Aspiring comedian Raely is the sole survivor of a disastrous train wreck. While faced with the intense grief of losing her best friend, she realizes that someone is following her―and has been following her all her life. Trouble is, no one else can see him.

I decided this book would be a great read for spooky season and I’m glad I read it because it wasn’t at all what I expected. There were lots of twists and turns and family secrets revealed and I enjoyed the ride from beginning to end.

Raely is someone who has been through a lot. Her father was abusive and an alcoholic and even though her mother has healed from it and moved on, Raely hasn’t. But with the support of her best friend, Joe, she’s been able to live contentedly, for the most part. But after his death, she’s lost and so grief-stricken that she stops eating. When she wakes up one day and sees someone in her apartment, someone who is there, but isn’t really there, she thinks she’s going crazy. Once she realizes that person is a ghost, one who is so happy that she finally sees him, it sets off this journey of discovering what really happened during her childhood.

Like I said, I didn’t expect to love this story as much as I did. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the relationship between Raely and the ghost is my favorite because they have each other’s backs, even amidst their snarky banter and disagreements.

The only thing that kept this from being a 5-star read for me was the pacing of the ending. There’s so much build up for Raely and the ghost in resolving the situation they’re in (again, no spoilers), that when they finally get there, it seemed to be over in an instant. I just wanted a little more meat there, but overall, this was a great read that had me reaching for the tissues a few times.

3.5 stars. This one was a lot of fun! There were some things that felt a little silly for my personal taste. The overall idea of this book was unique and I liked the direction it went in. It reminded me a little bit of the tv show Ghosts which I enjoy. A fun read and I would pick up another book by this author in the future!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was just a good quick read for me. The mystery and paranormal aspects kept me turning pages way past my bedtime. The characters were great!

A nice blend of suspense, mystery, and the paranormal. I absolutely loved Casper, and there were many intriguing characters.
Many thanks to CamCat and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I LOVE ghost stories and paranormal thrillers but this was more about self discovery after the train crash. My first DNF.

A fun and tense book about generational trauma and the power of forgiveness hidden inside a snarky ghost story. As someone who has a difficult relationship with one of her parents, it was interesting for me to think about that relationship through Meredith Lyons' lens. Well told.

Even though this book was highly recommended it was lackluster for me. It had potential but fell short somehow. The ending was abrupt and lacking suspense almost as if a different person took over writing the last 50 pages or so. I'm not saying I wouldn't try another book by this author but I can't recommend this one. My thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Raely is the sole survivor of a horrible train wreck, and is wracked with survivor's guilt and immense grief. However, she soon realizes she has a spiritual tag along, and that he's been there a lot longer than she thought. Together, Raely and Casper set out to discover his true identity, the truth behind Raely's gift, and how to fight the evil the is lurking in the shadows of Raely's life.

This book reads as a paranormal mystery thriller. It is fast paced, with the action starting pretty immediately and then everything going off the rails (horrible pun intended). Lyons did a fantastic job showcasing Raely's emotions and evoking emotion in the reader. Raely's grief is profound, but as the story progresses, she also experiences intense rage, visceral fear, among other things. The paranormal aspects were handled well, with some mild scare factor at times. The true star of the show was the mystery. It was a pleasure watching Raely and Casper work together to get to the bottom of everything, and the various reveals and plot twists were well done. Overall, this is a good paranormal mystery that can be read and enjoyed fairly quickly.

Thank you to NetGalley and CamCat Books for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

This is an intriguing ghost story and the perfect read for this time of year. Raely is a survivor of a train crash, with a little help, and can see ghosts. Casper, her otherworldly stalker, continues to follow her as he's done for a long time. I love the surprises in this story that blend very human elements with the paranormal. It's a very entertaining and well-written treat for this spooky month and the perfect book to feature on Friday the 13th!

This book is such a unique genre-bending thriller with a ton of suspense, action, and mystery. Raely is a complex, hilarious, and well-rounded character surrounded by a cast of equally intriguing characters both alive and dead. I gobbled this book up in a day because it was that amazing. I highly recommend it to fans of paranormal, horror, and fantasy.

Ghost Tamer follows a struggling comedian who is dealing with the biggest tragedy of her life after being involved in a deadly train accident. Grieving, healing from her injuries, she realizes that she is being followed, but not necessarily by someone or something that is living. This story begins literally with a bang, and doesn't let go until the end. I enjoyed it quite a bit, thought the character development was fine, and was entertained by the witty dialogue and fast-paced story line.

