#rules for ghosting

[lgbtqreads]

Fave Five: Adult Trans M/M Romance

Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore (Paranormal) The Key by Jo Morgan Sloan (Contemporary) Second Chances in New Port Stephen by TJ Alexander (Contemporary) What it Looks Like by Matthew J. Metzger (Contemporary) Coffee Boy (Contemporary) and Peter Darling (Fantasy) by Austin Chant Bonus: Coming in 2025, check out A Hex for Hunger by Alistair Reeves (Fantasy) and A Gentleman’s…

[transbookoftheday]

Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore

To save his family's failing funeral home—and his own chance at a queer love story—a reluctant clairvoyant must embrace the gift he long ignored in this poignant and tender debut.

Ezra Friedman sees ghosts, which made growing up in a funeral home complicated. It might have been easier if his grandfather’s ghost didn’t give him scathing looks of disapproval as he went through a second, HRT-induced puberty, or if he didn’t have the pressure of all those relatives—living and dead—judging every choice he makes. It’s no wonder that Ezra runs as far away from the family business as humanly possible.

But when the floor of his dream job drops out from under him and his mother uses the family Passover seder to tell everyone she’s running off with the rabbi’s wife, Ezra finds himself back in the thick of it. With his parents’ marriage imploding and the Friedman Family Memorial Chapel on the brink of financial ruin, Ezra agrees to step into his mother’s shoes and help out . . . which means long days surrounded by ghosts that no one else can see.

And then there’s his unfortunate crush on Jonathan, the handsome funeral home volunteer . . . who just happens to live downstairs from Ezra’s new apartment . . . and the appearance of the ghost of Jonathan’s gone-too-soon husband, Ben, who is breaking every spectral rule that Ezra knows.

Because Ben can speak. He can move. And as Ezra tries to keep his family together and his heart from getting broken, he realizes that there’s more than one way to be haunted—and more than one way to become a ghost.

[wearethekat]

February Book Reviews: Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore

I picked up this book because it was recommended by author KJ Charles as one of her best books of 2024. In Rules for Ghosting, trans Ezra has separated himself from his family's Jewish funeral home business because he can see ghosts. But when Ezra unexpectedly loses his job at the same time his mother leaves the business, Ezra is forced back home to help with the accounting--in close proximity to both the ghosts and Ezra's handsome, recently widowed housemate, who volunteers there.

This is a sweet romance novel focused mostly on Ezra's family drama. He's a recovering ex eldest daughter, and struggles with anxiety and feeling unsupported. On top of which he has to deal with being furloughed from his job, and the family crisis when his mother confesses to having an affair with a woman and leaves the family. Ezra's crush on Jonathan, who lives in his house as well as volunteers with the funeral home, takes second stage to Ezra's complex relationship with his parents and two siblings. The paranormal aspect trails at a distant third--there's no underlying paranormal worldbuilding, Ezra just has the ability to see ghosts mostly as a convenient plot device and thematic element about being haunted by the past.

I also liked that Ezra is an observant, practicing Jew, which isn't very common in romance novels. While Ezra has complicated feelings about his religion, it's something he's deeply embedded in regardless. Ezra's mother confesses to the affair during Passover seder, and a major plot point occurs while eating kosher marshmallows during Lag B'Omer. The plot important family funeral home does Jewish burials and is struggling to hold out against being bought by a big conglomerate.

Recommended for anyone who'd enjoy a romance light on the romance but with excellent family dynamics.

[jspinkmills]

RULES FOR GHOSTING by Shelly Jay Shore hits all the right notes. Sweet and soulful and sad - but in the best kind of way. This book has so much heart!

[alongwaytostar]

Jonathan and Ezra from the trans Jewish romance Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 3.5/5

Book Blurb:

To save his family's failing funeral home—and his own chance at a queer love story—a reluctant clairvoyant must embrace the gift he long ignored in this poignant and tender debut. “Part romance, part ghost story, part Jewish family epic, Rules for Ghosting is a meditation on life, death, and healing that is at turns bitingly funny and deeply moving. Shelly Jay Shore is an immense talent.”—Anita Kelly, author of Love & Other Disasters Ezra Friedman sees ghosts, which made growing up in a funeral home complicated. It might have been easier if his grandfather’s ghost didn’t give him scathing looks of disapproval as he went through a second, HRT-induced puberty, or if he didn’t have the pressure of all those relatives—living and dead—judging every choice he makes. It’s no wonder that Ezra runs as far away from the family business as humanly possible.

