I'll Come Back for You

The Beck Sister Hauntings #1

by Charish Reid

When a hurricane destroys Whitney Beck’s chances to run a Miami resort, a bed and breakfast inheritance from her eccentric grandmother saves her and her sister, Helen. Unfortunately, within months, the Beck sisters run into paranormal problems: missing objects and bumps in the night. Helen reaches out to her favorite ghost-hunting show for help, but Whitney can only feel dread. Her high school crush is the lead camera operator for Ghost Punters. And after years of missed chances, she doesn’t want to meet him again under these circumstances.

Reality television has helped Deon Grant carve a path toward his dream of directing films, but he feels guilty about the fake stunts along the way. His crew uses cheap parlor tricks to create good TV but those methods won’t work at the Bordeaux B&B. While battling an actual ghost, Deon gets to know Whitney again. She’s different from the girl he knew years ago, but their bond is still powerful enough to reveal his true feelings.

The past doesn’t stay in the past, and the dead don’t stay dead.
Whitney will have to confront her trauma and family secrets before she can succeed in business or love. Deon will have to slow down and finally see the truth standing before him: Ghosts are real, and so is his love for Whitney.

Genres: Romance, Horror, Ghosts, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Romance, Second Chance Romance

236 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 24, 2022

About the author

When Charish Reid isn’t writing romance, she’s watching 1970’s disaster films, reading romance, and hastily preparing lectures for tomorrow’s class. She is a traveling chatterbox with ADHD who enjoys talking to new people in new places. In Bangkok, Charish saw a Thai royal princess in a shopping mall. In Helsinki, she karaoked Alanis Morissette. And in Galway, she found inspiration for her first novel. Charish currently lives in Sweden with her husband and teaches Rhetoric.

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

Romance with woman who owns a haunted B&B and ex high school crush now working on a Most Haunted type TV show. The haunting bits are great, with a very spooky ghost and some proper scary sections. There is basically no conflict in the romance: they are both solid people, strongly attracted and supportive with nothing to keep them apart, so if you're looking for a read where all the stress is in the external plot, this may float your boat.

[Hannah B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definite Ghostbusters vibes but there was something about the narrator that also gave me Whats’s New Scooby Doo? vibes????? IDK but it was great

[Charish Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to take this time to thank readers for giving this book a chance. It's definitely a departure from what I usually write, but I like taking risks. I tried my hand at horror, my second favorite kind of book/film, and I'm quite proud of the results.
Whitney and Deon were great characters to write. I fell in love with Deon's poetry and passion for his career. I fell in love with Whitney's vulnerability and loyalty to her family. Regardless of time, distance or profession, they make it work.
And The Ghost Punters? They felt like the motley crew that I would want to work with.
I look forward to giving y'all Helen's story. Things will get a lot witchier...

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

The past doesn’t stay in the past, and the dead don’t stay dead.
Whitney and Helen Beck have inherited their grandmother’s bed & breakfast in upstate New York. Whitney has had a career in hotel management and Helen is a chef, but something isn’t right at the bed & breakfast. Though their mother didn’t like to talk about it, their grandmother was a witch who could see and talk to spirits. Other than the family's attitude towards ghosts, "if you think you heard something, no you didn’t", Whitney and Helen are not prepared to deal with a ghost who is driving their clients away. Helen calls in the professionals, TV paranormal experts on a cable show called "Ghost Punters", a retired NFL player and his cast & crew, to exorcise the ghost. Of course, there are some problems with this plan:
1. The Ghost Punters show is fake, and the "experts" have no clue how to deal with a real ghost.
2. The camera man, Deon, is Whitney’s crush and English tutor from high school.
3. A snowstorm is about to cut them off from any help.
4. The ghost is malevolent and getting much stronger.
The ghost is that of an angry white man who does it’s best to terrorize everyone and fixates on Whitney as being the weakest link in the chain. Whitney is dealing with the emotional aftermath of a natural disaster combined with human error. She’s not as confident as she deserves to be and the ghost right away plays on that.

Whitney and Deon still have a lot of unexplored feelings for each other, and their burgeoning and hopeful romance lightens the creepiness of ghostly activity. As a call back to the days when Deon tutored Whitney in literature, he now seduces her with poetry. It wasn't very good poetry, but Whitney doesn't care.

I liked this one a lot. After the ghost is dealt with, Helen decides she wants to explore her witchy heritage. Her grandmother’s friend and fellow practitioner comes to stay for a while to train Helen, and brings her a familiar, a strange thing for a familiar...a rabbit named "Henry". Helen is struggling with the ADHD curse of wanting to be good at something but not especially liking the process of perfecting her craft. Meanwhile, in town, Everett has been longing to see Helen, but he’s not sure how to approach her. His grandmother suggests that he take her a pie.

Helen and Everett finally do start talking to one another which happens on her first successful solo magic ritual, which binds them in a "lust fog", can't even picture that one...but no more walks for me if there is the fog in the weather forecast...and Everett realizes his grandmother bought some haunted furniture at a yard sale. More creepiness ensues. Word to self...don't buy furniture at any yard sale.

This is the first book that I have read by this author, and I have to say that she writes an excellent and what could be called "interesting" story... and she gives us a couple of topics that you don’t often see in contemporary romance, or any other type of romance for that matter, the “get naked to share body heat for survival” maneuver, and a "virgin sacrifice". Helen and Everett are a delightful couple, and it would be interesting to have a couple of stories centered on them dealing with the supernatural and making food.

"The Beck Sister Hauntings" are small town witchy contemporary horror romances. I've been assured that no bunnies, dogs or toads, are harmed in this series.

[b.andherbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrator Morae Brehon, you made me SCARED (great job, complementary) during that seance scene especially but otherwise you were an absolute delight bringing the Ghost Punters and the Beck Sisters to life.

If you love a truly scary romance set in a snowed in and unfortunately haunted B&B, definitely give this one a go. I loved both sisters, and the way Whitney's former trauma losing her job and almost her life (and those of her hotel's guests) in a very bad hurricane fit in with the ghost plot, so good.

Charish Reid is a gem!

I was glad Deon & Whitney had a past history because that gave the plot room to breathe with the supernatural elements, and this was a danger bang indeed!

Can't wait to read the next Beck sister book.

[Regina Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charish can do no wrong! Read an early version of this and I absolutely loved it. It's creepy, sexy, and hauntingly romantic. If you love second chance + friends to lovers with a heavy dose of thrills and chills, this is the paranormal romance for you.

[Tea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love it! The characters are fantastic and the story was fun. Great read.

[Nicki ⍣ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bookclub chose the second book but I couldn’t resist reading this first and I enjoyed this so much. I love stories about Black witches. 🥰

[Toya (thereadingchemist) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t know I needed horror romance in my life, but Charish Reid stunningly delivered.

I love a good haunted house/gothic mystery type of story and combine that with Black generational curses and a steamy romance? Yes please!

I immediately loved both Whitney and Deon. Their chemistry was palpable. And the angst? Loved it.

I also really enjoyed the history surrounding the Inn that Beck sisters inherited and seeing their family history.

For an audiobook that was only about 6 hours, there’s was so much packed in this story!

Oh, and in true Charish Reid style, steamy scenes are in fact STEAMY!

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, this book is such a delight, and I was hooked from the start. The premise — a fake ghost hunter TV crew runs up against a very real, very malevolent ghost — is brilliant, and the leads, Whitney and Deon, are compelling and so sweet together, they had me grinning ear-to-ear. I'll Come Back For You walks a fine line between spooky, romantic, and cathartic, and I'm glad I overlooked my usual horror-aversion to give this a chance (the horror factor, it turns out, is not that bad, in case you're also shy of the genre). I almost missed something wonderful!

Thank you to author Charish Reid for providing an eARC for review.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like if Haunted Mansion and the crew of scooby Dooo got together for an adult spooky romance book
Plus great steam and literary reciting during steamy scenes. lol

[BlackSpec Circuit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spooky, sexy, funny

This was my first time reading a romance novel featuring a ghostbusters film crew. I went in not knowing what to expect from it and was first and foremost enthralled by the gorgeous gothic cover and the Black woman on it. 

 This story follows two sisters who run a bed and breakfast in upstate New York, which is part of the inheritance their mysterious grandmother left them. Except, strange things have been happening at the Inn,and one of the sisters Helen, gets this bright idea to invite a ghostbusters film crew to their home to get rid of whatever is roaming the halls and terrorizing their guests. Whitney the eldest is not too fond of the idea, but when Deon,her old high school crush, shows up with his camera and infectious grin, she starts to lean back a bit despite her reservations,to work through complicated feelings for this poetic man and this house. 

