The Haunting

I'd loved two of Hope Tarr's earlier historicals--My Lord Jack and Tempting, but forgot to keep up with her books until someone on an email list mentioned her. Now I'm scrambling to catch up. American history professor Maggie Holiday is putting her life back together after losing her parents and her sister in a plane crash. Part of that is a new house (well, an 1850s Victorian) in a new town, and a new job as assistant professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Except that her lover, D.C. psychiatrist Richard, calls it running away, and Maggie's starting to notice that he takes every opportunity to belittle her choices, and she realizes she needs to break things off with him. There's no rush, though--he lives in the city, and hates the small town, and her old house, so he's out of her hair most of the time. First things first--exploring her house. She finds a diary of a previous inhabitant, Isabel, who describes her romance with a Union officer, and Maggie begins having vivid dreams about the war and Isabel's life. She gets a little more than she bargained for in the attic: an intruder, dressed in a civil war uniform--though how he got in, she doesn't know. He doesn't seem violent, and the way he talks and the fact that he calls her "Isabel" leads her to believe he's a relatively harmless reenactor who's a wee bit too caught up in his role. And then he seduces her. Actually, he's Captain Ethan O'Malley, the same man Isabel had written about in the diary, and he was hanged when a man who wanted Isabel framed him for espionage. Now his ghost is trying to be reunited with Isabel, or rather, Isabel's reincarnation in Maggie, and to clear his name. The Haunting is a short book, 244 pages, but it's complete nonetheless. Maggie's reactions are much more realistic than I've come to expect in this sort of paranormal romance--she keeps trying to figure out how the "intruder" got in, gets a new security system, etc. Even after the seduction, she doesn't immediately trust him, and it takes a lot of convincing before she believes, and remembers. In addition, her relationship with Richard is, sadly, all too realistic. He tries to control her by belittling her and trying to make her doubt her sanity. But when she's doing what he wants, he acts loving and charming, so it's a real effort for her to break up with him--especially when she's not sure he's not right about her sanity... after all, she's having an affair with a ghost. Even as I enjoyed the story, I had no idea how they'd resolve the issue in the end. We learn early on that Ethan has a limited amount of energy he can use to become corporeal, so their physical relationship can't continue in the same way indefinitely. I won't give away the solution, but it was clever and satisfying. This was an "Extreme Blaze," but obviously, I read too much erotica, because I didn't even realize it until I read a review complaining that the sex scenes were too extreme. Obviously,

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques Maggie Holliday has recently purchased an historic Virginia manor when her life is turned upside down on its axis. A strange sound one night led her to the attic, where she bumped into a dream man come to life. Oddly enough, this man, Ethan, is dressed in a Civil War era uniform and keeps calling her Isabel. As it turns out, the sinfully seductive Ethan is the ghost of a soldier put to death over the love of a woman... Isabel. He has been waiting for Isabel to return to him and is convinced Maggie is her reincarnation. Just as Maggie is coming around to believing him, an enemy from their past life has shown up in a reincarnation as well, and he will do anything to keep Maggie for himself. I have to preface the rest of this review by saying this was my first book I've ever read in the Blaze line from Harlequin and the jury is still out on whether or not I'll be reading any more. I've been assured by multiple people that the things about this story that totally put me off are not typical of this category line but even so it will be a long time before I decide to try another one, when and if I decide to give it another shot. I absolutely love the premise of the story in The Haunting. After all who can resist a sexy soldier ghost searching for his long lost love who just happened to be reincarnated in to a modern day academic? Not me that's for sure! I was even willing to set aside my initial misgivings about the fact it was not just a Blaze, but an Extreme Blaze to give it a try. The story was beautifully written and I love Hope Tarr's style and think she did a wonderful job bringing Ethan and Maggie to life. I especially loved the concept that every soul on earth has a specific task they are expected to complete in this lifetime and that is what guides their life. This idea is woven throughout the entire story and gives the love story an added depth. There is a fantastic twist at the end I never saw coming as it was an idea I never even though of. Ethan and Maggie/Isabel are wonderfully developed and grow so much by the end of the story. Their insecurities and Maggie's disbelief over what Ethan tells her are very real. If such a thing could happen in real life and happened to me, I'd probably react almost exactly like Maggie, though I'd have probably been in near hysteria over a ghost showing up in my attic and telling me I'm his dead lover. The villain is portrayed well also, even if his sexual inclinations were a bit too sick and twisted for me to be comfortable during the scenes presented in his point of view. Now for what I didn't like about the story... Granted I am admittedly not exactly an erotica fan though I do read and enjoy it now and again when a particular author or storyline catches my attention. The Haunting appealed to me enough on both of these counts which is why I tried it. Unfortunately, this sexual content in this story was way too much for me. The language doesn't bother me as it give

