THE PHANTOM OF THE BATHTUB

by Eugenia Riley

THERE’S A GHOST IN HER BATHTUB AND A WEREWOLF IN HER GARDEN!When lovely Viveca Stanhope fled a scandalous past in Old San Francisco to make a new life for herself in Savannah, little did she know she’d just purchased the most “haunted” house in the entire South! From the ghostly specters prowling the square to the ax woman stalking her yard, “Hangman’s House” is indeed a fright. And Viveca’s “Nightmare on Lost Lane” comes complete with a half-crazed housekeeper, a mysterious houseboy with a fetish for knife-throwing and numerous other strange bedfellows. Still, Viveca is determined to find her place in Savannah society and pursue a prominent local clergyman. But two sexy rogues stand between her and her the bawdy ghost of Alexander Fremont, a lusty phantom who invades her every bath; and Maxwell Beecher, Viveca’s devilishly handsome, arrogant new neighbor, who is equally determined to invade her bed! Both would know all her dark secrets; both would unmask the passions she struggles so hard to repress. Will one of them claim her heart and soul before she loses her mind?The Phantom of the Bathtub is a full-length, spooky and sensual historical paranormal romance of approximately 105,000 words. Author Eugenia Riley is the acclaimed, bestselling author of numerous historical, contemporary and time travel romances, including A Tryst in Time and Bushwhacked Bride. She has written for publishers including Avon, Bantam, Warner, Harlequin and Dorchester. She has numerous romances available in Kindle and Kindle Unlimited Library.EDITORIAL FOUR STARS! Riley blends the real world with the supernatural seamlessly as she interweaves the romances of both Viveca and Max with that of the ghosts, Alex and Lorelei. Amusing and engaging." –ROMANTIC TIMESFIVE STARS! “Readers obtain two romances for the price of one! These four characters and an eccentric support cast make for a humorous storyline. Ms. Riley ensures that her audience not only believes in ghosts, but also trusts that love is eternal.” –Harriet Klausner, #1 AMAZON REVIEWER.TOP PICK! “Let Eugenia Riley charm you with this unique story. THE PHANTOM OF THE BATHTUB is a paranormal, a mystery and a passionate romance. A page-turning, sensual and sometimes eerie romp into the Old South.” –Julie Kornhausl, ROMANCE READER AT HEART.“I loved THE PHANTOM OF THE BATHTUB. Eugenia Riley does an incredible job of creating situations that appeal to all the senses. The text is so rich in the scenery that you can almost smell the magnolias, the colors of the trees, and so much more. The characters have quite a bit of depth to them. Great study of human beliefs, which creates some thought, but in addition to all of that, Eugenia gives us humor (and lots of it!)." –Lori Graham, ONCE UPON A ROMANCE.“THE PHANTOM OF THE BATHTUB is an engaging tale about things that go bump in the night.” –Jennifer Bishop, ROMANCE REVIEWS TODAY.

Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance, Time Travel, Historical Fiction, Ebooks

369 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2006

About the author

Eugenia Riley is the award-winning, bestselling author of dozens of historical, contemporary and time-travel romances, including A TRYST IN TIME, TEMPEST IN TIME, and TIMESWEPT BRIDE. She is a #1 Bestselling Author of Time Travel Romance at Amazon and Kindle. She has written for publishers including Avon, Bantam, Warner, Harlequin and Dorchester.

Eugenia is delighted to announce the launching of Eugenia Riley Classics, a new imprint featuring all of your favorite Eugenia Riley historical, contemporary, and time-travel romances, finally available again in Kindle, NOOK, Kobo and at iBooks! Eugenia's currently available e-book list includes: WANTED ACROSS TIME; BUSHWHACKED BRIDE; BUSHWHACKED GROOM; PHANTOM IN TIME; EMBERS OF TIME; A CHRISTMAS IN TIME; LOVERS AND OTHER LUNATICS; TIMESWEPT BRIDE; TIMESWEPT BABY; THE PHANTOM OF THE BATHTUB ; TEMPEST IN TIME; and TWO HEARTS IN TIME.

Eugenia's latest release, WANTED ACROSS TIME, is an April 2013 release in Kindle, NOOK, Kobo, and at iBooks. WANTED ACROSS TIME is a wild and sexy romp back in time to the Wild West, in the tradition of BUSHWHACKED BRIDE and BUSHWHACKED GROOM.

