Reading is subjective, and sometimes the right story hits you at the right time.
I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump—liking books but not really into them, not wanting to pick them up and turn the page right away. You know that feeling. You see the book, then you’re distracted by something else.
Bad Beginnings hit me just right. I wasn’t expecting much—I've seen so many urban fantasy books with a woman and an animal on the cover, so let’s just say I wasn’t impressed at first.
But it caught me from the very first page.
Enid is a 22-year-old who sees ghosts, so everyone she’s known thinks she’s crazy. She inherited this “curse” from her grandmother, but sadly, everyone else has labeled her a wacko. The problem is, once a ghost realizes she can see them, they won’t leave her alone—they demand her help, which makes her lose jobs and prevents her from keeping friends.
Enter Ollie. He’s in distress, and when he realizes Enid can see him, he won’t leave her alone until she helps him out. The more she tries to avoid him (and then helps him), the deeper she falls into danger. She soon finds herself in knee-deep trouble after stumbling across some shady, dangerous men. She has no choice but to get involved—with both the living and the dead.
This gave me Ghosts (the Netflix series) vibes—but honestly, it’s even better (and I love Ghosts), so that was a huge plus for me.

Things I Loved:
-The heroine. Jen Bair knows how to write a relatable heroine! Enid struggles, she’s trying, she’s scared—but also brave. I loved her.
-The weird conspiracy theorist. I want more of him! I hope book 2 gives him a bigger role. While this isn't a romance, I do have a secret wish for Enid and Randall. Fingers crossed.
-The ghosts. They were fantastic! Actually, I loved that all the characters in this book are distinct. So many books I’ve read lately make it feel like only the MCs have personality. (Maybe I’ve been reading too much of the wrong genre? Sigh.)
-The narrative. I’m a pretty picky reader—head-hopping and PoV violations really bug me. That wasn’t the case here. Jen Bair knows how to write and keep it engaging.

Things I Didn’t Love So Much:
-Eh… nothing, really? Maybe the inclusion of illegal substances made it feel a little too real for me, but that’s nitpicking.
Fantastic start. This book gripped me from page one, and I couldn’t put it down until I was done. Can’t wait for book two!