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Bay City Paranormal Investigations #7
Love, Like Ghosts
Truth. Lies. A century-old mystery. What a tangled web… A Bay City Paranormal Investigations story. At age eleven, Adrian Broussard accidentally used his mind to open a portal to another dimension. Now, ten years later, he’s successfully harnessed his strong psychokinetic abilities. In the process, he’s learned the lessons which have become the guiding principles of his life. Absolute truth. Absolute control. Always. Sticking to his personal code of ethics has never been a problem, until two chance meetings—one with a hundred-year-old ghost, one with a handsome, very-much-alive man—turn his orderly existence upside down. Having grown up in a family of paranormal investigators, Adrian is intrigued by the spirit of Lyndon Groome and determined to solve the mystery of his death. Greg Woodhall, however, affects Adrian in unpredictable ways. Not only does his every touch challenge Adrian’s hard-won control over his abilities, his company quickly becomes a light in Adrian’s lonely life. As the mystery surrounding Lyndon’s death turns sinister, Adrian’s relationship with Greg deepens into something serious. Something Adrian wants to keep. But intimacy isn’t as easy as honesty, and when the heart’s involved, the line between right and wrong can blur. This book contains a gory ghost, a haunted castle, nerdy college parties and gay sex enhanced by psychic powers.
272 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2009
21 people are currently reading
530 people want to read
About the author
Ally Blue
90 books449 followersAlly Blue penned her first tale at age eight, relating the breathless terror of her little sister’s not-quite-fatal encounter with a bee in the backyard. That was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with storytelling. She now writes gay romance of all flavors, and has recently branched into writing her first love: horror. She continues her neverending quest to scare herself. She is not a hippie or a brain surgeon, no matter what her kids’ friends say.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
October 3, 2015
Picked up as a freebie with a mind to reading the series - the positive is it saved me money! Gave up at 31%
Very quickly got fed-up with the heavy foreboding of Adrian's ghost seeing telekinesis that dogs his every thought. The boy's father runs a paranormal investigation unit, would it have killed him to get his son some help? For his well-being or for general safety. Apparently there was one of those big traumatic earth rendering experiences when the kid was young - it's in the blurb.
These are early twenties as written by an older person (author's daughter is a student) and it shows. I found the dialogue often felt odd. Characters meet and within three words are offering sex, then throwing tantrums when refused.
Greg is either all 'On my god' or blank faced tantrums, he admits to only wanting a date with Adrian because Adrian had dared to refuse the first invite for sex. It's followed by a second offer immediately after the date, then another offer immediately they meet after that. During the three times they've met, we've also met one angry ex of Greg and a catty ex-one-nighter.
Pizza and lager were the height of my student outtings; here their date involves reservations, a romantic high-demand restuarant and sipping Pinot Grigio. No boxed wine for these guys! This is America - neither were carded.
There's a ghost lurking about dripping paranormal goo for shits and giggles, but the 'haunted house' is remarkable for being completely unremarkable. Other than the ghost's name there was no story appearing there, no delicious shivers down my spine. Got a pretty good idea how the story will pan out and don't care to read it.
I was hoping for some creepy paranormal activity but instead got a bunch of immature students in a snit.
Very quickly got fed-up with the heavy foreboding of Adrian's ghost seeing telekinesis that dogs his every thought. The boy's father runs a paranormal investigation unit, would it have killed him to get his son some help? For his well-being or for general safety. Apparently there was one of those big traumatic earth rendering experiences when the kid was young - it's in the blurb.
These are early twenties as written by an older person (author's daughter is a student) and it shows. I found the dialogue often felt odd. Characters meet and within three words are offering sex, then throwing tantrums when refused.
Greg is either all 'On my god' or blank faced tantrums, he admits to only wanting a date with Adrian because Adrian had dared to refuse the first invite for sex. It's followed by a second offer immediately after the date, then another offer immediately they meet after that. During the three times they've met, we've also met one angry ex of Greg and a catty ex-one-nighter.
Pizza and lager were the height of my student outtings; here their date involves reservations, a romantic high-demand restuarant and sipping Pinot Grigio. No boxed wine for these guys! This is America - neither were carded.
There's a ghost lurking about dripping paranormal goo for shits and giggles, but the 'haunted house' is remarkable for being completely unremarkable. Other than the ghost's name there was no story appearing there, no delicious shivers down my spine. Got a pretty good idea how the story will pan out and don't care to read it.
I was hoping for some creepy paranormal activity but instead got a bunch of immature students in a snit.
November 10, 2009
Love, Like Ghosts follows Adrian, a college student at UNC who is a little different than the rest. While most students would rather be out partying, he'd rather sit in his apartment and do his physics homework. Oh yeah, and he has psychokinesis, the ability to move things with his mind. Then he meets two people who change his world - Greg Woodhall, a theater major that he meets while constructing a haunted house and Lyndon Groome, a ghost who was murdered back in 1905.
Let me start out by saying that though this says it is book 7 in the Bay City Paranormal Investigations, it can be read as a standalone novel. Ally Blue's novel actually lists the novel as related to the series, rather than part of it.
