What would you do for a well paying job and a dental plan?
I know what I’d do. A whole helluva lot. And that’s exactly what I got. Hell.
Baby sitting a cemetery was supposed to be an easy job. Stay up all night. Keep an eye out for kids partying. Maybe get some school work in.
What I wasn’t supposed to do was deal with three ghosts that wanted nothing more than for me to leave. Did I mention they’re three guys who are as hot as the hell I’m in?
I have one thing to say to my ghostly friends. Bring it on.
Erin Bedford is an otaku, recovering coffee addict, and Legend of Zelda fanatic. Her brain is so full of stories that need to be told that she must get them out or explode into a million screaming chibis. Obsessed with fairy tales and bad boys, she hasn’t found a story she can’t twist to match her deviant mind full of innuendos, snarky humor, and dream guys.
On the outside, she’s a work from home mom and bookbinger. One the inside, she’s a thirteen-year-old boy screaming to get out and tell you the pervy joke they found online. As an ex-computer programmer, she dreams of one day combining her love for writing and college credits to make the ultimate video game!
Until then, when she’s not writing, Erin is devouring as many books as possible on her quest to have the biggest book gut of all time. She’s written over thirty books, ranging from paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and even scifi romance.
Also, third person is really weird when writing about yourself. Just putting that out there.
Ever since I discovered the world of indie-publishing, I found a few authors who literally never disappoint. Erin Bedford is one of them. I discovered her through a free Alice in Wonderland retelling prequel and a Rapunzel inspired retelling and slowly I've been making my way through her entire backlist. (I still have a lot of ground to cover. At some point I'll get there!) And literally not one of her books ever disappoints.
This book is no exception. From the very start Bedford manages to pull me into the story and then refuses to let me go. The first chapter, the funeral, is really well written and atmospheric. I really felt everything being said there. I really felt the emotions rushing through our main character's veins. Atmosphere is one of Bedford's strongest suits anyway. I really love the cemetery and how it's written and I love the true American school vibe in between.
I also love the mythology in this book. We're not given very many explanations, mostly because the characters themselves have no idea how things work exactly, and yet as a reader I felt that Bedford does know what she's doing and how her world works. Of course, I saw the ending coming from miles away, mostly because it was build up perfectly. It didn't come out of nowhere, it was not some weird loophole. Bedford had built in the possibility from the start.
Bedford also knows how to write amazing female characters and male heroines. In this book we meet a lovely young lady who I instantly liked. Yes, she was sad and she mourned, but she attempted to move on and to make something of life. It made her realistic and yet still inspiring in some way. And then we had the guys. I think it's quite impossible not to fall a little bit in love with these three very different, unique and charming young men.
I just finished reading the book and couldn't stop myself from reviewing it. The book was interesting and I didn't know how the time passed. I finished the book in a single sitting now I'm eagerly waiting for the next book in the series.
This book is a story about Braxton, a 21 year old girl in the second year of her college. After losing her father in an accident and hating the person Peyton Rider who killed made the accident and ended up dying, she lands a job in the cemetery on the day of her father's funeral. Though she was hesitant in the being she takes up the job and ends up meeting three hot as hell ghosts including Peyton Rider (Champ), Francis Adams and Benedick Cheverell. All three are from different timeline and what Braxton has to do with these three ghosts is the remaining story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I've read a lot of books written by Erin Bedford; she has done an excellent job at writing a good book; she is one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more of her books.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a great read, one that had me hooked from the very start. Who would have thought of a ghost paranormal reverse harem? Loved the characters, loved the storyline and I look forward to reading more!
This is book one of the A Ghost of a Thing series and the main character is a young college student called Braxton Clay. She has just lost her father from a head on collision with a rich frat boy, who also died, so she has nobody to rail against about the loss of her remaining parent, having lost her mother when she was much younger. At his funeral she sees a figure who doesn’t seem to belong, wearing a college letter jacket, but he soon disappears. As she is leaving with her Aunt Christine, who was her dad’s twin, she is approached by the old man who works in the cemetery grounds, Edgar, and offered a job working nights at the cemetery to help keep undesirables and vandals out. She is quite shocked by the offer, but he gives her a card and tells her to think about it. She has spent the week after her father’s death just staying in their family home and being looked after by her aunt, who now really has to return home and back to her own job. She hasn’t been back to college for a week and her aunt asks her if she will, having already done two years at the local college and not having even chosen a major yet. She advises her to think about the job seriously, as the money she got after all her father’s debts and bills were paid, won’t last forever and she could use any savings she has for her future.
