Paranormal stories normally don’t grab my attention, but Astraea Press sent through Bed, Breakfast & Beyond in their promo newsletter and I was intrigued by the idea of amorous ghosts. I decided I’d find out whether or not I could get past the idea of the paranormal and enjoy the book for what it was.

Corrie Wallace is turning her ancestral family home into a bed and breakfast, and she’s decided to use the old family legend about a newlywed couple who died in the honeymoon suite on their wedding night – Cory and Hamilton Venables were found together on the floor the morning after a terrible storm. This brings ghost-hunter Ben Chastain to her door as her first guest; he’s writing a book and he’s looking for a really good ending – his hope is that the story of Cory and Hamilton Venables will provide that ending. Cory and Ham have waited over 100 years to finish what they started on their wedding night, so when sparks fly between Corrie and Ben, they see a chance and they take it. The following few days become a huge confusion of feelings, with Corrie and Ben acting as hosts for two very amorous ghosts. So the question is: can Corrie and Ben provide the married couple with what they need to move on, and what will Corrie and Ben be left with if they do?

All four main protagonists were very likeable characters. Corrie was shown to be hard-working, dedicated and driven but her softer side was never hidden from the reader as her vulnerability around Ben came to the forefront. Ben was depicted as curious and open-minded, with a romantic notion about two ghosts that proved to be infectious. Their relationship was an interesting read, as it was open to manipulation that neither could be blamed for. Their attempts to find a balance between what they were being subjected to by their other-worldly counterparts and how they actually felt for each other were well written and brilliantly handled.

Cory and Ben were the first characters that the reader was introduced to, and it provided a great start to the story. Their predicament made me feel an affinity to them and made the fact that they were ghosts easier to ignore; I was less involved with their state as paranormal entities, and more concerned with the romance behind it all – waiting over 100 years to make sure that they were completely married. I also liked the fact that they became so involved in Corrie and Ben’s relationship and the overall conclusion to that part of the story, it demonstrated a kindness and concern that I wasn’t expecting.

I appreciated the efforts made by the author to make the story as easy to read as possible; having two relationships to follow and two characters with the same name could have been confusing but the author was generous enough to offer two different spellings and use italics when the ghosts were the main protagonists. This meant that I didn’t have to waste my efforts on trying to figure out which female was in the forefront and which couple were being focused on, leaving me free to enjoy the story.

I really enjoyed the story, which I wasn’t expecting, and was in no way perturbed by the paranormal aspects of the story. While the last few pages felt a little rushed, the overall plot was fantastically written and the characters were likeable throughout.