The Gravedigger's Brawl

By Abigail Roux

When the past comes back to haunt you, order a double.

Dr. Wyatt Case is never happier than when he’s walking the halls of his history museum. Playing wingman for his best friend at Gravedigger’s Tavern throws him way out of his comfort zone, but not as much as the eccentric man behind the bar, Ash Lucroix.

Ash is everything Wyatt doesn’t understand: exuberant, quirky, and elbow deep in a Gaslight lifestyle that weaves history into everyday life. He coordinates his suspenders with his tongue rings. Within hours, Wyatt and Ash are hooked.

But strange things are afoot at Gravedigger’s, and after a knock to the head, Ash starts seeing things that can’t be explained by old appliances or faulty wiring. Soon everyone at Gravedigger’s is wondering if they’re seeing ghosts, or just going crazy. The answer to that question could end more than just Wyatt and Ash’s fragile relationship—it might also end their lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Riptide Publishing
• Release date: Mar 7, 2016
• ISBN: 9781937551636

Book preview

Riptide Publishing

PO Box 6652

Hillsborough, NJ 08844

http://www.riptidepublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The Gravedigger’s Brawl

Copyright © 2012 by Abigail Roux

Smashwords Edition

Cover Art by Reese Dante, http://reesedante.com

Editor: Tiffany Maxwell and Rachel Haimowitz

Layout: L.C. Chase, http://lcchase.com/design.htm

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher, and where permitted by law. Reviewers may quote brief passages in a review. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Riptide Publishing at the mailing address above, at Riptidepublishing.com, or at [e-mail].

ISBN: 978-1-937551-63-6

First edition

October, 2012

Also available in paperback:

ISBN: 978-1-937551-53-7

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For Sara, my grandmother. She passed away nine years ago, but my three-year-old daughter has been talking about her since she could speak.

Dr. Wyatt Case is never happier than when he’s walking the halls of his history museum. Playing wingman for his best friend at Gravedigger’s Tavern throws him way out of his comfort zone, but not as much as the eccentric man behind the bar, Ash Lucroix.

Ash is everything Wyatt doesn’t understand: exuberant, quirky, and elbow deep in a gaslight lifestyle that weaves history into everyday life. He coordinates his suspenders with his tongue rings. Within hours, Wyatt and Ash are hooked.

But strange things are afoot at Gravedigger’s, and after a knock to the head, Ash starts seeing things that can’t be explained by old appliances or faulty wiring. Soon everyone at Gravedigger’s is wondering if they’re seeing ghosts, or just going crazy. The answer to that question could end more than just Wyatt and Ash’s fragile relationship—it might also end their lives.

About The Gravedigger’s Brawl

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Epilogue

Dear Reader

Author’s Note

Also by Abigail Roux

About the Author

More like this

Dr. Wyatt Case sat at his desk with his eyes closed, listening for the sound of footsteps in the outer office. His assistant had orders to stop anyone trying to see him with as much fanfare as possible so he’d have time to prepare for the confrontation. Or hide. But she was on her lunch hour and Wyatt was on his own for the moment.

The outer door creaked open and his entire body began to tense as if anticipating a physical blow. There were two voices—one male, one female—discussing his whereabouts. Wyatt slid out of his chair to his knees and crawled into the kick space beneath his antique desk.

He wasn’t ashamed, either.

It had been a stressful week and Wyatt wasn’t used to that kind of thing. His mind wasn’t built for strain, and his museum ran smoothly for the most part. But the trustees had been at him all week, jabbering about how the construction of the museum’s new wing was hurting attendance and they needed a fresh exhibit to draw in the crowds.

Wyatt hated to tell them, but the only crowds the Virginia Historical Society would be drawing this time of year were screaming schoolchildren and die-hard history buffs who would come to the museum regardless of construction or new exhibits. In late September, the summer crowds were all gone, and the weather was nice enough that people were still trying to squeeze life and fresh air from the outdoors.

There was a curt knock, and the door to his office opened.

Now where in the world could he be? Edgar Reth, the acting president of the society grumbled.

Wyatt closed his eyes, putting his hand over his mouth. One snicker and he was done for.

