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The Wolfe Family #3
A Phantom Affair
Beautiful, wealthy, and headstrong, Ellen Dunbar falls head over heels for the dashing Lord Corey Wolfe, but a seemingly insurmountable barrier exists between them--he is a ghost. Original.
223 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1996
3 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Jo Ann Ferguson
84 books33 followersPlease note, this author also writes under the name J.A. Ferguson, Jocelyn Kelley and Rebecca North.
"One of my favorite memories is lying on the grass on a knoll on a late summer day and telling my sister stories I was making up," says Jo Ann Ferguson, who also writes as J.A. Ferguson, Joanna Hampton, Jo Ann Brown, and Rebecca North."There's something magical about being able to spend time with people you enjoy in your imagination. As a writer, I get to go with my characters to their time and place so I can share their adventures and falling in love for the first time…all over again."
She has had a few adventures of her own, including a stint as an Army quartermaster officer where she was the first and only woman in her unit. She still enjoys traveling to the locations of her books and learning all about those places and people. Researching her novels is part of the fun. Whether it's ghosts, calling cards, how to fire an antique gun, or traveling to a world that exists only in her imagination, she pays a great deal of attention to the details that delight her reader. She's even learned a bit of Russian, Arabic, Welsh, and a lot of Regency slang.
Her work has been honored with award nominations from Pearl, ROMY, Romantic Times, Rom/Con, and Affaire de Coeur magazine. Amazon Books chose her novels to showcase. And Romance Writers of America bestowed the two ARTemis Awards for Jo Ann's Zebra Regencies: The Counterfeit Count and A Christmas Bride.
Nonfiction also appeals to her, because it's where she got her start, seeing her first byline when she was twelve years old. She contributed to an encyclopedia of the English Regency period published by Garland Press. For all three editions of the New England Chapter's Now That You've Sold Your Book…What Next?, she has served as co-editor.
Believing in giving back, Jo Ann has served Romance Writers of America on both the local and national levels. She has served on the national board as president as well as a director and at term as vice president. For her volunteer work, she was given RWA's highest honor, the Emma Merritt National Service Award. She is also a creative writing instructor. She was awarded a Massachusetts Art Grant to teach creative writing and then established several creative writing courses at Brown University. Many of her students have gone on to publishing careers of their own.
She lives in Massachusetts, where her favorite hero—her husband, Bill—and their children and two cats. She's not sure which is the most spoiled.
"One of my favorite memories is lying on the grass on a knoll on a late summer day and telling my sister stories I was making up," says Jo Ann Ferguson, who also writes as J.A. Ferguson, Joanna Hampton, Jo Ann Brown, and Rebecca North."There's something magical about being able to spend time with people you enjoy in your imagination. As a writer, I get to go with my characters to their time and place so I can share their adventures and falling in love for the first time…all over again."
She has had a few adventures of her own, including a stint as an Army quartermaster officer where she was the first and only woman in her unit. She still enjoys traveling to the locations of her books and learning all about those places and people. Researching her novels is part of the fun. Whether it's ghosts, calling cards, how to fire an antique gun, or traveling to a world that exists only in her imagination, she pays a great deal of attention to the details that delight her reader. She's even learned a bit of Russian, Arabic, Welsh, and a lot of Regency slang.
Her work has been honored with award nominations from Pearl, ROMY, Romantic Times, Rom/Con, and Affaire de Coeur magazine. Amazon Books chose her novels to showcase. And Romance Writers of America bestowed the two ARTemis Awards for Jo Ann's Zebra Regencies: The Counterfeit Count and A Christmas Bride.
Nonfiction also appeals to her, because it's where she got her start, seeing her first byline when she was twelve years old. She contributed to an encyclopedia of the English Regency period published by Garland Press. For all three editions of the New England Chapter's Now That You've Sold Your Book…What Next?, she has served as co-editor.
