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The Gift
Former Chicago homicide detective-turned-insurance investigator Beth Dearborn, whose ability to sense violent death led to an emotional breakdown, finds herself drawn to Ty Malone, a handsome widower, while investigating his missing person's claim. Original.
293 pages, Paperback
First published March 12, 2013
27 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Deb Stover
37 books54 followersAt the tender age of four, Deb Stover declared her candidacy to become the first female President of the United States. She took a detour to play Lois Lane and penned her first Letter to The Editor at age eleven. The Lois Lane gig suited her, but she couldn't bring herself to blow Clark Kent's cover for the Big Story. At a relatively young age, she met and fell in love with her own real American Hero, so Superman was free to continue fighting for justice (seriously, what is Clark doing about the dearth of phone booths these days?).
Considering her extensive personal experience with real heroes (Dad, Superman, Husband), redirecting her passion for writing from journalism to Romance Novels seemed a natural progression. Since publication of Shades of Rose in 1995, she has received dozens of awards for her work, which includes over twenty titles in a variety of languages and formats.
A native of Wichita, Kansas, Deb and her family have lived in five states, but after her Hero Husband's death, she recently made the decision to follow the Yellow Brick Road back to be near her Hero Dad in Kansas. After all "there's no place like home."
Of course, there's still the unfinished matter of her presidential campaign, but first she has many more stories left to write....
For more information, please visit www.debstover.com.
Considering her extensive personal experience with real heroes (Dad, Superman, Husband), redirecting her passion for writing from journalism to Romance Novels seemed a natural progression. Since publication of Shades of Rose in 1995, she has received dozens of awards for her work, which includes over twenty titles in a variety of languages and formats.
A native of Wichita, Kansas, Deb and her family have lived in five states, but after her Hero Husband's death, she recently made the decision to follow the Yellow Brick Road back to be near her Hero Dad in Kansas. After all "there's no place like home."
Of course, there's still the unfinished matter of her presidential campaign, but first she has many more stories left to write....
For more information, please visit www.debstover.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
March 2, 2011
Heroine Beth Dearborn, a recovering alcoholic and working in a newer career as an insurance investigator, hoped that this change in jobs, formerly a homicide detective, would hold back her gift she has been guarding for three years. Beth's gift is to use all her senses when she's reliving what the victim of homicide has. The suffering Beth experience from visually seeing what the predicament, hearing what transpires and being the audience to hearing all including the voices and mind of the criminal, made her 'gift' of hers become her curse. Beth too has strong reactions with her gift when thunderstorms are occurring. They grip her in ways that she loses conscious. She had hoped the changing her career would help repress these episodes as she takes on an assignment to settle a missing person case to declare the victim as deceased. Her gift returns with fierceness as she investigates the disappearance of Ty's wife's and mother of his children. But too, the love Beth grows to feel for Ty and his children too comes with a force that opens up hope, love and life back to her.
Our hero Ty Malone is a single cowboy living on a ranch in a small town of Brubaker Tennessee As a loner within himself, giving little to his own needs, his attention, plans and life are for his three children. As he attempts to let go of the history and rumors surrounding the disappearance of his wife eight years ago, he's determined to have his wife, Lorilee declared dead. As Beth is stranded on his ranch, Ty reluctantly accepts the need for Beth to investigate his wife's disappearance for the insurance coverage. Ty planned to close this chapter of his life, knowing some answers may never come to fruition but was unprepared for his reaction to Beth. At the get go their feelings for each other become feverish. He's enamored to seduce Beth but too comes to fall in love with her. As they both seek so many answers in life, together they anchor each other through their healing with a heightened thriller and warm and tender romance.
Reading THE GIFT by Deb Stover, so captured me with vivid feelings of a beautiful and exciting romance reading Beth and Ty's romance! The buildup of the drama and the increasing tension of the romance was so potent and pure. I was full of emotions with smiling at their love for one another and tears of the pain they both went through. Both characters had so much growth in this story. Beth had so much to overcome with her past addiction and her gift and Ty with his healing through the lost of his wife for his children and the ability to move on with his love for Beth. There is so much more to this story that I often went back through this review and took out parts so that the reader will too read the surprises and drama that's in store through the events of this book. Long after I read this book many parts of the story and scenes returned to my mine, time after time. But even more, the feelings that overcame me, remained with me, still today. The empathic gift that Beth had to feel the victim brought forward a story where the reader will too feel so much empathy for every one of the characters, including Pearl, keeper in house and Ty's children. As strong as the romance was, the plot and story of the suspense and paranormal theme was captivating. Beth's gift of her living through the spirits of victims was at times chilling and others as heartbreaking. As the story moves to find the answers to Ty's wife's disappearance, there was so much unexpected and unique that made this book set apart from other paranormal romances.
