The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks

The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks - Josh Lanyon 2.5 start
I really wanted to love this one. There's a slow build with Perry and Nick that should be great. And Perry is so wonderful and surprising and sweet. The thing is, Nick is basically a homophobic ass. And the fact he's ultimately gay doesn't really negate that little bit o'fun at the beginning where his internal monologue about Perry is all kinds of rude. So I'm not feeling like he's redeemed. Also, what's his family deal? For all the words in this book (and there are sure a lot about the mystery and secondary characters), I ultimately have no idea how Nick's family reacted to his wife, departure from the SEALS, or anything else. I have NO idea what he's doing in tiny-town Vermont.

The mystery plot intertwined with the extensive cast of characters was a bit OTT. It needed some tightening and wasn't all that mysterious.

Beyond that, there's some writing issues. I've been Josh Lanyon fangirling for weeks now. And I think I've just about decided that first person POV is my favorite. And 3rd person with both MCs POVs is a hot mess. This book was 3rd, and there were problems. I was thrown out of the book in at least 3 spots where there was some sort of head hop or view change. Usually, it was only a sentence or short paragraph where suddenly we're reading what the opposite character feels or how he's reacting to a situation. It's frustrating.

Did I like this book? I honestly couldn't tell you. Despite the issues, I have some good feels about Nick and Perry and their togetherness. Lanyon is a master of my feels these days. I have to give credit for that. So a middle grade here, and if you're a fellow fangirl/boy then read this too. Maybe don't read it as a first exposure though.