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The Spectral Files #1

P.S. I Spook You

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SSA Rain Christiansen used to be the agency’s golden boy. It just takes one moment of weakness, one slight, tiny, itty-bitty paranormal sighting, and all of a sudden he’s the agency’s embarrassment. His boss gives him one last chance to redeem himself—go down to Brickell Bay, play nice with the local police, and leave the ghost sightings behind. Rain is determined to do exactly that, even if it kills him.

Cold-case detective Daniel McKenna’s latest investigation is going nowhere fast. Five years earlier, high school student Amy Greene went missing after leaving her part-time job and was never seen again. Daniel is glad to finally have the FBI help that his department requested, even if it does come in the form of his ex.

It doesn’t help that Rain is pretty sure he’s falling in love with Danny all over again—if he ever stopped. Add to that the frustration of seeing ghosts at every turn while he works a case that’s stalled in its tracks, and Rain is starting to wonder if second chances and happy endings are just for fairy tales.

256 pages, ebook

First published June 12, 2017

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4686 people want to read

About the author

S.E. Harmon

22 books1,725 followers
S.E. Harmon has had a lifelong love affair with writing. It's been both wonderful and rocky (they've divorced several times), but they always manage to come back together. She's a native Floridian with a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters in Fine Arts, and used to spend her time writing educational grants. She now splits her days between voraciously reading romance novels and squirreling away someplace to write them. Her current beta reader is a nosy American Eskimo who begrudgingly accepts payment in the form of dog biscuits.
http://seharmon.weebly.com/

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,368 reviews
Profile Image for Snjez.
1,018 reviews1,030 followers
March 27, 2022
4.5 stars

So glad I picked this book to be my first read of the year because I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The writing was excellent, the mystery part of the story was pretty good, Rain and Danny were wonderful characters, I loved the banter between them, and Ethan was a fun character, too.

**************
Re-read 1/2020

Re-read 8/2020 via audiobook: I liked the narrator's voice, however, Rain and Danny sounded the same, the voices for female characters were not so good and I do feel his narration often lacked something – emotion and enthusiasm maybe. It didn't bother me that much as I'd already read the book twice and know the story, but I definitely prefer reading it myself.

Re-read 3/2022: It's been a while since I last read this and I just remembered how much I love Rain and Danny as characters and how much I love their relationship. One of my favorite second chance romances. Great writing and great humor. Rounding up my rating to five stars.
Profile Image for Judith.
724 reviews2,940 followers
June 2, 2017
All the stars!! Loved it!!





This book is a little gem-just brilliant.I wasn't really sure what to expect before reading it but it's definitely up there as one of my top reads this year




-ghosts,
-mystery,
-delicious sex scenes,
-great characters,even one of the ghosts,
-hilarious banter between Rain and Danny.


Rain Christiansen works for the FBI.He sees ghosts,something he's far from happy about.After an encounter with a ghosts parents he's placed on psychiatric leave.He's given one last chance to redeem himself and is given a choice of cold cases to investigate.The one he chooses sees him returning to his hometown.......where his ex lives....


Danny McKenna also works for the FBI.He's more like a hot biker than a detective.Tall,dark,sexy, and just a bit broody.

It's obvious neither man is over each other

God was still winging the Danny vision in my direction, and apparently He, in His infinite wisdom, thought it’d be funnier to make that vision sexier than ever.



The mystery and romance run hand in hand and worked extremely well.There's absolutely nothing about this I didn't enjoy.The writing is superb and I'll definitely be looking at more of this Author's work.

Cannot recommended highly enough!


An Arc of P.S. I Spook You was given to me by the Author in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Shile (Hazard's Version) on-hiatus.
1,120 reviews1,058 followers
February 3, 2019
Reread Feb 2019 via Audiobook - 3 stars. The Narrator was just ok. He has a good voice but he didn't have distinct voices for the characters.

*********************************************
“Don’t you fall in lust, I warned my dick. Don’t you fall in love, it warned me right back.”

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5++++++++ stars

This book Is Awesome! Best second chance romance.

There is nothing more I can say that has not already been said in the other reviews. This on deserves all the praises.

Our Main MC and narrator Rain (i love his name) is an FBI profiler who sees dead people. When he is tasked with solving a missing person cold case, the case takes him back to his ex’s hometown. Danny his ex, is a detective and they are partnered to work on the case. The adventure begins from there.

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I Loved

- The humor and this one has lots of it, it will have you laughing from page one to the end. S.E Harmon’s sense of humor is just the kind I love. The writing was great, we only get Rain’s POV and that did not bother me at all, because I was left satisfied.

- Banter between Rain and Danny, it was on point, Rain knows how to throw around words and Danny knows how to catch and throw them back.

“Thar be treasure in that there unit,” I said with an awful accent.
He groaned. “Please don’t do the pirate.”
“Why? Ye showed me yer booty just last night.”
He spluttered with laughter. “You’re a perverted Davy Jones.” He leaned down to roll the door up. “And on that note, let’s see what we found.”


- The mystery too was engaging, it kept me guessing and entertained at the same time. Criminal Minds style.

-Rain’s hippie family, they were amazing and supportive. Nice to read about them.

My mother took one look at my prom date and said, “My God, Rain, I hope you’re not leading this poor girl on.” Luckily my date, Angela Jamison, had just been doing me a favor. My father certainly didn’t help things by peering out of the kitchen and sighing, “Honey, how long are we supposed to pretend we don’t know he’s gay?”

-Ethan the ghost, one of the best ghosts I have ever read about. I hope he gets to see the light, even though he says there is no light.

- The chemistry between Rain and Danny, it oozed off the pages, the sex was Hot! Filthy! Dirty! and I loved every second of it.

His mouth moved over mine aggressively, almost angrily, and that was fine by me. More than fine. If he tried to do flowers-and-roses romance right then, I would’ve seriously kicked his ass. As it was, I was pretty sure my lips were going to be swollen, the way he was abusing them. He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth and tugged on it with his teeth, wordlessly asking me to open more, and I did with no hesitation. He rewarded me by possessively plunging his tongue into my mouth.

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He sighed. “Jesus, take the wheel.”
“Tell Him to drive me home while He’s at it.” I closed the book and pushed to the edge of the bed, where I unhooked several leads that connected me to medical equipment—medical equipment I was almost 60 percent sure wasn’t mandatory. A particularly shrill beep made me pause. Hey, I did say 60 percent.
“Rain.”
“Come on, Danno. Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”
“Rain.”
“Real love is an Against Medical Advice form.”


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Profile Image for len ❀ .
391 reviews4,771 followers
April 8, 2024
Finally started this series in preparation of book five coming out next week and all I can say is that it fucking sucked. A second chance romance between two characters who apparently were together for three years but really, only had sex and worked on the cases together.

These two couldn’t talk about anything outside of work or their relationship. Like, they wouldn’t be able to be on a car ride and talk about anything…anything that wasn’t their previous relationship, sex, or work. How sad. And pathetic. I’m an introvert but even I’d able to make more conversation. There is more than celebrity gossip and politics that you can talk about, you know? Not every question needs to be about the weather, too.

Talk about something other than work. I puffed out my cheeks as I thought. He wasn’t talking about politics and celebrity gossip—being that he had no interest in the first and I had no knowledge or interest of the latter. Our work is what we’d bonded over. Followed by sex. And then, depending on how tiring the last round was, more sex. It was safer that way. In a real conversation, eventually the listening ended and you had to contribute some of your own thoughts. Your emotions. Your past. That was a bit of a minefield, as far as I was concerned.

Wow! Imagine having to make conversation with the person you’re together with? I know, SOOO dreadful. I cannot imagine having to contribute and just, talk. So annoying, right? Ugh!

