Cover Image: A Ghost in Shining Armor

A Ghost in Shining Armor

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Member Reviews

As soon as I saw that this book was a love story between a ghost and a woman who could see ghosts, I was sold. I blame my teenage obsession with Meg Cabot's Mediator Series. And A Ghost in Shining Armor delivered on so many of the things I love about paranormal romances.

First of all, the chemistry between the two love interests was perfect from the very beginning. I loved the "meet cute" set up from the very first chapter and all of the fun awkward flirting through out the book. Their chemistry was very realistic despite the paranormal circumstances. And the spice sprinkled throughout the book was PERFECT.

I loved the dialogue overall, but specifically the banter between Levi and Gemma. I liked how they teased each other in one part only to say something deep and profound (and usually not even that cheesy, which was a nice surprise for a rom-com) in the next moment.

The book overall had great character growth and a really heart-warming theme about choosing yourself and loving yourself, including how important it was to set boundaries to protect your mental and emotional health- especially with the ones we love the most. I was honestly very pleasantly surprised by the depth of that theme and it was teased early on in the story without being too heavy, before coming out in the final few chapters in a really thought provoking way.

Also, with as many paranormal romances as I have read- I loved the twist of the ghosts becoming corporeal once they're acknowledged by the main character Gemma. That served the story well and made it unique! I was surprised by how much detail was given to the paranormal background because sometimes there can be big holes in a story like this to better serve the romance, and the author did a really good job filling those in with interesting facts about the after life.

At times, the story's pacing was a bit off particularly towards the middle of the book when most of the plot was centered only around conversations between Levi and Gemma and not a lot of action or movement in the storyline. It got a little confusing because there would be fast forwards in time, or one of the characters was trying to think about something that happened in the past and I'd get confused about where we were in the story.

Overall, this was a really fun read that I would recommend especially to other paranormal romance fans. :)

TW/CW: death, allergic reaction, adoption/foster care, abandonment, absent parents, emotional/mental boundaries

**Thank you to NetGalley & Kensington Books for the ARC to review**

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DNF 25%

I am sooo sad I could not connect with this book. I LOVE the premise and even like the characters, but 25% in there was almost no story progression. Every other thought was sexual in nature and felt forced. If this book is meant to lusty in nature, than seeing them take some action rather than just hearing their thoughts over and over again would have been something to move the story forward.

In the end, it simply did not work for me. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book.

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I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I think I'm not the target audience for this book. It's probably targeted for YA, as I tend to prefer a lot more world building in my books; as well as explanations about certain things, like ghosts, money and dimensions. I know it's fiction, but it makes it more believable.
2.5 stars

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This is the second in Therese Beharrie's paranormal rom-com series. The tone is light and fun, and there's great banter between the protagonists. The world-building and the actual mechanics of how ghosts, multiverses, and guardians all work is confusing and not well explained--it's just hand-waved away. (There are other things that aren't explained, like how Levi is worried about where to stay and his lack of money and ID, but somehow finds a place and money to rent it.) Lots is told rather than shown, particularly important things like Levi's relationship with his sister and key moments that are happening off-page (like the first--accidental--"I love you"!). But you can always count on Beharrie to do deep emotional moments well, and this book is no exception in that.

Thank you to GoodReads and Kensington for the ARC.

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This book is so cute. I wanted Gemma's story since reading And they Lived Happily Ever After (in that book, Gemma was quasi-stalking her newly discovered sister, the heroine of that book). In this book we see Gemma coming to terms with having a sister, with the secrecy from her parents, who she loves, and trying to build new, difference relationships after her family dynamic has been completely up-ended.

This parallel's her love interest's journey, new ghost Levi (who was sent to help Gemma, who can see ghosts, wither her crossing-over assistance duties while she deals with her stuff). He also has had massive family changes and has to build a new reality after changes.

They are lovely together. The supernatural romance is adorable and their emotional and romantic journeys are super satisfying. I absolutely adored it.

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I love how so many things happened in the book. I could not keep myself from the book because it was so good

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I am always looking for a good paranormal romance and I'm so happy to have found one with POC as well! This was a quick read for me and I enjoyed that the plot was original and the story was different even from most paranormal ones that I read. I won't spoil the ending but it's definitely worth the read, especially if you love paranormal romances that don't include tons of world building (which is my preferred paranormal romance). I've never heard or read from this author before but it made me want to look into her and read more. Great book!

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I really enjoyed the premise of this book and the main characters Gemma and Levi and how their relationship progressed, but I felt like some parts of it were really disappointing for me. I can totally understand if the author doesn't want to write explicit scenes, but Levi and Gemma were so hot for each other that the fact that they never actually let themselves have sex with each other was incredibly frustrating to me.
Gemma's feelings on love and always going above and beyond for her friends to the point where she sacrificed her own wants and wishes really hit home for me, and I actually cried when the two of them had a heart to heart about it. It was so real and I really understood that aspect of her relationship.
I did, however, find myself really confused about her friends sometimes and who she was ignoring / all that plotline.
I didn't read her sister's book before this but reading this definitely made me want to find out more about her.
I was really hoping at the end of the book we'd find out that Levi's sister was actually in the same universe as him, but I guess we'll have to wait until her book to see what happens with her.
Overall I enjoyed the ghostly aspects and I loved how domestic Gemma and Levi were!

