Jessamine

by Shani Struthers

“The dead of night, Jess, I wish they’d leave me alone.”

Jessamin Wade’s husband is dead – a death she feels wholly responsible for. As a way of coping with her grief, she keeps him ‘alive’ in her imagination – talking to him everyday, laughing with him, remembering the good times they had together. She thinks she will ‘hear’ him better if she goes somewhere quieter, away from the hustle and bustle of her hometown, Brighton. Her destination is Glenelk in the Highlands of Scotland, a region her grandfather hailed from and the subject of a much-loved painting from her childhood.

Arriving in the village late at night, it is a bleak and forbidding place. However, the house she is renting – Skye Croft – is warm and welcoming. Quickly she meets the locals. Her landlord, Fionnlagh Maccaillin, is an ex-army man with obvious and not so obvious injuries. Maggie, who runs the village shop, is also an enigma, startling her with her strange ‘insights’. But it is Stan she instantly connects with. Maccaillin’s grandfather and a frail, old man, he is grief-stricken from the recent loss of his beloved Beth.

All four are caught in the past. All four are unable to let go. Their lives entwining in mysterious ways, can they help each other to move on or will they always belong to the ghosts that haunt them?

From the author of the bestselling PSYCHIC SURVEYS series.

~~~

Try Shani Struthers' PSYCHIC SURVEYS series:
Psychic Surveys Prequel: Eve - A Christmas Ghost Story
Psychic Surveys Book One: The Haunting of Highdown Hall
Psychic Surveys Book Two: Rise to Me
Psychic Surveys Book Three: 44 Gilmore Street

*Only EVE is a standalone story. The main PSYCHIC SURVEYS books are all follow-ups!*

Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Mystery, Thriller

330 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 27, 2014

About the author

It's all about the ghosts...

Here's the order my books come in:

Psychic Surveys Series:

Psychic Surveys Book One: The Haunting of Highdown Hall

Psychic Surveys Book Two: Rise to Me

Psychic Surveys Book Three: 44 Gilmore Street

Psychic Surveys Book Four: Old Cross Cottage

Psychic Surveys Book Five: Descension

Psychic Surveys Book Six: Legion

Psychic Surveys Book Seven: Promises to Keep

Psychic Surveys Book Eight: The Weight of the Soul

Psychic Surveys Book Nine: The Devil's Liar

Psychic Surveys Companion Novels:

Eve: A Psychic Surveys Prequel

Blakemort (Corinna's story)

Thirteen (Ness's story)

Rosamund (Rosamund Davis - Ruby's great-grandmother's story)

Jed (the story of one of Psychic Surveys' most treasured and mysterious characters)

This Haunted World Series:

This Haunted World Book One: The Venetian

This Haunted World Book Two: The Eleventh Floor

This Haunted World Book Three: Highgate

This Haunted World Book Four: Rohaise

Reach for the Dead Series:

Reach for the Dead Book One: Mandy

Reach for the Dead Book Two: Cades Home Farm

Reach for the Dead Book Three: Walker

Jessamine Series:

Jessamine

Comraich

Carfax House - A Christmas Ghost Story (standalone novella)

The Damned Season - A Christmas Ghost Story (standalone novella)

Wildacre - A Christmas Ghost Story (standalone novella)

Summer of Grace - A standalone psychological thriller

Catch up with me via Facebook or on my website www.shanistruthers.com where you can sign up to my newsletter for all the latest information, offers and giveaways.

Reviews

[Caroline Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this book on audio and in my opinion, it's the best way to enjoy it. The narrator's voice was amazing, full of depth and emotion. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Funnily enough, I've been watching 'Outlander' on Amazon prime, so this book tied in nicely. I've never been to Scotland but I've always been in love with it - which may sound quite strange! Perhaps it's my own Irish upbringing that lends me an affinity to the rugged landscape, dark and enchanting waters and people who are brimming with character. Jessamine brings all of this to life and more. It is a gentle read, and such a pace invites you to get to know all the characters as you walk with them on their journey. I enjoyed each and every one of them, and the story played out in my mind as if it were on screen. I wasn't sure what to expect when I began this book, it has supernatural undertones but those which enchant rather than scare. For me, it is a love story which is beautifully brought to life by the author, who has a wonderful way with words. A warm and mystical read - I highly recommend this book.

