“I didn’t believe in ghosts. Until I met him.”As a horror novelist, Ben makes a living telling scary stories. However, he’s struggling in his career and fears he’s lost his touch. Not only is there a disconnect in his writing, but in his personal life as well. After his relationship goes south, he decides to start over and moves to Ivy Grove, a small town with a lot of history.He hopes the quaint … hopes the quaint town and beautiful Victorian manor he moved into will spark inspiration and help him fall back in love with writing.
And then strange things start happening.
Creaks in the hall, shadows from the corner of his eye, and the sense that he’s being watched. Ben soon learns that the manor has a dark past, and within the morbid history, he discovers a century old mystery.
Who is Theo Blackwell? And what happened to him all those years ago?
As Ben begins to unravel the truth, he finds himself not only falling in love with writing again, but also falling for the stunning young man who haunts his manor.
The Ghost of Ellwood is a paranormal m/m romance. You’ll find mystery, a somewhat grumpy writer, a sassy ghost, and of course a HEA.
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Thanks to my mother, I LOVE ghost stories. I was always reading ghost stories and it wasn’t long before I was reading my mother’s books featuring ghosts. She liked mysteries but LOVED ghost stories. With many year’s experiences, I’ve become a bit of a snob about ghost stories and have found myself being so disappointed with many of the books in the past. So much so, I had stopped reading them for a well over a decade. I’m very excited that The Ghost of Ellwood, Ivy Grove Book 1 has restored my interest in them. It is just a perfect ghost story! Dang, Jaclyn Osborn wrote the book JUST right! Please ‘feel’ what I’m saying! I NEED so much more of this series! She included many elements that are an absolute must for a ghost story but she also added numerous surprises that were pleasant and refreshing. I LOVE that this writer was not afraid of putting her very special spin on this particular niche in M/M paranormal romance. Well done, Ms. Osborn. Extremely well done!
I found this book on a Halloween ghost story kick and I loved it. Osborn struck the perfect balance between spooky danger and tragedy versus sweet romance and a happy ending. Beautifully done, I loved the romance and how the haunting unfolded through the book.
I really loved this book. Ben and Theo are so sweet together. I love ghost stories and this one was really amazing. It was really beautiful. Hauntingly do.
I cried when I read about Harvey and what happened to Theo. It was heartbreaking. I love how Ben and Theo’s relationship slowly progressed. The building of trust. They are perfect for each other.
“You keep me grounded, Ben Cross. You add color to my black and white world.”
Carter, Ben’s best friend, is my favourite. I’m a huge Tokyo Ghoul fan too and I love that he’s into anime. I can’t wait for his book, hopefully with Z.
This was just what I wanted. You get the haunted house, a love story, and the suspense of what will happen next and the what if feel. Plus the author gave a full town history to Ellwood and Blackwell manor. I am thrilled with the ending as well and can’t wait for Carter’s story. Who is Z and how come only Carter saw all of those people at Redwood?
A hauntingly romantic and chilling tale featuring a haunted Victorian manor, a ghost stuck between worlds, and a blocked horror writer on a deadline. Oh, and ghost sex!
What more could you want?
The Ghost of Ellwood grabbed me instantly, and I couldn’t put it down. I had to read it in one sitting. Theo and Ben compelled it. Jaclyn Osborn weaves the paranormal so well with the living and ties it up with a heckuva lot of intrigue and romance. I was ready to be scared and thrilled, and I had both in equal measure.
The story is told entirely from Ben’s POV, and I enjoyed it this way. It amped up the mystery tenfold. So, Ben is cheated on, his last two novels weren’t the best, and he’s blocked in his current WIP. A change of pace and scenery is in order. He finds a Victorian manor for cheap and moves in fast. Buuut, he’s not the only resident…
*cue horror music*
I just loved this one so hard. There’s the mystery of the ghost living in the house as well as his disappearance, and then there’s Ben who wants to solve the mystery, but is ready for what he will uncover? Add in the cute guy living down the street and things aren’t straightforward. The history and the ghost story combined and there were also layers of love stories woven in there, too.
It was all done flawlessly. I was enchanted in some moments, in love the next, and then given the heebie-jeebies. Reading this book was an experience. I cannot wait for book two–the even more haunted Redwood!!!
I’m a fan. If you’re in the mood for a Halloween read that tugs on the heartstrings while raising the hairs on your arms…well, congrats. You found it!
Highly recommended.
5 stars!
CW: domestic violence
Love knows no boundaries
I would love to be able to stay in a Victorian house at some point but was surprised that as an author Ben didn’t ask more questions. I get he needed to make a change though. His ex is a jerk, and I’m glad he’s rid of him. Ben has a kind soul and I relate to his curiosity; Theo, though, he’s the one with my heart, even if he’s too stubborn at times. His story made me cry, and their connection surpasses the intangible.
“Shadows cling to me wherever I go.” I enjoyed the ghostly encounters in Ben’s home. They were heartfelt, sad, funny and sexy. I really liked the rapport that slowly developed between Ben and Theo. “Then, we can live in dusk.” So many happy feels from this book. The greenhouse scene touched my heart and the ghost tantrums scene made me chuckle. Theo has a wicked sense of humor and I was happy to see a lighter side to him. After he came around, I enjoyed seeing Carter tease him and his nickname for Theo made me laugh. Also, I appreciated how Carter stuck up for Ben.
I absolutely loved the spooky atmosphere and the creepy mystery that featured in this book. And I always appreciate when libraries play a important role in books. I think Jaclyn Osborn is very clever with the story inside our story, and oh wow, the ending, it left me breathless. I’m anxiously awaiting the next one.
This is a wonderful book!!!
Jaclyn Osborn simply outdid herself with this AWESOME ghost story!!!!
Ben is a writer facing the end of a relationship and a writing block, nothing seems right, until he finds a perfect Manor to move into – he couldn’t imagine how that decision would change his life…
Theo Blackwell was intrigued by the new man that moved into his Manor… Fascinated actually… suddenly his days were brighter, his existence made sense again, but how could it work? How could they be together? they were litterally opposites… ying vs yang… sun vs moon… life vs death…
This book got me hooked from page 1 and left me in a book slump when I finished it… I simply wanted more of Theo and Ben – LOVED IT!