Believing in giving back, Jo Ann has served Romance Writers of America on both the local and national levels. She has served on the national board as president as well as a director and at term as vice president. For her volunteer work, she was given RWA's highest honor, the Emma Merritt National Service Award. She is also a creative writing instructor. She was awarded a Massachusetts Art Grant to teach creative writing and then established several creative writing courses at Brown University. Many of her students have gone on to publishing careers of their own.
She lives in Massachusetts, where her favorite hero—her husband, Bill—and their children and two cats. She's not sure which is the most spoiled.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 11, 2014
3.5 stars
I don't always rate a book 3 stars, but I when I do, it's usually because I'm pretty confused as to what to rate it. I enjoyed reading A Phantom Affair and it was a fun book to bring with me on my trip. I was very skeptical about it first, since I gathered from the blurb that it had a paranormal aspect and that the hero was a ghost, but since it had been recommended to me by lovely, reliable friends, I was willing to give it a try. The paranormal aspect surprised me by being unexpectedly well done, and the ending, for which I was bracing myself, totally expecting it to be a huge WTF moment, surprised me once again by being very clever and satisfactory.
Corey Wolfe was a very sexy ghost, and I loved his playful and teasing nature. He was always trying to make the heroine laugh, he was sweet, kind and heroic. Also I always had a thing for military heroes ;)
The plot was fun. Corey and Ellen are mutually attracted to each upon their first meeting, but Corey dies in a firework accident the same night (had I not been warned ahead that this story had a HEA, I would have had no scruples in throwing it out immediately!). He vows to find her the perfect husband before the end of the summer. Ellen Dunbar has had three London Seasons, yet she is still unwed, for she refuses to settle for less than her heart's desire. Since Corey is a ghost, he and Ellen don't really stand on any formality, and act in very familiar ways, him popping in her room at night and chatting with her for long hours. I liked the fact that they didn't follow the strict proprieties of the time and that they became good friends quickly. The way those parts were written were not exaggerated, did not seem ridiculous, and nor were they overly sensual. Their chemistry was really, really well done and there were a few romantic moments that were very moving.
The story quickly settled in a sort of pattern, however, and there wasn't much action going on. That doesn't bother me as long as the dialogue is witty and funny, but that wasn't the case here, much as I liked the scenes between Ellen and Corey. The characters seemed to be repeating the same things constantly, and the writing was repetitive. If I ever come across the word "mayhap" again, I might just explode.
Furthermore, following the author's train of thoughts proved to be very difficult as times. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to laugh at certain events, or if they were supposed to be serious. I sometimes didn't know whether Ellen was dreaming, dying, being crazy or simply thinking. Ellen was not the best heroine, to begin with, and I had even more trouble keeping track of herthoughts. She was always confused, always running away to be alone, always gathering her thoughts, craving Corey's companionship yet getting mad when he showed up, wanting to spend as many moments as she could with him, yet wishing he would stop haunting her, says she likes Marian, yet is always escaping from her, in short, I think that blow she took to her head that night of the fireworks did damage her brain more than we think. She had nothing extraordinary, except being pretty and everyone loved her.
Marian was intolerable, irritating, redundant and annoying. She added nothing to the plot, just annoyance, and she was way too much involved. She almost felt like a primary character since she was always hovering around.
And, for heaven's sake, if you're going to have the hero and the heroinelusting craving each other's kiss/touch from their very first meeting, and having them think about it in every chapter thereafter, the least you can do is give us a decent kissing scene at the end. Nothing steamy, nothing mushy, but something more that just "they kissed", please! We have been waiting for that moment since chapter 1. The ending in itself was good, but a decent kissing scene/proposal is definitely lacking. You have all been warned.
Last minor annoying detail (then I promise to stop complaining), Corey is wearing an eyepatch, therefore he has only one eye, so there should be no reason why it says "the look in his eyes" when he's looking at Ellen. I think the author forgot she had a ghost-pirate hero :P
All in all, I am glad I read A Phantom Affair, it was good and I enjoyed the paranormal aspect a lot, and look forward to reading another book with a paranormal twist. Me and paranormal don't usually mix, but it worked well in this novel.
I don't always rate a book 3 stars, but I when I do, it's usually because I'm pretty confused as to what to rate it. I enjoyed reading A Phantom Affair and it was a fun book to bring with me on my trip. I was very skeptical about it first, since I gathered from the blurb that it had a paranormal aspect and that the hero was a ghost, but since it had been recommended to me by lovely, reliable friends, I was willing to give it a try. The paranormal aspect surprised me by being unexpectedly well done, and the ending, for which I was bracing myself, totally expecting it to be a huge WTF moment, surprised me once again by being very clever and satisfactory.
Corey Wolfe was a very sexy ghost, and I loved his playful and teasing nature. He was always trying to make the heroine laugh, he was sweet, kind and heroic. Also I always had a thing for military heroes ;)
The plot was fun. Corey and Ellen are mutually attracted to each upon their first meeting, but Corey dies in a firework accident the same night (had I not been warned ahead that this story had a HEA, I would have had no scruples in throwing it out immediately!). He vows to find her the perfect husband before the end of the summer. Ellen Dunbar has had three London Seasons, yet she is still unwed, for she refuses to settle for less than her heart's desire. Since Corey is a ghost, he and Ellen don't really stand on any formality, and act in very familiar ways, him popping in her room at night and chatting with her for long hours. I liked the fact that they didn't follow the strict proprieties of the time and that they became good friends quickly. The way those parts were written were not exaggerated, did not seem ridiculous, and nor were they overly sensual. Their chemistry was really, really well done and there were a few romantic moments that were very moving.
The story quickly settled in a sort of pattern, however, and there wasn't much action going on. That doesn't bother me as long as the dialogue is witty and funny, but that wasn't the case here, much as I liked the scenes between Ellen and Corey. The characters seemed to be repeating the same things constantly, and the writing was repetitive. If I ever come across the word "mayhap" again, I might just explode.
Furthermore, following the author's train of thoughts proved to be very difficult as times. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to laugh at certain events, or if they were supposed to be serious. I sometimes didn't know whether Ellen was dreaming, dying, being crazy or simply thinking. Ellen was not the best heroine, to begin with, and I had even more trouble keeping track of herthoughts. She was always confused, always running away to be alone, always gathering her thoughts, craving Corey's companionship yet getting mad when he showed up, wanting to spend as many moments as she could with him, yet wishing he would stop haunting her, says she likes Marian, yet is always escaping from her, in short, I think that blow she took to her head that night of the fireworks did damage her brain more than we think. She had nothing extraordinary, except being pretty and everyone loved her.
Marian was intolerable, irritating, redundant and annoying. She added nothing to the plot, just annoyance, and she was way too much involved. She almost felt like a primary character since she was always hovering around.
And, for heaven's sake, if you're going to have the hero and the heroine
Last minor annoying detail (then I promise to stop complaining), Corey is wearing an eyepatch, therefore he has only one eye, so there should be no reason why it says "the look in his eyes" when he's looking at Ellen. I think the author forgot she had a ghost-pirate hero :P
All in all, I am glad I read A Phantom Affair, it was good and I enjoyed the paranormal aspect a lot, and look forward to reading another book with a paranormal twist. Me and paranormal don't usually mix, but it worked well in this novel.
March 5, 2014
I will be the first to admit that me and paranormal don't usually mix, in fact, I generally wouldn’t even think of reading a paranormal story, but a good friend recommended it to me and the way she described the story to me intrigued me – how could a story where the hero dies and becomes a ghost possibly have a happy ending? And so I just had to find out and I can truly say that I am so glad that I read it for I loved the paranormal aspect to the story and I just couldn’t put it down! It was brilliant - very clever, really funny and highly romantic! What more could I want?
Beginning with the hero and heroine; Lord Corey Wolfe was a very fun hero, even as a ghost. He is such a charming, albeit teasing and slightly roguish, gentleman! I fell completely in love with him, just like our heroine, Miss Ellen Dunbar, who was a sweet girl, but she has spirit and a lively wit, Lizzy Bennet style - a good match for our hero.