She takes the job and when she starts her first night, thinking it should be a fairly easy job, do a few patrols and then catch up on her college work in-between times. She would also be able to spend time at her dad’s graveside when she wanted. What she didn’t expect was seeing a ghost, who calls himself Benjamin, talks to her! This is just the first of three ghosts she ends up meeting and spending her time with during her weekend night shifts. The other two call themselves Rooster and Champ! Ben seems to come from Shakespeare’s time and knew him before travelling to the New World and is also nicknamed the Brit by the other ghosts. Rooster seems to be some sort of fifties rocker with a peculiar twist on his sexist mode of talking with females and Champ seems to be a modern day guy just a little older than her and wearing a college letter jacket, the same guy she saw at her dad’s funeral! Edgar never mentioned any of this when he described her new job, just the dental and health care benefits and the really good hourly rate! Only on her second night does he tell her not to go to a certain part of the cemetery, saying there are wild animals there sometimes and that it is dangerous.
Braxton manages to go to college the following week, but is accosted by Dean, a guy who clearly doesn’t know how to treat females properly and possibly has a bit of a screw lose. He didn’t get the previous message when she said ‘no’, and thinks she needs to make up for the lack of action on their last get together! Her college friend Mandy tries to stop people at college giving her too much attention for returning after what happened with her father, especially when she wants everything to get back to normal. They decide to teach him a lesson, but matters don’t go as well as expected, when he finds out about it and decides to get his revenge! Only one of the ghosts is able to become solid as such and move things and that is the newest one Champ. Both Ben and Rooster have been stuck in the cemetery grounds for a long time and never been able to leave it. Edgar had warned against her talking or interacting with the ghosts, once he saw her with them, but she doesn’t know why. She will find out something about why there is danger in the cemetery, but also that these handsome and sexy looking ghosts all have unfinished business, before they can move on. What that unfinished business is, they don’t know, but maybe she can help them to find out.
A cracking but short read, which gives you a sassy female who won’t put up with anything, especially after having just lost her dad in tragic circumstances and is now all alone in her home and life, apart from a far-away aunt. Gaining an unusual weekend job, which introduces her to some handsome ghosts in a cemetery, is just the start of a new series which looks to be heading in a very interesting way. Lots of intrigue about her ghostly friends and what happens in the corner of the cemetery, as well as the title of the book yet to be revealed in the story. I look forward to reading the next book in the series and recommend this one to those who love a good paranormal tale. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
“My Soul to Take” is urban fantasy gothic tale with a paranormal romance twist. We meet Braxton at her father’s burial, in the probably most lonely and sad day in her life. Braxton is full orphan now (her mother died ten years ago). Following her aunt advice, she gets a job as a watcher at the cemetery. Babysitting bad-behaving youth is not exactly her dream job, but is should be easy enough and poor-students can be choosers anyway, it has however an added bonus, this way Braxton can stay close to her beloved father and perhaps she could go some study done in the process. What Braxton were not counting with are the three ghosts, three ‘guys’ of the incorporeal variety, who are easy to talk to and gradually become friends, or maybe something more….
The story is interesting and well-written, with very likeable characters, Braxton is a wonderful embodiment of coming-of-age and adulting, struggling to carry on with her life all by herself. The guys are fun, a little overwhelming at times, understandably so, stuck in the graveyard is no fun, until Braxton comes around. The story is fun and easy to read, it has however some deeper moments and a wonderful end, with a single flaw: it ends!
While it may be listed as a dark paranormal romance, at this point I would have to disagree. There are no hot and heavy scenes, let alone steamy-need to change your panty scenes. The only thing dark about it is the setting - it mostly takes place in a cemetery and even then the descriptions don't include ghastly images or rotting bones so I'm at a lose as to why this story got out into this category.
I would also say that it felt more like a prequel than a complete book. It's about 77 pages and most of the book consists of Brax coming to terms (or not!?!) with her father's death, how she started working on a cemetery, and how she met 3 ghosts.
There is some of a plot but it apparently has nothing to do with what later books will involve, if the ending is anything to go by. There is minimal character development but that is to be expected when the story is so short and there are potentially 4 MC and 3 SC.
At this point it is an interesting book as a prequel or teaser, but it fails as a first book in a series for me because it doesn't give me enough to pull me through to the next book if this is how the series is going to continue.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A refreshing take on "I see ghosts." This story follows that main character, Braxton or Brax for short, after her father's funeral. A college student with only her aunt as her support struggles to cope with having just lost her father, the man who raised her after losing her mother at a young age. She was offered a job to work at the cemetery where her dad was buried so that she could grieve at her own pace (the health and dental benefits were just a bonus). The one thing she didn't count on was learning that she could in fact see ghosts. This lead to a whole load of problems she had to deal with on top of being a grieving college student with teenage problems and finals to worry about. This book was so much to read and I can't wait to see what else lays in store for Brax because I really hope that this won't be the end of her story. Check out my blog to see what else I had to say about the book!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The characters are so wonderful I absorbed this novel overnight. I can imagine the hours Erin Bedford spent watching TV for odd phrases. Braxton, the main character, may have a socialite name but in reality is a student who just received a part-time job offer in a cemetary. Her “Reverse Harem” of ghosts are quirky. “Shakespeare” (aka. Ben...), “Rooster” (aka Francis), and “Champ” (the rich schoolboy aka Peyton) are ghosts stuck in pergatory, or the graveyard.
