I think the writing could have been better, but I stayed for the plot. I couldn’t put the book down even though I was really spooked. I can't wait for people to read this one!

P.s: who said you can’t read horror during the “month of love”

would like to thank netgalley and the public for letting me read this book

such a strange book about ghosts and ghost hunters, though some of them arent quite as friendly as you would hope

but if its a fright in the night and one to keep you awake at night then this is the book for you

Blair is a “serious” Ghost hunter investigator (she likes to think so), not like some of the others who glamorise ghost hunting with no real value.

Blair likes to post all the ghost hunting information including emf readings and the history of where she is.

So when Blair and Abe, her camera man are invited to a ghost town called Masonville, renowned for mysterious goings on and unexplained phenomena Blair jumps at the chance. It would be fantastic to finally prove ghosts are real!!

Unbeknown to Blair her arch enemy Leif has also been invited, Leif is more interested in the clicks / hits she gets from her live feeds and videos. So how will they get on when they realise they are not the only ones invited and odd things start happening.

A good concept but felt very cliched in places. Worth a read but wouldn’t return to this book in the future.

Ghost town was a great unique take on a storyline that could have gone badly. Ward does a great job weaving the story together in a unique way that hasn't been done before. The intrigue, suspense, and characters will 100% want you to keep reading into the night. Best keep those lights on though.

thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc for this book!

ghost town is a sapphic love story plonked into a mystery thriller in which we follow groups of ghost hunters as they try and solve the mystery of an abandowned town.

in theory i should have loved this book. in reality i did not. the synopsis doesn't mention if this is a YA or an adult book, but i really do hope it falls into the first category. the writing style feels quite juvenile, which makes it an easy read, but also a little too over-explained at times and we're really spoonfed a lot of exposition at the start. it doesn't really leave room for the reader to draw their own conclusions or have their own thoughts.

my main gripe though is that for a book about ghost hunting, there's barely any ghost hunting in it? feels like the whole ghost premise was way too underused.

i never really felt like i had a good grasp on the characters and that only goes downhill once the mystery starts up. we end up with a couple of ghost hunting crews and the group of characters is just too big for individual personalities to shine through and i have to admit i did forget about a couple of characters more than once.

there is a twist at the end which wasn't too surprising to me and i guess it pretty early on. again, i think you should be able to guess a twist as a reader because it means the author left enough breadcrumbs throughout the story and it makes sense within the plot, but i would like breadcrumbs instead of a whole loaf of bread.

the pacing didn't quite land for me either. we get to the central mystery a little too fast, but then once that starts up the book slows down a little too much again which really undercuts the tension it's trying to build up.

*2.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reader copy to me in exchange for honest criticism.

Lesbian ghost hunters - need I say more?

It was more or less what I was expecting it to be based on the description. A group of ghost hunters are invited to explore the most haunted town in Canada, and the two main characters are rival ghost hunters. Their rivalry isn’t fully fleshed out - it pretty much comes down to one of the girls believing in ghosts and posting dramatic videos, and the other girl believing in ghosts but posting more researched, scientifically grounded videos. I can understand the dynamic, but for the first few chapters the comparisons to Ghost Files were impossible not to make.

Both leads - Blair and Leif - are likable. It’s easy to believe that these women exist, and that they could fall for each other under less than ideal circumstances. They were definitely the highlight of the book - I would have loved to spend more time with them, getting to know them before they vanished to Masonville. I honestly loved most of the characters. I wanted to spend more time with each of them, getting to know them and who they were before the ghost hunt started.

The story itself is a bit simple, like a skeleton was carefully constructed but the rest of the body wasn't completely filled in. The premise lends itself to opportunity after opportunity, but it seems like it was underutilized. The potential for genuine scares was there, but the ghosts weren’t the main focus of the story, so it’s understandable that they took a backseat to the developing love story. There is a twist towards the end of the book - if one is used to mysteries and horror stories, the twist may seem a little obvious, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable.

The underutilization of the location is a bit disappointing, and the lore of the town itself was underdeveloped. I do feel as if there was something missing there, like perhaps a part of the story was developed but then cut. I would have loved to learn more about the history of the town, and the hauntings that have put it on the map.

Overall, Ghost Town is a fun, queer story that can easily become a favorite Halloween comfort read. There is some gore and death, so go into it wary of that, but if that’s something that doesn’t bother you, I would definitely recommend this book.

Leif and Blair are paranormal ghost hunters who get the opportunity to visit an abandoned ghost town called Masonville. When they arrive things seem pretty run down, but calm, that will soon change. Can Blair and Leif prove that ghosts really exist in this town or is it not really haunted at all?

