Scandal in Copper Lake

At the age of five, Anamaria Duquesne had a vision of her mother's death. Twenty-three years later she returns to Copper Lake to find out what really happened the night her mother died. The authorities ruled the death an accident, but Anamaria senses there is more to the story. Her family's psychic abilities lead her to the town's wealthiest family and she is determined to learn the truth - even when it becomes clear that some folks would prefer she leave the past dead and buried. Robbie Calloway refuses to buy into Anamaria's psychic "act." Hired to keep an eye on Anamaria, Robbie soon finds himself helping her piece together clues to a mystery that may expose dark secrets of his own family. Robbie can't deny the soul-stirring connection he feels with Anamaria though he knows she would never fit into his world where race, wealth, and social status are closely scrutinized. Robbie's always been content with the status quo, but he starts to feel that there's something missing. When Anamaria's psychic abilities prove unerringly correct, Robbie finds himself slowly starting to trust her as he begins to doubt his own beliefs. Curses and traditions are hard to break, but if Robbie and Anamaria can overcome the legacies of the past, perhaps they can solve the mystery of Glory Duquesne's death...and discover a destiny neither of them could have ever foreseen. SCANDAL IN COPPER LAKE is a paranormal "light" romance that unfolds at a leisurely pace meshing nicely with its fictional southern locale. It's not an edge of your seat thriller, but what it lacks in action, Pappano delivers with well crafted characters and an honest portrayal of their struggles. With a confident pen, she has written a compelling romance that tackles some of the sensitive issues that arise in interracial relationships. The dubious history of Anamaria's family could have easily landed this story in the "epic fail" pile, but the heroine's intelligence and dignity shine so brilliantly it leaves little doubt that it's Robbie who is indeed "outclassed." She doesn't need Robbie to save her from danger or a terrible life; she simply wants to know what happened to her mother and dares to dream of a better life for herself. Robbie's internal struggle feels authentic and initially it won't endear him to the reader, however when he starts to question his preconceived notions of his perfect match, I couldn't help but appreciate the growth of his character. Pappano deserves kudos for taking a risk with SCANDAL IN COPPER LAKE and if you crave a unique contemporary romance with paranormal elements, you'll definitely want to add this one to your reading list. ~*Courtesy of Paranormal Romance Reviews*~

I'm a long time fan of Ms. Pappano's, but this book hit a high note with me. It's the story of a woman who could be ashamed of who/what her family history is, but instead is proud, self sufficient, and very strong. The heroine not at all stereotypical. Rather she's a woman others should aspire to be. I loved this story so much, I could barely put it down. The strong conflict of an interracial romance set in the south kept me on the edge of my seat right up to the end. I had no idea how it could ever end happily-ever-after. Ms. Pappano kept me guessing until the last word.

The Duquesne women are blessed with the sight, but cursed when it comes to love. They love well and long and unwisely. They also never marry. Anamaria Duquesne understands this even when she meets Robbie Calloway, a rich lawyer from the good side of town. Anamaria, born on the wrong side of the tracks, returns to her childhood home, the place her mother died, in search of answers about her mother's death. When she starts digging into her mother's past, she runs head on into Robbie. He believes her to be a charlatan, playing on people's emotions. Even so, there's attraction between the two. Both accept this allure is temporary. The closer they get to uncovering evidence about Anamaria's mother, the tighter their bond becomes. Will it be enough to overcome their class and race differences? Will love win in the end and break the curse? Although I felt the ending a bit rushed, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you are a romance lover and haven't tried the newly published eHarlequin romance books, you need to. The stories are full-bodied, rich with colorful characters. This latest book by Marilyn Pappano is a good one to start with.

*May contain minor spoilers* This is my first crack at Silhouette Romantic Suspense and it did not disappoint. Normally I stick to Intrigues and Nocturnes, but the gorgeous cover and characters caught my eye and I had to check this one out. I like to pay attention to first chapters particularly in how the author sets up the conflict and characters for the rest of the story. This one was done beautifully as we got to know the backstory toward hints of the scandal of the title and how it ties in with the hero and heroine. HQN doesn't do many interracial books featuring this pairing and they definitely need to especially if there are more written like this one. The story centers around Anamaria Duquesne who has returned to her home in small town Georgia to learn more about her mother who died when she was younger. Anamaria was brought up with her grandmother and along with a special gift of foresight about people that seems like a curse at times. While researching about her mother and the possible scandal, she meets up with Robbie Calloway, a hard edged attorney who is hired to keep an eye on her. He doesn't believe a lick of Anamaria's powers and is wary of her, but also very attracted to her. Sparks are immediate but Anamaria keeps on her guard knowing how the women in her family are prone to losing their hearts to men. Soon Robbie and Anamaria's attraction grows as they dig deeper into her mother's mystery and Robbie grows protective of her while battling over centuries of his family's teachings to marry a certain woman. I loved the author's opening notes in her description of the characters. Two people who seem completely different yet deep down are very similar and good for each other. I loved that Anamaria could hold her own against Robbie's gruffness and often he reflected on this himself as he was admiring her as a person. She makes an assortment of lawyer jokes and Robbie's reaction (or lack thereof) made me giggle even more. Both characters are strong not only in mind but in temperament and their stubbornness toward each other. The way the differences in races were handled here was wonderful and at the same time identifiable. The experiences felt real in the tensions an interracial couple would face today and the reactions of the world around our hero and heroine were handled in a believable yet subtle way that still had an impact. The character's backgrounds were given and although they did come from different cultures and upbringings the themes of wealth, family and professions are explored in how it frames the characters even down to the little descriptions of the houses. One particular scene I liked was prior to Anamaria visiting an old friend of her mothers. While one family was poor and worked in serving the other very wealthy family, the poorer family ended up very rich in the love and compassion shared between each other that was lacking in the more wealthier family. Robbie, like Anamaria notes, is very much a product of his