While I did enjoy the story, and thought the plot moved along quickly, it was not quite as dark of a story as I thought it would be. Despite the train wreck at the beginning, and the death of her best friend, this didn't delve as much into the emotional trauma of that loss as I was expecting and ended up much more on the lighter side of horror, almost to the point of being somewhat cheesy. There were quite a bit of light, humourous moments thrown into the plot, especially between Raely and her ghost, and a lot of the dialogue was witty, but some of the secondary characters didn't necessarily ring true. The whole ghost hunter thing in which Raely got involved seemed out of sync with what was happening and although I understand the author was trying to show how conniving the world could be, it just didn't work for me, especially the aggression. And honestly, the love interest? Where did that suddenly come from?

I did enjoy Raely's journey as she accepted the fact she could see ghosts and had one stuck to her all the time. Going through the journey with her and realizing exactly who the ghost was was interesting, and something I didn't actually see coming so I found that revelation thought-provoking. I also found it incredibly sad, the secrets that a family can keep from one another. The journey did lead Raely and her ghost through some interesting scenarios and I found them entertaining. Casper, the name she nicknames her ghost, was one of my favourite characters, and I am glad the author gave him a chance to develop and grow along with Raely as they discovered how they were attached to each other. I did wish Raely had been developed a bit more though as she seemed quite childish at times and I had to remind myself she was actually a grown woman and not 16 years old. And for someone who was an aspiring comedian, I didn't really find her that funny, something for which I was waiting. I also think Lovonia was too mysterious and both Raely and Casper trusted her implicitly for no reason. Why would you trust someone you don't know, especially given the cryptic comments this person keeps giving you?

Ghost Tamer was not a bad debut; it had an interesting story line, was fast-paced, and was light-hearted. And I think that is wherein the problem lay as the themes were quite dark, but the author took a lighter approach to the story, and didn't really explore Raely's emotional state after the train crash. Some of the scenarios didn't quite fit into the story line, hoping the reader would just suspend belief and accept them. That being said, this author is quite talented, I enjoyed the overall story, and I look forward to reading more of her writing in the future. And there were enough good things in this book that I do recommend you take a look.

Following the traumatic events of a deadly a train crash, aspiring comedian Raely wakes up in the hospital to discover that she has a new gift: she can now see ghosts. Reeling from the loss of her best friend, Raely is haunted by grief and ghosts, and soon discovers that many of the latter like to feed on the former. She befriends benevolent ghost Casper, who doesn’t understand his own place on earth, and together they have to figure out why Raely has become the specific target of an evil and powerful entity. Lyons masterfully weaves humor and banter throughout, all without taking away from the deep grief. Bring your tissues, but be ready to laugh out loud in this powerful, hilarious, tragic, and hopeful book—this story is layered and nuanced and is so much more than a ghost story. 10/10 must read.

Oh my gosh what a fabulous debut! I’ll definitely be following Meredith Lyons waiting on her next book. This was a bit out of my normal genre and I fell in love with it. Great characters that hooked me early on and just never let go. Secrets, ghosts, family and magic. The perfect storm. Don’t miss this one.
Thank you NetGalley and Meredith Lyons for the opportunity to read this cracker of a book

I absolutely did not expect how this book played out. I should have picked up on the vibes once I read that our MC is a comedian. Ghost Tamer had everything - humour, pain, growth, paranormal. It was truly something unlike anything I have ever read.

Raely is written very well, I never had doubts for her character. Taking it slowly in the middle section helped flesh her out as a well loved and surprisingly deep character. Her growth arc was impressive.
After I finished, I realised that I was actually reading a book that helps with grief, rather than just a ghost story. Having Raely's first person point of view during those emotional moments helped me feel I wasn't alone in my feelings - I genuinely thought I was going through everything with her side-by-side.

If you need an emotional read, with a hint of paranormal comedy - this one would be right for you! Thank you to NetGalley & CamCat for an advanced copy in exchange for review. This one is available now.

4.5 stars
This book was such a rollercoaster. The writing was so emotive and I was in tears for half of it alongside some fun and some tense moments. The journey that Raely went on was inspiring and the way that she had to deal with her grief was incredibly well written while including the paranormal aspects. I loved the relationship between her and her ghost and the way they would snap at eachother in a fun way. The growth of their relationship touched me. Beautifully written.

I thought this was a good book. It’s part ghost story and part mystery. Raely and Jules are tough and determined.
It’s another perfect book for Halloween.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed how relatable Raley, the main character, is. The plot and how she grows through out the book made me laugh and cry. I hope there will be a sequel!

