Synopsis

Erin Dovetree cannot forgive her father for cheating on her mother years ago and has sworn off men altogether. That is until destiny leads her to her grandmother’s incredibly attractive and mysterious landlord.

William Abbott has lived for over a hundred years, cursed with a static and unnatural existence as punishment for his past sins. Although drawn to the lovely and intelligent Erin, he refuses to subject her to the fate that is his alone to bear.

As Erin pieces together the story of Will’s past and discovers the true cause of his timeless existence, she must reconsider the judgments she has made in her own life. And to have any chance at a life together, she and Will must find answers to the questions that have plagued them both.

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Excerpt

Erin snorted quietly. “Meet him? When would I ever meet your landlord?”

“Right now,” replied her grandmother, as though it were obvious. “I need you to take my rent up to him.”

“What?” gasped Erin. “Absolutely not. I am not going up there to check him out, Grandma. I’m sure our paths will cross eventually.” She added under her breath, “And I’m sure he’s not as ‘handsome’ as you say he is.”

“Get up, Erin. My rent check is already made out. It’s under the saltshaker on the table.”

Erin sat up straight and crossed her arms, feeling like a petulant child. “No, Grandma, I’m not going up there.”

Her grandmother rubbed her hands together, then looked up at Erin with a crinkle in her brow that was designed to elicit sympathy.

“Honey, I really need you to take it. It’s almost the end of the month, and I forgot to give it to him when he came for his visit. It’ll be late if I mail it. You know I would take it up there myself if it weren’t for my arthritis.”

“I’m sure there’s a grace period,” replied Erin, already feeling her resolve weaken. “Or you can have Dad do it when he comes over tomorrow.”

“Please, Pumpkin.” The crinkles in her forehead deepened masterfully. “I would sleep a lot easier knowing my rent is paid.”

Erin never could resist a “Pumpkin” plea from her grandmother. She knew she had no choice.

“He’s probably not even up there,” said Erin, pulling herself up and walking reluctantly to the table where the check lay, mocking her. She picked it up and slipped it into the back pocket of her jeans. “There’s probably a mail slot or some basket for rent checks up there, now that he’s here,” she reasoned, walking to the door. “Your devious little scheme to have me meet this mysterious Mr. Abbott is not going to work, you know.” Erin reached for the doorknob. “I’ll be back in a minute, Grandma. Prepare to be sorely disappointed.”

She could hear the old woman chuckling from her chair as she closed the door behind her.

Shaking her head, Erin walked up the three flights of stairs to the apartment where the allegedly gorgeous Mr. Abbott resided. Half annoyed, and half amused, she wished she could have just a fraction of her grandmother’s spunk when she turned twenty-seven later that year, let alone when she was in her eighties.

As she climbed up the last few steps to the third floor, she scanned the area all around the door marked 3A for a mailbox or a slot for dropping off rent without success. Too soon, she thought. The poor guy hadn’t even gotten himself situated yet, and her grandmother wanted her to stalk him.

Taking a breath, Erin raised a fisted hand and gave the heavy wooden door three strong knocks. She would wait about five seconds, and, if there was no answer, she would return to her grandmother’s apartment victorious.

Two seconds had gone by when the door opened. “Can I help you?”

Damn it. He was gorgeous.

Review

This is a clean and sweet romance with a touch of the paranormal. It is a good blending of these and creates a delightful book.

Erin and Will are destined to be together, but they don’t know it. No one really knows that, except maybe Erin’s grandmother. Will was born in 1853, but here he is in the present, and he doesn’t look like he has aged a day. The prologue hints at why, but the full explanation is not revealed until the end of the book. Erin distrusts men due to an event with her parents when she was 15, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t looking for love or marriage. She is particular and won’t jump in the sack with any man just because he wants it.

Will and Erin have baggage they must work through if a relationship is going to work for them. It takes a lot of time, conversations, and even separation before they get their HEA. These two click, and there is a deep attraction, but that baggage is holding them back.

I enjoyed the two timelines because it allowed me to understand Will better and why he believed the way he did. He is the one who needs to dump his issues the most, but Erin’s issues with her father hold her back as well. Erin’s father is not likable, and it is understandable why Erin wants nothing to do with him. However, a confrontation clears up a lot of their issues. It should have happened sometime in the last 12 years, but if it had, I don’t know if Will and Erin would have met or fallen in love.

The story kept me hooked, mostly because I wanted to know how Will didn’t age. While I had an inkling as to why, but I didn’t understand the whole story. This is the second in the series, but you do not have to read the first book to read this one. The prologue will give enough details to tie the books together regarding a particular gemstone.

While I liked Erin and Will, I thought Grandma stole the show. And the comments about Mrs Meyer…I can only imagine what she was doing in her apartment.

A very enjoyable story, and we give it 4 paws up.

About the Author

Kathryn Amurra is the author of sweet and sensual love stories. Her debut series, Soothsayer’s Path, is a historical romance series of standalone books set in Ancient Rome around 115 CE. Her new series, Heart’s True Desire, is a paranormal romance series of standalone books published through The Wild Rose Press. Kathryn has been making up stories for as long as she can remember and writing since grade school. Against the advice of her 12th grade English teacher, she studied Mechanical Engineering in college, then worked as an Engineer for a few years. After finding and marrying her own hero, she and her hubby went to law school together. They currently live in North Carolina with their three girls.

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