An absolutely hilarious cozy mystery (The Chapelwick Mysteries) (Volume 1)

I loved this story for all of its mischief, ghosthunting and budding romance. In a time where it can be hard to get away from cookie cutter novels, this book was a delight and I can't wait for the next!

It reminds me of Darynda jones. I enjoy amusing paranormal stories. Of course, being American it's quite amusing reading the British slang. I would recommend this book to fans of Sherrilyn Kenyon, Darynda Jones and Katie McAlister.

This Showed up in my recommendations and while I normally stick to the Kindle Unlimited books it had an intersting premise and was only a dollar so I decided to give it a go. I'm glad I did. It's one of the better crafted lighthearted mystery novels that I've read in a long, long time. Reading the description, you would expect the characters to go from one contrived madcap situation to the next. Instead, the story flows with simple humor.
The book is about a woman who leaves the family business of relaying messages for ghosts to go out on her and "ghostbust." She starts business with her best friend and the socially diysfunctional son a ghost she met. She sees a piece about a house that is about to be ghostbusted by her exboyfriend and strongarms her way into a compeititon. The home is occupied by 3 ghost brothers, one of whom is killed by one of the other two. The mystery is who killed him and why.
As far as mysteries go, it is not that complex. You only have two suspects so it is more of a why then a who. However, the story itself evolves a nice pace and the characters introduced are fun. It is a good read and 1st book of a series. I only expect it to get better.
The only pitfall, as far as I am concerned, is that they left a loose end with a set of characters. I won't say more, as it would be a spoiler, but I'm hoping to see them in future books.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and just couldn't put it down. Which is rare in my busy life. But I enjoyed it so much I bought the next one too, and it was even better!!!
There are a few strong words in there that I myself found didn't fit with the book which is why it only got 4 stars, but others might think it more appropriate and not have a problem with them.
Can't wait for the third book! :)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and just couldn't put it down. Which is rare in my busy life. But I enjoyed it so much I bought the next one too, and it was even better!!!
There are a few strong words in there that I myself found didn't fit with the book which is why it only got 4 stars, but others might think it more appropriate and not have a problem with them.
Can't wait for the third book! :)

I'm sorry but this was such a copycat of Janet Evanovich series I was amazed she got away with it.
A ghosthunter vs a bounty hunter, a woman attracted to two sexy men, a wacky grandmother, and a tough sidekick. Oh, and a weird dog instead of a hamster (if memory serves me right). I did enjoy the character Artie and the brief appearance of his mother.
The premise was a good one had the author been more original with her characters. The heroine would have been fine without lusting after two men; even including the competitor and the skeptic with only one being a possible love interest. The sidekicks were great, just leave out the mother and grandmother.
I probably won't read any of this author's other books.

Way to much time spent on Melody's hormones. She's 27 but Pete's sake. Way to much time wasted. Story started out slow. Occasional smiles and a few giggles. I love a good ghost buster story. Especially when they help you. But was disappointed that there was too much background crap that didn't need to be there. Leo and Fletch are both handsome and give Melody the 'Hots' yeah yeah we get it. But to distracting to the story. I may buy the second book,and I hope she has dropped the horny hormone sections for the meat of the story. Hope I'm not disappointed.

Written in present tense which I hate, but the characters and story were interesting so that I stuck with it for while. Finally had to skim thru to get to the end. Too much which guy do I like and sexual references/scenes for my taste; too much vulgarity. Plot ok, not really a mystery. Much too long.

I couldn't read this because of the self-congratulatory, not funny, main character who relishes in cliches, and over emphasizes her zaniness, of which she has none. This might be okay for a book targeting eleven year olds. If she understood the genre better, she might be able to write a good better book. She has the skill to do so.

Frankly, this book bored me stiff! I've known turtles that moved more quickly than this! Over many years, and thousands of books read, I've learned that if you are struggling to make it to page 75-100, STOP TRYING TO READ IT & MOVE ON! And where the "powers-that-be" taunt it as being very funny, it didn't make me smile at all! I couldn't fathom WHAT was suppose to be so funny about it. I did, finally, make it through the entire book, as I wanted to give someone I'd never read before a fair chance. However, I found when I finished that I was angry with myself for wasting my time when I COULD have been reading something truly enjoyable. My advice: Don't waste your time OR your money with this book - and if all the others by this author are written in this same vein, forget them also! As for the word that best describes the mood of this book: BORING.

The Skeletons of Scarborough House a.k.a. Melody Bittersweet and the Girls' Ghostbusting Agency is the first book in this paranormal, cozy, humourous series. The Bittersweet family are renowned for being able to see ghosts. Twenty-seven year old Melody Bittersweet decides it is time to do something different and is opening her own Ghostbusting Agency. Her idea is to help ghosts who want to leave this plain. In her first case, she is hired to rid Scarborough House of its ghosts so the owner can sell it. With her best friend, Marina in tow, they are ready to go. When Melody is visited by a ghost named Art, he convinces her to hire his son, Little Art, to work with her. It turns out to be a good decision for her.