Our hero Ty Malone is a single cowboy living on a ranch in a small town of Brubaker Tennessee As a loner within himself, giving little to his own needs, his attention, plans and life are for his three children. As he attempts to let go of the history and rumors surrounding the disappearance of his wife eight years ago, he's determined to have his wife, Lorilee declared dead. As Beth is stranded on his ranch, Ty reluctantly accepts the need for Beth to investigate his wife's disappearance for the insurance coverage. Ty planned to close this chapter of his life, knowing some answers may never come to fruition but was unprepared for his reaction to Beth. At the get go their feelings for each other become feverish. He's enamored to seduce Beth but too comes to fall in love with her. As they both seek so many answers in life, together they anchor each other through their healing with a heightened thriller and warm and tender romance.
Reading THE GIFT by Deb Stover, so captured me with vivid feelings of a beautiful and exciting romance reading Beth and Ty's romance! The buildup of the drama and the increasing tension of the romance was so potent and pure. I was full of emotions with smiling at their love for one another and tears of the pain they both went through. Both characters had so much growth in this story. Beth had so much to overcome with her past addiction and her gift and Ty with his healing through the lost of his wife for his children and the ability to move on with his love for Beth. There is so much more to this story that I often went back through this review and took out parts so that the reader will too read the surprises and drama that's in store through the events of this book. Long after I read this book many parts of the story and scenes returned to my mine, time after time. But even more, the feelings that overcame me, remained with me, still today. The empathic gift that Beth had to feel the victim brought forward a story where the reader will too feel so much empathy for every one of the characters, including Pearl, keeper in house and Ty's children. As strong as the romance was, the plot and story of the suspense and paranormal theme was captivating. Beth's gift of her living through the spirits of victims was at times chilling and others as heartbreaking. As the story moves to find the answers to Ty's wife's disappearance, there was so much unexpected and unique that made this book set apart from other paranormal romances.
November 5, 2009
Award winning author Deb Stone's new release crosses over into the paranormal romance fiction genre. The Gift is a tale about ex-Chicago police officer Beth Dearborn who has a special yet hard to live with gift. She is able to make contact with spirits of murder victims to solve their cases. Unfortunately she must relive the murder from start to end to have the truth reveiled to her.
Beth's gift caused her to turn to alcohol to deal with being exposed to the murders. She eventually leaves the police force and take a job as an investigator for an insurance company. She takes on an assignment to investigate the disappearance of a customer who's husband files a claim on a substantial life insurance policy. The husband wants the wife declared legally dead. Beth finds her way to Brubaker, Tennesse near the Smokey Mountains. She finds herself stranded on the Malone farm for the investigation as a bad storm washes the only bridge out that leads back to town. Ty Malone, the husband, has been raising his 3 children since his wife's, Lorilee, murder 7 years ago. He has lots of help from Lorelee's dad and step-mom along with a couple who helped raise Lorilee, Pearl and Cecil.
When Beth and Ty meet, it is lust at first sight. I was happy that the story was written from the point of view of Beth and Ty. Being able to know what each of them were thinking really added to this story. The romance that developes is sweet and exactly what they both need.
The slight hint of paranormal makes this story good. I was hoping for more of the paranormal stuff but what was included was good. The story is more about the romance and the internal struggles of the 2 main characters in opening up to each other. I was not disappointed with this story.
Beth's gift caused her to turn to alcohol to deal with being exposed to the murders. She eventually leaves the police force and take a job as an investigator for an insurance company. She takes on an assignment to investigate the disappearance of a customer who's husband files a claim on a substantial life insurance policy. The husband wants the wife declared legally dead. Beth finds her way to Brubaker, Tennesse near the Smokey Mountains. She finds herself stranded on the Malone farm for the investigation as a bad storm washes the only bridge out that leads back to town. Ty Malone, the husband, has been raising his 3 children since his wife's, Lorilee, murder 7 years ago. He has lots of help from Lorelee's dad and step-mom along with a couple who helped raise Lorilee, Pearl and Cecil.
When Beth and Ty meet, it is lust at first sight. I was happy that the story was written from the point of view of Beth and Ty. Being able to know what each of them were thinking really added to this story. The romance that developes is sweet and exactly what they both need.
