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Ivy Grove #1

The Ghost of Ellwood

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“I didn't believe in ghosts. Until I met him.”

As a horror novelist, Ben makes a living telling scary stories. However, he's struggling in his career and fears he's lost his touch. Not only is there a disconnect in his writing, but in his personal life as well. After his relationship goes south, he decides to start over and moves to Ivy Grove, a small town with a lot of history.
He hopes the quaint town and beautiful Victorian manor he moved into will spark inspiration and help him fall back in love with writing.

And then strange things start happening.
Creaks in the hall, shadows from the corner of his eye, and the sense that he's being watched. Ben soon learns that the manor has a dark past, and within the morbid history, he discovers a century old mystery.

Who is Theo Blackwell? And what happened to him all those years ago?
As Ben begins to unravel the truth, he finds himself not only falling in love with writing again, but also falling for the stunning young man who haunts his manor.

*The Ghost of Ellwood is a paranormal m/m romance. You'll find mystery, a somewhat grumpy writer, a sassy ghost, and of course a HEA.*

261 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 22, 2019

207 people are currently reading
1233 people want to read

About the author

Jaclyn Osborn

50 books1,771 followers
As an avid reader and coffee addict, Jaclyn Osborn can always be found with either a book in her hand or one being written on her laptop. The men in her stories mean the world to her, and she's thankful for each day she's able to do this as a career.
She writes M/M romance across all genres and worlds, including contemporary, historical, fantasy, and paranormal.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 292 reviews
Profile Image for ☆ Todd.
1,441 reviews1,584 followers
February 2, 2020

It's been a while since I've read a ghost story, and this one was pretty good, so it definitely hit the "not contemporary romance this time" spot for me. : )



After discovering that his partner had been cheating, struggling horror author Ben Cross decided that he needed a change of scenery, so he bought a old Victorian manor and moved to rural New York, leaving NYC and the ex firmly in his rear view mirror.



Upon first seeing the manor, Ben immediately felt as though he was finally home. At peace. Which even learning that the house was haunted didn't change.

I adored seeing the relationship develop between Ben and the ghost, Theo, who'd been trapped in the house for over a hundred years since his brutal murder.



One of my favorite aspects of the book was that Theo could actually make himself mostly corporeal. He wasn't one of those smoke-like spirits roaming the house and rattling chains, with no ability to communicate.

Much like Ben himself, I often found myself almost forgetting that Theo was the spirit of a dead young man, so their journey to get to know one another didn't feel that foreign to other slow burn romances, which was both familiar and comforting.



I loved how, as Ben and Theo were falling for one another, Ben wasn't concerned in the slightest that Theo wasn't 100% living, breathing human. He had feelings for Theo and that was that, full stop.

I did find myself frustrated on a few occasions when the author relied on "The Big Overreaction" plot device, which made me want to scream "OMG, WHY???" at the top of my lungs, but those pissy bitch moments thankfully weren't too drawn out.

The other drama, and only real scariness, in the story came from the *other* haunted house in town. Or more precisely, the malevolent spirit haunting said second haunted mansion. Once people saw her, they often soon died from mysterious circumstances. And let me tell you, that bitch gave me the goddamn creeps, guys.



This story had a fair amount of steam and this MC pairing did get their HEA; however, the series will continue with "The Curse of Redwood" and Ben's best friend, Carter, being strangely drawn to the scary AF *other* haunted mansion, and I can't freaking wait!

I'd rate this story at around 4.25 stars and especially recommend it to readers who enjoyed "Winter Oranges" by Marie Sexton, which had a similar feel.

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Profile Image for ~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~.
3,573 reviews1,113 followers
June 24, 2024
Warning: Spoilers all over the place! I'm not using the spoiler tags because this isn't a new novel, but if you don't want to be spoiled, skip this review.

Edit:

I have now sufficiently calmed down to rate this book. While I loathed the ending, I enjoyed large chunks of the story.

Theo was a great character: innocent but eager, withdrawn but determined. He deserved so much more than he got.

Instead of giving Theo a second chance at life, the author focused too much on setting up book 2 and creating unnecessary dramatics, like Lady Death and the fire.

If the dark Lady is the harbinger of death, surely she would have forseen Theo's interference? And the old man setting the fire and then dying of a heart attack? Convenient. I didn't get the point of all that.

