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Rating: 
Summary: a pleasing and delightful read
Review: Miss Vanessa Grayson is not your typical Regency heroine. She's able to see and converse with ghosts. And given that she is a young lady of extremely slender means, and has to fend not only for herself but also her younger sister, Melanie, and Melanie's infant son, it is indeed a fortunate circumstance that she is so singularly gifted. For Vanessa has come up with a rather nifty scheme in order to make ends meet: she hires herself out as a sort of ghost hunter. Currently, she is all the rage, and members of the ton are falling all over themselves in order to buy her services. Lord Trent does not particularly believe in ghosts and thinks that Vanessa is a gross charlatan. He even suspects her of nefarious doings and of being party to his younger brother's disappearance. Trent's brother, Phillip, has decided to single-handedly unmask all those who are involved in a revival of the Hell Fire Club -- he wants to put an end to the club once and for all. The trouble is that Phillip has since disappeared, and Trent fears for his brother's life. Ferreting about, Trent has come to suspect that another aristocrat, Lord Corbin, may have something to do with this notorious club and Philip's disappearance. And when he discovers that Vanessa is a childhood friend of Corbin's, he adds two and two and comes up with five. Sure that Vanessa is involved with this nefarious goings-on and that she is the key to everything, Trent goes out of his way to charm her. But Vanessa keeps rebuffing his efforts. Stumped for the first time in his life (never before has he had to work so hard in order to win his way into a lady's good graces), Trent redoubles his efforts. And to his dismay finds that it is he who is in danger of losing his heart to the redoubtable Vanessa. What sort of man, he wonders, finds the woman whom he thinks is involved in his brother's disappearance, attractive and compelling? And what of the obviously close and affectionate relationship that Vanessa shares with Corbin? Is it an innocent one? As for Vanessa, try as she might to remember that Trent is all but engaged to another lady, she cannot deny the attraction she feels for him. But men like Trent don't marry social nobodies, no matter the attraction. And then Vanessa receives news that Melanie's missing. And it is all she can do to juggle ghost hunting, her search for Melanie, and her feelings for Trent... -- how it will all end? "A Spirited Romance" is an extremely delightful read. On the face of it, it seems as if almost too much is going on in this novel. However, Alana Clayton maintains a light but tight rein over everything, making the novel easy and engrossing reading. The one thing I really liked about the book was her portrayal of the hero, Lord Trent. Here is a man who keeps jumping from one erroneous conclusion to another, and who is spoilt and used to getting his own way far too often. As such, it would be quite easy to dislike Trent. However, because of the manner in which the authour tells the story, and because other characters keeps warning him about these failings, I didn't feel so much irritated with Trent as I was amused, as I read along and wondered what other wrong conclusions he would leap at. As for Vanessa, she the typically intelligent and courageous heroine that all readers will find easy to emapthise with and root for. The novel unfolded smoothly and quickly. And all the characters were well drawn and depicted. So all in all, I'd say that this was a rather pleasing read that is bound to engage.
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