The Ravens by L.J. Garland & Debbie Gould
Darla and her daughter Robin are moving to Shadow Bluff, Maine, Darla’s hometown. It’s steeped in mystery, beauty, and secrets. Alex, Darla’s first love, still lives there, and he hasn’t gotten over her. She thought she’d moved on, but, the moment she sees him, all of those long-buried emotions rise to the surface. As they navigate these potentially treacherous waters of love, something otherworldly stalks Darla and her daughter.
Against the beautiful backdrop of Maine in winter, L.J. Garland and Debbie Gould have woven a tale of love, suspense, and supernatural events. All of the characters are well-drawn and believable. Darla is understandably overprotective, hard-working, smart, and likable. Robin is a good kid, wise beyond her years, and sassy. Alex is sexy, intelligent, and the guy you’d want on your side every day of the week.
One of the things I really liked about this book is the authors didn’t try to force added conflict between Darla and Alex. Once they worked through what happened to break them up in the past, they were able to move on with their relationship. This is true to life. Yes, challenges will arise, but I don’t like it when it feels like the conflict is manufactured to pad the story, making the book longer than it needs to be. For me, that’s distracting and annoying.
Instead, we have ghosts and other supernatural happenings, that make one look into the dark corners of one’s house and wonder if they’re alone, moving the story forward. This is exactly the type of book I enjoy reading. Of course, I questioned my intelligence for reading this book right before bed, but I had to find out how it ended. I was not disappointed.
If you enjoy paranormal, romance, and things that go bump in the night, you’ll enjoy this book. Lucky for us, this is the first of a series. I, for one, am looking for to the next one.