Why was Ben saved from death but Theo wasn't?

Authors can write what they want, but let's not pretend that ending was a HEA, mmmkay?

Original:

Worst. Ending. Ever.

"Guaranteed HEA" my ass.

It's not a HEA when one of the MCs is dead.

I wish someone had spoiled the ending for me because I would have never read this book.

The beginning was so promising. I loved Theo and Harvey's story, although the way Harvey died was tragic too. Heaven forbid one of them live a long, happy life.

Ben not caring that his boyfriend and agent have been screwing behind his back for a year was a headscratcher. Neither the cheating ex nor the scummy agent even apologize, but Ben keeps the agent like no problem.

Carter, a secondary character, was all up in this story with his stupid crush on Ben. Was the weird pseudo love triangle necessary?

The last few chapters jumped ahead by weeks, then months. Important scenes, like Ben healing, were off page.

I kept waiting because surely something had to give with Theo.

But no, Theo remains dead. In what universe is that a HEA?

Ben will grow old and die. He and Theo can never travel or have experiences. The world will never know Ben as part of a couple.

Death isn't fucking romantic, and the story of a young man being beaten and buried alive by his father, then existing as a ghost is not a happy one.

I'm too angry to rate.
Profile Image for Drusilla.
1,059 reviews417 followers
March 4, 2024
This is the tragically beautiful story of Theo, the ghost of Ellwood. And the author Ben, who learns that ghosts really do exist. Theo's life was too short and marked by violence, but also by so much love.
I especially love that this book captures Theo's two great loves and never puts them in competition with each other, showing how differently we can love and what a heart can be capable of.
When Ben starts to fall in love with his ghost, it takes him a while to convince him that they could be something together.

“We don’t come from the same world. I live in the shadows, and you in the light. When the two touch, they cancel the other out, you see.”
“Then, we can live in dusk,” I said, closing the gap between us. “Where day and night meet.”
🌹🫠🌹

This middle part of the story and the journey that leads to Ben and Theo getting together is the best part of the book for me. Later on in the story I was a bit distracted, the story couldn't hold my attention even though it was still very good.
Regardless of the fact that the plot was only partially perfect for me, I think the portrayal of the characters and their feelings was so excellently done.

“Love doesn’t seem a big enough word,” he finally said, raising his head off my chest to meet my stare. His cold fingers traced the outline of my lips. “What I felt for Harvey was love. What I feel for you? I cannot find the word. All I know is that when I’m with you, Ben, my very soul is at peace.” 😍💞😍
Profile Image for Susan.
2,349 reviews456 followers
October 28, 2019
I didn’t like this. I often felt as if the author didn’t quite know where to go so sometimes things happened that didn't make a lot of sense to me.

I also had trouble liking Ben. He didn’t feel all that real to me. Neither did Theo by the way, so I guess I just had trouble connecting to the story overall?

Ben is a best-selling author who has just been left by his boyfriend. He has been struggling with his new book and his last two books weren’t received that well. Ben decides to put an offer on a house in the little town of Ivy Grove. Blackwell Manor was a bargain and Ben loves it immediately. He doesn’t care that it’s supposed to be haunted. He writes horror for a living, so he can handle a ghost.

But Ben didn’t count on the ghost to actually show himself. He heard the strange noises and saw some shadows, but this man looks real, not ghostly at all.

Theo Blackwell went missing a 100 years ago. He was involved with a neighboring boy and had an abusive father. But no one knows what happened to him.

Theo scared away all the previous owners of Blackwell Manor, but Ben is different. Ben and Theo actually become friends.

Meanwhile Ben has also met his new neighbor Carter, who makes his interest in Ben known. Ben doesn’t know what to do with it though. He feels attracted to Carter, but he’s also developing feeling for Theo….

At first I was confused who the actual love interest was supposed to be. When it turned out to be the ghost I was quite confused. The reason why I was confused was because I figured Ben was going to fall for his neighbor Carter.

I never get why authors decide to write another potential love interest in a romance story. Why have Ben be attracted to Carter? Why have Carter kiss Ben? Why have them be anything more than friends at all when they ended up as best friends anyway? It was strange, and I didn’t like it. Why not just have Carter as the platonic best friend from the start? Why all the hassle with them being attracted to each other and then Ben deciding he liked Theo more.