There’s no chemistry between the two, no emotional connection, but apparently they love each other? The first time Rain tells Danny he loves him is after having sex, in which Danny was “asleep,” and the second, is in the end, when Rain is in the hospital, they confess to loving each other. Rain (cause we only get his POV) loves Danny because…I don’t even know. Because they had been “together” for a couple years? Because in those three years, Danny could read Rain’s sexual needs and urges so well? Because he knew his body so well? Because he could tell what he needed? Yet they couldn’t even talk about anything, anything at all!? I don’t understand how they were together yet we literally don’t learn anything about them, together, besides their sex and work life. And according to the author/characters, they were together. They were boyfriends for three years. But their life together just read as a situationship, and I hate using that because it’s such a gen-z/modern thing and not something that was really used before, but that’s how these two read as. As if they were together but weren’t actually, and they used each other for pleasure purposes.

It could very well be a “right person wrong time” situation, but there wasn’t any way to see this. The two don’t catch up, they just think with their dick and let that dictate how they feel. They’re both still sexually attracted to each other, so their relationship is only fueled by lust and arousal, not development and love. Adding on to that, each time they needed to talk about an important topic, it was followed by “not now” and sex used to combat it. So how am I supposed to root for your characters if they choose to not talk for no actual, logical, apparent reason other than “I’m not ready?” What a load of bullshit. There are no moments of vulnerability, no moments where the two show they have grown from what happened in the past, and no emotional connection being slowly built, full of trust. There are also no moments from their past that show us their relationship. All we know and hear about is how great the sex was. We don’t see any moments of them being together, showing us glimpses into the life they had together in the past. It’s literally as if they were just friends with benefits. For a second chance romance, the so-called romance is fast, very underdeveloped, and not angsty whatsoever. It’s as if it isn’t even a second chance, with how little second chance moments there really were.

I liked Rain’s character, honestly. I found his inner monologue entertaining and even funny. But there’s a lot the author is missing for his characterization. We don’t know how and why he is a medium and can talk to and see ghosts. It’s just something we need to accept, as if it just happened for Rain, and it could possibly be the case, but there’s hardly any backstory on him. His family doesn’t know about his ability, and his sister is the only one who might know because Rain told her. Plus, there’s no build up on Rain’s ability. Apparently ghosts can hurt him. How? We don’t know. It happened once and it can happen again, we just don’t know why and/or how. So basically, there’s not enough backstory/information on how this all came to be and how it happens. I understand that this first installment serves more of a starter to Rain accepting that he’s quite possible a medium (he is) but only in the end. Throughout the whole story, he’s mad about it, despite it not being something entirely new to him yet it feels as if he just started noticing this. It would’ve helped had he already done something about this ability/power/gift, or if we had seen it unfold.

Danny’s character is lacking more. I think he’s a sexy character, truth be told, but he’s unmemorable. The only good traits about him are his looks. There are no appealing traits about him that aren’t physical. He’s a good detective and seems to be someone Rain can easily rely on, but his character is incredibly bland. Furthermore, both characters are mildly uninteresting, putting it nicely. There’s potential for their characters to feel more memorable, but neither men stand out. It’s as if the author just wants you to accept they are who they are, and what happened just happened. If this method words for you, that’s fine and all, but I’m the type of reader that needs more to go on from. I’m not expecting to relate to the characters all the time (I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, but you cannot relate to every character for obvious reasons), but I am expecting to have more depth to them. I need more than superficial stuff added for the sake of creating two fictional characters because a story is a story. In Rain and Danny’s case, both felt so dull.

Apparently I could say more than just “it sucked.”

All in all, if I was someone who would give up on a series after the first book was bad, I would say this was a waste of time. But alas, I am not, sadly, and so I will continue on and move forward to the sequel and make my way through the series. I’m no longer motivated and excited to catch up, though.
Profile Image for ~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~.
3,573 reviews1,113 followers
July 13, 2017
Creative, sexy, and insanely funny, P.S. I Spook You is a big win for S.E. Harmon!

Two thumbs UP for:

~ ETHAN: Ethan, the smartass ghost, just wants closure, and if he can watch his own private porno show while he's at it, well, you can't blame the guy. He's dead after all. All the HUGS for Ethan. LOVED HIM.



~ Being in Rain's head: If you get stuck with a name like Rainstorm courtesy of your eager, new age parents, you gotta give life the finger. And Rain does. He overthinks everything, but seeing the world through his eyes, ghosts and all, is an experience not to be missed. Rain is smart, irreverent, and hilarious.

We were out of Cheerios. Out of coffee. And now, no morning fuck on the kitchen island. The day was going to hell in a very rickety handbasket.

~ The mystery: I wanted to know what happened to Amy, and I was never bored with the investigation.



~ Danny: There are so many reasons to love Danny, with his dirty mouth, constant five o'clock shadow, and sensitive heart.

"Dick, much like gratuity, is not included."

~ The sex : hot and FILTHY and worth the wait.

~ Secondary characters, both living and dead.

Thumbs DOWN for:

~ Anna's story: Nope, I don't believe that Danny wouldn't have said anything about to his boyfriend of three years, especially since Rain was a detective. And once Rain , he never says a word to Danny. I was hoping it would be a moment, something to bring the men closer, but it was dropped.

~ The storage unit situation: If units aren't paid for or claimed within a few months, the contents is auctioned off. There is no way a storage unit would have sat there untouched for FIVE YEARS. This was a ridiculous oversight on the author's part.

~ Ethan's wish: Ethan wanting his parents to know the real him was an important aspect of this book, but it was brushed aside and summarized in a couple paragraphs. The closure was not on page. Ethan deserved better.

~ Rain going off half-cocked in the last few chapters: This was so out of character. Rain was savvy and experienced. At the very least, he would have called Danny.

For the first 80 percent, P.S. I Spook You was a 5 star book, but the last 20 percent was slightly disappointing. The ending is a fuzzy HFN.

Maybe this is the first book in a series featuring these MCs? I hope so because I needed a much stronger HEA for Rain and Danny. They have a lot to talk about. And there are more ghosts with stories to tell.

I kissed him without reservation. Kissed him like it was the first time. Kissed him like I'd never left.
Profile Image for Shin Mon Thway.
663 reviews1,703 followers
April 8, 2019
Guys, it’s official. S.E. Harmon has finally converted me because I now officially love contemporary and second-chance romances. 😂👏 Again, they aren’t my usual cuppa but seems like Miss Harmon is my new catnip because I seem to fall in love with every single book she wrote. 😉 I looooooooved this delicious paranormal/mystery second-chance novel. ❤️ I mean a snarky federal agent who sees and speaks to ghosts, one very hunky, dominant and grumpy detective and a cold case murder mystery to solve?!?!?! OMG! Sign me up and take all my money!!! 😍😱🙋‍♀️


Rain is in hot water, once the golden boy of FBI, now Rain is on the verge of losing his job because people think he’s cuckoo. I mean .. an FBI agent who’s a ghost whisperer? 😁 Not a good mark for Rain. So now his only chance of redemption is going to Brickell Bay which happened to be his home town to help the local PD solve cold cases that have been lying around for years and years. So after a long and uncomfortable flight, Rain is gobsmacked when he found out the policed officer who picked him up at the airport is none other than his ex-boyfriend Danny whom he’s still very much in love. 😏When Danny offered Rain to stay at his home during the investigation, our snarky agent was quite worried for his *ahem ahem* virtue. 😂👏 I mean .... in all fairness, they have had sex literally on every possible surface of Danny’s house when they were together. 😁 But Rain is only going to think about food and coffee when he sees that kitchen counter where he was frequently bended over and pounded by his then boyfriend Danny McHunk. 😉 Nope, Rain has too much on his plate. Between Talking, annoying ghosts, hippie weed-smoking parents and a vegan sibling and a very interesting and completely clueless cold case, Rain is definitely not going to think about Danny and their scorching chemistry. 🔥 Now only if his cock would listen. 😂👏


