I picked this book up because the blurb said “a twisty, page-turning thriller with a touch of horror” and mentions an old Victorian house and ghosts. Sounds good, but what I failed to realize was that this is more likely what’s called a paranormal romance. Yes, there were a few nice ghosts and an evil spirit, but also lots of repetitious cheesy sex scenes (smoldering gazes, body heating, nipple hardening, groin tightening, etc.). Plus way too many of the main character’s clothing descriptions. I didn’t really need to know if she wore a pink shirt with blue slacks, yellow fleece, a red sweater with beige skirt, black stretch pants and white silk blouse, or whatever, every time she (often) changed clothes . . . in her “feminine pink bedroom.” Anyway, the author appears to be a popular, prolific writer and for readers who like romance stories, this probably isn’t a bad book. I just wish the promotional blurbs were not so misleading.

I requested this book because I was intrigued by the premise and the cover is beautiful. I was expecting a horror/thriller novel. However, I don't think this is the book for me as it leaned much more toward romance and never became either a horror or thriller. The horror scenes weren't scary. There were no unexpected twists or turns. I was very bored throughout and couldn't wait for the book to be over.

If you like shallow romance with a bit of light ghostiness while you wait for a billionaire hunk to sweep the beautiful divorcee off her feet, then maybe you might like this.

Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for providing a digital arc for my honest opinion.

I love a Kat Martin book, but I had a real problem with this one. I am not keen on paranormal anything so that is one problem to begin with. Don't get me wrong, one of my favorite cozy series has a ghost, but he is more of the Casper the Friendly Ghost variety and the one of the ghosts in this book is decidedly not friendly.

The dialogue is stiff, and the descriptions lack vitality, they just don't draw me in and make me want to be there. Ransom (Ran) is a billionaire and acts like it and has the toys to prove it. A white Bentley Limo in an English industrial town really seems a bit on the showy side, but hey, I'm not a billionaire whose hobby is paranormal pheromonal. Eve has inherited a house with paranormal activity. Match? Right? Well, Ran is "damaged goods" because his wife and daughter died in an accident where he survived. Eve married a man for companionship, and he cheated. Not my favorite start to any book, but he's hot and she's beautiful. Gag me! Two unattached people with an obvious attraction, what's wrong here? Eve falls in love, but Ran is heartbreak on the hoof - hot, handsome and rich.

There was very little I liked about this book. one was the supporting characters, they were great. The plot was slow to develop, but I did like the mystery surrounding why Eve has ghosts in her house and how they went about assisting them to the light.

My thanks to the Publisher, and Author, for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

I wasn't entirely sure what to make of this book when I first started.

The best way to describe it is like an episode of Ghost Hunters with a love story mixed in. The book opens with Eve hearing voices in her new home that she inherited from her uncle. She gets into contact with Ransom King, who runs a ghost hunting business. Ran and his crew fly across the world to try to help Eve out with her problem.

The book drops you right in the middle of the story with little to no character development. The characters are who they are and you don't get much more. I enjoyed how the reader got to see the crew at work and all the spooky things that happened. You also got to see the backend of the crew's research and find out the tragic story behind why the house was haunted.

While the crew is there, romantic tension builds between Ran and Eve. We find out that Eve is recently divorced and hadn't been interested in dating. Ran's wife and daughter had passed away in an accident five years prior, so he hadn't been interested in dating either. But sparks fly between the two. I went back and forth between liking them as a couple and finding it super cringey. I was routing for them overall, but I felt it a little unrealistic that the whole romance progressed over the course of a week-ish. I think what bothered me the most, was after their first accidental "oh this can't happen again" kiss, Ran immediately begins referring to Eve as "honey" and "darling," and it just felt icky and weird. Other than that, I liked the two of them.

There was a whole side plot of Ran bringing down a child sex-trafficking ring in his spare time that week, which I felt was a little unnecessary, and cluttered the story, but I think it was to make the point that he is a good guy/hero.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, but can't say it was one of my absolute favorites.