Have I mentioned how much I hate love triangles? I do. I really really hate them. I don’t get why they exist at all in books. Why have our main character be attracted to two people at the same time? (Except for MMM, I love those) It doesn’t serve a purpose to me. It only annoys me.

I do have to say that this wasn't a classical love triangle like lots of M/F YA books (used to) have. But I was still confused for at least half of this book when it wasn't quite clear who the love interest was supposed to be.

And I’m not on board with the whole let’s have a romantic relationship with a ghost thing either. Theo would never grow old, he would never be able to leave the manor. That just doesn’t sound all that romantic to me tbh.

Also the sex with a ghost thing? I can’t wrap my head around that. I guess my suspension of disbelief pants won’t stretch that far.

Oh, I should mention a plot hole. Ben mentions he never met the previous owner of Blackwell Manor, but he recognizes him without trouble when he’s standing on his lawn. And he also calls him Wayne like they’ve met before, which they hadn’t. Now I could be mistaken, but I was quite puzzled why Ben would be familiar with what Wayne Henderson looked like.

I mentioned before how it felt as if the author didn’t know where to go with the story. That definitely felt that way with the ghost of Redwood, Lady Death. I guess she was supposed to up the creep factor, but I just found it weird she was in it at all. She was supposed to be this messenger of death, but since Ben didn't die, that theory went up in smoke.

This is a ghost story, but there’s nothing creepy about it, even though I’d hoped for some scary moments. But no, nothing even remotely scary happened.

So overall I was quite disappointed in this book. I didn’t like the characters, didn’t like the story, and I especially didn’t like the romance. This book felt like one big mess tbh.

I hope other people will like it more than I did.
Profile Image for Mariam,.
674 reviews565 followers
May 15, 2022
But all remembered beauty is no more
Than a vague prelude to the thought of you—
You are the rarest soul I ever knew.


This book is a close 4.5 if Ben wasn't a tool of a messed up dick full of inconsiderate selfish fucktard eccentricity.

Can anyone guess I'm bitter as fuck? 🤡



SPOILER WARNING ‼️‼️ upon a second read of my sweet loving RANT, this review might have (mild) spoilers for the book because my ever so kind thoughts couldn't be more vividly detailed in expressing my oh so loving words. You've been warned, if you want to go into this book not knowing a thing, you probably shouldn't read this review but I don't delve into plot spoilers or anything to spoil the book, just expressing the KIND manners of a certain character.







“Mr. Henderson only lived here for five months,” he said, before drinking some of his cider. “The family before him stayed for a year, and the one before that only lasted twenty days.”
“Why?”
“Because of him.” He focused on me. “The ghost of Ellwood.”


God, Theo was MY PRECIOUS BABY ANGEL. So sweet and soft, bashful, loving, considerate, insatiable, kind, angelic and so full of wonder and love and everything good in this world.

The amount of times I said FUCK YOU BEN made me cry my brain cells out. He was infuriating, embarassingly selfish and so inconsiderate. He was inconsiderate of Theo's feelings, calling his emotions and fear games and an act of cowardice, yelling at him to open up when he wasn't ready, forcing and constantly egging him on to face shit he wasn't ready. I don't care Theo was a hundred years old or 19, he was such a sweet broken soul who didn't deserve the way Ben treated him. Ben invited Carter into the house despite Theo saying it hurt looking at Carter because of his physical similarities to his past lover, Ben was so fucking nosy and constantly tried to pry Theo the truth of his past, his death and his life without taking to notice HIS FEELINGS, how much the reminder of them HURT, how painful the memories were. Theo might not have given him the truth but he gave himself, all of what he could've at that time and that was emtional intimacy and I can not fathom how Ben could kiss someone else despite it. BEN CONSTANTLY PUSHED FOR MORE AND FUCKING MORE and I was this close to throwing my phone against a damn wall.


A leaf fell from the tree in front of us, gliding as it approached the earth below. Everything had a beginning and an end. Every leaf eventually fell, and every blade of grass died. Same with people. Yet, Theo would remain exactly as he was. Forever.


Look at this baby angel, I can't believe Ben had even the fucking mind to call him an asshole.

