3.5 stars.

Clive is a coaster. He goes about his daily life with the minimum amount of effort and that’s enough for him. His job is a no brainer, his girlfriend is barely there. And then one day, while he’s out kayaking with his “girl” friend, they encounter a spider web, intricately constructed over years. When his girlfriend challenges him to go through it, he destroys the web with his paddle and promptly falls into the water. The “water” in his ear won’t come out however.

The story follows Clive through his series of mishaps. His friends, his family, his job, and the new parasite that takes up residence in his brain, which gives his life new dimension.

In the vein of Stephen King and The Night Gallery, this story is wonderfully creepy. An average Joe who finds himself suddenly anything but average. The beginning was somewhat confusing, but it’s worth sticking with this one. The first chapter is flashback, and the rest of the story returns you to how he got to that point, and beyond. The cast of characters is well developed and I found myself guessing on several points all the way to the end of the story. Like the spider’s web, the plot is intricately woven.

Lesley has had enough of her abusive boyfriend. She throws him over and is on her way to the airport when a freak storm hits along the way. Blinded by a migraine and struck by lightning, when she opens her eyes, she's on a pirate ship two hundred years earlier.

Harlan is a superstitious pirate, troubled by the sudden appearance of a naked woman on his ship. Not only is it bad luck, this mystery woman looks startlingly like his dead wife. The ship's doctor convinces him to take the woman on, disguising her as a boy.

Storms continue to plague the damaged ship, and the mutinous crew tries to leave it's captain to sink with the ship. Lesley and Harlan struggle through the trials and dangers of life in 1711, including releasing the spirit of Harlan's wife from a prison he has created with words spoken in ignorance. As they travel along the journey together, saving each other from the ravages and dangers, the electrical attraction that pulls them together creates a bigger problem for them. Thrown into the wrong time, how will they be able to survive - together?

This book was fast-paced, with obstacle after obstacle, including prejudices and overcoming ignorance. It was a fun ride that I read voraciously from beginning to end. The paranormal elements were intricately woven. I'd recommend this book.

Reading the paperback version, the line height was too small to accommodate letters with "tails" (making Dr. Gilroy appear to be Dr. Gilrov, etc.) There were also a couple of instances where quotation marks were replaced with "2013" in odd places. Typsetting issues with the publisher. Once I adapted to those oddities, I had no other "editorial" problems.

Justin Dickerson is an archeologist suffering from a case of manic depression. Walking through her life like a lost soul, she survives with the support of her family and her work. Until she stumbles upon an ancient secret that captures her imagination and sends her on a quest to translate ancient documents buried with the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The repressed documents explain the origins of civilization and some of the great mysteries of the world. Will it change how we view the world? The foundations of our religion? And if you were destined to receive this information, what would you do with it?

This story moved slowly for me, spoon feeding pieces of information to unlock a secret thousands of years old that would change the course of history. The ultimate revelation of that information was an interesting concept, but the slow start coupled with the lack of a professional editor made it difficult to stick with the story to its conclusion. I was 75 percent through before it caught me and carried me to the end. While the author's characterizations are strong and the story is interesting, structurally, I struggled to get to the payoff.

Jesse Damon was imprisoned when he was a minor because he took the rap for his brothers. They anticipated he’d get off because he was a minor, but when the charge became murder, Jesse was charged as an adult. Innocent and literally left holding the bag, he has paid 19 years of his life for a crime he didn’t commit. On parole as part of a work release program, Jesse wants to get on with his life, the one he was trying to live before his brothers roped him into their criminal plans. But the police have other ideas.

Working third shift at the steel mill, Jesse is harassed by a forklift driver while clocking in. Fortunately for him, the foreman assigns him to a high-profile spot on the assembly line, one he can’t leave unless someone else takes his place. During that shift, someone kills the forklift driver and Jesse, the convicted murderer, is the only person the police consider. Even though he has a sound alibi.

Jesse doesn’t want to make any trouble. He just wants to get on with his life, so he does what he’s learned in prison. Cooperate, but keep to yourself as much as possible. Because of his status, the bad guys aren’t afraid to approach him to pull him into their scheme, and that is what ultimately helps Jesse unintentionally steer the police in the right direction.

I’ll start by saying this isn’t the sort of book I would normally pick up and read, but when KM Rockwood asked me if I’d review it, I agreed. I like a well-told tale, and this story fits the bill. This is a book about crime, about dealing with prejudice and preconceived notions, and about persevering. Jesse’s characterization was riveting. I felt every frustration along with his carefully maintained “yes sir” attitude. He’s intensely aware of his precarious position on the “outside,” relishing every moment of monitored freedom, in spite of his lack of luxuries or amenities. Jesse lives a hard life, but he’s determined to overcome his challenges, and that’s what makes the story interesting. There was never a lag in the action, and Jesse’s hardened naiveté (how’s that for an oxymoron?) works beautifully.

Review to follow

Justine Hale has her hands full. Her husband left her to become a monk on some faraway island, but he didn’t just leave her. He left two young children and his own dependent mother. If that isn’t bad enough, upon the death of Justine’s father, her pampered mother finds herself in dire straits. Now, instead of being a wife and mother, Justine is the perfect example of the sandwich generation, left to care not only for her children, but her remaining parents as well. Family in tow, she moves from Virginia to Alabama, to a home with a cheap price tag that is rent to own and quickly discovers why it is such a good deal. The old place is run down and in need of repairs and updates.

Tucker Highsmith lives in a renovated barn on property that used to belong to the Roberts, a home that has long been abandoned and neglected. When he delivers the keys to his pretty new neighbor and sees the baggage she has in tow, he is only too happy to high tail it out of there – except he can’t seem to get Justine off his mind.

Add in a “ghost” who is “betwixt and between” and determined to regain her physical status, and Justine has a house full of misfits. She struggles with control issues, certain that the rest of them are unable to cope or care for themselves, until Tucker steps into the mix and helps her to deal not only with her own issues, but to show her how to let the birds in her nest find their own way.

This was a fun, light story. Although a bit dated from its original publication, the story stands the test of time well enough. The house is off the beaten path and Justine’s financial situation would explain some of the lack of modern day conveniences – it works. I was expecting the ghost to do more haunting, there is only one “haunting” episode which is actually more humorous than frightening. It was fun to watch Justine grow through the course of the story. Sticking in my own personal nitpickiness, the point of view switches sometimes caught me off guard and I lost track of who was thinking what. I also think it might have done without the ghost (or maybe I was hoping for more ghostly manifestations). With that being said, this was an entertaining read with a colorful cast of characters that made me smile. It is definitely worth the read.

Oh I do love Ms. Balogh's books!

Of course I gave it five stars. I'm the author :-). But I think you'll like it, too. Check out what everyone else is saying.