Spirited (Tidewater, #1)

by Mary Behre

[kimbacaffeinate]

I love romantic suspense, and when you mix in a little paranormal woo-woo, this girl gets excited. Spirited is the first novel in the Tidewater series by new to me author Mary Behre. Spirited delivered a murder mystery with likable characters and ghostly communications. Mini review: an exciting start to the series, with murder, romance and a little heat.

Jules Scott has returned to her hometown to start again as she continue her search for her sisters. Jules has a crift. (a gift or curse, depending on how you look at it) She can communicate with the dead. After a horrific experience, she has tried very hard to shut them out..but one is about to get very loud. Her neighbor is Detective Seth English a cop who is trying to salvage his career. He is working a string of burglaries that may be a career changer for him. Fate and perhaps a ghost have these two crossing paths. He doesn’t believe this sweet woman has anything to do with the murders, but his instinct tells him she is hiding something. The tale that unfolds was fast paced, heated and a great start to this new series.

Jules is an interesting heroine with a touch of snark and I liked her. As Behre peeled back her layers and revealed her story I wanted to hug her, help her and hurt a few people. I fully understood her fears and connected. Her humor and three H criteria made me giggle. Detective Seth English is yummy, and at times an idiot. He is a good guy who has had the rug pulled out from under him a few times. I found him to be noble and true. The chemistry and banter between them felt natural, and I enjoyed watching the romance unfold. Some of the secondary characters weren’t as fleshed out as I would have liked but they added humor, kept me unsure with regard to the crimes and rounded out the tale.

Spirited was an excellent start to this series. I loved the paranormal element and the overall story ARC that is developed. Since it is not mentioned in the synopsis my lips are sealed, but trust me when I say it is interesting. The robberies and murders were an intense thread, and I loved how the author wrapped our heroine unwittingly into the center of the chaos. The romance developed from physical attraction, and while it could be construed as insta-love, Behre made their emotions feel genuine, and I happily went along for the ride. As I said the secondary characters weren’t very fleshed out and it worked for some since I wasn’t sure if they were friend or foe. The ending wrapped up nicely, giving us a complete story. It looks like each book will focus on a couple and a case. I will tell you that the paranormal element will change in each book. Squee!

Copy received from publisher in exchange for unbiased review that originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer