A tightly written ghostly romantic suspense novel with intriguing supernatural elements and sizzling sexual tension.
Serial killer expert and ghost whisperer Dr. Charlotte Stone feels honor bound to help when a colleague’s sister falls into the clutches of a Las Vegas murderer, even though getting involved threatens her life and her ghost lover's existence.
After their last case, Charlotte and the FBI team she works with are all taking a much-needed break, though Charlotte refuses to give up her research at a local prison. Distracted, she puts herself in danger, forcing her ghostly bodyguard—and current obsession—Michael to put his soul in danger protecting her. In the midst of that struggle, Lena, one of Charlotte’s FBI teammates, suspects that her sister Giselle has been taken by a Vegas serial killer. Flying to Sin City, Charlotte meets with her psychic friend Tam, who drives in from LA to help her shore up Michael’s ability to stay in the earthly plane. As the team investigates Giselle’s disappearance, Charlotte has to navigate personal relationships—aside from her problematic affinity to Michael, agent Tony Bartoli has expressed interest, and agents Lena and Buzz are involved in a complicated courtship that may not survive Giselle’s abduction—and leverage her ability to see ghosts to their advantage, without losing her credibility. In the third installment of the Dr. Charlotte Stone series, Robards takes a handful of unsettling and far-fetched plot points—violent serial killers, ghost affairs, ghost affairs with accused violent serial killers—and somehow makes them engaging, entertaining and credible. A little too much hand-wringing and second-guessing on Charlotte’s part is distracting, but Michael’s sexy, enigmatic character, Robards' adept worldbuilding and the clock-ticking rescue arc aided by paranormal witnesses create a compelling read, while the cliffhanger ending will bring readers back for more.
A tightly written ghostly romantic suspense novel with intriguing supernatural elements and sizzling sexual tension.Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2014
ISBN: 9780804178266
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an...
True love flares between two people, but they find that circumstances always impede it.
On a winter day in London, Laurie spots Jack from her bus home and he sparks a feeling in her so deep that she spends the next year searching for him. Her roommate and best friend, Sarah, is the perfect wing-woman but ultimately—and unknowingly—ends the search by finding Jack and falling for him herself. Laurie’s hasty decision not to tell Sarah is the second painful missed opportunity (after not getting off the bus), but Sarah’s happiness is so important to Laurie that she dedicates ample energy into retraining her heart not to love Jack. Laurie is misguided, but her effort and loyalty spring from a true heart, and she considers her project mostly successful. Perhaps she would have total success, but the fact of the matter is that Jack feels the same deep connection to Laurie. His reasons for not acting on them are less admirable: He likes Sarah and she’s the total package; why would he give that up just because every time he and Laurie have enough time together (and just enough alcohol) they nearly fall into each other’s arms? Laurie finally begins to move on, creating a mostly satisfying life for herself, whereas Jack’s inability to be genuine tortures him and turns him into an ever bigger jerk. Patriarchy—it hurts men, too! There’s no question where the book is going, but the pacing is just right, the tone warm, and the characters sympathetic, even when making dumb decisions.
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an emotional, satisfying read.Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-57468-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
With frank language and patient plotting, this gangly teen crush grows into a confident adult love affair.
Eleven years ago, he broke her heart. But he doesn’t know why she never forgave him.
Toggling between past and present, two love stories unfold simultaneously. In the first, Macy Sorensen meets and falls in love with the boy next door, Elliot Petropoulos, in the closet of her dad’s vacation home, where they hide out to discuss their favorite books. In the second, Macy is working as a doctor and engaged to a single father, and she hasn’t spoken to Elliot since their breakup. But a chance encounter forces her to confront the truth: what happened to make Macy stop speaking to Elliot? Ultimately, they’re separated not by time or physical remoteness but by emotional distance—Elliot and Macy always kept their relationship casual because they went to different schools. And as a teen, Macy has more to worry about than which girl Elliot is taking to the prom. After losing her mother at a young age, Macy is navigating her teenage years without a female role model, relying on the time-stamped notes her mother left in her father’s care for guidance. In the present day, Macy’s father is dead as well. She throws herself into her work and rarely comes up for air, not even to plan her upcoming wedding. Since Macy is still living with her fiance while grappling with her feelings for Elliot, the flashbacks offer steamy moments, tender revelations, and sweetly awkward confessions while Macy makes peace with her past and decides her future.
With frank language and patient plotting, this gangly teen crush grows into a confident adult love affair.Pub Date: April 10, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5011-2801-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018
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