When Elda Elwood goes on a visit to her actor lover Jake Reynolds’ ancestral home, she is drawn by a portrait of his ancestor, eighteenth century rake Lord Lucas Lovegrove.
She learns the tragic story behind the viscount’s marriage to the innocent young heiress Rose Ashworth.
Elda senses that the portrait has strange powers, and that the house is haunted by Lovegrove’s predatory and sexual ghost…
And what is the secret of the sinister pagoda in the grounds?
‘Come, my charmer.’ Fingers like icicles caressed Elda’s left hand.
She tried to pull it back under the warmth of the covers, but whoever it was kept a tight hold on it. That cold didn’t jerk her into wakefulness; she knew she was still half dreaming, and that was why she wasn’t put out that another man was in the bedroom.
Now she knew who he was. Though he had been dead for two-and-a-quarter centuries, she wasn’t alarmed. Still, she wanted to sleep, and grunted a protest.
She had been dreaming about moving through the grounds in a magical silver gilt light, and she wanted to try and drift back into that dream. Still, the melodious voice lured, though not much louder than the murmur of a rising wind rushing through a bamboo plantation.
‘You do not fear me, my sweet? Come and be mine.’
She could see him through her closed lids, seemingly both in her half-waking dream and here. This Lovegrove was like the one in the vision she had seen in the conservatory, still youthful despite his excesses.
He wore some embroidered robe of either a deep blue or bluish crimson, his form not being material enough for her to tell which. She knew it soon would be. The robe, loosely tied, was falling open, so that she could see that he was naked underneath, his bare chest revealed, the muscular definition as fine as Jake’s, the golden hairs glinting in the moonlight…
Review
This was a short read, both literally and figuratively. It went by quickly and was a breeze. Great for a feel-good book, provided you’re okay with creepy ghosts. They really weren’t too creepy, and the ending was warm and fuzzy.
On the other hand, the book felt very short and somewhat underdeveloped. I was confused about why the characters were where they were and what they were doing. The beginning featured some back-and-forth between present and ghosts from the past, so it took me a bit to feel grounded in the modern-day setting. And then once I did, the main character would occasionally use words like “bosom,” and I’d have to remind myself this wasn’t historical. The female lead seemed like she was supposed to have a troubled past, especially with relationships, but that never felt fully realized.
All in all, a quick read that’s great if you want a little bit of romance, a little bit of paranormal, and a little bit of fun. Recommend for paranormal fans, romance and otherwise.
Marianna Green lives in the UK, has a geekish fascination with English Literature and History, and an irrepressible sense of humour.
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All the opinions expressed in this review are my own. Read the full disclosure here.