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Whispers on the Wind

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A woman's heart is torn between a flesh-and-blood man...and a ghost lost at sea.

The death of an English lord made Belinda Latham the sole heir to a haunted estate in Cornwall. Billie's adventurous spirit guided her across the sea—to the imposing manor of the late Maximillian Radborne, a local hero who had inspired passion in women, loyalty in men, and respect among the villagers. His restless ghost lived up to Billie's expectations—and filled her nights with unearthly pleasures. But when the local vicar asked for her hand in marriage, Billie would have to choose between the quiet, gentle man—or the ghostly lord who unleashed her deepest desires.

347 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 1997

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Donna Fletcher

102 books963 followers

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5 stars
180 (37%)
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159 (32%)
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99 (20%)
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36 (7%)
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10 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
Profile Image for Bwmurf.
253 reviews10 followers
February 20, 2017
Well I didn't care for the heroine in this book at all, she was having intimate relations with one man while allowing another man to court her with intentions to marry him. Then after she marries him still allows other man to kiss and basically molest her before she puts a stop to it. The fact that she later finds out that they are one and the same man means little to me and if I was hero I would be mad and question her ability to be faithful. If a hero did this I would not give him a pass so I won't be giving her one either. Skanky ho! It happened after half way mark or I would have prob been able to not finish this book. I am obviously alone in my opinion cause no reviews hinted to this travesty.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
1,383 reviews20 followers
May 8, 2021
This was a fun and at points, funny historical romance. She inherits a mansion. He is a ghost...so is his Dad. And regardless that she now owns the mansion, he is not giving it up. Add in a bad guy, smuggling and pretense to the romance and you have a complex and interesting read. Yes, there were a few things that required me to 'just believe' but in the spirit of fiction, I did. I enjoyed this book.
Profile Image for Tracy.
933 reviews72 followers
May 23, 2011
Cultures Collide Most Charmingly
Having been raised in Nantucket, Massachusetts, where wives and children of husbands and fathers who spent far more time away at sea than at home learned quickly to rely on themselves, Belinda Latham considered herself a modern and independent American woman. The year was 1808, and following the tragic death of her mother, stepfather, and uncle, Billie was alone in the world and virtually penniless when she received word from Cornwall, England, that she was the sole beneficiary of a wealthy estate in St. Clair. With little more than hope and a steady trust in herself, and of course more than a fair share of her father's adventurous spirit, Billie took the reins of her life fully in hand and left America for England, intent on becoming the next Lady of Radborne Manor. Not that she had the first idea on how to be a Lady, really, but the opportunity would not be passed up.

What she got was a wealthy but forbidding estate full of dour colors and lifeless severity, a couple of friendly servants who were a bit aghast at her independence, a murder mystery, and the sexy as sin ghost of the former Earl of Strathorn, Maximillian Radborne, who insisted in quite a full-blooded and corporeal fashion that the manor was his, the bedroom was his, and while Billie was welcome in it, she was to do nothing at all with her new home, as he liked it quite a lot just as it stands.

Billie, being the independent and progressive woman that she is, ignores the ghost - once that pesky fainting had passed - and sets about turning her new home and all its inhabitants, ghostly or not, on their ears.

Maximillian was running out of time to find the one responsible for his father's murder and his ghostly condition, and he was not thrilled to be left with only the stunning but stubborn witch Billie to help him. He had little choice, there were places he could not go, questions he could not ask, and he had to rely on her inherent curiosity to help him solve the mystery. Her inquiries, however, start drawing the wrong kind of attention and soon Max is torn between needing her help and wanting with heightening fervor to to keep her safe.

Unfortunately, when it comes to Billie's affections, Max is positively beside himself. While he knows he stirs her nightly passions, the local vicar John Bosworth has become quite her confidante these past weeks, and is obviously stirring her softer emotions. And no amount of bellowing at her to get rid of the fop is doing him any good whatsoever. He's got to find a killer, that must be his top priority, but he can't keep his mind off Billie, despite knowing his time running out. One way or another, his ghostly spirit will be laid to rest.

