GRRR. I really wanted to like this one. In fact I did enjoy it for a bit. The very beginning wasn't too bad. But THEN it just DEVOLVED. I didn't like the characters - they were very stereotypical and did NOT seem like they were in their early 20's. They read more like they were in their early teens. That wasn't believable.

What else bothered me was why talk so much about the house when there was literally NOTHING within the house that had to do with anything? And why did they go on this trip and not investigate the abandoned town more the once or twice?!

It was frustrating. And the ending...Well. Semi-good twist I guess but it just came from nowhere. Demons and portals, etc. I feel like this should have been built up slowly throughout the first part of the book.

I might try something else from this author however I was not impressed with this book.

This LGBTQIA love story between main characters Blair and Leif gives strong Point Horror vibes through most of the story.

The small group of ghost-hunting characters are tricked into an isolated location, cut off from outside contact, then start being killed off one at a time in And Then There Were None style (which is actually referenced by the characters during the story).

I guessed the culprit pretty early on, as their behaviour changed almost as soon as the main plot got underway, but there was no way I could have guessed the motivations and paranormal shenanigans that lay behind it all – I had to wait for the climax reveal to find out what was actually going on.

While the horror goings-on were slightly creepy, there was nothing too scary (or believable!) here and the main focus of the book was really the frenemy-to-lovers central romance. Blair and Leif were the only characters that felt fully developed and rounded out – the other characters felt like cyphers there to play a specific role – the elderly knitting psychic, the affable ‘dad’ figure and a bunch of interchangeable YA influencers (with a little disability rep thrown in).

And that was the main problem that held the book back: it is a sweet romance story and a fun slightly-spooky paranormal murder mystery, but it just never felt quite as fully fleshed-out as it could have been.

Not the typical haunted house, ghost story, and thank goodness for that. How do you put a fresh spin on a genre that has been around for ages and has become so overdone, there are too many paranormal books and shows that you can't even choose one? Ward adds in an epic romance, lgbtqia characters, and social media influencers to the mix. With a big ole helping of dramatics and mystery, the multitude of paranormal romance fans are going to eat this read right up. The main character is the kind of nerdy hot that most nerds strive to be and I mean this in the best way possible. This is a quick read with enough umph to inspire raucous page turning, you know, the kind of read where you just have to know what's going to happen next.

This is a DNF for me. I couldn't make it past 12%. The premise is right up my alley but I just did not vibe with the writing style. The dialogue was weird and the characters just seem off too. I really wanted to like this because I love a good ghost story. However, it comes across as very juvenile. I felt like I was reading from the pov of a 15 year old.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review.

Ghost Town is a horror/paranormal novel by R.E.Ward. Released 13th Feb 2024 by Bold Strokes, it's 240 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a -creepy- but very well written book mostly aimed at the YA/NA audience. Pairing and contrasting a serious paranormal investigator with a podcast content creator who is out for engagement and clicks. The characters are written as fairly immature and especially Leif (the podcaster/content creator) comes across as very immature (high school aged).

It's a thriller mystery in a creepy ghost town with a limited suspect pool and an isolated mansion type setting. The mystery, denouement, and resolution are well plotted and twisty (and creepy). There's a well written f/f romance between the two lead characters, which happily doesn't overtake the main plotline and is handled well and in a balanced manner.

Three and a half stars, but recommended most for younger adult readers who like atmospheric romance thriller mysteries.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Thank you Netgalley, R E Ward and Bold Strokes Books, Inc for the eArc of Ghost Town.

This is a great YA ( not sure if that's the target audience ) atmospheric mystery thriller. It has a very similar premise to Agatha Christies stories which works well. Blair is a Paranormal Investigator and often posts her video and evidence on an influencer channel, SpiritScientific. Many likeminded people also use this channel, including Leif. As with these channels, there's some healthy competition and when they all get invited to investigate a famed ghost town, Masonville, it's apparent that Leif and Blair don't like each other much. As day turns to evening, things start to happen, spooky going ons and then someone dies. It something supernatural going on? or is it something more sinister?

I really enjoyed this book. It's medium paced and it does read like a YA book for me, mainly because of the age of the characters. The POV is mainly from Blair and Leif, trying to figure out what they are feeling about each other and what's going on with the spooky surroundings. The characters were developed and I really enjoyed the banter between Abe, Leif and Blair. I also felt that the LGBTQ representation was done tactfully and respectfully.

