Nothing says romance like spending a long weekend at a haunted inn famed for sending its guests to the ER with scratches, bites, and fractures. Or so Linus thinks when he books a trip for Grier and himself to Oliphant House. As far as honeymoons go, the choice is nontraditional, but then, so is his bride.
Haunted history is one of Grier’s great loves, and she’s thrilled to discover Linus has given her a mystery to solve. Forget walks on moonlit beaches and sipping fruity drinks, Grier would much rather unravel the curse that’s plagued the Oliphant family for generations than pick sand from between her toes.
The resident spooks, however, aren’t happy with the newlyweds sticking their noses where they don’t belong. Between the missing persons, the dead bodies, and the secrets lurking in the basement, Linus and Grier start to wonder if they’ll survive their honeymoon.
After reading How to Kiss an Undead Bride: The Epilogues, a novella in The Beginner's Guide to Necromancy, I honestly wasn't sure if I was interested in continuing the series. I know it's called The Epilogues, but I hate time jumps in a series and we jumped years for that novella. After all, look at how well that worked for Harry Potter. (Was anyone really happy with that ending? I don't think so.) Also, while I don't mind romance in my urban fantasy, when it overtakes it..? Bleh. The plot completely fell to the wayside to focus on the uber-obsessive lovie-dovie relationship that Linus and Grier have. All that = moving on. Unfortunately, some authors do reach that point where the series just needs to end. I really thought we were there BUT...
How to Survive an Undead Honeymoon focuses back on the action that we know and love from TBGTN (thank goodness). Linus has booked a haunted honeymoon at a B&B rumored to have been built over a gateway to Hell. It also has a subterranean maze made to trap evil spirits or demons who might emerge from the Hellmouth. Since our first introduction to Grier was working on a haunted Savannah walking tour, it certainly sounds like something she'd enjoy. Linus has booked them the entire inn so they can explore to their heart's content, and it just happens to be the anniversary of the week that the spooks are stirring.
This book reminds me of why I loved this series from the start. When it comes down to it, I'm an action over relationship kind of urban fantasy girl, something that Hailey Edwards usually balances well. I don't mind a little romance in UF, but I don't like when it's the only thing a book has going for it. How to Survive an Undead Honeymoon had plenty of action: A haunted inn built over a Hellmouth, possible demon lurking in its bowels, and even the shadow cats all were interesting (and later, sad) inclusions. I'm glad that there was a mystery to be solved and plenty of sleuthing to do. While the surprise ending wasn't really much of a surprise and I missed Wooley, I was glad to get back to the magic and mystery.
*Side note: This book, like all the others, is most definitely NOT a stand-alone. If you are going to read the series, you want to start with book 1: How to Save an Undead Life. They are all available on Kindle Unlimited so binge away!