Eugenia is especially acclaimed for her nine time travel romance novels. Her first two, A TRYST IN TIME and TEMPEST IN TIME, were Waldenbooks romance bestsellers in mass-market paperback; both titles sold out of print three times. Three of her time-travels placed on the Ingram's romance list; and EMBERS OF TIME was a top ten bestseller in time-travel at Borders. Eight of Eugenia's time-travels have earned 5 star ratings or better at Heartland Critiques, and all have won numerous high ratings and rave reviews in publications such as Romantic Times, Rendezvous, and The Literary Times. Reviewer Harriet Klausner calls Eugenia "the empress of time-travel romance." She has received thousands of fan letters on her novels, from locations all over the world.

Eugenia is the winner of the HOLT Medallion for WALTZ IN TIME. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, Texas, a former English teacher and editor of TOUCHSTONE Literary Quarterly. She lives in Texas with her husband; they have two grown daughters and two grandchildren.

Reviews

[Kimberly Karalius · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took ENTIRELY too long for me to be convinced that Maxwell was a good guy. He was despicable for so long, without a redeemable quality in sight, until the end of the book. And "smiling nastily" all the time did not help matters. The paranormal aspect was pretty interesting, even though we don't find out why the "phantom of the bathtub" is haunting Viveca until, again, the end. That's a long time to stretch out a predicable, kind-in-a-roundabout-way motive for that ghost.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking for something a little different, well you have come to the right book. This was a wonderful story, mysterious, exciting, funny, passionately Hot, with a great storyline. Very well written, kept me turning the page and reading late into the night.
I can highly recommend, and I plan to read more from this fabulous author.

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've decided to start rating romance novels on a different scale than the rest of the books I read. I do this so not all of them are rated one star, because let's face it: cheap paperback romance novels are (typically) terribly written and cliche. However, they can still be enjoyed if you start them with that in mind.
The Phantom of the Bathtub took me forever (a month and two weeks to be exact) for two reasons. 1) I left it at my parent's house for about two weeks and 2)the ending was super slow and unimpressive so I could hardly force myself to speed read through it. That aside, the beginning/middle part was actually enjoyable. I was thinking about knocking it down a star, because no where in the synopsis did it say that this took place in the 1800's. I was disappointed to discover it was a historical romance (one of my least favorite genres), instead of a modern day one. But, I've decided to exclude that from my rating since it was my own dumbass fault for not looking into the author before reading to find out that's her specialty in writing.
The story itself is pretty tongue-in-cheek and never gets too serious, which I did like. It's definitely a book you can quickly read while on vacation or if you're in the mood for some light reading. The "dirty" parts were quick and not too dirty, but not something I'd let a preteen read. I blushed a little bit when I found out Eugenia Riley is a preacher's daughter! When Max and Viveca become sexually involved, I found him to be a little too pushy with trying to get her naked. I wouldn't classify it anywhere near rape, but definitely...annoying. If a girl says no, you leave her alone and try again the next day.
There is the stereotypical love triangle, but both the guys seemed attractive and likable At least Aubrey was in the beginning, until he turned into a hypocrite with a stick up his ass , which usually doesn't happen. One is usually a complete asshole/not as good looking as the other one. But Riley made them both equally desirable to start out. I would have liked it if she kept them both that way, but everything has to be an easy decision in a romance.
One thing that bothered me was the housekeeper, Winnie. She was the stereotypical Jamaican that practices Voodoo and speaks with a thick accent, which I found to be a unoriginal and...dare I say it...a bit racist at times. Not every black person that lives in the South practices Voodoo, but in this novel they apparently do. All in all though, this wasn't a bad novel. Not a favorite, but not awful.

And yes, I did read this while taking a bath.

