Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Mack’s Rousing Ghoulish Highland Adventure

SERIES:  Mack’s Marvelous Manifestations #3

AUTHOR:  AJ Sherwood

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  230 pages

RELEASE DATE:  December 3, 2021

BLURB:

Mack did not sign up for hunting unknown ghost-eating creatures.

But that’s what he gets when he and Brandon arrive to help Eli and husbands at an old inn situated in the Scottish Highlands. Now he’s surrounded by terrified ghosts on the run, zombie-ghosts that look eaten, and no one knows what the baddie is.

They’re running out of time to figure it out though, because whatever it is? It’s herding ghosts straight for the inn. Scarier still? It’s killing healthy people in a week to eat their soul.

If someone could please come up with a game plan? Mack would be forever thankful.

Before, you know, they all get eaten.

Tags:

Scottish mythology rears its head, not in a good way, it’s a hot mess but they’re trying dammit, emotional baggage check, Brandon wants a kilt and sword, Mack wants him in a kilt, it’s a mutual desire thing, Mack being a BAMF, Havili protectiveness rears its head, friends being awesome, no one gets thrown this time, Quinn’s a kissing monster when drunk, Romance novel your highlander is missing, personal growth is hard, shower sex, character growth.

REVIEW:

It’s been a while since the release of Mack’s last book, Mack’s Perfectly Ghastly Homecoming, so I forgot how much I love this series. This fantastic new book combines mythology and demonology for one heck of an adventure in the Scottish Highlands, including – to Brandon’s utter delight – kilts and shiny, stabby, things. And what trip to Scotland would be complete for paranormal experts without the Loch Ness Monster? Expect a whimsical little twist about Nessie. 

Mack, a psychic medium, and his boyfriend/anchor, Brandon, are both special agents with the FBI’s Paranormal Activity Division. They’ve only been working cases together for about a month when they end up over their heads in a case at a terribly haunted Scottish inn. It’s not just one or two everyday, harmless ghosts, but hundreds of spirits – some partially eaten zombies – overtaking the inn as refuge from a beast trying to eat their souls. Fellow FBI medium and exorcist, Eli, and her anchors/husbands, Quinn and Booker, were consulting on the case in Scotland and called in Mack and Brandon for backup when the situation got out of hand. 

When they arrive at the 14th century Old Inn Gairloch, they find chaos. It seems the ghosts are fleeing their usual haunts for many miles around because they see the inn as a beacon of safety. It’s the oldest structure in the area and has been continuously absorbing the energy of guests for 800 years. Soon, the FBI crew, along with the help of local authorities, is hunting down an evil entity – some kind of terrifying, murderous, dark energy. It’s a threat to humans, too, not just spirits.  

Their secret weapon comes in the form of sexy Highlander, Lachlan McTavish, a local expert in mythology and demonology. His exuberance and wit are among the highlights of the book. He leads the battle against the Big Bad and even teaches Brandon and Quinn how to sword fight. In kilts. Brandon is in heaven and Mack certainly doesn’t mind that Brandon wears his kilt in the traditional manner *wink*. I certainly wouldn’t have minded the wind blowing Lachlan’s kilt up around his hips a bit.  

Mack and Brandon are so in sync; both professionally and personally they complement each other perfectly. They’re both lovable characters and a cute couple together. Although they haven’t been together long, they have complete trust in their love for one another. As his anchor, Brandon takes care of Mack’s needs all day long while they work, but after hours the script flips. It’s Mack’s turn to care for Brandon during their steamy, sexy times. 

It’s fun to spend time in this world where the paranormal is normal; everyone accepts that ghosts exist and governments actually have departments to deal with them. The Scottish Highlands made for an inviting setting as the gang traveled around the countryside. I would’ve enjoyed more thorough world building and imagery, though. I feel it was an opportunity not fully realized.  

Mack and Brandon have forged close friendships with Eli, Quinn, Booker, and even Lachlan. I, for real, got a lump of sadness in my throat when the crew all split up and went their own ways at the end. I hope the wait for book four in Mack’s Marvelous Manifestations series isn’t as long. These are delightful characters in creatively written books and I can’t wait to read more.  

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon