Ian Downunder VS Reservations for the Damned

Ian goes on a first date with Jyl Glenn’s Reservations for the Damned, and finds hauntings, paperwork and a romance worth dying repeatedly for.

TITLE: Reservations for the Damned

AUTHOR: Jyl Glenn

GENRE: Paranormal romance

PAGES: 180

FORMAT: eBook

PRICE: eBook $4.99, Paperback TBA

G’day all, it’s your ARC reader from down under here, coming to you direct from a restaurant on my first date… or is it the 20^th? I’ve been on so many I’ve lost count now. If that seems like a strange introduction then 1—you should now by now, if you’ve read my other reviews, that my introductions are almost always strange and 2—I promise you I’m not bragging about the number of dates I’ve been on. It relates to this week’s review of Memento Mori’s own Jyl Glenn’s Reservation for the Damned. Unlike Jyl’s other offerings, this one doesn’t lean so much on the horror side, though there is certainly an element of it within its quirky, lovable pages. So put on your best date outfit and let’s head out to the restaurant so I can regale you with why you should definitely have a reservation to read Reservations of the Damned.

I’ll start off by saying Jyl has a way with words. What’s that I hear you say? “She’s a writer, Ian, hence why you’re reviewing a book she’s clearly written”. You’re absolutely correct, but what I mean (apart from the obvious) is that her writing style is one of the most entertaining and intelligent styles in the indie world I’ve had the pleasure of reading. It’s also very versatile in the way that she shifts her tone to match whatever genre she’s tackling. You want creepy? She can do that with ease (Cubby). You want a well-constructed short story? She can do that too (Santa’s Shrine). And with this one, you get an addicting paranormal romance filled with heart, humour and mystery with an ending that makes me anxious for the next book in the series. Seriously, I want that book right now!

The premise follows a couple on a first date, Nate and Dahlia, who are clearly not hitting it off when an explosion sends them both off into the afterlife. Only it’s not the cloudy beauty of Heaven. No, instead they find themselves in an arrivals waiting room within the depths of Hell.

Naturally, they end up stuck with each other when they are assigned to the Hauntings Compliance Department, where they quickly find themselves the target of an unknown adversary somewhere within Hell’s system. Unable to investigate their own deaths because of the department’s rules, they take on hauntings, possessions and other supernatural cases in the department while being to relive their disastrous first date over and over again, each time with wildly different and often hilarious endings.

As the story progresses and they get closer to solving the mystery of who is behind their assignment to the department and the seemingly never-ending loop of lethal dates, they find themselves falling for each other. The ending resolves things with this particular story but hints at a much larger picture that I’m sure the next books in the series will tackle.

This is an incredibly entertaining book that I couldn’t stop reading. If you give this a chance, I’m certain you will find yourself just as hooked and impatient for the next book as I am. Go grab yourself a copy now!

I give this 5 out of 5 continuously looped restaurant first date deaths out of 5.

Ian Gielen is a writer of all things spooky and a horror fanatic. Ian embraces his inner geek with pride, his dedication on display in the intimidating collection of horror novels and video games that threaten to take over his living space. He is mad for all things Alien, Star Wars, and cats; his furry companions are always there to keep him company as he scribbles down his latest ideas. With the sheer number of furry and human companions in his life, it’s a wonder he isn’t a little crazier than he already is.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing, nor do the views or opinions of Crystal Lake necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or its staff. Thank you for understanding.