If you like mystery thrillers like Then there was none or cosy paranormal thrillers with good rep, then Ghost Town is a good pick.

3.5 rounded to 4 for Netgalley/Amazon/ Goodreads

Book Review for Ghost Town by R.E. Ward

Book Summary: Paranormal investigator Blair Wyndon is hell-bent on proving that ghosts are real. She posts the evidence she collects on the website, SpiritScientific, a well-known haven for like-minded paranormal believers. Well, like-minded except for Leif Henderson. 

Leif is a ghost hunter, not some stuffy paranormal investigator. She makes the kind of videos that thrill her audience, not bore them nearly to death. It’s all about clicks, views, and keeping the public watching to grow her fan base. She’s going to prove that ghosts exist with a dash of flair. Not like Blair.
When they each receive an exclusive invitation to investigate the famed ghost town of Masonville, they jump at the chance. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity neither is willing to give up, even if it turns out that they must share the glory.
But they aren’t the only ones who have been invited. The mystery suddenly turns deadly. Someone or something else is in Masonville, and if Blair and Leif don’t find a way to escape, they might never leave.

Book Review: ⭐️
I was looking forward to reading this book based on the summary. I love a good ghost story and throw in some paranormal research and I am in. It starts off with Blair and her partner Abe investigating at a paper mill. I was expecting a little more spookiness during the investigations.
Blair and Abe are invited to investigate an entire ghost town. The book was good up until about the midpoint. The dialogue between the characters was so cringy. I felt like I was reading something between kids.
As the book got closer to the end, I started hating it. It just started getting weird and the things the characters were doing was just downright idiotic. The dialogue just got worse. I wanted to read a spooky paranormal investigation book, not a book that had a love blossoming between two characters. A lot of the things going on between those characters should have been left out because who acts in that way during being scared? I wanted to like it more but the book just went from good to bad.

Thanks to Bold Stroke Books and Netgalley for the arc.

When I saw this book's cover and description, I was very excited for what I expected it to be. However, I quickly had to set my expectations aside and read the book for what it really was. And what it turned out to be was a fun and interesting genre mashup that was obviously and loosely inspired by Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None." The characters and pacing also read more like a young/new adult novel, rather than a more contemporary mystery/romance, which may not appeal to a more mature audience. Once I realized and accepted that this was not going to be the ghost hunting book I was expecting, I was able to enjoy the book as it was written. Yes, I would have loved to see more actual ghost hunting and exploration of the town, and the characters could have used more depth, but all in all, it was a fun read. The supernatural twist to the murder mystery was entertaining and the idea that belief and lack there of has power and influence on the universe added a layer of maturity and an understanding of humanity that was refreshing at such an intense part of the story. If you choose to read Ghost Town, set your expectations aside, accept that the author has taken creative liberties you may not be used to, and just enjoy the journey.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy in exchange for a voluntary and honest review.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

This book wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but I still had fun. To me, it read much more like a YA novel, but fortunately YA mystery/thriller is one of my favorite genres! If you’re looking for something more adult with more focus on the romance, this might not be for you.

Genre confusion aside, my biggest complaint is that the book was too short and moved too fast! The idea was great, several groups of internet famous ghost hunters exploring an abandoned town and chaos ensues. I wish the characters had more development, as they were a really fun and diverse group. The romance felt extremely rushed and I do wish it had been explored more.

All in all a quick, fun read even if it wasn’t what I was expecting. Awesome LGBTQ+ and disability representation with a little bit of spookiness and quite a bit of gore at the end. If you’re looking for intense, developed lesbian romance, that Bold Strokes is usually known for, this isn’t it. But if, like me, you love a fun YA mystery/thriller romp with maybe more questions than answers I think you’ll have fun.

★ ★ ★ • 3

I did enjoy the paranormal elements and characters but the plot was a bit slow and I ended up skimming quite a bit for the first 20% or so of the book. Eventually, that it did pick up but the horror elements were somewhat more mild than I expected… Which is perfect if you’re a beginner to the genre or okay with some horror but anything especially scary. Still worth mentioning to be cautious if you’re bothered but gore.

Not a bad read if you’re in the mood for a paranormal thriller with good wlw representation. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC for review!

Paranormal investigator Blair Wyndon is hell-bent on proving that ghosts are real. She posts the evidence she collects on the website, SpiritScientific, a well-known haven for like-minded paranormal believers. Well, like-minded except for Leif Henderson.