Now, I read this book for the group read for October in the M/M Romance group and I was not disappointed. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I'm also extremely interested in reading the rest of this series.
The characters and their emotions were extremely real. The problems that they have and their reactions all are very well thought out and executed and could easily be a real story. (If psychokinesis and ghosts were real of course.) I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes M/M Romance novels. Maybe even to some of you who don't. This isn't like those trashy two dollar romances you can buy at the drug store - this is a well written and thought out novel.
Let me start out by saying that though this says it is book 7 in the Bay City Paranormal Investigations, it can be read as a standalone novel. Ally Blue's novel actually lists the novel as related to the series, rather than part of it.
Now, I read this book for the group read for October in the M/M Romance group and I was not disappointed. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I'm also extremely interested in reading the rest of this series.
The characters and their emotions were extremely real. The problems that they have and their reactions all are very well thought out and executed and could easily be a real story. (If psychokinesis and ghosts were real of course.) I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes M/M Romance novels. Maybe even to some of you who don't. This isn't like those trashy two dollar romances you can buy at the drug store - this is a well written and thought out novel.
July 22, 2014
Love, Like Ghosts
OR
Poly Relations With Dead People Only Not Actually
It's interesting when you get a novel that straddles genre, because even when two genres are present, one tends to win out in the end. Though a dosing of supernatural haunts the back of these books, ultimately, these are romances. Intensely character focused, the paranormal takes a back seat for character interaction.
And they're good, if you want a slow, leisurely build. Which often I do, I hate when novels rush the emotions. But I'm also finding that romance, as ever, is a genre I must consume in small quantities. I enjoyed this book, but I won't be prodding more of them for a while. I like a little more action most of the time.
Also, Ally Blue describes herself as the Grand Popess of Gay Angst and she is not wrong. There is angst. There is moping. There are BUCKETS of angst. However, there isn't angst without purpose or valid reason. It isn't high school angst, it is angst driven of things that ACTUALLY SUCK.
So, excellent read for a slow build gay romance with a side helping of angst and some supernatural garnish.
OR
Poly Relations With Dead People Only Not Actually
It's interesting when you get a novel that straddles genre, because even when two genres are present, one tends to win out in the end. Though a dosing of supernatural haunts the back of these books, ultimately, these are romances. Intensely character focused, the paranormal takes a back seat for character interaction.
And they're good, if you want a slow, leisurely build. Which often I do, I hate when novels rush the emotions. But I'm also finding that romance, as ever, is a genre I must consume in small quantities. I enjoyed this book, but I won't be prodding more of them for a while. I like a little more action most of the time.
Also, Ally Blue describes herself as the Grand Popess of Gay Angst and she is not wrong. There is angst. There is moping. There are BUCKETS of angst. However, there isn't angst without purpose or valid reason. It isn't high school angst, it is angst driven of things that ACTUALLY SUCK.
So, excellent read for a slow build gay romance with a side helping of angst and some supernatural garnish.
June 19, 2022
Wow 10 yrs after the last book. It's weird to see the boys all grown up. Was a great ending to this series seeing Adrian in love and he figuring out what happened to the ghost and bring peace to this lost soul.
February 17, 2018
3.5 stars ✨
April 10, 2014
Possibly suffers a bit from the main characters’ immaturity
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 6/10
PROS:
- Adrian’s paranormal abilities make for an interesting physical reaction to sexual stimulation. I chuckled at some of his reactions, like this one: “His head swam with an excitement so intense he felt dizzy and sick. He hoped he didn’t ruin the moment by throwing up.”
- I read all of the Bay City Paranormal Investigations books years ago, and I remember very little about them. It wasn’t until I was about 3 chapters into this one that I realized it was a tie-in, but I enjoyed seeing the main couple from the BCPI series again here (as one of the protagonists’ father and his partner). Especially since those men have now been together for 10 years.
CONS:
- I would have liked to see some scenes from Greg’s point of view, especially since he does some things that hurt Adrian. Seeing those actions from only Adrian’s perspective doesn’t paint Greg in an especially kind light.
- Adrian and Greg’s inability to communicate about important issues without one or both of them flying off the handle started to annoy me about halfway through the story. This is possibly because both of the men are so young (early 20s, I’d guess).
- I’m sensitive to words and phrases being overused, and in this book the phrase that seemed overly repetitious was “[one guy] buried his hands in [the other guy’s] hair and…[went to town].” A search on my Kindle showed that the phrase actually occurs only six times, but when I think about it, that’s probably about once for every sex scene.
Overall comments: Ally Blue’s forte is a slow buildup in sexual attraction and then a decent number of fairly graphic bedroom scenes, with a bit of angst and misunderstanding thrown in along the way. I didn’t dislike this one, but it didn’t particularly work for me either. This is one of those stories where I think the guys are cute together, but I have doubts that they can make a relationship work long-term because they have such a dang hard time communicating with each other.