Theo knelt in front of me and took my hands in his, concern shining in his dark eyes. “Are you feeling well, darling?”


I love Jaclyn as a writer, as a person who believes in love and the way your soul just fuckings knows it when it finds it's heart but fuck, WHAT THE HELL JACLYN. This book is almost dissapointing because despite Ben's terrible personality, he was there for Theo when it counted, fought for him and loved him with his whole heart-that was something, through it all, was what I knew and held on too.

Carter said, chewing the edge of his bottom lip. “But knowing he’s a ghost? I can barely be next to him without getting creeped out. I don’t see how you’re around him so much.”
“He doesn’t need a pulse to be alive to me.”



My greatest sadness was seeing how Theo thought of himself a coward after the stupid godforsaken words Ben threw at him, when Theo was anything but. He was brave and sweet and so forgiving, loving strong and beauty incarnate.

“Because I’m a coward, Ben. You said it yourself.” His form flickered as he strode over to the window. “The last time I loved a man, I was killed for it.”


God Ben, you fucking suck. How could that POSSIBLY be considered Cowardice. How could fear be considered weak? I am at disbelief with Jaclyn.

And yes, I fucking know I'm complaining a shit ton but I needed to get that out of my chest because it pains me just the same to rate this book 3.5 when I so want to give it 4 stars and above, because despite the shit show I mentioned above, this book was beautiful and heartbreaking, so elegantly sad and nostalgic yet so breakingtakingly beautiful in it's hope. I think when Theo was in Ben's arms, it was then when he caught his dream come true, he had caught wings and in his embrace, he was soaring through the world.

He gave me inspiration and encouraged me when doubt reared its ugly head. I suppose he was my muse.


Honestly? One of my favorite parts of this book and times where I reflected the most and cried and felt my heart tremble was reading the story of Harvey and Theo, them together and them apart. So heartbreakingly cruel, it sucks the life out of me to think the reality of that existence and knowing, fucking KNOWING that devasting story of the lost love between Harvey and Theo was a fucking reality in this fucked up world for far too damn long and it damn continues to exist in areas of this world.

“I love you,” he murmured against my ear. “My heart doesn’t beat anymore, but it belongs to you, Ben. Forever.”


Theo, my baby angel, the ghost of ellwood, the purest and most gentle soul was the living heart of this book. He didn't need a pulse to be alive for me either, because he was, as he had always been, breathtaking to me.

“Why?”
“You know why, Ben.” Finally, he lifted his gaze. “We don’t come from the same world. I live in the shadows, and you in the light. When the two touch, they cancel the other out, you see.”
“Then, we can live in dusk,” I said, closing the gap between us. “Where day and night meet.”


This is 100th book of 2022
Profile Image for Bookreader87(Amanda).
1,168 reviews44 followers
November 18, 2019
Ben just ended a 3 year relationship and is struggling with getting his mojo back with his writing. With his publishers on his back to get a new release out he decides for a change of scenery. He finds a house that sparks his interest. Ben packs up his things and moves. What Ben never expected was for the house to have it's own secrets.

Again, it has been either hit or miss with this author. Unfortunately another miss for me.

I thought that the relationship between Theo and Harvey was much stronger than Theo and Ben. In fact, I was probably more interested in that relationship. Even though the author repeatedly said the love between Theo and Ben was stronger it was never really demonstrated. You just can't say something and expect it to be true.

Another thing I question was what was the point of the whole Carter thing. Why couldn't he just be a friend period? No need for the whole flopped romantic aspect of that one, especially, if it was never going to pan out.

I think there were just too many things that frustrated me with this book and the fact I never connected with Ben, the main MC. I think he really lost me with his none reaction to his boyfriend of 3 years cheating on him with his agent. He just let it slide like it was nothing.

There was also the fact that I think this book was too similar with another book of this author's I read. Like I said, in a previous update, it seemed more like an adult version of the YA with changes here and there.

Profile Image for Iman (hiatus).
726 reviews260 followers
December 30, 2022
3.75 ⭐️

Thanks Hugo for this cleanse from my madness on my last books.

Their love felt genuine to me even with only small moments they shared, before they realised they fit each other. It felt special every time. The last part of the book wasn’t my fave, it was chaotic, but I cried couple times reading this.