As I said, I actually loved the paranormal aspect and how Corey is a ghost and what this added to the story; the cross conversations that occur as a result were brilliantly clever and really funny! I did feel sorry for Ellen at times though, trying to hold two conversations at once, one with someone only she can see, whilst trying to make sure she doesn’t appear completely mad to the other person she is trying to converse with! Corey is very funny with all his sarcastic, and often rude, comments about the potential suitors who call on Ellen. He also ends up being a rather useful invisible chaperone, able to control, or rather deal with very amusingly, the over amorous and bold suitors vying for Ellen’s attention! He is a handy one to have around, even if Ellen doesn’t always think so!
As well as the humour which came from fact that Corey is a ghost, I loved the liberties and the relaxed nature to Ellen and Corey’s relationship. They are very easy with each other, and very teasing and flirtatious at times, as the rules of propriety don't really seem to apply to them thanks to the peculiar situation they have found themselves in. It was very sweet!
I was wondering all the time while I was reading just how a happy ending was going to be reached – was Ellen going to die and join Corey on the other side, or was, somehow, Corey going to come back to life? I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen! And what does happen is very clever and works very well - but I shan’t ruin the ending for you!
My good friend who recommended this to me said it was romantic, but I thought, how can this be so romantic when the hero and heroine can't even touch each other?! But she was right – it was very romantic! One of the most romantic stories I have read for a while in fact. The emotion between Corey and Ellen was so strong and it was so sad to see them so in love with each when they both know it is impossible for them to be together - so romantic, and yet very sad and heart-wrenching at the same time!
As well as Corey and Ellen, there were some amusing secondary characters. Given that Corey, as well as Ellen’s good friend Marian, are trying to find her a husband, there are some very amusing, bold, over amorous, vain, arrogant and interesting suitors thrust in Ellen's way...
The writing, as well as the story, was brilliant. It flowed remarkable well, it never dragged or was boring, but it also didn’t race through the story at a rate of knots, without fleshing out the characters and the scenes. In addition, there were never long stretches of the book when Corey and Ellen were not around, which is always a good thing.
Can you tell I just loved loved loved this story? It really surpassed my expectations! Such tension and romance, and yet humour as well. Even if you are not normally a reader of paranormal stories, like me, I still highly recommend giving this story a chance.
I really don't know how to describe the extent of my admiration for this book, or what to say except... just read it – oh and also, please can I have a Corey Wolfe haunting me as well?
Beginning with the hero and heroine; Lord Corey Wolfe was a very fun hero, even as a ghost. He is such a charming, albeit teasing and slightly roguish, gentleman! I fell completely in love with him, just like our heroine, Miss Ellen Dunbar, who was a sweet girl, but she has spirit and a lively wit, Lizzy Bennet style - a good match for our hero.
As I said, I actually loved the paranormal aspect and how Corey is a ghost and what this added to the story; the cross conversations that occur as a result were brilliantly clever and really funny! I did feel sorry for Ellen at times though, trying to hold two conversations at once, one with someone only she can see, whilst trying to make sure she doesn’t appear completely mad to the other person she is trying to converse with! Corey is very funny with all his sarcastic, and often rude, comments about the potential suitors who call on Ellen. He also ends up being a rather useful invisible chaperone, able to control, or rather deal with very amusingly, the over amorous and bold suitors vying for Ellen’s attention! He is a handy one to have around, even if Ellen doesn’t always think so!
As well as the humour which came from fact that Corey is a ghost, I loved the liberties and the relaxed nature to Ellen and Corey’s relationship. They are very easy with each other, and very teasing and flirtatious at times, as the rules of propriety don't really seem to apply to them thanks to the peculiar situation they have found themselves in. It was very sweet!
I was wondering all the time while I was reading just how a happy ending was going to be reached – was Ellen going to die and join Corey on the other side, or was, somehow, Corey going to come back to life? I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen! And what does happen is very clever and works very well - but I shan’t ruin the ending for you!
