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Haunting Danielle #23
The Ghost and the Christmas Spirit
It's once again Christmastime at Marlow House and the mediums of Beach Drive have all decided to stay in Frederickport for the holiday. Surprises await for them when the true Spirit of Christmas comes for a visit. Do you believe in Santa Claus?
314 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 21, 2019
426 people are currently reading
585 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
January 2, 2022
These books are always so much fun to read. Great Christmas cozy.
June 12, 2021
Can’t get over how cute and Christmasy this book was 😊 not gonna lie but I did cry at the end
May 9, 2023
This was a great Christmas story with ghosts of course.
June 23, 2020
Danielle and Walt and the gang are all gearing up for a fun yet lowkey Christmas when misfortune befalls Chris. He returns to Marlowe House along with his brother and two other guests. Meanwhile, Marlowe House has, yet again, uninvited guests coming at going at their own will. Pearl continues to be an absolutely horrid addition to the series. This wasn't the best installment but it was enjoyable. And I particularly enjoyed the mystery in this book. Give it a go. It was fun.
November 18, 2021
5 Stars... The perfect holiday read bringing forth the true spirit of Christmas... Some very touching moments with our beloved characters... Got me ready for the Christmas season!
January 3, 2020
Another amazing read!!
Sometimes for people Christmas can be a sad time while for others it's the most wonderful time of the year. This story has both. I love how Holmes combines them in this latest book and shows us how people can change or make a difference. There's one part were Holmes talks about a family tradition and it really makes you think of all the things your family does!!!
Sometimes for people Christmas can be a sad time while for others it's the most wonderful time of the year. This story has both. I love how Holmes combines them in this latest book and shows us how people can change or make a difference. There's one part were Holmes talks about a family tradition and it really makes you think of all the things your family does!!!
May 22, 2021
Way deficient in the romance department for a female writer. This is true of the whole series. And if Walt smacks Danielle on the butt one more time I’m gonna write my own scene where she breaks his fingers.
There were a lot of obvious clues throughout the story but that didn’t make it less sweet. You will know who the guests are and you will know what’s going to happen but it’s still a decent story.
There were a lot of obvious clues throughout the story but that didn’t make it less sweet. You will know who the guests are and you will know what’s going to happen but it’s still a decent story.
September 30, 2022
Not much of a story (at least for me), but I upped it to a 3 star because I really like all the characters and enjoyed reading about them.
July 28, 2025
All of these books come with a very satisfying ending, but the Christmas books are especially sentimental. As 4 people come to Frederickport (for very different reasons), the forces that be help out those that are there for good!
October 2, 2025
This was incredibly comforting and cozy. Although barely anything happened, I don't mind; I cherish this found family as my own.
December 2, 2021
This is the most amazing series ever! I can't praise it enough. And this one was just in time for Christmas for me. Marlow house is not allowed to be a B&B anymore thanks to nasty neighbor Pearl (the grinch) who is a real witch and had them closed down. But when Danielle and Walt's friend Chris Johnson's house burns down he and his brother come to spend the holidays with the Marlows. With the holiday approaching the motels are also full. When two rooms in the motel mysteriously lose water the motel owner begs Danielle to take them in. She is happy to do so and cannot charge them. The two men, strangers, round out the house well. I was completely wrong about one of them but guessed about the other one long before the end. This story, besides having the usual elements of mystery and ghosts, is a story of the real spirit of Christmas. By the way, not even the kindness shown to Pearl reforms her.
January 2, 2024
Lighthearted read full of holiday warmth
This is not the most unique storyline, but the twists and turns are fun to follow. It was refreshing not to have to deal with Kelly's judgmental rants and Joe and Brian bumbling around like the Keystone Cops in this book.
I listened to the earlier books on Audible, so I do not know of the print versions those have been revised at all. With that said, this book feels the most carefully written and edited. A lot of the repetitive phrases that plagued earlier stories ("in the next moment", anyone?) are absent here, making for a smoother read.
This is not the most unique storyline, but the twists and turns are fun to follow. It was refreshing not to have to deal with Kelly's judgmental rants and Joe and Brian bumbling around like the Keystone Cops in this book.
I listened to the earlier books on Audible, so I do not know of the print versions those have been revised at all. With that said, this book feels the most carefully written and edited. A lot of the repetitive phrases that plagued earlier stories ("in the next moment", anyone?) are absent here, making for a smoother read.
September 27, 2024
These books are light and fun, usually with well-crafted mysteries, but this one seemed much more basic than the others and I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much.
Two big complaints with this series in general…one, the audiobook narrator leaves a LOT to be desired. She has a cutesy, little girlish voice that doesn’t do justice to many of the characters or the sometimes darker storylines. It gives the entire mood more of a Scooby Doo cartoon vibe. She also reads the character of Walt as if he were a 60-something stodgy older man instead of the 24 year old he is supposed to be. This makes the romantic connection between Walt and Danielle less believable, and even a little gross. And she misses the mark on a LOT of sentence structure inflections, leaving the true intention of the dialogue somewhat unclear to the listener. She reads some statements as questions, and often puts emphasis on the wrong words, making the dialogue completely miss the point of the character’s intentions. Seriously, we learned how to properly use inflections when reading aloud in elementary school.