Her friend Mandy convinces Braxton to scare her stalker boyfriend in the graveyard. It is a treat, but I feel guilty pleasure reading about it.
To be honest, this could be a preview to a series. The story is smooth, with only one wrong word (see chapter 15), but it is very well written. I have not read a reverse harem with ghosts before, so it is a completely fresh concept. And the quirky characters are precious.
My Soul to Take was a great start to a new series. Braxton loses her father and starts working the graveyard shift (pun intended) at the graveyard on the weekends to keep busy. She thought she'd get some quiet time to do homework but she had no clue that she'd discover she could see the ghosts there. There are three in particular that she spends time with: Ben (Shakespeare), Rooster, and Champ. Champ has a secret that might just destroy their friendship... but when she needs them the most they are there for her. I'm not quite sure how this is going to be a RH since they are ghosts... and it's definitely a sllllooooowwwww burn since absolutely nothing has happened romantically except for a kiss. But I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!!
This is a start to a new paranormal series by Erin Bedford. After her father’s tragic death, Braxton is ordered a part time job at the cemetery where she meets 3 ghosts. This is a very interesting premise for a reverse harem story. Each of the characters are likeable, the world building is interesting and the foundations of friendship between Braxton and the ghosts has been established. This story doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, but does leave you wanting to read the rest of the series to learn more about each of the ghost’s back stories and see where the potential romance is headed.
Thank you to the Author and Booksprout for the complimentary ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing an e-arc and all opinions expressed in this review are unbiased and my own.
Erin Bedford has written many a quirky tale and this one is right there with them... but I like quirky. Braxton is dealing with the sudden loss of her beloved father and while at the cemetery is approached by the caretaker to be the weekend night watch... thinking it's a way for her to be closer to her dad, she accepts. Plenty of crazy things transpire while on duty... including meeting three ghosts... one the ghost of the man who took her father's life in a drunk driving accident. Somehow she wins over these three and they come to her rescue when she needs it most. This was a quick and easy read, and while I found her friend, Mandy, a bit annoying, overall the story was entertaining. Will be interesting to see what comes next...
I expected a really macabre fight for souls or demon battle.
This is not that
This is a story of a young woman mourning her recently deceased father who is presented with an unique opportunity to face his mortality and to keep her moving
She does encounter a few left behind spirits with unfinished business, but these don’t seem to be nearly as ghastly as the still living folks from the nearby college. Obsessive entitlement and violent tendencies damage more than egos.
Moving forward to celebrate what is left of her life with a little help and guidance from a few deceased might prove to be quite a challenge, yet it appears to be an interesting one
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I want to call this a book but it kinda felt like a Novella to me either that or i just enjoyed it (which i did) so much i read it so quickly? Probably both.
Losing her dad in a car accident Braxton (FMC) gets a strange job offer to be a caretaker at night at the cemetery where her dad is buried. One with 3 flirty, sweet and funny ghosts - Ben, Rooster and Champ are living/existing. I couldnt help but like them and they made me laugh throughout this book. Its a cracking read and i loved all the main characters so much. Im hoping theres more to come from all from them? I cant help but wonder if maybe we might get a little sexy times? Yes i understand that they are ghosts but hey it could happen, lol
This is book one of a new urban fantasy series featuring a paranormal reverse harem with ghosts. Now that is a interesting concept and one immediately wonders how that works. Time to do some reading.
The story is well written and easy to read, which I expect from the author. The characters are well developed as is the setting, which is good because it is all a little out of the ordinary. The plot itself is intriguing with plenty of mysteries and secrets to keep things interesting. It also moves along at a good clip which helps keep your interest. Overall, a nice start to the series and I am looking forward to seeing where this one goes.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes. -
I started loving this story when Erin gave it to us in her blog a chapter at a time and was sad that it stopped, but now we got the whole book and I still love it! The cover is so pretty, and i love where the story went.
It was hard to read at some times, and difficult to get pass not because of bad writing but because of the events that happened, it had een HFN ending and I really hope she will explore this world with these characters further, I love the ghostly characters and maybe she can make something up to get them al their happy ending maybe even together??