But when the floor of his dream job drops out from under him and his mother uses the family Passover seder to tell everyone she’s running off with the rabbi’s wife, Ezra finds himself back in the thick of it. With his parents’ marriage imploding and the Friedman Family Memorial Chapel on the brink of financial ruin, Ezra agrees to step into his mother’s shoes and help out . . . which means long days surrounded by ghosts that no one else can see.

And then there’s his unfortunate crush on Jonathan, the handsome funeral home volunteer . . . who just happens to live downstairs from Ezra’s new apartment . . . and the appearance of the ghost of Jonathan’s gone-too-soon husband, Ben, who is breaking every spectral rule that Ezra knows.

Because Ben can speak. He can move. And as Ezra tries to keep his family together and his heart from getting broken, he realizes that there’s more than one way to be haunted—and more than one way to become a ghost.

Review:

Ezra can see ghosts... and when he starts seeing the ghost of the dead husband of the guy he's currently crushing on while dealing with the financial issues, his family's funeral home business, and family drama... it's definitely going to be a complicated time. This was a really soothing story about a family drama and a trans character who can see ghosts with a touch of romance, healing, and grief. There was so much happening in this book and I did appreciate that the story dealed with love, loss, and family all while discussing Jewish culture. It's a really warm read overall and deals with a lot of heavy topics. It's nice but not exactly what I was expecting and felt a bit slow. However it was an nice read overall and one that I would recommend to others. Ezra is an interesting character and I did enjoy his friend group so much. The romance was very light and the rep was fantastic.

Release Date: August 20,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[libraryleopard]

based on my expert bookseller perusal of upcoming titles i believe a theme in young adult fiction this fall will be "gay guys with magic powers falling for the undead"

[whatcha-reading-today]

Rules for Ghosting | Shelly Jay Shore

I read this as an ARC provided by NetGalley.

This story focuses on Ezra, a Jewish transman, yoga teacher, dog dad, doula, son helping at the family funeral home, and somehow happens to see the dead. This book is so ridiculously well written and I feel it almost passes into the literary fiction category. Ezra, Aaron, Becca, Jonathan, Ben, and even Sappho the dog (the best dog!), are so well-written, described, to the point where they feel like folx you know.

I do think there's a lot going on in this book and the romance is really on the backburner so I wouldn't read this if you're expecting a relatively straightforward MM romance. A central theme is on grief. How we process grief, respond to it, and death practices...all of it's at the forefront here. And I love this line from the end of the book: Not all grieving has to hurt.

There's a lot of beauty and hope in here and I can't believe this is a debut.

Read in: May 2024

Format: e-book ARC

Favorites 2024

[bookshelvesandtealeaves]

✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨

Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

[instagram]

I really enjoyed the cosy vibes of this book. The ghosts were benevolent and kind of just there, just chilling. I kind of wish we got more about them, though. More about how Ezra deals with them, what he does for them, why they’re there. It’s kind of this unexplained phenomenon which might work for some but is usually my main problem with magical realism.

Ezra and Jonathan’s romance was really sweet. I loved the slow burn, the way they carefully eased into things rather than tumbling head first. I really adored Jonathan as a character and lowkey think I would have enjoyed this book more from his POV?

I adored so much of the supporting cast and I wish we’d got more with Ezra’s housemates and friends. They all seemed really cool and there was a great opportunity for that found family vibe and I’m sad we didn’t get that. I did love Ezra’s actual family though, and I loved the way the siblings worked together on everything.

The main reason this isn’t rated higher for me is because I just didn’t understand where the main character was coming from, and I think a lot of that has to do with the author telling instead of showing. We’re told he’s feeling all these things but we’re never really shown exactly why (or if we were, I’m lacking empathy and did not notice any of it was that big a deal). The result is a breakdown that felt a bit over the top? He’d had a big, rough day and that would be reason enough for a minor breakdown, to need to be looked after, but it went beyond that and left me feeling a bit confused in all honesty. I also just got tired of how little self-worth the main character had - it went beyond sympathetic and into frustrating for me.

