Black Dog Rising by Kat Caulberg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This story is about Emmeline Aubrey and what happens when she arrives in Ninestone Downs after escaping from her ex boyfriend and his murderous ex wife’s ghost. She moved continents to be with him, but after everything, she had to leave in order to be able to survive, but with only a small suitcase and what she hurriedly grabbed on her way out, she has nowhere to go and nobody to help her, that is until a mystery stalker appears and follows her all around the town. In a last ditch effort to lose his, she tries to escape through an alley, but it is a dead end, so as she slips into a doorway and after shouting loudly asking what the stalker wants and that she has called the police, she prepares to attack the would be attacker with her shoe, but when the door behind her suddenly opens, she falls down the stairs and into a mountain of human flesh, who proceeds to scare off her pursuer before asking her if she is ok and to explain what had just happened.

As her rescuer helps to clean up her new injuries and tactfully not ask about the other ones, she asks about the name of the pub she is in and his name, Toby, that is until he touches her arm and something like electricity passes between them, but also something more than that, she is not sure if he feels it too, but when he brushes it off, she is sure that he hasn’t. When she asks about an available room, he appears hesitant but when she says she has nowhere else to go, he has space for one night, the room is tiny, but at least she has one night to make her plans and figure out what she will do next. After a nap, a nightmare and a shadow she swears looked like the shape of a woman in her room, she realises that she had left all her toiletries and phone charger in London and so decides she needs to go out and get some, so she finds the barman who offers to take her after she has paid for her room. After getting the things she needed, they stop to get something to eat and as Toby, asks her more about herself, she avoids the questions with evasive answers until he sees someone and chases after them, leaving Emma alone, but when an old man startles her and then asks her to go see the puppets with him, she feels like she is being pulled after him, again until Toby finds her and breaks whatever hold he has on her.

The relief she feels is unusual, but the strangest thing happens when she tries to think about what has just happened, but putting it down to exhaustion after the last couple of days, she ignores it, the thing she cannot ignore is what happens every time her skin comes into contact with Toby’s, she knows he feels it too, but he makes excuses, as does she, however, as time progresses, more unusual things happen to her and Toby keeps on rescuing her, they cannot deny what is happening, but will Emma be able to figure out what is happening and who her mysterious stalker is, or will she be lost to the enchantments which seem to swirl around the small village and why is Toby keeping his distance when she knows their connection is growing stronger? The only way to find out the explanations and solve the mystery is to read along and find out with them.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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