Melody Bittersweet and the Girls’ Ghostbusting Agency by Kitty French
Release Date: 14th July 2016
Publisher: Bookouture
Buy: Kindle
Rating:
Life’s tough for Melody Bittersweet.
She’s single, addicted to sugar and super heroes, her family are officially bonkers, and she sees dead people. Is it any wonder no-one’s swiping right on Tinder?
Waking up lonely on her twenty seventh birthday, Melody finally snaps. She can’t carry on basing all of her life decisions on the advice of her magic 8 ball; things have got to change.
Fast forward two months, and she’s now the proud proprietor of her very own ghostbusting agency – kind of like in the movies but without the dodgy white jumpsuits. She’s also flirting with her ex Leo Dark, fraternising with her enemy in alleyways, and she’s somehow ended up with a pug called Lestat.
Life just went from dull to dynamite and it’s showing no sign of slowing up anytime soon. Melody’s been hired to clear Scarborough House of its incumbent ghosts, there’s the small matter of a murder to solve, and then there’s the two very handsome, totally inappropriate men hoping to distract her from the job…
Welcome to Chapelwick, home of the brand new and hilarious Girls Ghostbusting Agency series, where things really do go bump in the night.
Melody Bittersweet is not your average kinda’ girl. Not only in the sense that she hates rom-coms and has a bit of a crazy family, but unlike most other twenty six year olds – she can see dead people.
Thoroughly fed up with her life, when she turns twenty seven, Melody decides that now is the time to turn her life around. But how, you ask? Well, by doing the only sensible thing that any girl would do in her situation, of course. She sets up her own ghostbusting agency with her best friend Marina (and is also joined by the FABULOUS Artie.)
The Girls Ghostbusting Agency’s first assignment looks to be a tricky one as they attempt to help the Scarborough family get rid of the ghosts that have taken up residence in Scarborough House. Of course, it’s never that simple though, as the team have hunky guys, one eared pugs and the teeny, tiny matter of a murder on their hands. Gulp.
For some reason that I can’t fathom, this novel had completely passed me by until I was invited to take part on the blog tour. It was only then that I took a good look at the synopsis and had a tiny inkling that maybe, just maybe, this book was going to be something special.
I can’t quite tell you how special. I absolutely ADORED it from the first word to the last and if I could only choose one phrase to sum it up, I would undoubtedly go for ‘breath of fresh air’; because that is exactly what it was. It’s so different from so many other books out there at the moment and it really brings something new to the table. The writing was sharp, edgy and full of humour and the characters that Kitty has created here are total legends. They will stay with me for a long time and I just can’t wait to be reunited with them again (YES! This is going to be a series!!!)
I had this idea in my head that the story would be filled with Melody & her team busting ghosts left right and centre and generally being kick ass, but in fact we’re just given the one case for the entire story, which works extremely well. It means you can become more involved in what’s going on and develop your own thoughts and ideas, as well as forming proper impressions of the characters (Lloyd, yuck… Lestat, LOVE! I now officially want a pug even more. Thanks Kitty.)
You might think that a lead character who sees dead people and her psychic family wouldn’t be the easiest to relate to but nothing could be further from the truth, because (however weirdly) they are. Funny, friendly, likable and an absolute joy to read about, I fell truly in love with Melody and her friends and family and as I previously mentioned, I can’t wait to make their acquaintance again.
With regards to the storyline, this novel really has so much to offer. The mystery element of it will keep you hooked, there’s also a love-triangle scenario for romance lovers, it’s jam packed full of fun, and it has a huge dose of the supernatural (just incase all that wasn’t enough for you.) Super-natural chick-lit is perhaps a genre I could never see myself enjoying but I take that back right now because this was simply fabulous. I honestly can’t find a single fault with this novel- it’s fresh, exciting, funny and really offers something that little bit different. I mean come on – dogs, ghosts, cute guys, friendship and romance – what more could any human being want in a book!?
A huge thank you to Kim at Bookouture for having me on board the blog tour & for approving me to read this FAAABULOUS novel on NetGalley.
Romantic comedy and paranormal comedy writer for Bookouture. Wine drinker, fairy light addict, disorganised wife and mom.Also writes romantic comedy as Kat French for HarperCollins.
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