Throughout the story, there are many laughs at Melody's expense as well as with the interactions of the ghosts with the humans. Marina and Artie are perfect sidekicks and foils for Melody and the ghosts. In this story, the spirits have been hanging around for over 100 years and their personalities are so different from one another. The humans they deal with, Fletcher Gunn and Leo Dark, are also an integral part of the story. Leo is an old boyfriend and Fletcher might become a future one, but there is definitely sexual tension there. The mystery is who killed one of the ghost twins over one hundred years ago. One of the brothers is blames and he claims he is innocent. As the story goes on, we find out more about the family and their past that is quite interesting. This is a great story to relax with. It is highly entertaining, funny and totally different from other cozies I have read. It has great characters, hints at potential romance, has a different mystery to be solved with plenty of humorous interactions, both human and spirits. This is the first in a new series that I will be reading again. I hope it continues.

I have to admit that I got a bit giddy when I saw this on NetGalley (well, first on Twitter to say it was on NetGalley) because omigosh that COVER! How freaking fun is THAT? Then, as per my norm, I did some the store-ing about Kitty French to see what else she may have written.

Erotica.

Uh-oh.

If you've been around me for any significant length of time you'll know that I don't do steamy sexy stuff well. (Not written, anyway.) I didn't want to request a book because of its awesomesauce cover only to end up skimming it between my fingers as they mostly covered my eyes hoping for something positive and non-erotic to gently jump out at me.

After I was finished hyperventilating, I saw that Kitty French is also Kat French so the store-ed some more and felt a bit more optimistic since Kat writes romantic comedy/chick lits and has been compared to some authors I have come to adore.

So I hit the request button.

From the beginning I laughed so hard that I had to stop drinking my coffee for fear of spurting it all over my desk.
Melody Bittersweet can see and converse with ghosts. Her mother and grandmother are focused on connecting the living and the dead. Melody, much to her mother's dismay, wants to help them move on. They constantly put a cramp on her social life and any attempt she makes at getting a non-ghost-related job. When she turns 27 she decides to do something worthwhile with her life and starts her own ghostbusting business with her best friend, Marina. They also take on the tall and timid Artie as a "trainee" as a favor to his father -- who happens to be dead. Oh, and we mustn't forget Babs -- 1973 Ford Transit.

The Bittersweets aren't the only act in town. Leo Dark, Melody's ex-boyfriend, is a bit of a celebrity ghost whisperer and when Melody and Marina see him on the television at the site of his latest case they decide (with the help of Melody's Magic 8 Ball) to try and nab the job for themselves. Needless to say, Leo isn't thrilled when the owner of Scarborough House gives Melody a key to the house and declares that whichever one solves his ghost problem first will be the one who gets paid. On their first official visit to the house Melody encounters the ghosts in residence -- the elderly Isaac and Lloyd, and the young and handsome (and flirtatious) Douglas.

Have I mentioned yet that I have a super huge weakness for hunky ghosts? I blame it on watching movies like The Ghost & Mrs Muir and Topper almost religiously when I was young. Only thing better than a hunky ghost would probably be a hunky pirate ghost. You must know by now how I feel about pirates.

Anyway, the three brothers are cantankerous and hilarious and have been stuck in the house together for 45 years. There's a little question as to which of them actually killed Douglas way back in 1910 and, apparently, none of them are going anywhere until the case is solved.

Of course it won't be so easy as to just get one of them to fess up and *poof* they go. Don't forget there's also Leo butting around and local hot-shot reporter/supernatural-skeptic Fletcher Gunn is determined to prove that it's all just "a load of hokum bollocks."

I failed to mention that Leo and Fletch are also gorgeous and, of course, since Melody supposedly hates both of them you probably know where this is going:

Fasten your seatbelts, kids!
It's a ghostbusting murder mystery love triangle (oh wait -- Douglas. So a love square? rhombus?) romcom!

I'm ridiculously glad that I hit that request button. Along with the whole ghostbusting murder mystery love polygon romcom-ness, we also get Melody's obsession with sweets and superheros, plenty of references to Ghostbusters and Scooby Doo and other nerd-tastic delights, and the oh-so-amazeballs Grandma Dicey (who's still boinking Grandpa Duke even though he died 20 years ago). I seriously can't remember the last time I laughed this hard. The team even ends up getting a dog along the way -- Lestat, the one-eared pug from above. He's absofreakinglutely hilarious in his own right and, possibly, a little bit evil.

Now, it's not all a big huge laugh-fest. There are some incredibly emotional moments that had me reaching for my always-present tissue box. Having it not be non-stop hilarity or non-stop heartbreaking made it all that much better. A girl can take only just so much laughter and/or tears, after all. In fact, there really isn't anything I've found to complain about. Well, perhaps a lack of actual pirates (even/especially in ghost form) but it is the first in the series so maybe I'll luck out down the line.

5 - "My name is Melody Bittersweet, and I see dead people." Stars!

Kitty French has literally taken all the best bits from the films Ghostbusters and Ghost added a little of Richard Curtis’s charm when it comes to characters and quirks and delivered an absolute hilarious, and heartfelt romp through the world of paranormal occurrences.

There is so much going on in this book, what with a cast of dozens; human, ghost and in pet form, a plot that offers up romance, suspense, comedy and some absolute corking escapades, I could not put Melody Bittersweet down, in fact I pretty much devoured it in one sitting.

I think what I love about Kitty’s less erotic offerings is that the story isn’t strongly based around any one thing, everything that is thrown in seems to enhance the main plot points to just make everything brighter and more complex because of it, sort of like a painting, that as the artist adds more and more layers becomes clearer and yet more detailed at the same time.

This agency is mine. I made it happen from spun-sugar dreams and superhero hopes and the luck of the Magic 8 Ball.

This story had so many things about it to like, I loved the Bittersweet women, all a little kooky but endearing in their own ways. Best friend Marina and trainee Ghostbuster Artie were the perfect sidekicks to Melody. The scoundrel of the piece in Leo Dark and his personal Fembots, being Melody’s ex, and competition in the ghost hunting world there was more than a bit of chemistry going on, on that front.

"Don’t tell me we have incompatible brains, because from the neck down we are best flocking friends."

Dastardly reporter, and paranormal disbeliever, Fletcher Gunn, who as it turns out isn’t as dastardly as one initially thinks, and is actually a bit of a dirty mouthed sweetie when riled up. The love-hate between the two of them was great and I am expecting things to heat up more as Kitty releases further books in the series.

"You’re tough as nails and I’m irritating as hell. I still think we should lay our hostilities aside for the evening and have wild sex, because I can still taste you on my lips and you’re delicious."

And I cannot, not mention Lestat the one eared pug, who pretty much stole the spotlight in every paragraph he was in!

"Your dog is humping my leg."

This is one of those stories that you go into not quite knowing what to fully expect. And the author keeps you on your toes all the way through it. I will reiterate I couldn’t put it down, there have been few books that have done this to me of late and it was a refreshing change to feel excitement at what I was reading.

I’m twenty-seven, single and so damn lonely that I’m slowly going crazy.

But for all the comedy and derring-do, there are some extremely poignant moments in this one as well, Kitty literally took me from laughing to crying in the matter of a paragraph or two, the story of the Scarborough brothers, and the house they are haunting is intrinsic to the whole plot but as discoveries start to be made in relation to their deaths and subsequent haunting of Scarborough House, Kitty managed to pull the darker aspect of this part of the plot through with the lightness of everything else that was happening around its telling.

I could rave about this book for ages, but I think the joy of this story is definitely reading and discovering how awesome it is yourself.

I cannot wait for Kitty to give us more stories from this series and as soon as possible please!

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, and it was my absolute pleasure to provide the above honest review.

Reviewed by Rachel and Sharon Thérèse

Never have we read such an informative first chapter. And it was plain to see that this story which had us falling over sideways in laughter, had no need for a prologue. We were a tad concerned that it lacked banter in the beginning but shouldn’t have been. As always, the author had a method in her madness. And we do say madness because the author’s imaginative writing combines good old British humour with a storyline that goes beyond absurdity; and oh boy, does it work well!

Twenty-seven-year-old Melody Bittersweet is in a job slump. Or better said, she has yet to find her devotion. It was as if she saw the light when an idea came to mind and totally fitting with her, how can we say, gift. It’s time to move on with or without her mother and grandmother’s blessings. Convincing them that she won’t hinder their ethereal business, Blithe Spirits, she needs help to set up hers and who better than her bestie. Under the circumstances, it’s comprehensible that this mystical lass has few friends but Marina is like her sista-in-arms.

“You’re always going to be the short, cute-as-a-button one with big brown eyes and cherry flavoured lip gloss, and I’m always going to be the slightly slu**y one with too much hair, red lipstick and a bad attitude. We go together.”

Marina’s hilariously sarcastic comebacks don’t override her tender-hearted personality. Quite the organiser too, she’ll lend a hand where it’s best appreciated, always give solid advice and keep her bestie’s sweet tooth sated. Glenda Jackson will make sure everything runs smoothly and then Arthur, aka Artie to the gals, becomes the official apprentice. What a softy! Even though he has little inkling about what he’s letting himself in for, his gratitude and will to please brought a huge smile to our faces. Taking it all in his stride, we had no doubt that he’d be the perfect addition to Melody’s new project.

“Quick smart then Artie. You need to meet Babs, and then we’re off on a painting mission.”

Now then. There’s quite a bit of rivalry going on between Leo Dark and Melody. Regardless of his good looks or his peculiar attire, this popular showman didn’t exactly rub us up the right way since he’s so flipping full of himself. They have a past together which is a not only going to be a constant reminder for Melody, but he also becomes a thorn in her backside that just maybe, she’s capable of loosening. Goodness, the dialogue is nothing less than sparky!

“I think you might owe Leo Dark a se*u*l favour.”

And of course, we can’t not mention the sceptical reporter, Fletcher Gunn. If Leo’s gorgeous, Fletch as he is known, is drop-dead scrumptious. Laugh, we nearly cried with the underhanded insults thrown right, left and centre. A very cool cookie indeed. Being witnesses to Melody’s attraction for him was a downright scream, too. All said and done, he’s her nemesis and she’s having trouble controlling her libido.

“You’re a s*x god, Fletch. I can barely keep my hands off you.”
“You’re pretty ******g hot yourself for a lying, scheming…”

The Scarborough brothers have a problem. They are not in the least bit what you would expect them to be; however, just to give you a teeny-weeny teaser, they don’t rub shoulders with lesser beings which means that Melody is a very special person. She has to uncover why these guys are still hanging around and believe us when we say she’s got a convoluted situation on her hands. Other unexpected folk join in the fun adding a subtle twist and you have to meet Babs and Lestat!

“I had no choice, he followed me around me around and practically clung to my leg. Even Magic 8 Ball said he was the one.”

Kitty’s character development is simply outstanding. She’s captured every moment with playfulness and creativity and her gentle penmanship art of sucking the reader into a story which is read before you even know it, has to be highly commended. Bravo to you, lady. We are so looking forward to reading more about The Girls’ Ghostbusting Agency.

