Title: Maybe This Time
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Author: Jennifer Crusie
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, 2010
Source: Library
Rating: 4
Sexy Rating: 5
Description: (from Jennifer Crusie’s website)
When Andie Miller goes to see her ex-husband, North Archer, to return ten years of uncashed alimony checks, he asks for one final favor: A distant cousin has died and left him guardian of two orphans who have driven out three nannies already; will she take the job? Bribed with money and a need for closure, Andie says yes, packs her bags, and heads for Southern Ohio.
But when she meets the two children she realizes things are much worse than she feared. The children aren’t any run-of-the-mill delinquents, the creepy old house where they live is being run by the worst housekeeper since Mrs. Danvers, and something strange is happening at night. Plus, Andie’s fiance thinks it’s a plan by North to get Andie back, and since Andie’s been dreaming about North since she arrived at the house, she’s not sure he isn’t right.
**
This one was a total surprise for me. I expected a light, romantic “Crusie” read and I got that and more. There are ghosts and they are not all that benign. There are spots of typical, witty Crusie dialog but also there is a real suspense filled story going on here. There is hot sizzling sex, too. I also had trouble fitting this into a typical genre catagory.
North Archer is the White Knight here and I do swoon. It is really hard to figure out why Andie divorced him although she had her reasons. North’s brother, Sullivan, is rather a dilettante but he’s as charming as they come. The Children are very mysterious and well drawn. Andie’s mother is a hoot and the housekeeper keeps us guessing. The other side characters blend in with the plot seamlessly. But the ghosts steal the show; creepy, scary, whimsical but never silly or cheesy.
This was a really good page turning read. But sensitive you may sleep with the lights on for a night or two.
Hmm I’ve stayed away from this title of JC’s because of the kids. I do not like kids or teens in books I read. They annoy me in real life and in fiction (especially in UF, I’m very particular about that genre). If my TBR were smaller, your review would get me to give it 100 pgs, based on the creepy ghosts.
The kids in this one are kinda terrorized, if that tells you anything. It is more ghost story than romance although there is romance.