What do you think?
Rate this book
The Grimm Cases #1
Origins
The things I see aren’t for the faint of heart.
And I am no longer willing to ignore them. Not even when my family, and my best friend, tell me to keep quiet about what’s happening. They say people will think I’m crazy.
Maybe I am.
But the spirit haunting my professor’s house is definitely trying to tell me something, and I’m the only one who can see it.
The one person who can help me is my best friend's brother. But I don’t know if I can trust him or his friends. Or if I can step outside the protective bubble I’ve built around myself.
At this point it’s a toss up: the ghosts will kill me or my panic attacks will.
Either way, I figure I’m going to die.
This is the first of a multi-book slow burn reverse harem series. Be forewarned.
And I am no longer willing to ignore them. Not even when my family, and my best friend, tell me to keep quiet about what’s happening. They say people will think I’m crazy.
Maybe I am.
But the spirit haunting my professor’s house is definitely trying to tell me something, and I’m the only one who can see it.
The one person who can help me is my best friend's brother. But I don’t know if I can trust him or his friends. Or if I can step outside the protective bubble I’ve built around myself.
At this point it’s a toss up: the ghosts will kill me or my panic attacks will.
Either way, I figure I’m going to die.
This is the first of a multi-book slow burn reverse harem series. Be forewarned.
219 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 21, 2018
288 people are currently reading
1254 people want to read
About the author
Lyla Oweds
18 books276 followersLyla Oweds is an Amazon Bestselling paranormal romance and urban fantasy author who resides in the beautiful Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania. She grew up near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and has a deep appreciation for the paranormal, hauntings, and Edgar Allan Poe. As such, she loves all things fantasy, mystery, crime, and horror.
When not reading, writing, or working as a web programmer, Lyla can be found doing adult-y things such as being a single mom to a toddler and a bird. She also frequently enjoys makeup videos, massages, wine, and coffee.
When not reading, writing, or working as a web programmer, Lyla can be found doing adult-y things such as being a single mom to a toddler and a bird. She also frequently enjoys makeup videos, massages, wine, and coffee.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
August 22, 2021
+ A bit of Ghost Bird and the Veil Diaries vibe
+ Ghost stories
+ Bianca is hilarious
+ So many mysteries!
January 24, 2020
Isn't it weird? That a girl who's terrified to be haunted, who sits up in the middle of the night when there's a weird sound or smell, is so attracted to books about ghosts and the supernatural? Yes, it's weird. But this book, partly because of the beautiful cover, was calling me for a while already. And then all of a sudden, for a very limited time, it was free on Amazon. I had no excuse anymore NOT to read it.
And I enjoyed this story and book from start to finish. It's hard to say what exactly worked for me. It's much easier to say which elements normally should have put me off, but somehow didn't. And the main element that normally bothers me but didn't in this case was the lack of character depth. I've no clue what makes the guys in this book so different from each other. But I'm not complaining, because they're now all exactly my type of guys.
I think that was why the story worked for me. Even though it's about ghosts and the supernatural, it's mostly the story of a girl finally finding people who treat her right, who are willing to take care of her, to look after her and to believe in her. For the first time she's faced with people who are kind because they want to, who are giving because they want to. Without a hidden agenda or something to gain. And even though I wasn't that girl, it was nice to witness some girl having and finding it.
And then there was our main heroine who is just incredibly adorable. And although we haven't seen much of her own personality she has something endearing making it impossible to not like her or to not feel for her. She was innocent and pure, naive maybe and paranoid too, but it fit her and it fit her backstory and the kind of life she had.
So, despite its flaws it was a nice read and I'm already looking forward to the next book, that is also already on my e-reader because it was free for a limited time only a long while ago and I was so clever to already download it. And if that one is just as nice and lovely as this one, I'm sure I'll read the other two soon after!
And I enjoyed this story and book from start to finish. It's hard to say what exactly worked for me. It's much easier to say which elements normally should have put me off, but somehow didn't. And the main element that normally bothers me but didn't in this case was the lack of character depth. I've no clue what makes the guys in this book so different from each other. But I'm not complaining, because they're now all exactly my type of guys.
I think that was why the story worked for me. Even though it's about ghosts and the supernatural, it's mostly the story of a girl finally finding people who treat her right, who are willing to take care of her, to look after her and to believe in her. For the first time she's faced with people who are kind because they want to, who are giving because they want to. Without a hidden agenda or something to gain. And even though I wasn't that girl, it was nice to witness some girl having and finding it.
And then there was our main heroine who is just incredibly adorable. And although we haven't seen much of her own personality she has something endearing making it impossible to not like her or to not feel for her. She was innocent and pure, naive maybe and paranoid too, but it fit her and it fit her backstory and the kind of life she had.
So, despite its flaws it was a nice read and I'm already looking forward to the next book, that is also already on my e-reader because it was free for a limited time only a long while ago and I was so clever to already download it. And if that one is just as nice and lovely as this one, I'm sure I'll read the other two soon after!
December 21, 2020
Origins is the first book in the Grimm Cases series by Lyla Oweds, and it was an addictive read that had me devouring it in no time. From the start, this one pulled me in, and I could not get enough of all that played out.
Although a quick read, there were plenty of elements packed into this one that had me curious about what is to come. There are no solid answers in this one, with things hanging that require the reader to dive into the next book, but the things that are introduced have ideas swirling in the mind.
As addictive as it was, as much as I loved the way things played out and fell for the characters with ease, I will admit that there were some details that were a wee bit too cliched for me. As the story was so addictive and managed to pack a punch, I was able to overlook these elements for the most part – although I do hope they lessen going forward.
Without a doubt, Origins is an addictive start to what promises to be a wonderful series. As soon as I was finished with this one, I found myself diving into book two because I needed more.
Although a quick read, there were plenty of elements packed into this one that had me curious about what is to come. There are no solid answers in this one, with things hanging that require the reader to dive into the next book, but the things that are introduced have ideas swirling in the mind.