I freely admit, I'm not a history buff. I couldn't begin to critique a historical romance on the merits of historical accuracy beyond the most egregious anachronisms. Like the use of a cell phone in Regency England or something. I don't even read enough historical romance to have more than the most basic grasp of certain times and cultures, so my feelings about this book are in no way based on technical historical accuracy.

It was only fair to get that off my chest, because I loved this book. I did. I'm not even that big a fan of the genre, but I saw it available for my book-hungry Kindle for the ridiculously cheap price of $.99 and I thought, "Eh, how bad could it be for that? It's probably a novella."

Ha! Not only was the book not bad (yeah, I know, double negative - sorry), but it also was in no way a novella. In fact, it's quite a thorough and lengthy book, so my deal-loving, reading-frenzied heart just went pitter-patter all the way through the thing.

The characters were great. I loved, loved, loved Billie, who was so clearly American in all ways. I can't recall ever reading a book quite like this before, where the effects of the difference in the cultures between America and a feudal England were so brilliantly utilized as both character development and a plot device. Billie, a relatively common woman by Nantucket standards, fresh from a country that disdains any form of monarchy and raised to be a self sufficient and independent free-thinker is thrust into a position of Lady of a wealthy manor and suddenly has servants and social obligations. Not only does her upbringing so clearly define her mind and actions, it totally confuses and enchants...or frustrates...absolutely everyone she comes in contact with to often humorous or at least endearing results.

And I thought her reaction to the ghost of Maximillian was both adorable and believable. Had it been a contemporary novel, it would not have worked for me at all, but it wasn't, and it did. Expounding any more on that would give away too many of the secrets of the book, so I won't.

Actually, about those secrets...none of them were all that secretive. It was relatively easy to suss out the mystery and put all the pieces of the great big puzzle together pretty much from the beginning. If I was forced to say anything critical about the book, I guess that would be it. For all the twists and turns of the plot, and there were a plethora of them, none of it was in any way surprising to me, so the impact of any big reveal moment just didn't work.

That usually annoys me. In fact, I've criticized more than one book for that very thing, and yet in this case, it just didn't. And I know why it didn't. Because Billie was just so darn appealing a character, and she didn't take any guff from Max, no matter how loudly he bellowed or how insistent he became, or how annoying he was popping into any room he wanted whenever he wanted. I just loved that about her. And so I didn't much care that she wasn't as astute in figuring out one or two tiny little plot points. She was brave, and she stood up for herself, and she relied on herself. I admired that.

Yeah, Max was a charmer, too. His whole Lord of the Manor attitude was so completely ineffectual with Billie that it was hard not to just be amused by it. And Billie did figure out quite a lot, even if she wasn't totally certain of some things. I loved them together. I even liked the vicar, who just gave Max fits. I certainly have no complaints over the technical writing aspects either. The narrative was smooth, nicely descriptive, and the dialogue fast and fun and conversational...or seemed to be for the time period, but what do I know?