OMG! I looooooooooooooooved Rain’s snark and inner monologues in this book. 😁😍 They are PURE gold! 👍 I mean I know S.E. Harmon writes my kind of snark but how comes they seem to get better and better with each and every book. 😊 Seriously guys, the dialogues in this book are just insanely hilarious and snarky. 🤣 I loved every minute listening this book. 💜 And talk about the narration of Noah Michael Levine! Damn, that was a fine-arse narration, no, it wasn’t even a narration, it was a stellar play! 👏 During some sex scenes, I could even hear the hitch of Noah’s breath and it really was like I was witnessing Rain and Danny right in front me. So good! 🥰 And I loved the slow and built-up UST and romance between Rain and Danny. Both men are stubborn and with wounds from their past relationship. And they are afraid to admit that they still love each other because they are afraid to get hurt again. But damn, the chemistry? It was sizzzzzzzling! 🔥 I also loved the paranormal/mystery aspect of the story. Until Rain revealed of his suspect, I didn’t have an idea who was the murderer. The confrontation scene was pretty scary and chilling but I loved it. And yes, baby!!!!! Give me some reunion sex!!!! ✋✋✋ Damn! Damn! Dammmmmmmmmn! 🔥 Mmmmmm hmm, those were onehelluva smexy scenes! 🔥🔥🔥 Mama likey! 😋 Although there wasn’t an epilogue, I loved how everything ended. It was a full on HEA with very hopeful and positive future. 😌 And you know what, let me spill some beans. I heard we are getting a sequel so hip hip hurrayyyyyyyy!!!!! 😁👏 I’m getting more snark and love!!! 😜 I AM addicted now! I’ll be jumping up and down waiting anxiously for the sequel of this book because baby, I know that’s going to be worth the wait! 😉💜




Favorite excerpts from the story:

“Don’t you fall in lust, I warned my dick. Don’t you fall in love, it warned me right back.”

"I kissed him without reservation. Kissed him like it was the first time. Kissed him like I'd never left."

"His mouth moved over mine aggressively, almost angrily, and that was fine by me. More than fine. If he tried to do flowers-and-roses romance right then, I would’ve seriously kicked his ass. As it was, I was pretty sure my lips were going to be swollen, the way he was abusing them. He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth and tugged on it with his teeth, wordlessly asking me to open more, and I did with no hesitation. He rewarded me by possessively plunging his tongue into my mouth."

“I’m pretty sure the last time you saw a vagina, you were coming out of one.” I snorted. “Yeah, well, not all of us needed to experiment in college to figure it out, Irish.”

“I wasn't even counting the hand job I convinced Danny to give me in the shower last night. Blow jobs tonight. Or my name isn’t Rainstorm Christiansen.”

"You taste soft and sleepy and sweet."
I could do a little better than that. "You taste like home."






5 Because you taste like home stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️







Audio rating

Story - 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narration - 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Performance - 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall - 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️












Disclaimer: An audio copy of this book was provided by the author for an honest and unbiased review.
Profile Image for ~Mindy Lynn~.
1,396 reviews662 followers
January 31, 2020
5 stars!!! S.E. Harmon has yet to write a book that I haven't loved.

I love me some ghosts. I really love them when there is a psychic involved. BUT I REALLY LOVE it when involves some cops and some murder mysteries. So I was all over this book like Pooh on honey.

Rain is a FBI agent and oh yeah, he see's dead people (I had to say it!). He isn't at all thrilled by this ability either. He especially isn't thrilled when he gives in and tries to help a ghost and their parents find closure and instead finds himself on psychiatric leave. He thought he could run from these ghost issues when he left his home, family, and boyfriend and moved to Washington, but it didn't work and the problem has escalated.
Rain comes from a unique family who's parents originally named him Rainstorm. I mean, come on. No wonder the guy is so pissed off at the world. Well, that and the ghost thing. I really liked him. I loved being inside his head with all his snarly snarky thoughts.
Rain's boss has decided that he's going to give him a second chance. Rain is sent back to his hometown where his ex and family still live to work on a cold case of a missing girl named, Amy. He ends up working this case with his ex, Detective Danny McKenna. Not only is he working with him but he ends up staying with him in the guest room in a house they use to share as a couple. It's a bit awkward.
Danny McKenna is pretty sexy on page. Tall, dark, handsome, rides a motorcycle, and is all kinds of broody. Um, yes! How Rain could walk away from that, no clue. But he sure is feeling regret.
Working closely on the case together brings the men close together as well. Feelings that never really left bubble to the surface and both men start letting the walls they had let separate them in the beginning fall.
The mystery in this book was really interesting and kept my intrigued throughout the book. I had a pretty good idea of who it was, but I doubted myself a few times (cause I suck at figuring out whodunit). So I was pleasantly surprised to be right. Yay me! What I liked about the mystery is that it didn't overshadow what was happening between Rain and Danny. The romance and mystery went hand in hand. It had a great balance.
Ethan.. I didn't forget about you boo (see what I did there? lol) Ethan is a ghost that has been following Rain around wanting his help to bring his parents closure. But seeing how that worked out for him the first time he tried that, Rain isn't willing to put himself out there like that again. But Ethan is persistent and helps Rain along on his case and even enjoys a bit of voyeurism when Danny and Rain get there sexy on. He was a sarcastic, funny, and a bit of a pervy ghost, and I loved him.

This book all around was an enjoyable read that I look forward to reading again.

If you haven't grabbed this one up, I recommend you do!

Happy reading dolls! xx
Profile Image for Wendys Wycked Words.
1,590 reviews3,953 followers
August 17, 2020
FOTO BEWERKEN - makkelijk online je foto's bewerken of aanpassen:

I love paranormal and I love mystery. So this book was perfect for me. It pulled me in right from the very first page. I really liked the mystery part, it had me on the edge of my seat while biting my nails...

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To me, this was a mystery/paranormal first and a romance second. Now no worries, there is romance and there is even some very nice steam, but the main focus of the book is....ghosts :P

Rain is an FBI profiler with the BAU. He is a pretty straight-laced kinda guy, which is quite the feat if you look at his hippy parents and twin sister. There are only two things not so straight about him. His sexuality and the fact that he sees and talks to ghosts.

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He himself isn't so happy about the whole ghost thing. It's hindering his job and when his gift becomes public knowledge, he is sent on leave for a month, with mandatory visits to a psychiatrist.

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When he gets back from his leave, he is sent to help out the local PD on a cold case in his home town....as a form of punishment. A town where his sexy ex-boyfriend is a detective and Rain has never really gotten over his ex. An ex he will now have to work with and who doesn't know his secret.

I really liked detective Danny McKenna and I also understood that he still felt the hurt of Rain leaving him. He never got over Rain either, but he is also afraid of being left behind again.

Even though these two are ex's, they are also still friends. Awkward friends who would like to jump each other's bones....but friends non the less. So when Danny offers Rain a place to stay, he doesn't have to think about it. It's either his hot ex or his hippy sister :P

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While working the cold case, Rain is being joined by his "stalker" ghost, who tries to help him out in exchange for Rain doing him a favor. Slowly Rain starts accepting the fact that he is not crazy and that there is a reason for him being able to see all these ghosts. He actually starts wanting to help them...

help-me-help-you_zpsl5asrqvb.gif (800×460)

Problem is, what will happen when everyone, including Danny, finds out his secret...

I really loved this one. I was filled with mystery and ghosts. The MC's were great and funny. I loved the banter between the two of them and even though there are only a few steamy scenes, they were definitely HOT !!!

