Into Thin Air

Ghosts #2

by Cindy Miles

A twelfth-century warrior-turned-Guardian Knight, Gawan of Conwyk is about to finally become mortal. But then he finds a beautiful woman by the side of the road near Castle Grimm-she is his soulmate, and it's up to him to save her life.

Ellie doesn't remember who she is or how she got to the north of England. Together they set out to solve the mystery of her almostdeath, but neither Ellie nor Gawan is prepared for the soul-searing passion they discover...

Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Ghosts, Time Travel, Fiction, Fantasy

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Cindy Miles is the best-selling author of twelve novels, one anthology and three short stories. She also writes as Elle Jasper, and grew up on the salt marshes of the Vernon River in Savannah, Georgia.

Reviews

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gawan of Conwyck is an honest-to-goodness Guardian Angel. As an Earthbound Angel, he lives basically as a mortal, but with some perks: he can read minds, see ghosts, and influence people's actions (kind of like a Jedi). His responsibility: make sure any and all of his Charges are safe. The catch: neither he nor his charges remember each other when the saving is accomplished.

Ellie appear one day, in need of Gawan's help. She's mostly dead - nigh unto becoming a ghost herself, with her body lost and dying - and needs Gawan to find her body and keep her alive - all before his retirement in less than a month, upon which he becomes mortal and is no longer a Guardian Angel. In the course of Gawan helping Ellie, they fall hopelessly and deeply in love - which of course stands to reason, given that they are each others' Beloved Intended: they are Soul Mates.

This book was insanely cute! I was laughing the entire time, and completely rooting for Gawan and Ellie. I didn't know whether I wanted Gawan to save Ellie or not - should he keep his vow as an Angel and a knight, or selfishly stay with his Intended for eternity? In the end though, if all turns out right, as you know it will in a romance novel - that's why we read them, no?

Miles references characters and events from her first book, Spirited Away, in this story, so it helps to have read it first - but it's by no means necessary!

[Rachel Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This (mostly chaste) paranormal romance had one of the best HEA's I've read in a long time. Into Thin Air is actually the second in the series after Spirited Away, and I think I'll go back and read the first one at some point.

[Jodotha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read my requisite 50 pages, and am putting this one down. I may not pick it up again. What makes this harder is that the elements are THERE. It's like a Disney movie version of a romance novel, with a caring and dedicated hero, a damsel determined to be rescued one way or the other, and a whole host of very amusing sidekicks.
I really wanted to like this one, especially after I very much enjoyed the author's debut novel, Spirited Away.
I mean, come on, it's a romance novel. Not just a romance novel, but one of THOSE romance novels. The kind that you know ahead of time is going to be mushy and implausible, but hey it fills a gap in our lives, right?
It's not like I was going into this with particularly high standards. Just looking for a fun read.
So I honestly, wanted to like this.
But Cindy, oh Cindy, where is your editor? Someone really should have told you that we readers can only take so many sayings of "twas" and "betwixt" and "I vow". And a hero can be attractive without constantly reminding the reader that he would make Hugh Jackman look plain in comparison. Really, it's true!
This novel was sent out before its time. I know this author can write. But I think this one was put together with less care, and that's a bummer.

Edit: Finally read the whole thing, but unfortunately I have to stand by my original review. It was sweet, but lacked substance. The ending was happily ever after with bonus sparkles.

[Laila · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHY WAS THIS ACTUALLY GOOD

i read it as like a haha but they were so cute???

it was so wholesome like it had a lot of religious undertones but if you disregard that’s it’s just fun

the found family of ghosts was so cute

gawan was a medieval angel that has some cool powers
ellie is a “half dead” girl that has amnesia

they end up being soulmates but they can’t be together bc the rules say that when an angel helps the dead that everything that happened between them will be erased from their memory

it was fun to see ellie getting her memory back but it took so long!!!!

i liked the reunion scene

i liked it idk it was just good vibes

the only thing i DESPISED was the constant “girl” and sometimes they’d call the women “wenches” :/
they’re OBSESSED with their girls tho like HOPELESSLY DEVOTED and i cant complain too much bc the girls did NOT seem to mind being called wenches so whatever that’s a personal issue for me

they were actually so cute and for what?!!!!?!!!!

