SPIRITED AWAY

Author: Cindy Miles ISBN: 0451221451 5/2007 *CONTEMPORARY Publisher: SIGNET ECLIPSE
*North Eastern Coast of England w/inhabitants from 1292

BELIEVE IN FAIRY TALES When Tristan de Barre and his men were murdered in 1292, their souls were cursed to roam his estate for all eternity. It's been a long, dull, celibate ever after. But now Tristan's phantom heart is pounding again for the first time in more than seven hundred years because of the beautiful scientist who's digging up his castle's bailey. Can he make her notice him, or will she see straight through him? The opportunity to excavate the remains at Dreadmoor Castle has forensic archaeologist Andi Monroe tingling with excitement. It's an incredible find and a chance to study the mysterious legend of Dragonhawk, a medieval knight who disappeared without a trace. Lately, though, rational Andi is having a hard time telling fact from fiction. She could just swear she met the vanished knight, and he's a fantasy come true. But until she finds a way to help Tristan lift the curse, their love doesn't stand a ghost of a chance....

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

What an absolutely wonderful book! It is so warm, engaging, sweet and funny, that I was SPIRITED AWAY by it myself!

I am still a bit burned out on paranormals, but SPIRITED AWAY is so different from the typical vamp/wolf stuff, that I have a hard time classifying it as such. Historical and/or Medieval romantic fiction is more to my taste. After all, it is set in a castle, and aren't all castles haunted?! If not, they should be. Anyway, my point is that I do not want the ghostly knights to scare you away from this one. It's romance at its best, so do NOT pass it by due to the haunting element.

Though the tale takes place in the here and now, the descriptive setting of the castle and its grounds gives the book the feel of a historical read. The characters add to that feeling, and I do not mean just the 13th century ones, via their speech and the close knit community they inhabit. I must say those characters are all perfectly done and make great companions to the wonderful place they are given to roam. I love them all. Even the bad ones!

The romance, however, is the show stopper. It is so bittersweet and romantic, that as much as I enjoy a book with a hot sex scene, I find I enjoy the actual relationship between a hero and heroine even more. I will say one other thing about the magical relationship between Tristan and Andi, because it is not like anything I have read before and would like to surprise you with it. I will give a clue, though: Ghost.

This is the most charming story I have come across is some time. It has such a wonderful plot, characters, setting, and dialogue, I eagerly await the next book.

Shannon Johnson