A thrilling supernatural novel that also engagingly investigates the nature of fandom.
After a fatal car accident, a young man becomes a psychic in this gay paranormal romance.
Mari’s novel has a killer opening line: “The world around Adrian Sinclair was dead.” It’s the middle of winter, and Adrian is still reeling from the loss of his best friend, killed when their car was hit by a drunk driver two years before. Around the time of the crash, Adrian developed psychic powers, allowing him to see and communicate with ghosts, demons, and other paranormal entities. Enter the Crossroads Paranormal Research Society, a team of young men who investigate hauntings for a popular YouTube channel with a huge fan base. They take Adrian on as their new trainee, hoping to hire a psychic to join them full time. While Adrian spends much of the first third of the novel attempting to keep the fact that he’s gay a secret, romantic tension builds as he develops feelings for Yukio “Yu” Gaetz, a stoic-seeming demonologist and CPRS team co-founder. Bad news for Adrian: Fans of the show have shipped Yu with the other co-founder, Lukas Kessler, under the ship-name “Yukas”—and rabidly defend their favorite pairing. Even worse news: There’s a supernatural entity out there that seems to be targeting psychics, so joining CPRS could put Adrian in its deadly line of fire. Mari skillfully handles a sometimes-tense, other times swoonworthy romance that escalates as Adrian becomes more involved in the team, learning more about his incredible powers and developing deeper relationships—all while otherworldly danger looms. The burgeoning relationship at the novel’s center keeps the drama fresh and lively, aided by dynamic character development. One of the best elements of the book, however, is the inclusion of text from an online fan forum, which makes CPRS feel like a real, popular team of supernatural investigators. Likewise, the large fandom—with thousands of interactions on the forum and conventions with packed audiences—allows Mari to investigate themes involving toxic parasocial relationships, such as the negative impact of shipping on real people.
A thrilling supernatural novel that also engagingly investigates the nature of fandom.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 9798986829814
Page Count: 508
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A sweet and sparkling adult debut.
A romance ghostwriter who’s lost her motivation after a breakup is haunted by the spirit of her newly departed editor in this whimsical paranormal romance.
Florence Day doesn't believe in love or happily-ever-afters any longer. Unfortunately, she’s also the ghostwriter for a prominent romance novelist and is currently trying to finish her fourth and final contracted book. The deadline for her latest manuscript has already been pushed back several times, and her new editor, Benji Andor, isn’t allowing for any leeway. Florence can also see ghosts, an ability that’s made quite a name for her in her hometown but also partly contributed to the devastating end of her previous relationship. On the eve of her deadline, Florence finds her life upended by both an unexpected kiss with her editor and the sudden death of her beloved father. Returning home comes with its own set of baggage, though Florence holds out hope that her father’s ghost will appear for one last goodbye. She’s shocked, however, when the spirit that visits her isn’t her father but Ben Andor, mysteriously dead only a day after she’d met him. Now Florence must not only navigate her grief and fulfill her dad's last wishes, she must also contend with Ben’s confused ghost following her around until they can correct his unfinished business. The zippy banter between Florence and nearly everyone she meets keeps things moving at a sprightly clip. Every interaction is a delight, and getting to know the cast of characters in Florence’s orbit adds excitement to the book. The romance takes a bit longer to build, though, and flits in and out of focus. Florence and Ben share such chemistry that it’s a shame readers are often left waiting for them to interact. The ghostly element is fun and fresh, adding slightly higher stakes to Florence and Ben's happily-ever-after.
A sweet and sparkling adult debut.Pub Date: July 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-33648-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
SEEN & HEARD
A book that will wolfishly appeal to the most heated fans of omegaverse erotica.
Tess Covington is a talented, successful contractor who just learned that she’s a late-in-life omega wolf shifter. Her new boss, surly innkeeper Hunter Barrett, is an alpha who’s opposed to the remodeling she’s there to do.
Tess hasn’t made it public that she’s being considered for her own HGTV makeover show, but she runs her career like a well-oiled machine. She posts a lot of her remodels on social media, granting her a certain level of celebrity, and leans on her brothers to help run the business she took over after a stroke made it impossible for her father to keep working. Hunter’s last serious relationship with an omega 10 years ago left him deeply wounded, ending when his parents were killed in a car accident and he moved back home to take care of their lodge—hence his resistance to change. With few exceptions, Tess keeps her newly diagnosed omega status to herself. Unfortunately, as an alpha, Hunter sniffs her out and seems to be the only person capable of helping her with her sudden heats, so there’s a lot of very smutty caretaking. The specificity of omegaverse hierarchy might be new to some readers, but Ferguson’s worldbuilding is quick, easy, and deeply horny. General romance readers might enjoy the grumpy-meets-sunshine and stranded-in-a-snowstorm tropes, although for a book about shifters, the characters spend surprisingly little time in wolf form. There’s not much danger of character development or surprising plot elements here, but for fans excited to read about animalistic mating, that might be enough.
A book that will wolfishly appeal to the most heated fans of omegaverse erotica.Pub Date: Dec. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9780593953693
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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