Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Felix’s life is full, juggling a supportive homelife for his disabled brother, a job as a care home assistant, a brand new boyfriend—and now he’s had his arse pinched by a lewd gay ghost on the late night bus!

If only that were the end of it. But Bryn the ghost follows him home and wheedles himself into Felix’s life. That includes sharing his shameless opinions on the patronising way Felix treats his brother, on how Felix should eat more food and put some flesh on his bones, and—worst of all—exactly how Felix should be getting down to it with his seriously sexy new boyfriend Mickey! And in between all that, Bryn finds time to leer at Felix himself and make outrageous suggestions on what they’d be doing if Bryn wasn’t...well...ghostly.

Felix considers he’s a tolerant guy. But the last thing he needs now is to get wrapped up in the mystery of a missing teenage girl, the inhabitants of a local squat, and conversations with a fire-and-brimstone old preacher. Yet with a nudge or six from Bryn, the help of his brother Patrick, and some cosy loving from Mickey, Felix starts to wonder how he ever thought his life was busy before!

 

Book Review

Felix, of No Angel' by Clare London, has a lot going on in his life and he's in a constant state of worry, particularly about his twenty-year-old, physically challenged brother, Patrick. Felix is extremely protective of him and worries about how he will make it. Felix needs something to shake him up. He could seriously use a guardian angel to guide him. What he ends up with is definitely no angel; it's a disembodied spirit called Bryn, who has a distinctly different view on life and how Felix is living his, whether Felix agrees or not.

A pinch on the arse is a strange introduction, but that's precisely how Felix meets Bryn. At first, Felix chalks his paranormal experience up to being exhausted and tries to dismiss the whole event; but in the process incenses Bryn who lets Felix know it. Felix and Bryn come to a compromise. Bryn can stay, but certain privacy rules apply, like not being around when he's in the bathroom or in bed with someone. Felix gives Bryn a taste of being alive again. Although he resists Bryn's opinion on the matter, which is that he shelters Patrick too much which isn't helping and, in reality, is actually holding Patrick back. Felix takes a long, hard look at his relationship with his brother and at the hermit-like life style he's leading. He sees that the excuses he's been using for limiting himself aren't valid. Also, when Felix gets to see Patrick in action, through other people's eyes, while helping Felix find a missing girl, he sees that he's vastly underestimated him. Felix also has to step back and examine his motives for not furthering a relationship with Mickey, his best friend, a man who obviously loves and wants him; someone Felix has loved for years. Felix's reasoning that he's boring and not good enough for Mickey just doesn't hold water any longer. As Felix's self-confidence builds and his outlook on life becomes better, with a lot of urging from Bryn, Felix recognizes that he's exactly what Mickey needs; someone who is thoughtful, passionate, and loves him unconditionally.

Bryn isn't entirely happy with his restrictions, but he tries his best to comply. He's becoming quite fond of Felix and wants to stick around for a while. Bryn is so delighted to find someone who can hear him that he's not eager to let go; Bryn knows that without his connection with Felix, he will have to go back to the loneliness he's endured for so long before him. Bryn becomes emotionally invested in Felix and sincerely wants to help him. Although Bryn's methods of persuasion are questionable and a lot of times result in hilarity, he also influences Felix to trust Mickey, his best friend, and take a leap of faith in loving him. When the granddaughter of a patient, where Felix works, goes missing and Bryn becomes obsessed with finding and reuniting her with her grandfather, Bryn's unique viewpoint gives Felix the help he needs to as well as presenting Bryn with the opportunity to improve his own self-esteem. He goes from being a sarcastic, lewd, sometimes pain in the arse, to being truly considerate. Rather than wallow in the negative things that happened when he was alive, he's given a chance to be proud of himself instead.

This story is full of British humor and attitude, but underneath lie more serious lessons. Felix and Bryn's association provides them with a unique opportunity to learn, experience, and grow and, fortunately, they take advantage of. It was interesting watching the two of them begin to trust and care for each other which lead to them becoming more satisfied and happy, as well as useful; something both of them desperately needed. In a manner of speaking, Bryn and Felix's character growth, is the main character. There's also the theme of forgiveness and redemption as demonstrated in the relationship between the missing girl and her grandfather reminding us that, often, the things we fear the most never happen. I recommend this story to those who enjoy slightly irreverent, very randy, blunt ghosts, a young man who severely underestimates himself, and the magic they are able to create together. Thanks, Clare, for the entertaining, while still serious, read.

 

 

 

 

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Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 39000 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	15-June-2014
Price
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