Smoky Mist: The Legend of the Ghost 👻Train –by– C.J. Baty

Jesse Lawson was never afraid of the strange and unusual dreams he had. But lately, they were becoming darker leaving him with a need to discover why he was having them. He believed he would find answers at the site of logging camps in The Great Smoky Mountains. His great grandfather had lived and died there, and Jesse was sure it was Jackson Douglas haunting him.
Carter Thompson never knew his great great uncle George Thompson, but he inherited his land, home, and money. George had come here to America to find work in the lumber camps. Meeting Jesse Lawson was about to turn his world upside down. Jesse’s dreams somehow involved Carter, and the more they searched the closer they became.
George left journals that could clear up many mysteries, including Jackson Douglas’s death. Now it seemed that something was trying to destroy Carter and Jesse’s growing attraction to each other. Whoever it is will stop at nothing to keep them apart, even if they have to repeat the past to do it.

There will be three books in this series. Each is a stand alone and can be read in any order. Each has a HEA.

(The Legend of the Ghost Train #1)

Name of Book: Smoky Mist

Series: The Legend of the Ghost Train Book #1

Author: CJ Baty

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, LLC

Release date: January 27, 2020

Page Count: 158

Genre: MM Paranormal Romance

Rated: 4.50🌟, Mature, Explicit

My Thoughts and Review:

When I was asked about perhaps doing an ARC for this book a few things caught my attention right off the bat…first, this was going to be a new to me (n2m) author, second, this takes place in and around my childhood stomping grounds, and third, it’s a ghost story as well as a gay romance and I am a sucker for a good MM paranormal romance. So, Smoky Mist was a no-brainer for me.

The Story takes place in the mountains of East Tennessee, close to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. While the small mountain town is fictional, it’s quite reminiscent of many found in and around Sevier County.

Jesse, one of the book’s MCs is bothered by dreams and visions of a time and place that go beyond just normal dreaming. He knows he has to investigate further, because the dreams he keeps having are about an ancestor of his who died in a train accident. This train accident and this old logging town he keeps seeing in his visions won’t let him rest until he finds some answers…to what questions, he is not yet sure.

Carter, the book’s other MC, tried to make a life for himself in the big city, but home kept calling him back. Now Carter lives for his bar and grill, The Train Stop, and for the town’s small museum telling about the railroad and logging camps in the area a century ago. A young professor and researcher has reached out to Carter requesting use of the museum for his research, and perhaps some tour guide help into the mountains where the site of the camps used to be.

This book was paranormal romance at its finest. Being from the South, we love our ghosts, spirits, and other haints (oh yes! it’s a word). When you throw in two strangers brought together by chance, fate, or the power of the beyond, toss in a mystery regarding the ghosts, why they seem so intent on making contact, then you have crossed over into paranormal paradise.

Baty did an excellent job incorporating southern charm and quirkiness, along with elements of surprise and sometimes fear and trepidation. While remaining true to the plot Baty seamlessly wove a tale of romance throughout, connecting dots from the past to those in the present, while still keeping them two separate places in time. This way Carter and Jesse’s romance never took a backseat or was made to feel second best to events from the past.

If you love a good ghost story, or just a lovely romance a bit off the beaten path, you’d be hard pressed to find one better than, Smoky Mist. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.