Jinxed
by Torri Heat
A new take on the age-old haunted house.
Tropes:
-Age Gap
-Haunted house
-Why choose
-Men through the decades
Star rating: Four
Trigger warnings: Mention of addictions and depression
Who would enjoy this:
- Those who enjoy haunted house stories
- New adult/smut lovers (not for beginners)
- Someone looking for a different take on an age old classic, the haunted house.
- Why choose enthusiasts
- Age gap addicts
Synopsis Per Goodreads:
In the woods, there’s a house they say is haunted. Once you enter, you can never leave. In this house, your biggest dreams can become reality, and your worst vices can become dangerous addictions. Would you risk it?
When Savannah Miles comes into a sum of money, she decides to follow her lifelong dream and open her own thrift shop. The sweet looking house in the woods seems like the perfect place.
Except the house is filled with mystery, and three handsome men who have been stuck inside for decades. Felix, the original owner of the house, trapped for over a century. Luther, the 40-something postman whose search for the meaning of life led him to be stuck in the house since the 70’s. And Theo, whose string of bad luck left him in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Different times. Different vices. Different lives. Can the four of them work together in life and love to find a way to survive?
Jinxed is an 18+ “Why Choose” that includes mild discussions of depression and addiction.
————————–Possible Spoilers below this line——————-
I had the absolute pleasure to read an advance copy of Torri Heats newest book Jinxed that follows four characters Sav, Theo, Luther, and Felix. I was impressed by this book, and the fresh take on the age old haunted house. I found this to be a great spooky read for the season. The book takes place in present – day with plenty of back story to be discovered for all our characters. This book was written for those who enjoy 18+ New Adult Paranormal romances that have the why choose, and age gap tropes. However, I will say that the smut in this book is not for beginners. There is a lot of spice throughout this book, it had me blushing, turned on and ready to try new things in the bedroom. There is some mention of addiction, and depression in case those are triggers someone avoids.
I found Heat’s writing to be concise, and at the beginning of the story provided great imagery with concrete details like red wallpaper or the green room. I just wish she had continued this type of imagery when Felix’s secret is revealed. I found that scene to be lacking. Though the story is still fantastic. Heat is wonderful at getting into the mind of her characters and showing us the world through the eyes of that character. She was able to give each of them their own voice as well as their own vernacular. Even in the relationships depicted through the book, she shows us each character’s individuality. The book is written from multiple perspectives that are labelled at the start of each chapter. This was helpful; however, I did not find myself referring to the chapter headings because I was able to tell based on who was speaking and what was going on exactly who’s head, I was in. Telling the story like this helped make the characters more real and relatable as you can see their thought process and how they view themselves and their world around them.
The characters were not just relatable, they also felt real. I knew what they were feeling, and where that feeling was coming from. With each POV shift I felt like I was dropped from one mind into another. Even better is the dialogue seemed real, there was no stiff or awkward wording to pull me from the story. I expected each character to have their own slang since they are from different decades, and that is present. Torri Heat does an excellent job of portraying this throughout the interactions between each of them. My favorite character I believe was Luther, but I loved each of them. Each of them learning to find beauty in life after dealing with past trauma.
This book will be added to my favorites list. It may even become one of my next comfort reads. I loved that this book is a new take on the old, haunted house, and the spice is top tier. I do have a mild displeasure with how the book ends, it seemed too easy. This book was refreshing as a new take on something old in this time of retellings.
I absolutely recommend this book to those who enjoy new adult and are looking for a paranormal romance to enjoy. This book taught me that sometimes, life might throw you a curveball, but it is up to you to make the best of it.