Unsettled Spirits

by Sophie Weeks

Sarah Markham always assumed that the Ivy League was her ticket to a new life. But after graduating from Harvard at the height of the Great Recession, she finds herself with no job offers and not much hope. That all changes when she enters a bookshop owned by Samuel, an eccentric intellectual who offers her not just a job, but also a place to stay. Sarah soon discovers a small catch though: her room is haunted by Lucy Larch, an opinionated and strong-willed ghost from the 1940s. As Sarah tries to help Lucy move on, she meets handsome Irishman Ian Flynn and falls in love, but her insecurities soon threaten every relationship she’s built. As Sarah grapples with questions of faith, love, and identity, she must learn to embrace not just the spirits of the present, but the haunting pain of the past. Can she accept her past, and more importantly herself, in order to let love in?

184 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2013

Reviews

[Jonel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is quite a cute little story. It’s a quick but enjoyable read. And even if it does start out a little slow, it’s quite informative and extremely well written. This novel is quite clearly and concisely written, allowing you to flow through the pages like the ghost in the tale. The storyline is well put together, providing you with a tale that is quite interesting.

All of the characters, both human and previously human, are well developed. As a reader you discover who each character is and how they ended up in their current situation. It’s quite intriguing to get to know the characters on so many different levels. They’re all very well rounded individuals.

This is definitely a fun for all ages novel that would be great for any who enjoy not-so-scary ghost stories, and want to immerse themselves in the other than normal for a little while.

Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Ruth B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unsettled Spirits is the story of a young woman trying to grow up and deal with the adult world while dealing with a simpatic-sometimes-annoying ghost.

Sarah has just graduated college and needs money to pay her loans and to live. She ends up working and living at a bookshop. There the owner, Samuel will become a friend and confident. However, the room comes with a surprise, Lucy, a ghost from the 1940s. And to make things even better, enters Ian, a handsome, smart Irish man who will change her life forever.

The story is sweet, simple and fast. Sarah is a twenty-five-year-old woman with a sincere heart and profound fears. Her childhood was not ordinary, daughter of missionary parents, she grew up living in places like Peru. She is afraid of a lot of things and doesn't know how to handle with things that most twentyish people face everyday. I totally understand her and for me is a lovely, real and despite all strong character.

She has never been kissed so Ian brings unknown feelings and emotions into her world. Their relationship is sweet, fast and mature despite her inexperience.

Lucy is a funny character and helps her in ways you cannot imagine. However, for moments she seems less than a secondary character and I was wondering how the ghost was relevant to the story. But the author surprise me and gave her a key part to solve the bigger picture.

There were a lot of things I loved. For example, she graduated from Harvard and still couldn't find a proper job. Genius and real, in todays world you can't only rely in a diploma from an excellent college. Another point, she smokes weed, which is a total contradiction if you remember where she grew up. But when you think about it is no so strange because a lot of people her age does it.

The writing style is good, the dialogues are entertaining and the characters are well described.

Overall, this is a book about a young woman finding herself and helping a ghost along the way. It's about healing and learning to trust your heart.

I totally recommend this book to lovers of light and sweet romance.

*** I received a complimentary copy in exchange of an honest review. ***

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for ghost stories, non-fiction and fiction alike, so when I found out that Sophie Weeks' Unsettled Spirits was up for review I jumped at the chance to read it. If you're wary of ghost stories or just plain don't like to be scared, don't let the subject matter of this novel keep you from reading it. It's actually a very tame tale. A little sad perhaps, but not at all scary. This is a short book but still a well-written and enjoyable read. I'll admit that I didn't care much for the characters at first. They seemed too distant, too gruff, but they grew on me quite a bit as the story progressed. That's not to say they didn't frustrate me occasionally (c'mon Sarah! Don't give up so easily, girl!). They were all genuine with human frailties and were each likeable in their own unique ways. The storyline itself, while frequently slow-moving, developed nicely and came to what I thought to be a very satisfying close. I only wish we would have gotten a more in-depth look at Lucy's life. This is a story about budding relationships, friendship, and healing with a generous helping of the paranormal mixed in. All-in-all an entertaining read that's perfect to curl up with on a lazy weekend. P.S. My lights went out as I was writing this review... Lucy, is that you? *winks*

NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for my honest review.

[Jen Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unsettled Spirits was a creative and unexpected pleasure to read. It has been on my TBR shelf for a long time and I can't believe it took me this long to get to it. I’ve read two books by this author and I’m a fan for life. Lucy totally cracked me up! And I felt for Samuel as he obviously struggled with some serious internal battles. As Sarah came into her own and her confidence slowly improved, I found myself wanting to take her under my arm and tell her she was adorable. It was a light easy read and made me want to get lost in a bookstore.

I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I work for the publisher but this did not impact my review.

[Jennifer]

Ohhhh. Loved it!