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another quick read. I liked this one and would give 3.5 stars but like book 1 - and after having read all three in this series - I had some issues that keep my rating from being higher. Still a good book and I enjoyed it. STRONG recommendation: read Spirited Way BEFORE reading this one.

What I didn't like:
- Again seems a little formulaic (and while I like this formula after reading 3 of her books the formula needs a little tweaking) - Spirited Away and Into Thin Air both have staid, thin butlers, both books have a gaggle of ghosts hanging around (that said, I did enjoy the secondary characters in both books) and more similarities between all three books
- The quirky female (another thing in all 3 books). Sometimes quirky is irritating and I felt that Ellie's eccentricities sometimes got to be irritating for me.
- The attraction between the two characters and progression of their relationship seemed slow to me at first, then it comes on strong in the middle and we wait and wait and the end is a little bit of a let down because everything is wrapped up so quickly for such a long buildup. I appreciate she doesn't want to fill her book with sex but it's also frustrating (and a bit unbelievable) that with time running out, all they do is kiss. They also have less banter compare to the other two books, which I missed, but I enjoyed their growing attachment to each other.
- I'm all for suspension of disbelief but TWO medieval warriors with ghosts living with them happen to be within a short drive of each other? (I understand she did this to re-introduce characters from the first book but seemed a bit forced).
- My biggest issue is the search for Ellie. It's imperative that she's found quickly. So let's get going. Nope, we'll start tomorrow after a good night's sleep. Nope, let's eat and take a shower first. Nope, let's visit the neighbor (who also has a house full of ghosts!!) and sword fight, shower, eat and oh, no it's snowing. Let's wait some more. Now I appreciate that some of these "waiting" scenes allow the two characters to develop their relationship, but WAY too much time is spent not doing anything.

What I liked:
- She writes a good medieval warrior. You can picture how he looks, how he talks, even how he smells. He was "stodgy" but not overly so. I liked how protective he was over her but not in a chauvinistic way
- I liked Ellie better than Amelia from Highland Night but Andi is still my favorite of the three female leads. She was for the most part a believable and interesting character. Just some of her quirks got to be a bit much.
- I LOVED that she brought in the characters from the first book so you could see how they were doing, but wish more was said on the amazing coincidence of their being TWO ghostly estates so close to each other - is there something about this region? . (read Spirited Away BEFORE reading this one or there will be spoilers - not terrible ones but still).
- I liked the genealogy mystery and how that resolved. Just wish there had been a bit more than a few teasers and a quick summation at the end.

After having read all three books in this series I'd say my favorite is still Highland Knight #3 and her other story, A Christmas Spirit (I'd read Highland Knight before Christmas Spirit). I'm torn about which is my second favorite as there are things I liked from Spirited Away and this book but also some issues with each.

[Pandora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different, funny and sweet!

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually read ghost stories but this one was intriguing. Gawan and Ellie were fully drawn. Just the jump from ghost to actual was a little hard sometimes.

[Kaitlyn Kumler · Rating 4 out of 5]

the ending???? are you kidding!!!! perfection!!!!

[Linda Heavey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written. Loved the descriptions, and the historical elements.

[Natasja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellie is in England to investigate her family tree on her mother’s side, but luck is not on her side. After being hit by a drunk driver Ellie’s body is in a waking coma status somewhere at the coast, leaving her spirit exists in a semi-solid state. But that is not all, she can’t remember anything about her life before the accident, or even how she got there in the first place. The only thing she remembers is the meeting with Gawan Grimm, a handsome stranger who finds her beside the road, soaking wet and totally disoriented.