3 stars

Ghost Tamer follows aspiring (struggling) comedian Raely, who we meet at her worst. She is in the depths of emotional trauma after surviving a train wreck, one that took away her best friend. However, the traumatic accident seems to unlock a sort of sixth sense in Raely.

Despite the title and cover hinting at a dark, foreboding story (which I love), and that emotionally-charged setup at the very beginning of the story, this is actually quite a light horror with plenty of funny moments and wholesome twists. Raely gains herself a Casper the friendly ghost as a supernatural sidekick as she figures out her suddenly awakened sixth sense and the whole new dimension that unlocks, not to mention the beings that she can now see, not all of which are benevolent. Raely and Casper's trooping through the supernatural world also leads to some mighty interesting unraveling of her family secrets and trauma...

I will admit that the style of horror here is a tad cheesy for my personal taste but I don't mind a feel good horror once in a blue moon; think the sort of macabre comedy feels of Ghostbusters and The Addams Family.

A fun, yet meaningful read! You’ve got to love it when a book sends your emotions on a roller coaster of a ride. I found my responses running the gamut from laughter to tears and everything in between. Along with the protagonist, Raely, I experienced her feelings as her life changed in one split second.

Raely’s snarky attitude lends itself well to her life as an aspiring comedian. But her life off-stage is anything but funny. Already dealing with the repercussions of a dysfunctional childhood and several unhealthy relationships, Raely’s world comes crashing down when she is the only survivor of a train wreck. Waking in the hospital to learn about the loss of her best friend, Joe, Raely discovers she has come back from her near-death experience with a friendly ghost. As ‘Casper’ follows her, Raely sees other ghosts, including one particularly malicious apparition. The humorous banter between Raely and Casper off-sets the terrorizing by the demon that is out to claim her soul. It’s a classic tale of good vs. evil fought in more than one dimension.

Seeking ‘ghost buster’ assistance, Raely encounters both charlatans and the real deal, eliciting anger and doubt as she is plunged further into danger. Throughout her ordeal, Raely learns that she must reach deep inside to rid herself of the darkness threatening to take over. With the help of family and friends, she comes to terms with the overwhelming grief of Joe’s loss and discovers why she survived the train crash. Author Meredith Lyons tackles the topic of grief with understanding and empathy, allowing the reader into Raely’s head with a first-person point-of-view to experience her physical and emotional recovery as she strains to find hope amidst despondency.

More than just a paranormal tale involving ghosts, The Ghost Tamer is the story of a young woman finding her purpose in life. I thoroughly enjoyed taking this journey of self-discovery with Raely and all her ghosts.

GRANDILOQUENT, VAGARIOUS AND NOT-JOCOSE; BUT A VALIANT EFFORT BY THE AUTHOR I GUESS.

Unfortunately, Ghost Tamer by Meredith Lyons suffered from a number of issues. The first was the inconsistent use of language which was a double whammy because the word choice was also so pretentious at times it was shocking. The almost random and out of the blue use of words that normal people don’t use in conversation, and your average reader probably has to visit dictionary.com at least a handful of times really pulled me out of the story.

The use of words like detritus (more than once), postmortem (that one in italics nonetheless), accoutrements (to refer to a pool table?), and diaphanous. And most of the time they are used by Raely’s inner monologue when her out-loud self is so eloquent that “Holy shit, what the fuck?” is the best she can do when shocked. It just didn’t make sense.

Then there was “jimani”. Even google didn’t help with that one. Go ahead. Google it. Or lixivier. I still don’t really know what they are. And the terms are used without explanation as if everyone knows what they mean. It was hard to follow as a result.

Then there is Raely and “Casper” (aka Jules). They were flat, boring, and annoying. For a comedian her inner monologue isn’t funny at all. I kept waiting for the comedy, but it was non-existent. There is even a scene where she laughs herself in Stice and it wasn’t even remotely amusing. And, the story wasn’t really scary either – which I was hoping for.

A Raely’s emotional state… well, let’s just say that was harder to stomach than the “Cajun medium” and both her speech and the role she plays in the whole story. The only survivor in a train crash and she has no problem getting on a train, only denies the existence of ghosts for about 10 seconds and then believes everything she reads on the internet. She just wasn’t a character I ever came to care about so it left me really uninvested in the story.

All in all, this was a disappointment. Since I don’t want to bash, especially since this looks like a debut novel, that’s about all I will say. On to the next thing. Thanks NetGalley for giving me the chance to read it. (Although I liked the cover a lot).