We all need to know what happened with Champ en how!
So yes everybody read it and review it and hopefully we will get more!
Braxtons father just died in a car accident. While dealing with her loss she will, at the cemetery, be approched by the caretaker to work part-time there at the weekend night shift. She think it will be an easy job. Just keep an eye for partying kids and troublemake. While doing maybe her homework and be closer to her dad. She didnt think she would also have to deal with three ghosts.
I would love to read more about the ghosts backstory or whats to come after with the promise Braxton did to the three guys. I have love this book and looking foward for Erin Bedford next novel.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is one of those books that as you get to the end, you wish there was more. I want more Braxton, Champ, Shakespeare and Rooster. I want to know where Edgar walks to every night, what's up with the creek and what happened with Dean in the first place. I have so many questions that this really needs a book 2 stat! Don't let my questions put you off as this doesn't have a major cliffhanger. It has an open ending; some questions have been answered, some problems have been taken care of, relationships and people have progressed.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this paranormal book featuring three very different ghosts and a kickass female lead character. The story is fantastic, starting off on a grieving note this story is filled with enlightenment, discovery of the paranormal, working through grief, drama, humour, lifesaving and a happy for now ending. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes to read paranormal stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was an interesting read but it wasn’t a massive hit with me. The plot was decent and the characters were unique but it just didn’t hit the spot for me. The main character seemed to have a lot going on and was all over the place. The plot jumps from one situation to the next making it a little frustrating to determine what the whole story was actually about.
I give this a four out of five stars. The story seemed to be pretty decent but it wasn’t a hit with me.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Braxton has lost her dad to a horrible traffic accident. She is full of rage and anger at the deceased driver. She gets offered a job at a cemetery working weekends. It gives her a chance to be near her dad. While working she encounters three ghosts. Braxton has to work through all her hurt and anger. She does some foolish things but in the end she faces her mistakes and her ability to forgive. Great character interaction and dialogue. I hope there is more to come with story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The character development, the world building, the build-up... it was all fantastic. So fantastic, in fact, that I was disappointed that it wasn’t the first book of a series (usually I hate when you get to the end of a book and - surprise - there’s more books to come because the story’s not done. But I really want to know what Ben, Rooster and Champ’s missions are, and I really want more of foul-mouthed Braxton. Please, please, please, let this stand alone be developed into a series!
This is a NON-SPOILER REVIEW. My Soul To Take by Erin Bedford is a series prequel for A Ghost of a Thing. This was a really quick read that was neither dark nor spicy as I expected. And while I thought the volume could have been turned up a little, I did find that I enjoyed the read. This is an interesting twist on the "I See Ghosts" theme. A cute story that made me want more. As a prequel, it accomplishes the hook. I liked it and reserve judging the series until I start reading the actually books...
This honest and voluntary review was made possible by reading a copy through Booksprout.
I’ve been a fan of this author for awhile now and have read a few of her series. I really liked this book. It put a smile on my face by the end and made my heart happy. I can’t wait to see what Braxton and the boys get up to next.
I am hoping we learn a little more about them and what happened to them. We know about Champ but I have a feeling there is more to his story and we’ve only scratched the surface of what really happened. The others are both still a mystery. Great beginning!
A cute, quick read. Braxton is a likable main character, and the guys seem to be as well. I’d like to see more about Champ. His background was predictable and I wish more was given to flesh out his character more. The book seemed a little rushed, but it was fun to read. I can’t wait to see where the next one goes once some momentum is put into place.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a great start to what appears to be a good series. Brax just buried her father after a devastating accident. She takes a job on the midnight shift at the cemetery to be close to him. Three ghosts start visiting her and eventually they form a connection. This was a fast read and I look forward to the further adventures.
This is an honest review of an ARC.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a unique storyline with ghosts appearing to a woman whose father was just killed in a car crash. She takes a job as a caretaker in a cemetery and realises she can interact with ghosts. The characters are entertaining and the storyline is interesting and different. I eagerly await more stories in this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This awesome storyline has drama, paranormal aspects, angst, and twists. Our heroine is in college, suffered severe loss, takes a job to make ends meet, and in the process engages with three ghostly males who want her to leave, but eventually, they become friendly. This is entertaining and engaging with great characters, and I loved it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
After the death of her father Braxton gets a job at the cemetery for the money and study time. Little did she know, she can see ghosts and ends up getting close to three hot ghosts. My Soul To Take has a unique storyline with descriptive writing and intriguing characters. This is the first book in the series and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
My Soul To Take by Erin Bedford is a wonderful story that I have loved reading. This is book number one in this wonderful start to a brand new series that I am absolutely hooked on. I can not wait to read more of this series. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about dark and paranormal romance.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.