"It is almost lunchtime," a woman said. Emelda Ramsay had sat on the board since before Wyatt was born. She was old Virginia money, concerned with nothing but the welfare of the museum and the historical society, rising above the politics and financial pressures that many trustees had fallen to over the years. She had been a key proponent of Wyatt’s when he’d been brought to Richmond to take over the museum and Wyatt considered her a friend and mentor. It was certainly bad form to be hiding from her beneath the very desk her grandfather had donated, but that was life. He was tired of her having to defend him from Reth, who was a pompous ass, but had clout. If Wyatt couldn’t please the trustees, not even Emelda could save him.

Emelda’s sensible flats echoed on the hardwood floors as she walked toward the desk. I’ll just leave him a note, she said as her feet came into view.

Wyatt rolled his eyes. This was ridiculous. He crawled out from under the desk, and Emelda gasped as he appeared at her feet.

Dr. Case! She pressed her hand to her chest.

Wyatt stood, dusting off his sleeves. My apologies, Emelda, I didn’t mean to frighten you.

Dr. Case, what in the world were you doing under there? Reth demanded.

Wyatt glanced at him, schooling his features into innocence. Pilates.

You do Pilates under your desk?

You don’t? Wyatt asked, eyes going wide.

Emelda cleared her throat and smoothed a hand over her smart blazer. Indeed.

What can I do for you? Wyatt asked as he looked between them.

Reth waved a file folder at him. Have you seen the most recent numbers?

Why yes, Dr. Reth, I believe you emailed them to me. Three times. And had a courier deliver them to me. At my home. Which . . . wasn’t creepy at all.

Dr. Case, do you realize that we’re talking about your future here at the museum? Reth asked. Wyatt could practically see the steam rising from his head.

Wyatt rubbed a finger across his eyebrow and nodded. He’d given them idea after idea, exhausting his mental stores as he laid out plans for all the possible exhibits they could create with the artifacts they had on hand. They couldn’t get any artifacts of significance on loan in the short period of time before the new exhibit was due, they couldn’t purchase or barter anything new, and they couldn’t pull magic out of their asses.

If they had listened to Wyatt and his subordinates when the plans for the new wing had been pushed through, they could have been prepared. Wyatt had tried to show them the cost of the remodel, and not just the monetary cost. He’d been overruled, though, and now they seemed shocked by the drop in attendance.

Reth tossed the file onto the desk. If a solution is not presented to the board by the end of the week, you’re done here, Case. Is that clear enough?

Crystal, Wyatt said through gritted teeth.

Reth turned on his heel and stormed out of the office. Wyatt sighed and turned to Emelda, who was shaking her head and frowning.

He’s going to ask for your dismissal next month if we don’t have something spectacular to show the trustees.

I know.

Emelda patted his arm and smiled encouragingly. I have faith.

Wyatt couldn’t help but laugh. In what?

She raised her eyebrows and cocked her head, surprised. In you, Dr. Case.

Wyatt smiled weakly as she walked away. She shut the office door behind her, and Wyatt sank to his chair and held his head in his hands. After a few minutes to compose himself, he glanced up at one of the framed posters on his wall, a copy of an original Thurston show marquee. It advertised the Great Magician and pictured Thurston at a desk, bent over a large tome being held up by red imps. The Devil leaned over him, reading over his shoulder and holding his oil lamp for him.

Wyatt glared balefully at the imps. He kind of knew how the man in the poster felt, his work aided and encouraged by evil.

What he needed was inspiration. Or somewhere better to hide than under his desk. As the head curator, such nebulous things as new exhibits, attendance, and public interest were Wyatt’s responsibility, and he would take the fall when the numbers showed hard losses over the construction. But every single suggestion he’d brought forth had been shot down as being too staid or not capable of drawing in the younger crowd. Virginia at War. Lincoln’s Private War. The World at War! The only one the trustees had really liked was How to Tell Your Curator to Stick It up His Ass.

Wyatt was prepared to tell them that if they wanted a younger crowd, they were going to need a younger curator. At thirty-eight, he didn’t consider himself old, but he was out of ideas and out of touch with the target audience.

That was one good thing about his line of work, though; historians never went out of style. In theory. But Wyatt knew you couldn’t force an interest in history on people. You couldn’t manufacture a love for it out of a few interesting baubles and trinkets being put on display, no matter how cleverly they were presented. It had to be organic, a spark of knowledge put into the mind. All you could do was offer the truth to the masses and hope they found it as fascinating as it was.

Another knock at his door made him wince, but he didn’t have time to duck beneath his desk before the door opened.

To his eternal relief, Noah Drake stuck his head in and grinned at him. You’re hiding from the suits, aren’t you?