[Jesse Christiansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a novel that is remarkable in its natural, unhurried flow, as well as a hauntingly beautiful charm that births from making its surroundings, along with its past, equally vital characters in the story. The only other time I have been this enchanted by such a tale was when I first watched the movie, Ghost Story (1981), which achieves a similar narrative tapestry.

Just like the simple, eerie painting that Struthers makes into a minor character, everything in this well-crafted novel is unveiled in a seamless, less-is-more, gentle ghosting of the reader. While all the characters are appropriately developed, Jessamine, Stan, and Finn are particularly well done. I can even still hear Finn’s voice after the novel has ended. The personal character growth of Stan, but especially Jessamine and Finn, is impressive. The scenery adds such integral setting to the novel, and is so well described, I find myself desperately wanting to visit Scotland and its lochs. Furthermore, the main house of the novel ranks up there with top haunted house settings. Finally, I really enjoyed the way the ghosts in this book add chills without going too far. And the denouement is as beautiful as it is deft.

What a delightful novel. One I shall remember.

Yours in literature,

J.G.C.

[Sarah Maleficent · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's no secret to any of you that I am a huge fan of Shani Struthers. To my deep shame, this is an author I have only just discovered. However, now I've started i'm hyngry for more. After reading all of the Psychic Surveys series, I was excited about this one as it's a standalone, and promised something completely different. So when I got the opportunity to listen on audible, I did.

The thought that stays with me after finishing the book is brooding. The whole book from the cover, to the highlands of Scotland, to the characters themselves, all just scream brooding. In a good way obviously.

Jess has lost her husband James in a car accident and is devastated. He was the love of her life, and she doesn't know how to go on without him. So she doesn't. She starts talking to James, asking him for advice, discussing her plans with him, everything. She can't bear to stay where she is, living her old life, seeing the same things day in day out and not have James by her side. So, much to the chagrin of family & friends, Jessamine moves to the Highlands of Scotland. Taking inspiration for the move from a painting her Grandfather had.

Once safely ensconced in her new home, Jess takes her time in meeting the locals. It doesn't take long to make new friends. All the while, Jess is still talking to James. As the story unfolds we are privy too a whole host of emotions. With this story I found the sense of loss ran deep through all of the characters. Each and everyone had lost something of themselves or someone. From this stemmed the feeling of guilt. Deeply intertwined and playing a major part in this was the emotion of love. The author shows as this story unfolds, that it's extremely difficult to separate your feelings and emotions, how rarely you can have a single feeling or emotion without another being joined to it. It's a well paced storyline, no big surprises jumping out at you, rather a steady tale of the characters stories unfolding with the end result of the reader saying, Aahhh, yes! It all makes sense now.

As we return to the characters themselves, Shani has written some excellent, strong & believeably flawed people into it. As a result, we are given characters that as a reader, you can feel a connection with and relate too. A must in a story like this, where you get so drawn in with the emotional side, you feel invested in them as people. We are given a different piece of them as the story unfolds, snippets at a time that come together at the end to make the whole thing come together. The author shows such a descriptive prowess in this book when telling us about the Lochs and mountains, that they, along with the eerie atmosphere are almost like a character in themselves! Always there, always watching, the backdrop to everyones lives. Oh, what they have seen and the secrets they hold.

So what we ultimately have here, is a haunting tale of love & loss. Do coincidences happen or does fate play a part? How long can you keep a secret and at what cost? How one moment, one decision can change the course your life will take for ever. A beautifully written atmospheric novel that draws you and at times is so emotionally charged, it makes your heart race, palms sticky and will leave you with a silent tear or two.

As I listened to this on audible, I need to just tell you how good the narrator is! Toni Frutin brings this fabulous story to life. She has such a clear soft voice, it has an almost calming effect, which makes those emotional points all the more poignant. It's a 10 hour listen, which just flies by! I finished it in two days, which is almost unheard of for me, as I don't always get that time. For this though, I found myself making the time.

[Gina Dickerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hauntingly beautiful story which I thoroughly relished from start to finish. The characters are fully fleshed out and the settings so well written it is easy to imagine the delights - and perils - of the Scottish highlands. This is an emotional read which tugged on my heartstrings and I enjoyed the brooding nature, not only of the story in general, but of one of the main characters in particular! Looking forward to devouring the sequel!