As addictive as it was, as much as I loved the way things played out and fell for the characters with ease, I will admit that there were some details that were a wee bit too cliched for me. As the story was so addictive and managed to pack a punch, I was able to overlook these elements for the most part – although I do hope they lessen going forward.
Without a doubt, Origins is an addictive start to what promises to be a wonderful series. As soon as I was finished with this one, I found myself diving into book two because I needed more.
December 17, 2019
2 shell-shocked STARS ★★✩✩✩
⤐ Overall.
If I didn't know better I'd think I hadn't just finished reading the first book in a series but the teaser book boxes give out to get readers to buy books. Except this teaser will not get me to buy any book it all. It will get me to stay the hell away from the rest of the series.
Seriously, what the heck is it with me and this reverse-harem stuff all of a sudden? I just finished another one of them and it's just as bad a experiences as the first one. From the synopsis, I would have never in my wildest dreams guessed that this was about a polyamorous relationship. In general, it seems sensible why the MC feels comfortable with her SOs - especially in comparison to her so-called crush - and the male love interests are at least not weak-ass alpha males but the whole plot was ridiculous and weak. Nothing gets resolved, not even the tiniest thing. Cliffhangers are fine, but not when there's not even a cliff to hang on to. The whole book felt hole-y and unfinished. I do not recommend.
I'm especially disappointed because I've had excellent experiences with Xpresso Book tours before. I'm still not over The Last Huntsman and Realm of Knights, both of which I love dearly.
⤐ What’s happening.
Meanwhile I found it hard to breathe because this book was so hard to take seriously. Not even in the lax way one should take reading seriously. Bianca, victim of neglectful adoptive parents and an abusive 'best friend', is haunted by ghosts and looks for help in a group of young men who are not only extremely skilled ghost hunters but also incidantelly just happen to be the most beautiful men one could possibly imagine. And they all want her. Yeah, right.
_____________________
writing quality + easy of reading = 2*
pace = 3*
plot/story in general = 1*
plot development = 2*
characters = 2*
enjoyability = 2*
insightfulness = 2*
_____________________
Many thanks to Giselle from Xpresso Book Tours, who provided me with an eArc in exchange for an honest review.
This book is for you if… reverse-harem stuff with a weak plot that lacks any resolution whatsoever is totally your thing. Spoiler alert: It's not a cliffhanger if there's no cliff to hang on to. No, not even for a series.
⤐ Overall.
If I didn't know better I'd think I hadn't just finished reading the first book in a series but the teaser book boxes give out to get readers to buy books. Except this teaser will not get me to buy any book it all. It will get me to stay the hell away from the rest of the series.
Seriously, what the heck is it with me and this reverse-harem stuff all of a sudden? I just finished another one of them and it's just as bad a experiences as the first one. From the synopsis, I would have never in my wildest dreams guessed that this was about a polyamorous relationship. In general, it seems sensible why the MC feels comfortable with her SOs - especially in comparison to her so-called crush - and the male love interests are at least not weak-ass alpha males but the whole plot was ridiculous and weak. Nothing gets resolved, not even the tiniest thing. Cliffhangers are fine, but not when there's not even a cliff to hang on to. The whole book felt hole-y and unfinished. I do not recommend.
I'm especially disappointed because I've had excellent experiences with Xpresso Book tours before. I'm still not over The Last Huntsman and Realm of Knights, both of which I love dearly.
⤐ What’s happening.
‘Baby girl? The nickname was terrible but I still found it hard to breathe under the weight of his attention.’
Meanwhile I found it hard to breathe because this book was so hard to take seriously. Not even in the lax way one should take reading seriously. Bianca, victim of neglectful adoptive parents and an abusive 'best friend', is haunted by ghosts and looks for help in a group of young men who are not only extremely skilled ghost hunters but also incidantelly just happen to be the most beautiful men one could possibly imagine. And they all want her. Yeah, right.
_____________________
writing quality + easy of reading = 2*
pace = 3*
plot/story in general = 1*
plot development = 2*
characters = 2*
enjoyability = 2*
insightfulness = 2*
_____________________
Many thanks to Giselle from Xpresso Book Tours, who provided me with an eArc in exchange for an honest review.
August 24, 2021
I LOVED IT! And I am a BIG RH genre lover. I read a BUNCH of crap ones. I started another crap one before i gave up on it on chapter 2 and started this one, free on amazon KU.
In this one Bianca is in college with her overcontrolling Best friend Finn. who is her only friend. She is looking after a house that is haunted and Finn doesn't believe her so she finds FInn's brother who she remembed believed in the paranormal.
I liked Bianca, and loved how we got to see how crazy controlling Finn was, and I realllllly liked the guys. They all cared for her, and in a RH its soooo important when we set up the guys relationship with the main girl.
We dont know what Bianca is yet exactly and why she is so special. We dont know why Finn and her parents wanted to keep her isolated.
I can't wait for book 2!
edit: I don't know why this got so many likes within the last few days. But, after book 3 i gave up on the series. Book 1 and 2 i loved and then it got boring.
In this one Bianca is in college with her overcontrolling Best friend Finn. who is her only friend. She is looking after a house that is haunted and Finn doesn't believe her so she finds FInn's brother who she remembed believed in the paranormal.
I liked Bianca, and loved how we got to see how crazy controlling Finn was, and I realllllly liked the guys. They all cared for her, and in a RH its soooo important when we set up the guys relationship with the main girl.
We dont know what Bianca is yet exactly and why she is so special. We dont know why Finn and her parents wanted to keep her isolated.
I can't wait for book 2!
edit: I don't know why this got so many likes within the last few days. But, after book 3 i gave up on the series. Book 1 and 2 i loved and then it got boring.
October 28, 2019
Here we are introduced to Bianca. She is a shy, timid young girl starting college. She has had a rough road, and finally is able to step out of her comfort zone into college with her best friend Finn. But while she is house sitting for a teacher, she has discovered the house is haunted. So what if she used to see things when she was younger, and had to be committed once for help from her parents. She has always been able to rely on Finn, but he does not believe her. So she is forced to help herself. She tries to enlist his brothers help. Damen, and his friends look into the paranormal. They help people when they can. They see something in Bianca, even when she does not. They agree to help her, and maybe they can help you see that there is more to her than meets the eye.
