The Well, Marie Sexton

3.5 stars. Honestly, though, I had a really hard time rounding down on this one. For there being no romantic build or even an HEA, I usually round down but there was something sweet and anticipatory that kept me interested. Then there was the paranormal/suspense aspect. That was so well done that I pretty much overlooked the fact that I typically like a bit of romance and steam in a book categorized as part romance.

With one phone call Haven and Pierce reunite for the sake of the Hunter twins' TV show. But by recreating the seance that opened the tragedy that occurred 12 years prior they find more questions than answers. Collectively with all the male members of their little group, they piece together the information and insights of the present with feelings and clues of the past. When everything comes together, the answers are scarier and far closer to home than they could have imagined.

Marie is an incredible writer and kept the pacing steady. She mixed the past and present in a way that made sense, didn't feel confusing, and drew me in to the story completely.

I would have liked more for each character. Each one seemed quite superficial, meaning they didn't have a lot of depth beyond a shared past and similar careers in terms of subject matter. Outside of that, it was the possible ghost of Elsie that kept the story moving and kept the characters connected. Without that I don't know that there would be much to draw and keep them together. Because of that I am more okay with the idea of an HFN than an HEA. If it ended with the latter I would have absolutely dropped this down to three stars because there was little to no basis for a longer-lasting or believable future for Haven and Pierce. As it stands is better than fabricating something more. Would I have liked more? Absolutely! But that would require a longer book and more than what was already there.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC for review.