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The book's plot was engaging and interesting; I was very excited to see how it would develop. The thread of ghosts and Gemma's ability to see them was an excellent addition to the main romantic arc. The romance itself was incredibly charming and endearing. I was rooting for Gemma and Levi from the beginning until the end. I would have LOVED more info on this apparent multiverse that Levi comes from? I think it was glossed over that he comes from a different reality. Such a fantastic concept that I would have loved to explore more.

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this book was worth it every second .No lying i fell in love with Levi who would not i mean .their love story one of the unique ones in a weird yet beautiful way.There had to face and make some hard decisions on the way but i would not have had it any other way .Such a beautiful story,Much thanks and appreciation to the author

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This was an incredibly hard book for me to follow. Gemma can see ghosts, but does not realize Levi is a ghost when she meets him or kisses him? The ghosts act as guides within hours of dying. There was talk about different dimensions. I felt as though it just jumped around. Unfortunately, I gave up after page 75. I just couldn’t do it anymore.

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I couldn't get into this book whatsoever. It was a cute concept but I didn't care about the characters which made it difficult to finish.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Kensington Books and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

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This one started as being a lot of fun , then a little confusing , but ended sweet with bit of struggles. The world set up was but shaky and i had lot of questions about it. It felt hastily done though it is a core part of the plot. The banter and the fake relationship was good parts. The book though was quite wordy. Felt very slow at places. Overall a decent rom com

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I love the premise. The way the ghost story and world mechanics are introduced was perfect. I felt like the prose should have been more lyrical, considering it’s ghosts coming back. At the same time, words should not be added to the book unless they add to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC.

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The premise is a bit kooky (Levi is a ghost from an alternate dimension) but the story has a heart of genuine emotion that I'm coming to see is a Therese Beharrie trademark. The love story between Gemma and Levi takes place within the web of their other relationships: Gemma with her long-lost sister and her adoptive parents, and her best friend Lacey; Levi with his baby sister, to whom he was more of a parent than a sibling. There are lovely shades of nuance in all of these relationships - caring and history, but also obligation and compromise and conflict.

This book is a standalone and the Gemma and Levi's story is complete. But I'm intrigued by the hook at the end, and what Jude has in store for Haley.

Note: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.

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The story starts with a flashback to Gemma's 18th birthday, to the first day she could see ghosts. She is greeted by the ghost of her teacher and starts the life of a ghost whisperer. Fast forward to her 30s when the story really starts.

Gemma is at a bachelorette party and has the task of kissing the man she sees. Unfortunately, Levi Walker is a recent ghost that turns mostly human with the power of the kiss. The rest of the story is about Gemma and Levi figuring out how to carry out guardian ghost duties and get their life together.

In terms of plot, it was a sweet supernatural romance, but I found the personal issues both were dealing with more compelling than any of the romance. Levi is coming to terms with how his death affects his sister, Gemma grapples with a secret about her adoption and overall navigating life when it seems like everyone in your age group is moving on a path you are not on.

In terms of characterization, I found Levi and Gemma to be too similar and it was hard to distinguish their voices at times. They both said similar quips so their scenes together seemed like the same person arguing with themselves. Towards the last quarter of the novel, their voices were more distinct, but I did find them too alike in the beginning.

Overall, the story was interesting, but the secret family secret was what drove me to finis the novel, not the romance. It was sweet, if a little bland, but the other elements of the story is what made this a good read.

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This was a cute, paranormal romance with a lot of magic. I think this is my second Therese Beharrie novel and I really am a fan.

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(thank you to NetGalley for this arc!)

first off, i absolutely loved the relationship between the two main characters. their banter had me actually laughing at some points. their supportive roles in each others lives were so sweet. and THE SPICE??? HELLO?? i wish there was like way more because it was some of the best i’ve read. the couple at the core of this story made it worth it because i was rooting for them so strongly.

some negatives: this book confused me a lot, first because of how many things were going on (secret sister, family drama, friend drama, love interest, ghosts, healing from trauma). i don’t think it was bad-it was just a lot. and second, maybe my biggest issue: the ghosts, how the became “real,” the Beings, and the multiverse all made no sense to me. nothing was explained all that much, some things felt conflicting with others, and it left me feeling detached from that whole portion of the story.

however that being said, i did think it was a fun concept and a nice change from your typical romance. i enjoyed all the side characters as well. and even though it got a bit overwhelming at times, i did like reading about Levi and Gemma’s individual journeys to creating boundaries and putting themselves first.

this was a fun, quick read (yes it took me forever, but really i read it in like 3 hours, each hour was just 2 weeks apart) and i would be interested in reading more about either Levi and Gemma, or especially about the whole ghost multiverse

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If you wanna have a good time, I suggest you read this fun, lighthearted, sparkly romance. A Ghost In Shining Armor will make you see the world through heart shaped lenses. Unfortunately, I am afraid its effect won’t last forever. But, hey, you can always reread it when you feel like you need to smile!

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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I’m usually not too keen on magic and ghosts and things like that, but I knew I would be in good hands with Therese Beharrie. I don’t think she can write a book I don’t like.
It takes place more or less at the same time as the first book in the series, And They Lived Happily Ever After (also an excellent read obviously), and of course that means that we had already read some events from Gaia’s POV, but it didn’t feel repetitive at all.
As always in Therese Beharrie’s books, the focus is on the characters and how they grow and figure out how to be together. And as always, it was done so well. Both Gemma and Levi have always lived their lives for others and it’s great to see them learn to choose themselves. The stakes for the romance were incredibly high and I’m so glad we had the epilogue to see how it all worked out.
I absolutely adored this book and had tears in my eyes at some points.

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