Book Review: Lingering Spirit by Marilyn Meredith (Contest)

If you want a romance novel that will fascinate you while it tugs at your heart strings, pick up a copy of Lingering Spirit by Marilyn Meredith.

Nicole Ainsworth is angry with her husband Steve when he tells her he applied at several Northern California sheriff and police departments. He never even discussed it with her first. Nicole adores Channel Harbor where she has lived her entire life and with her family close by. Then Steve tells Nicole about his premonition--the one where he sees his own death, and he is certain if he stays in Channel Harbor, he'll die.

Nicole and Steve pack up their family and move to Quail Meadow, where Steve now works at the Goldfield Country Sheriff's Department. The night the doorbell rings and Nicole opens the door to find Sheriff Zahn and Chaplain Kober on the other side, her life changes forever. Now a widow, Nicole's once perfect world crumbles into pieces.

Distraught, miles from her family, and a single parent to her young girls, Nicole struggles to get beyond the pain of losing Steve. When strange things begin happening, Nicole is certain Steve is trying to communicate something to her. But what? Even moving back home to Channel Harbor only stops the images and feelings of Steve's presence for a short time. And when Nicole finds someone else is watching over her too, she wonders if this could mean a second chance at happiness.

I have to get the disclaimers out of the way first with this one. Marilyn is one of my clients through Pump Up Your Book Promotion. I've read all of the books in her Rocky Bluff P.D. series, and own all the books in her Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, which I began reading starting with Judgment Fire. That said, I was a bit nervous about reading Lingering Spirit. I'm a fan of Marilyn's writing, but all the books I read were of similar genres. Could she write a romance novel I would enjoy?

The answer is, oh yes!

Lingering Spirit's prologue sets the stage for this heartrending romance novel. The reader enters into the argument between Nicole and Steve over his not telling her about applying for a new job miles away from where Nicole has always lived. As with all the books of Meredith's that I've read, she drops you right into the middle of things. I'm immediately hooked. As a wife, I can feel Nicole's dread when she learns of Steve's premonition. That feeling is heightened when the doorbell rings at three a.m. and Nicole briefly considers not opening the door. What you don't know, can't hurt you.

Meredith truly makes the reader care for Nicole and her children throughout this novel, especially young, Sarah, who is having a great deal of trouble with the loss of her father. While the book focuses on Nicole's grief, I'm glad to see that the author didn't ignore what the children were going through.

What I truly enjoyed watching unfold, however, was the slow evolution of Nicole's relationship with the mysterious stranger from her husband's funeral. He's one of the pallbearers, so Nicole figures he must have been a good friend to Steve, but she's never met him. There's tension between them as he is invading territory Nicole hasn't invited him into. The mystery surrounding this man leads to a satisfying and touching conclusion to a superb novel.

I polished this book off in two days and you won't want to stop reading it once you pick it up.

Lingering Spirit is the type of book that romance lovers dream of finding.




Title: Lingering Spirit
Author: Marilyn Meredith
ISBN-10: 189234369X
ISBN-13: 978-1892343697
SRP: $12.95

Also available in a Kindle edition for only $1.95.


CONTEST: Have you ever dreamed of being immortalized in print? Well, here’s your chance! Award-winning author Marilyn Meredith is running a contest during her Lingering Spirit Virtual Book Tour, which runs from July 6th through July 30th. Marilyn will name a character in her next Rocky Bluff P.D. book after the reader who comments at the most blog stops during her virtual book tour. This book is currently scheduled to be released in 2012.