Spooked

By: Ruby Madden

Narrated by: Clay Lomakayu

Clementine, an in-demand sketch artist who needs an escape from her hectic, stressful, and busy city life, decides to take a much-needed one-year sabbatical. She welcomes the chance to move to a small town in the South and inhabit the old, Victorian mansion that, upon her aunt's recent passing, was willed to her.

Upon arriving Clementine meets Gabe, a kindly, considerate, and sexy jack-of-all-trades who helped her aunt while she was alive with the house, doing maintenance, repairs, and property upkeep.

They are instantly drawn to one another, and Clementine wonders if he likes curvy women such as herself while worrying what he might think if he knows she's what's known as a white witch. - a benevolent practitioner of the elements, magic, and energy.

Meanwhile Gabe wonders if Clementine will figure out that he's not exactly mortal or living. That he is in fact a spook. A ghost.

Ultimately they will discover a hidden mystery about their unique connection, crossing time and space to reveal the truth: their enduring love.

©2014 - 2015 Ruby Madden c/o Manifestiny Entertainment, LLC (P)2015 Ruby Madden c/o Manifestiny Entertainment, LLC

okay story

narration was same voice throughout the book. No differentiation between men's and women's voices. story was okay but could have been a lot better. it felt like someone's very first attempt at writing a story and there were things that could have been addressed better if the story were longer. The story left me feeling as if it should have been a full novel but was revised to be a short story instead.

Odd but fun romantic ghost story!

Lots of odd things about this book such as descriptions of the main character using the bathroom in detail, which added squat (hehe) to the storyline. Not only was the narrator hard to understand, but every character sounded exactly the same. He also lost his place several times during his reading & repeated the same sentence! However, I do LOVE a ghost story, so I persevered through the amateur writing & narration. Really, though, how I can complain? The book was free. I enjoyed all the characters. It entertained me & oddly, I didn’t want it to end when it did! I was left wanting more of their slightly erotic love story. Actually, that was the best part of this short novel. Will there be a sequel? I would buy it.

That accent

Genre: Contemporary paranormal romance
Clementine Jackson, a mixed-race woman (apparently that is important) has inherited an old house from her (White) aunt. She is a witch who practices benevolent magic, though there isn’t a lot of that going on. A handyman named Gabe shows up sporadically (though he really doesn’t do much handyman-ing aside from repairing the toilet). She is attracted to him, and he seems to show attraction for her. The first time he comes over, he is driving a truck which he allows her to use because she has a flat, and he rides as passenger. This is confusing given who he turns out to be. She starts to investigate the house’s history, which creates a mystery as to who the inhabitants, aside from her (white) ancestors were. She is having dreams about being a (Black) servant in the house having an affair with a guy who looks exactly like Gabe.
This is a simple ghost story, and is actually an interesting, though not unique, premise. I wish it had been better. However... There are some details in the story that are totally unnecessary, such as the description of her urinating - including the sound of the urine hitting the bowl. And the fact that her sh*t stank. Really? And then there’s the mention of the librarian, Jeremy, being her “new gay best friend”. Frankly, I found the qualifier of his sexuality totally out of line, given that it added nothing to the story. Plus, the whole thing was passive, with more telling than showing.
Now, the reason I gave the narration one star is because I couldn’t give it zero. First, it was a reading, with no differentiation of characters. No changes in timbre, inflection, or pacing to indicate which character was speaking. No difference between narrative and dialogue. And it was all in this horrendously exaggerated Southern accent that was almost Gumpish. If the story had not been so short, it would have been a DNF. I got this through the Romance Package and it still felt like a waste of money.

Recarnation and Ghost

Spooked starts with Clementine arriving to a small town in the South. She is on vacation from being a highly demand sketched artist. Upon her arrival, she meets Gabe, a handyman, who has helped Clementine's decreased aunt by doing repair to the Victorian house.

Clementine is mystified by Gabe's disappearance. He would be here one moment and then he would disappeared the next. Gabe disappearing is the least of Clementine's worries. Ever since she has arrived at her Aunt's Victorian House, she has been having strange dreams of her being around the Civil War time period.

As Clementine started to discover the history of the house and the small town, she discovered the link that connects her and Gabe.

She and Gabe have secrets of their own. Will they both accepts what they are to each other?

This story has witches, ghosts, and reincarnation. It is an enjoyable short story to read/listen to of Love that surpass time and space.

The narrator, Clay Lomakayu gives a gruff narration of the story. His voice of the characters fit with the exception of Clementine. For some reason, his voice didn't sound right for her.

I was given this audiobook by the author/narrator/publisher via Audiobook Blast in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated or influence in any way for writing this review.

Cute Spooky romance

Just the right kind of love story to listen to right around Halloween. It was a good love story

Cute story, BAD narrating

I think this story seems cute but I couldn't bear the narrator's very exaggerated Southern drawl or speed-reading. I couldn't catch a lot of what he said so I tried slowing the playback, but then the recording sounded drunk and slurred. Gave up. Sigh. It looks like a sweet novella though.

could be better

The story ended too abruptly. I was expecting a little more storyline and some closure for the protagonist.

A good love story for the season

If you could sum up Spooked in three words, what would they be?

Tender love story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Clementine--she is successful and still is taking a year off because she can afford to regroup. She tries to blend in with the town and finds herself a friends who disappears but where? She does family research and in the end shows how we have grown and improved although we still have a way to go.

What aspect of Clay Lomakayu’s performance would you have changed?

There was not differentiating the voices of the characters. I liked his southern accent but it was more like he was reading a story rather than acting one out.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When they came together after finding out the truth.

Any additional comments?

I was provided a Free audio from the author and appreciate the story line a lot.

It’s the Haunted Mansion in Story Form

A story of reincarnation and lovers lost to time it was okay but I was distracted by the narrators bayou accent.

just ok

The story is pretty short. Clay Lomakayu does a pretty good job with the narration. It is a ghost story. It just really didn't grab me and drag me in but it is an ok story.