Gawan Conwyk is an Earthbound Angel, and after nearly a thousand years he is less than a month away from his retirement, so he can live the rest of his life as a mortal. But fate has a last job for him when he finds Ellie beside the road near his castle. At first he though she was just a normal woman, but he can hear her thoughts and that means only one thing….she is already a spirit or she lives in the Betwixt and that means the time is ticking. He has to find her body fast, but if he fails Ellie will be a spirit forever and he will lose his retirement and remain an angel forever.

When Gawan discovers that Ellie is his Intended, his soul mate he is determined to save her life no matter what. Even if this means they cannot be together afterwards, because Gawan loses his memories of his charges as soon as his task is over.

Main-characters Gawan and Ellie are perfect for each other. Gawan is earthbound angel whose is less than a month away to become a mortal and live his life. But when fate give him a last charge, and she also happens to be his Intended, his world turns upside down. When he discovers that Ellie is almost a spirit in the Betwixt. But when the deadline approaches and Ellie’s spirit grows weaker, he cannot ignore the fact he will loose the woman he loves. Ellie is a determined young woman who is overseas to find out more about her mothers family tree, not knowing the trip will change her life forever. After being hit by a drunk driver, she loses her memory and her body and spirit separate. Now the clock is ticking for Ellie to be reunited with her body or she will live in the shades forever. But will she be able to let Gawan go when the time comes, because neither of them will remember each other.

I can tell you this, there are some very special secondary characters who’re playing a huge role in this novel. It seems that Castle Grimm is home to several ghosts and they all want to help Ellie back into her body and into the arms of Gawan. But will they succeed in time?

Into thin air by Cindy Miles is a fabulous novel to read. I didn’t know what to expect of this novel when I begin reading, but it has all the ingredients I love; great main characters, romance and a fine doses humour. I found myself smiling a couple of times during this novel and really make me believe that love overcomes any obstacle in life. I’m really looking forward to the next novel.

[J.J. Levesque · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm torn between four and five stars for this, and wish I could give the book 4.5 stars instead. So I'll just go with the five because in the end, the book was fantastic.

The start was slow at first, and I struggled to really get into the story, unlike other books by this author. But once characters from Spirited Away make an appearance, the story picks up and I was sucked in. Jason is just as adorable in the previous book, and he resumes his role of guarding a maids honor. How can you not love him?

It was interesting how the roles were reversed in this book. Gawan, while still from another century, is alive, and the girl is the ghost. It was a refreshing twist to the formula Miles goes by. Towards the end I was heartbroken, because I did not think it could end well. Being both alive but never remembering the person you love is more upsetting to me then if one of them should die. But as with her books, all ends in a Happily Ever After, which is what I love so much about them.

It seems that Christian, one of the side characters in the book, has things happening. As I read it, I wondered if she was setting the reader up to give him his own book, and it appears that does happen in her most recently released fifth book. I have read the fourth and third (out of order, sadly, though not necessary to read them in order as they are not a series) and I wonder if any of these characters make their appearance. I will have to go back and reread them.

[Phoenix77 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not being a heavy "Paranormal Romance" fan, I appreciated that supernatural aspects of the lead characters wasn't made that big a deal, and the focus truly was on their emotional relationship. Even without the idea of Ellie and Gawan being soul-mates, there is a sense that they just complement each other so well. Knowing that they are Intended allows the author to skip much of the wooing and just get them together.

Unfortunately, there are some parts of the overall storyline that are ignored, briefly touched upon when convenient, or never fully realized. We know Ellie's motivations for coming to England, but the family mystery is wrapped up in a page of exposition rather than having them solve it along with Ellie's more immediate problem. And it wasn't made 100% clear how she was lost near Castle Grimm in the first place (before her accident).

Overall, a light read, but quite an enjoyable one.

[Barbara ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This whole book read as the second in a series yet it isn't tagged as a series book. After finishing the book, I investigated and found Spirited Away to be the first in the series. Reading this one first would help any reader in understanding what the heck is going on.

