Blame it on the Ghost
Delia CarnellContemporary romance
Available from Cerridwen Press
ISBN: 9781419910661
August 2007
| Amberly Ross is a romance writer with a messy divorce behind her. She’s looking forward to spending the summer house-sitting for her mentor in Florida. But when Amberly arrives she finds the house occupied by horror writer Dylan Hart, who claims he’s the house-sitter. Dylan is battling a few demons of his own, one of which is writer’s block as he is confronted with writing book #13. After sparring a few rounds the two writers attempt to cohabitate peacefully for the summer, but strange things keep happening. Amberly’s work in progress is tampered with and objects go missing only to turn up in strange places later. The mystery grows and so do Dylan and Amberly’s feelings for each other.
Carnell created some strong, memorable characters with considerable emotional wounds and issues to overcome. I quickly came to care for Amberly and Dylan and was caught up in their journey to find the love and acceptance they needed from each other. Character and emotion are at the very heart of romance and Carnell seems to have mastered these elements. The setting, on the Florida coast, was deftly painted and used to generate an atmosphere that enhanced the plot. The pacing of the story was good, with enough action to keep me turning the pages. Sometimes the plot seemed a bit contrived and I really had to depend on that willing suspension of disbelief. But the desire to find out how Dylan and Amberly would overcome their obstacles drew me through the book. I was a bit disappointed with the ghost. She was used as a plot device rather than a character. Carnell missed the chance to create another strong character that would have added to the richness of the story. However, Blame it on the Ghost is still a very satisfying love story and well worth the read.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Kara Lynn Russell |