Boys Kissing Boys:

I would have liked an epilogue though.... It always gives me a bit more closure, but don't worry they it ends with a HEA. I would love for this to turn out into a series, cause I would read every single book. Highly recommended for those who love paranormal and mystery/suspense !!!


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Profile Image for *J* Too Many Books Too Little Time.
1,921 reviews3,718 followers
August 3, 2021
8/2/2021

Just as good the second time around! On to the next one! :)

Doing a re-read of this one so I can read books 2 and 3 - no idea why I haven't up to this point??

------------------------------------------------

SE Harmon rivals Barbara Elsborg when it comes to banter. Add in the suspense and I'm one happy girl.

A bit more steam would be nice but there was enough. And the chemistry and build up between the MCs was definitely there.

I really loved everything about this one! I don't have any complaints. SE Harmon is definitely an auto-buy author for me! Hope we get more books in the series!!
Profile Image for Renée.
1,172 reviews412 followers
March 25, 2022
Reread

~4.5 stars!~

I really enjoyed the hell out of this. With the whole ghost part in the blurb, I thought I wouldn't really care for that aspect of the book, but I was very wrong.

Rain Christiansen can see dead people. No, not like this:



Rain (snort, go ahead, but his parents are ultra-hippy - he and his sister are Rain and Sky) is an FBI profiler who was inadvertently outted, not because he's gay, but because he let on about his "gift" to his unit. He was on a two month psychiatric leave as a result, and is still not allowed to return to his team. Instead he gets to choose from a list of cold cases across the country to help local law enforcement with. Brickell Bay, Florida catches his eye, since it's his home town.

But he didn't realize he'd be working with his ex once he arrives. His very fine ex. Who he may not be as over as he thought he was.

I thought that Brickell Bay PD would send someone I hadn't slept with. Considering how celibate I was, that shouldn't have been a challenge.

The BEST part of this book was the banter. The absolute snark that comes out of Rain's mouth (and Danny too, Danny can go toe to toe with Rain like nobody's business) just simply made this book for me. It's not bitchy snark. It is pure comedic snark. The kind of snark you have with your best friend, your soul mate. If I'd have been drinking at any point of reading this book, my Kindle would've been fried.

"Maybe. Kind of looks like a vagina."
"What? No. Two clams," I insisted and squinted at the painting again. "I know it's been a while since I saw a vagina, but it doesn't look like that."
"This is his take on one...surrealism almost. Besides, I'm pretty sure the last time you saw a vagina, you were coming out of one."

These exchanges went on throughout the whole book. DED.

But this book wasn't a comedy. No, it was better. It was a serious drama with the banter thrown in for levity. That equals Renee's crack!

Rain and Danny don't know how to communicate. These two men take stubborn to a whole new level. There's a lot of hurt, on both sides. With only Rain's POV, I understood him really well. But I really got Danny too. Harmon did well with character building in a single-POV story.

That wasn't just desire on his face. There was anger there too. Anger with me for leaving. Anger with me for trouncing all over our unspoken truce. Anger for even wanting me at all.


Ok, you're gonna ask me about the ghosts......yeah, Rain sees and can communicate with ghosts. And he uses this gift for the first time professionally. Which wreaks all kinds of havoc with his boss and with Danny. Cuz who would believe that shit?

And Rain does something incredibly stupid toward the end. Phenomenally stupid with regard to the cold case. But, me?



I could not be forced to care. I was IN. Totally invested in this relationship. What murder mystery? The mystery itself wasn't cheesy at all. It was actually done pretty well, Rain's fuck up notwithstanding, but all I cared about was our boys finally admitting how much they still loved each other. I just wanted to lock them in a room together until they fucking talked! So damn oblivious.

The one thing missing was an epilogue. We still get a strong ending. I was totally fine with it. But I'm an unrepentant epilogue whore.



Love this book. Recommended!

"You taste soft and sleepy and sweet."
I could do a little better than that. "You taste like home."
Profile Image for * A Reader Obsessed *.
2,686 reviews576 followers
September 18, 2024
4.5 Stars!

Suffice it to say, this was a major win.

-Taciturn stubborn law enforcement guys.
-Uber alpha ex who knows just how to give it like you love it.
-Hurt burbling under the surface, regret that weighs so heavily.
-Slow burn second chance oh so fucking sexy, I can’t even. Unf unf unf!

Per the blurb, FBI agent Rain, returns to his hometown, not of his own volition but because he made the mistake of actually letting it be known that he can see ghosts. In an effort to show he's “well” again after a forced leave of absence, Rain’s tasked to help the local police’s cold case department, one in which his ex works for. He and Danny had it good, but they both held many things back such as Rain’s special ability and Danny's own sad past. Will Rain’s return be the opportunity to finally forgive and move on together, to actually be vulnerable and trust each other with their fears and secrets?

In and amongst the serious parts and trying to find answers to an unsolved murder, there’s so much wit and sarcasm throughout, all of which was a welcome reprieve to the darker moments. Oh and did I mention this was sexy?

I’m not typically for the ghostly set up against a realistic background, but Harmon won me over with the Rules of Possession series so I had no choice but to check this out. I enjoyed this immensely, and I’m ecstatic to learn Harmon plans on a sequel. I’ll be first in line.


The Spectral Files
1. P.S I Spook You - 4.5 Stars
2. Principles of Spookology - 4 Stars
3. Spooky Business - 4 Stars
4. The Spooky Life - 5 Stars
5. A Spooky Legacy - 4.5 Stars
Profile Image for Rain.
2,575 reviews21 followers
December 21, 2023
I appreciate an author who can write a solid story AND incorporate a few top notch intimate scenes. This one was even better on the second read…

Rainstorm Christiansen (Rain) works for the FBI, and he sees ghosts. Except he can’t really tell people that, so he fights it with medication and denial.
“Does this mean I have to get some sort of superhero outfit and report to S.H.I.E.L.D.? Is Samuel Jackson going to pop out someplace and tell me to catch these motherfucking ghosts?”
Daniel McKenna (Danny) is a cold-case detective and happens to be the ex-boyfriend of Rain. They broke up for unknown reasons, even to themselves. Rain is brought to his home town to work a special cold-case with Danny and the sparks immediately begin to fly…again.
“Don’t you fall in lust, I warned my dick. Don’t you fall in love, it warned me right back.”
I love Harmon’s writing! Rain and Danny have such wonderful chemistry. From the start, you don’t know why they broke up in the first place but you feel the angst, mostly from swoony Danny. He’s so afraid of getting his heart broken again. Rain is the snarky, intelligent, ghost-seeing, quirky hero you didn’t know you needed. His inner dialogue is hilarious.

The mystery was excellent and the ghosts! Ethan was my favorite.
“Jesus.” I grabbed by chest as Ethan appeared in my peripheral vision. I moved my hand in anxious circles as though I could physically soothe my rapidly beating heart. “Isn’t there some other way you could appear?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, but it’s not nearly as fun as watching you hyperventilate.”
Rain has to dig deep and set some boundaries with the ghosts as they start to appear when he’s in the bathroom, or sleeping...or doing other things. Not to mention, he’s still trying to keep the fact that he sees ghosts a secret from Danny. I loved this story. Highly recommended for fans of thriller/mysteries/gay/mm romance, who enjoy excellent banter.

Side note: I think being named Rain and having hippy parents go hand in hand.
Profile Image for nark.
707 reviews1,769 followers
November 28, 2021
dnf @ 70%.

🔪 it might be me, not the book? idk.
🔪 this wasn’t bad, i just kept losing interest.
🔪 i’m not a big fan of second-chance-romances.
🔪 i was also really craving a dual POV while reading this.
🔪 couldn’t really connect with the mcs, or the story.
🔪 the spooky elements were not spooky at all.
🔪 anyways, i’m just not interested enough to finish this.
🔪 the fact that this is part of a series and not a standalone book does not help. i definitely wouldn’t read the sequels, even if i finished this.
Profile Image for Drusilla.
1,059 reviews417 followers
March 16, 2025
What a perfect blend of investigation, slightly broken insecure characters, irresistible attraction and ghostly mystery coupled with incredibly hot sex scenes. Even the fact that it's second chance and therefore not my favorite thing can't hide the fact that I enjoyed this book soooooo much.
Rain and Danny together have an interesting dynamic. I had a bit of trouble understanding them at first, probably due to the one-sided narrative from Rain's point of view, but it's not like anything was missing. It just took a little longer to get into it.
Until I was able to understand the two of them, I was well entertained by the actual plot, which was really wonderful. Entertaining and interesting and also a bit exciting.
I love that Rain is such a cool, analytical character. It makes the whole “relationship” thing quite interesting and less obvious.

And the prize for the best supporting character ever goes to .... Ethan. Gawd I love him.

And since I have a ton of sentences highlighted and can't decide to reduce the quotes, you now get several:

There are no ghosts. It’s anxiety. I just needed to take my pills and rest. 🥺💔🥺

I was trying not to be bitter, but I’m genetically wired that way. It’s in my DNA, right next to punctuality and a love of chocolate. 😏💖😏

Don’t you fall in lust, I warned my dick. Don’t you fall in love, it warned me right back. 😂🖤😂

“You’re angry? What a fucking coinky-dink.” I took a moment to gather my temper. Don’t be air to his fire. Bring the flames down. Be baking soda. Be baking soda.
[…]
Fuck baking soda. Be kerosene.
🤣😂🤣

He hadn’t even sucked at my lips or fucked my mouth with his tongue. Just a quick kiss that made me want more. How was I supposed to live off that measly little kiss? 🫠💗🫠

“It was just blowing off a little steam. You ever hear of sex? Stress relief?” He shook his head. “Why does everything have to be so complicated with you? You need to turn off your brain for a few.”
I widened my eyes. “But then I might not be able to get it back on. I mean, look at you.”
His eyes looked amused. “You’re a funny guy. I’m just glad we’re on the same page.”
🤭💚🤭

He trailed kisses down my jaw. Softly. Tempting. His voice was low and rumbly. He punctuated his words with kisses. “Want you, want you, want you.”
God, I loved it when he was like that. Only in the dark of the bedroom, only when it was just the two of us did he turn from stoic and hard-to-read to needy and wanting. Nothing was off the table, nothing was too sappy or too sweet or too raw to say, and I loved that shit.
🥰💞🥰

And then I felt his tongue against my well-used hole, licking at the rim. Licking up his own cum out of my ass. God, he knew all my dirty kinks. 🤤🤤🤤



✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Minor spoilers probably ahead

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨


Content warnings: ghosts, new age parents, murder off page, abuse off page
Cheating between MCs: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
Kinks: rimming, felching
Profile Image for Jilly.
1,838 reviews6,684 followers
August 24, 2020
This is a second-chance romance along with a mystery and some ghosts thrown in. The second chance romance thing isn't usually my favorite because it is rare that I believe they had a first romance in most books. Most books have the couple broken up for years over a stupid misunderstanding that they fix in their "second chance" book, and I just don't buy it. This one wasn't that much different in that way, so that was the down side of the book for me.


Uh, yeah, maybe not so much.

On the other hand, the mystery with ghosts part was somewhat fun. It reminded me of Among the Living in the psycop series that I kinda liked. A guy who sees ghosts and isn't too thrilled about it. I wouldn't be happy with ghosts annoying me all of the time either. Like, I don't feel weird enough thinking my dead grandfather might be watching me in the shower, I certainly don't want that confirmed, or for other dead relatives to join him. I'm traumatized enough when I look in the mirror on the way into the shower, thank you very much. Gravity is not the friend of women over time. Seriously, if Newton's ghost ever shows up I'm going to kick his ass for that.


And her breasts look great! So perky!

Rain is our main character, and FBI profiler, who obviously had hippie parents who is called to work a cold case. This puts him in a renewed partnership with his ex, Danny, who is a cop. Pretty early on, Rain talks to the ghost of the girl they are looking for, but how does he tell everyone she's dead without looking like a lunatic? The answer is: he can't. It's a quandary. Also, he doesn't know who killed her, so they still need to work the case. I liked the mystery part of it and I did figure it out a tiny bit earlier than them, but that's the fun with these kind of books. The author usually lets us figure it out first, but not too early. I felt like the author had good timing on that.



Now, the real test that I use as a litmus for all mystery books: was it better than Scooby Doo? Hmm, I would say yes it was. That is probably the highest recommendation I could give a mystery. It passed the Scooby test. And if that doesn't tell you something... .well, you are probably more mature than I am.


Profile Image for Nazanin.
1,281 reviews839 followers
November 18, 2017
3.5 Casper Stars

Rain is a medium; he can see ghosts but he doesn’t want to accept it. His pills would only keep the visions away so long, but he’d take any reprieve he could get. And this seeing ghosts has affected his whole life, love life, his career… He is a profiler and now because of some problem (mostly seeing ghosts), his boss has decided to busy him with cold cases. He has to go to another city and he has a escort, his ex! Danny and Rain were with each other for four years and three years ago Rain called it off and now after these years they must work/live with each other. And the case is about a missing girl who is lost for five years.

Well, I really enjoyed this story but actually I didn’t love it. It was really sweet and cute and funny. But the sweetness of it was a little too much for my taste. I thought maybe because of the mystery it would have been a little more thrilling! And Danny and Rain haven’t seen each other for three years so I expected it more angsty.

So the things that I liked and enjoyed about the story; I’m not a fan of inner voice/thoughts but I loved Rain’s inner voice, it was sooo funny. Actually I loved Rain’s character, at some point he made me smile or giggle. And lets don’t forget about that funny ghost, Ethan aka Casper. I liked him so much.

The story is told from Rain’s POV, 1st person. It’s a standalone story and it was well-paced. All in all, I had a good time reading it. Hope you enjoy it as well!
Profile Image for Pauline.
396 reviews183 followers
April 23, 2025
Okay, how was this SO GOOD?!

I went in expecting a decent read, but this completely surprised me - first and foremost because it was so fucking funny?! I laughed out loud so many times while listening because of Rain’s inner monologue and the snappy, witty banter between all the characters. It gave the whole book such an easy, fun energy despite this being a murder mystery.

Speaking of which: The central mystery was genuinely interesting and the paranormal element added such a cool twist without overpowering the whole story.

What really made the book shine though, was the cast. Loved Rain and Danny. Their chemistry was off the charts and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them navigate their reunion. Though I gotta say, I found myself wishing their romance leaned a bit more into the emotional side, especially since this is second chance. A deeper focus on their shared history and emotional reconnection instead of focusing so much on sex and lust would’ve made it even more satisfying for me.

But also? The steam was hot hot HOT ❤️‍🔥

Special shoutout to Rain’s family and Ethan! They were hilarious and added so much warmth and personality to the story. And the narrator absolutely nailed it. I’m genuinely bummed that he’s not doing the rest of the series…

Overall, a super entertaining audio with the perfect mix of heat, humour, and heart. I’ll dive right into the next one!

4,5⭐️
Profile Image for Jewel.
1,935 reviews280 followers
January 17, 2020
4.5 Stars

"You taste soft and sleepy and sweet."
I could do a little better than that. "You taste like home."​


I'm having a really good year when it comes to the paranormal stories I've read. P.S. I Spook You is quirky and fun and full of banter and pretty close to perfect. I absolutely loved it!

