Monday, July 3, 2017

BOOK REVIEW for "Kindred Spirits (Restless Spirits, #2)" by Jean Marie Bauhaus

****(4) out of 5 stars!

SYNOPSIS:

When crime reporter Derek Brandt paints ghost whisperer Christine Wilson as a charlatain on the nightly news, her sister Ron, an actual ghost, is incensed. Defying her sister's wishes, Ron takes it upon herself to haunt the skeptical journalist and turn him into a true believer. But Ron gets more than she bargained for when she discovers Derek is already haunted - by the ghost of his murdered brother, Jimmy.

After spending years watching over his kid brother with no way to communicate, Jimmy is ready to do whatever it takes to get through to him so he can move on to his final rest. Ron is happy to help, but they need Chris in order to relay Jimmy's message to Derek. Only problem is, despite all evidence to the contrary, Derek is still convinced Chris is a fraud. And after what he did to her reputation, Chris isn't exactly filled with warm feelings for Derek, either.

Can the Wilson sisters help Jimmy break down Derek's resistance and accept that his brother is still present and in need of help? And can Chris and Derek put aside their mutual distrust for Jimmy's sake? If they do, they just might find that enemies can turn out to be kindred spirits.

~
REVIEW:

This was a totally delightful tale, replete with some returning characters as well as a slew of new ones, both living and dead.  The book is full of people and ghosts, all just trying to do their best in life – or death, as it may be.  The interactions between sisters Ron and Chris are so enjoyable, often humorous, sometimes cranky, and almost always meaningful.  The interplay that is added with other individuals makes it even more interesting and often fun. 

The story is much less dark than its predecessor volume in this series, even though the danger is just as real, and turns out to be more from living sources than dead.  There is plenty of mystery and intrigue, including some old-fashioned snooping, as well as ghostly sleuthing.  Chris finds herself in danger on more than one occasion; luckily, Ron, even though dead, proves to still be a very able protector, and is able to round up good slew of secondary characters, who are helpful.

The connection that develops between Chris and Derek is a fun one to watch progress.  Talk about an unexpected relationship!  Neither of them is really prepared for it, but that’s probably what makes it so fascinating to watch. 

I was disappointed that Ron’s sweetie Joe was rather sidelined in this tale, but the fact that it was actually addressed in the action was good.  Hopefully, he’ll be included more in any future episodes.

This story has a definite resolution and ending on many fronts, but there is definitely room for more storylines.  I understand that the author has at least one more tale in the pipeline, and I can’t wait to read more about Ron, Chris, and their beaus.  


I received a free eBook copy of this title from the author & NetGalley
and have willingly provided an honest review.  

#KindredSpirits  #RestlessSpirits

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