[Carol Peace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessamine's husband had died and she wanted to move away as she felt she was instrumental in his death and she was haunted by his voice. The place she moved to in Skye was a memory of a painting that her parents had found when her grandfather had died. No one knew why he had it but it looked like just the place for her to sort her thoughts out. She meets the painter while she is there and is told the loch in the picture really exists and she can't wait to visit it. The descriptions of the Scottish highlands made me feel quite at home there and I couldn't help but fall in love with the area and the people she meets and makes friends with while she is there. Her husband is still with her in voice only so it's not a conventional ghost story but it is haunting.
I really enjoyed this book and it is so different to the Phsychic Surveys books yet just as compelling. I loved it.
Thank you to TBC for introducing me to this book.

[jhanami · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to start by admitting that this is absolutely not my usual genre and I was wondering if I might have made a terrible mistake to pick up not just one but both volumes in this series... but lo and behold, I really enjoyed myself and whisked through them in a couple of days. They are very well written, insightful but still entertaining, the setting is fabulous, the supernatural elements work extremely well, the characters are likeable and interesting and whilst they are true to what one expects from romantic leads, they also stay mercifully clear of being cliched cardboard characters.
Highly enjoyable and just the thing for a cosy night in!

[Carol Oates · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to live in Skye Croft, let me just get that out there first. Oh my gosh, this book…

My disclaimer is that I knew before the first page that I would enjoy this book based on reading Shani’s past writing. She has a magical way with prose, her descriptions are sublime, and the reader is submerged into the emotion of every scene.

I wouldn’t exactly call Jessamine a ghost story. That’s just too simple. It’s a haunting story of lost love and guilt and how the past can destroy the present by holding on too tightly. It’s also a mystery that unravels slowly and draws you in to the point you think you won’t be able to breathe without answers.

Jessamin was blissfully happy and desperately in love with her slightly older husband, but blames herself for his death because of a stupid fight before the accident that took his life. He took care of her in life and in death, left her financially, if not emotionally secure. She continues to hold onto him, convinced he is still with her in spirit. James is the only thing she wants really, so, she retreats to a place that did give her comfort as a child – an old painting of an unnamed loch in Scotland. Her only clue to its whereabouts is the area her grandfather came from.

Glenelk has a tiny population and is deep enough in the Highlands to retain a touch of Celtic magic. Shani Struthers captures the entire area with such vivid enticing imagery, that there was a couple of times that I stopped reading to look at pictures. She made me want to be there among the people, glens, fairy pools, and mountains.

The Highlands are almost a character in there own right in this book, one of a number of fascinating characters. Each so fully developed, that they were ready to walk of the pages into real life.

It’s through loss that Jessamin connects with the other main characters, each holding onto their own almost as tightly as she is. The problem for all of them is moving forward means letting go and none of them are capable of doing it alone.

I laughed and I cried reading this. I felt the characters exhilaration when life began to creep back into their blood, but also their fear. If I can described it, it would be like emotions tied up and as a reader I was desperate for the characters to break free.

This really is a must read. A absolute gem of a read, especially now during the winter months when it’s perfect for curling up by a fire.

[Julia Peet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this story. I found it very emotional and I must admit, it had me in tears at times! The emotional conflict of "letting go" a loved one was uppermost in this lovely story. The beautiful Highlands of Scotland were brought to life by the author - I could almost have been there! The new relationships built up by Jessamine in her "escape" to Scotland were intriguing and the brooding "Finn" was a character I was attracted to straight away. Finn's grandfather was a heartwarming addition to the characters and was instrumental in moulding the whole story together. As a stand alone novel, I found it unputdownable, and it made me so thankful for my Kindle, without which I probably wouldn't have discovered this talented author. Thanks again Shani, and keep 'em coming!

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook Review

This story has it all, ghostly, haunting, loss, guilt, love, hatred. It is a story with friendship tested and the haunted past, ghosts of time. The descriptions of the house and the Loch, so vivid and bring the place to life. The characters seem true to village life and are very likeable. I do have ebook versions of these books by Shani Struthers, but listening to them just gives them an extra life.
I really enjoyed this and the narrator has a lovely voice that goes so well with it, she carries it along.
A good author that is definitely worth listening or reading

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shani struthers is one of my favourite horror authors, i got hooked with eve, read the haunting of highdown hall and now this. This novel is very different to highdown hall but still as eerily haunting. I was captivated by the characters in it and felt like finn, stan, Jess and Maggie were my friends by the end of the novel. These are ghost stories with a difference, intelligent and well written. I highly recommend them.