All in all a decent read but some things that could have been done better.

[pridepages]

have you considered Rules for Ghosting???

I just looked this up and it looks awesome! Added to the TBR, thank you for the rec!

[lgbtqreads]

Happy Jewish American Heritage Month 2024!

Happy Jewish American Heritage Month! As always, we’re celebrating with books! For even more recs, check out previous years’ posts! Middle Grade Just Shy of Ordinary by A.J. Sass Thirteen-year-old Shai is an expert problem-solver. There’s never been something they couldn’t research and figure out on their own. But there’s one thing Shai hasn’t been able to logic their way through: picking at the…

[rheadionne]

Check out my review of Rules For Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore 

[iffingly]

brotherly bonding time

[enidtendo64]

TW: Heavily implied Child Abuse

Stowaway AU where Pacifica becomes a stowaway on the Stan-O-War 2 after trying to run away from home to California. Things don’t exactly work out as planned, but at least she’s got a “Summer Internship” away from her parents now!

[thebubblesareevil]

Danny Phantom

Written by Jazz Fenton

Danny Phantom was a story that built a generation of superheroes.

It’s the story of a young boy that had power thrust upon him and he rose to the challenge. Him and his friends worked hard to keep their town safe no matter how crazy things got.

He fought monsters and gods and even kings but still struggled to balance school and protecting the town. His sister did what she could to help but it wasn’t until after she learned the truth behind his identity that they were able to truly bond as a family.

The story end with Danny going off to college after closing the portal forever. He would go on to be an astronaut and fulfill his dreams.

Jazz wished it was true. She wrote the Danny Phantom books so there would be a record of what her brother had done. That in some small way he would never be forgotten.

When she was in her late 30s, heroes came out into the light. It hurt to see them, they reminded her so much of her brother.

One day jazz, now 46, gets a call from a newspaper celebrating authors and they want to present an award to her in metropolis.

What she wasn’t expecting?

As they are announcing her award a new person comes on stage to present it.

Superman. He went on to say that the Danny phantom stories were part of what inspired him to become a hero “when he arrived on earth”

She felt a pang in her heart as he spoke, but when the flash, green arrow, black canary, green lantern and even Batman stepped forward to tell similar stories she could feel tears welling up in her eyes.

She manages to hold back her tears until she is at the podium looking at the bronze plaque with her brothers name on it.

The brother she hadn’t seen in almost 30 years.

She fell to the ground sobbing, the plaque clutched tightly to her chest.

“I’m so happy” she sobbed “I was so afraid this world would forget him, after everything he did for it.”

Jazz Fenton refused to elaborate. She couldn’t, other wise she would break the deal that kept peace between the realms.

The GIW saw no harm is foolish bedtime stories. They hid any and all proof that Danny Fenton otherwise known as phantom ever existed.

So long as he never returned, his friends and family would be safe.

Unfortunately for them, superman is one hell of an investigative reporter and he has the world’s greatest detective at his side.

[buttdumplin]

yeah simon is the one to scare people away when they get too close you, using his size and movement to intimidate, simultaneously shielding you behind him

yeah soap is the one barking loud, creating a spectacle and calling people out, and warning them away

yeah kyle is the one humiliating people, mocking offenders until either their own actions dawn on them or they finally recognize the venom in his eyes

but price is the one that launches into swinging. there is no warning, no hesitation. taking a step, even a single word against you, warrants immediate action in his mind. it's no laughing fucking matter. you are a top fucking prize, his prize, the best the world has to offer. john is rabid in his protection, bearing tooth and boot and claw and fist. there’s no point in talking to him or trying to negotiate, an offense is an offense and he won’t meet it halfway. someone looks at you the wrong way? they won't be able to see out of swollen eyes after headbutts them, crushing their nose. someone whispers something nasty about you? good luck even eating with that jaw wired shut. god forbid someone touches you, the other three boys can barely hold him back. john will break countless bones in every way he knows and beat his knuckles bloody if your smile starts to drop.