I enjoy watching paranormal investigation shows and have even been on some haunted ghost tours so I was intrigued to read this book. I enjoyed the pacing of this book. Before each chapter we read a transcript that Leif or Blaire recorded about their ghost hunt. I liked that because you knew something bad was going to happen, it kept me on my toes and kept me interested to see what was going to happen. I thought this read was very YA. The way the characters spoke to one another was juvenile as were the relationships. The love story seemed a bit unnecessary and the ending got a little bizarre, but overall I liked the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book made my little Scooby Doo Mystery loving heart pitter patter to the max. No spoilers as I never want to ruin the surprise for a reader. It's an essential part to the experience of this book. I will say that Ward really brings it together for a satisfying conclusion. And if you ever wanted a Velma/Daphne pairing, Leif and Blair make great stand-ins. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗦: 𝚂𝙰𝙿𝙿𝙷𝙸𝙲. 𝙷𝙾𝚁𝚁𝙾𝚁. 𝙶𝙷𝙾𝚂𝚃𝚂. 𝙿𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙽𝙾𝚁𝙼𝙰𝙻. 𝚄𝚁𝙱𝙰𝙽 𝙵𝙰𝙽𝚃𝙰𝚂𝚈. 𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴.
📚 ᴀʀᴄ 🏳️‍🌈⁠
Rating: 2.5/5 🌟🌟⁠

𝚂𝚄𝙼𝙼𝙰𝚁𝚈
The cover is what lured me here, looks all dark, dead and dry... mystery and horror. Now, the actual plot, that is something else. Reading the synopsis, you would feel a spark of intrigue and excitement. And yes at some point in the book, there was a little suspense but it was so little. The cover deserved a deeper story. The story just feels incomplete, not that there are holes or something but a little extra story because I am a fan of ghost and paranormal stuff and this was too softie.

Both Blair and Leif didn't know much about what they were doing but the way they were at each other in the start was strange. Their investigations, if you may call it that, were not cited anywhere much, apart from what happened in the ghost town. Though, I wonder the recordings before they left for ghost town, were they connected to the ghost town or other findings?


𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙫𝙞𝙖 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙤 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬.

I really enjoyed reading Ghost Town. I loved the fact that we are following two different ghost hunters, not only in that they have two different channels but in how they go about ghost hunting. One is more scientific while the other isn't at all. And when they are both asked to travel to a ghost town that no one has been allowed to investigate how could they possibly say no?

Of course, as soon as they arrive it becomes obvious things aren't what they thought. Both Leif and Blair not only had no idea the other had been invited, but other ghost hunters had been invited as well, but with no sign of the people who set the whole thing up.

The vibe of the town was amazing, R.E Ward did a great job of making the atmosphere feel creepy and spooky and throughout the whole book, I kept thinking I would totally watch this as a movie. The characters including all of the side characters all felt real and unique and that combined with the atmosphere and storyline sucked me in and I didn't want to put it down. There are also some crazy twists and turns that I definitely didn't see coming, and I loved how it all played out. There is also this part in the end where it seems like a return trip to the ghost town might be in the cards, and I would definitely read that, as I would love to explore the town and its ghostly residents even more!

Ghost Town, by R E Ward, was a wonderful take of ghost hunters being targets of a mysterious string of murders in an old abandoned town. The book had good LGBT representation, but I found it to be somewhat rushed in how the pair come to be, but that didn’t stop me finding it any less cute! I loved the variety of characters and how their were very unique in how they dealt with the situation. I think I would have liked more explaination of the town itself, and why it was abandoned as it felt that was somewhat left out half way through the book. Otherwise, a very intriguing and interesting read, and one I will highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books for allowing me to have this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

4.0 stars.

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Paranormal investigator, Blair Wyndon, is hell-bent on proving that ghosts are real, and she posts the evidence she collects on the website, SpiritScientific, a well-known haven for like-minded believers. Well, like-minded except for Leif Henderson.

Leif is a ghost hunter, not some stuffy paranormal investigator. She focuses on making the kind of videos that thrill her audience, not bore them with facts. It's all about clicks, views, and engagement. She's going to prove that ghosts exist with a dash of flair, unlike Blair.

When they each receive an exclusive invitation to investigate the famed ghost town of Masonville, they jump at the chance. But they aren't the only ones who have been invited, and soon the mystery turns deadly.

I genuinely had a fun time with this story. I do wish it developed the characters a bit more, because we don't know enough about the rivalry between the two leads other than they have different methods to the same job. From going to rivals in their ghost community with the obvious stated attraction from both sides to immediately using pet names, seemed a bit rushed from what we know about their dynamic. I understand that the trauma surrounding may increase their connection to help deal with the circumstances which is why I excused the fast-paced physical intimacy, but I wish there were more moments sprinkled through of understated intimacy (longing looks, hinting at past interactions, subtle touches). It would help push the narrative that they are more love than lust. And I kept assuming that they were younger than what was stated. It was like a quick, hallmark version of a ghost story, with a dash of romance in the background. It was a fun palette cleanser to enjoy a fun, spooky wlw story.

I had a hard time at the beginning but was happy I stuck with it. It was a very interesting thriller with a romantic aspect.