I liked this but I didn't love it. I wish it was a little longer and had spent a little more time establishing the world and the characters.

Oh man, I really wanted to like this book.

Oh the surface, Ghost Town has everything I'm looking for in a novel: queer characters and themes, paranormal storyline, horror, ghosts and its a thriller!

...But, sadly, all of this could not make up for what I found to be quite lacking writing. The execution left a lot to be desired, and potentially could have done with a few more rounds of revisions and feedback from critiquing partners. The prose seemed to wander between Y.A. and adult thriller, and multiple times the pacing felt off. It would either drag when it didn't need to or rush through scenes and details that could have been developed and explored more.

I hate to give negative reviews, especially when the book is in the queer AND horror categories as queer representation is sorely lacking in the horror space, but this one just didn't quite cut it for me.

Definitely check this one out! I like how it kept my attention throughout. Haven’t heard of this author until now so thank you NetGalley for letting me check it out

This was a really good story. The main characters were very well written and the storyline was very interesting. This felt like a Science fiction meets gory Murder Mystery Romance to me. I liked the main characters and their relationship was very cute and sweet. The ghost story was spooky and kind of scary and creepy, but I thoroughly enjoyed every chapter of this book. I would definitely recommend this book too my friends and family and I look forward to what's next from this author.

This book had a great spooky atmosphere but, other than that, it was a bit of a struggle to get through. There were so many characters that didn't really feel like they were fully fleshed out and, after a while, they all started to feel like the same people. I think that I went into this with very different expectations than what the book actually was. I thought that this would be a thriller or horror story but it felt like more of a romance book targeted at young adults. I managed to finish the book but I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books, and R.E. Ward for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a creepy and surprising book! I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of ghosts, mad scientists, ghost hunters, and abandoned creepy towns. This is a legit thriller with gore and death. Well done, and a lovely sapphic romance to spice it up.

This was a fantastic, edge of your seat read. One should never investigate haunted places without expected a whole mess of trouble. And trouble, dead bodies, and a slew of spooky are definitely found. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Ghost Town. If you like the paranormal and ghost hunters type of novel this is a good read.
This has a mix of everything Scy fy and a bit of history to boot.
This is a quick read and will keep you engaged till the end. 3 stars

3.5! Ghost Town follows paranormal investigator, Blair Wyndon, as she posts scientific based evidence she collects on the website, SpiritScientific. Similarly, Leif Henderson has an interest in the paranormal, although calls herself a ghost hunter and likes to thrill her audience with a dash of flair (resulting in views and clicks), unlike Blair. Both women (eeeee let's go girls! WLW WOO) receive an exclusive invitation to investigate the famed, privately owned ghost town of Masonville, But, wait!... soon the ghostly mystery turns deadly!!! "omg shock*

Okay I genuinely had fun reading this. Although the rivalry narrative seemed to be ghosted (pardon the pun LOL) and fell flat—they legit only had different styles of investigation/hunting??—I couldn't. put. it. down. This, paired with the fact young love seemed a bit rushed in literature—hell young love in my own life was as well lmaoooo—and they forgot said rivalry and went to lesbihonest and pet names? Give me more hate-wanting, and looks of longing with internal waring pls. Loved the twists and turns. and the creepy atmosphere Ward created. Kinda read like a YA at times due to immature dialogue, although me loves a Young so not entirely mad about dat (I'm also very immature soooo).

We love women loving women, YTG! YEAH THE GIRLS! and yeah the ghosts works as well, lmaooo.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️
👻📹⛺𖤐☠️

Ghost Town is a great spooky read about a group of ghost hunters who come together to investigate a haunted abandoned town. It follows the points of view of rivals, Blaire and Leif. Both have their own way of hunting ghosts, and they clash with the way each other does it, so being forced to be together with a group of like-minded people, they get to know each other a bit better and realize it isn't all just rivalry.

Things go from bad to worse when the first ghost hunter is found dead. Strange things keep happening, and you'll be on the edge of your seat wondering who or what the heck is killing the ghost hunters off one, by one.

R.E Ward writes in a way that keeps you glued to the pages. It was easy to read, it was spooky, and there was a well-written spicy scene. I recommend it to all who love a good sapphic spooky story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldstroke Books for a copy of the ebook this review is left voluntarily.