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 6/10
PROS:
- Adrian’s paranormal abilities make for an interesting physical reaction to sexual stimulation. I chuckled at some of his reactions, like this one: “His head swam with an excitement so intense he felt dizzy and sick. He hoped he didn’t ruin the moment by throwing up.”
- I read all of the Bay City Paranormal Investigations books years ago, and I remember very little about them. It wasn’t until I was about 3 chapters into this one that I realized it was a tie-in, but I enjoyed seeing the main couple from the BCPI series again here (as one of the protagonists’ father and his partner). Especially since those men have now been together for 10 years.
CONS:
- I would have liked to see some scenes from Greg’s point of view, especially since he does some things that hurt Adrian. Seeing those actions from only Adrian’s perspective doesn’t paint Greg in an especially kind light.
- Adrian and Greg’s inability to communicate about important issues without one or both of them flying off the handle started to annoy me about halfway through the story. This is possibly because both of the men are so young (early 20s, I’d guess).
- I’m sensitive to words and phrases being overused, and in this book the phrase that seemed overly repetitious was “[one guy] buried his hands in [the other guy’s] hair and…[went to town].” A search on my Kindle showed that the phrase actually occurs only six times, but when I think about it, that’s probably about once for every sex scene.
Overall comments: Ally Blue’s forte is a slow buildup in sexual attraction and then a decent number of fairly graphic bedroom scenes, with a bit of angst and misunderstanding thrown in along the way. I didn’t dislike this one, but it didn’t particularly work for me either. This is one of those stories where I think the guys are cute together, but I have doubts that they can make a relationship work long-term because they have such a dang hard time communicating with each other.
January 29, 2014
Telekinesis is one part of the paranormal world that I don't have a lot of exposure to. This book was interesting in that it gave me a little deeper glimpse. As far as the characters, I honestly felt closer to the host than anyone. I'm not sure why. There was just something missing in these characters and I couldn't give you an exact reason. Otherwise, it is an interesting read.
October 20, 2009
Ally Blue delivers again with a new installment to her Bay City Paranormal Investigations series! As a huge fan of her works, I'm likely rather biased in my estimation of her talent but it is rare to find those authors whose books you KNOW (even before cracking them open) that you're going to love no matter what. All of Ally Blue's books have been that way for me and Love Like Ghosts is no exception.
What I liked about this book: I always have a hard time zeroing in on ONE thing I like about Ally Blue's books but I suppose that for this one, what I loved most was seeing Adrian all grown up. It was also the hardest thing to do having read the series and leaving him in 2005 as a scared but powerful eleven-year-old.
While I recommend reading the entire series, it's not required to enjoy this one. You understand from the very beginning the struggles Adrian has with his powers and his need to keep a tight control on his abilities. The relationship between Greg and Adrian is a rollercoaster ride through a disturbing funhouse with gory ghosts, secrets and the constant ups and downs of the turmoil any partner has when faced with needing to keep a part of themselves secret. It's a great ghost story and an even better love story. Don't miss this one!
Summary: Truth. Lies. A century-old mystery. What a tangled web…
A Bay City Paranormal Investigations story.
At age eleven, Adrian Broussard accidentally used his mind to open a portal to another dimension. Now, ten years later, he’s successfully harnessed his strong psychokinetic abilities. In the process, he’s learned the lessons which have become the guiding principles of his life. Absolute truth. Absolute control. Always.
Sticking to his personal code of ethics has never been a problem, until two chance meetings—one with a hundred-year-old ghost, one with a handsome, very-much-alive man—turn his orderly existence upside down.
Having grown up in a family of paranormal investigators, Adrian is intrigued by the spirit of Lyndon Groome and determined to solve the mystery of his death. Greg Woodhall, however, affects Adrian in unpredictable ways. Not only does his every touch challenge Adrian’s hard-won control over his abilities, his company quickly becomes a light in Adrian’s lonely life.
As the mystery surrounding Lyndon’s death turns sinister, Adrian’s relationship with Greg deepens into something serious. Something Adrian wants to keep. But intimacy isn’t as easy as honesty, and when the heart’s involved, the line between right and wrong can blur.
Warning: This book contains a gory ghost, a haunted castle, nerdy college parties and gay sex enhanced by psychic powers.
What I liked about this book: I always have a hard time zeroing in on ONE thing I like about Ally Blue's books but I suppose that for this one, what I loved most was seeing Adrian all grown up. It was also the hardest thing to do having read the series and leaving him in 2005 as a scared but powerful eleven-year-old.
While I recommend reading the entire series, it's not required to enjoy this one. You understand from the very beginning the struggles Adrian has with his powers and his need to keep a tight control on his abilities. The relationship between Greg and Adrian is a rollercoaster ride through a disturbing funhouse with gory ghosts, secrets and the constant ups and downs of the turmoil any partner has when faced with needing to keep a part of themselves secret. It's a great ghost story and an even better love story. Don't miss this one!
Excerpt: With Greg finally naked—except for the jeans crumpled around his left calf—Adrian planted both hands on Greg’s splayed legs and held him still so he could get a good look. God, the sight of all that smooth, pale skin exposed just for him made him want to lick, to bite, to taste. Especially Greg’s cock, lying flushed and rock hard against his belly. Fine golden hairs downed the balls drawn up tight against Greg’s body.
Adrian dipped his head, nuzzled between Greg’s thighs and breathed deep. The sharp musk of sexual arousal shot straight to his groin. Pushing Greg’s legs farther apart, Adrian sucked one testicle into his mouth, rolling it with his tongue to savor the taste of warm skin and dried sweat.
The wail he got as a result had him fighting to keep from coming, and he knew he’d better hurry if he wanted to actually get inside Greg before he lost it. With a quick swipe of his tongue up the length of Greg’s cock—because how could he resist?—he sat up on his knees, undid his jeans and shoved pants and underwear down over his hips. His prick sprang free to sway in front of him. His damp skin was so sensitive even the brush of the air nearly undid him. He bit his lip and hung on with every ounce of his hard-won control.
“Turn over,” he ordered, his voice trembling almost as much as his fingers.
Greg folded both legs up and rolled onto his knees and elbows. He shot Adrian a fevered look over his shoulder. “Hurry.”
Adrian stared at the tiny pink whorl of Greg’s anus. It always amazed him that something the size of an erect human penis would actually fit in there.
But it does. And you’re wasting time thinking when you could be fucking.
This time the voice in Adrian’s head sounded so much like Sean it was disturbing. Shoving the thought to the back of his mind, Adrian retrieved the condom packet from the floor and tore it open. He managed to roll the rubber over his erection on the first try in spite of the way his hands shook. He ripped the lube packet open with his teeth. There didn’t seem to be much in it. Dropping the packet, he slicked a finger with saliva and pushed it inside Greg in one slow, smooth motion.
“Oh, fuck yes.” Greg’s hands clenched the fabric of the futon. His spine bowed, his hips rocking backward to force Adrian’s finger deeper. “More.”
A great fist took hold of Adrian’s insides and squeezed. Leaning forward, he lapped at Greg’s hole where it stretched around the invading digit. Once he had the entire area dripping wet, he pulled his finger out enough to slip a second one in beside it. Resting his cheek against Greg’s ass, Adrian pumped his fingers in and out, in and out, twisting and scissoring. If he didn’t get his cock inside Greg soon, he thought he might explode. He was certain Greg would, considering some of the barely coherent threats being hurled at him in between the moans and wails and pleas for more. But he’d never forgive himself if he rushed things and ended up hurting Greg. So he worked Greg open with as much patience as he could muster, stroking Greg’s cock with his free hand and trying to ignore the ache in his crotch.
Finally, after what seemed like ages but probably wasn’t more than a few seconds, Adrian felt the tightness in Greg’s muscles ease. He stuck the tip of his thumb in and spread his fingers apart, just to be sure. The little opening fluttered and stretched, and Greg let out a pitiful mewl. “God, Adrian, please?”
October 1, 2017
2.5 stars
November 26, 2017
I don't really know why I kept reading the books in this series. I can only guess that it's due to my annoying compulsion to finish what I started. Unfortunately this series ended in disappointment.
March 5, 2022
I liked this story. It was nice to see Adrian as an adult and how his life progressed.
December 11, 2009
The Bay City Series has an interesting change when the son, Adrian, becomes the main character and Sam and Bo take a backseat. For the most part this works very well with an engaging new couple and an interesting mystery. The writing is very classically Ally Blue and fans are likely to enjoy the new offering as much, if not more, than others in the series. The story has a few jarring moments since the timeline leaps ahead almost a decade yet this is not a futuristic theme. Additionally due to the leap in time, this story is one of the few in the series that can be on its own without any missing context.
When readers last saw Adrian he was 11 years old and struggling to contain his sudden and very strong psychokinetic powers. Now as a college student, Adrian is determined to solve the mystery of a local ghost. His impromptu investigation has him bumping up against Greg, a theatre major with a flair for drama and sex appeal. Adrian struggles with how to tell Greg about both his powers and the ghost but soon discovers Greg is keeping his own secrets. The two must decide whether their budding relationship is worth taking unfamiliar leaps of trust.
Interestingly this particular offering is definitely more romance and less horror/paranormal than the majority of the series. This is likely to win some fans but don’t worry, the ghost aspects of the story are bloody and gory enough that fans of the paranormal have ample material to enjoy as well. The writing is consistent and in keeping with the author’s style which is interesting with a lot of visual clues and information. The detail and setting of North Carolina comes alive vividly and crisply with hues and landscapes that draw the reader’s eye. The campus setting is well telegraphed and leaves no doubt at any point just where the book is taking place.
The mixture of ghost story and romance is mostly well done but the two are often very separate. Adrian and Greg disagree on the existence of ghosts early on in the story and thus Adrian is pursuing the history of the ghost mostly on his own. This works for Adrian’s character as he is very emotional and angst filled. Fans of the author know her love of angsty men and drama filled relationships and this offering delivers very well on those known and loved themes. Adrian is such a loner that he feels more of a friendship and appeal towards a ghost than other living, breathing men. His reliance on and need for the ghost is more or less intense depending on his relationship with Greg. When Greg and Adrian are happy and doing well, Adrian can distance himself from the ghost. But when Greg and Adrian are fighting, emotionally Adrian depends on the presence and understanding of the ghost for support.
This dichotomy is interesting and sets up a very angst filled relationship between Adrian and Greg. Both men are still young and immature, making classic mistakes in a first relationship. They are eager, clumsy, affectionate, and careless. They both make mistakes and accuse each other of the very problems they are causing. Adrian and Greg both accuse the other of lying and keeping secrets while they each do the same. They fail to see the irony of such but the angst and drama is kept in check with the mystery of the ghost so the emotion doesn’t overwhelm the story and characters. The writing keeps the characters interesting without wallowing too long in the misery of their mistakes.
Due to the changed time line there are a few jarring moments in the story. Several of these came in the reminders of the time frame, such as the comment about Adrian being 11 in 2005. Others came in the family dynamic with Adrian’s parents being close, happy, and getting along. Considering the animosity and ill-will cultivated over the course of multiple books, the now happy Brady Bunch feeling to the family is jarring. Especially when Adrian’s father warns Adrian about being too serious too soon while simultaneously saying how happy he is that Adrian found a boyfriend. The juxtaposition of the scene didn’t work for the story or the characters. However, thankfully these scenes are only a small portion of the book and when the focus returns to Adrian and Greg, the engaging narrative resumes.
Despite a few stumbles, this is an enjoyable book for fans of the author and the series. I’m not sure where to go from here except I can see Greg and Adrian carrying the series from here as their relationship certainly has more turmoil to be portrayed. If you haven’t checked out this author, this is a good introduction to her style.
When readers last saw Adrian he was 11 years old and struggling to contain his sudden and very strong psychokinetic powers. Now as a college student, Adrian is determined to solve the mystery of a local ghost. His impromptu investigation has him bumping up against Greg, a theatre major with a flair for drama and sex appeal. Adrian struggles with how to tell Greg about both his powers and the ghost but soon discovers Greg is keeping his own secrets. The two must decide whether their budding relationship is worth taking unfamiliar leaps of trust.
Interestingly this particular offering is definitely more romance and less horror/paranormal than the majority of the series. This is likely to win some fans but don’t worry, the ghost aspects of the story are bloody and gory enough that fans of the paranormal have ample material to enjoy as well. The writing is consistent and in keeping with the author’s style which is interesting with a lot of visual clues and information. The detail and setting of North Carolina comes alive vividly and crisply with hues and landscapes that draw the reader’s eye. The campus setting is well telegraphed and leaves no doubt at any point just where the book is taking place.
The mixture of ghost story and romance is mostly well done but the two are often very separate. Adrian and Greg disagree on the existence of ghosts early on in the story and thus Adrian is pursuing the history of the ghost mostly on his own. This works for Adrian’s character as he is very emotional and angst filled. Fans of the author know her love of angsty men and drama filled relationships and this offering delivers very well on those known and loved themes. Adrian is such a loner that he feels more of a friendship and appeal towards a ghost than other living, breathing men. His reliance on and need for the ghost is more or less intense depending on his relationship with Greg. When Greg and Adrian are happy and doing well, Adrian can distance himself from the ghost. But when Greg and Adrian are fighting, emotionally Adrian depends on the presence and understanding of the ghost for support.
This dichotomy is interesting and sets up a very angst filled relationship between Adrian and Greg. Both men are still young and immature, making classic mistakes in a first relationship. They are eager, clumsy, affectionate, and careless. They both make mistakes and accuse each other of the very problems they are causing. Adrian and Greg both accuse the other of lying and keeping secrets while they each do the same. They fail to see the irony of such but the angst and drama is kept in check with the mystery of the ghost so the emotion doesn’t overwhelm the story and characters. The writing keeps the characters interesting without wallowing too long in the misery of their mistakes.
Due to the changed time line there are a few jarring moments in the story. Several of these came in the reminders of the time frame, such as the comment about Adrian being 11 in 2005. Others came in the family dynamic with Adrian’s parents being close, happy, and getting along. Considering the animosity and ill-will cultivated over the course of multiple books, the now happy Brady Bunch feeling to the family is jarring. Especially when Adrian’s father warns Adrian about being too serious too soon while simultaneously saying how happy he is that Adrian found a boyfriend. The juxtaposition of the scene didn’t work for the story or the characters. However, thankfully these scenes are only a small portion of the book and when the focus returns to Adrian and Greg, the engaging narrative resumes.
Despite a few stumbles, this is an enjoyable book for fans of the author and the series. I’m not sure where to go from here except I can see Greg and Adrian carrying the series from here as their relationship certainly has more turmoil to be portrayed. If you haven’t checked out this author, this is a good introduction to her style.
November 12, 2013
This book is related to Ally Blue's Bay City Paranormal Investigations series, but it can be read as a stand-alone.
Adrian, the son of Bo, is currently attending UNC-Chapel Hill. After a tumultuous adolescence, he has finally found control over his psychokinesis. This control has come with a price. Adrian is emotionally stunted. His fear of losing that control is keeping him from developing relationships. His brother Sean is constantly encouraging him to date, but his closest relationship is with the non-communicative ghost that is haunting Groome Castle. While working on a haunted house project, Adrian meets Greg, who does not believe that the paranormal exists. Greg is ready to jump right into a physical relationship, but Adrian holds himself back. The two have to come to terms with their insecurities, deal with outside conflicts, and settle the mystery of the ghost of Groome Castle before they fully realize their love for each other.
I really enjoyed Blue's book. It was great to see a grown Adrian. She turned him into a great person, but she didn't make him too perfect. He still has his issues to deal with. I'm glad that the author showed us how the events of his childhood still affected him. Sometimes when I read a book that takes a character that I've read in other books, I've noticed that an author will use the character in name only. There have been a few times when the character's actual personality was far too different from what I knew of him in the other story. Ally Blue does an exceptional job of keeping the grown-up Adrian true to the child Adrian.
Greg is definitely the right choice for Adrian. His natural sociability and extroverted personality act as the perfect foil. These two can live happily ever after.
Adrian, the son of Bo, is currently attending UNC-Chapel Hill. After a tumultuous adolescence, he has finally found control over his psychokinesis. This control has come with a price. Adrian is emotionally stunted. His fear of losing that control is keeping him from developing relationships. His brother Sean is constantly encouraging him to date, but his closest relationship is with the non-communicative ghost that is haunting Groome Castle. While working on a haunted house project, Adrian meets Greg, who does not believe that the paranormal exists. Greg is ready to jump right into a physical relationship, but Adrian holds himself back. The two have to come to terms with their insecurities, deal with outside conflicts, and settle the mystery of the ghost of Groome Castle before they fully realize their love for each other.
I really enjoyed Blue's book. It was great to see a grown Adrian. She turned him into a great person, but she didn't make him too perfect. He still has his issues to deal with. I'm glad that the author showed us how the events of his childhood still affected him. Sometimes when I read a book that takes a character that I've read in other books, I've noticed that an author will use the character in name only. There have been a few times when the character's actual personality was far too different from what I knew of him in the other story. Ally Blue does an exceptional job of keeping the grown-up Adrian true to the child Adrian.
Greg is definitely the right choice for Adrian. His natural sociability and extroverted personality act as the perfect foil. These two can live happily ever after.
September 23, 2013
This is a sweet book. It is set 10 years after the 5th book and is really the start of a whole new series. Adrian, Bo's son is 21, its 2015 and his in college. The story itself is good. There is of course a paranormal mystery that is being solved by Adrian and Bo is also falling in love for the first time. I know to get him to 21, the book had to be set in a future and that in itself was slightly distracting. I know it's nit-picky but just calling his a generic name like a Toyota electric car or the video chatting (instead of Skype) and the thumbprint technology and door codes instead of keys or even key cards is just a little strange and every time one of those things happened, I stumbled a little mentally and then remember this was written at least 4 years ago about a time that is still 2 years in the future. (And this is just because theater was my profession for so long, there were two small things- Wicked has yet to be released to be performed regionally- I guess it could be in by 2015. And they kept calling it play practice and it's supposed to be rehearsal)
I wish there had been more catch up with the old BCPI gang. And while it's nice to know what became of Andre, Dean was noticeably absent. As a whole though, I liked it, and will likely pick up the spin off series.
I wish there had been more catch up with the old BCPI gang. And while it's nice to know what became of Andre, Dean was noticeably absent. As a whole though, I liked it, and will likely pick up the spin off series.
March 30, 2013
I have loved the series, but only read the first two. I kinda skipped 3-6, mostly because I wanted to skip the drama and Bo and Sam seemed a bit full of drama.
I plan on going back, but this plot line just grabbed my attention.
Adrian is Bo's son, weird and bad mojo happened when he was 11 and now he can see ghosts and move things with his mind. 10 years later, he is finishing up college when he meets a ghost he wants to help and a guy he wants to.... Err date.
Drama ensues and it is a pretty good ride. Here are some reasons why this is not a five star:
1. Greg. . I know he has some trust issues from his past, but come on!
2. Adrian. Greg just seemed so high maintenance to me.
I loved the ghost parts and Adrian's family was great to see again. Although his mom does seem to be the self-centered clueless woman from the beginning.
This book felt more like a romance book than the first two and there definitely is a HEA ending.
I plan on going back, but this plot line just grabbed my attention.
Adrian is Bo's son, weird and bad mojo happened when he was 11 and now he can see ghosts and move things with his mind. 10 years later, he is finishing up college when he meets a ghost he wants to help and a guy he wants to.... Err date.
Drama ensues and it is a pretty good ride. Here are some reasons why this is not a five star:
1. Greg. . I know he has some trust issues from his past, but come on!
2. Adrian. Greg just seemed so high maintenance to me.
I loved the ghost parts and Adrian's family was great to see again. Although his mom does seem to be the self-centered clueless woman from the beginning.
This book felt more like a romance book than the first two and there definitely is a HEA ending.
January 4, 2011
I have been wanting to read this book for a long time, but just recently purchased it.
Our main character Adrian Broussard, Dr. Bo Broussard's son, is all grown up.
At twenty-one he has come to terms and been through a lot, most of all starting when he was eleven and accidentally opened a portal to another dimension in his moms house.
Now we see him in collage, and intrigued with the ghost that haunts a chapel, having grown up with paranormal things being the normal he is determined to solve the mystery of Lyndon Groome's death so his spirit can be at peace.
Greg Woodhall (a theater major also Adrian's boyfriend), and Adrian's relationship deepens through his time trying to figure out the mystery, and turns into something much more, and though he wants to stay with Greg, intimacy and his fear's blur together making things much more difficult.
I absolutely loved this book, a given for me I new I was going to love it, but having read it I love it even more than I thought I could. Having read of Adrian in previous books, he went from bitter child to a wonderful man in my mind through this book. You can really see how much he has changed and how different things is in his life, with family, and his lover.
Our main character Adrian Broussard, Dr. Bo Broussard's son, is all grown up.
At twenty-one he has come to terms and been through a lot, most of all starting when he was eleven and accidentally opened a portal to another dimension in his moms house.
Now we see him in collage, and intrigued with the ghost that haunts a chapel, having grown up with paranormal things being the normal he is determined to solve the mystery of Lyndon Groome's death so his spirit can be at peace.
Greg Woodhall (a theater major also Adrian's boyfriend), and Adrian's relationship deepens through his time trying to figure out the mystery, and turns into something much more, and though he wants to stay with Greg, intimacy and his fear's blur together making things much more difficult.
I absolutely loved this book, a given for me I new I was going to love it, but having read it I love it even more than I thought I could. Having read of Adrian in previous books, he went from bitter child to a wonderful man in my mind through this book. You can really see how much he has changed and how different things is in his life, with family, and his lover.
July 24, 2016
Can't remember when/how I picked this up, but it was on my Kindle and I finally got around to reading it. I didn't realize it was part of a series, but I did get hints as I read it that there was a larger story. I liked it pretty well. There was a lack of scene breaks, which made the time-jumping harder to parse. I think even with the scene breaks, there were times it would've been tricky. Like, there's one scene where the MC is narrating and telling us something about the new person he's with, when as far as I'm aware, every conversation they'd had together thus far was supposedly on the page. And did he really bring his new boyfriend home for a month-long Christmas break?
Also, I don't know a lot about theatre, but I don't think a college group is going to get the rights to perform Wicked in 2015. And the characters kept referring to it as a play and not mentioning it was a musical, when it was a big deal that his singing wasn't up to snuff for a different musical. Fiyero needs to be able to sing, okay? Well, now I'm nitpicking.
Anyway. Now I've been to Goodreads and I see there's lots more in the same series, I'll have to see about checking them out.
Also, I don't know a lot about theatre, but I don't think a college group is going to get the rights to perform Wicked in 2015. And the characters kept referring to it as a play and not mentioning it was a musical, when it was a big deal that his singing wasn't up to snuff for a different musical. Fiyero needs to be able to sing, okay? Well, now I'm nitpicking.
Anyway. Now I've been to Goodreads and I see there's lots more in the same series, I'll have to see about checking them out.
August 28, 2013
This was the story of Bo's son. But I think, this the best in the series. Love it.
Location: UNC, North Carolina
Adrian:
Greg:
Location: UNC, North Carolina
Adrian:
Greg:
October 30, 2009
I have not read the other BCP books but this is kind of a stand-alone. Set in the near future, Adrian (with psychic abilities) is a natural introvert who spends his time studying physics and keeping to himself and controlling his power. He meets Scotty while helping set up the haunted house on campus and they hit it off but Adrian is afraid to a) tell the truth about his abilities b) get involved with anyone because it usually ends badly. They eventually start dating and Adrian also discovers there really is a ghost in the old house they are turning into a haunted house and he starts trying to figure out how the guy died. So there is sort of two story-lines, the relationship between Adrian and Scott and the mystery of the ghost in the tower. I quite enjoyed it as I usually do Ally's stories. Adrian and Scotty were very hot together and their conflict was pretty understandable.
August 14, 2016
This was a great romance with a creepy touch of paranormal mystery. I have to say that I read this without having read any of the other Bay City Paranormal series and was able to follow and enjoy it completely as a standalone. I loved the build up to them becoming a couple and then the drama that drove them apart. This is a good example of how difficult it would be to introduce a friend or lover to the paranormal side of yourself. I had figured out the mystery well before the end but it really is just a device or background to the romance. The steamy scenes are great! The college setting is a good choice for this type of story. This is my favorite Ally Blue book and what got me started on her.
October 19, 2015
A good story
A good story and I liked Adrian and some of the other characters in this book but every story has its flaws. Why I gave it a 3 star rating is because the one flaw is the other main character...Greg. through the story I really didn't like him, he acted like a jilted girl most of the time. Which really just grated on my nerves. I also didn't trust him, something was off on his character and I couldn't shake the feeling. He lied, held back and kept secrets, he couldn't even trust Adrian on the simplest things. I found him to be selfish and manipulative. He would twist everything around so it fell at Adrian's feet, taking none of the blame. I accepted him at the end but only because he accepted Adrian and it was a happy ending.
A good story and I liked Adrian and some of the other characters in this book but every story has its flaws. Why I gave it a 3 star rating is because the one flaw is the other main character...Greg. through the story I really didn't like him, he acted like a jilted girl most of the time. Which really just grated on my nerves. I also didn't trust him, something was off on his character and I couldn't shake the feeling. He lied, held back and kept secrets, he couldn't even trust Adrian on the simplest things. I found him to be selfish and manipulative. He would twist everything around so it fell at Adrian's feet, taking none of the blame. I accepted him at the end but only because he accepted Adrian and it was a happy ending.
October 27, 2020
I was looking for something creepy to add to my October reads, I had read Oleander House years ago and while I didn't enjoy the 2 MCs relationship in that book, the ghost story was creepy. The premise in this story sounded good to me so I decided to give the son's story a go. I was disappointed in this one too. The ghost story had a great start but fizzled out towards the end. And the 2 MCs read very young to me. I kept reminding myself that these were supposed to be two 21-22 year old college students. Yes, young men that age can be immature, but I felt like I was reading teen girls. And lastly, I don't know if the formatting was off or just the way the story was laid out but I would have liked breaks between paragraphs when the time jumped, I kept thinking I missed something.
June 24, 2010
Another BCPI book that can be read on its own. This one follows Adrian, Bo's son, ten years after the last book. He is in college now, and readers get to see how much he has changed over time. His love interest is Greg, a theater student. I loved this story because his parents, Sam and Bo, did make appearances. I was happy to see that he changed for the better. This book also steps away from the creatures of the original series and relies on ghost hunting and such. I would love to see more of these two because they were fantastic characters. Maybe they'll take over the family business some day?
January 4, 2012
Adrian gets his own story! I liked this boy since I read about him in the Book # 5. He is in college and is very well equipped to deal with his powers but what he is not well equipped do deal with is his attraction to Greg. Being with Greg makes him lose his control over the powers - it was actually a pretty interesting concept. The ghost's love story and its role in bringing them together was woven very nicely. I also liked the way the interaction between Sam, Bo, Adrian and Greg was presented. Adrian's fears felt real and justified and not just his own imagination.
September 24, 2015
I thought this was a sweet M/M paranormal romance focusing on ghosts and telekinesis as opposed to shifters and vamps. The plot developed a little slowly at times, but it did eventually pick back up to a more consistent pacing. The main character is painfully shy and awkward almost to the point of having some kind of communication disorder. The main conflict was fairly obvious to an intelligent reader long before it materialized between the characters, but it was still intense emotionally. Overall, I enjoyed this one!
November 24, 2019
Good entertainment
A very nice read.The overall story was great.The characters believable. I am an older gay so still have some problems with families open and excepting.Very glad to see it written about. Maybe this will help families accept younger gay in today's world. It was also interesting to learn about abusive gay some in my right-wing year relationship I have never had or know some one with that problem.
As I said a good story as read will look for more Ally Blue novels.
A very nice read.The overall story was great.The characters believable. I am an older gay so still have some problems with families open and excepting.Very glad to see it written about. Maybe this will help families accept younger gay in today's world. It was also interesting to learn about abusive gay some in my right-wing year relationship I have never had or know some one with that problem.
As I said a good story as read will look for more Ally Blue novels.
September 17, 2010
Another great addition to the BCP series. This one goes into the future, and Bo's son Adrien is all grown up and in college. It was fun to see all the characters from the BCP team after their HEA's, even though we only got a few glimpses of them in this book. I liked that Greg was a "non-believer". It added some great tension to the story. I felt so bad for ghost-Lyndon! I've never wanted to give a ghost a hug before, but I think he needed one. :D
August 15, 2014
Adrian is all grown up now, and with a slew of issues left over after his trauma of accidentally opening a portal at age eleven.
He's definitely grown into a sexy young man and it's great to read his story. For some reason, I actually enjoyed this one more than any of the others in the series. Not sure why, just felt that the characters touched me more in this one.
He's definitely grown into a sexy young man and it's great to read his story. For some reason, I actually enjoyed this one more than any of the others in the series. Not sure why, just felt that the characters touched me more in this one.
February 4, 2013
I had given up on this series but I had already bought all of the books in the series so I kind of made myself read this one because it was just sitting there in my library for so long. I'm glad I did. The characters and story line was great. The character of Sam Raintree just put me off the series so I'm glad that the last two books involved different characters.
April 4, 2013
I was expecting a bit more from Adrien's story but what I got was still a fun read. It was interesting to learn about who was behind Lyndon's death. The chemistry between Adrien and Greg was okay, there was nothing there between them that made them stand out to me and make me take notice. I liked the little tidbits about Adrien's family and how Bo and Sam's relationship turned out.
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