She Whispered Through the Woods - Sara Francis

★★★★☆

The secrets, the mystery, the humor…what a great experience for my first paranormal romance!

A traumatized camp counselor tries to bury the truth behind his eyepatch. Then he hears a ghost girl calling for him from the forest. So he takes it upon himself to find a way to set her free. He didn’t expect to fall in love…

Narrative Voice: 1st person
Cussing/profanity: 1/5*
Drug/alcohol use: 1/5
Kissing: 0/5
Sex/nudity: 0/5
Violence/gore: 1/5

I love a good, fast read with an impactful message! Now, I’m not a romance reader, but when I heard about this one, I wanted to give it a try. It’s also in 1st person, which I’m not a fan of for the most part, but I LOVED how Sara Francis wrote this one!

I was more invested in the paranormal aspect than in the romance (I wasn’t a fan how FAST Second fell in love, but hey, maybe some men think that way.) but that changed once the twist hit, then I was shipping them so hard!

The mystery of who Ghost Girl was, Second’s past, and the reason for Glover’s animosity is what fueled my addiction to the plot. Oh, that and Huerta’s humor, which rivaled that of Leo Valdez. What pulled my heartstrings the strongest was actually the bonds between Second and his boys (especially Glover. That rain scene?? AGHCK.) Second is the sweetest in how much he cares for the boys in his charge! The balance between the camping plot and the romance I think is what really made this enjoyable for me as a non-romance reader. This story is a beautiful advocate for men’s mental health, which seriously needs to be told way more often. This is a reread for sure.
For readers who love ghost stories, perilous hiking, mystery, and sweet romance, this book is heavy, humorous, and wholesome!

4/5 would recommend
*characters use alternative swear words to be “camp friendly” 1 damn, 1 ass