For Sabrina Monroe, moving back home to the Wisconsin Dells–the self-described Waterpark Capital of the World–means returning to the Monroe family curse: the women in her family can see spirits who come to them for help with unfinished business. But Sabrina’s always redirected the needy spirits to her mom, who’s much better suited for the job. The one exception has always been Molly, a bubbly rom-com-loving ghost, who stuck by Sabrina’s side all through her lonely childhood.

Her personal life starts looking up when Ray, the new local restaurateur, invites Sabrina to his supper club, where he flirts with her over his famous Brandy Old-Fashioneds. He’s charming and handsome, but Sabrina tells herself she doesn’t have time for romance–she needs to focus on finding a job. Except the longer she’s in the Dells, the harder it is to resist her feelings for Ray. Who can turn down a cute guy with a fondness for rescue dogs and an obsession with perfecting his fried cheese curds recipe?

When the Dells start to feel like home for the first time and with Ray in her corner, Sabrina begins to realize that she can make a difference and help others wherever she is.

Unfortunately, this book was such a disappointment. After reading The Simplicity of Cider, I was excited to read another book by this author. However, this one fell really short and was mediocre at best. I thought the plot sounded interesting, but unfortunately, the execution was lacking. 

I listened to the audiobook. The narrator did well with the female voices, but I didn’t care for her male voices. 

From the beginning, Ray, the MMC, was smitten with Sabrina, the MFC, and fell head over heels for her. But it didn’t feel realistic because he didn’t know anything about her, so his feelings had no basis and didn’t make any sense. It felt more like insta-love, which is a romance trope I hate. He also wasn’t a strong, admirable MMC. Yes, he was sweet and supportive, but I wanted a lot more from him. He felt like a pushover. 

Then, there’s Sabrina. She felt like a super weak character who played the victim really well, which annoyed me. First, we learn about her “special gift” of seeing dead people and helping them cross over, but I questioned the logic because she could only see them in Wisconsin, not anywhere else, which didn’t make sense. Then her anxiety disorder was overplayed to the point where it went from being relatable to just irritating. Her anxiety was brought up way too much, and she talked about going to therapy, being aware of it, and dealing with her issues, but did little to actually work on her problems. As someone who experiences anxiety, it was very irritating to read about. And then, finally, there is a bully plotline, which felt awkward to read about 30-year-old adults acting like middle grade bullies to each other. It wasn’t funny or entertaining. It just felt immature and juvenile. Overall, I wanted a lot more from Sabrina and wanted to see a major shift or change in her character. She felt too weak and timid. She constantly let people walk all over her. Her insecurities kept winning when she battled her internal demons. I wanted to see her grow more and overcome some of her adversities. The one trait that stood out the most was her kindness. Sabrina liked to pay it forward and left things in books, like money, notes, etc. She would also add coins to parking meters, laundromat machines, candy/gumball machines, etc. These were such sweet gestures. 

The supernatural aspect of the book is what initially drew me to this book, but it wasn’t developed very well, and the execution fell flat. I wanted a lot more from this storyline, but it felt like we only touched the surface, which is a shame because it could’ve made the overall story more engaging and interesting. Molly the Ghost was also a bit irritating at times. 

However, I really enjoyed the Wisconsin (The Dells) setting and the small town vibes. This story takes place in the summer, so this would be a great beach read or summertime book. When the couple went out, I enjoyed the date scenes and getting to know the area. I also liked all the food descriptions. There’s even a recipe at the end of the book for a cocktail drink. 

There is a good amount of crass language, which is a turnoff for me. There are also a few steamy spice scenes, but not overly explicitly. I’d rate them about PG-13. There are also a couple of gay side characters. 

Read if you enjoy:

• Fake dating
• Insta-love
• Small town vibes
• Family drama
• Romance with paranormal elements

Overall, it’s a sweet, cute romance with a bit of supernatural elements. But it wasn’t what I was expecting. I couldn’t connect to the characters, the romance didn’t sell me, and the plot was a bit boring. The whole story was just mediocre for me. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend it; there are better stories out there, but if it sounds interesting to you, then give it a try. You may enjoy it more than I did.