Review: How to Date Dead Guys by Ann M. Noser

How to Date Dead Guys (#1) by Ann M. Noser
302 pages
Genre: New Adult/Paranormal
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Source: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thanks to the Caffeinated Book Reviewer for connecting me with this author!
Purchase: Barnes & Noble | Amazon
My Rating:

Goodreads Summary: College sophomore Emma Roberts remembers her mother’s sage advice: “don’t sleep around, don’t burp in public, and don’t tell anyone you see ghosts”. But when cute Mike Carlson drowns in the campus river under her watch, Emma’s sheltered life shatters.

Blamed for Mike’s death and haunted by nightmares, Emma turns to witchcraft and a mysterious Book of Shadows to bring him back. Under a Blood Moon, she lights candles, draws a pentacle on the campus bridge, and casts a spell. The invoked river rages up against her, but she escapes its fury. As she stumbles back to the dorm, a stranger drags himself from the water and follows her home. And he isn’t the only one…

Instead of raising Mike, Emma assists the others she stole back from the dead—a pre-med student who jumped off the bridge, a young man determined to solve his own murder, and a frat boy Emma can’t stand…at first. More comfortable with the dead than the living, Emma delves deeper into the seductive Book of Shadows. Her powers grow, but witchcraft may not be enough to protect her against the vengeful river and the killers that feed it their victims.

Inspired by the controversial Smiley Face Murders, HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS will appeal to the secret powers hidden deep within each of us.

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My Review

The Cover: I know it isn't great, but this is one of those times when you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Look past it.

The Setting: I love a book that takes place on a college campus. Plus, it is a fun and interesting setting that just works for this story. 

The Characters: What a unique and fun bunch of people! I like the witchy MC, Emma, a lot. She really starts to come into her own by the end of the novel. All the dead guys that come back that Emma helps out are pretty awesome as well. I like how each of them is different. I enjoyed watching Emma try to give them some peace with their deaths. It was also kind of funny watching her try to handle all of the unique personalities each ghost had. These guys could be a handful!

The Plot: Although the overall plot was perfectly fine, I had one major issue with this book. It tries to be a romance, a mystery/thriller, and a paranormal book. I think because of this high reaching goal it falls slightly flat on all three categories. Although all three elements are present in the story, none of them are really fleshed out as well as I had hoped. I never felt the quick romance, I couldn't get into the murder mystery thing that popped up at the end, and the magic was only here and there without any good explanations about it. I may have liked all these elements of the story, but they were lacking a good deal of any kind of depth. I wanted more. 

Do I recommend this book? Sure. It was a fun and entertaining read. Sometimes that is just what you need.

My Final Thoughts: Even with its flaws, I did really enjoy reading How to Date Dead Guys with all of its amusing characters. I will probably read the next book.