Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  The Spooky Life

SERIES:   The Spectral Files #4

AUTHOR:  S.E. Harmon

PUBLISHER:   Self-Published

LENGTH:  324 pages

RELEASE DATE:   April 18, 2022

BLURB:

Rain Christiansen isn’t sure he’ll ever fully understand the supernatural. But he’s finally finding his groove as a reluctant medium and cold-case detective. That’s not to say everything is going smoothly—there’s a wedding in the works, after all. He’s finally taking that enormous step with fellow detective, Daniel McKenna, and he couldn’t be happier…about the marriage. Not so much the wedding. The hoopla is enough to make him wish for a quick flight to Vegas and an Elvis officiant.

At least work is keeping Rain and the PTU plenty busy. Their latest case involves Hannah Caldwell, a silent ghost who can’t—or won’t—speak. She still manages to request that they find her dear friend, Cherry Parker, so that she can say goodbye. Piece of cake. Finding people is pretty high on the list of things that Rain does best.

But when it comes to ghosts, nothing is ever quite what it seems. Before long, his simple missing person’s case takes a dark and twisted turn. And Rain realizes he’s been so busy trying to protect Danny that he forgot to protect himself.

If he doesn’t turn things around—and quickly—his spooky life might be cut short for good.

REVIEW:

Oh my gawd! The Spooky Life Is everything if you’re a fan of Rain and Danny. The boys are back, but if you’re anything like me, they’ve never left your heart. This is the first all-nighter I’ve pulled this year…I couldn’t bear to wait another moment for their story.

Since its been a year and a half since the last book of the Spectral Files series, here’s a quick refresher for those of you who also have a cerebellum that seems to process memories with a sieve – Rain is a medium who sees ghosts. It lost him his career as an FBI profiler and he was sent back to his Brickell Bay, Florida, hometown to work on a cold case with his sexy ex-boyfriend, Danny. That case resulted in the creation of the Paranormal Tactical Unit, the police department’s cold case unit for dealing with… ghosts. Rain and Danny patched up their relationship and at the end of Spooky Business they got engaged. *sigh*

The story begins with the nightmare of wedding planning with one’s over-eager future mother-in-law, which filled me with:

1. Glee, as it reminded me of the swoon-worthy proposal and because who doesn’t want to see our sweetie-pies get married?
2. Guffaws, knowing that S.E. Harmon’s omnipresent humor is going to milk this scenario for all it’s worth, all book long
3. Unease, remembering my own desire to elope one week before my wedding after fourteen months dealing with interfering parents

The wedding planning is indeed hilarious. It’s interspersed throughout the missing persons case du jour, like when Danny conducts a Zoom meeting from a wedding cake testing while he and Rain shove layers of sugary sweetness in their literal cakeholes. The racy kiss they indulge in is more than sweet.

The case begins when Rain is visited by a ghost while they’re attempting to deter the wedding planner from booking a horse drawn carriage. The ghost is mute but, nonetheless, conveys that a woman named Cherry Parker needs to be found. Seventeen years ago, Cherry disappeared and whether she left her husband and two young children voluntarily or was murdered remains unknown. Rain’s dreams become progressively scarier as additional elements create a multifaceted investigation. The case grows increasingly intense as the story unfolds and culminates in some terrifying moments because of a diabolical ghost’s machinations.

The superb cast of characters includes the crime fighting trio of Kevin, who eats everything in sight, Nick and his foot-in-mouth disease, and Tabitha, who tries to lend some normalcy to the team. There’s also Danny’s mother, Paula, for better or worse, Rain’s weed growing, hippie parents, and Watson, the lazy, farting dog. Finally, there’s Rain’s enthusiastic, quirky, spiritual guru, Dakota Daydream, who advises him on all things ghostly. This series wouldn’t be half of what it is without this collection of amusing, dynamic characters.

What truly makes this book so special is Rain and Danny’s heartwarming relationship. I adore same couple series in which I can grow attached to the leading men and watch their personalities and dynamic with each other develop; they’re always my go-to rereads. It’s like coming home to friends, which would make Rain and Danny two of my best friends. They are one of my very favorite couples in all of MM romance. The Spooky Life exemplifies the best of same couple books: there’s time for the couple to develop a bond much deeper than what can be found in just a single book. There aren’t the butterflies in the tummy feelings of brand-new love; instead, the men experience an immeasurable, deeper love as they grow together. It’s a warm, seasoned love that says, “I know what we have is so good I’m never letting go”. Their heartwarming feelings for each other are evident in their playful banter, their level of comfort with each other, and in their words, looks, and actions. They conquer obstacles as a couple, each bringing their strengths to the plate.

Ms. Harmon is an immensely talented storyteller and her sublime, dry humor is second to none. When I read, I highlight the hilarious parts of a book in bright blue. Guess what color half of The Spooky Life is? It’s the humor mixed with the continuing love story of two fantastic, sexy leading men, a compelling mystery, and a lovable supporting cast that drive this story to perhaps be my favorite in the series, and definitely one of my favorite reads this year. If you’re a fan of The Spectral Files, rest assured this is a great one; if you haven’t yet started this series, it’s time to begin with book one, P.S. I Spook You. Highly, highly recommended.

RATING: 

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