If you are seeking a cozy romance book perfect for the holiday season, look no further, as Good Spirits is brimming with Christmas cheer and a heartwarming story that will leave you smiling until the very last page.

As a lover of all things romance, I liked how the author balanced Harriet and Nolan’s banter with flirty jokes and quick wit. I also truly appreciated how Nolan helped Harriet build her confidence and find her inner strength. However, I didn’t feel Harriet and Nolan’s chemistry as much as I had hoped. Their romance fell flat compared to other story aspects I enjoyed more.

That said, one thing I couldn’t get enough of was the magical elements the author included. From visiting the past to Nolan’s ghost abilities, I loved learning more about these crucial pieces of the story. 

For me, the most realistic and impactful plot line was Harriet’s relationship with her family. Despite her positive outlook on life, it was refreshing to read about her honest and tumultuous journey with her parents and sister. By the end, I loved seeing how much she had grown in her personal life and family relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and B.K. Borison for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Harriet. I think many readers will relate to her—especially those who’ve ever tried to change themselves to meet others’ expectations or struggled with people-pleasing. B.K. Borison’s writing is emotional, beautiful, and filled with quotable lines. Her books have such a wholesome, comforting feel—something I haven’t experienced with any other author. The last two chapters truly elevated this to a 5-star read for me. Everything wrapped up so beautifully and meaningfully.

Oh my gosh I adored this book! It was absolutely heartwarming to watch two people who haven't been appreciated before find someone who will treasure them. My heart grew two sizes reading this story. It's a bit of a slow burn so curl up with a warm drink and get ready to swoon because BK Borison knows how to craft a romance. I was tearing up towards the end but the acknowledgements made me actually cry. I can't wait to see what she does with the rest of this series!

You may be thinking did she really just read a Christmas Rom-Com in the middle of April?!?? Why yes, yes I did. AND I HAVE ZERO REGRETS. And if you didn’t already know B.K BORISON IS MAGICAL AND CAN WRITE NO WRONG. Ok I swear I’m done screaming 🤣

But in all seriousness I cannot stress how much Good Spirits just saved me. This book wasn’t even on my schedule to read this month. However, after the last book I read being one of the worst I’ve read in 2025. I knew I needed a grab slam to keep me out of a reading slump. And I knew looking at my kindle B.K Borison could do no wrong.

Also before we get to the actual review big thank you to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for granting me an early digital review copy. I hope you enjoy my thoughts!

Hands Down: 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Y’all I’ve always been a sucker for a Christmas Carole (especially the Muppets version 😉) So when I read that B.K Borison was writing a rom-com version of the story with an Irish Hunk of a man playing the Ghost of Christmas Past. Immediately was like sign me up add to cart. I didn’t think she could top “First Time Caller” but boy oh boy was I wrong. Her books keep getting better and better with each release. And if you’ve never read anything by her…seriously what are you doing here for?!??! Hop to it, pick up all her books immediately. But I digress you’re here to know more about Good Spirits.

Good Spirits is a dual pov rom-com that follows Harriet and Nolan. Harriet is our MFC who’s a colorful, spunky and overwhelmingly good person. But she’s a little down on herself after life and people in general have just let her down. Until a twist of fate brings our MMC Nolan into her life. Nolan is the ghost of Christmas Past and he’s been sent to make Harriet relive her past so she can save her soul before Christmas. And like any good Christmas Story retelling hi-jinxes ensue from there.

I cannot stress how much I absolutely adored every moment in this book. Good Spirits felt quite literally like a warm hug. The plot, the characters, the chemistry, seriously every single element was pure perfection. If you can’t already tell I highly recommend this book. Please check it out when it releases in October 2025. I for one already have mine pre-ordered and I cannot wait to own my trophy copy of this book!

It’s whimsical without being silly, swoony without being saccharine, and emotional without ever losing its sense of comfort. This is the kind of holiday romance I’ll come back to every winter; gentle, magical, and full of heart.

BK Borrison is in a league of her own!!!

I wasn’t sure what to expect when it was announced we would get a Ghost of Christmas Past romance, and now I feel like a fool for ever doubting BKB. This book was PERFECTION. I am crying in a parking lot with snot dribbling down my nose because this is exactly what I needed in this moment. This is what all romance should BE.

