Theo is hesitant for Ben to fall in love with him, considering he’s a ghost and Ben is alive, such a love can never be fulfilling for either of them. However, despite the oddity of it, Ben is finding himself falling head over heels in love with Theo Blackwell as Theo slowly opens up his story about his life, his former lover Henry, and ultimately his death. Ben is sexually attracted to Carter, but he is not in love with him. At the same time, Ben’s neighbor Carter, a 25-year-old boy, begins befriending him and attempts to flirt with him. Theo appears to Ben they begin an odd friendship. Researching the fact that Theo Blackwell, a 19-year-old boy had disappeared in October 1917 without a trace, he realizes the ghost haunting the manor may be this boy. He moves in and starts discovering various things, such as mysterious sounds, ghostly shadows, and a mystery from the hundred-year-old journal of Theo Blackwell, son of the original owner. Desiring a change of scenery, Ben decides to buy a new home and finds an old Victorian home, Blackwell Manor in the town of Ivy Grove, which is on the market at a rock-bottom price. His boyfriend James reveals he is having an affair with Ben’s book agent, Shane and they abruptly break-up. Due to his stress as a writer, he could not focus on his lover. Yet, his 2 recent books have not been well received. He used to produce amazing stories that were critically acclaimed and made into shows and movies. Plot: Ben Cross is a 30-year-old horror novel writer, who is stuck in a rut.

It was actually quite easy to read through this novel for me, but I have read reviews, where some did not like the subject matter or the storyline, so it took them longer. Length-wise, the book is 261 pages long and 8 hours 24 minutes on audible. Readers should be ready to weep at times and be weary at others. I was intrigued by the premise and it kept me reading until the very end. The ghost in this tale died a century ago from a brutal hate crime, which was sadly common. It is also refreshing to finally find a gay ghost story, because honestly, it is about time there’s stories like this in mainstream novels. There’s something about a good ghost story that keeps people wanting more of something, I think Jaclyn Osborn found that in The Ghost of Ellwood. I thought it would be poignant if I begin these special reviews with a ghost story, which is equal parts romantic, tragic, and spine-tingling. I'll be doing ghosts, psychics, Vampires, Werewolves, and magic stories/series. Happy Halloween Month of Reviews, this is the first book that I am reviewing for my month-long special reviews of Halloween stories.

Axios by Jaclyn Osborn