Spirited Away by Cindy Miles

I'm back from the land of sick today! YAY! It's been a rough couple of days at my humble home. But I'm feeling much better today and am ready to get down to business. I mean, it was so bad that I haven't even had coffee all week, and you know the lengths I will go to for coffee. I still haven't heard from last months FAB winner, and remember I drew another name, so Alyssa Goodnight, please send your snail mail addy to deeanddeedish at sbcglobal.net so that I may get that to R.L. And now that the business is out of the way, on with the dish...

SPIRITED AWAY by Cindy Miles
(BCC)

BELIEVE IN FAIRY TALES

When Tristan de Barre and his men were murdered in 1292, their souls were cursed to roam his estate for all eternity. It's been a long, dull, celibate ever after. But now Tristan's phantom heart is pounding again for the first time in more than seven hundred years because of the beautiful scientist who's digging up his castle's bailey. Can he make her notice him, or will she see straight through him?

The opportunity to excavate the remains at Dreadmoor Castle has forensic archaeologist Andi Monroe tingling with excitement. It's an incredible find and a chance to study the mysterious legend of Dragonhawk, a medieval knight who disappeared without a trace. Lately, though, rational Andi is having a hard time telling fact from fiction. She could just swear she met the vanished knight, and he's a fantasy come true. But until she finds a way to help Tristan lift the curse, their love doesn't stand a ghost of a chance...

I liked the BCC enough to buy this book. Now that I've read the book, I see a few flaws in it. Although, they aren't major enough for me to complain, I enjoyed the book, and really the facts were just skewed to make it sound more....I don't know. Anyway, not perfect, but not bad either.

At the age of eighteen, an adventurous Andrea Monroe was infatuated with the legend of Dragonhawk the original Lord Dreadmoor - a midevil knight who along with 14 of his knights disappeared without a trace. Taking a chance, she snuck onto Dreadmoor Keep, only to find herself in a deadly situation. Out of nowhere, a man with dazzling sapphire eyes, dressed in 13th century chainmail, came to her rescue. But as she reached for him, her hand passed right through, and as she was out of trouble he simply vanished. Unsure of whether or not she imagined the whole thing, the now 30 year old Dr. Andrea Monroe has been even more fascinated with the tale.

Now, a storm has taken out an old oak tree and uncovered a body of bones at Dreadmoor Keep and the current owner wants it excavated. Known as an incredible recluse and eccentric, he wants only one person working the site, and Kirk Grey, Andi's boss, has given her the opportunity. What's a girl to do? Of course Andi drops everything to explore her love of the legend.

Tristan de Barre, the original Lord Dreadmoor and Dragonhawk himself, did not believe in witchcraft. That is, he didn't believe in it until his foster father, Erik de Sabre killed him and his knights and cursed them to live in ghost form for eternity. Waking two hundred years after his death, Tristan has the help of the Jameson family in running Dreadmoor. Able to appear human, Tristan runs Dreadmoor, knowing the ones he has come to have feelings for will die, as mortals do, and his undead heart will break. So, he and his fourteen knights, live in Dreadmoor, hoping that one day, they will discover a way to break the curse. So when the centuries old oak tree is toppled in a storm and reveals bones, he wants to know who's they are, sure that the answer to undoing the curse lies within those bones.

When Andi arrives at Dreadmoor, she's amazed to see that the same man she imagined had saved her twelve years earlier is Tristan, though he denies it. Eventually though, Tristan and the knights' secret is revealed to Andi, and much to her and Tristan's dismay, they find themselves falling in love. Talk about a dead end relationship (pun intended). After all, how can a mortal and a ghost ever make a life together. But as time goes by, the mystery deepens, as a ghost that no one but Andi can hear, begins to give her hints about a way to save the knights.

Can Andi solve the mystery and break a seven hundred year curse? Especially since as a scientist it is hard for her to suspend her belief and believe in curses. Will there be any Tristan left if she can solve the mystery and break curse?

I have to say, I absolutely adore this book. Miles has an incredible voice, and the way she had me believing in ghosts and actually cheering that the ghost would get the girl, well, even I couldn't believe have believable it all was.

And to tell the truth, I loved the ghost aspect of this paranormal because it was so fresh. Tristan and his knights being from the 13th century had great dialogue. And Andi's reaction to and her interactions with the knights was both heartwarming and funny. The knights themselves were great supporting characters, and the mystery was fun to try and solve.

The only complaint I could possibly have is a few moments of head hopping, but not so many that I was distracted. Other than that, Tristan and Andi were a great couple, the knights , Jameson, and the other characters made for an entertaining supporting cast. Spirited Away, is definitely a must read. I can't wait to read the next Miles book.

Take Care