July 7, 2021
Oweds has created an intriguing character with Bianca, she is sweet, naive, quirky, socially awkward, and I love her. She has been controlled all her life, when she finally meets 4 guys who help her see what has been happening and are supportive of her. I love her wild “logic” and I can’t wait to see where this series goes. The book does end rather abruptly, but thankfully book 2 is out now
Edited 1/11/2020: I upgraded this to a 5 star read as I have re-read it multiple times and it still is as intriguing and great as the first time I read it :)
Edited 1/11/2020: I upgraded this to a 5 star read as I have re-read it multiple times and it still is as intriguing and great as the first time I read it :)
November 29, 2021
Intriguing
This book was nothing like I expected, yet somehow a splendid blend of mystery and paranormal. Bianca, the FMC, annoyed the crap out of me... at first. Yet I kept reading because my curiosity was piqued and I wanted to know more. As I read, I realized Bianca wasn’t as clueless as I first pegged her, at least but deliberately. She’s an abused woman, who didn’t know she was abused - and truly had no idea who she is, or WHAT she is. She’s naive and sheltered, through no fault of her own. Painfully innocent, her story is somehow engrossing, and the story being presented is finding solid foundation.
Pros:
- The mystery here. Who is Bianca? Who is Finn? Who are the guys? And how does it all come together?
- World building is scant, but it feels more like a plot point with it subtly.
- Bianca. I didn’t like her, then I came to love her.
Cons:
- It just ends. Suddenly. Bam!
- The ‘keeping secrets for your own good’ trope. Cliche.
This book was nothing like I expected, yet somehow a splendid blend of mystery and paranormal. Bianca, the FMC, annoyed the crap out of me... at first. Yet I kept reading because my curiosity was piqued and I wanted to know more. As I read, I realized Bianca wasn’t as clueless as I first pegged her, at least but deliberately. She’s an abused woman, who didn’t know she was abused - and truly had no idea who she is, or WHAT she is. She’s naive and sheltered, through no fault of her own. Painfully innocent, her story is somehow engrossing, and the story being presented is finding solid foundation.
Pros:
- The mystery here. Who is Bianca? Who is Finn? Who are the guys? And how does it all come together?
- World building is scant, but it feels more like a plot point with it subtly.
- Bianca. I didn’t like her, then I came to love her.
Cons:
- It just ends. Suddenly. Bam!
- The ‘keeping secrets for your own good’ trope. Cliche.
December 3, 2018
I feel there is a very fine line when writing a character who should be written emotionally crippled and naive. Too many times the character comes across as whiney and ditzy. This is NOT the case.
The author writes her FMC as being perfectly-imperfect. She's flawed and she IS emotionally crippled. The sadness and fear she experiences gives me the feels. And the betrayal she experiences is appalling, because she feels ostracized and alone.
However, we are shown that she does have support - in which the men are drawn to her and show a certain protectiveness towards her. It's very sweet and endearing.
In closure, this is a slow burn and I do look forward to seeing relationships and this mysterious world continue.
The author writes her FMC as being perfectly-imperfect. She's flawed and she IS emotionally crippled. The sadness and fear she experiences gives me the feels. And the betrayal she experiences is appalling, because she feels ostracized and alone.
However, we are shown that she does have support - in which the men are drawn to her and show a certain protectiveness towards her. It's very sweet and endearing.
In closure, this is a slow burn and I do look forward to seeing relationships and this mysterious world continue.
December 17, 2020
I read a lot. A LOT. But Bianca's story is one that I've revisited several times because I just can't stay away for too long. No matter how busy my schedule gets, there always comes a time when I'm ready to re-read.
One of the things I enjoy most is that this series starter makes me literally laugh out loud. Bianca is a unique character, and while some of her characteristics hit on the tropes of the naive FMC with a bit of a broken past, there's also a shrewd aspect to her thinking as well as a logic that I find to be so much fun. No matter how ridiculous she can be, there's always a rationale at the end, and you can't help but be won over by her.
Damen, Miles, Titus, Julian, and even Finn are a cast of men who all stand out in my mind. One of the things Oweds manages in Origins, which I think not all RH authors manage in their first book, is that each of the men has a firmly rooted personality. They stand out clearly to me, for better or worse, and that's drawn me in time and time again because the characters feel more lively to me no matter how many times I read those same lines or choices from them. I do like them all (and sort of love to hate Finn right now), but Julian and Titus are my front runners at the beginning.
Now, the first time I read Origins, I did need to slow for a moment at certain parts. Oweds doesn't info dump on us- there's a smoothness and more natural flow in those times when she educates us on the world and the characters' powers- but we do receive a lot of information. So, I'm someone who wants to make sure that I really get those puzzle pieces, so I just took extra care to try and work those parts into my memory to build on as I continued.
Overall, I really do enjoy this series, more so than many others in the RH book-verse. Even though it has its fair share of laughs, there's also a wealth of world-building and magical "theory" to engage my overactive brain and make me lose myself in the story. Really, I'm very glad that I found this series and highly recommend to others.
One of the things I enjoy most is that this series starter makes me literally laugh out loud. Bianca is a unique character, and while some of her characteristics hit on the tropes of the naive FMC with a bit of a broken past, there's also a shrewd aspect to her thinking as well as a logic that I find to be so much fun. No matter how ridiculous she can be, there's always a rationale at the end, and you can't help but be won over by her.
Damen, Miles, Titus, Julian, and even Finn are a cast of men who all stand out in my mind. One of the things Oweds manages in Origins, which I think not all RH authors manage in their first book, is that each of the men has a firmly rooted personality. They stand out clearly to me, for better or worse, and that's drawn me in time and time again because the characters feel more lively to me no matter how many times I read those same lines or choices from them. I do like them all (and sort of love to hate Finn right now), but Julian and Titus are my front runners at the beginning.