Wyatt sighed. They caught me even though I just spent two minutes crouching under my desk.

Dignified.

There’s a disturbing amount of head room under there.

Noah grinned wider and nodded as he stepped inside. Some people pay big money for that.

Wildly inappropriate.

Noah laughed. Come on. We’re going to lunch.

We are? Wyatt asked with a hint of dread.

The last time he had let Noah drag him somewhere, he’d wound up in Virginia Beach without a car and mysteriously missing his socks and boxers. Noah rode a motorcycle to work and his long hair was often pulled into a ponytail as he lectured. Like Wyatt, he was openly gay. And God help the poor soul who made a derogatory comment, because while Noah may have had an Ivy League degree, he also had several Krav Maga belts at home.

Noah laughed as Wyatt frowned at him. Don’t look at me like I’m about to eat your canary. Come on, I promise nothing untoward will happen.

Wyatt sighed and then allowed himself a small smile as he stood and grabbed his coat. He was already placing bets on whether or not the bartender was going to have sleeves. I assume I’m driving?

Actually, we’re walking. I heard about this great place in the Fan last weekend. They stepped out into the hall and Wyatt turned to lock his office door.

The Fan District was an aptly named neighborhood nestled across the street from the museum, called that because of the way its streets fanned out from its center. The Fan District was one of Richmond, Virginia’s lovingly restored historic districts, full of converted condos, restaurants, and used books stores. It was a history buff’s dream, an emo kid’s hunting ground, and getting trendier and therefore less authentic all the time. He thought they’d hit every restaurant in the Fan, but it seemed like new ones popped up every week. Wyatt had no problem wandering into the area for a little lunch.

He did have a problem with the mischievous glint in Noah’s eyes, however.

What’s the catch? he asked.

No catch.

Wyatt stopped at the outer door and gestured for Noah to peer around the corner.

This is escalating quickly, Noah said, but he humored Wyatt and looked around the corner for any trustees on the prowl.

Once he gave the all clear, they made their way to the employee exit. Lately, Wyatt felt like he was in a live action version of Spy vs. Spy, and it was only getting worse.

This is some dive that serves heart attacks, isn’t it? Wyatt asked.

Wyatt, I promise, there’s no catch. Just a nice walk and some lunch. Why, Noah asked with a narrowing of his eyes that didn’t camouflage the mischief. What have you heard?

They have a hot bartender or waiter or something and you’re dragging me there as cannon fodder so you can flirt with some buff guy in cutoffs.

Hardly! They nodded to the security guard at the staff entrance and stepped out into the chilly autumn afternoon. He’s not really buff.

Wyatt snorted.

And I doubt he wears cutoffs. I like them a little more—

Please, spare me any details.

Closet case.

Flaming whore.

Touché.

They stopped at the streetlight and waited to cross the busy street named simply Boulevard. The boundary between the Fan and the boutiques of Carytown, Boulevard was lined on each side with turn-of-the-century houses, most restored, others still languishing as rundown condos with bikes and Christmas lights hanging off their once-splendid balconies. It wasn’t hard to imagine it as it had been in its glory days, though.

Wyatt grinned and shook his head as they crossed the four lanes and wide grassy median at a jog. The wind whipped at them and sent dried leaves skittering across the road at their feet. It had been a mild mid-Atlantic summer and was cold now at the end of September. Wyatt wasn’t complaining, though. He would much rather bundle himself up in a jacket than suffer through the sweltering summers and warm falls the Eastern seaboard was accustomed to.

They walked down the sidewalk, shoulders brushing. So, tell me about your latest conquest. And then tell me why you need to drag me along.

I figured you’d do anything to avoid Reth, Noah said wryly.

A fair assumption.

So play wingman for me and stop complaining. I met this guy at the shop. He’s got this great World War-era bike, Noah said.

I see. Wyatt pulled the collar of his coat up against the chill. One or two?

He’s only got the one.

World War I or II, Wyatt asked.

Oh. Irrelevant to the story, but II, Noah answered. He was wearing a stupid grin, not going into further detail about the bike because he knew Wyatt neither understood nor cared about any more of the particulars. Noah spent a lot of his spare time at the motorcycle shop on the seedier end of Boulevard, the one right next to the tattoo parlor with the checkered floor. Wyatt sometimes suspected he owned part of the place.

