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Gettysburg Ghost #1

Somebody's Darling

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He finally found the love of his life…150 years after his death.

In modern day Gettysburg where ghosts roam among the living, Confederate soldier Jesse Spenser drifts aimlessly. The only light in his lonely existence is Lucy, a lovely waitress who works in a tavern in town. Falling more in love with each passing day, Jesse yearns to speak with her and tell her how he feels.

Lucy fears the ghosts that are said to haunt Gettysburg, so Jesse approaches her with great care. After overcoming her initial terror, Lucy develops a friendship with Jesse that soon blossoms into more. Lucy's love and understanding brings Jesse a sense of peace, which only brings him closer to his final destination; Heaven.

Jesse and Lucy have found soulmates in one another, but will they lose their chance at true love if Jesse crosses over to the other side?

**Please note that this is a paranormal romance story with explicit sexual content.** This book can be read as a standalone, but it is also book one in the Gettysburg Ghost series. Download the novel now and get lost in a world of romance where history and modern times collide!

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345 pages, ebook

Published January 11, 2016

465 people are currently reading
394 people want to read

About the author

Linda Fausnet

23 books32 followers
Linda Fausnet is the author of several genres of books, including romance, LGBT fiction, chick lit, and middle-grade. She has also written numerous screenplays of various genres. Two of her scripts have been optioned by production companies in Los Angeles; Mega Films, Inc. and Runaway Productions. She runs a fan club for romance book lovers called Romance Novel Addicts Anonymous on Facebook and other social media platforms.

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5 stars
220 (50%)
4 stars
113 (26%)
3 stars
72 (16%)
2 stars
19 (4%)
1 star
9 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
Profile Image for Mallory.
481 reviews59 followers
June 14, 2023
Okay, so, you know those bizarre Kindle unlimited ads you get pushed on Instagram and Facebook? Well, this one got pushed to me and I was like, 'What in the world... WHY would ANYONE write this?!'

My morbid curiosity got the better of me and I downloaded it just to see how hot of a mess it was. MY FRIENDS. The mess was HOT.

The book was nonsensical, several of the historical aspects made me scoff because they were so inaccurate, the writing style did not mesh with me, the characters were either inconsistent and confusing or completely stereotypical.

And at the end, I'm not quite sure what the author was trying to accomplish. I'm a sucker for a romance novel, but this didn't quite fit the bill for a romance novel? It could have been a moral message, but I'm not sure what the message was?

Ah well, it was entertaining conversation fodder as I sent a chapter-by-chapter summary to my friend 😂
Profile Image for Kathryn Beland.
41 reviews14 followers
May 6, 2023
It finally happened. Unfortunately, I fell on my first woke book. I don't know what the author repeated more the lesbien affairs of one of the characters or the constant rants about all the awful white people and their lack of empathy regarding all slaves. Like all woke fools, this person didn't give any thought to the lives of soldiers lost from both sides in that awful war. And worse, she probably didn't even bother to pick up a truthful history book for research.

Don't read it. Watch paint dry, gargle with glass, anything but reading this nonsense.

Oh, one more thing, if I could have given it half a star, I would have. 👎!
Profile Image for Lisa Malmquist.
771 reviews23 followers
August 14, 2022
Jessie Spenser is a ghost. He died during 1863 at Gettysburg. There are many ghosts around Gettysburg and he and his enemy Joel are tow of them.
They can become visible to people but that's all.
Jesse falls in love with a sweet waitress, Lucy, at the local restaurant and bar.
One day Joel and Jesse try a bet and decide that Lucy has to decide which fellow is better.
It doesn't take Lucy to figure out they are dead soldiers and she doesn't take it well.
However, a little at a time she recovers from being afraid and befriends the two soldiers.
She also meets other ghosts in town.
Lucy works on helping them so they can resolve whatever they need to in order to move on from being stuck as ghosts.
Profile Image for Jo-Anne.
1,756 reviews38 followers
Read
January 9, 2024
This was an interesting book but not what I was expecting. I thought it would be more romance, with a ghost popping in, than a history lesson on the Civil War. As I said, it was interesting just not what I wanted to read right now.

Profile Image for Heathy.
146 reviews4 followers
December 26, 2016
I wanted so badly to like this book. After some initial hesitation, I decided to give it a try. In the past, I've read Civil War-themed romances where the author's hatred for the South was very evident. At first, this book seemed impartial, which made me excited. The heroine (Lucy) actually defended the southern soldiers at the beginning of the book, explaining that most didn't actually own slaves and that many were simply fighting to protect their homeland from invading Northern troops.