Now, the first time I read Origins, I did need to slow for a moment at certain parts. Oweds doesn't info dump on us- there's a smoothness and more natural flow in those times when she educates us on the world and the characters' powers- but we do receive a lot of information. So, I'm someone who wants to make sure that I really get those puzzle pieces, so I just took extra care to try and work those parts into my memory to build on as I continued.
Overall, I really do enjoy this series, more so than many others in the RH book-verse. Even though it has its fair share of laughs, there's also a wealth of world-building and magical "theory" to engage my overactive brain and make me lose myself in the story. Really, I'm very glad that I found this series and highly recommend to others.
February 26, 2021
Magic, mystery, paranormal and romance meet a character with tons of heart and a very quirky personality to create a gripping and yet easy read.
Bianca has lived an extremely sheltered life, has one very-best friend, and isn't exactly a people-person, anyway. When her best friend refuses to listen to her request for help, she's not sure what to do. She knows he won't help her, since he believes the ghosts she claims to see are part of her psychological issues...she's been on medication, after all, for years. But this ghost is trying to kill her. Since she's her him mention that his brother has an interest in the paranormal, she steps way out of her comfort zone and seeks him out. She never expects that this small move will flip her life upside down and then some.
I picked up this one simply due to the title...and half-reading the surmise...and completely enjoyed it. While I expected ghosts, magic and romance, I did not expect the lightness this tale holds. The main character isn't only super-extreme naive, her thought processes are all over the place. I'd compare it to a imagination in hyper-drive with way too many TV shows or books used as the basis. Her logic is through the roof, her reactions all over the place...and it makes her very endearing in the quirkiest of ways. And yet, the ghosts are not humorous, but really pose a threat.
There are all sorts of secrets, evil agendas and impossible to guess secrets. Little by little things start to come to light, but just as many more layers are added to the intrigue. It makes it hard to put the book down. Unfortunately, this is one of those books, which doesn't wrap things up at the end, but left me wanting to dive right into the next one to see what happens next.
Now, to the romance. This does slide into the reverse harem category...and it's super cute. Of course, the guys are gorgeous, muscular, and her perfect protectors. But they are quirky in their own ways. They definitely have more logic behind their actions and build the logic and grit, where she flows through the clouds. The cliches reign, and it's exactly what works. This is very slow burn with nothing to worry about on that end for young adult readers. Not even close. With this main character, flirting kind of bounces right off, and leaves lovely frustration for the other parties behind. It's simply a fun read with just enough darkness to grab and hold
I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed it so much that I immediately picked up book two.
Bianca has lived an extremely sheltered life, has one very-best friend, and isn't exactly a people-person, anyway. When her best friend refuses to listen to her request for help, she's not sure what to do. She knows he won't help her, since he believes the ghosts she claims to see are part of her psychological issues...she's been on medication, after all, for years. But this ghost is trying to kill her. Since she's her him mention that his brother has an interest in the paranormal, she steps way out of her comfort zone and seeks him out. She never expects that this small move will flip her life upside down and then some.
I picked up this one simply due to the title...and half-reading the surmise...and completely enjoyed it. While I expected ghosts, magic and romance, I did not expect the lightness this tale holds. The main character isn't only super-extreme naive, her thought processes are all over the place. I'd compare it to a imagination in hyper-drive with way too many TV shows or books used as the basis. Her logic is through the roof, her reactions all over the place...and it makes her very endearing in the quirkiest of ways. And yet, the ghosts are not humorous, but really pose a threat.
There are all sorts of secrets, evil agendas and impossible to guess secrets. Little by little things start to come to light, but just as many more layers are added to the intrigue. It makes it hard to put the book down. Unfortunately, this is one of those books, which doesn't wrap things up at the end, but left me wanting to dive right into the next one to see what happens next.
Now, to the romance. This does slide into the reverse harem category...and it's super cute. Of course, the guys are gorgeous, muscular, and her perfect protectors. But they are quirky in their own ways. They definitely have more logic behind their actions and build the logic and grit, where she flows through the clouds. The cliches reign, and it's exactly what works. This is very slow burn with nothing to worry about on that end for young adult readers. Not even close. With this main character, flirting kind of bounces right off, and leaves lovely frustration for the other parties behind. It's simply a fun read with just enough darkness to grab and hold
I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed it so much that I immediately picked up book two.
May 25, 2021
This book was refreshing... or Bianca (MC) was refreshing. Not sure which it is or if its both...
Bianca is housesitting for one of her professors, but the house is haunted and she feels like whatever it is that is haunting her, it trying to kill her. She reaches out to her best friend, Finn, but he is quick to rebuff her claims and insinuate that she is crazy and needs to be more vigilant with taking her meds. However, Bianca knows that she isn't imagining things and she truly feels her life is in danger, so she reaches out to a 'ghost hunting' team, and one of the members just so happens to be Finn's brother. As she gets to know this team, she realizes that maybe Finn isn't the friend she thought he was and gains true friends in the process (and maybe something more).
Bianca, the MC, is socially awkward, has debilitating anxiety, and is extremely naive. She (like in most RHs) has a dark past that we only get hints at in this book, but she doesn't let her past affect her as much as you would think. The best thing about her character (IMO) is her imagination. There is a significant lack of information being given to her and she often jumps to conclusions pretty quickly on her own, but she always goes to the most extreme verdict in her mind and just runs with it and that is where most of the humor in this book comes from. I hope this continues, because I loved her though process.
The guys (or paranormal, crime-fighting monks) were great. As this is only the first book, there is a lot of unknown surrounding them, but I like em. Damon (Finn's older brother), Julian, Miles, and Titus seem protective of Bianca and there is some kind of connection between them and Bianca, but they're tight lipped about it (which only adds to Bianca's ridiculous assumptions). Best of all, there isn't any insta-love/lust (YAY) or blaming traitorous bodies/out-of-control hormones.
Moving on...
Not much is resolved in this book and there are more questions than answers, but (and this just might be me) the fact that it was funny makes me over look those other things. Besides, its only the first book. I am sure we will get more information in the following books.
