Haunting Highland House

oh my what a wonderful and unique plot. Enjoyed. thanks!

Even though I rarely read ghost stories, I was drawn to read this one. Really enjoyed it far more than expected. Author does a great job of weaving the past with the present and making it appear like these events really happened. Can't wait to read this author's other books.

I found this book on netgalley while looking for something new and different. The title caught my eye and the blurb reeled me in. The haunted New England historic home setting sounded exactly like what I was looking for. So, I requested the book and received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

And, honestly, I FLIPPIN LOVED IT. The hauntings in the past and the present and the house shrouded in mystery area all wonderful. The atmospheric elements of the seasons, the water, the topography, and the interior of the spaces are well developed and easy to visualize. I loved getting to know the secondary characters in the past and the present, learning how the town changed, and particularly how house was used and changed at each point in time.

While the odds were stacked against Robert and Samantha, a major understatement, I loved how their romance developed and grew. Seeing how each of them experienced being a fish out of water made me think of all those times I wished I had been swept back into the past (trust me, it was a constant wish for a lot of my childhood). The question of how they would get their happily ever after kept me turning the pages and curious to know what would happen next. And, while there are still a few questions – how his mother reacted, what was Eddie’s future, etc – I love that the epilogue answered a few of the big questions. Talk about an amazing ending! WHEW! That last page is a doozy!

And, oddly enough, the part that has stayed with me the most has little to do with the story, but is about house itself. While reading the book, I wondered where the line was of historic home vs event space. And, once I finished, I wonder how that line might have shifted. I’ve worked in a few historic homes and the two spaces were always very separate. The museum employee side of my brain says that no employees would ever consider sitting on the historic furniture and the kitchen would not have been updated. What were their tours about – the house and family? So, if that is the case, why was it the events manager the person that lived there instead of a curatorial care taker? Why not in a separate house so they could interpret the staff’s quarters? Was that a stipulation of the family to put Samantha in that job (much like the key)? Which, of course, got me to wondering about how the mission statement of Highland House shifted once Robert made efforts to better preserve the house. Were the furnishings different since Eddie’s family didn’t have to buy them? Did Robert’s private office reappear? What about the rose gardens? But, this is a happy set of questions that my brain is having fun mulling over. It doesn’t cause any negative feelings and, really, it just makes me love the book even more since it tickles both the romance reader and museum professional sides of my brain.

So, to recap, if you like a ghost/haunting time-travel romance, particularly set in an historic home, I highly and enthusiastically recommend this book. Go read it!!!

A time travel story that will keep you turning pages until the exciting conclusion. Not your average, cookie cutter star crossed lovers tale. Readers will be swept into the mystery and romance that is woven throughout the book. Definitely recommend.

What a wonderful debut novel! I must say I did not expect so much from this book, however, I am so happy to write that it surpassed my expectations. The book is well written and has a wonderful plot. The characters are great inside this one. I enjoyed the way it unfolds and was captured to the extent of not wanting to put it down. The author has done a great job with this time travel romance. It has mystery, passion, life, and family as well as the regular elements that will keep you involved in the story itself. I look forward to more from this author! I was given this book in return for an honest review. Anna Swedenmom