So the book started out with 5 stars just for that. Minus 1 star for the odd presentation of homosexuality. I don't care if a character is gay, but the character was from the 19th century when sexual subjects were very taboo. I just find it hard to believe that they'd adopt modern behavior and blurt out their sexuality to pretty much everyone they meet.

Minus 1 star for Why the sudden change? And then the characters start ranting about the Iraq War, 9/11, etc. I read romances to escape reality, not to be bludgeoned over the head with political commentary.

Finally, minus 1 star for the cheesy dialogue. Speaking of dialogue, the story seems to have way too much dialogue & not enough narration. I really didn't notice it until the last half of the book. But anyway, the female characters talk like Valley Girls and use their names too much: "OMG Lucy!", "Like, what is it, Theresa?", "I don't know, you know, Lucy?", etc.

Also, the scene near the end was very cringy when Lucy talks about Jesse's Why would you do that?

The happily ever after isn't even logical. I have read paranormal romances before where the HEA is actually kinda plausible. This one is not.

Finally, we learn why Jesse has been stuck on earth for 150+ years....


Profile Image for Adrienne.
188 reviews
July 16, 2019
Great story that had me in tears almost the entire way through the book.

The author's extensive research into the Civil War and Gettysburg showed, and I remembered Little Round Top and such from my visit to the battlefields. Hearing someone speak about the war as though he had been part of it...made it all so much more real. How many people have been bored by history? Or at least certain eras or locales? The author makes history come alive in her fiction, and the details brought me to tears, as did the hopeless, star-crossed love between a ghost and a living woman.

I wasn't sure how the author was going to reconcile the love between a dead man and someone alive, but she did it. I didn't feel satisfied about it, though, because I have questions that were never answered. Perhaps, the answers will come later in the series, and trust me, I'm continuing on! I have my guesses about Book 2, but we'll see.

I loved the banter between Jesse and Joel, especially as we got further along in the story, and finding out about their history together was...tragic and painful. I cried and flinched at the descriptions...and cried some more about the real, actual soldiers who lived and died through the Civil War. And learning Joel's backstory...gosh, the agony that the author put her characters through! But she wrote it well and it ended for the best. Part of me was disappointed at the end, but I see now that it was the only way it could truly be while being true to the characters. But that has me looking forward to Book 2 even more! I hope to see more of Jesse and Lucy, and Theresa's decision at the end is...brilliant!
Profile Image for Mattie Egnezzo.
28 reviews
September 24, 2024
Too much for me.

Don’t listen to the ones that say the sex scenes are mild. They mention masturbation quite a lot and must have been 20 pages of one sex scene in great detail. The story line was just not that great. I hung in there but will not be reading the rest in the series. A lot of cursing, The GD word is used a lot. A lot of political views talked about. This book is just not my cup of tea. Nor this author. The writing style is good. No problems there. I should have known better than to read this.
15 reviews
January 7, 2022
A beautiful blend of history and modern romance with a twist. I was skeptical when I first purchased this book because I had no clue how this plot would work. I inhaled this book in a day and immediately ordered the next two in the series! The characters are well developed and the story progresses effortlessly. I love how these characters show up in the next two books as well. If you like historical romance, this is for you!
Profile Image for Kristie.
812 reviews
October 2, 2022
How does this book have such high ratings? How was it even published? It’s terrible. Like, embarrassingly bad.
Profile Image for Mandee.
441 reviews
December 6, 2022
A new favorite!

I was skeptical about reading this book. When I found this book on Kindle Unlimited, I had been searching for Civil War Time Travel Romance. I read the blurb and thought well this isn't really time travel like I wanted. I scrolled down to the reviews. The first review I read had been written when the reader was only 19% into the book and then updated once they finish. That review alone was enough to persuade me to give this a chance since wasn't exactly what I was searching for.

Let me tell ya boy am I glad I did! I feel in love with this one. The raw emotions I felt while reading this book were strong. I laughed, gasped, and cried. The author brought to life the surroundings and emotions. I have so much appreciation for the various/alternative views about Civil War (not just the racism aspect) and the acceptances of LGBTQ in this book. I have no doubt it is in all her books which is fantastic.

