'The Ghost Hunter' by Lori BRIGHTON

Received from the Author

From the BLURB:

When Ashley Hunter inherits the Inn where her father mysteriously vanished years ago, she jumps at the chance to finally uncover the truth about his disappearance. But soon after taking ownership of the decrepit building, Ashley realizes she’s in for far more than she bargained. Not only has she inherited answers to many sought-after questions, she’s also inherited spirits, demons and even fallen angels! Then Cristian arrives, a gorgeous man who insists he merely needs a room to rent. She believes him, until one by one her ghosts start disappearing...

As a fallen angel destined for a life of servitude, Cristian Lucius is relegated to protecting earth from unwanted spirits. But he can’t accomplish this daunting task alone. He requires assistance from the very woman who frustrates him as much as she intrigues him. Cristian is determined to ignore his intense attraction for Ashley, and focus on his mission. If they don’t work together, they won’t have a chance in hell of defeating the demon threatening their lives. The problem is getting Ashley to trust him. No easy task, considering Cristian is the very man responsible for her father’s disappearance.

‘The Ghost Hunter’ is a self-published e-book from Indie author Lori Brighton.

Ashley Hunter has just inherited a haunted pub from her dearly deceased Aunt Clare. Ashley moves to Crossroads, England to restore the pub to its former glory... but what she didn’t count on was her inheritance being haunted, the sleepy town to be crawling with supernatural’s, a witchy next-door neighbour or a sinfully sexy fallen angel to make her blood race.

I loved the haunted house setting. Ashley’s pub is run amok with ghosts that Ashley can see... in fact, she has been seeing ghostly apparitions her entire life. Ashley barely has a handle on her ghostly friends; she’s torn between wishing them away (for sanity’s sake) and becoming unwittingly interested in their ‘undeaths’. One ghost who is a particular thorn in Ashley’s side is a young girl called Maggie whose family used to live in the house, and who has been haunting her old home for one hundred years. Maggie started out quite terrifying (think Mischa Barton as the girl under the bed in ‘The Sixth Sense’), but eventually Ashley warms to the little dead girl and their dynamic was one of my favourite things in ‘The Ghost Hunter’.

A rumble shook the house once more. Caught off guard, she stumbled back, her ass hitting a step. Frantic, she reached out, grasping onto the railing. “Be careful.” He grinned, showing perfectly white teeth. Slowly he started to disappear like the Cheshire Cat in ‘Alice in Wonderland’. “You never know what you’ll find hidden in the depths of this house.”

Another ghostly character I liked was a gorgeous apparition called Devon. Devon is tall, blonde and built (sexy, regardless of being a ghost) and he quickly assumes the role of Ashley’s protector. I loved Devon’s character, but felt quite sad for him as I realized his evolving feelings for Ashley that couldn’t possibly go anywhere...

Devon was a nice contrast to Cristian Lucius. Cristian is a mysterious gentleman who revs Ashley’s engine, while also red-alerting her for his suspicious determination to buy Aunt Clare’s house out from under her. Cristian is actually a fallen angel... a sexy, dark fallen angel. I loved him for his contrasts – mysterious and cheeky, biblical but creepy, a motorbike-riding, sword-wielding drool-worthy leading man. Cristian knows that he and Ashley are fated to fall in love, but he resists her charm and his feelings with every ounce of his being. Cristian was a real conundrum from beginning to end – I never quite had a handle on his background or motivations, but I loved his mystery element.

‘The Ghost Hunter’ isn’t all about Ashley’s ghosts and Cristian’s charm. The central plot is really Ashley putting her ghost-seeing ability to use to try and uncover the truth about her father’s disappearance. But to be honest the mystery plot sort of fell short for me. It takes a while for Ashley’s true motivations to be revealed and by the time I understood her impetus I was already more invested in the Cristian/Devon triangle and Maggie’s dilemma.

This book is a wonderful blend of myth, religion, fantasy and horror. With two unconventional love interests, a somewhat crazy protagonist and a sleepy English village overrun with supernatural creatures... what’s not to love?

4/5