I wasn't sure what to expect from this book so let me tell you in case you're interested (listed in order of how prominent it is in the story). This is primarily a story about a widow learning how to start living again. She gains the power to see ghosts, a plot device that is not fully explored/explained. There is a murder mystery that runs deep within the backstory of most of the MC's. And finally, there is a slooooooooooooow burn romance with a hunky alpha-male detective next door.

This was a fun, sexy (no on page sex), spooky tale that I enjoyed. The murder plot wasn't a giant surprise, but I don't think that was the point of the story. Nor was the FMC's ability to see ghosts. This dealt heavily with how to get back into life after grieving the death of a loved one. Our FMC is a few years into life without her husband so we don't see the grieving process but we do see her trying to get back to living. I think the ghosts really do a good job of playing off of that.

This was perfectly cozy and just the escape read I needed!

I loved this paranormal romance debut, with relatable and likeable characters. It was refreshing to have the FMC over thirties, and I connected with the life stage that Alyssa Mann was in. (Minus the bereavement of losing a husband or having a party of ghosts haunt me ha)

I paired the audio with the ebook and loved both formats! The audiobook was a dual narration performed by Piper Goodeve and Aaron Shedlock.

WHAT TO EXPECT
-cozy paranormal romance/mystery
-all the laughs
-loveable characters

*many thanks to Berkley Romance, PRH audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

A really good blend of mystery, romance and paranormal, truly a perfect cozy mystery perfect for fall and spooky season. When Alyssa turns 40 she’s is still mourning the passing of her husband and when her friends convince her to go out to celebrate the last thing they expect to end up is visiting a medium for a reading. When she wakes up to a ghost sitting on her bed everything starts to take a turn for the spooky. With the help of her hot neighbor who happens to be a police investigator and her best friends she is determined to discover the truth about the “accident” that killed the ghost that haunts her. With a sweet romance, lots of beautiful friendships, murder investigations, ghosts, secrets, lies and spooky vibes this was such a fun book for the fall.

This bit of fluff is a wonderful, fun read with plenty of romance, some interesting backstories, and an engaging mystery/fantasy plot line.

This was kind of adorable. This sweet romance had an engaging plot line with the mystery going on. The twist of the supernatural was a good plot driver. It made for a good kick off read of spooky season. The bad guys were honestly pretty predictable, but it was still a good read!

❤️ Tropes ❤️
💋 sweet romance
💋 widowers second chance
💋 neighbors
💋 opposites attract

Alyssa has been broken. Her husband died in the car accident that they were in a couple years ago, and now she’s turning 40. Her friends drag her out to celebrate and drinks turn into going to a seance. Only something follows Alyssa home. Or should I say someone. Billy answered their call, and now he won’t leave until his unfinished business is wrapped up. And that all hinges on Alyssa’s ability to make her cop neighbor believe that she is seeing ghosts. Easy peesy lemon squeezy.

In An Enchanting Case of Spirits, Melissa Holtz delivers a delightful blend of humor and supernatural intrigue. The story follows Alyssa Mann, a single mother grappling with the realities of turning forty and navigating life after her husband's death. After a night of fun with friends and a surprising ghostly encounter, she enlists the help of her handsome neighbor, Detective Nick West, to uncover the mystery surrounding the spirits that keep appearing in her life. With witty dialogue and a cast of engaging characters, this debut novel explores themes of friendship, loss, and the unexpected magic of second chances​.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

A cute, fun read perfect for those who enjoy cozy spookiness (rather than scares/horror) for the season. The thread of the mystery within the supernatural elements is engaging, and the ghosts are a welcome, hilarious addition to the cast of characters. The romance is bittersweet, given the subject matter, and feels organic. I didn't engage with the dual POV (though it's minimal, thankfully), and I wish Lainie and Nina's motivations had been clearer (though it seems like we're going to get more books featuring them?).

Thank you Berkley Pub and PRH Audio for the free book! #BerkleyPartner #Berkley
I wish I had picked this one up sooner! It indeed was very enchanting, and ended up being more than I expected. It was funny, it was heartwarming, and had a real mystery underneath it all!
Alyssa is still grieving the loss of her husband from a couple years prior. Her friends and family worry for her, and on her fortieth birthday they do something unexpected and go get a reading/séance done. What comes of that night is unexpected.
It unlocked a power within Alyssa, which is that she can see dead people. While this is obviously unsettling at first, especially waking up that night to have a ghost at the foot of the bed, it turns out to give her purpose and bring closure.
I loved the ghosts; while some may have not been the greatest people in life, they ended up being snarky and helpful and well-meaning in the afterlife, and just wanting to move on. I was moved to tears for the ghosts Alyssa came across in passing and helped them move on. The ones who were connected to her through a larger mystery (and thus the underlying mystery of the book), stayed until the end, as the closure they needed was akin to the one that Alyssa needed.
Along the way, she connected with her hot neighbor and detective, Nick, who’s biggest flaw is that he’s too chivalrous. Terrible.
He’s very by the book and doesn’t really believe Alyssa’s “sources” but things end up stacking up to the point that he has no choice. He always believed in Alyssa though. Her friends were also a treat, and each one very different and brought something to the table.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Berkley for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this if you like: Paranormal romance, cozy mystery, fun characters