[Rebecca Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant read

I really enjoyed reading this book, now on to book two. I've read every other book Shani Struthers have written and I've never been disappointed, each of them being a page Turner.

[Lindaleonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hint of a ghost story

Excellent story, couldn't put the book down.
A story of 3 people, all with tragedy in their past, trying to heal before it's too late for them all.
I didn't want the book to end, I hope there is another book in the series

[Gary Dowden · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there is such a genre as “gentle paranormal” then Jessamine by Shani Struthers would fit neatly into it. Having read all the Psychic Surveys series, and it's spin off’s, I was looking forward to this standalone and surprised at how I'd managed to miss it previously!

Jessamin Wade is haunted by guilt over the death of her husband James, eighteen months after the event, and decides that a clean break away from her home in Brighton is needed. She's drawn to Glenelk, a remote village in Scotland where her grandfather originally came from and, on arrival, is relieved that she is still able to have conversations with James, despite his death.

As time wears on and she becomes easily accepted and integrated into her new home, she becomes firm friends with Maggie, Finn and Finn's elderly grand-father Stan, all of whom are long term residents and all have secrets from the past which gradually become uncovered and unravelled as the story progresses. Jess spends a lot of time chatting to, and helping Stan and it soon becomes clear that a much loved painting from her youth is actually a loch very near by.

This isn’t a “shock scare” or “blood and guts” story of the afterlife or paranormal. It's about grief, regret and blame and although it's a slow burner, it's never dull or drags as the reader really gets to know the characters and gradually begin to learn of their past and how they all have been through shocking events that have changed them permanently.

Jess and Stan's conversations are great as revelations of generations past come to light and Finn is a very complex character who, right until the end, I really couldn’t make up mind about how I felt about him.

Oddly for a paranormal novel, the characters of the afterlife aren’t actually touched up that often and when they are, it's not for revenge or for violent means, it's because the living still need to keep that connection for whatever reason. It's a really well told story, poignant at times and even with a bit of a message as regards “blame” and how we sometimes hold onto it unnecessarily

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessamin left her life living in Brighton behind when her husband James died in a car accident that she blames herself for, and moves into a small cottage in the wilds of Scotland. All this on the whim of a family painting of an unknown Loch, one of her family members still possesses.
She hears about her illusive Landlord Finn from the local village, but as yet hasn't managed to meet him, until the boiler in the cottage breaks down and the lack of hot water is the last straw. She makes a trip to his childhood home where she expects to find him, but instead meets Stan, his Grandfather, and immediately forms a friendship with him over a cup of tea she makes for him, taking pity on the old man being left alone in such a large, desolate house.

[A.J. Griffiths-Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hauntingly written & exquisitely narrated, this audiobook had the hairs standing up on the back of my neck. Young widow Jessamine is a strong main character but is holding on to her beloved James by imagining that he is still with her. Setting up home in the Scottish highlands only pricks the young woman’s senses further, as she soon discovers that she’s not the only one keeping ghosts from the past. A beautiful tale of loss, love & mystical journeys, the author has captured her subject in a mesmerising tale. I highly recommend the audio version as the narrator has a wonderfully soft & enticing accent that lends itself perfectly to the story.

[Kaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jessamin, is a story with a soul, it is so hauntingly beautiful, Shani Struthers has such a talent for writing supernatural novels, she makes you feel as if you are immersed in the story, and scene, after scene, unfolds around you. Based in the Scottish highlands, where the background is a rugged countryside with raw natural beauty, it is the perfect backdrop for the story of Jessamin, and the characters she encounters after moving to Glenelk to heal after the death of her husband. The friends she makes have their own stories, unbeknown to each of them their futures are so tightly entwined, the question being, will the past, and the broken souls lost in time , let them find the path to happiness, or is it too much to overcome?. I love how Shani Struthers style of writing brings her characters to life, gives them depth and a purpose to fulfil. I can only say, if you enjoy a story that will put a spark into your emotions.... Highly recommended.

[Kathleen Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

A different type of story,one that brushes the paranormal but never goes over into that genre. I very much enjoyed this book. It touched all the right areas,from deep grief to happiness. The characters are well written and the description of Scotland made me feel as if I was walking to the locks. I recommend this book highly.