Rain Christiansen is the most grounded person in his family -- and he sees ghosts. He's not thrilled by this and he tried to run away from it -- all the way to Washington, DC and the FBI, but they just won't stop talking to him. Even still, he was on the fast track until he kinda let on about his "gift". To a dead girl's parents. Just a touch awkward, that was. And after two months of leave and psychiatric counselling, he's the laughing stock of the Bureau. His boss, giving him a chance to redeem himself and show that he can focus on the job, sends Rain to Brickell Bay, FL (Rain's hometown) to help with a cold case.

Daniel McKenna is a detective working cold cases in Brickell Bay. He's also Rain's ex-boyfriend. Tall, dark, muscled and tattooed, Danny has always looked the part of the bad boy and it might just turn out that he and Rain have a little bit of unfinished business. I liked Danny -- he was grounded, no-nonsense and, well, hot. He knew exactly how to handle Rain and could definitely hold his own with Rain's snark.

P.S. I Spook You is part murder mystery, part ghost story, and then there is the romance which does not get lost in the background. As it turns out, Rain and Danny are not over each other, in the slightest. Now, they just need to learn to actually talk to one another, and to really trust each other - even with the things they don't want to share.

I enjoyed the rest of the cast of characters, too. Ethan, one of the ghosts hanging around Rain, serves as a liaison, as it were, between other ghosts and Rain. He wouldn't let Rain run away from himself. Sky, Rain's twin sister (yeah, they've got seriously hippy parents) lets the family freak flag fly high, and the rest of the cold-case team who seemed to take Rain in stride -- most of the time.

I love mysteries, especially when they keep me guessing a bit. And P.S. I Spook You did keep me guessing a bit, along with keeping me thoroughly entertained. I really enjoy SE Harmon's style of story telling and the snark and banter that go along with it. I think if we'd have gotten an epilogue, I'd have given it a full five stars -- but worry not, the ending is strong and our guys are fully together. P.S. I Spook You is a story I will definitely read again.

Recommended!


------------------------
ARC of P.S. I Spook You was generously provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Mila .
250 reviews359 followers
May 18, 2022
***4.5 rating***

"I refused to acknowledge that I’d apparently rather live without Danny than lose him. It made little sense. Most things regarding love didn’t."

Well, I absolutely adored this book. I am a little late into discovering this series but I guess better late than never.

A story about second chance romance, reconciliation, ghosts, suspense and mystery, this book had it all. Dr. Rainstorm Christiansen who is also a SSA and Detective Daniel "Danny" Mackenna cross paths once more when trying to solve a cold case of missing teen, Amy Greene. Old feelings resurface and Rain's supernatural abilities are further explored when working on Amy's case.

I thought the story was very well written and the emotional connection between Danny and Rain was complicated but passionate. These two have history and S.E. Harmon lets us know it. Feelings of regret, want, desire, rekindling old romance are captured when the story is told from Rain's POV (the story is told from Rain's POV in general). The reader feels what Rain deeply feels. You cannot help but want Danny and Rain to reconcile, but can also understand why Danny is hesitant and reluctant to trust Rain with his heart. However, despite their complicated history, it is of no doubt that these two friendly ex lovers care for one another, and yes even still love each other. Rain's supernatural abilities to communicate with the dead is one of his biggest insecurities and even why he is hesitant to confide in Danny. But even that is not enough to keep sweet grumpy Danny away. I loved how Danny (even though hesitant) still obviously loved Rain, especially with the little things he did to take care of him, like standing up for him, offering his place for him to stay, always protecting Rain, and being worried when it came to him. Absolutely adorable. It is needless to say that I obviously loved this book. I loved their complicated emotions/feelings for one another, and how they found their way back to each other.

I am intrigued by Rain's supernatural abilities and how he will explore his newly established identity as a Medium in the next book. This was a great introduction to the series. S.E. Harmon has definitely gained me as reader/fan. Coincidentally, this book has also made me miss my faves Hazard and Somers. When I read about Danny and Rain, I couldn't help but keep missing my babies😭. This is a sign for me to resume my readings by Gregory Ashe. Anyways, cannot wait to read more of this series!
Profile Image for moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus].
763 reviews1,629 followers
June 13, 2022
3.5 stars

"I don't know what I am." I searched for the right words to make it better. "But Ethan... one of the ghosts I talk to, seems to think I'm a medium. I don't know all the terminology for it. I've tried talking to my sister, but she only gave me a long, drawn-out explanation about the Earth and energy, and trust me, you don't want a repeat of that. For once I had to just let it be what it was, Danny. And it would be nice if you could support me in this."
He wouldn't meet my eyes. "Yeah? And why me?"
Why me, indeed? I shrugged helplessly. "It's always been you, hasn't it?"


i... don't really know how to feel about the romance yet? i liked both mcs, Rain and Danny, but the relationship was complicated and i guess this is my issue when it comes to second chance romances. to me, it never really felt like they sat down to just talk about what happened in the past, their feelings, etc. yes, Rain did (eventually) tell Danny why he broke up with him, but idk. the way they used sex to avoid talking about how they felt was meh to me. i hope i'll be sold with the romance later on and they were cute in the end, but that was it. 😅

however, this is one of those rare situations where the plot was what kept my interest for this book. i loved the whole concept of Rain being a medium, a guide for ghosts to have closure or finish their task so they can go on the 'other side' and finally rest in peace. i loved meeting all the different kinds of ghosts. some made me laugh, while others made me cry. i'm definitely looking forward to meeting more in the next book!! so far, Ethan might be my fav but Ben, at the end, had me like 🥺 already.

overall, i do think this was a good introduction to its world/the series, but i hope we can see Rain and Danny communicate more in the later books bc i can see their romance being an emotional one...i'm just not completely sold yet.
Profile Image for Susan.
2,349 reviews456 followers
July 19, 2020
Re-read July 2020

I love Rain.

-----------------------------

4.5 stars

I'm never a fan of second chance romance, but there was so much to love in this that I got over that pet peeve pretty quickly! The mystery, the ghosts, and of course Rain really made for a wonderful story, so I ended up enjoying the heck out of this.

Rain (full name Rainstorm) is an agent for the FBI, but ever since he let slip he can see ghosts his boss is not happy with him. That’s how Rain finds himself on a plane to his hometown to assist the police there with a 5 year old cold case, where he has to work closely with his ex. Who Ran left 4 years prior because he thought he was losing his mind and he didn't want to drag the love of his life with him.

But it turns out Rain isn't the only one who still has feelings for the other one. Except now Danny is angry with Rain because he never understood why he left.....

I LOOOOOOOVED Rain. He tried so hard to be a square (as his hippy mother called him), but with his humor and his not so normal ability to see ghosts, he was anything but a square.

I wasn't too happy with Danny being angry with Rain at first, but I could understand where he was coming from, even though I wanted them to just kiss and make up.

I loved the mystery, and the way the ghosts played a huge part in that. Despite this book being about ghosts, this is not a creepy story, and Rain was such a funny character that I really enjoyed being in his head.

If the romance just had a tad more hearts and flowers, this book would have been perfect. But despite that, this was still an amazing read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I really hope the author writes a sequel. I want more Rain and Danny ghost stories.
Profile Image for .Lili. .
1,275 reviews276 followers
July 1, 2017
List of reasons why I loved this book:



1. Banter. I'm a banter slut, and this book has a delicious amount of it.

2.. The ghosts. At first glance, I dismissed this book for this reason, but they were an integral part of the story. They made me smile; they broke my heart. They were an amazing cast of supporting characters.

3. The mystery. It kept me guessing for a good while. There were multiple people it could've been, and they were all plausible. Sometimes authors try so hard to steer you away from who it is that it makes it more obvious but the author did a great job keeping me guessing.

4. Second chance romance. The UST and longing between Rain and Danny were palpable from the get-go. GAH! ♥

5. DIRTY TALK. The smut slut in me could've used a bit more steam BUT the scenes it did have... gooood lawwwd!

6. The end: it left me wanting more. I'm praying that this is just the beginning of a new series and that we'll have more Rain & Danny (& the ghosts) in our future!!

