When Ryan Monroe lost his soul mate he thought that his life was over. Sure he goes through the motions of living, but that’s all it is. The only passion in his life is what he spills onto his canvases and they are landscapes of blood red misery. Then Evan Oliver moves in next door. Feelings that Ryan thought dead along with Victor suddenly surface and Ryan must decide if he wants to continue down the path he has been on.
Giving up the Ghost is the story of love lost and love found. Ryan is still reeling emotionally from the loss of his lover two years ago. His grief is deep and he has spent the past two years suppressing his grief. He expresses his grief and anger through his paintings and G.A. Hauser does a wonderful job of using the descriptions of his work to show Ryan’s emotional state. Evan is a shadowy and mysterious character and it is evident to the reader from the start that there is something supernatural about him. Most of the story is focused on Ryan and Evan and Evan’s continued efforts to help Ryan overcome his grief. I really enjoyed the reasons behind Evan’s appearance in Ryan’s life and I liked the story. I would have really liked to have gotten to know Victor and Paul, Evan and Ryan’s previous lovers, better but I understand their role and how it was incorporated into the story. This work is a bit darker than most of G.A. Hauser’s other works but no less enjoyable. I laughed, I cried, and I enjoyed every word.
