Phantom Lover (43 Light Street)

Rating:
Summary: Too tenuous and vague
Review: A bit too much of a mixed bag for my tastes. We are supposed to believe he has supernatural powers, we are supposed to think he is a ghost. Then he is an amnesia victim, but somehow he recalls all sorts of things about his past life. She is supposed to be a Private Eye sent by his sister. The motives of all the villains are not threshed out clearly, and the book just has too many inconsistencies. The characters also lack depth-I mean, this is Harlequin but they should still be something other than their jobs or medical conditions-we never do get to find out why they fall in love so intently in the first place seven years ago, let alone now. And the fact that they already love each other diminishes the tension. Since we don't believe in the villains or the insuperable obstacles, we don't believe in their love and commitment either.

Rating:
Summary: exciting modern day gothic romance
Review: Helen London asks her friend Bonnie "Bree" Brennan of the Light Street Detective Agency for help. Helen's brother Troy, a widower for about a year, has vanished except for his emails, but those seem so out of character for him. The sleuth agrees to learn what is going on.

On the drive north of San Francisco to Troy's home Ravencrest, Helen thinks back to her attraction to the owner when they met seven years ago, but alas nothing came of it as she had to leave. At the estate she informs the housekeeper that she was just hired to teach Troy's daughter six years old Dinah. The Sterlings, who live in the mansion and act like the owners, question the newcomer and treat Bree as hired help. Once settled, it is the ghostly sounds of Troy that frighten the undercover sleuth, but courage comes from the waif Dinah who needs her and the haunting comments of the weird residents who claim the owner is a prisoner inside his walls. Though scared, Bree searches for the missing Troy not yet realizing the danger she faces.

The latest 43 Light St. tale is an exciting modern day gothic romance with all the usual sub-genre elements that light up the book from the moment lightning strikes as Bree arrives at Ravencrest. The story line will hook fans fully appreciative of Bree's concerns for father and daughter as the eerie and the dangerous seem in control of the foreboding edifice. The stereotyped secondary cast fits quite nicely inside the gothic atmosphere that haunts the heroine and the reader. Rebecca Yorke is in top form as usual.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: exciting modern day gothic romance
Review: Helen London asks her friend Bonnie "Bree" Brennan of the Light Street Detective Agency for help. Helen's brother Troy, a widower for about a year, has vanished except for his emails, but those seem so out of character for him. The sleuth agrees to learn what is going on.

On the drive north of San Francisco to Troy's home Ravencrest, Helen thinks back to her attraction to the owner when they met seven years ago, but alas nothing came of it as she had to leave. At the estate she informs the housekeeper that she was just hired to teach Troy's daughter six years old Dinah. The Sterlings, who live in the mansion and act like the owners, question the newcomer and treat Bree as hired help. Once settled, it is the ghostly sounds of Troy that frighten the undercover sleuth, but courage comes from the waif Dinah who needs her and the haunting comments of the weird residents who claim the owner is a prisoner inside his walls. Though scared, Bree searches for the missing Troy not yet realizing the danger she faces.

The latest 43 Light St. tale is an exciting modern day gothic romance with all the usual sub-genre elements that light up the book from the moment lightning strikes as Bree arrives at Ravencrest. The story line will hook fans fully appreciative of Bree's concerns for father and daughter as the eerie and the dangerous seem in control of the foreboding edifice. The stereotyped secondary cast fits quite nicely inside the gothic atmosphere that haunts the heroine and the reader. Rebecca Yorke is in top form as usual.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I Love Rebecca York's work and have been on a quest to acquire her backlist, but I was disappointed with this book. To sum the story in one word, it would be "vague." Both Bree and Troy (the leads) were not given enough depth. It seemed as though I was reading the same basic, repeated information and never really got to know them well enough to like them enough. I also love paranormal stories, my favorite authors in that genre are Sherrilyn Kenyon (awesome web page [sherrilynkenyon.com]), Jayne Ann Krentz, and Christine Feehan, and so the paranormal aspect was not the problem. What really bothered me the most was I really don't think this should have been a part of the "43 Light Street" series. Other than a mention that she worked there and a phone call at the end, there wasn't any involvement with the previous cast. I've come to expect the "Calvary" of past and future characters to work together and solve the case. I gave this review 3 stars because the suspense was interesting and it was written by a favorite author of mine, but this is definitely a book in the series that if I had known, I would have skipped. Which is something that I consider completely taboo when it comes to a series, but this story was easy to put down and find excuses not to rush back to.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I Love Rebecca York's work and have been on a quest to acquire her backlist, but I was disappointed with this book. To sum the story in one word, it would be "vague." Both Bree and Troy (the leads) were not given enough depth. It seemed as though I was reading the same basic, repeated information and never really got to know them well enough to like them enough. I also love paranormal stories, my favorite authors in that genre are Sherrilyn Kenyon (awesome web page [sherrilynkenyon.com]), Jayne Ann Krentz, and Christine Feehan, and so the paranormal aspect was not the problem. What really bothered me the most was I really don't think this should have been a part of the "43 Light Street" series. Other than a mention that she worked there and a phone call at the end, there wasn't any involvement with the previous cast. I've come to expect the "Calvary" of past and future characters to work together and solve the case. I gave this review 3 stars because the suspense was interesting and it was written by a favorite author of mine, but this is definitely a book in the series that if I had known, I would have skipped. Which is something that I consider completely taboo when it comes to a series, but this story was easy to put down and find excuses not to rush back to.

