She’s tired, she’s cranky, she stinks like Vaseline and she’s all out of peanut butter. Welcome to Cristal’s life.
Spirits, wraiths -- call them what you will -- for an empath like Cristal they can be a pain in the ass. Especially when they invade your house by the dozens and refuse to leave.
G. thinks he’s died and gone to heaven. Not only has the astral projection expert stumbled upon an infestation of the paranormal kind, but he’s also found the woman and research partner of his dreams.
So how does G. convince Cristal he’s not just another “cockroach” she needs to squash? Sex. Lots and lots of sex.
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Don’t let the blurb mislead you into thinking there is no thought behind this story. It has more than just sex; it has humor and heart.
Cristal is a talented lady who went from being thrilled with her ability to see spirits to being dispirited and sick at heart. She’s stuck with entities that, were we talking fantastical creatures, would have been imps, pixies, brownies and leprechauns. These ghosts are a pain in her butt and she’s mentally and emotionally exhausted. I think this story brings the reader in at a point where she’s almost given up.
The G-man enters the scene and right away I got the sense he was different. He hasn’t succumbed to the whacked out and hedonistic pursuit of mayhem because he’s more than a ghost. He’s an astral projection expert. But how can a ghost be a researcher? I kept scratching my head as I read because of the blurb and what goes on in the first part of the story. Until, that is, Ms. Edwards filled me in on the missing pieces -- oh what fun! And, oh what a tangled web we weave when things aren’t’ what they appear to be and someone decides they’d really wished they were. G. ends up in a pickle-by assuming it’s going to be bread & butter and ends up with dill.
The secondary characters are ghosts and they are a bit strange. Poor Cristal has so many; she’s ended up naming them as letters of the alphabet. There are two that are so nuts, they’re scary. Yet they made me laugh. In fact, the humor for me became surprisingly personal. If you, like me, know the owners of LASR and WC are J and M, you should get a kick out of the ending, because I certainly did. It was one of those doses of laughter that blindside you with its unexpectedness, making it all the sweeter.
Hexed ended up being a fun read that was sexy yet not overly so. It was funny and sweet, mysterious yet sensual. It was well paced and although I think Cristal was sort of stuck in her perceptions a tad too long, it fit with her state of mind. When she did decide to take a chance, she didn’t waffle, she took action and I liked that about her.
Hexed is a short story that packs in enough character development to be satisfied with the almost HEA. Why do I say almost? Because I believe Ms. Edwards has left a loophole. There was language used that clearly leads me to believe that there might be more spectral adventures for Cristal and G. and I hope I read that right. I think they make a fun couple and I really want to see Cristal get the better of M. There are many more possibilities in this story arc that have yet to be explored. Dare I hope for more? You bet. Hexed has me hooked.
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