I picked up Good Spirits on one of those evenings that practically begs for a warm lamp, a soft blanket, and a story that sparkles a little while still meaning something. I had already read First-Time Caller and, honestly, I was fully prepared to give BK Borison my heart this Christmas, a very intentional Last Christmas by Wham situation, feelings included. So when I saw the premise, the Ghost of Christmas Past falling for his assignment, I figured it would land in one of two places, either charmingly unhinged or secretly brilliant.
Turns out it was the second thing.
This is B.K. Borison’s first book in her new Ghosted series, literal ghosts and conversations about toxic family dynamics.
The Setup (Without Spoiling Everything)
Harriet runs an antiques shop in a small town and carries around approximately seventeen layers of unprocessed emotional baggage. Enter Nolan, the Ghost of Christmas Past, whose entire job description is “show up, guide humans through their messy history, help them heal, disappear forever.”
Except this time he doesn’t disappear. This time he sticks around long enough to catch feelings, which causes his magical powers to go slightly haywire. Think: indoor snowfall, rogue mistletoe appearing at inconvenient moments, and general chaotic holiday energy that mirrors his unraveling emotional control.
Their relationship unfolds alongside Harriet figuring out which people in her life actually deserve to be there and which ones need to be gently (or not so gently) removed. It’s a romance, yes, but it’s also about grief, boundaries, and the radical act of choosing yourself.
What Makes This Book Different
1. The Ghost Thing Is Actually Meaningful
Nolan isn’t just a hot supernatural being with convenient powers. The Ghost of Christmas Past framework turns into a real exploration of how we carry our history, what it means to revisit painful memories with compassion instead of shame, and whether looking backward can actually help you move forward. (Spoiler: it can, but it’s complicated.)
2. Mental Health Gets Real Airtime
Harriet and Nolan talk about their struggles openly. There’s therapy. There are boundaries. There’s an acknowledgment that love doesn’t fix everything and that the healthiest relationships make space for ongoing emotional work. This isn’t “one kiss cures anxiety.” This is “I see you, I’m staying, and also please keep going to therapy.”
3. Toxic Relationships Get Named and Released
One of the most satisfying parts of this book is watching Harriet systematically remove people from her life who drain her, diminish her, or make her feel small. It’s not dramatic or explosive. It’s just firm and clear and kind of revolutionary in a genre that sometimes equates forgiveness with doormat behavior.
4. The Magic Reflects the Mess
Nolan’s powers going sideways as he falls harder is such a smart metaphor for how feelings leak into everything when you stop pretending to be unaffected. The snow indoors, the accidental enchantments, the way his carefully controlled world unravels? That’s what love does. It shows up in weird places. It disrupts your routines. It makes you reconsider the rules you’ve been following for centuries.
Five Things I Loved About Good Spirits
The emotional pacing feels earned
This isn’t insta-love. It’s slow, tender, slightly chaotic attraction that builds into something real because both characters actually do the work.
The side characters add warmth without stealing focus
Borison’s signature found-family vibe is here, but it supports the main story instead of overwhelming it.
The holiday setting isn’t just aesthetic
The snow, the lights, the cozy interiors create a sensory softness that makes the heavier emotional beats more bearable. It’s like the book knows you need somewhere warm to land while you’re processing grief and regret.
It treats the paranormal element seriously
This isn’t paranormal romance as gimmick. The ghost thing has rules, consequences, and real stakes. The magical realism layer makes the emotional vulnerability feel safer to explore.
It doesn’t pretend love fixes everything
Harriet doesn’t get “healed” by Nolan. She gets supported. She does her own emotional labor. The relationship is the reward, not the cure.
What You Can Learn From This Book
Beyond being a genuinely sweet and slightly weird romance, Good Spirits offers some surprisingly useful insights:
- Boundaries aren’t cruel. Walking away from relationships that hurt you is self-respect, not selfishness.
- Your past isn’t a trap. Revisiting old wounds with new perspective can be freeing instead of retraumatizing.
- Love doesn’t erase difficulty. The right relationship creates space to be messy, scared, and still working on yourself.
- Purpose can shift. If the role you’ve held forever no longer fits, it’s okay to want something different.
- Cozy matters when things are hard. Small rituals, warm spaces, and sensory comfort actually help when you’re doing emotional heavy lifting.
Who Should Read This (And Who Can Skip)
Read it if you:
- Love holiday romance but want something with a little more depth
- Are into light paranormal/magical realism without heavy fantasy world-building
- Want romances that acknowledge mental health, therapy, and boundaries
- Enjoy character-driven stories where the emotional journey is the plot
Skip it if you:
- Only read strictly realistic contemporary romance
- Aren’t into holiday settings or seasonal reads
- Prefer fast-paced, high-stakes plots over feelings-forward narratives
If you’ve ever wished Emily Henry wrote ghost romances, or if you liked the warmth of Tessa Bailey’s holiday books but wanted them softer and weirder, this might be your thing.
The Bottom Line
Good Spirits is cozy chaos wrapped in twinkle lights and emotional honesty. It’s about being snowed in with your oldest regrets and your softest hopes, with a ghost who dares you to finally choose yourself on purpose.
It’s not perfect. The pacing drags slightly in the middle, and if you’re not into the whole “supernatural guide with cosmic rules” setup, this won’t convert you. But if you’re looking for a holiday romance that actually respects your intelligence and emotional complexity while still delivering warmth, banter, and genuine tenderness? This one does the work.
Rating: 4/5 stars
(A star docked for a slightly slow middle section, but otherwise? Chef’s kiss for cozy ghost romance done right.)
Your turn: Have you read Good Spirits yet? Are you team “give me all the paranormal holiday romance” or team “keep ghosts out of my cozy reads”? Drop a comment and let’s talk about whether the Ghost of Christmas Past is actually the most emotionally intelligent guide in the holiday pantheon.Want more bookish content like this? Subscribe for weekly reviews, reading lists, and the occasional rant about why more romance novels should include therapy.
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