Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
A connection that’s more than supernatural emerges between two rival tour guides who wish they could ghost each other in this sparkling romantic comedy from USA Today bestselling author Mallory Marlowe.
Paranormal medium Rory Woods spends her days offering psychic readings at Ye Olde Spirit Shop and nights haunting the streets of Boston as a ghost-tour guide. Sure, business could be better, but she’s proud of the shop she runs with her mom.
Enter Ezra Blackwell: adjunct history professor, noted thorn in Rory’s side, and—though she’d only admit it under threat of medieval torture he surely knows too much about—a distractingly handsome, charismatic coworker.
Rory can’t stand Ezra’s know-it-all, show-offy behavior. Ezra loves to tease the gorgeous, brilliant medium at the shop. And when the two are forced to host a tour together? It’s no wonder they end up hexed after disturbing a matchmaking ghost.
Saddled with perpetual bad luck unless they’re physically near each other, Rory and Ezra will try anything, from séances to kissing, to stop the jinx from wreaking havoc on both their lives. But in their quest to appease the spirit, they realize that growing closer might not be the curse they once thought it was.
My Review
Mallory Marlowe is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors, and Entities to Lovers is another absolute win from her! If you’re looking for the perfect October read, look no further because the spooky season vibes in this book are completely immaculate.
The premise is so fun: two rival ghost tour guides get hexed by a matchmaking ghost and have to stay physically close to each other to avoid bad luck. But what really makes this book stand out is the characters. Both Rory and Ezra carry this really realistic internal monologue around feeling like they aren’t good enough or worth loving, and I think most of us have felt that way at some point. It makes them incredibly easy to root for. And once they finally start figuring out their feelings? The chemistry is absolutely electric!
One of my favorite things about this book is that we actually get to see Rory and Ezra DO their jobs as ghost tour guides, including real information about the tours themselves. So many workplace romances completely gloss over the actual work, and I loved that Marlowe leaned into it here. The Boston setting also deserves its own shoutout because it genuinely felt like a third main character in the story. I also loved the came from the couple in Love and Other Conspiracies (no spoilers here, it’s part of the plot!), and honestly Entities to Lovers delivers on the paranormal elements in a way that I wished Mallory Marlowe’s other books had fully embraced.
Flew through Entities to Lovers in two days and loved every single page!
THE GOOD:
- Absolutely perfect spooky season October read
- Both main characters feel really real, with relatable insecurities
- The chemistry once they finally get there is incredible
- We actually get to see the ghost tour work, which is such a fun detail
- The Boston setting feels vivid and alive
- The cameo from Love and Other Conspiracies is a delightful treat
- Super fast, readable, and fun!
THE NOT-AS-GOOD:
- Both main characters deal with significant insecurity, which can be a turnoff for some readers (though I thought it felt true to who Rory and Ezra are!)
THE NEUTRAL:
- This is a light, fun, spooky romantic comedy rather than a deep paranormal read, so adjust expectations accordingly
- Works as a standalone, but you’ll get more out of it if you’ve read Love and Other Conspiracies first
OVERALL RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Entities to Lovers is a sparkling, spooky, romantic comedy with two deeply lovable leads, electric chemistry, and the most perfect October vibes imaginable.
PERFECT FOR:
- Anyone looking for the ultimate Halloween romance read
- Readers who love a forced proximity romance with genuine emotional depth
- Ghost tour enthusiasts and Boston lovers
- Anyone who wants their romance with a little ghost-y supernatural chaos on the side
- Fans of paranormal romcom authors like Jenna Levine