My good friend who recommended this to me said it was romantic, but I thought, how can this be so romantic when the hero and heroine can't even touch each other?! But she was right – it was very romantic! One of the most romantic stories I have read for a while in fact. The emotion between Corey and Ellen was so strong and it was so sad to see them so in love with each when they both know it is impossible for them to be together - so romantic, and yet very sad and heart-wrenching at the same time!
As well as Corey and Ellen, there were some amusing secondary characters. Given that Corey, as well as Ellen’s good friend Marian, are trying to find her a husband, there are some very amusing, bold, over amorous, vain, arrogant and interesting suitors thrust in Ellen's way...
The writing, as well as the story, was brilliant. It flowed remarkable well, it never dragged or was boring, but it also didn’t race through the story at a rate of knots, without fleshing out the characters and the scenes. In addition, there were never long stretches of the book when Corey and Ellen were not around, which is always a good thing.
Can you tell I just loved loved loved this story? It really surpassed my expectations! Such tension and romance, and yet humour as well. Even if you are not normally a reader of paranormal stories, like me, I still highly recommend giving this story a chance.
I really don't know how to describe the extent of my admiration for this book, or what to say except... just read it – oh and also, please can I have a Corey Wolfe haunting me as well?
August 2, 2013
I don't usually read paranormals but this one sounded good and I thought I'd give it a try. It is part of a series but can be read alone. Taken up by a wealthy lady of the ton, Ellen Dunbar, a Scottish lass, has had three Seasons without finding a lasting passion for any gentleman. Sure she's fallen in love but it never lasted longer than an evening. She's optimistic though, when she meets her friend Marian's neighbor and childhood tormentor, Corey Wolfe, Lord Wulfric. Ellen likes his sense of humor and Corey is drawn to Ellen's forthrightness. Unfortunately, a tragic accident results in the young lord's untimely demise. Corey was mortally wounded saving Ellen's life and she refused to leave his side while he lay dying. Ellen is severely shaken by the accident and mourns the loss of what might have been. She receives yet another shock when Corey appears in her bedroom - as a ghost! Corey can not move on until he pays Ellen a debt for staying with him. He vows to find her the perfect husband before summer ends. When Ellen recovers from her shock, she finds the dashing ghost just as charming as he was in life. The two quickly become friends while Corey is determined to play matchmaker. Ellen's friend Marian has a few gentlemen in mind who will bring Ellen all she's had to do without her whole life. Ellen wants nothing more than to be with Corey forever, for she has finally lost her heart. Of course, that is impossible as Corey well knows. Corey has fallen deeply in love with Ellen and it's far too late. Of course they can never be together even if the lady cared as much for him as he does for her. She seems a bit too interested in his cousin Lorenzo's poetry for Corey's tastes. How can he cross over when his heart still beats for Ellen. How can she marry when her whole heart belongs to Corey. There's no easy solution for these ill-fated lovers.
Ellen and Corey have great chemistry. I really like Ellen and can relate to her practical nature. Corey is a bit rakish but charming and witty and I think many women could fall in love with him easily. Most of the secondary characters are rather stereotypical. My least favorite is Marian, who thinks she is doing what is best but is really incredibly unkind and insensitive. I like her hound-crazy husband though. They are an odd couple. The ending is somewhat of a shock and I can't say I really liked it. It stretched my credibility too much. I really liked this book despite the unusual premise. It's funny, sweet and sad and I would recommend it even to those who don't enjoy paranormal.
Ellen and Corey have great chemistry. I really like Ellen and can relate to her practical nature. Corey is a bit rakish but charming and witty and I think many women could fall in love with him easily. Most of the secondary characters are rather stereotypical. My least favorite is Marian, who thinks she is doing what is best but is really incredibly unkind and insensitive. I like her hound-crazy husband though. They are an odd couple. The ending is somewhat of a shock and I can't say I really liked it. It stretched my credibility too much. I really liked this book despite the unusual premise. It's funny, sweet and sad and I would recommend it even to those who don't enjoy paranormal.
May 2, 2020
This was better than I expected it to be. It's not well written (in terms of phrasing - some got repetitive and annoying), but the story is cute, albeit a bit too focused on physical attraction.
