Ava Read a Victorian Series That Wasn’t by Beth Brower ~ Mercury Raine: Ghost Broker

Hey, everyone!!

Guess what I just binge-read in less than two days and am now here to insist you investigate yourself?? That’s right, the Mercury Raine series by Sarah M. Eden!!

It has cozy ghosts, impossible dilemmas, quirky characters, plot twists, Victorian vibes, a sigh-worthy slow burn, the cutest baby ghost you’ve ever seen, the most infuriating slow-drip of information, and such worldbuilding. Intrigued?? Then read on, my intrepid friends.

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In the glittering world of the ton wealth is as important as rank, rank nearly as important as connections. But nothing is as vital to one’s success in Society as having the right ghost. What is fashionable in specters changes almost as often as preferred fabrics and necklines, favored Diamonds of Society and admired Town bucks. Trading an unstylish ghost can mean the difference between social success and utter failure. And no one is more adept at facilitating those trades than England’s most sought-after ghost broker… Mercury Raine.

Born a penniless orphan, he has made both a name for himself and an enviable fortune. But when the intriguing Miss Huddleston and her overbearing mother arrive at his estate, intent on making an advantageous specter swap, the carefully crafted facade he presents to the world begins to crack. Miss Huddleston has brought a secret, one that could destroy everything he has built.

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👻Things We Are Loving👻

• This is actually rather Emma M. Lion-esque, despite the title of this post. It’s more character oriented than setting oriented, but it’s still an extremely cozy Victorian series.
• MERCURY RAINE!! Someone really knows how to rename himself because wow is that a really epic name. Ya feel me??
• Those titles and cover illustrations really do something for me. They’re so aesthetic and gorgeousss.
• I know this book has–oh horrors–ghosts in it, but they’re not scary, unsettling, or creepy in any way (well, disregarding the Violet Giant. The information he has is a tad unsettling. But other than him). They are very tastefully described and incorporated in a way that seems almost normal. What do you mean, it’s unusual to have a ghost following you about?? They may as well be human characters, albeit ones who are immortal, unable to travel over 500 feet away from their attached humans, and able to phase through walls and hover. They’re actually quite cozy 🤭
• The ghosts are very well fleshed out, if you’ll pardon the unintentional pun. They aren’t cardboard or mere wisps, but capable of intense emotion, uncertainties, and insights into Mercury’s dilemmas *tips hat at the Scholar* And they’re all delightfully different!!
• There’s a slow burn romance going down…it’s so slow but I’M SO HERE FOR IT. Especially because, as Mercury has pointed out, when one is living in a house full of ghosts, one can become inevitably a bit touch starved and lonely (regardless of how human those ghosts seem).
• Mercury is such a lovable character. He has been in control for so long, keeping secrets in order to protect himself and his ghosts for so long, that he doesn’t know what to do now that things seem to be falling apart. He’s trying so hard, but he can’t protect everyone he loves. And it’s hurting him. He’s such a cinnamon roll, we love Mercury.
• I mentioned Mercury renaming himself in a splendid fashion, but hey Tacey Wilde is such a cool name too. I should have been born during the Victorian Era, my friends. I am fascinated by the names, the settings, the traditions, the slang (Victorian slang is amazing I tells you), the ghosts…oh wait.
• The twistssss…I can’t even. So good.

💧Things We Are Not Loving💧

• These books are so short 😭 Very bite-sized, but the cliffhangers are killing me because there are only three out so far AND I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. I WAS JUST FIGURING THINGS OUT.
• Um. We love these books and there’s nothing not to love. Even the ghost who can decapitate himself was done very tastefully.

Coda

So yes, folks. Ghosts in Victorian London (only we don’t actually want to go to London for some undisclosed reason; remember all Mercury’s secrets?? yeah. He ain’t spilling). I’m also reading Yes, Your Serpentine Excellency by Kate Stradling and it scratches the Emma M. Lion itch as well. Considerably more magic involved, but it’s still cozy and delightful. And long. 505 pages. We’ve got nothing but time and another month of Kindle Unlimited over here though, so we’re doing just fine *nod nod*

I’m so here for this series and I need you all to read them so we can fangirl together.

Always,

Ava 💔👻