Anyhoo, don't let the negative reviews steer you away from this series. This book kept popping up as 'similar to' other books I've read, but I kept ignoring it because of the reviews and the blurb (it doesn't do the book justice). I'm glad I caved and read it, because I loved it.
Bianca is housesitting for one of her professors, but the house is haunted and she feels like whatever it is that is haunting her, it trying to kill her. She reaches out to her best friend, Finn, but he is quick to rebuff her claims and insinuate that she is crazy and needs to be more vigilant with taking her meds. However, Bianca knows that she isn't imagining things and she truly feels her life is in danger, so she reaches out to a 'ghost hunting' team, and one of the members just so happens to be Finn's brother. As she gets to know this team, she realizes that maybe Finn isn't the friend she thought he was and gains true friends in the process (and maybe something more).
Bianca, the MC, is socially awkward, has debilitating anxiety, and is extremely naive. She (like in most RHs) has a dark past that we only get hints at in this book, but she doesn't let her past affect her as much as you would think. The best thing about her character (IMO) is her imagination. There is a significant lack of information being given to her and she often jumps to conclusions pretty quickly on her own, but she always goes to the most extreme verdict in her mind and just runs with it and that is where most of the humor in this book comes from. I hope this continues, because I loved her though process.
The guys (or paranormal, crime-fighting monks) were great. As this is only the first book, there is a lot of unknown surrounding them, but I like em. Damon (Finn's older brother), Julian, Miles, and Titus seem protective of Bianca and there is some kind of connection between them and Bianca, but they're tight lipped about it (which only adds to Bianca's ridiculous assumptions). Best of all, there isn't any insta-love/lust (YAY) or blaming traitorous bodies/out-of-control hormones.
Moving on...
Not much is resolved in this book and there are more questions than answers, but (and this just might be me) the fact that it was funny makes me over look those other things. Besides, its only the first book. I am sure we will get more information in the following books.
Anyhoo, don't let the negative reviews steer you away from this series. This book kept popping up as 'similar to' other books I've read, but I kept ignoring it because of the reviews and the blurb (it doesn't do the book justice). I'm glad I caved and read it, because I loved it.
Want to read
January 14, 2020ARCs can be requested here: [closed - other review opportunities found here]
August 26, 2019
Pages: 219
My rating (stars): 4
Read other books from this author in the future: yes
Some of my GR buddies described this books vibe with a Ghost Bird and Veil Dairies. And I think this is the right description. The heroine is sheltered as sang and also her family and a friend did really bad thing to her (she will know more about this later in the first book). But then she meets her friends brother and his friends and things look up.
Bianca is quite amusing and I am looking forward to see, how she will cope with her new life.
August 23, 2024
So... I'm confused.
The blurb on this book sounded really interesting and I've been looking for some good reverse harem books.
Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be one of them. I'm 80% through and nothing makes sense. Here's the plot in summary:
College girl named Bianca sees ghosts. Her best and only friend, Finn and her adoptive parents believes she schizophrenic. Finn has an older brother, Damen, who works at the college and is into the supernatural. Bianca he meets him, and his friends, Miles, Titus, and Julian who are like-minded. They believe she sees ghosts and try to help her 'exorcise' the ghosts/demons haunting her bio teachers house where she is house sitting. Finn, her best friend, is super controlling and seems abusive and Bianca is in love with him?? Damen, Miles, Titus & Julian hate Finn and Finn hates them. This is never explained, it's never explained why, despite Finn knowing that ghosts are real, that he says Bianca is crazy. This book keeps you guessing, but not in a good, "I wanna binge read and found out what's going on" kind of way. No, it's more like a, "what the fuck is going on? No hold on, please explain. Oh you're not going to, gotcha. I'm going to read almost through the whole book to see if this is explained." BUT IT NEVER IS! If I was Bianca, I'd be less "ooo cute boys" and more "tell me what is happening". She acts like a child, having literally said more than once in the book, "stop laughing at me." She seems emotionally stunted, which I guess makes sense if she was isolated by Finn and her adoptive parents. However, she is in college and it seems that she is not a freshman so I feel like she would have grown up some?? The guys handle her with kid gloves and she takes it laying down. The book never explains anything about her adoptive parents besides the fact that she was committed to a mental hospital. If I told my parents "I see dead people" and genuinely believed it, they'd probably lock me up too. However, Finn is the real enemy who holds the power over her with the fear of telling her adoptive parents that she's crazy. She lets him boss her around and wants to marry him, despite him obviously being controlling. She acts like a child that can't take care of herself when she talks to him.
80% of the way through and I've only just found out what Miles and Damen powers are. You don't even get to find out what supernatural shit Titus and Julian can do. Ugh I wish this was better and I have a few tips to the author on how she can improve it if she so chooses.
1. Answer some questions, give us just enough info to keep us coming back. If shit happened to me the people around me just gave each other the 🤔🤨😕 ಠ_ʖಠ ತ_ʖತ looks and keeping everything under wraps, I'd be pissed.
2. Rewrite Bianca. I know this may take time, but honestly a female character with a backbone and some badassery only ever improves the story. Leave her the way she is in the beginning then as the story progresses give her a kick in the ass. She grew up in foster care as a loner, I'm sure she has a badass hidden in her somewhere. The best time to do that would be when Finn confronts her at the house. Or maybe even earlier. She's got her boys to back her up if Finn tells her adoptive parents that she's relapsed.
3. Give us answers. Why is Finn crazy? Why does Bianca love him even though he's fucking crazy? Why do the guys hate him? What are his powers? So many questions, please answer some.
p.s. there were so many good reviews on this book and I was genuinely confused because it came out a year ago. 4.5/5 with 81 reviews on Amazon Kindle. I don't want to be mean because I genuinely enjoy giving authors critiques that they can use rather than being mean spirited. With theses reviews however, I felt like I was being Punk'd. Almost everyone had good things to say about this book, which was odd, very odd...
The blurb on this book sounded really interesting and I've been looking for some good reverse harem books.
Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be one of them. I'm 80% through and nothing makes sense. Here's the plot in summary:
College girl named Bianca sees ghosts. Her best and only friend, Finn and her adoptive parents believes she schizophrenic. Finn has an older brother, Damen, who works at the college and is into the supernatural. Bianca he meets him, and his friends, Miles, Titus, and Julian who are like-minded. They believe she sees ghosts and try to help her 'exorcise' the ghosts/demons haunting her bio teachers house where she is house sitting. Finn, her best friend, is super controlling and seems abusive and Bianca is in love with him?? Damen, Miles, Titus & Julian hate Finn and Finn hates them. This is never explained, it's never explained why, despite Finn knowing that ghosts are real, that he says Bianca is crazy. This book keeps you guessing, but not in a good, "I wanna binge read and found out what's going on" kind of way. No, it's more like a, "what the fuck is going on? No hold on, please explain. Oh you're not going to, gotcha. I'm going to read almost through the whole book to see if this is explained." BUT IT NEVER IS! If I was Bianca, I'd be less "ooo cute boys" and more "tell me what is happening". She acts like a child, having literally said more than once in the book, "stop laughing at me." She seems emotionally stunted, which I guess makes sense if she was isolated by Finn and her adoptive parents. However, she is in college and it seems that she is not a freshman so I feel like she would have grown up some?? The guys handle her with kid gloves and she takes it laying down. The book never explains anything about her adoptive parents besides the fact that she was committed to a mental hospital. If I told my parents "I see dead people" and genuinely believed it, they'd probably lock me up too. However, Finn is the real enemy who holds the power over her with the fear of telling her adoptive parents that she's crazy. She lets him boss her around and wants to marry him, despite him obviously being controlling. She acts like a child that can't take care of herself when she talks to him.
80% of the way through and I've only just found out what Miles and Damen powers are. You don't even get to find out what supernatural shit Titus and Julian can do. Ugh I wish this was better and I have a few tips to the author on how she can improve it if she so chooses.
1. Answer some questions, give us just enough info to keep us coming back. If shit happened to me the people around me just gave each other the 🤔🤨😕 ಠ_ʖಠ ತ_ʖತ looks and keeping everything under wraps, I'd be pissed.
2. Rewrite Bianca. I know this may take time, but honestly a female character with a backbone and some badassery only ever improves the story. Leave her the way she is in the beginning then as the story progresses give her a kick in the ass. She grew up in foster care as a loner, I'm sure she has a badass hidden in her somewhere. The best time to do that would be when Finn confronts her at the house. Or maybe even earlier. She's got her boys to back her up if Finn tells her adoptive parents that she's relapsed.
3. Give us answers. Why is Finn crazy? Why does Bianca love him even though he's fucking crazy? Why do the guys hate him? What are his powers? So many questions, please answer some.
p.s. there were so many good reviews on this book and I was genuinely confused because it came out a year ago. 4.5/5 with 81 reviews on Amazon Kindle. I don't want to be mean because I genuinely enjoy giving authors critiques that they can use rather than being mean spirited. With theses reviews however, I felt like I was being Punk'd. Almost everyone had good things to say about this book, which was odd, very odd...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2020
A bit too slow
I started reading this book a long time ago (over a year) and stopped at the 80% mark because the heroine was too innocent, too ignorant, and too clueless. Now I don’t mind when the heroine stumbles into a new world and she has to find her place in it, but I hate when she is so innocent that she does not even know the basics of human culture/interactions.
The haunting part was also a bit scary (I was reading this in the middle of the nigh). The story and relationships move at a snail pace. Somehow all of these men seem to be super interested in this EXTREMELY innocent and naive girl, which add a bit of insta love to the story.
Because of all of this I put this book down and did not pick it up again until I finished this author’s second series (just the first book is out) Rising Sun, which was great. So I decided to give this book a chance again. I will be picking up the second book and go from there. Hopefully the heroine becomes smarter/less innocent as the series progresses and the guys and the relationship gets some better development.
I started reading this book a long time ago (over a year) and stopped at the 80% mark because the heroine was too innocent, too ignorant, and too clueless. Now I don’t mind when the heroine stumbles into a new world and she has to find her place in it, but I hate when she is so innocent that she does not even know the basics of human culture/interactions.
The haunting part was also a bit scary (I was reading this in the middle of the nigh). The story and relationships move at a snail pace. Somehow all of these men seem to be super interested in this EXTREMELY innocent and naive girl, which add a bit of insta love to the story.
Because of all of this I put this book down and did not pick it up again until I finished this author’s second series (just the first book is out) Rising Sun, which was great. So I decided to give this book a chance again. I will be picking up the second book and go from there. Hopefully the heroine becomes smarter/less innocent as the series progresses and the guys and the relationship gets some better development.
August 31, 2019
I enjoyed this book but I'll have to read the next one to get answers. There's something going on and two many factors to try to work it out.
The monks are nice. I like the way they are trying to protect Bianca. But I want to know why she's been so guarded by Finn. She's almost childlike not too sure if this is intentional or not.
This book seemed to suddenly end which was weird.
The monks are nice. I like the way they are trying to protect Bianca. But I want to know why she's been so guarded by Finn. She's almost childlike not too sure if this is intentional or not.
This book seemed to suddenly end which was weird.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2018
Awesomeness
Wow! What a great start to a new series. I really can't wait to get my hands on book 2. The characters are just amazingly developed and book 1 laid a great foundation for the story. It flowed effortlessly. The only complaint I have was the ending. It just stopped. It wasn't a cliffhanger but it did seem like at least one more chapter or two might have rounded it out a little better. I look forward to seeing Bianca grow in strength and confidence now that she is away from Finn. I don't care why he did the things he has done to her. Nothing is justifiable enough with the major control he took over her life. He is probably one of the most despicable characters I have come across in a long time. I truly can't wait to get my hands on book two.
