Last updated on May 7, 2026
Finalist – 2025 Readers’ Favorite Awards (Urban Fantasy)
Finalist – 2025 American Fiction Awards (LGBTQ Fiction)
Meet Pearly Gates, the sassiest spirit guide in the afterlife—and maybe the least qualified.
After dying and getting dumped by her supposedly eternal soulmate for being “emotionally unevolved,” Pearly—a former drag queen with a flair for drama—lands the worst gig in the beyond: cosmic sanitation. But when she strikes a desperate deal to prove she’s capable of growth (and love), she ends up as a spirit guide at Thunderbolt Books & Coffee—a cozy café full of ghostly mischief, spiced lattes, and a community in need of connection.
As Pearly uses her charm (and a little celestial magic) to help a young widow risk new love, a trans baker rediscover her spark, and a dying accountant romance a ghost from the 1920s, she begins to find something she thought she’d lost forever: belonging.
But when she realizes the café’s owner is her reincarnated ex—and one of her charges is falling for them—things get complicated fast. Between saving the café, dodging afterlife detectives, and sorting out her own messy feelings, Pearly must decide what really matters most.
Uplifting and full of heart, Pearly Gates is a modern-day cozy fantasy filled with glitter, grief, and healing, wrapped in hilarious celestial mishaps and the true magic of found family.
“Spectacularly entertaining and unique. The worldbuilding is dazzling, and the emotional arcs are deeply satisfying.” –Readers Favorite
“Genuinely hilarious and such an emotional bundle of joy.” –NetGalley reviewer
“My nose is still running and my heart is so full. I’d give it six stars if I could.” –NetGalley reviewer
Regular Price: $3.99
Sale Price: $0.99
The ebook is currently available exclusively on Amazon, for individual purchase and via Kindle Unlimited.
The second book in the Pearly Gates series, The Midnight Croissant: A Contemporary Cozy Fantasy in Paris (which can also be read as a standalone) is also available in this sale.
Content note: The story is largely cozy, but it does contain an instance of transphobia and a character struggling with a cancer diagnosis. Both are resolved in an uplifting, life-affirming way.
Bonnie Solomon has a passion for crafting humorous, uplifting stories in magical settings. A Midwest native and seasoned Hollywood professional, she brings over two decades of experience in feature film development with industry giants like Walden Media and DreamWorks Animation. Her passion for storytelling has driven her work as a creative consultant, where she’s written film and TV treatments, edited novels, and coached writers from outlines through final drafts. As a queer writer, she is committed to authentic and aspirational LGBTQ representation. When she’s not writing, you can find her cuddling the cat, shaking it loose on the dance floor, or finding the best latte in LA.
No AI was used in the writing, art, or marketing of this book.