Leif and Blair are both ghost hunters, but each in their own way. Leif is a sensationalist wanting to capture real-time interaction with the paranormal. Blair is more scientific in her approach and wants to prove there is a paranormal part of life. Both jump at the chance to explore an abandoned supposedly ghost hotspot town in the middle of nowhere. They are less than thrilled, however, when they meet in person despite their mutual attraction? Can they figure out what’s going on when their friends start turning up dead and before they windup the same way?

I 110% misjudged this book in the beginning! The description checked all the trope boxes for me. The paranormal, enemies to lovers, lesbian main characters, and a plot that promised to capture my attention. I got bogged down in the first part of the book, though.

There was so much detail about the characters. I got a bit annoyed that each and every character was described in extreme detail. I was worried the plot would get bogged down and lost for me if the high level of detail continued. I was wrong, however, and the plot soon took off!

All the characters turned out be their own person outside of each other and all of them were relatable in some way. Leif and Blair were convincing when it came to their rivalry and their attempts to stonewall their growing feelings for each other. Their relationship developed organically and wasn’t rushed for the sake of the story.

The story itself was full of twists and turns that kept me interested. I can usually figure out where a book is going early in the story, but this one actually kept me guessing. Despite its slow start, the book turned out to be a wild ride and one very much worth the read!

I enjoyed reading this paranormal mystery, it was easy to read especially when coupled with romantic elements too.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Blair is a Paranormal investigator she is determined that ghosts are real and plan on proving it when she gets an invite famed ghost town of Masonville. Leif is a Ghost Hunter and she does believes in ghost but she uses this to get likes and fame while trying not to bored her audiences. Blair and Leif arrive and are both shock to see others have been invite as they start to investigate they found files with there names and information before they can understand things starts happening and people start disappearing and dying. As they race to find out what going on Blair and Leif despite their different opinions grow closer in the mix of trying find out who hunting them. Good read.

Blair Wyndon, Ghost Hunter, is determined to prove that ghosts are real. She and a group of ghost hunting vloggers receive invitations from a company Tanningcorp to stay at Hastings Manor; a historic estate known for paranormal activity. Located in the town Mansonville, this ghost of a town has been off-limits from visitors for 14 years. Rachel, Gen, Rose(a psychic), Abe, Johnny, Leif, Jessica along with Blair get stranded in Masonville after finding files within the estate all containing information on themselves along with maps and notes on an experiment that is happening. People start going missing, and bodies are turning up. Who invited them here? whom or what is hunting them down? Twisty, entertaining, and a fast-paced read!
The characters lacked some depth, and because I didn't get much info on them, It wasn't easy to form an attachment to them throughout this plot. So much so that everything happening felt like I was mearly watching from a distance. So as we move along this quick twisty plot, we are told the place is haunted, Rose is a psychic but there's no actual evidence of this and then with the high tension happening you suddenly find a love interest/connection happening between 2 characters and its not very convincing. The pace was just really off. The romance felt very rushed, very second thought or last minute add to the plot. would have loved to feel the connection because it was interesting, just not believable; it deserved better substance in the plot. This also read very YA. The references and dialogue between characters didn't fit the suggested maturity/age depicted in the characters.
Great ending! Overall, I enjoyed it and gave this a 3.5.

Thank you, Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books, for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

A truly creepy and at times scary paranormal romance - most of the plot does focus on the events at Masonville and the horror that unfolds as the group of ghost investigators spend more time there, but it's just as nice to watch Leif and Blair grow closer during all of the drama.

I do wish there had been a little more build up, either to their animosity or attraction despite that before they met in person, and their relationship does seem to proceed really quickly, but trauma and horror bonds people together pretty quickly I guess, though between the speed of their relationship and the dialogue, I kept thinking both characters were younger than they were.

I also wish there had been a little more time spent on Masonville and everything that was going on - we get a little bit at the end, and the twist is pretty worth it, but I do wish there was more linking back to the events that gave Masonville its reputation and just how the present events got set up. However, what we get sent more than a few shivers down my spine and while I raced through the book, I definitely had to space out readings so that I wasn't reading it in the dark.

the entire concept of this book sounded extremely interesting to me, as someone who personally loves a lot of things paranormal i was excited to see what it had to offer. i didn't hate it by any means but, it wasn't my favorite, i feel like the romance was sort of unnecessary? i know that was sort of the point but it seemed like it was just off place in a way, and i wish the characters were explained more in depth and given a bit more story. the plot twist surprised me though, and i didn't put the book down much after that so, a solid three stars! thank you to netgalley for giving me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had a great time reading this, the story was incredibly captivating and the tension between characters was so palpable that I had to set the book down at times to collect myself. I would've absolutely loved Ghost Town if the romance wasn't involved, it seemed very unnecessary to the overall storyline, but I can also understand why it was added. Logistically this book was easy to read and understand, however I would've liked if the POVs of Leif and Blair would've been a little more defined rather than just by a line break. Overall, I really enjoyed Ghost Town. It had an incredibly satisfying climax and the mystery of it all kept me intrigued throughout. I give this a high 3.5 and would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, Agatha Christie-esque paranormal horror novel.