Thank you KATIEANDBREYPA for this ARC and the pleasure of reading this novella.
D. Allyson Howlett’s debut supernatural fiction Spirits n’ Chai is a well-written novella. A short read which, if you are skeptical, like me, you’ll not like in the first half. But there’s no denying that the beauty of this author’s writing is captivating. It is easy to get engrossed in the scenes on the pages through the eloquent narration.
This is the story of Raina, who works at an art gallery, who is an artist herself, but who is struggling the trauma of a bad relationship. She encounters a spirit or ghost, whatever you want to call it, who is tormented in his own way, unable to find peace after death.
Ameel, a gorgeous videographer, is the one who holds the answer to the ghost’s mystery, and the path to Raina’s rebirth. But it is not as easy as it sounds.
Raina and Ameel have to converge against their own prejudice, their past experiences and their less than ideal first impression. Only together they can finish the puzzle that would release the ghost from its misery, and, in the process, help both Raina and Ameel grow past their experiences and live free.
There’s not much in terms of mystery as far as the ghost’s story and fate is concerned. But the connection raina feels with him, a kind of kinship, makes their relationship worth reading. There’s a lot in this novella that could benefit from a back story or deeper explanation. Bit that would make it a Novel and not a novella.
Overall this is a nice, human story which depicts very well the debilitating fear of getting back to the world after the end of a bad relationship. I would say it is more of a supernatural fiction than spiritual, but that depends on the readers’ perspectives.
This is a good book to read during a flight when you can forget yourself for a couple hours.
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/3BWcQYT