[Noelle Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won the audiobook of Jessamine in a book giveaway. I didn’t look at the description at all before starting it and it unfolded as a delicious surprise.

Jessamine is narrated by Toni Frutin, who has been awarded an audio award for her work on Jessamine. Toni is a beautiful narrator and her accent is perfectly suited to this tale. Listening to Toni relay Jessamine is like being wrapped up in a warm, fuzzy blanket.


Unlike Shani’s other works, this is a an atmospheric love story, more than a paranormal adventure. Jessamine Wade is running from life and grieving from the death of her husband James, a death she blames herself for. She leaves Brighton for the tiny Scottish village of Glenelk, a place she knows only from a painting. Despite wanting to run away and escape, Jessamine finds herself immersed in life in Skye Croft cottage and the locals. She connects immediately with Maggie who runs the local shop. Maggie seems to have a knack for seeing the truth of people.

Surly, brooding, but attractive Fionnlagh Maccaillin looks after Skye Croft for his grandfather Stan. He is a rugged, army veteran with a chip on his shoulder. Jessamine bonds with elderly Stan in an unlikely way. Both Stan and Jessamine are trying to live in the past after the loss of their partners. It’s clear that Stan is unwell, but he is harbouring secrets from the past.

This is a novel about letting go of the ghosts of the past, family and most of all love. There is romance in this book, but it’s not soppy. Jessamine features different types of loving relationships, including scorned lovers, unrequited love and an unlikely friendship between an elderly Scottish man and a young, widowed woman. This is a very sweet novel and I was totally invested in story and characters. The landscape descriptions are beautiful and evocative. The painting desciptors further open up the listeners mind to the wild, beautiful Scottish countryside. To conclude, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook of Jessamine, it’s a treat for the ears and the soul !

[Colin Hodgkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very very different... but I loved it

Definitely not what I expected.
Very 'Wuthering Heights' ish, brooding, haunting and magnificent.
Continuing my journey through Shani Struthers novels without another author coming in between.
Ready to commence the next 'Comraich'

[Kate Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this book, as always a fantastic read! Shani u have done it agen 5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Amazing!!

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me cry. Excellent read

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great easy reading

This book is one that you curl up with a hot drink and easily fall into. From start to finish you find yourself emersed into the life of jessamin. The raw emotions explained perfectly down do the unwillingness to let go and the never ending guilt. Even with Finn the way his emotions are described are also perfect. A very heart wrenching story of pain, loss, guilt but also a heart warming story where lives are fulfilled with the smallest of things. Makes you realise sometimes you must let go pain and truly live your life filled with love.

[Lizzie Lamb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I downloaded this novel almost as soon as it came out but 'saved' until I visited the Kyles of Lochalsh and Skye in June. It was the perfect read for the ever changeable weather which passes for 'spring' on the west coast of Scotland. The shifting mist, the stunning scenery helped to get me into the mood for the supernatural element in this novel and made me appreciate all the more the themes of redemption and 'moving on.' I felt Jessamine's grief at being widowed and wondered how I would cope in similar circumstances, would I want to hold on to my husband's spirit or free him to go to a better place? Jessamine is similarly conflicted although she is helped by the lovely people who live in Glenelk to come to terms withe her grief. In turn she helps them to confront past wrongs and find their place in the sun. At times, the writing was so intense that I was carrying my iphone around with me and reading snatches whenever I could. I wanted to know how it would all resolve itself - would Jessamine let husband Jamie go towards the 'light'; would Stan live long enough to get the closure he sought and deserved; would she be able to convince Fionnlagh that he, too, deserved peace and happiness in his life? And that she was the woman who could heal his troubled soul? I wanted to know what part the painting Jessamine remembered from her childhood played in resolving all the above issues. Read this book and you really will start to believe in second sight, faerie pools and the mysticism which is part and parcel of this most beautiful part on the world, Shani Struthers goes from strength to strength as a writer and I look forward t reading more of her work.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book in the Jessamine series and was a lovely combination of loss, guilt, family saga and romance. It wasn't as scary as some of Shani's other novels and so should appeal to romance novel lovers too. This was my first experience of listening to an audio book and I felt that Toni Frutin told the tale very well, she was able to portray the warmth or anger of the characters with ease. I'll look forward to the second book Comraich very much, but I'm a little disappointed that Toni will not be the narrator for this one.

[Heather Fitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was gifted a copy of Jessamine in exchange for an honest review.