He told me he tended bar at this place in the Fan and that I’d like it, so I checked it out this weekend. It’s got great ambience. Noah gave a dramatic flip of his hand.

Ambience. People only talk about ambience when there’s nothing else good to say, Noah.

No, Wy, you’re gonna love it. The food’s pretty good too.

Uh-huh. And since you’ve already got an in with this guy, you need me why?

Because I think you’d really like the place.

Wyatt stopped short and turned to glare at his companion. This guy doesn’t have a friend, does he? Are you trying to set me up?

I’m sure he’s got no friends. No friends at all.

Noah!

No friends, I swear!

Wyatt narrowed his eyes and glared for another moment, but Noah’s innocuous stare never wavered, so Wyatt turned and began walking again, smiling grudgingly. He had the very distinct feeling that he was being set up with some random guy Noah had found at a bike rally or something. But there wasn’t much he could do about it if he wanted to duck the trustees, which seemed the greater of two evils just now.

Wyatt didn’t date seriously; he just didn’t have the time or interest in it. He had always been happy on his own. But he would have fucked a polar bear if it meant not being bothered by Edgar Reth today.

When they got to the bar, Wyatt found a beautifully restored Victorian with a carved wooden sign hanging outside that read Gravedigger’s Tavern. A chalk marquee on the sidewalk indicated the day’s specials in a pleasant scrawl, and below that, Olde Richmond Towne Ghost Tours was permanently advertised in paint.

Fun, Wyatt drawled. Do you have to be wearing eyeliner to get in?

Don’t read too much into the façade, Noah said as he took Wyatt’s elbow and pulled him to the door.

It wasn’t all that crowded because they were behind the lunch crowd, and it looked like the few patrons inside the tavern were regulars. No one sat at the tiny booths that lined the walls of the long, narrow room. Instead, the four people in the establishment were all leaning against the bar that covered the length of one wall, talking with each other and the man serving. One patron wore a long black trench coat. A young woman wore red and black striped tights under a leather miniskirt. Two others wore work vests and had orange hard hats on the stools beside them. An eclectic assortment, to say the least.

Wyatt gave the surroundings a wary glance. It wasn’t dirty or greasy like he had expected from a place an acquaintance of Noah’s worked, but it looked . . . well-used. In fact, Wyatt liked the vintage feel of the place. The walls were dark and rich, covered with black and wine-colored brocade fabric, and there were antique sconces along the walls that filtered soft light into the room. The ceiling sported tin tiles, and all the woodwork in the place seemed to be original to the old Victorian structure. At night it would probably be quite intimate. The dark wooden floor appeared to be original as well; it was smooth and dull from years of use, any wax or lacquer long worn away.

Noah waved to the bartender and slid into the nearest booth. The man nodded at Noah and smiled as he wiped out a glass with a dishrag.

Is that the guy? Wyatt asked as he sat across from Noah and shifted on the leather seat. It was real leather, he was surprised to find, worn and smooth from age and use.

That’s Ash. He’s hot, right?

Ash was a good-looking guy: dark curls, darker eyes, tall and wiry. Wyatt tried not to smile. Not what I was expecting.

Noah raised an eyebrow.

Big muscles, braided ponytail, goatee with beads in it.

Noah snorted and rolled his eyes, looking

Reviews for The Gravedigger's Brawl

[bitchie-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. I mean it's Abi, so I knew it would be good, but it's also a different type of story from her, so I was cautious going in. Totally unwarranted. The ghost story plot was spooky, the legends felt well researched, and I loved the atmosphere Abi created. The Gravedigger felt like a character all it's own, and I really felt like I was sitting there, watching Ash and Ryan doing flair and having a good time.

I loved Ash and the other characters, although I didn't really feel like Wyatt was given much personality beyond being a bit shy. I would have liked him to be more developed, but that's a small niggle for such an enjoyable read. I'd truly like to read more about all of these characters, although I'm not sure how that's possible, unless they get turned into a team of ghost hunters.

[penny01-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting concept and great history lesson to boot. The haunting of the gravedigger is a good read but I found the ending to be odd. It reeks of a sequel setup. Overall 3.5 stars. Recommend for those who like a good ghost story.

[author_andrialarge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was really good. A bit different from everything else I've been reading. I mean there is still romance in it but it's also a ghost story. And it was pretty freaky. I thoroughly enjoyed it and almost wished it were longer.

[cc123-3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

GREAT story and characters but way past my usual level of scary!

