Justine Callaway, a freelance
photographer, takes a job as caretaker of a once beautiful house now
sinking into ruin. She took the job trying to escape from the
terrible sadness of her brother's death. While exploring the house,
she finds a locked armoire, opens it and finds a man's clothing.
Fingering the corduroy jacket, she feels a connection to the person
who wore it.
Adam Buchanan, the owner of the jacket,
killed his brother thereby destroying the Buchanan family. Although
someone sees him commit the murder, he is able to escape and is now
living in Southeast Africa. Adam sees a photo of Justine in a
magazine, is convinced they're soulmates and becomes determined to
find her.
This book is filled with beautiful
descriptions of the Buchanann house and the South African desert. For
me, these were the best features of the novel. The characters start
out interesting and the plot is well designed for suspense. However,
moving between the two very different environments and lifestyles,
the story loses focus. There are too many plot lines that peter out.
An example is the Watcher from the prologue. He seems like a
character that could have an impact on the story, but he drifts out
of the action after a brief appearance halfway through the novel.
This is not a typical romance novel,
nor a ghost story. Justine and Adam believe they are soulmates. They
yearn for each other, but their meeting ends in tragedy.
My disappointment with the book was the
ending. I felt the author tried to tie up loose ends and make the
ending happy, but after all the angst and mystery it felt false. If
you enjoy a tale of star crossed lovers, I think you'll like this
book, but if you're looking for a traditional romance, it's not for
you.
I reviewed this book for Net Galley.
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