Can a haunting ghost bring love?

Synopsis

The only thing scarier than ghosts is falling in love. 

Knox McIntyre has mastered the art of avoiding drama, especially the romantic kind. Ever since his screenwriting career went up in flames, the grumpy bartender has kept his past buried and his heart off-limits. But when a paranormal reality show sets its sights on the boutique hotel where he works, he gets roped into the production—and partnered with the one woman who just might unravel him.

Charlotte “Charlie” Fraser is the Duchess Hotel’s sunny front office manager, a hopeless romantic with a weakness for happy endings and broody bartenders. After months of pining for Knox, she’s finally ready to act—even if it means battling her inner scaredy-cat by helping him bring a ghost-hunting show to the hotel this Halloween.

As Knox and Charlie dig into the hotel’s chilling past, they find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other. Every lingering look, near kiss, and shared secret brings them closer to something real. But unless they can summon the courage to face their feelings head-on, their love doesn’t stand a ghost of a chance.

My review

Knox McIntyre and Charlie Fraser are colleagues. While Knox is working at the bar of the Duchess Hotel, Charlie is the hotel’s front office manager. They see each other almost every day, and there is definitely a mutual respect between them. Not only mutual respect though, as there is an attraction between them, but both of them are reluctant to admit their feelings. But not only are they afraid of admitting their feelings, but it is only a fact that Knox and Charlie couldn’t be more different. Where Charlie is open and a sunny presence, and a true believer in romance and love, Knox has been burnt by love and his friends, making him more standoffish and wary of people. And he absolutely stays away from everything that involves romance. However, when The Duchess may be the setting for a paranormal reality show, Charlie and Knox are working together to bring the show to the hotel. And when there is a storage room, previously used by guests, may be truly haunted, scaredy – cat Charlie and sceptic Knox are ready to investigate things even further. And could the haunted room be what will bring Knox and Charlie closer too?

There aren’t many books that when I start reading it, that make me feel a bit conflicted. I think I have read all the books this author has written, and I was very eager to start this second book of The Duchess’ series. However, when I heard about her passing, I just couldn’t believe it… I was truly shocked. Yet as not only a reviewer, but also as a fan of hers, I wanted to honour her and her writing skills. So my love for her prevailed over the shock of her passing…

At the start of the book, I was a tiny bit afraid that the focus would be a lot on the ghostly side of the story. As I am not a real believer of haunted ghosts, I feared that too many ghosts would make me not like the story like I have liked the previous books.

But rather quickly I was reassured, as it becomes clear that yes, ghosts are the reasons for this story to start, but they are not the main subjects.

Because while Knox and Charlie are joining forces to allure the paranormal reality show to film at The Duchess, it is truly a story about the development of a relationship, about finding courage in so many different ways.

Charlie felt so recognizable for me. I saw her sunny character and I could relate to it easily. She is also a real believer of love and romance, even if she hasn’t found her perfect match yet, just like me. And yes, even her being a scaredy – cat truly resonated with me!

I found it also utterly sweet to read how she has always liked Knox, just from afar. I could recognize that agony too, feeling something and being afraid of not only ruining that friendship, but being afraid of having feelings that are not reciprocated…

Especially as Knox is truly a closed book, not only not showing his real emotions, but he has also built his walls so high, that he isn’t letting anyone getting close. His behaviour truly made me wonder what turned him that way.

Because it is clear that his behaviour is because of something that happened to him, and that he hasn’t always been this closed off. And reading what he had endured, how he has been betrayed on several levels, made me understand him so much better.

And it made it also easier for me to see even further beyond his protective shield. There are several moments where we see the real Knox emerge, but just when that Knox appears, he also that quickly disappears…

Yet with Charlie, when they are on their own, we see so many sweet moments. We see how Knox is when he is feeling comfortable, when he is not under scrutiny, who he is when it is okay to be who he is.

We see slowly things shift between Charlie and Knox, we see how there is a trust growing between them, a complicity and an immense mutual respect. Slowly they trust each other enough to truly open up, making them also become protective of each other. And when in time in need, they stand up for each other.

Obviously, there are ups and downs, if everything would go perfectly, it wouldn’t sound very realistic would it? But even with the downs, it is part of their learning curve. And that is also part of the beauty of the story.

There is also an elephant in the room, or rather a ghost in the room that needs to be addressed. Like I said it before, I am not a real believer of haunting ghosts. And I was curious to see what the ghost story would be.

It was a bit scary to read how the room affected Charlie in the occasions she was there, and the climatic scene made me shiver… Yet there was also a kind of respect and understanding the characters had towards the ghost. And it warmed my heart to see how they wanted to undo the wrongdoings, even if a lot of time has passed…

Not only was this a heartwarming story, but also a story about courage, about facing not only your feelings, but also your past. It is a story about letting your walls down, letting people in, and finding the right person to fight even alongside you.

I read this story with a warm yet sad heart. Yet I truly enjoyed this beautiful story, even if there was some ghost – hunting involved. Because even the ghost couldn’t take away all the love that so obviously sparks from all the pages!