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Finally a book that lives up to the incredible cover! So many times I get so excited by a fabulous cover, but in the end, the book ends up disappointing me. I'm happy to say that such was not the case with The Sun Down Motel - I loved everything about this book! It was my January BOTM, and I went into it not sure what to expect, as unlike most of my GR friends, I was not a huge fan of The Broken Girls and paranormal books are generally not my go-to reads, but this book has given me a whole new perspective on both St. James and paranormal books.

The book is told from two POVs - Vivian in 1982, who originally leaves home to move to New York City to become an actress, but ends up in Fell, NY, and takes a job as a night clerk at the local, haunted Sun Down Motel; and Carly in 2017, who has never been able to let go of the story of her Aunt Vivian who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down years before she was born. She decides to visit Fell and The Sun Down Motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982. She soon finds herself ensnared in the same mysteries some thirty years later.

I thought both POVs were interesting and the transitions/parallels between the two were done very well, although several times at the beginning of the book, I found myself confused as to which character I was reading about, but once the flow of the book picked up, I didn't have any trouble distinguishing between the two. I really liked the vivid descriptions as well - there are many descriptive, creepy elements to the story that felt very real (even to someone like me who generally poo-poos paranormal activities).

There were just enough twists and turns to keep me guessing and while the story mainly revolves around the two main female protagonists, the motel becomes a character in its own right, adding tension and spookiness to the overall atmosphere. I loved the dramatic climax and conclusion - just the right element of real vs. paranormal to make it believable and satisfying. 5 stars all the way!