Rating:
Summary: This is supernatural romance, it's not realism.
Review: In response to CBDB's review, I would like to say that I think that person looked at the book from a realistic point of view when they read it thus causing them to think that their were too many inconsistencies. I would also like to mention that it seems as if the author purposefully left some things vague, because she wanted the reader to decide for themselves whether or not it was true. For example, at the beginning of the book, before the story starts, there is a letter from the author which says she wants the reader to decide for themselves whether or not Troy is a ghost. If this letter is read by the reader, then they know that the fact of whether or not Troy is a ghost will not be spelled out for them. Perhaps CBDB did not read that letter, which could explain why they were left confused about Troy and thought the author was being too vague. I like being left to figure out things for myself, and did not feel as if it was too vague. I was left convinced that Troy was a certain way, I'm not going to say which way since I don't want to ruin the plot, and thought that the author gave me enough details to come to the conclusion which I did.

This is the type of book that you have to suspend your belief to enjoy. If you are looking for a realistic tale of romance, this is not the book for you. The name alone should give the reader the idea that there will be supernatural elements involved. I did not find the supernatural elements unbelievable since I went in to the book knowing that unrealistic things would probably happen. Perhaps CBDB was expecting a more realistic tale.

I thought that Bree and Troy were fleshed out enough, and I understood why they felt the way they did about one another. And there were points where I thought there was no way that they could end up together, so it was suspenseful for me. But I do agree with CBDB about the motivation of the villains, and how it could be explained better. And also the ending seemed too rushed.

The reason why I am giving the book only 3 stars is because it wasn't as much of a page turner as I expected it to be. There was a part where I thought about giving up on it, but I forced myself to pick it back up. I also thought that some parts were dragged out too much, and I wished that the author would pick up the pace. But I did think that it was a lot less cliche than some of the other Intrigues that are out there, and that the author did a fine job with describing the characters and setting.

Rating:
Summary: 43 Light St
Review: In the darkened bedroom of Ravencrest, Bree Brennan was seduced by an unseen lover. A lover whose scorching kiss was strangely familiar. Was her midnight caller Troy London, her onetime love, or was it the mythical ghost who haunted the cliffside, windswept estate on the California coast?
A P.I., Bree had come undercover to Ravencrest to find its owner, Troy, and ensure his well-being. But Bree knew she was out of her league the moment she saw its dark rock spires and its creepy inhabitants who claimed a crazy Troy was a prisoner in his own chambers. But Bree heard his husky voice, felt his sizzling touch... Exactly who was weaving an undeniable, erotic spell around her?

Rating:
Summary: Modern Gothic not to be missed!
Review: Private Investigator, Bree Brennan, finds herself working undercover at a lonely cliffside mansion at the request of a friend, Helen London. Posing as a tutor to Helen's niece, Bree's mission is to discover the truth about Troy London's mysterious disappearance. Bree hasn't seen her ex-lover in years but she never stopped thinking about him. Is he being held against his will as his sister believes?

Bree must keep her own identity and Troy's daughter safe from the mysterious residents of Ravencrest. But her plans didn't include being seduced by a ghost in the middle of the night. Or was it a ghost?

Will she learn the truth of Troy's disappearance before time runs out?

I highly recommend your read Phantom Lover to learn the answers. Rebecca York has created a modern gothic that will leave you on the edge of your seat, impatient to turn the pages. But don't skip to the end. You'll want to savor each heart pounding twist in the path. Victoria Holt fans should not miss this suspenseful tale.

Rating:
Summary: Great Gothic Homage
Review: Rebecca York pays homage to the classic Gothic novel in Phantom Lover. You'll find all the classic elements here. The isolated old house, the cast of frightening characters, the shadowy hero with secrets to hide at all cost. Yet in York's hands, each of these elements gets a very modern twist. And nowhere is the updating more apparent than in the sensuality of the relationship between a phantom lover and Bree Brennan, the woman who is determined to discover the secrets hidden within the stone walls of Ravenwood. On her first night in the stone fortress, she is awakened in the night by the kisses and caresses of a man she is unable to see. Who is he? Troy London, the owner of the house, who seems to have gone missing? Or is he the ghost who has been said to haunt the edifice for decades? As the sexual relationship intensifies to fever pitch, Bree moves closer and closer to the solution to a frightening mystery.

Rating:
Summary: Too Many Unanswered Questions
Review: This book is part of the 43 Light St. series but unlike most of the other books in the series, this one had too many unanswered questions. It was vague and unsatisfying. There was an element of the supernatural to it, which was fine, but the question of what really happened was never answered. I suggest skipping this book, if you aren't insistent on reading every book in the series.