She has an absolute gift when it comes to creating quirky, witty, charming characters who fill the pages with their crazy, hilarious, heartwarming antics. And Melody Bittersweet has become one of my favourite people.

"...my family are officially bonkers."

Yes, Melody sees dead people. As do her mum and gran. Having recently hit a birthday milestone, she decides to take hold of her life and, with her BFF Marina, decides to branch out and go into business for herself. Ghostbusting.

"I’m twenty-seven, single and so damn lonely that I’m going slowly crazy."

And it's this decision that leads to fabulous escapades involving, the living, the dead, a one-eared pug, Babs the pink transit van, an egotistical ex-boyfriend and an insufferable non-believing and oh-so-sexy journalist. All without a proton pack or ghost trap in sight. Whilst it's a little lighter on the romance, I have no doubt that it's on the way in future outings as the groundwork has been set; Fletcher Gunn is charming with a bit of a mouth on him and he and Melody have a superb love-hate relationship.

"Don’t tell me we have incompatible brains, because from the neck down we’re best f*****g friends."

Amongst all the hilarity and getting to know the characters is the suspense aspect which centralises around the three deceased, but ever-present Scarborough brothers, stuck in limbo in the family home, and all I'll say is grab the tissues because these guys bring the emotion.

"I’ve had enough. I’ve been too long on this earth, Melody."

I honestly could go on, but the upshot is,Melody Bittersweet and the Girls' Ghostbusting Agency is Kitty French doing what she's best at; giving her reader a character driven storyline, with outstanding humour, feeling and scope for so much more with people you would love in your life: dead, or alive. I absolutely can't wait to see what she treats us to next.

Sometimes you just want to read a book that's a little bit bonkers, makes you laugh but at the same time has a little mysterious edge to it. For me, this is that book.
Melody Bittersweet sees dead people. There now, I've said it. Actually she not only sees them, she hears them and interacts with them almost like she would a living person. Almost. She is also a bit disenchanted with the family business and working with her mum and grandmother. She, at the ripe old age of 27, wants her independence. So, along with best friend Marina, she forms her own Girl's Ghostbusting Agency. Its aim being to help ghosts achieve whatever is holding them back from moving on. Her first case is that of an old gentleman who had recently died and is worried about his son. He persuades Melody to take him on and as Artie joins Melody and Marina, the gentleman is able to move on. This reaffirms to Melody that she is on the right track.
So, their first real case proper involves the haunting of an old family house that the owner is trying to sell for development. There is already a ghostbuster on the job - yes, there are two in town, whoda thunk - who just happens also to be Melody's ex, Leo. Unperturbed by this, she muscles in and thus begins a tale of three brothers who are stuck haunting the house due to an unsolved murder. Will Melody be able to sort it all out so the ghosts can move on? Will Leo distract or sabotage or will they be able to play nice? And what of arch enemy and reporter Fletch - what sort of sparks will fly there?
Oh my goodness, I had an absolute scream reading this book. Characters were brilliantly quirky, story was enchanting, and there were more than enough funny bits to have me giggling loads. It was simply everything I wanted from a quick, easy read.
Wrapped up nicely in all the fun though is quite a serious crime. Which was great for me as I do like even my light-hearted reads to have a bit of grit about them. This one definitely does, although I did love the fact that the murder victim appeared to be more worried about watching cricket/snooker than actually finding out who killed him. But then, I can kinda see his point there!
All in all, this was for me a quick, easy but substantial read that didn't take itself too seriously but was very entertaining. This is book one of what is, for me, an exciting new series. I really can't wait to see what shenanigans they all get up to in book two.

I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I usually never read paranormal stories but I was a huge Ghostbusters fan as a kid and I'm really excited to see the new one so I decided to give this story a go. And I'm so glad that I did. This story is so original and so much fun!

Basically, Melody Bittersweet comes from a family with a gift: they can all see and talk to ghosts. Tired of depending of her family's business, she decides to set up her own ghostbusting agency with her best friend, hilarious Sicilian Marina. They end up hiring awkward but super sweet Artie. And quite surprisingly, this trio makes a fantastic team. The whole story revolves around one case, a haunted old house with three brothers stuck there until the truth about the murder of one of them is discovered. I found the story of the Scarborough brothers really interesting. Each one of them was so different and with their own secrets and I think their story added the perfect emotional spark to the book.

I found the character of Melody Bittersweet fantastic. She was such a brave and determined girl but she also had a great heart and was always ready to help. I had a great time following her around, especially when a crazy pug joined the family.

There were so many crazy situations in this story that had me in stitches that I just couldn't pick one. The whole cast of characters was unbelievably good, starting with the psycho twins that are helping Leo, Melody's ex and arch-rival, and ending with Melody's grandma, always ready for a glass of bubbles. I'm already looking forward to the next installment of the series to see what all this crazy bunch is up to next!