Wow! What a great start to a new series. I really can't wait to get my hands on book 2. The characters are just amazingly developed and book 1 laid a great foundation for the story. It flowed effortlessly. The only complaint I have was the ending. It just stopped. It wasn't a cliffhanger but it did seem like at least one more chapter or two might have rounded it out a little better. I look forward to seeing Bianca grow in strength and confidence now that she is away from Finn. I don't care why he did the things he has done to her. Nothing is justifiable enough with the major control he took over her life. He is probably one of the most despicable characters I have come across in a long time. I truly can't wait to get my hands on book two.
April 25, 2021
This was an interesting story to read. So we have Bianca who was put in foster care at a young age. Now this girl is a loner. Why? Well because she can see and sense things of the paranormal variety. Her only friend is Finn and he is a d-bag for sure. One day Bianca finds Finn's brother Damen and his friends. They kind of scare her but heck most everything does. She slowly realizes that something is amiss and they guys are the ones to show her. This book pretty much establishes the story line and what is to come. So now we will see how the relationships turn out next hopefully.
May 29, 2019
This was okay overall. I know the thing that bothered me the most isn't probably that big of a deal (completely inaccurate representation of psychology (including forensic psychology) that follows tv show tropes rather than reality), but it just drove me crazy. It's not all that integral to the plot, but it just shows lack of research and attention to detail. I get that this is a paranormal read, but the author tries to keep most of the world pretty similar to actual reality. Disappointing.
August 14, 2019
I liked the story
but not thrilled with the way it ended
hopefully the next book picks up where this one left off
but not thrilled with the way it ended
hopefully the next book picks up where this one left off
Want to read
January 20, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (1/20/2020)! 🎁
February 2, 2025
Confounded and dumb-struck by the heroine. Remiss to say that this book didn’t have much substance. Substance in the plot, the characters, or even the book length. It was half the normal length of a RH book and I’m highly suspicious the author broke this off literally in the middle and made two books because the ending literally couldn’t even be called that. But I digress.
I breezed through this with overall shock and curiosity for the barely there premise.
FMC is a Mary Sue. She’s from a bad past, has an abusive best friend, and has strange powers that no one understands. FMC is naive, innocent, shy, and socially awkward. Definitely sheltered by her abusive best friend, Finn, who I should mention, is someone who has controlled her entire life without her knowing and manipulated her into staying with him in their weird a suite relationship. Literally she thought they would be getting married in the future. She’s definitely not the sharpest tool in the shed and her inner thoughts are downright crazy. Her “imagination” is seriously her just making these HUGE assumption and stereotypes, then just rolling with them and assuming it’s fact. It had my head spinning multiple times throughout the book.
With her own ghost problem, she tries to rely on Finn but gets pushed away. Not knowing what to do, she runs to get help from his ghost buster brother, Damen, and his crew. FMC doesn’t know that her choices just bust open the door to a world of harsh truths and trouble.
I will say. I think the plot is kind of interesting. It was barely there, but interesting. The romantic or “friendship” development literally went from like 0 to 100 mph REAL QUICK (like this whole book was the span of less than 48 hours), but I guess it’s still considered slow burn since she has no idea what she’s doing and all they know is that they “are drawn to each other” and somehow “know they can trust each other, have known each other forever” and all that shit. Not my type of slow burn, but I’m still gonna read the second book cause I’m still curious about what’s gonna happen.
I breezed through this with overall shock and curiosity for the barely there premise.
FMC is a Mary Sue. She’s from a bad past, has an abusive best friend, and has strange powers that no one understands. FMC is naive, innocent, shy, and socially awkward. Definitely sheltered by her abusive best friend, Finn, who I should mention, is someone who has controlled her entire life without her knowing and manipulated her into staying with him in their weird a suite relationship. Literally she thought they would be getting married in the future. She’s definitely not the sharpest tool in the shed and her inner thoughts are downright crazy. Her “imagination” is seriously her just making these HUGE assumption and stereotypes, then just rolling with them and assuming it’s fact. It had my head spinning multiple times throughout the book.
With her own ghost problem, she tries to rely on Finn but gets pushed away. Not knowing what to do, she runs to get help from his ghost buster brother, Damen, and his crew. FMC doesn’t know that her choices just bust open the door to a world of harsh truths and trouble.
I will say. I think the plot is kind of interesting. It was barely there, but interesting. The romantic or “friendship” development literally went from like 0 to 100 mph REAL QUICK (like this whole book was the span of less than 48 hours), but I guess it’s still considered slow burn since she has no idea what she’s doing and all they know is that they “are drawn to each other” and somehow “know they can trust each other, have known each other forever” and all that shit. Not my type of slow burn, but I’m still gonna read the second book cause I’m still curious about what’s gonna happen.
March 17, 2020
Great series
This is a great series love the characters the fmc has such funny inner thoughts and such an interesting unique character with anxieties that people with anxiety can relate to even if the supernatural book. This book is all in her perspective but I I'm currently on the second book it switches to multiple POV which is great but to this book being in her works really well this series is really addictive it's got an ex antastiq story a great build-up rate male characters that are all very distinctive and their personalities gets flushed out and very interesting history with the main character and her friend and her past this book suck me in a immediately I have been trying book after book and nothing was catching my interest and luckily this had been on my list if it was recommended by somebody in a group of another book I like and it had sounded good gave it a try and I got myself a 6 star read. Amazing book amazing Series so far if you're reading this yes go read this book very good it won't take long for it to suck you in a love it
This is a great series love the characters the fmc has such funny inner thoughts and such an interesting unique character with anxieties that people with anxiety can relate to even if the supernatural book. This book is all in her perspective but I I'm currently on the second book it switches to multiple POV which is great but to this book being in her works really well this series is really addictive it's got an ex antastiq story a great build-up rate male characters that are all very distinctive and their personalities gets flushed out and very interesting history with the main character and her friend and her past this book suck me in a immediately I have been trying book after book and nothing was catching my interest and luckily this had been on my list if it was recommended by somebody in a group of another book I like and it had sounded good gave it a try and I got myself a 6 star read. Amazing book amazing Series so far if you're reading this yes go read this book very good it won't take long for it to suck you in a love it
February 21, 2019
Fantastic.