I am not one who reads Romance novels but I picked up Hope Tarr's latest after one of her booksignings in Fredericksburg Va. I read THE HAUNTING and my only regret is that I hadn't read a Hope Tarr book before!! Ms. Tarr is a writer who knows how to describe a climate, mood, and feelings without detracting from the plotlines. You can SEE the story and characters as it unfolds and that's the mark of a good writer in my opinion. In THE HAUNTING, Hope Tarr takes us through historical Fredericksburg (as only a resident of this town can)and serves up two main characters whom cross the supernatural bridge to become lovers like no mere mortals dare imagined! GREAT SEX SCENES in this book, well-written and makes the reader feel like they are right there in the story. THE HAUNTING is a good story and one that doesn't get sidelined with "current events" (like some writers of fiction tend to do)Hope Tarr just tells a great tale of a woman who finds her ideal lover across oceans of time and the veil of death itself....it's a story I won't forget though I am not a big fan of romance novels. I am now a fan of Hope Tarr's! -Ken Knight (author of THE MIDNIGHT OIL and ISABEL AT MIDNIGHT)

The Haunting is one category romance that is very spicy with the sex scenes and talk. Overall, a very delicious and sensual read that has an overwhelming atmospheric feel. Too bad it wasn't a full length novel with more insight on our star crossed lovers especially the ones during the Civil War. Through memories and diary entries, we meet Ethan our Yankee hero and his soul mate Isabel who is a Southern Belle from Virginia. Maggie is a present day assistant professor who has just bought her first house. Maggie has been through a lot in life. She has lost her parents and sister, almost committed suicide and has a semi- abusive relationship with her former therapist. Maggie's world is about to become very interesting when she finds the diary of Isabel, a young woman who lived in the house during the Civil War. Maggie soon comes to realize that she is the reincarnation of Isabel from meeting the ghost of Ethan who resides in the home. Ethan was from Boston and in the bluecoat's army. He meets Isabel and they start having a hidden romance. Unfortunately their romance was cut short by tragedy and Ethan being framed by a man who wants Isabel for himself. We are given glimpse of Virginia and a sweet young woman's love for her enemy through her diary, along with Maggie trying to understand this all, including the ghost of Ethan who is able to be intimate with Maggie and make her remember her life as Isabel. Their love scenes sizzle even though Ethan is a ghost. But how can they have a life together? The forces seem stacked against these two but Hope Tarr gives us an incredible romance and an ending that is very touching and beautiful. Katiebabs It's A Wonderfully Sexy Life (Harlequin Blaze)

In Fredericksburg, Virginia, life has been hectic over the last few weeks for Maggie Holliday. She obtained am assistant professorship in the history department at the University of Mary Washington, defended her dissertation, and bought an 1850 Victorian house. Her high TLC maintenance boyfriend Richard the famous DC psychiatrist is unhappy with what he considers her neglect, but she is elated especially when she goes up into the attic. However, the "orgasmically challenged" professor is stunned when she explores her attic only to find a man wearing a Civil War uniform who seems familiar to her although she would swear she never met him before. He insists she is Isabel and he is her Ethan. As he begins to take her to levels of ecstasy that she has never felt before, the former frigid female falls in love, but Ethan never stays around as he constantly vanishes in thin air. Maggie considers that she is either insane or he is the ghost of her former lover in another life as he insists they are; either way there is no future unless one of them can cross the great divide. THE HAUNTING is a charming paranormal romance starring two likable protagonists whose chances of making it together seem time-crossed impossible though fans will root for Maggie and Ethan to find a way. Subgenre readers will enjoy this second chance at supernatural love between the ghost and the professor. Harriet Klausner