So yeah, I guess there were aspects of the plot that were a bit too easy to figure out, but in the end, for me it all came down to the characters and their chemistry. It came down to Billie. And Max. And my deal-loving, book-hungry Kindle. If you like fun characters with tons of chemistry and a female heroine with more spine than common sense (to be fair, she had a lot of spine) in your historical romance and don't mind a ghost or two, I can happily recommend Whispers on the Wind. In fact, at that price, I pretty much insist on it.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
29 reviews12 followers
April 8, 2011
Okay, I have to go right into how I felt about this book. I absolutely loved this book, it was so enticing and grabbed my attention in an instant! Even the synopsis just pulled me in. The characters in this story are so well defined and I loved how Belinda was portrayed. Belinda is the outspoken, intelligent, clever woman, an absolute match for Maximillian who as you guessed is an arrogant yet handsome man. I enjoy reading stories that set back in the 19th or even older centuries where the women are portrayed has having the same intelligence and courage as men. This story grabbed me from the very start when the author introduced Belinda as traveling through the storm, and immediately describes the haunting of the Manor. This got the best of my curiosity and as you guessed it I wanted to read more! The twist as the book neared to an end really got the best of me. I was absolutely shocked and I just couldn't stop smiling while reading the book! You guys will know why if you read this book. The only negative comment I have to say is that I wished the scene in which the culprit was captured was elaborated in more details. Because I sure do want to know what happened to that person and what the punishment was. Besides that I loved this book! It definitely is a sweet blend of romance and mystery, which is a great combination for a book. I assure you, you will be smiling during most of this read! Just don't let anyone catch you smiling, they might think your crazy!
Profile Image for Cruth.
1,656 reviews146 followers
March 21, 2014
Author: Donna Fletcher
First published: 1997
Length: 6583 locations
Setting: Cornwall, England, 1808
Sex: Frequent and explicit.
Hero 1: Lord of the manor. Arrogant, stern. Dead.
Hero 2: Vicar. Caring, thoughtful.
Heroine: Bright, free 20yo American (from Nantucket) with no family left.
Paranormal: Light paranormal with ghosts.

Completely anachronistic story with some twisty turns and explicit sex.

It wasn't a great historical by any means.

But it was fun.

And Billie made me smile.

It's a Why not? book where you aren't expecting much but get a lot in return.

References:
Author's website: http://www.donnafletcher.com/

-CR-
Profile Image for Bronwyn.
384 reviews3 followers
August 12, 2011
Enjoyable. Fun to watch a stubborn women and a proud man interact intelligently. Even though you think you know what is going on you can't absoluelty be sure. Just that little hint of could it be?
Is he a ghost or isn't he . Who is the bad guy?
Set in a wonderful English Manor with a village of people that have secrets.
Profile Image for Tina.
68 reviews4 followers
October 17, 2011
This was a very enjoyable read with a nice little twist which I didn't figure out until the author mentioned it. I had my suspicions but the outcome was different than what I had in mind. It was cleverly created. For a fun, keep-a-smile-on-your-face read, this is the one!
Profile Image for Elaine.
1,059 reviews14 followers
March 21, 2011
I can't believe I like this book so much better than the last one I read by this author! Maybe a 4.5 but it is a good book!
Profile Image for Ronda .
147 reviews3 followers
February 27, 2019
Intriguing!

I absolutely LOVED this book! I hated for it to end, as it drew me in from the very beginning to the end. Mystery, humor, and suspense all wrapped up into a great read; not to mention a well imagined juicy romance full of well you'll just have to read it to see for yourself!
Profile Image for Tairy Tairy.
35 reviews1 follower
August 7, 2017
Above and beyond expectations

I love Billie and max. It was so awesome how everything was put together and the turn of events that occurred and led to them to finally getting the answers. Would most definitely read again.
969 reviews5 followers
February 8, 2018
Great book and characters Billie and max have a great story would highly recommend👍
Profile Image for Paranormal Romance.
1,316 reviews47 followers
February 16, 2023
With the death of her parents and her brother, there is nothing holding the heroine to her home town of Nantucket. So, when she is name sole heir to an estate in England, she thanks her good fortune and sets out for her new life. Upon arrival in the small village, she soon learns that her new home is haunted by the frightening but much beloved spirts of its previous owner. Afraid of ghosts, but possessing a strong sense of courage, she nether the less stakes claim to her new ownership.