Sweet Harriet is our FMC who has no idea why she is being haunted by the ghost of Christmas past, hot Nolan. As they work together to examine key moments in her history, interesting clues start to come out possibly linking the two together.

Highly recommend reading this happy, hopeful, sparkling romance at any time of the year.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this arc!!

A cozy, feel good romance. I haven’t dived into the Lovelight Romance before, but this is exactly the type of magnetic chemistry I crave in a book. Wonderful read! Perfect for the holidays.

Good Spirits by B.K. Borison was fantastic. B.K. Borison writes some of my favorite romance stories. She creates worlds in which I would LOVE to live. I was a little hesitant to believe that Good Spirits would be the same, as I am not much of a fantasy or magical realism reader. I should have known better. The characters pulled me into the story quickly and I love the suspense of not knowing what we were going to learn about them next. The ending came together in a way I couldn't have predicted which made the story that much more intriguing and satisfying.

B.K. Borison can write anything!!

Save this lovely romance for when you can curl up next to a crackling fire as snow falls outside your window and indulge.

I did not take my own advice, and instead started this book when I was in the middle of the rainforests of Belize.

It took me a minute to sink into the story since my brain could not calibrate the mismatch of vibes, but after some adjustment I got sucked right in.

Nolan is a Ghost of Christmas Past who spends his afterlife showing terrible humans the errors of their ways—until he’s assigned to Harriet, who is all peppermint and matching Christmas PJs and seems to utterly lack dreadful memories he can drag her through to scare her straight. In fact, Harriet seems to be lovely.

As the two figure out why they were paired up when she’s clearly not an Ebenezer Scrooge, they develop feelings that are as undeniable as Nolan’s unavailability—he’s still dead, Harriet’s still alive, and though I thought for a moment toward the end that he was sent to reap Harriet, that’s not the ending the author had in mind.

This book is perfect for those in the mood for a cozy holiday romance without too much anxiety or a third act breakup.

I've never been more excited to be in the Christmas spirit in the middle of April as I was reading this perfection of a book!

BK is one of my favorite authors and I love some paranormal romance so I was stoked to read Good Spirits- and BK delivered. This is the perfect holiday read. The FMC- Harriet- was adorable and relatable and I found myself rooting for her from beginning to end. Nolan was everything I'd hope for if I was being haunted by the ghost of Christmas past. The story was expertly thought out to deliver just the right amount of magic and realism. I can't wait to reread Good Spirits this holiday season!

I am still in disbelief that I received this eARC! Thank you so much to NetGalley, Avon and BK Borison for this opportunity!

This book had every emotion! The storyline is so cute- a twist on the Ghost of Christmas past but then it seems like she doesn't seem like a bad person and crazy things start happening with their time travel. Cozy magic is always a feel good time, and Harriet and Nolan were both well written characters. I would say this isn't my top BK Borison book but the feeling it gave me will stay with me for a long time (and I will for sure reread this book closer to Christmas!)

If “to be seen is to be loved” was a book, this is it. This one is for the people pleasers, the ones who mask, the girlies who try to fit into a mold they weren’t made for. 🥹

Thank you to BK Borison for writing another gem. It was unique, soft, lovely, and full of magic.

And thank you to Avon books for the eARC. Still can’t believe I got one and read it. This is real life??? 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

I was so hesitant in the beginning- why was B.K stepping out of what she normally does and exceeds at?! I'm so glad she didn't listen to lil ole me because this? A gold work of art wrapped up in a bow sitting underneath my Christmas tree!

It's not your typical grumpy/sunshine trope. I was enamored by both Nolan and Harriet from the BEGINNING! Harriet runs an antique shop and Nolan gets assigned to her as the ghost of Christmas past. Nolan had me laughing and kicking my feet while Harriet made me want to pull her into a hug and throw a punch for her.

This will easily be the top holiday read of 2025. The witty banter, cozy setting with some magic that has a mind of its own- it'll have you screaming into a pillow by the end. Make sure you have this book and no plans October 21st!