Rating: 4 stars

I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

4.5 Stars

Where do I start, Kitty French is brilliant, her writing is engaging and you'll find it hard to put down this book, I'm chomping at the bit for book 2.
Melody Bittersweet see's dead people, so do her mother and grandmother, it's something that runs in their family and is normal to the Bittersweet women. Having this gift of course causes problems for Melody in the romance department, it's not exactly easy trying to date when you can hear dead people when on a date. Also her most recent ex Leo Dark has become her first business rival, since he can see dead people too. Upon turning 27 Melody decides she needs to step up and do something with her life, both her mum and her gran knew what they were doing with their lives at her age. So Melody decides to start The Girls Ghostbusting Agency, with her longtime best friend Marina and her first hire Artie Elliott.
Melody, Marina and Artie are a hilarious trio that bounce off of each other, their personalities and backgrounds are so different that it makes their dynamic work.
This book is exactly what it says on the tin. Melody and friends are ghostbusters, their first job takes them and the reader on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs while attempting to solve a hundred year old murder. Between Leo Dark, his TV crew and 'darklings' following her around Melody has her work cut out for her to get this murder solved, especially since the ghosts don't like to talk when Leo is around.
I was well and truly sucked into this story, throughout the entire book I felt like part of the team sleuthing my way through the case to get to the truth.
The secondary characters are every bit as colourful as the primary ones, even Lestat the dog is funny and a great addition to the story.

I don't think I've been so charmed by a paranormal book since I read The Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. Melody Bittersweet is a new favorite character of mine and I seriously hope that this is the first book in a series!

The book is hilarious, it's romantic, it's engrossing and I love Melody's snarky humor. (And, by God, I love Lestat, the dog). I even like Melody lusting after Fletch, and I'm usually the last people interested in reading books about people lusting after each other. But, the love-hate relationship between Fletch and Melody work like magic! And, let's not forget Artie the apprentice ghost hunter and Marina, her colleague and best friend. They brought so much to the story that I can't help feeling giddy just thinking about all the funny moments in the book from office meetings to trying to get rid of the ghost from Scarborough House.

Seriously, I hate writing 5-star reviews, because all I do is gush and I just can't help it. This book made me happy, it's a book for when you feel depressed or just down a bit. It was a great joy to read this book, and now I want a sequel!

I want to thank Bookouture for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

It took me a while to get into this story for some reason. But when I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This is totally different to anything I have read by this author. It has so much humour throughout, as well as the obvious paranormal theme, that it will appeal to a wide audience.

The characters are all done extremely well. I loved Artie. He is such a sweet, simple minded young man but he is totally charming and thoughtful as well. He is someone I can't wait to find out far more about.

Melody, and indeed her family, are brilliantly done. This family unit is a quirky one, and the scene where her grandmother tries to get involved with a live tv programme is particularly funny.

The storyline itself is one which drew me in, I was as desperate as Melody herself to know what had happened and by whom. But when all was said and done, the interactions between Melody and her 'clients' was far more important to me than the final conclusion. I loved the scenes where she discussed the last with them.

I can't wait to see where the author takes the characters next. Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Kitty French does it again! I went into this book, expecting to laugh a lot. I did. But there's more to this book than just laughing.

You see, our heroine, Melody can see dead people. It's in the family, as a matter of fact. It's the family business. Her mom sees dead people, her grandmother sees dead people - by the way, the grandmother cracked me up like crazy!

But Melody feels she's not doing the right thing, the right job; that she's not doing right by the ghosts. She wants more. So, along with her best friend, she opens up her own business. She doesn't expect to land her first job so fast, but given the circumstances - you'll have to read the book, see what those are - she is in and she needs to "get rid" of certain ghosts that won't leave a mansion that the owner wants to sell.

Kitty writes the best side characters. They add a certain something to the story, it wouldn't be the same without them. Plus, our heroine has her hands full with ghosts, solving a mystery - this part gave me so many feels, I even cried - and two hot guys. I'm rooting for Fletch, though and I really can't wait for more!

So yes, I loved the book and am giving it 5 stars.

This was a very interesting read indeed! I initially hesitated to request this book because when I read the plot outline, the characters names, Melody Bittersweet and Leo Dark, sounded like the book might be a bit flippant but it sounded intriguing enough to give it a go and I am glad that I did.

Melody has inherited a gift from her mother and grandmother, the ability to see ghosts. Unfortunately her ex, Leo, has the same ability and the rivalry between them is rather interesting to watch. There is also a bit of sexual tension with a fella whom she shouldn't go anywhere near, which adds to the interest of the book. I enjoyed reading about Melody's interactions with the ghosts she comes across in the course of her work and how the past and present collide. I loved her strange family and the connection she has with her best friend. This was a thoroughly modern story.

All in all, this was a fun read and I liked the plot, the secondary characters and the way it all came together. I really hope there is a sequel in the works!

Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the chance to read this ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Well the blurb for this novel claims it is “An absolutely hilarious, totally entertaining, spookily sexy read that you won't be able to put down!” - and I totally agree! There are just so many laugh out loud moments as twenty seven year old Melody endeavours to set up her own business as a ghostbuster! She does have a serious advantage in that she can see and communicate with dead people - a good job her best friend and side kick has grown up with her and doesn’t think it strange! Just wait till you discover how she comes to employ Little Art and then goes on to try to solve why the ghosts of three brothers are haunting Scarborough House and gets roped into trying to solve a murder that happened about a hundred years ago.

This is a great story to relax with, highly entertaining, funny and totally different. It has great characters, hints at potential romance and is intertwined with a mystery to be solved and plenty of humorous interactions. It is the start to a new series and it is certainly a series I’ll be looking out for in future.