[Elizabeth Sands · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally! A romance novel that does the genre justice! Don't let the cute cover fool you, this book was quite frightening at some parts. I'm the girl who screams while watching scary movies, so maybe I'm not the best judge, but I enjoyed all the goosebumps. It was hard to tell if I kept the light on because I had to keep reading, or because I was scared. The plot was very interesting, and executed well. There were a bunch of characters in this book, definitely more than your average romance, but not so many you couldn't keep track of them. I loved hearing stories about so many ghosts haunting the neighborhood! The heroine was fairly harsh to her new servants, but that's just how things were back then. I didn't find it offensive, in fact I thought it was more true to the period. She eventually comes around and treats her servants better. This book even came with a song. I youtubed "The Lorelei" which was mentioned in this book, and played it while reading. I did cry a bit at one part; the song and the book were so emotional when it came to the star crossed lovers haunting the property, but I appreciated it when the hero made fun of the heroine for having the same reaction as me. Entertaining, well written, and chilling!

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book a free download, and I know to not have very high expectations of those, but this one was just extra silly. I didn't like the depiction of Viveca's servants. They were like simple minded caricatures. I found the to be too modern. The characters used words and phrases, and acted in ways that I don't think people in the 1800s did. And the character of Max was troubling. For most of the book we are to believe that he is a horrible person to be avoided, but then suddenly they become lovers and we are to accept that he really is a great guy. And was it just me, or were some of those scenes where Maxwell comes on to Viveca sort of rapey?

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this because after reading the description I thought it would be a fun rom/com of a read.

I could not get into this book. I struggled to 40% before I gave up.

The writing was decent, up to that point there was just the hint of the supernatural drama that had good potential (things were just getting going) but when it came down to it I did not like the heroine one bit.
She had a stick up her butt and her attitude toward everything but her butler left me was so "woe is me" I got bored and so i just couldn't care what happened to her in the end.

[Jini · Rating 1 out of 5]

UPDATE 12-27-09:
Nope. Couldn't stand it anymore. If I could have given this less stars, I would have. I stopped at chapter seven and moved on to something more appealing. Life's too short to read crappy books.

ORIGINAL:
Not sure why I'm still reading this. It's a period romance, but it's fairly derogatory in the way the main character treats her servants. Yeah, yeah...that's how it was back then. Whatever. Still kind of uncomfortable to read.

[Sandy Lo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first historical romance I have read. I bought this book for the ghostly factor, but got a sweet romance out of it as well. An interesting read!

[Another · Rating 1 out of 5]

boring. Gave up on.

[Ronda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The portrayal of several side characters was racist but the ghost story itself was interesting. This was published in 2006 but felt much older than that.

[Nanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a number of Eugenia's stories and they never disappoint. This one was very different as we have not only a love story of shorts but ghosts, a haunted house, and spooks in the night. Poor Vivece doesn't know what to make of all of it. She doesn't believe in such things. Being from the upper society of San Francisco. After she was mistreated and use by someone, she trusted she has pulled up stakes and moved across the country to Savannah. Sadly , she has been scammed again as the house is a mess.
It is a dump, and sets on Hangman's Square complete the hanging tree across the street.
It also comes with three of the strangest servants she has ever seen. With her man, Emmett who has been with the her all her life she tries to make the best of it. Then there is also Maxwell Beecher her neighbor who is from a very wealthy family. The town puts up with his rakish way because he owns most of the banks in the state and comes from a very old southern family. He also is mad she bought her house before he could. He wants to tear it down. Their first meeting is not the best. Does he really need to be so tall, strong and handsome ? As she tries to fit in, she meets the young, meek, clergyman and see how he could be her ticket to being accepted society. With the help of Hilda, a powerful lady
of town. Viveca tries to deal with the spirits, the haunting, the mystery of why they are all here.
There is so much going on in this story, it's a hoot !! I couldn't put it down. Viveca and Max can't stop the attraction growing between them even as they deal with all that is going on. This is a very steamy read for both the spirits and them. A very different story but super fun to read.
I hope you give it try you will not be disappoint I promise.

[Laura Moreno · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author tries too hard to make the heroine seem determined to not be taken advantage of by a man again. However, I got bored with Viveca's need to push away the one man she seems genuinely attracted to. The servants in her home are delightful. I love the characters of Winnie, Miguel and Ruvi. I would love to read about their continuing adventures. The book is well-written just took too long to get to the heart of the story.

[EvilAntie Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only in your dreams

What a luscious novel. It has that slow burn tempo of a southern classic and it is delicious. The two main characters Max an Viveca are incredibly written- they relationship is smoldering. I'm going to have a book hangover from this novel. Only in dreams could a story like this could happen. Bravo !!

