Thursday, November 13, 2025

Library Loans


Good Spirits
 by B.K. Borison
Published by Avon on October 21, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Ratingfour-half-stars
Goodreads

He’s the Ghost of Christmas Past. She’s not exactly Scrooge.

Ghost of Christmas Past Nolan Callahan intends to spend this holiday haunting like every other—get in, get out, return to his otherwise aimless existence as a ghost awaiting the afterlife. But when he’s faced with Harriet York, the sweetest assignment he’s ever had, he suddenly finds himself wishing for a future.

Harriet York has no idea why she’s being haunted. She’s a good person—or, at least, she tries to be. A people pleaser to her core, she always does what’s expected of her. But as she and Nolan begin to examine her past, they discover there are threads that bind them together— and realize there might be more to moving on than expected.

With the deadline of Christmas Eve fast approaching, will they find the key to their futures in each other’s pasts? Or will they stay firmly in the present, indulging in their unexpected, spirited connection?

Filled with magic, mayhem, and cozy holiday charm

Harriet is being haunted by the Ghost of Christmas Past but has no idea why. Was she really a bad person who needed to be visited by three ghosts? That's what she hopes to discover when she takes the Ghost's, aka Nolan's, hand and revisits her past.

This started out seeming very much like A Christmas Carol retelling, but it took a turn into different territory, and I have to admit, I was excited to read on and see how it all worked out.

Nolan died in a boating accident over 100 years ago. So far, he had spent his afterlife haunting people, knitting, reading, and playing with his cats. He was stuck. Then he was assigned Harriet's haunting. There was something about her that drew him in. Nolan found her full of life and color, and he could not understand how she could possibility need to be haunted.

Harriet was all those things that Nolan saw, but she was also lonely and hurt by things from her past. Though she found some happiness in her work, candy canes, and blueberry danish, she missed her sister and her late aunt.

This haunting ended up being exactly what Harriet needed to come to terms with her past. Via Nolan, she was able to see parts of her life in a different light and accept some things that were hard to swallow. She also found the strength to stand up for herself, and well, she found Nolan. I know, it's weird, a relationship between a ghost and a human, but Borison filled in those gaps enough for me to buy in, and what happened towards the end of the story cemented my belief in this union. I did want a bit more time with Harriet and Nolan as a couple at the end, but since this is a series, I hope I will get what I need in the next book.

Overall, this was a different and lovely holiday romance. It was filled with lots of warmth, humor, and cheer, and I was happy to take this magical journey with them.


Soul Searching
 by Lyla Sage
Published by Dial Press on September 30, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Ratingfour-half-stars
Goodreads

Home is where the heart is—and this one is haunted.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Rebel Blue Ranch series returns with a brand-new story, featuring a small-town upholsterer in need of a fresh start, a photographer whose life has come to a screeching halt . . . and the supernatural forces that bring them together.

Collins Cartwright does not want to go home. Sweetwater Peak, Wyoming, was supposed to be in her rearview mirror, but when she finds out a developer is trying to buy her parents’ antique shop out from under them, she doesn’t have a choice—at least, that’s what she tells her family. They don’t need to know she’s lost her job and is out of money. Or that the ghosts that have always been her companions have recently gone silent.

But just because she’s returned home doesn’t mean she has to stay with her parents or crash on her twin sister’s couch. Lucky for her, the new-to-town upholsterer has a room for rent above his store. Unluckily, it is absolutely crawling with more ghosts who are freezing her out. And Collins hates being ignored.

Brady Cooper is absolutely and totally fine. Seriously, there’s no secret reason why he decided to uproot his life and suddenly move to Sweetwater Peak. He just needed a change of pace. At least, that’s what he tells himself. And everyone else.

When he agrees to let the elusive Collins Cartwright stay in his spare room, he doesn’t know that she’s absolutely bonkers—constantly talking to herself and having conversations with no one—or that she looked like that. But as they begin to get closer, the lines between them start to blur, leaving both of them—and the ghosts that have been pushing them together—wondering whether or not their temporary arrangement could be something more permanent.

I was very sad to say goodbye to the Rebel Blue Ranch, but I found a new world to love right here in Sweetwater Peak.

Collins was returning home under the guise of talking her parents out of selling the family business. In reality, she had few options left after losing her job. But she didn't just lose her job, she lost her identity, her purpose, and worst of all, she lost her ability to communicate with lingering spirits. She was hoping that returning to Sweetwater Peak would help her recover those pieces of herself she lost.

As much as things back home stay the same, some things change, and one of those changes was a new face in town. Brady had moved to Sweetwater Peak for a fresh start. He left his old life behind to start his business as he worked to live his best life. He never saw Collins coming, but she would become a very important part of this new life.

I wasn't sure how I felt about leaving the cowboys behind for ghosts, but Sage did a wonderful job crafting this new world which quickly won me over. I adored Collins and her family. I don't know what it is about Sage's dads, but Dex won my heart much in the same way Amos Ryder had in the Rebel Blue Ranch series. Speaking of Amos, I was VERY excited to find him making an appearance in this book. That's right, there's a Ryder residing in Sweetwater Peak, and he's Amos' brother!!! I delighted in this connection and have high hopes that the cameos will continue throughout this series.

The highlight of this story was the romance that blossomed between Collins and Brady. They were an interesting pair. I would not have put them together on my own, but it was a pleasure seeing them fall in love. They were more suited for each other than I initially expected. It was lovely the way they bonded, and all their antics were a lot of fun to observe.

Overall, this was a fantastic introduction to Sage's new series. Filled with family, friendship, small town vibes, new and old friends, and lots of spirits, this warm and wonderful story of finding one's place, starting a new, and discovering and recovering one's hidden pieces was a fantastic read for me.


Favorite ghost story?
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