The slight hint of paranormal makes this story good. I was hoping for more of the paranormal stuff but what was included was good. The story is more about the romance and the internal struggles of the 2 main characters in opening up to each other. I was not disappointed with this story.
April 10, 2010
I really enjoyed it - it's an adult novel not usually what I read but I really like it, only one nice sex scene - but hey for someone who does YA mostly it was kinda nice...
Had a good story that kept me engaged! :)
Had a good story that kept me engaged! :)
January 3, 2011
I actually enjoyed this book. There was a lot of mystery and I may have understood the character a little more because I work in insurance and the main character was an insurance investigator. It was worth reading.
February 19, 2012
Right now, I think this book is pretty good. It's a little mystery and a little romance, which for me is the perfect blend for a book.
February 25, 2012
See my review here:
http://www.examiner.com/literature-in...
http://www.examiner.com/literature-in...
April 28, 2013
I read this in two days It has a bit of everything, Ex detective who's an empathic insurance investigator,love, sex and murder a real roller coaster and a very enjoyable read.
November 4, 2013
omfg soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo NYA! loved it
September 28, 2010
Psychic investigator meets sexy farmer. The plot and events were not well done. Character development could have been better.
STORY BRIEF:
Beth has a psychic gift. When she enters the scene of a murder, she experiences the murder through the victim’s eyes (reliving it). She was a successful Chicago homicide detective because of this gift, but it tore her up emotionally, and she quit the police force, avoided using the gift and became a drunk. She eventually quit drinking, has been sober for three years and now works as an insurance investigator. She travels to a rural community in Tennessee to decide if someone is dead in order to pay a life insurance claim. Ty was married to Lorilee and had three children. Lorilee disappeared seven years earlier. Apparently she sent a letter to her father saying she had run off to live in Europe. Ty wants to know the truth and filed the life insurance claim. From their first meeting, Beth and Ty are attracted to each other. Beth doesn’t want to mix business with pleasure and tries to avoid getting involved with Ty.
REVIEWER’S OPINION (WITH VAGUE SPOILERS):
Not enough happened in order to solve the mystery. Beth talks to a couple people, doesn’t learn much. She psychically believes that Lorilee’s ghost is in the foyer, but Beth avoids going to the foyer and refuses to communicate with the ghost for almost the entire book. Finally at the end of the book, Beth communicates with the ghost and solves the mystery. I was frustrated that Beth wanted to solve the crime, she had to ability to do it, but she refused to do it, and as a result made no progress in her investigation. That was most of the story.
The romantic relationship part was ok. The point of view switches between Ty and Beth, showing frequent unspoken thoughts about how much they are attracted to each other. For example, he says something and then thinks how sexy she looks. She says something but is thinking how sexy he looks, etc. The best part of the story was meeting other interesting and loving family members and neighbors.
In summary, there wasn’t much story. The characters could have been more interesting, maybe with some personality conflicts. Other than Beth trying to avoid intimate contact with Ty, the only conflict between them was Beth got mad at Ty once because he googled her name to learn about her. The final scene was too contrived. Too many convenient things happened all at once to wrap up the story. Someone involved with the murder kept a piece of evidence. The reason used for keeping the evidence was unbelievable and ridiculous. I’m all for fiction that includes the unbelievable, but this just wasn’t done well.
DATA:
Story length: 293 pages. Swearing language: moderate. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: 2. Total number of sex scene pages 16. Setting: current day Brubaker, Tenn. Copyright: 2009. Genre: romantic fantasy mystery.
STORY BRIEF:
Beth has a psychic gift. When she enters the scene of a murder, she experiences the murder through the victim’s eyes (reliving it). She was a successful Chicago homicide detective because of this gift, but it tore her up emotionally, and she quit the police force, avoided using the gift and became a drunk. She eventually quit drinking, has been sober for three years and now works as an insurance investigator. She travels to a rural community in Tennessee to decide if someone is dead in order to pay a life insurance claim. Ty was married to Lorilee and had three children. Lorilee disappeared seven years earlier. Apparently she sent a letter to her father saying she had run off to live in Europe. Ty wants to know the truth and filed the life insurance claim. From their first meeting, Beth and Ty are attracted to each other. Beth doesn’t want to mix business with pleasure and tries to avoid getting involved with Ty.
