If this premise sounds a little zany, that’s because it is. There are plenty of hijinks, starting with Gemma and Levi’s impulsive meet cute kiss and continuing through fake dates, awkward cohabitation moments and all the banter and snark you’d expect from a rom-com. But Beharrie includes deeper character insights that balance the fluff. A Ghost in Shining Armor is as richly imagined as it is deeply moving, while being quite a lot of fun, as well. The tone can be a bit uneven in spots as Beharrie balances the humor and the pathos, but her characters are endearing enough to carry readers through.
This is a light tale with a lot of under-the-surface depth. We have the sweetness of the love story, combined with the whimsical humor revolving around Gemma’s gift – I literally laughed out loud when her high school teacher first appeared – and the heavier issues that Gemma and Levi are dealing with ... The strength of the narrative lies in the charm of its leads ... My only quibble with the story is that it suffers from a mild case of what I call the 'terrible toos'. In this case, the story felt too dense and heavy at times, which made the humor fall flat occasionally. It also had too much going on ... a sweet, heartfelt novel. It’s not perfect but I would still recommend it to anyone who likes contemporary stories and doesn’t mind a bit of a paranormal twist.
This slow-burn paranormal romance features well-developed, likable protagonists, but the secondary characters are two-dimensional and add little to the plot, which revolves around the emotional development of Gemma and Levi. Though there is a happily ever after, it’s a conflicted one, with plot threads left hanging for a sequel ... Readers looking for character introspection and growth may enjoy this one from Beharrie, but most will find it disappointing.
... charming ... Levi is a charming hero up against impossibly high stakes, and Gemma’s sunshiny outlook is sure to endear her to readers. Their slow-burning will-they, won’t-they combined with Beharrie’s laugh-out-loud narration makes this a surefire crowd pleaser.
