Title: A Creak in the Night (Valley Ghosts Series)
Author: B.L. Maxwell
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: April 29, 2024
Genres: Paranormal, LGBTQ, Romance, Contemporary
Length: 41 pages
Source: I received a free copy from the author.
Rating: 3 Stars
Blurb:
Review:
Content Warning: Characters getting stuck in an elevator.
It’s hard to find time for romance when ghosts are getting into mischief.
One of the interesting things about this short story was that I was never quite sure where it fit into the rest of this series. It gave me the impression that it was written a decent amount of time after the first book as it discussed some characters and events without going into them in great detail. On the other hand, this also felt a little too lighthearted to have taken place in the most serious phases of a series when tensions are running high. I enjoyed my attempt to figure out where this should be placed and didn’t mind one bit that it was never made clear. To the best of my knowledge, this was written to be an easy introduction to these characters and the exciting sorts of adventures they have while trying to clear disruptive spirits from all sorts of different buildings. There is definitely something to be said for releasing such a tale!
The communication between Dean and Jimbo was inconsistent. In some scenes, they wordlessly anticipated what each other needed before being asked, but there was also a moment when Dean purposefully withheld an important piece of information about this romantic trip from Jimbo. Obviously, there are times in just about any relationship when one might not communicate as clearly as they should for a wide variety of reasons, but I was still surprised by this oversight and didn’t think it fit in very well with what I’d learned about Dean’s meticulous and safety-conscious personality thus far.
I thought the paranormal storyline was handled nicely, especially given how short this piece was. Not every haunting needs a drawn-out conclusion, so keeping things moving was a good choice for both the plot and the characters. It whetted my appetite for more and reminded me that, just like in life, it’s best not to assume in advance how easy or difficult something will be. Worrying doesn’t do any good, and just because one haunting was a tough case doesn’t mean that the next spirit will behave the same way.
A Creak in the Night was intriguing and made me curious to check out the rest of the Valley Ghosts adventures.
I enjoyed tearjerkers a lot more when I was a kid than I do now as an adult. Or maybe my tastes in this genre have simply evolved over time?
Interestingly enough, the 
Title: Strange New World
My answer to this week’s question is basically all of them. It’s rare for me to hear of a museum or gallery and not want to see it! The Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario here in Toronto are both excellent. If any of you are ever in town, I highly recommend adding them to your itinerary and would visit them with you, too, if you’re interested.
I own ebook copies of all of these titles, but there are so many incredible books out there that I have not yet managed to read anything from this list yet.
Title: The Red Tree
I have mixed feelings about staycations.
The majority of my answers this week will involve authors who have either passed away or retired from writing for health reasons because there’s something poignant about wishing for stories that will never be written. (I do still have hope for the last few of them, though).
Title: The Estate Guards