Two, re: the writing…there are several glaring and unnecessary errors throughout the series that leave me wondering what the editors are doing. A big example in this book is that the author cites the epic poem “T’was the Night Before Christmas” as a limerick. It most certainly is not. A limerick is a 5 line poem, usually of a bawdy nature, where the 1st, 2nd, and 5th lines rhyme, as do the 3rd and 4th. Also, the author has a bad habit of using the same or remarkably similar names for the characters. For instance, there are two Sams in this book. She has also used the names Carla, Carol, and Carol Anne all in the same book, which gets confusing. There were two Steve’s in another book. Of the thousands of names available, I wish she would use a little more diversity. Last, a personal pet peeve…the author REALLY needs to stop normalizing the idea of pitbulls as a vicious and feared breed of dogs. While she does a good job of portraying Honey as a gentle, loving dog, which most pitbulls are, I get very weary of the prejudice and stereotyping that comes from nearly every human character in these books, in EVERY book since Honey was introduced. These preconceived fears will never go away as long as these great dogs are still perceived as vicious, even in fiction writing. Let’s move past this, please.
I will probably keep reading the series, as they are generally fun and enjoyable stories, but there are some serious “rookie mistakes” that I do wish the author, editor, and narrator would all address.
Two big complaints with this series in general…one, the audiobook narrator leaves a LOT to be desired. She has a cutesy, little girlish voice that doesn’t do justice to many of the characters or the sometimes darker storylines. It gives the entire mood more of a Scooby Doo cartoon vibe. She also reads the character of Walt as if he were a 60-something stodgy older man instead of the 24 year old he is supposed to be. This makes the romantic connection between Walt and Danielle less believable, and even a little gross. And she misses the mark on a LOT of sentence structure inflections, leaving the true intention of the dialogue somewhat unclear to the listener. She reads some statements as questions, and often puts emphasis on the wrong words, making the dialogue completely miss the point of the character’s intentions. Seriously, we learned how to properly use inflections when reading aloud in elementary school.
Two, re: the writing…there are several glaring and unnecessary errors throughout the series that leave me wondering what the editors are doing. A big example in this book is that the author cites the epic poem “T’was the Night Before Christmas” as a limerick. It most certainly is not. A limerick is a 5 line poem, usually of a bawdy nature, where the 1st, 2nd, and 5th lines rhyme, as do the 3rd and 4th. Also, the author has a bad habit of using the same or remarkably similar names for the characters. For instance, there are two Sams in this book. She has also used the names Carla, Carol, and Carol Anne all in the same book, which gets confusing. There were two Steve’s in another book. Of the thousands of names available, I wish she would use a little more diversity. Last, a personal pet peeve…the author REALLY needs to stop normalizing the idea of pitbulls as a vicious and feared breed of dogs. While she does a good job of portraying Honey as a gentle, loving dog, which most pitbulls are, I get very weary of the prejudice and stereotyping that comes from nearly every human character in these books, in EVERY book since Honey was introduced. These preconceived fears will never go away as long as these great dogs are still perceived as vicious, even in fiction writing. Let’s move past this, please.
I will probably keep reading the series, as they are generally fun and enjoyable stories, but there are some serious “rookie mistakes” that I do wish the author, editor, and narrator would all address.
October 30, 2024
***possible spoilers ahead***
UGH this might be the best book from this series so far. Maybe I’m just a sucker for Christmas stories but Adam needed a win, Evan’s dream hop and Elizabeth’s family reuniting 😭😭😭 I SOBBED!!!
Also LOVE when an author writes themselves into a story line even if it’s just a brief mention 😉
Picked up this series as a mood read for October/halloween and this Christmas one couldn’t have come at a better time.
UGH this might be the best book from this series so far. Maybe I’m just a sucker for Christmas stories but Adam needed a win, Evan’s dream hop and Elizabeth’s family reuniting 😭😭😭 I SOBBED!!!
Also LOVE when an author writes themselves into a story line even if it’s just a brief mention 😉
Picked up this series as a mood read for October/halloween and this Christmas one couldn’t have come at a better time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2024
I have been reading this series for a while, and I really enjoy them. The characters are relatable and even though it includes ghosts (not usually my genre), the mysteries are written very well. This book was beautiful for the Christmas season. The characters introduced and the storylines that surrounded them provided moving stories that made me emotional (doesn't happen often). I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery for the season.
December 17, 2025
Way too many characters - I get it - you live in a village. Did every resident deserve an ‘honorable’ mention? Toilet fixation - literally several TOILET mentions - that level of descriptive (?) writing - TMI. Audiobook narrator’s voice and attempts at differing for the vast amount of characters put my teeth on edge. Almost couldn’t finish listening. Can’t one star bc the narrator was awful, but it did sort of ruin the story
December 20, 2019
This was a nice little story filled with Christmas magic. Danielle and Walt almost took a back seat to Chris and Hunny this time. All of the usual characters are present along with a few surprises. Evan had the best Christmas ever and saw something every child dreams of. Even cranky old Pearl next door seemed to be touched by the holiday magic. This made for a delightful season's reading!
December 23, 2019
Absolutely 100+ stars!!!!!
Now that was a fantastic Christmas story!
It was so full of joy and happiness that I
tested up several times during the story. I
Loved the story line and once I got started
I couldn't stop reading. This book truly made
me thankful for Christmas and the real meaning
of Christmas!!!!
Now that was a fantastic Christmas story!
It was so full of joy and happiness that I
tested up several times during the story. I
Loved the story line and once I got started
I couldn't stop reading. This book truly made
me thankful for Christmas and the real meaning
of Christmas!!!!
June 4, 2020
The Ghost and Doppelganger Christmas Spirit (Book 23) By Bobbi Holmes, Anna J McIntyre
Five stars, nice was so cute..Nice even though there was a mystery murder was not one of them.. Beautiful story of love, forgiveness and a good touch of Santa.. Even like the way they added the author to the book... Real good ending.
Five stars, nice was so cute..Nice even though there was a mystery murder was not one of them.. Beautiful story of love, forgiveness and a good touch of Santa.. Even like the way they added the author to the book... Real good ending.
November 27, 2020
Another great read
It's fun in that each Christmas story there's a "spirit" who is sent to help someone. It was easy to figure out Owen though she tried to make him appear a little sinister but that didn't take away anything. I loved the happy ending all around. Died laughing at Adam and his gift at the end. Can't wait for more!!
It's fun in that each Christmas story there's a "spirit" who is sent to help someone. It was easy to figure out Owen though she tried to make him appear a little sinister but that didn't take away anything. I loved the happy ending all around. Died laughing at Adam and his gift at the end. Can't wait for more!!
July 19, 2021
Dani & Walt are in the holiday spirit shopping for a white elephant party when they happen upon a Christmas shoe and old framed photo at a local antique store. Trouble ensues in Marlow fashion after those purchases. Chris has some misfortune and Dani happily has a full house because of it. Please Bobbi write in a house dropping on Pearl! Pearl continues to win the most annoying/detested neighbor award!
July 31, 2024
Love the series. I really do, but Danielle is irritating.
After all that has been done to her, she still acts so ridiculous and irresponsibly trusting. I get very frustrated, I’d like her to have a little concern and stop being negative when people share their thoughts on a situation.
But I’ll be starting the next book shortly because like I said, love the series. It is entertianing.
After all that has been done to her, she still acts so ridiculous and irresponsibly trusting. I get very frustrated, I’d like her to have a little concern and stop being negative when people share their thoughts on a situation.
But I’ll be starting the next book shortly because like I said, love the series. It is entertianing.
November 4, 2024
Very enjoyable part of the series. Halfway through, I sort of guessed the mystery, but it didn't give me any less satisfaction. A funny name check of the author herself as part of the story was amusing. Not your typical gingerbread and holly and tinsel type of Christmas story, but still a really good seasonal tale with all the warm feels in the end.
August 20, 2025
I have to admit that I stopped reading this book. It wasn't because I didn't like it but that I was terribly confused. I couldn't tell who all were ghosts and who weren't. I guess starting with book #23 wasn't such a good idea. This series, apparently, you should read in order or you'll be lost. I am going to hunt down the first book and start over.
December 22, 2019
Christmas spirit
Wonderful book . I love every book in this series I've read them all , and look forward to the next one. these stories should be read in order but stand alone with no cliffhangers. After each book you are left satisfied and with a warm feeling.
Wonderful book . I love every book in this series I've read them all , and look forward to the next one. these stories should be read in order but stand alone with no cliffhangers. After each book you are left satisfied and with a warm feeling.
January 25, 2020
Christmas Spirit
I couldn't believe the ending. I was surprised and it takes a lot to surprise me. I liked the way it ended. I'm happy it ended the way it did and I can't wait to read the next one!
I couldn't believe the ending. I was surprised and it takes a lot to surprise me. I liked the way it ended. I'm happy it ended the way it did and I can't wait to read the next one!
July 3, 2020
What a wonderful, feel-good story! I love this series and this was the perfect Christmas story. A mystery where no one is killed is such a refreshing change from usual mysteries. I look forward to seeing how the neighbor evolves after her rescue from Honey.
August 4, 2020
This is next to the last book in this series, at least for now. Maybe there will be more. I did enjoy it as i did the others, I loved the way the characters just go smoothly into the next story. I would definitely continue to listen to the stories if there are more!
June 7, 2021
This is one of the best reads in the series. Some of the story had me tearing up because no one should be alone at Christmas.
Honey plays a big role in this one which is one of the tear jerking moments of the story.
Honey plays a big role in this one which is one of the tear jerking moments of the story.
November 9, 2021
Oncee again a wonderful enjoyably fun read! Especially when my husband is in quarantine with covid! Thanks for such enjoyment as we count down his days.
A wonderful Christmas story, with the right amount of fun, action and suspense and not to sentimental. Starting the next book now!
A wonderful Christmas story, with the right amount of fun, action and suspense and not to sentimental. Starting the next book now!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews