I HAVE TO SAY…

SYNOPSIS

Jules Jones and Leo White shared a fleeting moment. Life goes on and they go through their own ups and downs before finding out ten years later their paths will cross again at a prestigious literary festival in Key West. There, they’re both forced to face what’s been haunting them.

What could happen?

RECAP AND REVIEW

Thank you to the author, Harlequin, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Available now!

This book is a contemporary romance book with some paranormal and mystery elements intertwined within it. No one here has powers or is an occult, but some of them just might believe in ghosts…

Jules aka July is dealing with grief and depression, as she navigates life’s changes. While this is a romance and we get both point of views, I would argue that Jules is the central character and the story mostly follows her and her journey, including her avoidance of her feelings as she navigates her grief.

Leo is going through some things of his own, though he seems to have a better handle over it all. Leo is patient, curious, and unwavering about what he wants.

I enjoyed the banter between July and Leo and felt the deep admiration they have for each other. They both see and understand each other in a way they don’t let other people see them, and I believe they were ultimately meant to be together, though things felt rushed and I don’t know how I feel about how it ended.

Much of the book’s setting is in an inn that makes people’s skin crawl. As a certified scaredy cat, I really loved the spooky and unsettling setting, the plotline surrounding it, and how it aided in everyone’s personal journeys.

My favorite parts of the story took place during the literary conference, which I would say is about 80ish% of the story. I really enjoyed seeing Leo and July together in a group environment. They had a natural pull towards each other, and I even felt like something was off when they got in their tiffs.

I also LOVED the side characters and the other plotlines that were going on in the story. It feels like a lot happened, because every character has their own situations that they’re working through, and I thought every storyline and person added something to the story in some way. A lot of the themes and messages, and the portrayal of depression and grief, in this book touched me.

Read for:

👻 Author MCs

👻 A Haunted Inn

👻 Will They, Won’t They

👻 Slow Burn

👻 Forced Proximity

👻 Mystery elements

OVERALL

Overall, I give this a 4 out of 5 stars. I’ve read this author before, and I genuinely enjoy her writing style. I do think the book drags on near the end and after a while the mystery got old. I also am not a big fan of how it ended, but what I liked about this book outweighs what I didn’t like, and I recommend it for people who like stories with ghosts and/or stories about self-discoveries, navigating through grief, and lessons about life and love.