Early Review – Perfectly Wicked by Lindsay Lovise (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Alcove Press
Release Date: September 17, 2024
ASIN: B0CQJH56SK
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eGalley from NetGalley for Review
Rating: 5/5 stars
“There have always been rumors that something magical is afoot at Wicked Good Apples. Rain during droughts and other inexplicable happenings have long haunted the Maine orchard, but only Holly Celeste and her family know the truth: the Celestes are just a little wicked.
Despite the magical secret ingredient in their cider, the family business is floundering. When Connor Grimm, a charming and nationally beloved paranormal investigator, requests to film an episode of his popular TV show on the mysterious farm, Holly reluctantly accepts. She knows the publicity could be the miracle her family needs—as long as Connor doesn’t manage to actually make any paranormal discoveries while he’s there.
Intent on keeping Connor in the dark and pushing him toward the ghost story believed by the locals, Holly joins him as he interviews eyewitnesses, hunts for old records, and unearths potentially devastating stories from the past. Despite her resolution to dislike him, she begins to fall for the only man who’s ever made her feel like strange could be normal.
As Connor gets closer to uncovering the real secrets behind the orchard, his and Holly’s blooming romance begins to threaten everything they value—Connor’s commitment to his career and Holly’s commitment to protect her family.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. However, after reading it I think it has potential to be expanded in to a series. I got a copy of this on ebook to review through NetGalley..
Thoughts: This was an absolutely adorable paranormal romance and would be the perfect autumn read. The setting and characters were amazing, and I hope we see additional books set with this unique family of sisters. I read this in one night because I could not put it down. I do feel like there will be additional books in this series because we get hints around one of the sisters, Winter, starting a relationship with another character.
Holly runs Wicked Good Apples orchard, but the orchard is not making a profit. Holly has always had to tread a careful line between keeping her odd family out of the spotlight and keeping the orchard profitable. However, she may have done too good a job with keeping things around the family quiet because the orchard is going under and she needs to do something about it. A competitor orchard offers to buy her out, but she can’t give up the family orchard. Then another option arises: Connor Grimm (a famous paranormal investigator with a TV show) wants to come film some of his ghost hunting episodes at the orchard. The money from Grimm could keep the orchard afloat for another couple years at least….
This book has some paranormal elements, a ghost hunting theme, and a broader society based around the paranormal elements that is hinted at. It is set on an amazing orchard in a fun small town. I loved Holly and her magical family and the rapport that they developed with Connor Grimm and his team. Holly and Connor end up in a sizzling hot enemies to lovers situation that was fun to read about and well balanced.
I haven’t been reading much PNR lately because a lot of it just feels the same. This was a refreshing and fun read and got me excited about the genre again. It’s a more cozy take on the genre, and I love autumn, so I enjoyed the wonderful setting.
The writing was very engaging, easy to read, and full of humor. The description was wonderful; at times, I could almost smell the crisp autumn air and taste the apples. This is one of those books that almost reads itself, it flowed beautifully and was impossible to put down. I ended up reading it all in one night, which was not my intention when I sat down to read this. This book seems to be building out a broader paranormal world, so even though it wasn’t advertised as a series I hope we see more books in this world.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I absolutely loved this cute and cozy, humorous paranormal read. I loved the characters and the Celeste family and enjoyed the supernatural aspects of the story. This was just such a fun read with mystery, romance, and paranormal aspects. I would recommend to those looking for a cozy autumn paranormal romance. I hope we see more books in this world soon!