The attraction is mostly tastefully expressed, and in terms of touches there is nothing but kisses even mentioned, but I kept wanting the author to shift her focus a bit: Without tactile pleasures (phantom and all) the characters do spend a lot of time talking, and the author mentioned that they had weeks-worth of long diverse conversations, but the ones she actually put on the page were mostly circling around attractions and jealousies or just skirting around meatier subjects. That was probably my biggest disappointment with the book.
The premise is great - two people meet, tentatively like each other in that first encounter, get accidentally thrown together into a life-altering prolonged ordeal and through that experience grow their initial attraction into something deeper and better founded. Could have been perfect, if executed with more emphasis on character development and relationship building after the accident. This wasted potential was terribly frustrating.
The plot twists were great too and most of them quite elegantly done.
There are some other minor annoyances in character depictions (or lack thereof) and scene choices, but going into that would be giving this fluffy read much more scrutiny than it deserves.
The attraction is mostly tastefully expressed, and in terms of touches there is nothing but kisses even mentioned, but I kept wanting the author to shift her focus a bit: Without tactile pleasures (phantom and all) the characters do spend a lot of time talking, and the author mentioned that they had weeks-worth of long diverse conversations, but the ones she actually put on the page were mostly circling around attractions and jealousies or just skirting around meatier subjects. That was probably my biggest disappointment with the book.
The premise is great - two people meet, tentatively like each other in that first encounter, get accidentally thrown together into a life-altering prolonged ordeal and through that experience grow their initial attraction into something deeper and better founded. Could have been perfect, if executed with more emphasis on character development and relationship building after the accident. This wasted potential was terribly frustrating.
The plot twists were great too and most of them quite elegantly done.
There are some other minor annoyances in character depictions (or lack thereof) and scene choices, but going into that would be giving this fluffy read much more scrutiny than it deserves.
January 11, 2019
Up until 34% when I said I was going to start skimming I wasn’t thrilled with this story. However, I ended liking it a great deal. Since the hero was killed the night he and Ellen met I was a little bit dubious. But, Corey ended up being a ghost and “vowed” to find Ellen the “perfect” husband. And as time passed they fell in love and she sacrificed herself and told Corey’s cousin, Lorenzo, she’d marry him so Corey could go wherever ghosts went.
It turned out to be a good story and I admit I did cry when Corey went away after Ellen’s betrothal was announced. But not before she told him she did it for him because she loved him.
Anyway, I knew something was going to happen when Fenton, the old man that cared for the horses, showed up again and again.
There was some desire in this but no hint of sex and no swearing. Definitely Rated –G.
As to the narration: Not sure about Lynne Jensen. She really tried to make the men sound like men but every one of them sounded awful, except Corey, he sounded just fine. As for Ellen, she sounded like a squeaky teenager and Marian sounded like a grouchy old woman and Reggie, Lorenzo, and Kenneth Pratt sounded like stuffy old men. Although, Reggie and Lorenzo were very nice gentlemen.
I got the audible through the Romance Package for free and the book from Amazon for $2.51. So, well worth it.
April 15, 2020
Not bad. I almost gave up on this book. I'm glad I stuck it out to the end.
July 9, 2016
Got over the initial dislike of stereotyped beginning and fantastical elements. At times things got interesting, but can't help but think the romance could be more explored than this 'she said this, he said that, they sat together' sort of lackluster page fillers. The writing was disjointed several times, I had to go back a few pages and check I hadn't missed out anything. Overall it was not a bad read, just not good.
July 12, 2016
Ellen Dunbar is very particular about just who she will marry. Although she quickly falls in love, she also falls out of love just as quickly. Then she meets Corey Wolfe, Maquess of Wulfric. But that first meeting is their last; at least while Corey is still alive. Just before he died he vowed to find Ellen a husband, and now he can't leave until his vow is fulfilled. But Ellen is falling deeper and deeper in love with Corey, the one man she cannot have. How can this problem be untangled?
April 5, 2014
I enjoyed it. Longer review may come later.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews