Still Close to Heaven

Wonderful ghost story..reminded me somewhat of Sala's "Annie & the Outlaw". Jackson Tate was killed in poker game and is sent to save Rachel whose family has been killed along a wagon trail. She is just a child but decides he's the one she's going to marry. Jackson leaves her with a family but the mother dies a few years later and the father is a mean man who beats her. Jackson is supposed to wipe Rachel's memory of him but he's in such a hurry to "get the job done" so he can go on to his reward that he forgets. He "lingers" in a saloon for 15 years until he's sent back to Rachel to make sure she gets married because she is to have a daughter who becomes a doctor. Naturally, things don't turn out like they're supposed to. Jackson falls for her because she is the first person who ever cared what happened to him. Rachel convinces him to take whatever happiness they can find until he has to go back. This is a must-read for anyone who believes in the magic of love.

This book is awesome.. the first one of Kathleen Kanes which has made me an advid reader of her other books. I even referred my family and friends to read this book, and they too agreed with my feelings towards Still Close to Heaven! FYI for the reader who was unsure who lesley was in the book.. He was kinda like the one in charge of the actions Tate did. He gave him the direction of his other assignments. So when Tate started falling for the damsel Rachel... Tate had to prosuade Lesley to let him stay with Rachel. Hope I was some help! :)

Kathleen Kane has done a wonderful job writing this story. The only element that confused me was the character of Lesley. I never quite figured out who he was and how he fit into the heavenly situation that brought Tate into the "neither heaven nor hell" dilemma. This minor confusion didn't matter enough to cause me to dislike the book at all. It's a wonderful read. I despaired that Rachel and Tate would ever get to be together near the end, but I should have known that Kathleen's skillful suspense was destined for a happy resolution. Good going, Kathleen! I particularly love ghost stories, so I hung on every passage, enjoying the ride and the read.Kathleen's characters always become people you'd love to meet-even the dandified Lesley. I have a few questions for him. Lee Emory

Very Highly Recommended 4 1/2 stars out of 5 Love scenes: Not a lot of 'em but they're sensual I adored Kathleen Kane's last novel (A POCKETFUL OF PARADISE) which had me falling for a grim reaper hero! Her newest hero is on the opposite side of the spectrum. He's a ghost/guardian angel who also turns out to be quite the cupid! Jackson Tate's life ended much too early when he was shot by a cold blooded gambler. Having spent the majority of his life in shady saloons, Jackson is not quite suited for Heaven, but he hasn't done anything bad enough to deserve the torments of Hell, so he remains stuck haunting the saloon where his life ended. When his superiors order him to rescue an orphaned girl, who's family has perished in a carriage accident, he jumps at the chance thinking his eternity in limbo has finally ended. But he messes up big time when he forgets to wipe the incident from young Rachel's memory. Fifteen years later he is offered another assignment. This time he has six weeks to find Rachel Morgan a husband to get her pregnant because she is fated to have some very important children the first of which is due to arrive next Spring! Armed with six magical coins he thinks this task will be a snap. Until he meets Rachel who has grown into a beautiful but stubborn and opinionated woman who has frightened off the most ardent of suitors. Rachel, founder of the Stillwater Spinster Society, which has set the gossipy town on it's ear, is single, prosperous and wants to stay that way. She believes there is only one man for her, the *angel* she gave her heart to years earlier and refuses to settle for anyone less. She's given up on the idea that he will return and has resigned herself to spinsterhood. When Jackson finally returns, only to tell her she must marry some man - any man will do - in order to have that all important baby she is furious! So, Jackson decides to start using those magic coins of his but instead of marrying her off he screws up his wishes and manages to play cupid for all of her spinster friends instead! Now, the only spinster left in Town, she is royally ticked off!! And to top it all off she is having feelings for her angel/ghost who insists on marrying her off so he can leave her again. Not even his magic will save his non-beating heart when he starts having some of those same feelings towards her. . . Sounds like an impossible plot doesn't it? But it works. Wow, does it work. After reading too many romances lately that lost track of the romance this book was like the first gorgeous spring day after a dark crummy winter. All of the characters (except for the villain, of course) were so likable with all of their idiosyncrasies and insecurities. Another thing I liked about this book is the fact that the characters aren't perfect. The hero doesn't start out as your perfect politically correct hero cleaned up for the 90's and he gets a real rude awakening when he meets Rachel and her friends. Aft