I look forward to following the characters through this series! As well as other books by Linda Fausnet!
Profile Image for  Bon.
1,349 reviews198 followers
January 27, 2019
This was super cute and a fairly quick, if shallow, read. Of course there are excellent points made about the war - how many Confederates didn't fight, you know, for slavery, but to protect their own land and family, how many northerners begrudgingly fought a war they perceived as being for the cause of a lesser race (CRINGE???), etc., but a lot of the dialogue and descriptions were very basic. The girl is beautiful without much more description, she is so sweet and pure etc. and studying to be a teacher, but damn if I knew anything more about her by the end, just that she was soo great. But I am a sucker for ghost romances, and this was a really different sort for me, so marathon it I did. I was bracing for an unhappy ending, but was luckily foiled in that, so...a solid guilty pleasure read.
44 reviews
June 7, 2020
Civil War Love kind of.........

This novel is one of the best love stories I have read in a long time. There are fights, frights, laughter and most of all love! The author has very carefully mixtured in all the components for a lovely story. A little paranormal(Ghosts), (Fighting), Frightening(Souls),Laughter(Flirting), and so much love that everyone (almost) is given their true hearts desires. Thank you for writing such an enchanting story. It just make someone change their views instead of blindly following a group of people, who has not the best influence on a larger crowd. People can be cruel no matter what century your in. There is also always a way to make restitution to those you have treated unfairly. But the best part about this novel is in forgiving the past and looking to the future.
Profile Image for Liz L..
92 reviews2 followers
July 2, 2019
Amazing!

I really enjoyed this read. It was quite different from others I’ve come across. So I don’t want to spoil anything. But Lucy meets Joel and Jesse who are ghosts from the civil war. Jesse has it bad for Lucy and before long they fall helplessly in love. But the problem is he’s dead. Lucy tries to help Joel and Jesse confront the hatred they have for each other and find peace so they can finally go to heaven.

I enjoyed the easy read, how smooth the story ran. The sexy scenes weren’t too erotic which went well with the tone of the book. I loved the ending and how it all worked out. It was almost so natural and not over the top with supernatural magic. It was believable for a paranormal. Looking forward to book 2!!
Profile Image for Meri Leigh.
15 reviews1 follower
October 21, 2020
3.5 Stars! This was a super fun, super sweet story! I finished it in a day so it was easy to read. I enjoyed it a lot. I didn't feel that Lucy got a lot of character development BUT I get the impression that it's more about Jesse and Joel and how they come to terms with things so it still works. There's a part about 75% into the story were the author gets kind of political and it doesn't really fit, other then that the story story flows nicely. I was thinking it would be a story I could feel safe recommending to some of my evangelical family but that got shot to high heaven after the 3/4 mark. If you like Historical Romances, and Paranormal Romances then this is a good for you! And I recommend it
261 reviews5 followers
January 20, 2020
Rating is rounded up from 3.5 because the uniqueness of this story and the writing. Recognizing that it was necessary to keep the story on track and not allow the subject of slavery to overshadow the story, the author had to gloss-over the realities of slavery in this story. This made the story feel more like a fantasy in an alternate reality. Also, the author also makes some political views obvious around 75% into the story, that didn't seem to fit in the flow. Yet, in the end, this tale was unique and the characters mostly likable and the setting was leveraged to make an overall nice story.
136 reviews2 followers
January 9, 2023
A delightful blending of ghost story and "historical" romance. Jesse and Joel are Civil War soldiers from opposite sides of the war who haunt the battlefields at Gettysburg. Lucy, a college student working at one of the local restaurants, catches Jesse's eye. Thinking the boys are reenactors, she is drawn into a competition between them to see who can win her favor. Soon, Lucy finds herself falling in love with Jesse only to find out that he's a ghost.

I adore the 3rd person POV. The story flows nicely. Characters are believable. No glaring grammatical errors. I'll admit, it made me tear up a little so have a tissue handy at the end.
2 reviews
July 6, 2020
Refreshing new approach to a romance novel

