Pippi has been able to see ghosts her entire life, and upon her Aunt Hazel’s death, she is bequeathed her aunt’s inn. It’s an inn that caters to spirits who are between life and the afterlife, making it reminiscent at times of Under the Whispering Door, though this book never starts to feel like a copy cat, and it stands on its own merits. The inn itself is sentient and takes care of most of Pippi’s and the guests’ needs. Pippi’s main job is to take care of the guests emotionally and make sure that she answers the phone when loved ones who are still living call to talk to the guests.
This a cozy, cute fantasy, and I loved the other fantastical creatures that Erin Ritch incorporates. The inn’s attic contains giant spiders that help take care of the inn, there’s a ghost kraken living in the nearby ocean, there’s a small gnome who does security for the inn, and there are a couple of witches who make an appearance. I also enjoyed the developing relationship between Pippi and the inn as Pippi learns its abilities and quirks and it learns to trust Pippi.
The very beginning of the novel is a bit disjointed, but it settles into a groove once Pippi is at the inn. Rather than coming back as a ghost, Pippi’s aunt unexpectedly returns as a talking fox and helps Pippi adjust to being an innkeeper for the dead. I didn’t care for the romance at first because instalove is a turn-off for me, and that’s pretty much what happens here. While the romance is secondary to the plot of Pippi learning to run the inn, it is still a significant element of the book and at times a driving force behind various plot developments, so I wish it had started off on a stronger foundation. Fortunately, I did at least like the love interest. The book will also hopefully go through another round of edits before its official release date.
I received this novel as a free e-ARC from NetGalley, but my opinions are my own.