Thank you NetGalley, Avon, HarperCollins, and BK Borison for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review 🫶🏻

I was a little nervous about this book because fantasy and paranormal books aren’t usually something I pick up. But this book was hands down one of my favorite reads of 2025 so far. The way that this book emotionally wrecked me was something I was not expecting to happen. All hail Queen BK Borison. Keep doing what you’re doing.

Good Spirits was a different take on the Ghost of Christmas Past. I loved watching the evolution of the story through Harriet & Nolan’ and really enjoyed how their characters evolved as the story moved along. Borison writes in such a way that the reader can easily fall into the story and hate to leave in the end. I really enjoyed this book & can’t wait to see where this series goes in the future.

I seriously thought I couldn’t be more in love with BK Borison after the Lovelight Farms series and First Time Caller, but she’s absolutely blown it away again!
I love love loved Harriet and Nolan as characters! Two sides of the same coin, both experiencing loneliness and feelings of the world passing them by. Harriet pushes forward with optimism and hope, while Nolan has withdrawn himself from further hurt. They both help each other along the way find strength and resilience, and fall in love in the process (because of course, duh).
Nolan’s slight Irish lilt is downright delicious, and every time I remember him with scruff and a mustache, I melt a bit. 🫠😍
Absolute 5 star read, I’ll be picking up anything this woman decides to write.

this was a cute and breezy holiday romance with your typical borison humor, heart, and swoony moments!

who wouldn’t fall for the grumpy irish ghost haunting you for your misdeeds?? sign me up! i thoroughly enjoyed their dynamic and the unraveling of why she’s being haunted- and what about them makes this situation so unique 🤭

although i did fly through this, i did find some parts a bit slow and did think it could’ve been wrapped up tighter/neater but this is me being nitpicky!

When I woke up this morning I was incredibly surprised, delighted, and excited, to find this DRC waiting on NetGalley for me. BK Borison is an auto-buy author for me because she's literally never let me down.

And let me tell you, she certainly didn't with this one.

This book's premise is an adorable twist on A Christmas Carol, where the ghost of an Irish fisherman from 1902, named Nolan, has been given the afterlife career of Ghost of Christmas Past. In this world there's a whole Department of Ghostly Affairs that handle many ghostly issues(and I can't wait to see what mischief they all get up to). Nolan is sent to show antique shop owner and chronic people pleaser, Harriet, the error of her ways before the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve. Except…none of Harriet's ways seem to have erred. 🤔

While both characters are very well fleshed out, we got a little more of Harriet's development than we did of Nolan's, and while the book definitely didn't suffer for it, I did find myself wishing to know more about him and his life in 1902.

The romance was so sweet and cozy, spicy (whew 🔥🔥), and lightly angsty, with absolutely no third act breakup and finishes with an absolutely lovely HEA.

I don't want to give much more away…but, be on the lookout for the most adorable kitty, candy canes galore, and multiple winky shout outs to everyone's favorite Christmas tree farm (which delighted the heck out of me everytime).

I genuinely can't wait to read this again when it's published and to listen to the audiobook over and over and over in the coming years.

Hoping book two comes to us soon because I am intrigued by the glimpses of possible MCs we got in this book and can't wait to see if it's Isabella (please let it be Isabella).

As always, thank you to Avon for providing this DRC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are entirely my own.

B.K. Borison + Magical Realism = Soul Mates

As always, Becs takes a cozy romance and give us a deeper story with relatable and lovable characters and creates the best background through her settings.

The setting is a character on its own, creating a magical backdrop through sensory descriptions that delight the imagination and deepen the reader’s connection to the story.

I marked so many quotes and I cannot wait to go back through with a highlighter when my physical copy arrives in October. This is going to be such a great seasonal mood read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Publishing for the unbelievable gift of an e-ARC of this book. I needed this story and Nolan and Harriet have nestled their way into my heart

The only immediate thought I’m left with at the moment is “WOW!!!!!” I’m sure I’ll come up with something a bit more heartfelt that explains how much it means to me that we keep getting to read these emotionally vulnerable, beautifully written characters crafted by BK time and time again 🥹 everything about this book was PHENOMENALLY exactly what I needed in life!!!!! No one captures rge holiday spirit the way Becs does, her writing is pure magic ❤️