The first night, exhausted by her journey, she is visited by this ghost. She is terrified but refuses to back down from his demands for her to leave and even if her knees are shaking, she'll never allow his shouting or overbearing arrogance to chase her away. She vows to find why the man's ghost still haunts her home and, in the process, find a way to send him to the afterlife and leave her in peace. She seeks the aid of the local Vicar. The man may not be handsome but his is kind, gentle and quickly becomes the closest friend she's ever known. He is a shy man who stutters through his sentences upon first meeting but gradually opens up and his calm and safe personality draws her to him. And she needs him more than ever as the bane of her existence, the hero's ghost, plagues her nightly. Where the vicar is easy and soothing, the hero is passionate and horribly frustrating. He makes demands of her, shouts at her whenever she puts herself into situations where her safety could be in danger. She is confused as to why and how she could possible grow to feel affection and maybe even love for 2 men so drastically different. She beings to think to herself that her 'ghost' is not truly a ghost. He is a solid man and when he comes to her bed, she can feel his warmth and, in his arms, she can feel his passion. Yet with the Vicar, she feels that their love and friendship will surely outlast whatever mindless passion she feels with the hero. So when the gentle man offers marriage she accepts. Much to the hero's fury. But what is she to do? She loves the Vicar, she's safe with the Vicar and even if the hero's a real man not a ghost, there's still no future for them. Especially knowing he keeps secrets from her. Secrets about why he died, why his father was murders and who is behind the smuggling on her property. Married to the man she's chosen, she is frustrated by his lack of passion for her. Weeks go by without them commutating their marriage. She's able to resist the hero's advances out of loyalty for her new husband but she knows that she can't go on living life this. Then she is injured, she hits her head. And in the process, she is finally able to see clearly. That her husband is actually the hero is disguise. He survived the many attempts on his life and proceeded to fake his death and life in the village as the vicar to uncover the truth of who's behind the evil deeds. He never imagined that such a woman as the heroine would come into his life and even less how he would grow to love her as both men. When she finds out about this betrayal, she sets about making both men pay. But in the end, she's finally found that just one man is everything she's ever wanted. Safety, love, peace and passion.

I don't know how I feel about this book. On one hand I applaud the author for her success in fooling me regarding the Vicar's true identity. Because never once did I suspect her was the hero until the moment the truth was revealed. I thought him to be the villain, the one behind the smuggling, not the hero himself. It was well done. Yet on the other hand, I don't enjoy love triangle themed novels usually because I don't understand a woman loving 2 men at the same time. Actually, for most of the book, I genuinely thought the Vicar was the man who would win the heroine true affections. She did seem to sway towards him more emotionally then she did the hero. With the hero it just seemed like lust to me. So, I'm a bit confused with this one. I liked it, thought it was well written and clever with its secrets and mystery so I believe is deserving of a healthy 3 stars. Regardless, I recommend thi
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Gloriamarie.
723 reviews
May 30, 2015
Honestly and gee whiz. Could we at least have an appearance of verisimilitude?

One thing I am adamant about is the implied contract between author and reader. If you the author expect me the reader to spend my money on your hard labor, then your hard labor had better be good labor and not laziness.

This author is lazy. Also insulting to a woman's intelligence.

I think the reason I am so distressed is because this book almost makes it. The grammar is excellent. The vocabulary is excellent. The punctuation, spelling, syntax, editing, all excellent. I daresay that given when the book was written, the sexy times were even a bit risque. I enjoyed the banter between Our Heroine and Our Hero. I enjoyed Our Heroine falling in love with two such different men.

But the plot was so predictable. I am trying very hard not to include spoilers. So let me try to say it this way. Donna Fletcher, please check with the Church of England and find out the requirements for becoming a vicar.

Then there is the bit when she says "So we really are married, then?" and he says "Yes, we are. I made sure of it" if I had been reading an actual book I would have thrown it across the room in disgust. But as I was reading my Kindle, I didn't want to risk breaking it. How stupid does the author and by inference, Our Hero, think Our Heroine is? Has Donna Fletcher ever been to a wedding? Been married herself? Read any wedding service of any sort at all? Because one of the most components of every marriage service is the exchange of names and in order for a couple to be legally married they have to exchange their actual legal names. How would Our Heroine have failed to notice? As I said above, an insult to a woman's intelligence.