The author has created a FMC that’s been sheltered all her life, and yet has managed to deal with the paranormal aspects of her life, as well as the events in the story without completely losing her marbles, or disintegrating into the whiny lead that she could have been. Bianca has adorable quirks, and a truly unique way that she processes thought.
As far as the guys go, I can’t wait for a bit more romance between them all, this is definitely slow burn, but nothing else would make sense, and I’m grateful that the author didn’t try to make me believe in an instalove scenario. I don’t have a favorite guy, but I can definitely say that I wouldn’t miss Finn even a little bit.
I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next in the series.
The author has created a FMC that’s been sheltered all her life, and yet has managed to deal with the paranormal aspects of her life, as well as the events in the story without completely losing her marbles, or disintegrating into the whiny lead that she could have been. Bianca has adorable quirks, and a truly unique way that she processes thought.
As far as the guys go, I can’t wait for a bit more romance between them all, this is definitely slow burn, but nothing else would make sense, and I’m grateful that the author didn’t try to make me believe in an instalove scenario. I don’t have a favorite guy, but I can definitely say that I wouldn’t miss Finn even a little bit.
I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next in the series.
December 23, 2020
Amazing
This is probably the series with the most intriguing first book I’ve ever read. I don’t say that lightly either. It completely draws you in and has you desperate for more, whilst also being very satisfying and exciting.
Bianca is hilarious. She’s smart, quirky and slightly damaged. I honestly adore her, and I’m looking forward to what comes next.
Titus, Damen, Julian and Miles... I honestly adore these men. They’re everything she needs, and I’m excited to see their relationship develop further.
Finn. Well he’s not the best of guys, but I’m sure there’s a reason for it. I hope he gets a redemption arc.
Overall this had a lot of mystery but it was also engaging and thrilling. I highly recommend the series.
This is probably the series with the most intriguing first book I’ve ever read. I don’t say that lightly either. It completely draws you in and has you desperate for more, whilst also being very satisfying and exciting.
Bianca is hilarious. She’s smart, quirky and slightly damaged. I honestly adore her, and I’m looking forward to what comes next.
Titus, Damen, Julian and Miles... I honestly adore these men. They’re everything she needs, and I’m excited to see their relationship develop further.
Finn. Well he’s not the best of guys, but I’m sure there’s a reason for it. I hope he gets a redemption arc.
Overall this had a lot of mystery but it was also engaging and thrilling. I highly recommend the series.
February 12, 2023
⭐⭐⭐⭐, 🌶️
Was this great literature? No. Was the plot amazing? No. Was the writing awesome? Also no. I gave this four stars because I honestly enjoyed it. The FMC could be a little annoying at times, but I really thought the premise was interesting. I have finished all the books in the series that are currently out. I have said before that I don’t like fast burn but this honestly felt like the slowest RH I have ever read. But by the fourth book or something the author mentions that they have only known each other for a number of weeks so that made it a bit more believable. I would suggest reading the first in the series to see if it’s for you and then make your decision on whether to continue on.
Was this great literature? No. Was the plot amazing? No. Was the writing awesome? Also no. I gave this four stars because I honestly enjoyed it. The FMC could be a little annoying at times, but I really thought the premise was interesting. I have finished all the books in the series that are currently out. I have said before that I don’t like fast burn but this honestly felt like the slowest RH I have ever read. But by the fourth book or something the author mentions that they have only known each other for a number of weeks so that made it a bit more believable. I would suggest reading the first in the series to see if it’s for you and then make your decision on whether to continue on.
November 13, 2018
Funny, intriguing, and freaking awesome! I just didn't want to put the book down. As the main character Bianca tries to get help from her best friend with a problem at the house she is watching after but won't take her seriously, she goes to find her best friend's brother instead. But finds herself with four hot, caring, and funny-smart guys to help her out is not what she expected!! As Bianca learns that she's not only been lied to by her supposed best friend an the feeling of betrayal by Finn, she finds support from her new friends as they help her understand her abilities. I can't wait for the next book to come out!
January 5, 2020
Captured
I’ve been caught hook, line, and sinker. I am truly captivated by every word, thought, and imaginative theories. Bianca is so relatable, funny, quirky, odd, sensitive, and yet I feel like she’s a friend.
The entire world we are brought into is diverse and expansive. It’s clearly not just the tip of an iceberg but maybe just the thought. There is so much more to learn from not just Bianca but the boys as well. Damen is awkwardly charming, Miles is dorky sweet, Julian is subdued and kinda sad, while Titus has my heart.
I hunger for more of Bianca’s story and will be anxiously awaiting the next! ❤️
I’ve been caught hook, line, and sinker. I am truly captivated by every word, thought, and imaginative theories. Bianca is so relatable, funny, quirky, odd, sensitive, and yet I feel like she’s a friend.
The entire world we are brought into is diverse and expansive. It’s clearly not just the tip of an iceberg but maybe just the thought. There is so much more to learn from not just Bianca but the boys as well. Damen is awkwardly charming, Miles is dorky sweet, Julian is subdued and kinda sad, while Titus has my heart.
I hunger for more of Bianca’s story and will be anxiously awaiting the next! ❤️
October 14, 2018
Not a Bad Start
I liked this one, but not where it ended. I do like that Bianca and the guys are establishing a bond because Finn sucks balls. What I really want is to find out more about Bianca's secrets and why Finn has done what he has where she's concerned. I don't even care about the haunting. I just want to know what's going on with Bianca even if she is weird as hell. How long is the gag about Titus being in the mafia and the guys being celibate monks going to stretch on for? I need Bianca to let that weirdness go.
I liked this one, but not where it ended. I do like that Bianca and the guys are establishing a bond because Finn sucks balls. What I really want is to find out more about Bianca's secrets and why Finn has done what he has where she's concerned. I don't even care about the haunting. I just want to know what's going on with Bianca even if she is weird as hell. How long is the gag about Titus being in the mafia and the guys being celibate monks going to stretch on for? I need Bianca to let that weirdness go.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews