Review: A decent book, but didn't develop into a good series
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 16, 2013
Alexie Aaron's  Hauntings of Cold Creek Hollow, the beginning of her Haunted series, is more than your average paranormal mystery / ghost hunter novel. While much of the plot involves a group of wanna-be professional ghost hunters, the main character, Mia, who has a unique abilities to not only see and hear ghosts but venture into the spiritual realm, provides for an interesting twist.The Hauntings of Cold Creek Hollow, introduces Mia, who can see and communicate with the departed. She's emotionally damaged -- the product of a detached mother who'd rather write thesis papers than give affection and a father who was only devoted to his wife's pursuits. For the most part, Mia was raised by her uncle and his partner and a ghost of a woman who lived in her house. Due to her abilities, she wasn't accepted by her peers, although she has secretly pined after Whitney, who always stood up for her when she was bullied. Mia now keeps to herself, working the occasional job (her aunt left her a bunch of money, so she doesn't need to work *rolls eyes*) and living on an isolated peninsula to keep people and ghosts away (apparently ghosts can't cross water).All of that changes when a team of paranormal investigators come to town to check out a haunting of a recently-renovated home. The house is part of a real estate project that was designed to attract buyers from outside the area, but the market tanked and the historic homes were a steal. Mia knows there is something bad surrounding those houses, and when the investigators get wind of her abilities and rumors of more sinister haunts nearby, they tap her to help out, thus beginning a relationship with Mia and having her as a "consultant" that continues throughout the books (each one is a new case).In the beginning, Aaron managed to create compelling enough characters and speculation of great things to come to build a rough foundation to a series with potential. Mia's supernatural talents were clearly developing into something more than just seeing and communicating with ghosts, and a few minor characters were introduced that could've made an interesting story.But then Aaron must have received that annoying memo that's been going around to potentially excellent mystery novel authors that stories should be based around the character's love lives and not the other way around.Don't get me wrong, there's nothing with a little romance here and there, but this was atrocious. Not only was there too much of "who-likes-who," they had the romantic maturity level of middle schoolers. Characters would spontaneously decide to become d-bags, d-bags would decide to be the good guys, and the only purpose I can see for it was for Mia to have someone new to have in her bed.Seriously. If I want that type of trashy drama, I'll get on Facebook (we all have those friends, don't lie!).Still, there was enough potential still thrown in that I hoped this was just a phase that the author would grow out of, but about 70 percent the way through the third book, when it became all about how every guy wants Mia, I thought about just stopping there. Yes, 70 percent through a book where the mystery (sort of) was supposed to be getting good, when I should be barely containing my excitement as I turn the pages, I was so disgusted that it almost trumped my want to know the ending.But I'm not a quitter.And the really disappointing part is the ending wasn't all that bad and actually made me want to read more. But I'd been down that road before. I recognized that glimmer of hope that maybe things would get better and remembered that it never did. After reading summaries of the fourth and fifth books, I knew it didn't. So I gave up.As much as these books frustrated me, I wouldn't necessarily say they were a horrible read. There were definitely some good parts, but I couldn't get past my disdain for the characters and the "romantic" drama. If that's your thing (or if you don't mind it), you might find this series enjoyable.