I enjoyed Theo being so mysterious. Like there was something about him kept me on my toes. But I, now, refuse to talk about Harvey.

Probably lessen the sex and focus more on the emotional connection. Jaclyn writes too much sex in her romance it bores me.
Profile Image for Simona.
679 reviews62 followers
May 9, 2022
Omg this book. I think I need time to process this. It was a magical love between a cheesy human and a ghost. The past of the ghost is tragic and there is a mystery behind.
I have cried enough to say this book stole my heart. I loved everything, every single word is so well described I sensed I was with them, in the manor.
Profile Image for Rielle.
569 reviews69 followers
July 28, 2021
Complete Review: July 28, 2021

The ghost and human love story I never knew I needed.

I adored this book so be forewarned that this review will be me gushing over this book. I’m basically one of Ben’s fans meeting him in person for the first time. I’m obsessed. This was a perfect mix of light and dark themes. It is by no means fluffy and I was a bit creeped out at times and completely horrified at least once. It’s a romance and I loved our MCs together, but there are some things that make me feel uncomfortable about it as well. I’ve read books by this author before and was pleased and disappointed in the past, but nothing has ever captured my attention like this book.

The Characters:

Theo and Ben are perfect and sweet. They belong together and I love them. Ben is a writer who is in the midst of a writer’s block when his long term partner cheats on him with his agent. It was harsh but over quickly. Ben doesn’t mope because he realizes he’s an absent partner (and apparently a better person than I could ever be) and decides to make a big change by moving into a cute secluded home. There he meets Theo. Theo haunts the home and is delightfully old fashioned. We get gems like this from him:

”’Um.’ I scratched at the back of my head. ‘Well, yeah. I’m gay.’

‘What does being merry have to do with this conversation?’”


He’s absolutely delightful and proper. He melts my heart. Ghosts in this world can control their forms and are able to be solid. This is beneficial for the romance part of this romance. *wink wink*

The Romance:

Be still my heart. This romance gets swoony.

“‘We don’t come from the same world. I live in the shadows, and you in the light. When the two touch, they cancel the other out, you see.’

‘Then, we can live in dusk,’ I said, closing the gap between us. ‘Where day and night meet.’”


There’s buildup and tension in this story. It’s done so well and I want these two to be together. Their interactions are absolutely lovely and the sex scenes are perfect because of their obvious connection. This author does such a good job of showing and not telling in this book. After being disappointed by that in past books, I’m especially appreciative of seeing the romance build between the two MCs.

The Plot:

This was no simple romance. There were some hard scenes for me to read. There’s violence and it’s tough. I cried and I hurt for everyone involved. Theo’s past is dark and tragic. There’s a significant part that I wasn’t sure I liked being so involved, but I ended up being impressed with how the author handled it.

I highly recommend this book and I will be rereading it. Absolutely well done!


Original review: July 27, 2021
I don’t even know what to write. I just finished this and I’m so emotional. I really didn’t expect to love this book. I honestly thought it wouldn’t be good after my last experience with this author. Wow. I’m going to have to sleep and think on this.

TW: murder, physical abuse, cheating (not MCs)
Profile Image for Lizzie.
329 reviews19 followers
March 30, 2020
There are spoilers in this review.

Really? That ending. Not what I was expecting. I guess people would think it was a HEA, but it did not work for me. I was expecting more from the story, and I got a lot less.

I'm disappointed because I wanted to love this story. Apparently most people did.

I was not one of them.

And it's not just about the ending. Throughout the entire book I was underwhelmed. This is the first book I've ready by Jaclyn Osborn and I wasn't very impressed. I didn't think she was that fantastic of a writer.

I also didn't feel - like really feel - the connection between Ben and Theo. I felt more of a connection between Theo and Harvey. I don't know why that was, but I wanted more in regards to their romance (Theo and Ben's). It probably just boils down to a personal opinion. Like I said I wasn't that impressed.

And I wasn't a fan of Carter. I didn't see how he and Ben all of a sudden became best friends. It was another thing that didn't connect with me. I also didn't like the dialogue between them that much. It just seemed corny at times.

I think this book needed more character development.

To me, all the side characters were just okay. I didn't really like any of them that much. Ben's ex and his agent? Ummm...seriously? Just weird.

