The Sceptic

By: Lily Morton

Narrated by: Joel Leslie

Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

As the best friend of a psychic, Will Buchanan can’t help but believe in the dead. It’s the living that he finds to be problematic. However, after a spate of betrayals, he finally has the chance of a new life within his grasp, and he’s not going to risk it for anyone or anything. Staying safe is the name of Will’s game.

Jem Dawson defines the word temporary. A talented cameraman, he’s here today and will undoubtedly be gone tomorrow chasing adventure and danger. But, while he’s in York, he’s made it clear he wants Will, and Will can’t help liking the charming daredevil.

This inconvenient attraction results in Will accompanying Jem to the site of a notorious poltergeist outbreak. A malevolent spirit has targeted a family, and now the ghost hunting team for whom Jem does camerawork are going to be locked down in the house for three days.

The house is strange and filled with sinister and violent undercurrents. One by one, the group experiences threatening incidents, and as events escalate, Will has to ask himself if he's risking not just his heart but also his life with this impulsive gesture.

This is the first book in the Arcana Books series featuring characters from the best-selling Black and Blue series.

©2022 Lily Morton (P)2023 Lily Morton

Not One of my Favorites

Overall this was an ok listen. I enjoyed some parts of the story more than the others, I liked the romance and the humor and Will was my favorite character. For me story was moving with a very good pace for the first half of the book, but around 60% mark it started dragging a little bit. Narrator did a good job with character voices, but it did take me a little time to get used to the voice he was using to tell this story. Usually I enjoy listening to this author/narrator team and I am looking forward to their other stories.

Will and Jem’s ghostly romance

I really enjoyed this book. Will and Jem’s story was sweet but a bit creepy. All of Lily Morton’s books are incredible and this one is no exception. As always, Joel Leslie’s narration was done well.

Interesting

This was a interesting story. I liked the layout and the story it was interesting and kept me in gaged. The characters blend well together. Will and Jem make a intriguing couple. The narration was amazing love Joel Leslie and his amazing ability to bring stories to life. Can’t wait for more.

Excellent story and just what I needed

Lately, I’ve been feeling slow on romance novels, and this one gave me exactly what I needed as a pick me up! It was a sci-fi ghost story with just the right amount of action, horror, and mixed in with a little bit of love. I almost wish that there was a part two to the story. I very much enjoyed the characters and want to see where their relationship goes. Joe Leslie 💉, of course didn’t outstanding performance as always kudos to him! If you’re looking for an engaging read and are a little bit of a sap then this is your book!

Very well done paranormal romance

The Sceptic is a paranormal romance that has a bit of a different feel to it than many Lily Morton books. Honestly, I think it had more of a scare factor and suspense than The Mysterious and Amazing Blue Billings, which this series is a spin-off from. That said, the spookiness is well balanced with a sweet romance and some lighter moments to make it an enjoyable read I was more than happy to get lost in while listening.

Both main characters in The Sceptic are introduced in The Mysterious and Amazing Blue Billings and there is some character overlap fans will no doubt appreciate. However, I believe this book could read just as well as a standalone as it follows secondary characters on an entirely new adventure. I quite liked both men and found Jem’s gentle demeanor and calm insistence to fit well with Will. Conversely, Will is a complex, interesting character I really enjoyed seeing develop throughout The Sceptic. I loved how his comfort in himself and his place in York among his found family palpably took hold while the story unfolded. It drew me into Will and Jem’s life just as much as the ghost story intrigued me.

The paranormal element in The Sceptic is exceptionally well done. I loved the twists and revelations throughout the book. I also appreciated that there was a full story to learn, rather than a jump scare factor for the reader.

As always, Joel Leslie imparts a fair bit of personality and emotion into his narrative performance. I believe his bright, lively tone probably lightened the book a bit—as even with the scary bits, I didn’t feel exceptionally jumpy. Rather I was pulled along on a wonderfully spooky adventure and lovely romance. I’d definitely recommend The Sceptic to readers who enjoy paranormal romance and think the audiobook may be a particularly good option for those readers who tend to get scared more easily.

Enjoyable! I love the world Lily Morton has built!

The Sceptic by Lily Morton is a spin off of her original series Black and Blue series. This book picks up with the side character and best friend of Blue Billings, Will Buchanan and love interest Jem Dawson. This book was lovely! The ghost mystery was enigmatic and mysterious, but a bit slow. I enjoyed Will and Jem's relationship though! Both characters gradually got close together and built a foundation, and were snarky and sarcastic. I loved their snarkiness. Even so, I still felt more drawn towards Blue and Levi in the previous series, and I wanted them both to show up more in this book. Overall the mystery and slow building relationship between Jem and William was slow, but entertaining and cute as they progressed throughout the story. As always Joel Leslie, did a great job bringing this story to life with his talented voice!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this audiobook.

Suspense, Humor, and Romance

I was always intrigued by Will since reading about him in the Black & Blue series (based on his best friend Blue and another great read/listen). So I saw that he finally got his book, I was super excited. I was not disappointed. Will blossomed and made me fall more in love with him as the story progressed. Jem was the perfect partner for him. He knew Will was shy and sensitive but never pushed him to come out of his shell. He was so supportive, caring, and understanding of the gentle giant Will. This story also had much sarcastic humor (which I love), scary suspenseful moments, and steam.
Joel Leslie did a great job of bringing them to life, giving each their own voice and the supporting characters. He also did a great job of projecting the creepy moments, giving me the shivers and holding my breath with anticipation.
I really hope we get more books from this world.

Spooky and sweet

One of the best author and narrator combos! This book features characters from the Black and Blue series so those should be listened to first for maximum enjoyment. If you like a spooky ghost story and a snarky/sweet romance, you’ll love this.

Joel + Lily is a great pairing

Book Review: It was so nice to start a new series with some old favorites. Will is indeed the gentle giant. He's 6 foot 5 with tattoos but not a bad bone in him. His story is a bit of a sad one, but he is trying to make the best of his life. And Jem wants to be part of that journey but he's a bit of a free spirit in himself. But this is a ghost story and kind of a freaky one at that. Lily Morton is a great storyteller, and this is an excellent example of it.

Updated for audio: Joel and Lily have become the perfect pairing. With great stories by Lily, brought to life by Joel and you have an extremely wonderful experience. I enjoyed the book when I originally read it, but Joel and his English accent is superb.

Spooky spooky

We get Will and Jem’s story! Although this is a standalone, I really really suggest reading Blue’s series (Black and Blue Series by Lily) first, I think it’s necessary to completely enjoy this one.
First of all, this has a different pace, there’s a lot of mystery and suspense, at want point I even wanted to stop reading cause some scenes were just too spooky for me. This is also a very SLOW burn story. On a positive we get to see two men really start to know and fall for each other.
Loved seeing everyone! But it’s gonna be a while for me before any more horror mysteries for me.

Narration 10/10