Many thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley, too, for gifting me an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

MELODY BITTERSWEET AND THE GIRLS' GHOSTBUSTING AGENCY by Kitty French is one of the most entertaining books I've read in ages. The smile showed up on the first page and was paired with a laugh through the end. It has plenty of humor courtesy of all the well-developed characters with a sprinkle of awkward lusty goodness that is perfectly captured. Oh, and it's also about ghosts and the mystery of a murder. I didn't figure out the ending until I read it and I love it when that happens. The storytelling style of this novel is so relatable and the pop culture references were expertly placed, especially all the Scooby Doo and Marvel ones. I recommend it to anyone that wants a good story and a good laugh and to read a book that helps you escape for a while and makes you feel good. Like eating one of Nonna's cookies with a perfect cup of coffee good. I'm looking forward to reading more books by her and am happy to hear that the sequel to this is in the works. I cannot wait to have more Melody adventures in my life.

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Highly Imaginative, entertaining, and down-right funny!

I have to admit I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this novel, but boy was I pleasantly surprised.

This story has an extraordinary cast of characters that are lovable and unique, from the eccentric, quirky Melody Bittersweet, right down to Babs, the vintage company van and Lestat, the one-eared pug.

The writing is straightforward and smooth. And the plot is jam-packed full of oddball situations, witty banter, a dash of romance, and a century-old mystery.

This novel really is a hoot from start to finish. And I can’t wait to read the next book in the series to find out what kind of hijinks, The Girls’ Ghostbusting Agency, gets up to next.

This is a new series, and it's wonderfully funny, oringinaly, whacky and quirky. Great read.

I loved the main character, Melody, but her friends/co-workers. Melody sees dead people, and I love that concept. It makes for great funny moments. Her best friend works with her at the agency, even though she does not see dead people, she has plenty of quirks of her own, which make her such an amazingly whacky sidekick. The trio is rounded out by a somewhat socially awkward son of one of the dead people Melody saw, and she employs him as part of his dad's last wishes.

Plenty of characters, plenty of funny action, plenty good story. The writing style reminds me of Janet Evanovich, but the plot is completely unique and unlike anything I've ever read. Perfect for times when you want to relax into a fun, light and unusual read.

Melody Bittersweet and the Girl's Ghostbusting Agency

Holy ghostbusters!!!! If you're looking for a fun, quirky and humorous read, look no further!!

I was drawn in straight away by the fab cover, and the fact this is a Bookouture book!

Melody Bittersweet sees dead people. She's turning 27 and is questioning her life choices. What do you do when you're having this kind of crisis? Set up your own ghostbusting business of course!!

I really enjoyed this wacky and quirky tale of romance, adventure, humour and of course ghostbusting!! It has a bit of everything and I cannot recommend this book enough, I really hope we see more of Melody in the future!

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of a twenty seven year old, single woman named Melody Bittersweet. At 27, she wanted her freedom so bad, struggling to prove to herself and her family that she can make it to the world on her own.
The story wasn't purely about well...ghostbusting as the title suggested. I was expecting that the book was all about exterminating ghost. Didn't happen. But it was more on reaching out to the dead and solving the mystery behind as to why the three Scarborough brothers aka "ghost" won't leave the Scarborough estate after having passed on for over the decades. So her grandmother, mom and her can see and talk to the dead. Fine. I wish the story did not focused on one "client" only, but it did. I feel that the story kind of dragged in between chapters and it was long before it reached the point. The book is classified as RomCom. I got the humor part there and enjoyed the banters. The romance department was a little neglected though. I wish there was more of Melody and Fletch, considering that "hot chemistry" is undeniably strong. Maybe an Epilogue perhaps for a HEA for them? What about Douglas and Melody? Was I just imagining that there was "something" going on between Doug and Melody there? They could have spiced up some pages in the book. I did liked the scene where Douglas bid Melody his sad goodbye though, as well as Isaac. It was painful to read and well, such a bittersweet moment.
I was so excited when I learned that she's releasing a new book, that's why I requested this one at NetGalley. I was kind of disappointed with this book. Please don't judge me, I love Kitty French...as a matter of fact, I have a personal collection of her books in my shelf. This one doesn't sound like her style.
This was given to me as an ARC in exchange for an honest review and I give this book 3 stars.

I requested Melody Bittersweet and The Girls' Ghostbusting Agency because it sounded like it would be a fun story, and that's exactly what I got. Amidst a century-old murder mystery, there's a family who can see ghosts, a one-eared pug named Lestat, Italian food, a love lust triangle featuring two equally infuriating men, lots of Doctor Who references, and a really cute boy named Artie (who's obviously modelled after Doctor Who's Rory - I mean, even his name is Arthur). This was good, simple, ghostly fun, and it sounds like it could be a really amusing series.

Thank you NetGalley / Bookouture for providing me with a copy

What a brilliant book, so easy to get into and such a smooth read.
Melody Bittersweet is just the right amount of weirdo, I loved her, in fact she reminds me of me, even down to her questionable taste in men.
The story flowed nicely and was interesting with plenty of humour and a good dose of supernatural, fabulous characters that I couldn't help but love, my only bugbear was how the writer painted my hometown of Hull as grey and bland which was a bit harsh, but still I can't wait to read more of the Bittersweet mysteries.
Great Author.

This book initially caught my attention with its fabulous front cover.

I’m so pleased I decided to give it a try, as it was such fun to read. This light-hearted story was just what I needed to sort me out after the tissue consuming monster of a tear-jerker I read just before it. Plus, it gets extra happy points for mentioning Robert Downey Jr. who I've absolutely adored since I was about 13.