A gripping page turner read, based on a true little known history of a horrific event in England. I love books that are based on actual events and the story is very intriguing and well written. Mixing in a few ghosts, good and evil and characters out to correct a wrong kept me spellbound till the end. Well done! Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #TheGhostIllusion #KatMartin #Kensingtonbooks

WOW… I AM SPEECHLESS!!! The Ghost Illusion by Kat Martin is one of her best written stories to date! This amazing paranormal story was just brilliant that I cannot even put it into words. I have read most of Kat’s book and am a huge fan of hers but she really out did herself on this one and the research it must have taken to write this book really does leave me speechless. This book gripped me from page one to the very end… I could not put it down. This book explains why Kat is on New York Times Best Selling Author list. I found this book to be easy to read, very original, had wonderful characters, had facts and fiction, intriguing and super intense at times. I am a huge paranormal fan and watch all the paranormal shows on TV so I know of the equipment used inn this book. The perfect book for me. This story has a an uncle that leaves a house in his will, a Psychologist that devoiced her cheating husband and moves to England, a very rich business man that like to dabble in paranormal investigations, needing help, blaming 2 deaths on himself, a haunted house, reaching out to have the house investigated, a team of investigators that are friends and a team, finding a basement and tunnel below the house, selling virgins, murder, an orphanage, needing to to return them to their loved ones, having insight, helping and yes, even a love story. I am so very highly recommending you read this book, you will not be disappointed and you will not be able to put it down!!!

***This book was gifted to me and I am voluntarily reviewing.

Kat Martin’s The Ghost Illusion arrives just in time for spooky season. If you enjoy eerie, spine tingling paranormal mysteries then this is the book for you. I was riveted the entire book not to mention several moments where the hairs on my arms were standing on end.

Psychologist Eve St. Clair inherited a home in England from her uncle. Eve quickly realizes the home is haunted by a malevolent presence. She emails billionaire Ransom King’s team of Paranormal Investigators begging for help. Ransom is immediately drawn to Eve and accompanies his team to evaluate the situation. It’s quickly evident that Eve is in desperate need of their help as the evil presence grows stronger and angrier. What is this presence and why is he haunting Eve? You will be riveted as the mystery unravels.

As the team and Eve work to solve the mystery and banish the evil, Eve and Ransom grow closer. Ransom lost his wife and child in an accident years ago and despite being drawn to Eve holds himself back from fully loving her. Eve is newly divorced and believes she doesn’t want anything permanent. They’re both aware Ransom is leaving once they solve the mystery. As always the heart has a mind of its own and takes Eve and Ransom on a journey before their HEA. Ransom is possessive and protective of Eve and she finds she quite enjoys that side of him.

Overall, this was a chilling romantic suspense that kept me wanting more right up until the very end. Be sure to read the author note at the end which touches upon aspects of truth included in this novel. It should be noted there are religious themes included as well.

Thanks to Kensington Books, Kat Martin and NetGalley for this ARC opportunity.

I was really excited to start this book. A fun ghost story with some romance mixed in!!? Unfortunately, it was a bit of a mess. So many different story lines led to a lot unfinished thoughts. The author clearly has personal opinions on men and religion. These opinions were placed bluntly throughout the book making it difficult to stay engaged.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Eve St. Clair inherits an old Victorian home in England and decides to move from Boston. Strange things start happening and she seeks the help of Ransome King's company. Ran is a billionaire but has recently devoted his time and money into a form of ghost hunting. Ran believes something is happening at Eve's home so the team goes to investigate. What they find is a powerful evil ghostly spirit.

This paranormal romance was mediocre and didn't flow well. It seemed like Kat Martin threw several stories into the main plot but they didn't really work for me. This story had the potential to be great but I just didn't connect with the characters.

Kat Martin delivers what I would classify as a paranormal romance with a foundation based on a historic British tragedy that did actually happen, something I was not aware of ‘til I got to the end of the book and read the authors note.

In this story we are introduced to Ransom King (Ran), a very wealthy businessman who started his paranormal business after the death of his wife and child, an incident of which the memories and loss still haunt him. When a new case hits his email from Dr Eve St. Claire, there seems to be an instant connection, something that builds quickly from the first video call to meeting in person.

As the story progresses, we find out not only is what Eve experiencing real, but that she has special gifts of her own and her link to what is happing in her home extends back to when she was a child and her imaginary friend. There is a race to uncover the history of the home to identify who the ghosts are, but with each passing day, the danger grows.

Overall, it was an entertaining, easy read. I would recommend this book to fans of a romance that goes from 0-100 on meeting, that instant attraction and love in a matter of a short span of time with some steamy scenes, the turmoil of thinking it can’t last, of course a bit of danger thrown in, with this book, of the ghost/demon variety and a mystery surrounding the ghosts that are haunting and creating havoc.

This books storyline was a tad outside of what I usually read, although I have read a lot of books by Kat Martin, and I will admit there were parts where it was giving the Latin version that I was skimming through the section as I felt it was slowing the flow.

Thanks, NetGally and Kensington for the ARC.

The Ghost Illusion is a romantic, psychological thriller and ghost story that is loosely based on a historic British tragedy. I couldn’t put this amazingly written story down and I throughly enjoyed how the author used the third person point of view of several characters to explain and build the storyline. I loved the intense chemistry between Eve St. Clair and Ransom King, as well as their dedication to discovering the truth behind the ghostly voices haunting her Victorian house in England.

