most dialogs related to the love story seem forced and out of place, as if the characters were reading some kind of weird script.

The ending was a bit too predictable for my taste, but it wasn't a bad ending and it goes well with the rest of the story.

[Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad story dealing with death, love and ghosts. I enjoyed the journey the characters took and I liked the way the story played out for the most part. One problem I had was the love story for me it was too quick and wasn't really believable so it kind of put a damper on the story for me.
Overall a good read, I just wish the romance was more believable.

I voluntarily reviewed an arc from the author.

[Mandy Fiddler · Rating 1 out of 5]

I purchased this paperback several years ago and just finished reading it. I had a horrible time with the spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors from the beginning. The story was a good concept, but I felt there was way too much going on and it kept flipping back and forth too much. The ending was nowhere near what it could have been based on what the characters had just been through to be together.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book from the author at Writers on the River signing event in East Peoria, IL.

Here is my impression after reading this book: It was a blast. The play by play between the two main characters is touching, funny, sad, and mesmerizing.

Ms. Hawks' writing is vivid and thought provoking with just enough humanity to make it feel real.

A read you short not miss.

[Charlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Plot, but Poor Grammar

When the author warned about poor grammar on the part of the lead male character, I was prepared to accept it. However, the entire book is riddled with grammatical errors and that takes away from the great plot of this book. The whole story overall is very creative and the lead characters are very easy to like

[Laura]

I did not like this book. There was no clear love story and it had too much bad language for my taste.

[Melanie Marsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ghost and the Grimoire is a great book for anyone who enjoys a good ghost story combined with Civil War history as well as an unlikely mild romance. I very much enjoyed the story and how it was told with historical elements and a modern timeline.
One thing I liked is that while Eli made some mistakes during his lifetime, he was given a chance to make up for it. His interaction with Dani was tenuous in the beginning, but you could tell they were going to be friends from their first meeting.
I was a little bit confused as to how the whole situation in Hell was going for Pease and how Eli’s curse was involved, but aside from that, I liked the way the story unfolded. The different realms of Hell and how that played out was really cool too.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ghost of a civil war soldier and a modern woman with too big a heart from the other side of the country - recipe for desaster if I ever read one. But apart from being a bit long-winded, some unnecessary repetitions and not too believable stuff sometimes, it was interesting to read, especially his history (since I'm not from the US I don't know very much about that time and it intrigued me). The unexpected spin at the end was a bit much to take but in itself interesting too (I am not quite sure you'd end up there if you are and believe as he is).

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure what I expected from this book but I enjoyed this book very much. I love most things that have to do with ghosts so this book took me away. Dani and Eli were good characters and I think the story had me and held my attention very well. I would read more from this author and I don't like many war books. * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a very intriguing story that I didn't want to put down. If a ghost started taking to me I don't think I would have handled it as well as Daniella did. The author tells Elliott's story so well that you know his past was bad how bad is slowly told and makes you fall for him. The authors story line was so well done I enjoyed the most action packed parts and really loved the end.