REVIEWER’S OPINION (WITH VAGUE SPOILERS):
Not enough happened in order to solve the mystery. Beth talks to a couple people, doesn’t learn much. She psychically believes that Lorilee’s ghost is in the foyer, but Beth avoids going to the foyer and refuses to communicate with the ghost for almost the entire book. Finally at the end of the book, Beth communicates with the ghost and solves the mystery. I was frustrated that Beth wanted to solve the crime, she had to ability to do it, but she refused to do it, and as a result made no progress in her investigation. That was most of the story.
The romantic relationship part was ok. The point of view switches between Ty and Beth, showing frequent unspoken thoughts about how much they are attracted to each other. For example, he says something and then thinks how sexy she looks. She says something but is thinking how sexy he looks, etc. The best part of the story was meeting other interesting and loving family members and neighbors.
In summary, there wasn’t much story. The characters could have been more interesting, maybe with some personality conflicts. Other than Beth trying to avoid intimate contact with Ty, the only conflict between them was Beth got mad at Ty once because he googled her name to learn about her. The final scene was too contrived. Too many convenient things happened all at once to wrap up the story. Someone involved with the murder kept a piece of evidence. The reason used for keeping the evidence was unbelievable and ridiculous. I’m all for fiction that includes the unbelievable, but this just wasn’t done well.
DATA:
Story length: 293 pages. Swearing language: moderate. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: 2. Total number of sex scene pages 16. Setting: current day Brubaker, Tenn. Copyright: 2009. Genre: romantic fantasy mystery.
January 7, 2025
The heroine is a resigned homicide detective and a recovering alcoholic. Her strong psychic gifts drove her to drink and she's been running from them every since. She now works for an insurance agency investigating life insurance claims.
There she meets the hero. He's a single father of 3 children whose wife vanished 7 years ago. On behalf of his children and his own peace of mind, he's hired the heroine to look into the truth of his wife's disappearance. Is she really in France as everyone believes or was she murdered? After a bad storm whips out the bridge, the heroine must stay in their house.
There she encounters a ghost in the foyer and her own desire for the hero. I couldn't decide if this was a bad paranormal romance or an even worse suspense romance.
If it's just a paranormal romance, the setting is bland and very unfulfilling in the romance department but if it's a suspense novel, it was completely non suspenseful and frankly unimaginative. The whole book is spent with the heroine trying to find out what happened to the wife when she's been the ghost in the foyer the entire time! And the heroine was too fearful to speak to the menacing presence that she missed the opportunity to solve the mystery in the first 3 chapters. Also, why the hell did the wife's ghost smack the heroine unconscious if she wanted her help? You can see the bad guy and the murderer from a mile away so it came as no surprise when the villain is revealed. But the villain wasn't ever actually involved in the story until the point when he's revealed as the killer. This was almost laughable bad.
There she meets the hero. He's a single father of 3 children whose wife vanished 7 years ago. On behalf of his children and his own peace of mind, he's hired the heroine to look into the truth of his wife's disappearance. Is she really in France as everyone believes or was she murdered? After a bad storm whips out the bridge, the heroine must stay in their house.
There she encounters a ghost in the foyer and her own desire for the hero. I couldn't decide if this was a bad paranormal romance or an even worse suspense romance.
If it's just a paranormal romance, the setting is bland and very unfulfilling in the romance department but if it's a suspense novel, it was completely non suspenseful and frankly unimaginative. The whole book is spent with the heroine trying to find out what happened to the wife when she's been the ghost in the foyer the entire time! And the heroine was too fearful to speak to the menacing presence that she missed the opportunity to solve the mystery in the first 3 chapters. Also, why the hell did the wife's ghost smack the heroine unconscious if she wanted her help? You can see the bad guy and the murderer from a mile away so it came as no surprise when the villain is revealed. But the villain wasn't ever actually involved in the story until the point when he's revealed as the killer. This was almost laughable bad.
January 22, 2010
**Spoiler** Just browsing through the library shelves and picked up this book because I never read author Deb Stover before. This was an easy super read. Ex-homocide detective and recovering alcoholic, Elizabeth Dearborn changed careers to work as an insurance investigator for fraud for Avery Mutual. Her recent assignment takes her to Brubaker, TN. She is investigating insurance claim on a supposedly dead wife of Tyrone Malone. Lorilee Malone has been missing for 7 years and her body has never turned up. Beth has to investigate and ensure there is no fraud before her company will honor the insurance claim. Sparks fly when Ty and Beth meet. Her methods of solving her assignments are a bit unorthodox as spirits can contact her. Her genetic gift is that she has ability to live the murder, death of each victim and thereby she can pick up clues if the victim is truly death or just disappeared. Beth's ability is too difficult and mind blowing to deal with in past she has turned to alcohol and finally she left the Chicago police department swearing never to use her genetic gift in order to maintain her sanity. Unfortunately, it looks like she might have to contact Lorilee or attempt it to discover her murderer. It was so/so novel.
May 23, 2012
Heroine is an ex-cop insurance investigator looking into the disappearance of a woman who may or may not be dead. The husband's turned in the insurance claim, but there's some doubt as to the woman's status. Hubby thinks she's dead, Daddy thinks she's run off. Heroine's "gift" involves reliving murders and violent death, which drove her to alcoholism, which she is now recovering from, by staying far away from ghosts. On the way into town, she has a flat, which is fixed by the guy whose claim she's come to investigate--who is also the hero. And of course, she has to deal with a ghost. It's a good read.
July 11, 2015
What an exciting psychic paranormal suspense!! The romance was weird in a way that Beth came in to Ty's life, when he still has these unresolved feelings about his wife's disappearance/death. I've never heard a medium or psychic being called an "Empathetic". What a new revelation of diaspora in that realm of genetics. The mystery was pretty much solved by the 17th chapter, but it was well written how the outcome wrapped up in a nutshell. I think if you want romance, mystery, and paranormal entities this book has it!
May 14, 2015
Whilst the premise of this drew me in, I found that instead of dark, twisted narrative I was expecting I got a lighthearted, shallow and very predictable story with strong hints of Mills and Boon from days gone by! Not meaty enough for me by far and much to twee...torn between a 2* and 3* rating. Oh & I've never known a newborn foal to be up and suckling as quickly as 'Stormy', not in ten years of breeding!! Nor are they born dapple grey...
May 12, 2011
This was interesting with a different twist on the ghost whisperer theme. Our heroine sees and talks with ghosts, but the flaw is she only sees murder victims, and she has to go through their murder to send them on.
A good read, but too much sexual detail and not enough detecting. (I did read it again in Feb 2011; still a good read etc)
A good read, but too much sexual detail and not enough detecting. (I did read it again in Feb 2011; still a good read etc)
November 3, 2015
DNF at chapter one. The heroine spends several paragraphs insulting the south & southern people. When one offers to help fix her flat tire, she's actually annoyed - until she sees he's "hot" and suddenly all his intrinsic southern-ness is forgiven, even if it includes inbreeding. Clearly, the heroine is a narcissistic, shallow bigot. And just like that, I'm done.
May 17, 2010
This novel seemed very over exaterated. The relationship aspect between Ty and Elizabeth did not seem very real to me. I had trouble following the story line, because it seemed more about the sexual content, than a good story with a sexual twist.
October 11, 2015
Fun read. I really enjoy paranormal books that focus on ghosts. I figured out early on that the stepmother was responsible but I did enjoy the way the realization came about for the other characters in the book. Worth the read.
January 16, 2015
A paranormal romance
Exciting,fast pace murder mystery. I will read a few more of her books.
Why would the most decorated homicide detective in Chicago history quit her dream job?
You will need to read this novel to find out.
Exciting,fast pace murder mystery. I will read a few more of her books.
Why would the most decorated homicide detective in Chicago history quit her dream job?
You will need to read this novel to find out.
May 4, 2010
Interesting personal gifts twist to a romance novel.
July 25, 2011
A great mix of romance & mystery. Enjoyed this little read.
November 3, 2011
I love a good paranormal romance but I just couldn't get into these characters. Maybe I'm just getting too old for this kind of book :(
December 5, 2011
Enjoyed reading. Something I won't read again.
March 3, 2013
An easy read. .
July 14, 2013
Disappointing - not a bad storyline but just not very well written.
July 18, 2013
Interesting idea but not particularly well executed. Wasn't really a fan of this author's style.
May 1, 2014
I really enjoyed this little book!
It has some mystery, some romance, some sexual tension, ghosts... And I think it's written quite well too, nice, quick read!
It has some mystery, some romance, some sexual tension, ghosts... And I think it's written quite well too, nice, quick read!
November 19, 2014
Couldn't put it down, thoroughly enjoyed it
December 14, 2014
The mystery part was ok - but this is really more of a cheap romance story with the two main characters lusting for each other.
February 19, 2015
I wish there had been more use of Beth's gift, but I still enjoyed it. It was more of a love story than I thought it would be going in.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews