Between Dreams and Darkness
By Claire Michaels
Linden Bay Romance
March 2004
197 pages
$5.99
ISBN: 1-905393-15-6
New Orleans has always been a hotbed of supernatural activity. It is riddled with stories of vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and zombies. Where better for a student of paranormal psychology to live, work, and study? Trevor 'Trey' Fairfax has decided to make his own way in America when his father decided that no son of his would sully the family name by ghost busting; at least not with his money. Trey has moved from England and his family and is determined to make it on his own. He has set up house in a small apartment, is going to Tulane, and is conducting 'authentic' ghost tours through the city. When he has spare time he researches paranormal occurrences in and around New Orleans. He's living the life he enjoys, but not quite. He'd love to be able to make money researching instead of giving cheesy tours, but beggars can't be choosers. Because of this mind set, Trey has agreed to go to a gallery showing with a friend that helped him get his job. Little does he know what he'll be getting into.
Gabrielle James has just lost her grandmother, Missy, and has inherited her gallery in New Orleans. She has huge shoes to fill; Missy was a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer and had a knack for picking just the right photos for a showing. Gabi has her first showing to pick photos for and is terrified that she will not do as well as her grandmother did. She arrives at the showing and immediately makes eye contact with a man across the room. All of the stories of love at first sight and a cosmic connection race through her mind as she finds herself working the room but unable to ignore his presence in the gallery. When she finally meets him she finds him to be a pleasant man, but when they dance; time stops and the thing racing through both of their minds is 'Is this fate?'
Trey is entranced and knows that this is the woman he's been waiting for his entire life, but before he can say anything along those lines his friend rudely cuts in and he is talked into leaving the party before saying his goodbyes. He doesn't think he'll ever see her again. When a strange set of circumstances causes their paths to cross again, they have the opportunity to explore their relationship. They find themselves drawn into a web of deceit that began many years before, can they find their way out intact?
Between Dreams and Darkness was a fascinating book that was very hard to put down. I found myself cheering for Gabi and Trey throughout their twists and turns. The absolute evil that they had to confront was eerie in its pure malevolence. There were times that I was almost afraid to turn off the lights. They dealt with unbelievable circumstances in very believable ways. Claire Michaels did a wonderful job of making the plot as important as the romance. Both were written very, very well. I was extremely impressed by this book and hope to find more books by Claire Michaels. I give it 5 out of 5 ghosts.
--Serena Polheber
February 4, 2006
© Serena Pholheber & GWN
