Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Spectral

SERIES:  Daydream, Colorado #4

AUTHOR:  A.M. Rose

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  305 pages

RELEASE DATE:  January 25, 2022

BLURB:

Emmerson helped save the entire town of Daydream from a deranged mage, and he saved someone’s life in the process. Granted, he didn’t do it intentionally, but he was sure it still earned him a reward or something. A cake. A balloon. A cute, dimpled, sometimes-ghost guy he was magically tied to, covered in cake and tied up with balloons.
He wasn’t that picky.
But things are rarely that simple in Daydream, and Emmerson will soon find out that fighting off a magically overpowered mage was nothing compared to the difficulties of the heart.

West was pretty sure he was used to being invisible. Spending a year as a ghost should not have been a huge change for him. West had nothing but time in his solitude to nurse his regrets, the biggest one being the beautiful witch apprentice he’d never had the courage in life to approach.
When West finds himself not quite as dead as he thought he was, the struggle of a second chance suddenly becomes real. But being magically tied to the person you’ve been crushing on for ages wasn’t part of the plan. And neither were the aftereffects of his little ghost excursion.
Apparently, coming back from the dead won’t be the hardest thing West will have to do.

REVIEW:

Spectral is another great addition to the whimsical Daydream, Colorado series. You should know that this won’t work well as a standalone. You need to read Whirlwind first to get the full backstory on the leading men, but really, I highly recommend reading the whole series in order.

In Whirlwind, an ostracized mage was found to be the source of two years worth of anomalies in the town. The mage wanted revenge and used West, a ghost, to achieve it. Emmerson is a witch in training, the apprentice to Daydream’s head witch, Malachi. Emmerson knows West from when he made him a charm that unknowingly kept West from dying altogether. It magically tied them together, which is where Spectral picks up, a month after Whirlwind ended.

Being linked is making Emmerson’s magic unpredictable and is putting a drain on West. Its dangerous for both of them so Malachi is struggling to find a way to safely break the charm. West frequently visits the magic shop but whenever he sees Emmerson, he recoils and hides his face. Emmerson, who’s no stranger to rejection, is hurt and upset by West’s reaction. West isn’t rejecting Em, though; he’s embarrassed because Em now knows of West’s years-long crush on him, and he’s ashamed because he thinks everyone blames him for Daydream almost being obliterated.

This is an adorable love story. These men are so sweet and gentle, and their dates so romantic, with hand holding, hitched breaths, and West shyly blushing and ducking his head. West is tremendously infatuated with Em. Being loved by Em has been a lifelong, unattainable dream. West wants nothing more than to have a chance to cherish Emmerson, make him happy and feel cared for.

Emmerson is quite fond of West, too, but he’s insecure. He’s been told he’s unreliable, exhausting, and flaky by others and has been repeatedly stood up by dates. He needs the validation of those he’s close to. Because he thinks so little of himself, he’s learned to rely on his looks to attract men. West, however, appreciates all of Emmerson, much more than just his appearance. Em feels heard and understood by West, and it’s lovely to see him bloom from West’s attention.

As swimmingly as their relationship is going, though, their intertwined magic is increasingly causing problems. The only choice might be to stay apart from each other. Malachi can’t find the answer so it falls to Emmerson to find his confidence and solve the problem himself.

The entire gang makes appearances in the book. A movie night in the park includes Mason and Drew, Sage and Ben, Darian and Tate, Dylan and Jamie, and of course, Nick and Felix. Nick is Emmerson’s roommate and West lives with Felix, so those two are around a lot. They provide a lot of humor and are particularly funny when giving the lovebirds little nudges toward each other. Hawthorne and Malachi, as Em’s surrogate parents, are around, too.

If you enjoyed the previous Daydream, Colorado books, you’ll love this charming gem. I highly recommend it.

RATING: 

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