I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in romance and ghost stories. This is a voluntary review of a reader’s advance copy received from Netgalley.

THE GHOST ILLUSION by Kat Martin

In a twisty page-turner for fans of Lisa Jewell and Melinda Leigh, New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin melds psychological thriller and ghost story as one woman’s daring search for the truth tests the dividing line between life and death.

If you need help, we are here for you.

Eve St. Clair desperately needs help sorting reality from her fearful imaginings when ghostly voices seem to haunt the Victorian house in Sunderland, England, that she inherited from her uncle. Online research leads to a group that claims to offer just the aid she’s seeking. But can Ransom King’s handpicked team of investigators truly banish Eve’s night terrors?

Since the deaths of his wife and daughter, Seattle billionaire Ransom King has devoted himself to researching parapsychology and debunking the frauds who prey upon the bereaved. But Eve is a psychologist herself, clearly sane, and her sincerity is palpable. King senses a very real danger stalking the beautiful divorcée. As his interest in her case turns deeply personal, he will move heaven and earth to uncover the truth—no matter how shocking—and save the woman he loves.

REVIEW

“…are Eve’s night terrors real, or just an illusion?”


Eve St. Clair is a psychologist and after her uncle death, she inherits his house in England, where she spent part of her childhood, but something happens there, she hears whispers, creepy sounds and running feet. She doesn’t know if these are only tricks of her mind, if she’s imagining things and she’s scared.
She make researches on the web and decides to contact for help Ransom King, a billionaire who lead a paranormal investigation company in Seattle, after the loss of his wife and kid.
This is the start of one of the best read of the year for me.

I didn’t know this author, I read a lot and I know I have big holes in my “reading shelf”, as they say; so many books so little times, and it’s so true.
Kat Martin is an amazing writer and If you love this genre it’s a great story.
I always loved ghost, and mistery in books, movies and tv series and I was totally hooked by this story from the start.
The atmosphere is everything, engaging, a page turner, and I must say sometimes feels so real that it’s a little scary. I really loved it.
.
And MS Kat Martin’s writing is wonderful to read, her characters, Eve and Ransom are great, the chemistry between them perfect, but also their Insta-connection. What I love the most in Ransom is how he takes care of everyone around him, his team and Eve, in everyway possible.
Eve is sweet and strong and her empathy for the people around her makes her extraordinary.
Ransom’s team give something more to the story with their presence, I almost hoped this is a first book in a series, because I could feel something in the air…
The plot and the research behind the ghost presence in Eve’s home is intriguing and fascinating, I don’t want to tell more, because you have to discover it while reading.

I Think I really need to explore the booklist of this author.

RATING: 5 STARS

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the kind preview

I wasn’t expecting the way this book went, but I was engrossed nonetheless. Eve and Ran plus the crew made the twists and turns flow, and I would love to follow them through more stories.

Eve St. Clair has moved to her uncles' home in Sunderland, England. She is hearing voices and running footsteps and fears its a ghost. She contacts Ransom King as he has a paranormal group that does investigation.
Ran's crew arrive and realize that there is something in the house. Ran started this group after the death of his wife and daughter. He wants to find out about the hereafter or if there is one.
Eve is a psychologist and knows when something isn't right and going on in her home.
Ran and Eve are attracted to each other and when he realizes it's dangerous for her to stay in her home, he moves her to the hotel with him and his crew.
This was well written and held my interest.

Thank you, Kensington Books and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of The Ghost Illusion.

If this book doesn't get you into the spooky season, you need to check your pulse because you may just be a spirit needing to go to the other side. This book kept me intrigued, and it may have given me the heebie-jeebies while I was home alone with kittens banging on the walls in the next room. This one will have you spooked and wanting a happy ending in the romance department.

After a difficult divorce, Eve St Clair is trying to pick up the pieces of her life and make a new start in England where she has inherited a house from her uncle. When strange things begin happening, she reaches out to a paranormal research team to help her rid herself of the terrors she has been facing. Ransom King, sexy billionaire (duh!), and his team arrive to determine the source of the evil doings, but what they uncover will leave you in shock.

Romance, suspense, ghosts, death, and more are combined in Kat Martin’s romantic suspense novel, The Ghost Illusion . Add in some horror, criminals, and a Victorian mansion with hidden secrets and readers will find themselves quickly turning the pages. Eve St. Clair has recently inherited a house in Sunderland, England from her uncle. She’s a psychologist and decided to move there from Boston, Massachusetts. However, when she starts hearing voices and footsteps in the house, she decides to contact Paranormal Investigations, Inc., a group who researches problems like hers. Since his wife and daughter died, Seattle billionaire Ransom King has added researching parapsychology and debunking frauds to his more standard businesses. He agrees to send his team to England to investigate Eve’s claims.