Profile Image for Kimi Court.
163 reviews9 followers
May 31, 2014
Whispers on the Wind, By Donna FletcherThis was a wonderful book. It was a mystery and love story all rolled in one. You have the Heroin Billie, who lost her family (Mother, Step Father), sold everything and moved. She inherited a mansion from her stepfather’s uncle. Max is a ghost who has not went into the light. He is a rogue, and devilishly handsome, and until she is able to find the reason of his demise, he will haunt her. What she doesn’t realize is he not only haunts her room, but her heart as well. Then there is the Vicar John. The total opposite of Max, sweet, caring and would make a wonderful husband and father.

I really liked this book. The mystery and intrigue of it. How can you go wrong with 2 hunky men, 1 being a ghost, murder, and mystery? This book kept me reading till the end. I actually had to stop myself from reading the end first. I wanted to know who she ended up with and who the murderer was. I loved the dialog between them all, and the humor. I could not put this book down. She did a wonderful job of putting you in the book. You knew each person and felt like you were a part of the mystery solving. You loved who she did, laughed and hurt as Billie did.

I happen to be a HUGE fan of Donna’s, and love all her Scottish books. For me this was not one of my normal books, but loved it all the same.
Profile Image for Angels.
2,052 reviews17 followers
September 8, 2011
What a cute story. Fast paced and enjoyable. Belinda's and Max's romance spark right from the bringing . Once arriving to her new town and home her ears are filled with tales of a haunted castle being haunted by Lord Maximillian (MAX). She thinks she is losing her mind seeing a ghost talking to bantering with him at every turn. She can't help herself is she falling in falling love with him ? She strikes and bargain with him to find evidence who murdered himself and also his father so that the old ghost's may be freed at last to move on. This book is filled with twists and turns and big surprises !
Profile Image for Cherie.
1,153 reviews20 followers
February 12, 2015
Bit of a paranormal as there is a ghost aspect. Belinda (Billie) and Maximillan are a very hot couple who show almost no restraint with each other. In between sex scenes they are trying to discover who murdered Max's father and also wants him dead. The story is rife with secret passages, secret relationships and more secrets.

This was a fun read that slowed down a couple of times but not too much. Billie is a refreshing heroine who plays a humorous part to Maximillan's serious authoritative lord of the manor as hero.
Profile Image for Rosemarie Short.
269 reviews5 followers
March 27, 2013
What I remember most about this novel is how I spent two days reading pretty much non-stop to reach a climax which was...well, just plain silly. I suppose the direction the mid-ending takes could be construed as daring but honestly I just didn't buy it. Which was a shame because I think there was a lot of potential here and I wouldn't write this author off just from this one novel. For some there might have been no problem but for me it was a bit of a let down.
Profile Image for Tonya.
130 reviews
August 15, 2014
I absolutely love Donna Fletcher, so I have to say that I really hate to give one of her books a low rating but I just could not get into this one. It was a DNF for me. There just wasn't anything in the book that kept me interested.
Profile Image for Evelyn.
1,571 reviews4 followers
April 19, 2016
Oh this book was fun to read. A young American girl, looses her parents and relatives in Nantucket, moves to England, alone. Ghosts, love reading about ghosts and you will be surprised how this works out. The manor, the small village, the residents. The ale. ENJOYED, ENJOY !!!
Profile Image for camille stephens.
2 reviews
August 14, 2015
Wow







Couldn't put it down. Had to know what I as going on. Had you guessing for a while and then when you find out who then you just can't believe it. You should've known the whole time. The clues were there. Great love story and I loved the plot.
Profile Image for Marie Staton.
53 reviews
October 16, 2016
Interesting story. Spoiler alert

Started off slow. Though I did enjoy the story. Intriguing waiting to see if Max was real or a ghost and how it would affect Belinda. Character very passionate.
Profile Image for Elaine Cantrell.
Author 22 books274 followers
April 7, 2011
I enjoyed the plot, but I think it would have been better if a few of the love scenes had been eliminated or changed in some way.
Profile Image for Jean.
912 reviews39 followers
April 24, 2011
I actually gave it 3.5 Stars
The Story reminds me of 'A rose in winter' by Katheleen Woodiwiss.
The later mentioned book was a better read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews

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