Dr.
Wyatt Case is never happier than when he’s walking the halls of his
history museum. Playing wingman for his best friend at Gravedigger’s
Tavern throws him way out of his comfort zone, but not as much as the
eccentric man behind the bar, Ash Lucroix.
Ash is everything
Wyatt doesn’t understand: exuberant, quirky, and elbow deep in a
Gaslight lifestyle that weaves history into everyday life. He
coordinates his suspenders with his tongue rings. Within hours, Wyatt
and Ash are hooked.
But strange things are afoot at
Gravedigger’s, and after a knock to the head, Ash starts seeing things
that can’t be explained by old appliances or faulty wiring. Soon
everyone at Gravedigger’s is wondering if they’re seeing ghosts, or just
going crazy. The answer to that question could end more than just Wyatt
and Ash’s fragile relationship—it might also end their lives.
Wyatt
Case isn’t happy. He’s about to lose his job as curator at a museum in
Richmond, VA because the trustees made a huge mistake. They want Wyatt
to save their asses and frankly he can’t quite figure out how. Wyatt’s
friend and coworker Noah shows up and takes him out for a drink to
distress – oh, and to have him meet a guy he thinks Wyatt will like.
Wyatt’s not thrilled at being set up but when he and Noah head to
Gravedigger’s Tavern he’s pretty happy with the man he’s to meet, Ash.
Ash
isn’t quite sure what to make of Wyatt but the more they talk the more
they like each other. They end up in bed together but Wyatt, who
doesn’t have one night stands, isn’t quite sure what to do once Ash
falls asleep. He makes the wrong choice and leaves. This doesn’t
exactly endear him to Ash and even with Wyatt apologizing things are
tense between the two men. Ash, however, provides an idea for Wyatt and
now the museum curator thinks he has a way to drum up business for the
museum and make the trustees happy.
Wyatt and Noah
have Ash tell them ghost stories that center around Richmond and Wyatt
and Noah then do research to find the “true” story behind the ghost
story/folklore. This is all fun and interesting until they dig up
disturbing information on the house that Gravedigger’s Tavern is now
situated. On top of that nasty bit of information Ash starts seeing and
hearing things and is attacked on his way home one night. The problem
is that everyone blames it on a head injury that he sustained. When
things start getting creepier and Ash starts doubting his sanity more
and more can the bar employees along with Wyatt and Noah try to figure
out what’s causing the unusual activities.
This was an
unexpected find for me. When I read the blurb of the book it looked
interesting but by the cover I thought it was an m/m historical. Though
those aren’t my favorite I was willing to give it a chance. Imagine my
surprise and delight when I figured out it was a contemporary with a
lot of history involved?!
The characters involved in
the story were wonderful. Wyatt and Ash – I can’t tell you how much I
loved them. They each had their own quirks and though they were quite
different they got along perfectly – well, after that initial screw up
by Wyatt. The other characters were Noah who ends up with the own of
Gravedigger’s Tavern and then the other bar employees Delilah and Ryan.
All of them were so comfortable together and you could tell that even
though Noah and Wyatt were new to their group they fit in perfectly.
The
ghost part of the story was, well, scary. I loved the writing in this
book as it really did a great job of pulling me in to the moment and
scaring me more than a bit. It wasn’t horror but it was enough to
really make me more than a bit tense while I was reading. I’m not going
to tell you anything because I think part of the joy of the book was
watching it all unfold.
I loved the way the story played out and I think that this is a great book. A really good read and definitely one I recommend.
Rating: 4.25/4.5 out of 5
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