[drez-3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book, but it was hard for me to rate because I was expecting more romance. In the end, I decided on 5 stars because I did really like this book, and I shouldn't mark the rating down just because it wasn't what I expected.

I did like Ash and Wyatt, Noah and Caleb too, but neither relationship seemed the focal point of the story. It was the ghosty stuff that was the main storyline (or maybe it just seemed that way to me because I was so enthralled by the ghost stories). And even though I figured out what was going to happen way before it did, I still greatly enjoyed the book, and I did love all of the characters in this one, well the main ones anyway, and I'd love to hear more about them and how their new tavern is doing. The ghost stories in this one were awesome and completely creepy, and after reading the author's note, I'm going to be checking out the LaLauries. I have a weird fascination with things like that even though it creeps me out.

[tam2603 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very good read. It was very funny and scary at the same time. I learned alot about ghost stories and urban legends while reading it (but if you don't like scary things, don't google Delphine LaLaurie...) - the two MCs were both very likable in their own ways.

[fangirlmom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well, she did it again :). I loved this book - loved Wyatt & Ash, and Noah & Caleb and Delilah & Ryan. I loved Richmond, the Museum, and Gravediggers. I want to go to a real bar and see a real life flair bartender. :) This book is another home run for Abi!!

[laylahhunter · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent choice for Halloween season, ripe with things that go bump in the night and skitter across the floor upstairs. Pretty sure I spent most of the book, right along with the characters, trying to figure out whether they had a real haunting on their hands or just a string of unsettling consequences.

[ralphd00d-325171 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

When I read the 'basic description' of this book, I was interested in the modern-day ghost story it promised. But after only getting less than a third through it, there was a scene. A sex scene. Between two guys.

Now, I am not homophobic, but same sex relationships are not new to this day and age (regardless of my beliefs). But that there was several [ebook] pages of descriptive sex between two males, I was a bit put off. Not being totally against male-male sex, I would be just as repulsed with female-female, or even such descriptive narrative with male-female. Call me prude, I don't care. To me, it didn't help the story, and it was just filler.

Either way, I flipped past that, and continued the story, getting more interested in what would happen. Before reaching halfway, yet ANOTHER scene of sex that when pages long. At that point, I just quit reading it.

I felt the story line itself was going fine, and the love interests of the characters were pretty well laid out without sex scenes. One couples' 'stuff' was more alluded to, the others' were descriptively laid out. Didn't help the story, and just ruined a book for me.

[katyas_26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Book Info: Genre: PNR M/M (ghosts, haunting)Reading Level: AdultRecommended for: fans of PNR, esp. M/M, who enjoy historical aspects to the story, and ghostsTrigger Warnings: physical assault, violence, murder (historical), torture (historical), slavery (historical)My Thoughts: An enjoyable book. I loved the easy banter between Wyatt and Noah, their sweet flirtations with Ash and Caleb; it was all very fun. I also very much liked Ryan and Delilah. Roux does a good job of creating interesting characters and giving them an individuality. The vast majority of the story I really enjoyed. The vast majority of the story was sweet and lighthearted, which just the occasional creepiness thrown in. Overall I liked it, and I was set to give it 5 stars until the ending.The ending felt really rushed. It felt to me as though the author realized she had reached a certain word count and suddenly realized she needed to reach the main event, and just threw us in there. While there had been some foreshadowing, the abrupt change in flavor to the story was jarring and hard to adjust to. From about 91 percent to about 97 percent the book felt like horror, while the rest was fairly lighthearted, standard PNR. That alone would have probably left the book at a 4-star rating, but there were a couple issues with the plot flow that threw me off as well.For instance, several times it is mentioned that Noah believes in ghosts and hauntings, while Wyatt does not. However, when the group came over to cleanse the building, Wyatt was the one who was thinking to himself he didn't know if this would actually remove the ghost while Noah was suddenly saying he didn't believe in any of it. The time frame between when Gravedigger's closes and Halloween feels off as well. They say they decide to close it on the “third week in October”, and then the renovations take several days. Ash and Ryan are gone for three days (after spending at least three or four days working on the renovations). That is one week. Now it is the fourth week in October. Halloween is at most a few days away. Then Ash has his break-down and is out for a week. It has to be November by then, but he still recovers in time for Halloween? The time doesn't line up.So, while I overall really enjoyed the story, the ending and those issues with inconsistencies dropped the rating to three stars. Still, I will definitely be looking into reading more books by this author, whose style overall I really enjoy. I see she has written a number of books featuring a Madeline Urban, so I'll be checking those out. If you like M/M PNR, you should definitely check out Gravedigger's Brawl.Disclosure: I received an e-galley from Riptide Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.Synopsis: Dr. Wyatt Case is never happier than when he’s walking the halls of his history museum. Playing wingman for his best friend at Gravedigger’s Tavern throws him way out of his comfort zone, but not as much as the eccentric man behind the bar, Ash Lucroix.Ash is everything Wyatt doesn’t understand: exuberant, quirky, and elbow deep in a Gaslight lifestyle that weaves history into everyday life. He coordinates his suspenders with his tongue rings. Within hours, Wyatt and Ash are hooked.But strange things are afoot at Gravedigger’s, and after a knock to the head, Ash starts seeing things that can’t be explained by old appliances or faulty wiring. Soon everyone at Gravedigger’s is wondering if they’re seeing ghosts, or just going crazy. The answer to that question could end more than just Wyatt and Ash’s fragile relationship—it might also end their lives.

[shazov-133293 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well, just another reason to add to the list of "Why I love Abigail Roux". She truly is an auto buy for me by now.

In this book we again are introduced to two interesting and very strong characters. Wyatt and Ash seem to be complete opposites in life, yet the chemistry between them is very strong from the very beginning. They don't have an ideal start and things don't get much easier as time goes on.

The secondary characters in this story are also fantastic and I would love to read a book about them one day as well...

[peepers82 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

So, I"m struggling with how to rate this one. If I go by my actual enjoyment of this, I'd give it 1 star, but at the same time I can see why some people could like this so maybe a 2? Right now I'll go with 1. I"m in the minority, obviously, so maybe check out some reviews of people that like this sort of thing.

The Positives
I think the cover is absolutely gorgeous so props to Reese Dante.

I really, really loved Noah and Caleb. I think the gruff but kind Caleb paired with the quick, caring Noah was a great pairing. If the book had been about them, I think my rating and enjoyment would have gone up considerably.

I liked the setting of the bar and this small, close-nit group of friends.

I liked the idea of the October ghost story. The execution? Not so much.

The Rest

That's where the positives end for me. I thought the ghost story was really weak. Now, in general, I don't find ghost stories/movies scary. Ever. This was the case with this book, as well. I wasn't scared once, and I find it all a bit tedious. I guessed maybe 30 pages in exactly how it would all play out, it did, I laughed at how bad it was, and then it was over.

I thought the characterizations were nonexistent. I know nothing but surface things about Wyatt (one of the most boring characters ever created) and Ash. I do know that Ash has a shit-ton of tongue rings, wears suspenders, does flair at a bar and will fuck really boring men if he's in the mood. I have zero, zilch, nada idea why those two were attracted to each other so quickly and in lurve, let alone at all.

If he was being honest with himself, he didn't know if it was Ash or if it was merely Ash's eccentricities that Wyatt found exciting.

-- Yeah, me either, buddy.

The fact that Ash changed his tongue ring to match his outfit and exuded an odd Victorian charm and held almost rock star status among the denizens of the night didn't mean that Ash was scary. All that, in fact, made him more intriguing. And on top of all that, Ash was interested in him.

-- Uh, what? Do you see how this is what I have to go on for why Wyatt likes Ash? That is all surface things. I don't understand at all what these two like about each other other than tongue rings, clothes, and fancy drink twirling. And, again, I've stated on my opinion of Wyatt.

I skimmed the sex scenes. Me...I skimmed the sex scenes, people.

Overall, I just didn't like it at all. I have liked the Ty and Zane series by this author, and I even liked Caught Running. I just wish this had featured Noah and Caleb, worked on building more what these characters were about, and that I had found the plot entertaining.

[tonifgmamtc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I always enjoy Abigail Roux's books. I didn't know anything about this story before starting. It turned out to be so different from what I expected. I love all the history and information about Virginia and actual ghost legends threaded throughout. I also got a kick out of the couple of bits of Louisiana lingo and culture throwbacks. The gaslight stuff was really cool. Makes me want to explore the genre more. I admit I got spooked a couple of times or so. I don't wanna to explain why and ruin anything for anyone that hasn't read it. The characters are great, the type of people you wanna know in real life. Lovely book. Contains mystery, comedy and so much more. <3