I found the first half of the book to be very confusing. There were tons of people (well ghosts really) and no introduction as to who they all were. Our hero, Gawan had no idea what the heck was going on and neither did our heroine, Eleanor of Aquitaine (a made up name since she couldn't remember her own). For a good 150 pages, no one new what was going on or how to fix the situation.

About halfway through things started making sense and the story finally came together. The ending was exciting and had I read the first book first, I would have enjoyed this one much more.

[Leya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gawan is a earthbound Angel on his way to retirement and living the rest of his life as a mortal, he has one last assignment. He has to help Ellie. Ellie happens to be in between the land of the leaving and the dead. And she's also his soulmate, his Intended. The catch is that regardless of what happens they won't remember each other after the assignment.

I enjoyed the story. I found it to be quick paced but also a little repetative. The characters were interesting enough, but I more interested in the characters of the previous book. It was funny and quirky, I really enjoyed the heroine sense of humor considering that she was in limbo. The hero was a typical medieval hero, strong, chivalrous, honorable and super yummy. Their romance was good but I found that it felt a little short on the sizzle, the connection was there but heat wasn't, in my opinion. I found the ending predictable but overall it was enjoyable.

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, light, entertaining read. I wanted it to really pull me in. It did not. Gawan can not compete with Jamie!!

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book comes somewhere in the middle of a series, apparently. It seems these medieval knight-type people have been cursed/blessed with eternal life--or at least a thousand years or so of guardianship of something. (It's been a while since I read it.) They all live in Scotland, and I wasn't real sure what they were guarding or doing. Anyway, the hero has to find his True Love before a deadline, or he'll lose his chance to retire (or something different that's bad will happen)--and she's shown up in Scotland, but she's a ghost. At least, part of the time she is. So while they're falling in love, they have to figure out why she's a part time ghost, and what to do about it and how she got into that condition. It's actually a pretty good story, though it did suffer from Middle-of-the-series-itis with too many characters I couldn't quite fit into what was going on. Decent read.

[Cale Knutson]

Into Thin Air is a story will keep you on the edge of your seat. Based on the true story of eight individuals perishing on a dangerous Mount Everest adventure. This whole story kept me excited and curious to know what was going to happen next. I had no clue about what is was like to take on a climb up a mountain like Mount Everest. When a massive storm hits you will not know what to expect, who will die, and who will survive. The author narrates the story from personal experience and demonstrates what it was like to be involved in such a traumatic event in climbing history. I would recommend this story to anyone who likes looking for an adventurous story to read. It is meant for an more advanced readers and older audiences but it will defiantly be a book that will keep your interest. This is a great book for really any audience.

[Stephanie Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gawan stumbles upon Ellie on the road to his castle. She doesn't remember who she is and Gawan (being her guardian angel) sets about to rescue her from her state of half-dead or In Betwinxt. They have to find Ellie's body before it dies and Gawan is set to retire (gain his mortal life again). There are ghosts in the castle. Gawan was born in 1115 and was a warlord and because of his chivalry was made an angel. Once he found her body, they wouldn't remember each other or the fact that they were each other's soul mates. Ellie's a genealogist and was in England searching for info on her mother's side of the family. Their true love withstands having their memories erased. Good story. Not scary ghosts. I love her writing. Very whimsical. I'd love to live in a castle.

[Sue Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows on from Spirited Away and contains some of the same characters.
The same characters (Tristan and Gawan) also appear in the later books of the Dark Ink Chronicles (same author, but under the name Elle Jasper). If you plan on reading these books and the Chronicles, it would be better to read these first as the Chronicles contain spoilers.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it. My only slight niggles would be that while Gawan is searching for Ellie there doesn't appear to be any urgency until the end and we also don't find out why Ellie was in the sea, before the accident (I can guess given what we find out in the epilogue, about what she had discovered, but we don't get actual details).