[Tanda D Pena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hauntingly Romantic

I didn’t quite know what to expect with a novel about a haunted bathtub, but I was truly mesmerized. Funny, scary, betrayals, and 2 of the sexiest ghosts ever written. Plus a romance you’ll be rooting for all along. You MUST read this book

[Beverly Kee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a incredibly amazing yet different storyline!

This book was so different than what I normally read loved the storyline and couldn't put it down! I loved the bathtub part, and wow what a awesome ending! A fun read!

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. My son lives in Richmond Hill, Georgia which is not far from Savannah. He has been to Tybee Island. We've been to Savannah when we visited him. I enjoyed the way the author interwinds love, passion, and scary events with ghosts interacting with humans.

[b.andherbooks]

recommended on a discord - alas the use of a racial slur g*psy on page 2 made me immediately DNF, beyond the fact I'm not sure the setting (1897 Savannah) nor the fact the heroine has a Black servant, will be handled in any way shape or form well.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

a bit daft bits but of fun too.

[SuzyHD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mysterious 5+*

Mysteriously delightful with all the ghosts at your service. Viveca Stanhope leaves San Francisco after her father's death in an effort to salvage her reputation. She purchases an old rundown home in Savannah only to discover it is haunted by several mischievous spirits. Determined to stay, she takes on the ghosts. This intriguingly entertaining story had many surprises. Highly recommend reading.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Phantom of the Bathtub

Eugenia Riley can write spooky and love together. Such a good book. All the ghosts wanted was to be left alone. At the same time playing match makers.

[Luisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life has gotten busy so I haven't been able to read as often as I would like! However, just got through the first chapter & you can tell right away that Riley is a sophisticated writer! She is detailed in her descriptions; sometimes in my opinion overly descriptive. She brings you to a certain time period very easily! You can tell that you are back when African Americans were primarily servants that had little to no education & spoke a certain way. I like how so far she challenges me as a reader to be drawn into her story.

Viveca has had no sleep since she got to Hangman's & has seen some suspicious things happen but YET continues to tell herself it's all in her head! COME ON! & she is seeing everything possible: monsters, ghosts, a presence with an ax, wolves, dead dogs & cats, has a lazy gypsy groundskeeper, a superstitious and possible murderous housekeeper, an ex-circus dragger throwing Latin boy sevant with a limp, a gargoyle that reappears in the house after being moved, a hanging dead man on an oak tree, among many others like the "Quaking Lady" & still has time for two love interest in the book; seriously why did Riley put so much into the plot of this book; at times it feels like your reading 8 different ghost stories in one! Don't get me wrong she's obviously a "good" writer I just think in this specific book she over did it a bit & over worked her plot & characters!

I liked how she captures your attention by the end of the book but that's just it "the end of the book". Things like certain words are repeated a lot & descriptions. Maxwell is the biggest a-hole for the LONGEST TIME!! & even though I found many personal opinionated flaws in this book; I still kinda enjoyed it. It's a different storyline that I've never really seen in romance novels & it brought me back to a different time setting. Riley is good but not great!

What a turn of events at the end. Some of the scary wolves & the knife woman happens to be none other than were Miguel & Ruvi. Winnie has lost her mind making sure Viveca is "SAFE"! & Erskine comes to blackmail Viveca into marriage. But Max is not having none of that; the books end with Viveca and him getting married having a baby & buying up the whole square to honor the ghost and phantoms that linger there.

I'm gonna go with 3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️ because the ending was such a happy ending everyone got happiness except maybe Aubrey. But Riley did cover any loose ends and the characters over time grow on you.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this book sitting on my shelf for over a year and was glad to finally have read it but I'm ambivalent about the story so I give it 3.5 stars. Firstly, the back cover description (not what's on Goodreads or Amazon) for some reason made me think this was a contemporary romance. That may be my fault and wasn't a deal breaker but it took me several pages to realize that there would be no going forward in time, that we were in fact staying in 1896. It worked as a historical romance, I just had to adjust my expectations.

I found the book VERY slow in the beginning. There were a couple of interactions between the neighbor, Maxwell and Viveca but I kept wanting more from those scenes. I didn't really feel the book picked up until 100 pages in, which WAS worth it.

After page 100, the scenes with Maxwell and Viveca were very well written, had good tension, and the dialogue was wonderful.

Even though I thought the beginning was slow I did like that I didn't quite know which "man" at first to root for or who would end up with Viveca- the neighbor, Maxwell, his cousin Aubrey or the ghost. I hate to say it but I was disappointed by the ghost. Based on the description, I expected a lot more interaction with the ghost. I expected more of a connection between him and Viveca and possibly a love triangle with him, Viveca and Maxwell but he just came across as a nuisance and then someone to feel sorry for. I wanted to know more about the ghost from him directly, which never really happened.

The romance between Maxwell and Viveca after page 100 was very well developed and I really enjoyed reading it. I would recommend people who enjoy historical romances to read it but just be patient and don't expect it to be a ghost story (even though there are ghosts).

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a title like The Phantom in the Bathtub, you'd be forgiven for thinking this book wouldn't be worth your time reading. But while quite busy, with several full on sleepless nights keeping Viveca awake when she first moves to her new haunted home in Savannah, this story does manage to pull you in with its fast paced, enjoyable, humorous and often sexy ways.
She is a woman with a lot of passion and spunk who does what she needs to do to build her independence. And when she meets her neighbour Max, things just get even more interesting. I know that the author tried to make him out as a villain to start off with but I liked his character right from the start and grew to love him by the end. A fabulously good read.

[Tara Gabor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my "cup of tea," as people say. I should have known, but I thought this would be a light-hearted funny book. The writing was not bad, but the storyline, emphasis on sex and unrequited love, just is not what I look for in a good book. I read the entire book, but very quickly, skimming many passages. I could not finish this book fast enough. I don't enjoy giving two stars. Looking at my other ratings, people might think I never dislike a book, so I'm just being honest. The two stars were earned for the content, not the writing ability of the author. Ghosts and Savannah, Ga go together, but over-sexed specters I can do without.

[Silvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this 3.5 stars. I first got caught by the Title..funny. Then I got caught by the blurb. I must admit when I started reading I wasn't quiet as happy. But then I needed to know what was happening. There were so many hints and various ghost and the stories behind them that I just needed to read on to find out what would happen. At one point I thought that maybe Maxwell Beecher was a werewolf.....I was wrong! But you need to read the book to learn more.
For me it was an enjoyable read however it turned slightly anti climactic and the resolutions and answered seemed a little rushed...hence the 3.5.

[Froggarita · Rating 4 out of 5]

The year is 1896. Viveca Stanhope moves into her new house, Hangman's House, a house that just happens to be haunted! Its haunted by the first owner Alex Fremont and he only seems to come out whenever Viveca is taking a bath and insists on joining her. Not only does Viveca have to deal with Alex but her arrogant neighbor Maxwell who she can't decide if she wants to strangle or kiss!
This book is a funny, sexy romp that was very enjoyable to read. I love the chemistry between Viveca and Maxwell. I recommend reading this book,it is a great read! :)

[Kbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Loved It!! What a ride. Fast, easy and fun read. That house is what you could call a "full house" with the weird Jamaican housekeeper, the gypsy gardener(when he was gardening), the Spanish knife trowing houseboy, the old faithful servant, the gargoyle, spider cobwebs(that keep coming back) the bathtub that once reinstall didn't want to be taken out again and of course the ghosts. And outside there was more spooky things. All this wrapped up in a nice sweet romance. How can someone say it wasn't funny when there was a couple of laugh out loud scenes and a lot more giggling ones.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Phantom of the Bathtub read like it was going to be a quick, fun read but boy was I mistaken! There's so much going on at times that I got quite confused - Axe swinging ghost, mists, strange animals, horrible servents, crazy neighbors.

Viveca left San Francisco for a new start in Savannah and got more than she bargained for when she bought an old house sight unseen. Crazy things start happening every night around midnight to not only her but her cad of a neighbor Max.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stopped reading this in the middle because I started writing, but I was anxious to pick it back up and see how everything got resolved. I finally picked it up again yesterday and finished it in one sitting. This is a enjoyable tale with likeable characters and a nice, light storyline. Good bathtub reading. Pun intended.

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

When seeing this book, you might think that it was another run of the mill romance novel.

Nope.

To a chicken like me, some of the hauntings were really terrifying, lol, but all in all, I highly recommend this book!