Loved the book. God's Love is very subtle throughout the book. Lucy's suffering for the one she loved is a small picture of Christ's passion for us. The concept of "ghosts" was a refreshing approach into the unknown. I am still a sucker for happy endings so I loved the suspense leading to the ending. You did a great job describing the Civil War with 20/20 hindsight. This is the most refreshing romance novel I have read to date. Looking forward to reading the next one
171 reviews1 follower
January 19, 2024
Well this was an interesting read📙
It sort of went around and around but kept me interested to see how it would end.
Jesse and Joel are ghosts in Gettysburg.
They cannot seem to leave and go to heaven.
They are enemies but that is one of the issues holding them there.
I wish they had delved a little more into Joel’s wife’s diary that was found at the end of the book. That issue could have been explored more.
It was
One thing it was like a beginners book to paranormal romance.
I wouldn’t mind reading number 2 and 3 just to see how the author deals with them.
Profile Image for Dark Widow.
71 reviews
June 24, 2025
This book had a great storyline; though it took a while for it to get started. It wasn't until the 85% mark or there about, when they had their first kiss. As far as passion; it was nearly non existing until the very end, around 90+%. Also, much of the dialogue is confusing to read; it's hard to understand who was talking due to the switching of the characters within a few paragraphs. Would I recommend this series, yes as long as you enjoy very slow burn romance; do I plan on reading more, no; as a reader who enjoys lots of spice, this book, didn't have enough for me.
Profile Image for N. Nieto.
Author 17 books68 followers
March 6, 2023
Southern charmer

I really enjoyed this book and am really excited to start the second book in this series. I loved the way the author brought the characters to "life " in more ways than one. I adored Jesse from the begining and Joel's character grew on me. Lucy was just the thing to help bring these boys together and help them cross over and find their versions of peace. 5 out of 5 stars would recommend.
1 review
June 25, 2023
Somebody's Darling

Loved this book ! Once I read a few chapters and learning who the characters are I was hooked ,
.I really thought that Lucy might end up dead to be with Jesse. But the author of this book gave it a wonderful twist which I loved. The relationship between Lucy,Joel, Fillis ,and Theresa was well written. Once the shock of being spirit's of the dead came to light and being friends was wonderful.
I'm looking forward to book two.
Profile Image for Debbie Odachowski.
491 reviews
November 26, 2023
What a page turner

I have always wanted to visit Gettysburg. The thought that ghost walk the streets is not very far fetched. The photos people take there show ghostly sights and sounds. The thought that they walk among us makes me want to read more. I can't wait to see how Jesse and Lucy get on and see if Theresa can help ghosts get to the other side. Makes you think twice about people who walk by you.Enjoy!
Profile Image for Sanderella.
519 reviews
May 16, 2017
As a lover of Gettysburg/ghosts/romance, this book aced it for me. Even though it was paranormal, the author made it sound believable..to me anyhow. Reading about particular places in Gettysburg, that I've been to, was icing on the cake. I'm so glad that I found this book and read it..in less than a day. :)
Profile Image for Randi.
1 review
May 20, 2020
Not your average romance novel! It’s obviously well-researched historical fiction, a ghost story, romantic and passion-filled, but also funny (there are some laugh-out-loud moments), suspenseful and unpredictable, tragic, uplifting, and bittersweet. A very unique novel, and very well-written. There’s plenty to love here!
Profile Image for Jacqueline J.
3,565 reviews371 followers
December 29, 2022
Not a bad story. The writing style was merely pedestrian in my opinion. It was interesting in that ghosts at Gettysburg is an interesting idea. But I found the abilities and full lives of the ghosts a little too facile for me. And the way the hero and heroine ended up was just too easy. Plus the heroine was pretty cardboard.
3,596 reviews16 followers
July 29, 2023
What a interesting and wonderful story!

Wow this story gave me chills! I couldn't help but wonder where the author was going with it, but wow I sure did love it! I've had some strange experiences within hours of the time loved ones passed away and this kinda made it a little more intense!
Profile Image for Vicki.
1,705 reviews
May 6, 2017
A wonderful and thoughtful romance. It was so sweet and sad. I cried while reading this story. It is a ghost story but when they go to the place where they died it was unbelievable. I just loved it.
113 reviews1 follower
July 16, 2017
So real

I chose this because it mixed love 💘 and paranormal experience. It kept me involved, made me feel, thinkIng about the future of the two who loved so deeply. I worried 😟 about how the correct ending would happen. I need not. More!
Lynn.Porter
Profile Image for Georgiana.
6 reviews3 followers
February 17, 2018
LOVE!

I am that person who never leaves a review unless it's worth it. And this is worth it. absolutely loved this book! I couldn't put it down. Combined my love of the Civil War and a love story. Will definitely be reading this again and the others in the series.
Profile Image for Becca Baldwin.
Author 50 books35 followers
October 24, 2022
This book was such a pleasure to read. The writing was phenomenal. The characters were great. The history and on point, it made you feel all the emotions, and the storyline was so richly woven that I COULD NOT put this down until the last page was read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews

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