4.5 I Highly Recommend This Book Stars! This author is now an auto-buy for me.
Profile Image for Teal.
609 reviews252 followers
January 15, 2020
Sad to say, this did not work for me in any way, shape, or form. Nothing about the law enforcement aspect was credible. Some of the characters were ludricrous caricatures (missing girl's parents, I'm talking about YOU). The writing was entirely devoid of subtlety -- "over the top" is the best way to describe it. What an annoying, frustrating mess! I regret wasting my money on this. DNF @ 32%.
Profile Image for Line.
1,082 reviews171 followers
October 18, 2017
*sigh* This is gonna be a long review, it might me spoiler-y and probably rambly, therefore: enter on your own risk.

First of all I would like to point out that I read the blurb and understood this story to be a MM-mystery-romance.
The missing-girl-case is mentioned in the blurb, and much of this book is Rain and Danny (and the rest of their crew *uh hum*) following clues and talking to witnesses.
This brings me to my first issue: the timeline.
description
The first time Amy's case is mentioned is here:

He pointed at the folder I still gripped in my hands. “Is that your case?”
“Yeah. Amy Greene.” He nodded, satisfied. “I’ll email you all the details for when you meet with the Brickell Bay Police Department. They’ll have an escort waiting for you at the airport.”


Okay, no dates, and I know Rain's boss called it a 'cold case', but no more details were added. Then we have this:

Danny sent him a warning look and set the box on the edge of his desk. “Amy Greene was last seen on March 25. She left Roosevelt High after school in a 1995 Toyota Camry that belonged to her mother, Dinah Greene. She headed to McDonald’s, where she bought food and a beverage. She ate in her car while talking on the phone with her best friend, Jenna, and then headed to a Citgo station where she worked as a part-time clerk.”

At THIS point, I'm thinking the case is a couple of months (maybe 6 months) old, since Rain then mentions summer, and the info given was: march.
Then THIS happens:

“No, she was very private about it. But you know, a few years back she bought this necklace from the shop. Usually she wore both pieces. About a year ago, I noticed the other half was missing. I figured she’d given it to someone.” She beamed. “Isn’t that so sweet? It was—”

And when they go to talk to Amy's mother, this happened:

“She may be resistant. Probably not happy to see us. I doubt she wants us talking to her daughter. Five years is a long time, and a lot of people have moved on.”
description
*UGH* I can't... With this... FFS! Where were the beta readers or whatever. This stands out, and annoyed the CRAP out of me.

These timeline-issues constantly dragged me out of the story, because the feel of her disappearance was so off.
Once it is mentioned that her peers now have children and educations and generally lives lived, and then in the next couple of chapters we go back to a feeling of: "she disappeared 6 months ago" = the unclean room, with candy wrappers under her bed for example.

"Fine" if this had been 'more romance, and less mystery', but I entered this book under the assumption of half/half because of the blurb and the development of the book as I read. They DO spend an inordinate amount of time doing sort-of-detective-stuff.
description
Detective-stuff like talking to Amy's stepfather, which had him reacting to her disappearance and the police asking for help:

Luke’s hand came down to rest on the back of his wife’s neck, but it didn’t look like a show of support. It looked like a threat. Luke’s scowl deepened even as he stuck the cigarette in his mouth. “What could they possibly have to ask that they haven’t already asked?”

...

“Yeah? And if I were in your position, I’d sell your fancy fucking watch and fix my bike. I know what happened to my daughter. She ran the fuck off and can’t be bothered to let her family know she’s okay.”
“Sir—”
“And if she ain’t got time for us, we damn sure don’t got time for her.” Luke stabbed a finger toward the door. “You know how to let yourself out.”


This is the only time they talk to Luke, and later on "hardcore" detective Rain recaps it like this:

The stepfather seemed like a real jerk, but he seemed to be genuinely hurt about Amy’s disappearance.

HOW? How does he get that Luke is genuinely hurt from that?

Then we have Rain and Danny's shared 'history'/backgrounds. And THAT is weaker than tea brewed from a thrice-used teabag.

Do we agree that this is their hometown or close to it?
Do we agree that they were together for 4 years?
Do we agree that it is 3 years (maybe 4 - because yet another timeline-thing) since Rain left?
Do we agree that they worked as policemen then, as well?

Then; wouldn't it stand to reason that they KNOW the Amy-case? Considering the fact that Amy maybe, possibly, likely, most decidedly disappeared 5 years ago?
*UGH*

This brings me to the next point pinging my disbelief-radar: the Cold Case Squad.
description
Tell me again how a smaller police station retains a SIX-PERSON Cold Case Squad???
This is -IMO- RIDICULOUS!
I was prepared to leave my rational thinking and general disbelief at the door, FOR THE GHOSTS!.
BUT the rest of the world in this story is not 'fantasy' or 'rich, wealthy and all-knowing'.
It is THE CURRENT world, with ghosts, as I understand it.

Lastly Rain's 'powers' had me scratching my head in the 'mystery'-portion of the book.
It reads as if he has had them his whole life, but have been taking anxiety-pills to drown them out, once in a while.
But then it reads like he hasn't really had them for long/knows anything about them.
And THEN, suddenly, it reads like he knows what to do with them (e.g. the swamp-scene)

I get that this might become a series, and that Rain probably needs to grow into his 'powers'.
But the back-and-forth and the uncertainty with the direction of said powers and the WEAK timeline-mystery-part of the story, didn't convince me about this author and her mystery-writing-skills, sadly.

So yeah... If you want to read this for the mystery... Don't!
Read it for the humour and the love and the smexy times, which saved some of this story for me.
All in all this book ended up between 2 and 3 stars, but I'll leave it at 3 since Rain was sort of endearing.

For someone who LOVES an amazing mystery, read something else; like Murder and Mayhem or The Man in the Long Black Coat and Deductions for the supernatural, instead.
Profile Image for Meep.
2,167 reviews228 followers
June 4, 2019
Enjoyed the audio
-- --
Re-read - And I still love this book. Line's review makes a lot of valid points that would normally bug me no end, but I was able to ignore the discrepancies and enjoy ;) Would still love to see this is audio and maybe a sequel.
-- --
I really enjoyed this, for me it's the exact right balance of mystery and romance with an added paranormal element. They're working a cold case so solving the mystery isn't a driving focus. These are adults and while there's lusting they have history so it's not insta-insta. And while the ghost aspect is interesting it's not a clanking of chains, feel my pain kind of haunting. It all comes together well.

First person, there's lot of banter. Rain is a sarcy colourful pov and if you're doing a double-take at his name then know he has a sister Sky. His ex Daniel also strong character. I missed the bit in the blurb about them being exs, so was pleased to feel the strong connection between them. Familiarity from before warring with the changes from time apart. Even better there's no silly misunderstanding or bad person here, they were both holding back, both scared to trust and it felt believable; strong attraction, fiercely guarded hearts and a slow working through things. From the off-set it's clear how good they are together, the banter, how well they get each other. The sexy times are hot - these guys know each other, know what each other likes.

The mystery has a few false leads that seem plausible, the solution - well it wasn't a surprise and some actions were a bit silly, but I was happy enough with the conclusion. Importantly there was no ghostly deus ex machina, though ghosts do play their part in the story.

Ethan makes for great side character, I liked him. Rain's family are quirky. There's a few things you have to just accept and go along with - an FBI agent with a hippy family, not speaking to them sooner, a small police station with a dedicated four person cold case team...

The result is enough mystery to keep you interested, some ghosty going on without a heavy creepy vibe, great characters that sizzle and spark together, and humour with some great lines. There's also feels along the way.

