"A fascinating romantic supense by Ms. Agnew"

This book is sure to draw the readers in from the beginning, with plenty of mystery, suspense, and of course, a healthy dose of romance.

Alexandra Watson has special abilities. She is able to sense people's emotions and she also has been known to "see" events before they happen. She is an American, headed to London after her father's death, to live as ward to one of his old friends. She is less than pleased with her new living arrangements and would like nothing more then to be able to stay in her own home, with her companion and friend, Flora Cormack. She is infuriated over the presumptuousness of her new guardian, Ross Havenwood, in taking over governing her life, and she intends to tell him so, as soon as she sees him again. Her tender feelings for him that he has carried since she last saw him 10 years previous are not enough to save him from her anger.

Much has happened in Ross' life since he last saw Alexandra -- he has been married and widowed, in quite a scandalous affair that he is still reeling from. Gone is the happy-go-lucky, romantic soul that he once was, for he has become disillusioned and has lost in faith in people. Yet he remembers the young girl from 10 years past, and the idyllic time he spent visiting her and her late father. When Alexandra arrives at his London home, he is unprepared for the fiery beauty she has become. Shockingly enough, he finds that tender emotion, which he though long --buried, has come trickling to the surface again, though he is not yet willing to lose the cynical view of life he has adopted.

Alexandra and Ross clash from the first moment she arrives, full of indignation over his handling of her affairs, and the distant man he has become. Until her gift comes crashing forth, in the form of disturbing dreams. A madman is loose in London's East End, killing prostitutes and mangling their bodies and Alexandra begins to dream about the murders. Except in her dreams, she is the woman being brutally slain, and she feels all of their abject fear, and the intense pain he inflicts on them. She is afraid to tell Ross about her dreams, for fear he will mock her for them. What she doesn't realize is, he suffers the same dreams, and upon their discovery of their mutual nightmares, they must team up to try to help solve the grisly murders, before a young friend of theirs becomes the murderer's next victim. All the while battling their night demons, they find themselves unable to resist the allure of their attraction for one another, and the fact they may have found their soul mates in each other.

Ms. Agnew has written a compelling story here. Alexandra and Ross are a perfect couple, overcoming great odds to find the love they both long for. Alexandra is a strong heroine, having had to hide her abilities, or be scorned for them, yet she has never lost the innocence in her heart, even having seen the darker side of life through her visions. Ross is a man beaten down by life, once happy and care-free, now cynical and distrusting in the good facets of life. Alexandra brings back the light to his world, dispelling the clouds that have been looming over him ever since his disastrous marriage. There is also a delightful secondary romance as well, which adds to the story rather then detracting from it.

The dark underside of London life is the main focus of the mystery and horror, which makes up a large part of the plot in this book. The history of "Jack the Ripper" has fascinated people for over a century, in a twisted sort of way. So it was interesting to see Ms. Agnew's take on the whole sordid mystery that has never been solved. This book runs the gamut of reader emotions, keeping one engrossed all the way through to the end. One will feel sadness over Alexandra's father's death and the destruction of Ross' marriage, mental anguish as they suffer the consequences of their "gift" which often seems more like a curse. There is abject horror over the grisly killings and the terrible fear in the victims. Then, there is the elation when Ross and Alexandra finally "save the day" and give in to their desire to be together, bringing about the required happy ending for a romance. Everything is wrapped up nicely in a package sure to captivate the reader.

This book is definitely recommended to anyone who loves a good romance that has plenty of action, and a touch of the paranormal thrown in for good measure.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, September 2003. All rights reserved.

Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell
Posted September 4, 2003

Also available in e-book format.

Summary

A woman with secret powers and wishes.
A man haunted by nightmares and his desires.
A slayer without remorse.

American, Alexandra Watson, travels to London as Ross Havenwood's ward, and her empathic abilities tell her that shadows haunt Ross and the city that becomes her new home.

When a killer stalks the streets, Alexandra dreams of death, and she is compelled to shelter a young servant who harbors a deadly secret.

Ross will challenge a relentless menace to learn the truth and fight a desire for Alexandra that burns his soul. Someone is killing prostitutes in the East End, and as Alexandra and Ross draw closer to the identity of the murderer, they realize the executioner knows who they are...