I thought the premise of this was good. It was fun. I enjoyed the group of friends. The beginning hooked me fast. The romance was great. The ghosts were hilarious. I recommend it! I'm excited to read the next one.

2.5 stars rounded up I think? I enjoyed the premise of this book and the multiple POVs, but the romance element kind of threw me off and made me enjoy the first half more than the second, when the storyline was more focused on friendship. I do think the mystery element was also a bit drawn out and the ending (potential spoiler) when Alyssa sent the spirit away was a little cheesy/weird. Finally, I think there was also a little too much going on in this book from the romance and friendships to the grief and mystery storylines which made it a bit difficult to follow at times. Overall thoughts: strong beginning, weaker middle/ending, maybe a bit too much going on.

Enjoyed reading this to kick off spooky/pumpkin season though. Thanks for the ARC!

I feel like I laughed out loud more than I should have lol This was full of fun characters and I loved the mystery aspect of it. I do wish there were more scenes with Alyssa and Nick. I'm wondering if the ending set it up for a series???

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this quick and fun read!

"**An Enchanting Case of Spirits**" by Melissa Holtz is an utterly captivating novel that combines magical intrigue with charming storytelling. I loved every moment of Holtz’s richly imagined world and engaging plot, which kept me spellbound from start to finish. The book's delightful characters and enchanting narrative make it an unforgettable read.

This book was not the move for me. I could not get into the story or the characters, and I REALLY wanted to DNF it around 30% in...but I persevered, and still did not end up liking it. Just wasn't for me!

An Enchanting Case of Spirits by Melissa Holtz is a stunning debut that drew me in with a mystical premise and kept me hooked with wonderfully relatable characters.

What I loved
1. Excellent Cozy paranormal vibes
2. The story follows adult main characters which is just a nice change of pace for me in the books with this style of premise.
3. Our main character has an incredibly relatable learning curve both to understanding she is seeing ghosts and to figuring out what to do with /about said ability.

What didn't work for me as well?
1. The Pacing of the whodunit aspect of the plot felt weirdly off like its forward momentum was weighting almost entirely to the last third of the story.
2. Some of the intended-to-be witty dialogue just fell flat for me in an odd way. I might see about listening to an audio version later down the road to see if it lands differently that way.

Who I would recommend this title for

This title will be a delightful read for fans of works by authors such as Erin Sterling and Ally Carter.

Finished reading An Enchanting Case of Spirits by Melissa Holtz.
The book started really nice but fell flat after that. The main character, Alyssa was kind of annoying and I was hoping that she becomes a decent person at the end but it didnt work.

Alyssa and her friends celebrate her 40th birthday with drinks and a tarot reading. The next morning, Alyssa wakes up with a stranger in her house. She asks her neighbor, Nick, who is a detective, for help. Nick doesn’t find anyone in the house, and Alyssa is faced with the fact she saw a ghost.

An Enchanting Case of Spirits is told from Alyssa and Nick’s points of view. An enjoyable cast of characters. An entertaining story with mystery and romance.

An Enchanting Case of Spirits was lighthearted and fun. Recommended for fans of paranormal cozy mysteries and romance.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What to expect when reading An Enchanting Case of Spirits:

👻 Nail-biting mysteries

👻 Grief and life after love

👻 Powerful and engaging storylines

👻 Smokin’ HOT silver fox detective

👻 Danger, suspense, whodunit

👻 Spirits, ghosts, and poltergeists, oh MY!

👻 The spirit realm and what (if anything) comes after death

👻 The importance of having a core group of friends

👻 Witty dialogue, laugh-out-loud funny, and irreverent humor

This story ran the gamut of my emotions and had me laughing, giving me goosebumps, and brought me to tears. I love that the characters are more around my age range. They are lovingly and beautifully created and easily relatable. The storyline is brilliant and the ending left me with more questions than answers. I need more stories with these friends and all the quirky citizens of this quaint New England town.

Read the book in one day. It was so good I couldn’t put it down! Highly recommend it!

This was so quirky and cute. It was a fun read with magic involved. I enjoyed the characters and would read others from author in the future.