Haunting Paranormal Romance in Her Dear & Loving Husband
By
Her Dear & Loving Husband by Meredith Allard
How long would you wait for the one you love? That is the central question in this paranormal romance that spans the history of the Salem Witch trials and yet is as modern as yesterday’s cappuccino. Sarah Alexander has come to Salem from Los Angeles after a divorce and a new job offer that she is looking forward to beginning. Her work in the university library brings her in contact with Jennifer, the head librarian who also just happens to be a witch, of the Wiccan variety. While driving her home during a rain storm one day they pass an old house that Sarah recognizes from her dreams. She knows this place, for she has kissed a man and been kissed by him by that old gnarled tree many times in these dreams.
A Charmed Paranormal Romance
When she returns to look at the house she meets James, and the most impossible paranormal romance begins. For James has a secret, one that has left him alone and lonely for hundreds of years, mourning the loss of his wife Elizabeth, the woman that Sarah is the spitting image of. When they meet it is kismet and somehow they know each other. In time we find out why, and the mystery of old loves returned and patience in a paranormal romance that longs for closure moves forward.
Unfortunately, life and love is not without its snags, and theirs comes in the form of a reporter by the name of Kenneth Hempel. He has some information, the kind that may put Salem in an uproar and bring back the witch trials on an even bigger scale then the first ones. The question is can he prove what he suspects? Is he a hunter out for prey or simply a curious reporter looking for a good story?
Love in a Backward Glance
As we watch Hempel pursue his ideas and James try to convince him he is following a false lead, the history of Salem is told as a backdrop that is embellished by Sarah’s dreams. They are dreams so vivid, of events that she couldn’t possibly know about, that she doubts her own sanity at times. But they tell her a story that at first she questions but in time begins to accept in dazed amazement. It is the story of a love worth waiting for.
The story is well told, and the characters are charming. Allard has made a bit of a name for herself in the world of historical fiction and her comfort with that genre shows in the story as she intertwines just enough of the true story of the Salem Witch Trials into this paranormal romance to make it all work on both levels.
I always enjoy any kind of paranormal story better when there are parts of it that make it more believable, and she has brought this history in for just the right effect. You come to care about Sarah and James, and to feel their bond as the story grows. I know that the second book, Her Loving Husband’s Curse has recently come out and I am looking forward to grabbing it and reading it soon. There is just something so satisfying about a paranormal romance like Her Dear & Loving Husband; it makes you want to curl up and keep reading. Do pick it up if you love romance with that paranormal twist.