Melody Bittersweet and The Girls' Ghostbusting Agency is witty, full of quirky characters, ghostly shenanigans and a bit of cheeky romance thrown in too. I could happily live inside this book.

This book was a great read for anyone that loves cozy mysteries or paranormal reads. Melody comes from a long line of people able to see ghosts. Instead of taking her place in her mother's business of passing along information from those recently departed to the living she decides to venture out on her own and ghostbust. Without those awful jumpsuits though. When she's hired for her first job she goes up against her ex to compete for it and gets more than she thought she would in trying to solve the case.

I was given an advanced ecopy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very cute book!

Now, fans of clean books should know that this does get a little salty when it comes to language and situations, but it's also very sweet, funny, and has some terrific romance.

I think I loved every character in this book, but especially adored a little curmudgeon of a four-legged character!

If you like romance mixed with paranormal and don't mind a little spice, you'll likely love this one!

* ARC Provided by Net Galley

***** I received this ARC for free from Netgalley in return for an honest review *****

55109666 D. Messing's review Jun 22, 2016 · edit it was amazing Read from June 20 to 22, 2016

I LOVED this book!!!! I don't give many five star ratings, but this earned it hands down!!!!! It had everything fun, ghosts, weird fembot type groupies, mystery, overly egotistical exes, a love/hate relationship with a nosey reporter, and enough snark to sink a battleship!! Big bonus is it made me giggle hysterically repeatedly, much I might add to the supreme irritation of my husband and children! Can't wait for the next one!!!

Rating 3.5

This is a humorous story about a lady, Melody, who can see ghosts. Her best friend, Marina, and Artie (son of a ghost) that she decided to hire run the company. She develops a love triangle. Her mother and gran are wonderful and can also see ghosts, buy instead of getting rid of them like Melody does they pass along messages.

The first job is to remove family ghosts from a house so it can be sold. This proves to be quite the task.

It is a cute book with colorful characters and a funny storyline.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC for my honest review.

First time reading this author. I would give this a 4.5-i know there were flaws in the book but I easily overlooked them because I was enjoying the story so much. This book has romance-well heavy flirting, suspense, violence, drama, and a mystery. It was fun, quirky and very british. It made me laugh, be sad and respect Melody for her gift/curse? depending on how you view it. I think most romance readers would enjoy this book and if you like reading about ghosts-this is for you. Let me know if you disagree. Enjoy

Cute start to a fun new series. This combines a bunch of my favorite genres, and it does so well. I really like the somewhat inept and silly amateur sleuth (alla Stephanie Plum), I love a good romance, and can't resist a good paranormal. So this book had a dash of all these along with a wacky family and weird dog. The mystery kept me interested, and the dual love interests made me want to shake Melody! I can't wait for the next installment!
*I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Funny and entertaining with a snarky heroine! This series starter featuring Melody Bittersweet is a hoot with a mother and grandmother who love to meddle. The whole setup is wonderfully crafted and the addition of Artie along with a few others make this a paranormal mystery that readers will love. The next book is sure to bring many laughs and keep us coming back for more.

Such a funny, addictive read. It's quirky so you've got to just go along with the fact that yes, Melody can see the dead, and yes, ghosts exist, but it works fabulously to make such a loveable set of characters (love Melody, Marina, Artie and Fletch) I think it would definitely appeal to fans of Cecelia Ahern and Julia Williams with the supernatural element but also the great prose and comical banter of Mhairi McFarlane and Lindsey Kelk . A weird but wonderful mix of supernatural humour (can we make that a genre!?), history, passion and tragedy you can't put down.
I can't wait to read more from this special set of characters and to see how certain plots develop in to the next book promised in this series. Hurrah!!
Thank you to Kitty French and Bookouture for an advanced copy to review.

This was a great book to read on a hot summer afternoon- it was funny, had colorful, unique characters, and the story was interesting. This book is a good start to a cute new series. Melody Bittersweet and the Girls' Ghostbusting Agency: A laugh out loud romantic comedy of Love, Life and ... Ghosts? was the first book I've read by Kitty French & I look forward to reading more.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh.My.Friggin.Gods! I LOVE Lestat!!!! I had a pug once and I know exactly what they're like. The authors writing about him made me laugh so much that I had tears running.

Welcome to the world of ghosts and murder with lots of hilarious moments. It was definitely a page turner. I really look forward to reading the next book.

I've not read anything like this for a real long time so it was a breath of fresh hair. It was quirky, fun, original and a real sweet mystery read. The characters were endearing and likeable and the secondary characters were as strong and as interesting as our lead.

I look forward to the next book in the series.

3.5 stars I was gifted a copy of this book from the Published via NetGalley. I voluntarily reviewed this book under no inducement or obligation.

Wow! What a wonderful and very special book! I am bereft that I have now finished reading this and cannot wait for the next in the series. Peopled with colourful characters, and filled with laugh out loud moments, I could not put this wonderful book down. Loved Melody and Marina, Glenda and Babs. My favourites were Lestat, Artie and Dicey, and I wish I could have shared some of Nonna's wonderful food. I adored this quirky, unique tale. So looking forward to the next book.

This is a great book by Kitty French. This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author. A Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

I so was not expecting to love this book so much. I figured I would enjoy it but oh man THIS WAS AWESOME! This book has ghosts, crazy families, humor, mystery and just the right amount of sexual tension. I laughed out loud in this book so much I scared my cat that was sleeping on me. I cried at the end but only because of some really good parts. I can't wait for more of these. I loved LOVED LOVED LOVED this!

