Kim Catanzarite’s novel is a sort of love story, but right from the get-go, she indicates it’s not necessarily the happily-ever-after type. In the Prologue, the novel’s heroine tells readers that her young dreams of meeting her soulmate weren’t accurate. “I know (love) can be a blessing,” she says. “The problem is, I also know it can be a curse that takes you straight to hell.”

Veka meets Brady in her job as a veterinary technician at an animal shelter after his sister’s dog has been hit by a car. “When he looked at me that day, I knew we were going to be a thing, part of each other’s lives. Whether we wanted it or not. Good or bad, this was our fate.”

They become a couple, get engaged, and Veka lets “things slide,” as she catches him in a few white lies. After returning from Christmas in Florida with her family, she learns that Brady has been killed in a mysterious car accident.

Brady, as the title suggests, begins to haunt her. At first, it’s almost romantic, but then Veka learns Brady isn’t all he seemed to be, yet he needs her help finding peace in the afterlife. As Veka searches to learn more about her dead fiancé, she seeks out Brady’s brother, who has mysteries of his own.

Catanzarite is especially skilled at descriptions. For example, “Brady was like a car that started with a tankful of energy and not-so-slowly dwindled to empty.” And Veka is a likable, if slightly naive, heroine who readers will root for. The author also is deft at developing page-turning suspense.

Sometimes, however, the dialogue is long-winded. And occasionally, Catanzarite tells readers what’s happening instead showing them through the characters’ actions.

Nonetheless, many readers, especially those who enjoy horror novels and paranormal romances, will eagerly read on, rushing to learn if Veka will survive her deceased fiancé’s otherworldly overtures.