Loved it. You just don't question the rutabaga!
Hopeful for more but happy with where it ends.
Profile Image for Optimist ♰King's Wench♰.
1,819 reviews3,973 followers
January 31, 2019
I'm not wild about ghosts and the paranormal but I truly enjoyed this author's Rules of Possession series and I remember how much everyone cooed over this one when it came out so I went for it when it came out in audiobook and I'm glad I did. S.E. Harmon's voice resonates with me in its slanginess and occasional kookiness. I know I'm going to snortle at least once every time I read one of her books.

This one started off a bit slow but soon caught its stride and we synced up when I discovered that Rain is kind of a grump. I do love me a grump. I'd probably be a bit grumpy myself if ghosts started popping up all around me asking me to do their bidding which in turn makes all the living people around him think he's certifiable.

Fresh off some forced leave he's sent to work on a cold case in his hometown where his ex is a member of the local PD. I'm not sure Rain even realizes that he's ready to fully "come home" until he gets back to Brickell Bay. Danny and all his family make for a potent cocktail of enticement, but bridges need to be mended and amends made before Danny's going to give him the keys to the kingdom again. And I liked that.

The story is told through Rain. I actually would've liked Danny's perspective in a few instances but overall I liked Rain and his grumpiness. He's insightful and I enjoyed discovering right alongside him just how much he misses home and all that that entails.

The sex and chemistry between them is out of this world. I had to rewind a couple parts. For science. I may have to rewind the whole book in the future for purely quality control purposes, of course.

This case is compelling as well and kept me on my toes with twists and turns and the odd ghost popping up now and then to "lend a hand". Perhaps this will turn into a series since the ending kind of seemed to leave it open to that possibility. I, for one, would be happy to go on some more adventures with Rain, Danny and the ghost gang.

Noah Michael Levine is new to me and did a good job with the voices. He has decent range, though all his female voices sounded alike to me, but he did well differentiating the male characters and hit the sweet grumperton spot for Rain, so I will definitely listen to him again.

Recommend to paranormal and second chance romance fans.

description

A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Ariana  (mostly offline).
1,680 reviews96 followers
April 10, 2024
Read for the third time April 2024
The last book has just been released! So I fell very willingly into reading the whole series again.
Just as fabulous as ever!

Reread January 2020

With a view of the second book being released at the end of the month I decided to reread this highly entertaining book, and what can I say? I loved it all over again, so much so that I am happy to give it the full 5 stars, rather than the 4,5 of my original review.

If you like snarky characters, a good mystery and a bit of the paranormal - this is simply perfect!
Really looking forward to book 2 now.

Original review

I loved it.
Ghosts and second chances. An interesting combo that works very well here.

Rain and Danny used to be an item, until Rain left, but as we go along it becomes clear that it isn't only Rain's fault that their relationship didn't work first time. There are issues of trust for both men.
There is some great UST, a few heart-wrenching heart-to-heart conversations and some seriously hot sex. Not to forget the banter: it is sharp and on the spot and totally hilarious.

The mystery plot kept me turning pages, too. And strangely, throwing (more or less) helpful ghosts into the equation felt more natural than I expected. And Ethan is one hell of a secondary character!

Most of all I loved Rain's self-deprecating sarcasm and snarky humour.

If it was six a.m., what time had he left? Even the early birds and worms must've been looking at him "who the fuck is that?"

Lots of ghosts hang out where you're staying. Trying to get your attention." Danny would be thrilled. Apparently I had turned his home into a paranormal Holiday Inn.

(Rain is thinking of getting a dog) I thought about my sterile apartment and the six plants I'd killed. I probably needed a robust dog. The canine equivalent of a cactus.

"Put that on," she commanded. A woman of few words, She clearly hadn't read the guide for supervillains. Shouldn't she brag about her crimes and give me an opportunity to escape? She didn't even monologue, for crying out loud.


And then there is: "coinky dink" and "Rutabaga" LOL:

A fabulous mix of romance, the paranormal and humour.

Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Lau ♡.
575 reviews604 followers
May 2, 2022
I don’t believe in soulmates. I truly don’t. But books like this one make it very hard no to.


Rain sees ghosts. Not only sees them, he also talks with them, which complicates everything when he works solving crimes in the FBI. After having some problems due to his paranormal skills, his boss decides to send him back to Brickell Ball, where his ex will be his new boss. An ex Rain still hasn’t been able to forget. How could he, when they are made for each other?

It doesn’t help that Danny keeps reminding him how well they were together and might love him back. Rain wants him, but how could he convince Danny to let him in again, when he is only there for a case?


PS I Spook You was painful to read. I can count with one hand the number of times I watched a couple as written-in-the-stars perfect as Danny and Rain. They were clearly made for each other, which made me feel so damn sad because I’ll never experience something like that. I’m not talking about chemistry -they also have a lot of that-, I’m talking about all the unspoken love hidden behind their actions, about how much they cared and how comfortable they were around each other. Once you get used to the sting of loneliness, you won’t be able to stop sighing at every interaction.


“I’m scared to love someone who walked away without a backward glance. Because love is nothing without trust. And right now? I don’t trust you for shit.”


Second chances romances aren’t easy to write -or read. They are often made of either angry discussions followed by angry sex or cold words meant to harm. The author, besides managing to kill my poor heart with their ridiculous connection, nailed showing the mess of emotions irradiating for them both. Sadness, anger, nostalgia, care, hope, fear and love intertwined creating realistic, heartbreaking scenes that made me want to close the book and never come back. Not because it was bad, but because it hurt too much.


“I missed you too. Idiot.”
I should’ve left it there. But I never could leave well enough alone. “I guess you just don’t miss me enough.”



While I pitied Rain because he had to carry the burden of hurting Danny and the best relationship he’d ever had, I was dying seeing Danny struggle. After a rough childhood, he gave his heart to someone only to get it back broken in a thousand little pieces. Danny didn’t even know why. Why would the person he was in love with do that? Why, when they were so good together? They still are, and getting back to talk to the love of his life, their chemistry intact despite not being together anymore, only makes his heart bleed more.


“Are you here to stay?”
It was a fair question. One that deserved an honest answer. () “No.”
“Then treat him that way.”



I’ve read several mystery MM romances, and I always find the mystery part too heavy because I’m more interested in the romance. PS I Spook You has the balance I was looking for: it is a love story with mystery as a second place, enough to make you intrigued and force them to work together, but not too much to make you forget you are reading a romance. Also, in case you are interested in the thriller part, it was pretty awesome and unpredictable.


The only reason I’m not giving this five stars is because I wasn’t happy with the ghost part, at least at the beginning. For someone who loves high fantasy, it’s funny how little I enjoy paranormal elements in realistic stories. I think I was having conflicted feelings because I’m not sure I’ll believe my soul mate if he says he’s seeing ghosts. Maybe that’s why I’ll never have one...


Overall, PS I Spook you is a kindred-spirits romance to make you feel more alone than ever with a mystery to keep things spicy and full of ghosts who ended up being a source of really fun characters.
Profile Image for Bhavya Marya.
81 reviews105 followers
October 22, 2020
I couldn’t help but think Taylor Swift had it right—it had never been clearer that we were never, ever, ever getting back together again.
Famous last words by Rainstorm (I really love the name). Obviously they do get back together and become a pretty great couple (again).

I really love the second chance trope. I love to discover the history between the characters and watch them come together again BUT when it's done right. And this, in my opinion, was done right.

This was actually a nice surprise since I didn't have that much luck with S.E. Harmon's Stay with Me. I was a little skeptical going in but I'm so glad I gave the author another chance.



I really loved the MCs, Danny and Rain. They were different but fit so perfectly together. Also, there were so many unexpected funny moments that I couldn't help but fall in love with the book.

I'mma go read the next book now. :)
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