"I loved you more than I can explain". Okay...then why'd you cheat on him, James?

And can somebody please tell me why the author totally described the other characters but all we get of Ben's description is that he has blond hair? Really?? Just because it's in first person doesn't mean you can't describe what he looks like. That is a total pet peeve of mine. Hate when authors don't describe the characters. Especially the MCs.

I would have loved more actual written journal entries too. I wanted to read more from Theo's journal. I didn't want to hear about it. I just wanted to read it.

I also didn't like the turn the author took with making Theo become such a public figure and his journal published. Again, that is just my opinion. Just something I didn't like.

So all in all, I'm gonna have to give this one a 2 because there was too much about it I didn't like: the lack of deep connection I failed to get between MCs, character development, and not loving the side characters.

I feel like I should apologize for my review because it's clear so many loved this story. But reading really boils down to our personal preferences and opinions doesn't it?
Profile Image for fleurette.
1,534 reviews161 followers
June 24, 2020
This is a pretty good story, though much stranger than I expected.

Usually when I read a MM romance in which one of the characters moves into the house where the ghost resides, this is a completely different story. Usually it has something from a horror. I don't like horrors, but sometimes I read them in such a mild and simplified form. To my amazement this is a completely different story. I mean, it still has a bit of horror. But its cause is not the ghost living in Ben's house. I couldn't believe that Theo really is Ben's love interest. Even though I've read the blurb before. And the feeling that was born between Ben and Carter fooled me even more. But in the end Theo really is Ben's lover. That is a bit strange. But it also brings something new and fresh to this story otherwise pretty similar to the others.

The characters are definitely a strong point of this story. Ben and Theo form a nice couple. I am very happy that so much space was devoted to the friendship of Ben and Carter. I like to observe the budding male friendship almost as much as love affair. Carter is a very interesting character and I will probably read another book in which he will find his mysterious lover. I also didn’t mind reading about Theo’s past. When the books contain very detailed descriptions of past events, especially the previous relationships of one of the characters, I often skip pages. But this time I didn’t. Theo and Harvey's story has been written really well and I enjoyed it.

I was surprised by the number of sex scenes in this book. Mostly, because I would not describe the relationship between Ben and Theo as someway exceedingly passionate. Although the author clearly suggested that this is the case. I even lacked this passion a bit in their relationship. And what is lacking eve more in opinion are feelings. Sometimes love spills from the pages of a book, but this is not the case in here. Maybe that's why Ben and Theo's romance seemed a bit strange to me. I could not always see the depth of their feelings.

Anyway, it's a good and interesting story that I read very quickly. Since I like Carter, I would probably read his story too.
Profile Image for Elena Rodríguez.
1,185 reviews493 followers
August 8, 2023
+3
”Supposedly, everyone who steps foot inside is never quite the same after. "

Me ha gustado mucho. No me lo esperaba.

En esta historia nos sumerge en la vida de un escritor de novelas frustrado que no consigue remontar. Por este motivo, sumado a problemas personales decide mudarse a una casa victoriana en un pequeño pueblo de los EEUU. Sin embargo, nada más llegar a la casa se da cuenta que algo extraño ocurre.

“Then a vague prelude to the thought of you-
You are the rarest soul I ever knew”.


Al igual que otros libros de la autora, acabas cogiéndole bastante cariño a los personajes, son bastantes carismáticos, sobre todo los secundarios y te gustarían que la autora indagase un poco más sobre sus vidas.

Nada más acabarlo, se me quedo con la miel en los labios porque a pesar de haber sido una historia sencilla me quedé con ganas de más. Afortunadamente hay una segunda parte.

