Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Michael Cook has left his abusive lover and settled in the small town of Banning, Illinois. Having nowhere else to go, he checks into the Raven’s Rest Inn and soon learns that the haunted reputation of the hotel is well deserved. Michael gets a job at a local café, where he meets Trey Ramsey. Though Michael has misgivings about starting up a new relationship, Trey seems to be the complete opposite of Michael’s controlling ex, so he decides to give Trey a chance.

Life at the Raven’s Rest becomes increasingly frightening when the ghost of Coleman Hollis appears in Michael’s room. Coleman seems to want something from Michael, and the mystery deepens when Michael discovers he’s the spitting image of Coleman’s lover from years ago. Together, Michael and Trey must discover why Coleman’s spirit is drawn to the Raven’s Rest—and to Michael.

Book Review

After Michael Cook, of ‘Raven's Rest’ by Steven Osborne, moves into Raven's Rest Inn, he learns that it is haunted. Michael is skeptical until the Ghost of Coleman appears convinced that he's his lover, Bryan. The likeness of Michael to Bryan seems to have set off some psychic connection between Michael and the ghost. Instead of being afraid, Michael, against almost everyone's advice, feels strongly compelled to help Coleman.

Michael is desperate to make a new start in his life. His ex-boyfriend took care of everything and he has had enough. He accidentally stumbles into a job at a coffee shop when the owner's unmotivated son, Trey, drops the ball and his mom needs more help. Michael and Trey are instantly drawn to each other. Even though Michael knows he shouldn't, he falls into a relationship with Trey. Although Trey seems like a total badass rebel, he's more of an angel with horns, tender heart and all. Trey and Michael find that they are good for each other; Michael helps Trey learn motivation and Trey is the complete opposite of Michael's ex. He's loving, reassuring, and loyal. Trey and Michael are equals, and it’s better than Michael always having to defer to him like he did his ex. It's a great feeling, for both of them.

After Michael sees Coleman's ghost he tells Trey who is skeptical until he sees the ghost with his own eyes. Then he's terrified. But, when Michael asks Trey to help him solve the mystery of why Coleman is haunting Raven’s Rest when he supposedly moved to another town and married, Trey agrees. Although they mean well, the young men are not sure how to conduct an investigation. They start by asking questions and mostly rely on hints, visions, and clues that come from Coleman himself, but it's clumsy at best since it takes incredible energy for Coleman to manifest his presence, much less to speak, so the impressions are unclear at best. Soon, Michael and Trey get too close to the truth for the comfort of the man responsible for the disappearances, putting them in mortal danger.

Michael and Trey are well drawn characters and are easy to like. I am puzzled about why they chose not to use social media, archived newspaper articles, or search engines in addition to how they gathered information. This method would have been more anonymous, keeping them safe. There are some particularly memorable secondary characters who add humor, support, and also a threat. Although both romances were important, it's Coleman and Bryan's that made the read more intense. If you enjoy a paranormal romance with mystery and intrigue, you may like this book. Thank you, Stephen, for the enjoyable mystery romance.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspiner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 200 pages/61855 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	23-September-2016
Price	$6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/ravens-rest-by-stephen-osborne-7550-b