Jessamine is not the kind of book I would normally pick up and read; but every now and again I like to try something a bit different and I'm really pleased I did in this case. Although there are supernatural elements to the book it's not an out and out ghost story. Rather it's about learning to live in the present and not dwelling on the past.

Shani Struthers descriptions of the Scottish Highlands were perfect and she managed to convey the depth of their beauty perfectly. I had no problem imagining the village and the lochs and the mountains; it made me want to go back to the Highlands again. There is one particular part of the book that is definitely 'ghostly' and u could feel the hairs on my arms stand up as I read it; any book that can produce that kind of physical reaction is a winner in my book.

On occasion there was a bit of repetitiveness, which got a little bit annoying - lots of 'features softening' and that kind of thing so I couldn't give it 5*. I would definitely recommend this book and would implore readers not to think of it purely as a ghost story..

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An atmospheric book with a touch of the supernatural, it is spooky but not scary. The story is based on Jessamin Wade whose husband has sadly died; Jessamin is grieving and keeping his memory alive by talking to him in her mind. She leaves the busy town of Brighton to stay in a remote cottage in the Highlands of Scotland. She rents, ‘Skye Croft’ which she finds warm and welcoming and provides the quiet she needs to ‘hear’ her husband and keep his memory alive, at least in her imagination.
Jessamin is instantly likable and the author’s sympathetic portrayal of a grieving widow brings all her thoughts and feelings to life. The other characters who are introduced are also well described and the places she visits are bought to live through the author’s description, of both the remoteness of Skye Croft and the business of Jessamin’s hometown of Brighton.
This is the first book in Shani Struthers, Jessamine series, however it can be read as a standalone story. The blurb recommends it to readers and fans of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series and I would agree. I look forward to reading, Comraich, the second book in the series.

[Stella Birrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a bit of a scaredy cat, I was nervous about approaching Shani Struthers's novel, as she is a renowned author of paranormal fiction, but I had been assured that Jessamine was not 'too scary' and 'at heart a romance story.' I needn't have worried. Struthers deals and depicts the spirit world as just another dimension to her wonderful writing, where settings and characters alike are brought to the reader in at least three dimensions, sometimes more.
The book is mostly set in the Scottish Highlands, and again I was nervous of how Brighton-based Struthers would deal with issues of dialect in particular. But then I fell headlong into the story and nothing else mattered.
I read this book whilst putting cakes into the oven. I fell asleep over it, only long after bedtime. I cried while reading it at my children's swimming lessons.
I don't want to give away too much about the story, but if you are a fan of women's fiction and fancy something with a bit more to it, this is the book for you.

[Paranormal Romance Junkies · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the kind of story that you just couldn't put down once you started it. I thought it was truly a sad and yet beautiful love story. There isn't a ton of paranormal type activity in this book but there is just enough to call it paranormal romance. Jessamin is a thirty something widowed woman who blames herself for the death of her husband. She is so grief stricken that she decides to pack everything up and just get away from it all. She settles in a small Scottish town where she meets a lot of interesting people along the way and learns to live life again. I really enjoyed this book. It hits on so many different emotions and I literally couldn't put it down until it was finished. I would recommend this book to those paranormal romance lovers that want more of a love story and less of the rip your clothes off type of story.

~Storm

[Beccy Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first Shani Struthers book which i was lucky enough to be given a copy of on kindle. It’s the kind of book where the characters and their story stay with you long after you’ve read the final page. Shani has mastered the art of ghost stories but in such a way that it’s more than the story it’s the people you invest it. I love discovering new authors and Shani will definitely be an author I look out for on amazon. Her way with words in this book is entrancing I found myself equal parts scared and excited I really really felt for Jessamin and the cards that life had dealt her but I loved the way her character developed
I’m purposely not putting spoilers in or sharing too much information because I know it’s a book you’ll want to read and I definitely want you to discover Jessamins story yourself.

[S.A. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enchanting beautifully written romance/ghost story, one of the best I've read. A series of events that will bring two lost souls together. Set in a remote village, hidden away in the glorious Scottish highlands. I'm not giving away any more, you'll just have to read it for yourself. As usual, Shani doesn't disappoint when she writes. After reading several of her books, I've come to love her style of writing, the way she draws you in, You don't get lost or confused as to who's who, and who's doing what within the story line like many books I've read in the past by various authors. Be prepared to be drawn in as she takes you on this incredible journey