Member Reviews

I have a soft spot for cozy mysteries and add the paranormal factor and I am in love!
Paige is the manager of a gift shop and ghost tours in New Orleans. While New Orleans is always filled with mysteries, legends, and spooky things this is the real deal for Paige. When this all started she noticed a new application on her phone and while she assumed it was a dating app, she would soon learn it is something soo different. This is an application where ghosts can get someone to take their case and figure out what really happened to them, and this is just what happened to Paige.
Thinking about everything along with her talking hedgehog Auguste she decides to take the case. Later on, she is assigned a "Mentor" and this mentor just happens to be her EX who left her without any warning and without any communication before now since he left, so she has to work with her EX.
So all while this is going on Paige's favorite Professor is getting the blame cast upon her for the death of Austin, and she didn't do it so Paige is on the case and she will do whatever it takes to figure out who killed Austin and why.
This is a cozy mystery filled with secret societies, secrets, friends, and murder. If you love cozy mysteries then this would be the perfect next read! I really enjoyed it! Thank you Netgalley and Wayfarer for the opportunity to read and review this one! I can't wait to see how this series continues this adventure!

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This was a uniquely-fun mystery set in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The story was filled with young and old paranormal characters helping Paige as she solved an unexpected murder.
This is the first in the Ghosted Cozy Mysteries by Jessica Arden. I’ll definitely be on the look out for the next in the series!
Thank you to Netgalley and Wayfarer for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

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Thank you to Wayfarer and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Jessica Arden is a fantastic, funny cozy mystery that is Veronica Mars meets Ghost Whisperer. The story is about a ghost tour gift shop manager who has to solve the mystery of a murdered Tinder date. Paige Harrington is going about her regular business one day when she gets a mysterious package. She downloads the Ghosted app to her phone and is paired up with a ghost who wants her to solve his murder. When the ghost first appears to her, she faints from fright. Fortunately, she decides to take the case. Will she be able to find the ghost's murderer? And what does the murder have to do with a secret society in New Orleans called the Enclave?

Here's an excerpt from the beginning of Chapter 1 that sets up the premise:

""You sure this is for me?” I scrunched my eyebrows at the massive cardboard box on the delivery guy’s hand truck.
He glanced at the manifest. “If you’re Paige Harrington.” His New Orleans accent was as thick as the bald cypress trunks in the bayou.
“That’s me,” I said. Paige Magnolia Harrington. Ghost tour gift shop manager, devoted friend, newly 25 and still with no idea what I wanted to do with my life.
“I actually have specific instructions that you’re the only one who can sign for it,” he said.
My eyebrow rose, and I sized up the enormous box currently blocking the main aisle of the Deveauxs’ Historical Haunts gift shop."

Overall, Once Ghosted, Twice Shy is a great paranormal cozy mystery that will appeal to anyone looking for a light-hearted mystery with a side of magic. One thing to keep in mind is that this is not just a standard cozy mystery with ghosts where they just float around and haunt people. In the fantasy New Orleans of this book, ghosts are organized, and in the afterlife, they have an app that allows them to pair up with a living human to track down who murdered them. If that fantasy aspect sounds too far-fetched to you, this might not be the right book for you. However, for me, this book was perfect, and I loved the original aspects of the book. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of cozy mysteries in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in September!

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I really enjoyed this mystery. The book really gave the flavor of New Orleans and I liked all of the characters and the premise. I will read more books in this series. The cover, however, looks like it belongs on a self-published book. I don't believe that it provides the book with an attractive and professional look.

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Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to review this title but, to be honest, it just wasn't for me.

I read to about the 20% mark yesterday and went to pick it up again, but I realized that I didn't particularly care about the characters or the murder mystery the main character was investigating. I'm not sure I can really articulate why the story & the characters didn't draw me in, they just didn't. So, I didn't finish this title.

It wasn't bad writing, this particular story just didn't hold my interest: I think it's partly because I just wasn't in the mood for a "cute" or "cozy" story. So, out of fairness because I didn't finish the book, I give this title a neutral 2.5 stars out of 5 (rounding up to 3).

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I enjoyed this book. It's got ghosts and devils, and some humans too. It's an interesting story, and great characters. OnceGhostedTwiceShy #NetGalley

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What an awesome start! Using apps is a new concept to solving mysteries. Paige is an interesting character. I can't wait to see what's in store for her in the next book! Thanks #netgalley and #Wayfarer for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

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Once Ghosted had an original take on the ghost in mystery sub genre. Love how it began with a wish and the app. There's a big cast of interesting supporting characters and hopefully they play a big role in subsequent books.

The mystery was satisfying. I wished there had been a bit more development about the app and the expectations and requirements of someone participating and more information about why Paige was chosen.

Looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

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A fun read. When Paige is given a fortune telling machine, and assigned a ghost app on her phone she is not sure what is going on. When the guy who she connects with on the app is thrown from the roof and almost lands on her she gets even more confused. Taking into account all that, she also has a talking hedgehog now and is back in contact with her ex-boyfriend, who is now her mentor on the ghost solving case. A good start to a new series that I look forward to reading more about. Fun story, fun characters. Highly recommend.

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This is a really great start to a new cozy mystery series.
Paige Harrington makes a wish for her birthday, and when it comes true, she isn't sure what to make of it.
An app that can communicate with the departed, a French speaking hedgehog are just a couple of things that will grab your attention in this fresh, new story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
#OnceGhostedTwiceShy #NetGalley

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Great and unique story of crime-solving for the dead by using an app. The characters and dialogue was great hopefully this is a series.

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Once Ghosted, Twice Shy is a winner!

What a great concept to have an app to communicate with the recently departed, brilliant! In this first book which I hope will be a series New Orleans ghost tour gift shop manager, Paige receives something in the the shop she was not expecting.

It can grant wishes, sure she thinks. But why not right? So, she makes a wish for her 25th birthday. Is she in for a surprise. Follow Paige, her friends and a ghost to solve a murder.

Great story, fantastic characters - well done!

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