This story was the perfect palate cleanser for me. It was scary, steamy and funny. Both love interests were in their 40's THANK GOD!!! How's that for a change! I want more stories about people in their 40's, especially in romance. Both of the main characters were mature,they were at a point in their lives where they knew who they were, what they wanted and didn't want. Which gave room for more external conflict rather than internal. Whitney and Deon were cute, there was soo much chemistry there! They were playful, very horny people haha! And teased each other a lot! I loved when Deon called her 
"giiiiirl" and recited poetry to her, those scenes had me laughing out loud! This was a quick read for me, and the audiobook was phenomenal! I enjoyed the witchy aspects of this and the dynamic between the film crew members. I will definitely pick up more titles from this author. So good!!! 

That shower scene was 10/10 🤌🏼🧡 Delicious! I always appreciate when showercaps make a quick cameo when Black characters are getting it on! 🤓

[Lucy Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one does banter like Charish Reid!!

Full disclosure, this book was a little scary for me ;) BUT I POWERED THROUGH BECAUSE THE LOVE STORY IS PHENOMENAL!

Whitney and Helen are sisters running a B&B that is haunted by a malicious spirit. Enter Ghost Punters (lol), a reality show that exorcizes ghosts for their viewers' pleasure. And the camera man just happens to be Whitney's crush from high school and almost hook up in her thirties.
Deon knows the show is fake but can't quite bring himself to tell Whitney, not when she's looking soooo gorgeous and they seem to be picking up where they left off.
All in all, a spooky paranormal with witty banter, hot hook ups, and scary ghost encounters!

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating is probably more of a 3.7 rounded up to a 4. It was light and entertaining and the paranormal parts didn't overwhelm the story. The ghost hunter TV crew part was a fun addition and I enjoyed getting to know Whitney and Deon. I think I could have wished for a bit more in some places, but overall it was a fun and quick read.

[Kit · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5. so much fun!! I absolutely loved the couple and the haunting was fun.

[Paulette Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little bit of paranormal horror, a little bit of spice, and a little bit of humor—what more could you ask for?

When Whitney and her little sister Helen inherit a gorgeous upstate New York B&B besieged by rumors of hauntings and the bad reviews that go along with them, Whitney sees it as a chance to start over and use her hospitality industry expertise to resurrect the Bordeaux B&B’s reputation by becoming an entrepreneur.

Skeptical Whitney is a wonderful foil for Helen’s youthful, exuberant belief in the paranormal. All sorts of entertaining shenanigans ensue when Helen calls in a paranormal investigation team to both cleanse the house of its evil entity and create publicity for their ailing B&B.

But Whitney isn’t expecting to see Deon, her high school flame, behind the lead camera! As sparks fly between Whitney and Deon, and the paranormal team’s antagonistic meddling stirs up and further angers the entity haunting the house, the genuinely frightening scares and humorous moments multiply. As someone who indulges in shows like Ghost Adventures (I can tell Reid does, too!) I was almost rolling with laughter at the team’s “fearless leader.”

Whitney’s dynamic relationship with her sister is touching and heartfelt, and their fortitude and solidarity when confronting the ancient evil haunting their inherited home is riveting. This is as much a sister story as it is a romance or horror novel.

I listened to the audiobook version of I’LL COME BACK FOR YOU, which I highly recommend, as the narrator was very expressive and all-in. You could tell she was enjoying the novel, too! A quick read with great characters that will have you hiding under the covers and turning pages as fast as you can!

[Weekend Reader_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a scaredy cat with a wild imagination so i was nervous going into this one. So it was less scarey but definitely scary. I mean the writing made me feel like I was at the bnb 😬 The play on the dreams/nightmares was all to close. Needless to say I thought the writing was atmospheric (I have a sense of what the bed and breakfast looks like) and how a reality show could play up on a beautiful and haunted place. But what I thought was the most compelling part of this book was the sibling relationship between Whitney and Helen. They were really supportive and had each other's back. Oh and Deon is such a cinnamon roll.

Thank you to the author for providing and e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

CN: hurricane flooding, nightmares/sleep paralysis, death of a grandmother, conjuring and exorcism, family secrets, ghost appearances

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

More like 2.5. It wasn’t terrible, just okay-ish. The romance didn’t feel believable to me. As a bonus, the kindle edition is edited so badly that you may have to guess at some lines.

[Emmalita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whitney and Helen Beck have inherited their late grandmother’s bed and breakfast in upstate New York. Whitney has had a career in hotel management and Helen is a chef, but something isn’t right at the bnb. Though their mother didn’t like to talk about it, their grandmother was a witch who could see and talk to spirits. Other than the family attitude towards ghosts, if you think you heard something, no you didn’t, Whit and Helen are not prepared to deal with a ghost who is driving their clients away. Helen calls in professionals, TV paranormal experts on a cable show called Ghost Punters, a retired NFL player and his cast/crew, to exorcise the ghost. There are some problems with this plan:

1. The Ghost Punters show is faked and the experts are not equipped to deal with a real ghost.
2. The camera man, Deon, is Whit’s crush and English tutor from high school.
3. A snow storm is about to cut them off from help.
4. The ghost is malevolent and getting stronger.

The ghost of an angry white man does it’s best to terrorize everyone, and fixates on Whit as the weakest link. Whitney is dealing with emotional aftermath of a natural disaster combined with human error. She’s not as confident as she deserves to be and the ghost plays on that.

Whit and Deon have a lot of unexplored feelings for each other, and their burgeoning and hopeful romance lightens the creepiness of ghostly activity. As a call back to the days when Deon tutored Whit in literature, he seduces her with poetry.

[PN · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, which shouldn't be surprising since I've enjoyed all her of her other books. But this one definitely stood out for more than a few reasons.

First, it's a romance horror or horror romance depending on how you view it. I never really know which genre should go first in a blending one. Is it the one the for which the author is best known for or alphabetically? Either way it's both and it does balances both phenomenally. There were a few moments (coughs in Chapter Nine) where I would see how it started and be like "No, no, no, not starting that tonight." My dreams are vivid y'all and I don't need help with my nightmares thank you.

Second, Black love. Always love to see it, especially when both protagonists are roughly my age and not young twenty-somethings.

Third, it was a strong story. It really was. The horror was there without being overbearing and while it had a happy ending (which it had to cause romance) the horror was nothing to scoff at either especially if you're one who likes atmospheric horror. It's got that in spades.

All in all, again LOVED this book. I will definitely re-read it and hopefully Helen gets her own story soon. Because I would love to hear more about her.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a delicious read, and it was my favorite new-to-me author discovery I've made for a while. When I was a kid, I used to love reading creepy Barbara Michaels ghost stories that also folded in fun romance, but it's been decades since I found any other author's books that really hit that perfect niche.

I'll Come Back for You is full of wonderful characters and a great, fun romance, but the chills are VERY real - the ghost itself is incredibly creepy, and the heroine and her sister have to show fantastic strength to deal with it. Their first attempt at getting rid of it was to call in a group of "professional" ghosthunters from a popular reality TV show - but the heroine's love interest is the show's cameraman, who knows very well that the so-called medium is a fake. Unfortunately for everyone, the ghost is real, and now they're all snowed in with it! So, of course, hijinks ensue. :)

I enjoyed every single moment - the scary ones, the swoony ones, and the funny ones, too - and I cannot wait to read the next book, which is set to star the heroine's fabulous younger sister. In the meantime, though, I'm glad to have bought a copy of this one and I'll definitely be re-reading it!

[Darcy DecantingBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll Come Back for You captures a lot in a quick read. Whitney and Helen's quirky grandmother (read: witch/artist) leaves them a haunted upstate NY B&B. Whitney's already managed big hotels and Helen is a master chef, so the B&B should be no problem, right? Except for the evil spirits lurking and wanting to do them harm. It's so bad that Helen reaches out to a reality TV show that (pretends to) get rid of ghosts. And who's on the crew but Whitney's old high school crush, Deon, who she also ran into a few years ago and completely embarrassed herself. Still, the attraction simmers from the start, and it's clear Whitney and Deon are going places. But first they need to get rid of the ghost...

I'm not normally a ghost/spirit person, but this story was really cute and blended just enough witchcraft and ghosts with a budding romance and other plotlines to make it interesting. I love Charish Reid's writing style and books, and this was no exception. All the feelings were there and you could envision yourself in the B&B with all the quirky characters and crazy things going on.

Rating: 4
Steam: Low to Medium
Themes and Tropes: Second Chance, High-school Acquaintances 20 years later, ghosts/witches, Small Town, Reality TV
Pair With: Upstate NY wines

[Shades N Pages · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll Come Back For You is my first read by Charish. I’m not a huge fan of anything involving horror( because I’m a wuss), but I pushed through and enjoyed it. The opening chapter really grabbed my attention and I became enamored by the author’s beautiful writing. Whitney and her sister Helen owns a B&B and ITS HAUNTED! They call Ghost Punters to help eliminate the ghost and Whitney is reunited with her crush Dean. Time has passed but the sexual tension is still there and it’s thick! I really liked that Whitney and Dean are in their late 30’d and they have mature conversations. There are no indecisive behaviors concerning their relationship. I also loved the relationship that the sisters have with each other. It’s refreshing to see two sister who have each other’s back. Charish did a great job with the paranormal aspect of this story, it was spooky and vivid and it made me want to know more about the Grandmother’s past. However, I felt it overshadowed the second chance relationship between Whitney and Dean. Overall, I still think it’s a story worth reading if you’re interested in ghost hunting and second chance romance stories

[Dee Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third book I've read by Charish Reid--she certainly knows how to tell an interesting story, and her characters are very relatable. And in this book, for the first time in a romance novel (to my memory, admittedly somewhat missing in action in these pandemic days), the guy actually ASKS permission to "kiss" her nether regions--glory be!

I also deeply appreciate her quoting John Donne!!

However, the downturn 3-star rating is based on egregiously sloppy editing. The author desperately needs a competent editor. Books in the public arena have an obligation to maintain the English language, which is steadily being decimated. A language reduced to its lowest common denominator contributes to the misunderstandings, false information, and lack of civility becoming rampant everywhere in our culture.

[Liz Earl · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars not rounded up because I can't give this book 3 stars. It was such a miss for me.

Plain and simple, this book was way to short for what it was trying to do. There's 2 clear plot lines - the romance between Whitney and Deon and the haunting. The author was trying to give attention to both making it so that neither got the attention it needed.

There could have been so much tension built up in both the romance and the 'thriller / horror' plot, but they fell so flat. Even the spicy scenes were boring because I just couldn't care about the characters. Deon was so generic. I couldn't tell you a single important detail about him other than he's a cameraman that wants to be a director. Oh, and he likes poetry. That's his entire character.

The haunting felt forced. It wasn't creepy or interesting. There was no mystery or thriller. It was just there.

[Asha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely was engaged the whole time. I love this authors writing style it makes all her books to easy to read for me and the sexual tension between the Deon and Whitney was IMMEDIATE! Also im always gonna be a sucker for dual POV for romance books. I literally needed little to no convincing to be on board with this book couple. And then paired with the paranormal elements and the sisters discovering their own abilities was so cool to read and also such a cozy read despite a very evil spirit tormenting everyone in the house.also I'm definitely the type of person that would watch Ghost Punters lol. I'm so excited to read Helen's book and see more witchyness she gets into!! I LOVE BLACK WITCHES 🧙🏿‍♀️🪄

[Beauty_bydebrosse · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like a 4.5 stars. I’m so glad I gave this book a second chance. I loved “Mickey chambers shakes it up” by this author so I was excited to read something else by her. At first I was worried that this would get cheesy so I soft dnf’d it. But now that I’ve finished it, I was pleasantly suprised. I had started reading it at night and it high key had me frightened. I really thought Rene was real. The author did a great job making the reader feel haunted. My five senses were tuned in to the horror parts. The ending was a little cheesy which gave more of a cozy horror vibe but overall a great story. Even Deon had me swooning a bit and I haven’t in a while with romance. It reminded me of Charmed, Twitches and even Gilmore girls. Such a great read! Can’t wait to read the next one! It

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

My spooky read for the 2023 spooky season. There's a ghost, a very real haunted house, and two sisters trying to run a small business in the midst of said haunted house. Oh, and there's a sweet story of two people who liked one another in high school, almost hooked up years later, and might finally use their words to communicate their feelings to one another and enter into a relationship. This was creepy without being too scary and the resolution felt so true to the family. The love story? That was never in doubt.

[Quira · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was more paranormal than romance, and I’m not mad at it. I’m a sucker for witchy things and ghost hunting. Romance wise, I felt like I needed more background on Whitney and Deon’s friendship before their “rain check”, some was there, but I really needed to swoon a lil more. Charish writes bantering groups of people really well, I noticed this after reading ‘Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up’, it doesn’t make me cringe and it doesn’t age the book. I do wish we got more about the grandmother, but I see this is a series so perhaps the second book goes into her past.

[Nikkiplans99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the right mix of romance and ghost hunting. The sisters own a bed and breakfast and it’s haunted even if they don’t want it to be. The story has supportive sibling relationships, haunting and sexy times. I enjoyed the story a lot. It wasn’t scary to me but it created the tension and atmosphere of a good story.