I received an ARC of Melody Bittersweet and the Girls' Ghostbusting Agency from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This book is a funny and sometimes a little silly story about Melody who sees ghosts and decides to open a ghostbusting agency after turning 27, significant age for her, which causes her to reevaluate her life. Melody's whole family is "blessed" with this gift, her mother and grandmother can also communicate with ghosts so we get three generations of ghost whisperers. I loved all the quirky and kooky characters: Marina, Artie, Babs, Dicey, and Melody's potential love interests, Leo and Fletch. Melody Bittersweet is a mix of funny chic lit, paranormal and murder mystery. The murder mystery part was not as good as I would have liked as once the culprit is revealed, there is no surprise or twist, but overall I enjoyed this book.
Melody Bittersweet and the Girls' Ghostbusting Agency is funny, quirky, and light-hearted read perfect for fans of Charmed and Ghost Whisperer.

Funny quirky characters and light breezy writing made this a guilty pleasure I swallowed up during a lazy afternoon in the garden. You will like this if you enjoy books that let you suspend a little reality and have a good time. THanks to netgalley for the ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The characters are fun and quirky, the banter and humour between them is well written and believable, the ghosts are wonderful, I had a tear in my eye a couple of times as I was reading which is a very good sign for me as I don't really get upset when I read.

I am now patiently waiting for the next book in the series.

*Huge thanks to Kitty French, Bookouture and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review*

From the very first page I was laughing out loud. This book is a great pick me up and perfect to read on the beach.
It's all sorts of craziness which is a welcome break and will take you away from everyday mundane life.
And as always the writing is beautiful.

This has a lot of potential. The characters are diverse and interesting, the plot well thought out as well. I even liked the ghosts. I'm hoping at some point Arty taps into his sixth sense
Thank you Netgalley

Oh.My.Friggin.Gods! I LOVE Lestat!!!! I had a pug once and I know exactly what they're like. The authors writing about him made me laugh so much that I had tears running.

Welcome to the world of ghosts and murder with lots of hilarious moments. It was definitely a page turner. I really look forward to reading the next book.

I've not read anything like this for a real long time so it was a breath of fresh hair. It was quirky, fun, original and a real sweet mystery read. The characters were endearing and likeable and the secondary characters were as strong and as interesting as our lead.

I look forward to the next book in the series.

3.5 stars I was gifted a copy of this book from the Published via NetGalley. I voluntarily reviewed this book under no inducement or obligation.

Wow! What a wonderful and very special book! I am bereft that I have now finished reading this and cannot wait for the next in the series. Peopled with colourful characters, and filled with laugh out loud moments, I could not put this wonderful book down. Loved Melody and Marina, Glenda and Babs. My favourites were Lestat, Artie and Dicey, and I wish I could have shared some of Nonna's wonderful food. I adored this quirky, unique tale. So looking forward to the next book.

This is a great book by Kitty French. This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author. A Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

I so was not expecting to love this book so much. I figured I would enjoy it but oh man THIS WAS AWESOME! This book has ghosts, crazy families, humor, mystery and just the right amount of sexual tension. I laughed out loud in this book so much I scared my cat that was sleeping on me. I cried at the end but only because of some really good parts. I can't wait for more of these. I loved LOVED LOVED LOVED this!

I received an ARC of Melody Bittersweet and the Girls' Ghostbusting Agency from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This book is a funny and sometimes a little silly story about Melody who sees ghosts and decides to open a ghostbusting agency after turning 27, significant age for her, which causes her to reevaluate her life. Melody's whole family is "blessed" with this gift, her mother and grandmother can also communicate with ghosts so we get three generations of ghost whisperers. I loved all the quirky and kooky characters: Marina, Artie, Babs, Dicey, and Melody's potential love interests, Leo and Fletch. Melody Bittersweet is a mix of funny chic lit, paranormal and murder mystery. The murder mystery part was not as good as I would have liked as once the culprit is revealed, there is no surprise or twist, but overall I enjoyed this book.
Melody Bittersweet and the Girls' Ghostbusting Agency is funny, quirky, and light-hearted read perfect for fans of Charmed and Ghost Whisperer.

This book was such a good,light hearted and entertaining read.

I've enjoyed it.I loved all the characters,they were hilarious and their bantering are never predictable or boring...I've particularly appreciated Melody and her arch-enemy Fletch's spicy and intriguing relationship...I really hope in the next book there will be more romance for our crazy lovely heroine.

This is the first book I read from this author but I'm already curious to read more about Melody's adventures.

Funny quirky characters and light breezy writing made this a guilty pleasure I swallowed up during a lazy afternoon in the garden. You will like this if you enjoy books that let you suspend a little reality and have a good time. THanks to netgalley for the ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The characters are fun and quirky, the banter and humour between them is well written and believable, the ghosts are wonderful, I had a tear in my eye a couple of times as I was reading which is a very good sign for me as I don't really get upset when I read.

I am now patiently waiting for the next book in the series.

*Huge thanks to Kitty French, Bookouture and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review*

From the very first page I was laughing out loud. This book is a great pick me up and perfect to read on the beach.
It's all sorts of craziness which is a welcome break and will take you away from everyday mundane life.
And as always the writing is beautiful.

This has a lot of potential. The characters are diverse and interesting, the plot well thought out as well. I even liked the ghosts. I'm hoping at some point Arty taps into his sixth sense
Thank you Netgalley