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book #89 of 2009

Another cute book from Cindy Miles. I enjoy the "medieval warrior meets charming American woman and falls in love" theme.

A couple of minor things bothered me. One, it seemed for much of the book, despite Ellie being "mostly dead" and needing to find her mortal body... it didn't seem like they did a whole lot of searching for her. They'd go out during the day, maybe talk to someone at the bookshop, and then it would be night and, apparently, too late to do anything else.

And we never did find out what really happened to Ellie. How did she end up on Grimm land? Aargh!

Still though, it was a fun light read.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellie had an accident and lost her memory.....along with her body. She is "Betwixt" or between life and death. Put bluntly, she's a ghost...almost. Fortunately for her she is found by a Welsh knight, Gawan, who is a guardian angel of sorts with 22 days left before he retires into a mortal. Ellie has no idea what happened, who she is, or even why she is in England. Gawan discovers that she is his Intended and then the sparks fly! It's up to Gawan and his friends (and ghosts) to find out about Ellie before she joins the spirit world.

Mystery, romance, and history, what could be a better mix? I really enjoyed letting my brain relax and enjoy this book.

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it's a cute enough story, with a good premise, there were tons of plot holes, things left unexplained, and logistics problems.
Atop that, it kept swinging back and forth between almost prudish attitudes and drooling over the male lead's body, personality, etc. It went along with judicious swearing and no sexual encounters, until the very end, where the two leads engage on their wedding night with detail. Rather surprising, considering the tone of the book until then.
So, fun enough, but don't ask too many questions. They likely won't be answered satisfactorily.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, but I felt there were a few plot holes that took away from the quality. I thought what happened to Gawan at the end didn't make sense. Ellie's family's fate also wasn't explained well. I remember there were more bits that seemed to be ignored so that the story could continue but I can't remember them now. At this point I don't care. I just won't read anymore of this author's books.

[Alauna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story

The book was pretty good, although some parts were a little hard to swallow. Would recommend reading "Spirited Away" first as there are references to that book in this one. I didn't like this book as much as I liked the third in the series," Highland Knight". Now, after reading this book, I would have to say I'm not sure if I will read the first book," Spirited Away. Was a little disappointed in this book, but it was a cute story anyway.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A guardian angel days from retirement; his Intended near death. She becomes his new 'charge'. Will she survive? Will he find her in time? Will she 'remember' him? Looking for a fun, sweet story, with feisty characters, gossipy ghosts, manly men, and fabulous castles? Cindy Miles delivers.
I actively look for books by Ms Miles. This is the second time I've read this one. I'm sure I'll read it again. I like her books that much.

[Aileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finally finished reading this book. Took me a while and I even considered ABANDONING it. I enjoyed how the ghosts from Castle Grimm as well as the other supporting characters were written it, but there were times when the story just got a bit too draggy for my taste, but I still pushed through and the ending was nice. Cute and charming too.

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are things I don't understand why they have to be there. Really, aside from the epilogue, which I was prewarned about and didn't read until I saw my daughter checking out what books I was reading, it's pretty good. I read the last page after that just to see what she had read, but she didn't understand it, just the love forever stuff. Phew!

[Tonya Baldwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little slow getting into it, and it kind of dragged, but I really liked her other books I read so I kept with it and about half way in, it started picking up, although her books are kind of predictable and the format is repeated in her books they have a good plot to them and they are enjoyable to read. I would like to see her maybe change things up a little in her next book.

[nimrodiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started this book it seemed familiar. But the middle seemed different from what I was remembering. It wasn't until the end of the book that I knew I had read this before. The book came out before I kept track of books here on goodreads, so I think I may have read it shortly after it was published in 2007.

This was a nice quick and light read. Perfect for the summer weather reading.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have given this book more stars, however it had a very slow, hard to get into start. Once I did get into the book, it was very enjoyable. Gawain the hero was very fun to read, and I loved all the secondary characters.