Eve is sincere, intelligent, open-minded, compassionate, and determined to find answers. However, she came across as a little more vulnerable than I expected in a couple of scenes. Ransom is self-sufficient, efficient, and protective. However, he is also filled with guilt since he was driving during the storm that led to an accident and the death of his family. Both main characters go through transformations during the story. The secondary and tertiary characters are also well developed.

The plot is multi-layered and gets increasingly dangerous as the unsettling disturbances escalate and secrets are revealed. It’s twisty, thought-provoking, and tragic, as well as full of suspenseful moments. While the book takes three or so chapters to start moving, readers get a sense for Eve and the mansion, as well as an introduction to Ransom’s team. By the end of the fourth chapter, I was eager to see what was going to happen next. The writing is fluid and flows well in this unsettling story that occasionally makes your blood run cold. The incredible setting was easy to visualize. While the romance is predictable, how they approached it added another layer of interest to the story. I also enjoyed the approach to research taken by the team members to help resolve the problem.

Overall, this novel was entertaining and had great characterization. If you enjoy engaging characters and a well-plotted ghost story mixed with romance, suspense, action, and danger, then I recommend you check out this novel. Kat Martin is a great storyteller and I always look forward to reading her books. I recommend reading the author’s note after reading the novel. She talks about a building and an event that are part of the story in it.

Kensington Books and Kat Martin provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for September 26, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

For those who love hauntings and ghost stories, this book is for you. This standalone story from Ms. Martin draws me in, gives me the heebie jeebies, and a happily ever after. For those who enjoy Heather Graham Krewe of Hunter series, this is in a similar vein.

Eve St. Clair is in a home where she has fond memories with her uncle. Since he left this home for her, she decides to move across the pond into the UK. What she doesn't expect, is to meet her childhood playmate. She grew up but he did not. The hauntings in this story is disturbing and at times violent.

Fortunately for Eve, she connects with a group of ghost hunters. The leader of this group and the angel funder is Ransom King. He is the pragmatist that wants to find logical reasons why people think they are being haunted. Still, he is a believer in that he pulls in a motley crew of those with special abilities as well as jaded non-believers. I liked his ghost hunting crew.

Eve's interactions with Ransom follow a predictable path of admiration and then into something more. Their relationship develops quickly as they experience harrowing paranormal activity. I find Eve to be much braver than I would be. I would have sold that home and been out of there so quick. I guess it does help to have a group of people supporting Eve. And it doesn't hurt that Ransom is there to protect Eve at every turn.

After reading this book, I'm absolutely fascinated and I had to look up the events in this book. Colour me shocked in how this was based on historical events. Ms. Martin does a bang up job creating a ghost story around a horrific event in the late 1800s. She weaves a very believable tale. She also educates readers enough for them to do more research to learn more about history. This is what I love about a great author. They teach us history that should not be forgotten through riveting stories. This paranormal romance is recommended to history buffs who like to see history from a different lens.

This book gave me chills! The story was based on actual events that happened over 100 years ago. Kat Martin took those events and wrote an amazing story combining it with a fictional storyline. This was definitely a ghost story that took me on an emotional ride! The characters in this story made this book a chilling and suspenseful tale. I am so happy I went into this book not knowing what I was in for!

I'm not sure I read the same book as everyone else because I did not care for this one. The characters were unlikable and the romance was overdone. I was hoping for more suspense but instead found myself rolling my eyes quite a bit. But....you can't please everyone right? Maybe it just wasn't for me. My thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was such a fun, exciting read! I really enjoyed this story. I love the paranormal investigation aspect of the plot. I loved learning about the history of the places and people and trying to solve things along with the characters. It was a fast read for me because I couldn’t put it down and I really wanted to know why everything was happening. It has a lot of commentary and questions about the afterlife and the existence of a higher power. There were a few elements in the story that felt a little out of place (I won’t be too specific because it will spoil things). I don’t know, they just felt kind of random and weird to be included and it didn’t really further the overall story arc. The romance almost felt like an entirely separate story and I wanted it to feel more cohesive (and less awkward) with everything else. But none of these minor things took away from my overall enjoyment. The paranormal investigation was definitely the highlight of the story and I was hooked into the mystery and history of it all. If you love things like The Poltergeist, you’ll love this story! I definitely recommend it. It is a fun, fast, thrilling horror. I will definitely be reading from this author again in the future. I’m excited to see what book comes out next.