“Love doesn’t seem a big enough word”.
Profile Image for Dan.
1,728 reviews50 followers
September 4, 2022
Really good! The suspense is on point, the tension is high, the feels are everything! I'm itching to get to the next one. We get an ending for our couple, but the overarching plot is still ongoing. Oh I want more!
Profile Image for Yarie ☆.
326 reviews25 followers
October 12, 2020
I know, I know, the covers of this series are kinda ugly, but the story is quite attractive. In this book we follow Ben and Theo, Ben is a horror writer who was recently betrayed by his boyfriend and decides he needs a change of scenery so he moves to a completely new city and ends up discovering that the house he bought is haunted. The house is haunted by Theo, Theo lived at a time that being gay was a sin, whoever was gay would go to jail or end up dead. And yes, this relationship is between a ghost and a "human". I think this book is perfect for this month with all its spookie vibes


Rating: 3.75 Stars.
Steam: 6 out of 10.
Triggers:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
Profile Image for Simon.
639 reviews90 followers
June 9, 2021
Oh! Dear!
What a mess. First of all if the gay graphic sex was taken out, I'd suggest it was written for teenagers. Couldn't believe the "Love" between these two, the ghost and the writer. Far fetched indeed that the ghost could make coffee, dinner and be full bodied when the "need" arose.
How come nobody questioned the last chapter of the journal? How was he able to write it when buried alive..... and dead? Yes, we know he's a ghost with typing skills and can hold a pen and ink, but the townsfolk don't question this anomaly!
I read it to the end, but honestly....ridiculous.
Profile Image for Jewel.
1,935 reviews280 followers
February 2, 2020
3.5 Stars

I rather liked the idea of the ghost being the love interest and the reality did not disappoint. I didn't really care for Carter, at first, though. He was very obviously taken with Ben, and that kind of annoyed me. However, once he got over his crush, I loved even his presence and I find I'm looking forward to his story.
Profile Image for Aricka Decker.
676 reviews28 followers
October 7, 2024
“If I die tonight, will you delete my browser history? I don’t want people knowing I watch animated porn.”


Well this was a very interesting book. I enjoyed the story of Theo and Ben; plus Carter. This is just the type of romance I was looking for during Spooky season :) which is October- December 20th for me. lol . Anyways I had a good time reading a romance between a writer and a ghost. I thought it was super cute with some interesting lore. But it’s one downfall was the writing for me. Idk if it’s my own inner dialogue or the writing but I found it to be a little underwhelming and choppy especially for the haunting gothic Victorian vibes it was trying to give off, mostly during the exploration and living in the Manor and at the Mad House. I felt like perhaps the lack of actual descriptive language, made me feel a little let down because some scene building / atmospheric building would have went a long way to enhance the experience of the book. But also I think just things being plucked down making statements of what was happening to continue the story was just not it. Idk the writing left much to be desired for me especially giving the themes of book. It just could have been better overall, but since I had a rather good time I will forgive it. Ghost romance is a pretty good time.
Profile Image for Daniel.
792 reviews153 followers
October 17, 2024
This may well be the most perfect ghost romance I've ever read. Why does it not have a perfect 5-star rating? Seriously ... why?!? I wanna know! 🤷‍♂️ Lookin' forward to Carter's story next!

💞💞💞💞💞

“One day I will have wrinkles. I’ll age and you won’t.”

“And I will love you still,” Theo responded, laying his head on my shoulder.

“What about when I’m old and gray?”

“I’ll still love you. It’s your soul I fell in love with, Ben, not something as temporary as your physical body.” He trailed his finger up my neck and to my jaw. “And when it’s time for you to leave this world, I’ll follow close behind you.”

Many romances said the characters lived happily ever after, but Theo and I actually would. My death—whenever it might be—would not be an end, but rather a beginning.
Profile Image for M'rella.
1,459 reviews174 followers
November 9, 2022
Very convenient ghost, accommodating in each and every way. He cooks, he cleans, he has his own computer, he takes showers and baths, he is visible, he is f*ckuble, he smells like lavender and he even warms up on an occasion (vamp much?), he is solid, he eats and drinks, he does all other things things a living person does. Might as well be a real person under house arrest. I mean, what's the point of the "ghost" here?

Warning: off page cheating.

Not sure why we needed cheating here. Like Ben's neglecting his partner for more than a year is not a good enough excuse for a break up.

The ending was too convenient. The author should have taken her own advice and gone for the bitter-sweet. Or use her imagination and gave the ghost a body.
Profile Image for Oxy.
494 reviews7 followers
October 25, 2019
2.5 Stars.

The author managed to make every character apart from Theo, very unlikeable.
Profile Image for Kaylee.
718 reviews37 followers
September 18, 2021
The more twisted the story, the better.

Definitely agree with Ben here!

This was such a lovely tale. It had all the emotions and even had me tearing up a bit. All the things that Theo went through... :( I liked how things unraveled here - they weren't rushed, they weren't thoughtless, and everyone got to choose when things were revealed about themselves/spoken about.

I loved the relationship between Ben and Theo, and their respect for each other. At first it's rocky, but of course! Ben doesn't believe ghosts exists so how is he supposed to know about Theo and give him privacy? Even though Ben's curiosity gets the best of him a few times here, he cannot be blamed for it. It is all new. Not only is he a horror author but he is learning that ghosts truly do exist and the one he lives with feels like home. Ben was really thoughtful and I loved how he treated Theo. They both have their rough bits but that's every relationship! I truly enjoyed how human Theo is and how his mood reflects as such. Usually that is handled in a very farfetched way but Osborn did a great job with it here.

Unraveling what really happened to Theo, Harvey and George was done really well here and it was great having that info.

Carter was great. I really liked his and Ben's friendship.
"I hate you," Carter said, after screaming so loud it echoed in the living room.
I laughed and pressed his face against my chest.

"I wonder if ghosts can even have sex. If so, is his dick ice cold too?"


The black-haired lady with the veil... D:

Nothing like a conversation with a bigot to remind you of how far we still needed to go as a society. Theo and I lived a hundred years apart, but the issues we faced, though better now, were still the same.

Theo and I belonged together. Other people might not understand it, but fuck them. Their opinions didn't matter.
Profile Image for Jinx.
257 reviews53 followers
October 29, 2019

Other than that I really enjoyed this book. I’ve always gravitated towards ghost/corporeal relationships and wonder how the author is going to make a HEA out of an impossible scenario.
Profile Image for Manfred.
799 reviews47 followers
October 27, 2019
Ben is a writer who moves to the countryside after separating from his boyfriend. At first he is surprised about the cheap price of his new Victorian home, but soon he realizes it is because of the ghost who haunts the old mansion.
When he meets Theo for the first time, he is not frightened but rather attracted to the "young" man.
This was a very interesting story, besides Ben and Theo, there is also the attractive next door neighbor Carter, so for a long time, I was not sure how the story would end.
It kept me interested to the very end, however, just like in the book Ben was writing, I found the ending of the story rather lukewarm. Yes there is sort of a HEA, but for me it was disappointing, not really ending the story.
I understand that this is the beginning of a series, but I still didn't like that there were so many loose ends, probably you need to read on to find out about it. Honestly, even if I liked this, I don't think I will...
3.5 stars and a pleasant read.
Profile Image for Jacqueleen the Reading Queen♡.
1,542 reviews104 followers
October 27, 2019
What a delightful surpise this book was. The blurb intrigued me, but I didn't expect to absolutely adore a book about ghosts. Theo was just a sweetie pie and Ben was super good with him. I liked the element of mystery to Theo's life and other hauntings going on. I also honestly couldn't guess how it was all going to end.

The next door neighbor was also a cute character and it seems his story is next. It is hinted at in this one just enough to pull you in. I will definitely be continuing with this spooky series.
Profile Image for Nicole.
158 reviews6 followers
October 25, 2019
Such a sweet story!

It kept me invested from beginning to end, unable to put it down for more than a minute. When it ended I was sad because I wasn't ready for it. I want to spend so much more time with these characters.

Can't wait to see what the next book will bring in the series!
Profile Image for Antoinette.
371 reviews1 follower
November 19, 2019
Beautiful

The only word that comes to mind is Beautiful. Theo and Ben's story was so touching and heartfelt that at times I forgot Theo was a ghost. Can't wait for Carter's story.
Profile Image for frosty.
62 reviews7 followers
November 22, 2021
I’m sorry amigos, I just couldn’t with this one. While I liked the way it built up some tension in the beginning, it fucking dragged towards the end.
And well, turns out ghost+ human sex is not my thing. Not that the scene in particular was badly written or off putting. What was off putting was the author’s own blunder when she wrote the side character who’s supposed to be great who’s name I can’t remember saying something along the lines of “Isn’t that person dead? How can you be attracted towards that?”Yeah, side character, you’re right. Now that you put it like that, my brain can’t stop thinking about necrophillia of all things. I’m sorry if me saying this ruins your experience of this book. But I am so done.
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