"Two paranormal contemporary romances."

"After The Music" by Christine Feehan

Seven years ago, Dillon Wentworth was an incredibly talented musician and guitarist, leader of a world-famous band. Then his world fell apart -- his mentally unbalanced wife became involved with drugs and a Satanic cult, culminating in murder and arson at their home on a remote island. Their five-year-old twins were rescued from the burning house by Jessica Fitzpatrick, the teenage daughter of the housekeeper/nanny. Dillon was critically burned and spent two years in rehabilitation; the damage to his arms and hands has severely limited his ability to play musical instruments. And most people believe he is the one who murdered his wife and her lover that awful night. He sent his children off to live with Jessica and her mother and hasn't seen any of them since, choosing to live in isolation on the island.

Now Jessica's mother has died, leaving her to care for the 13-year-old Trevor and Tara. Little "accidents" have started to happen to the twins and someone is sending them anonymous hate mail; so Jessica decides it is time Dillon started to accept his parental responsibilities for the kids he once adored. But the accidents continue to occur even after they arrive on the island, plus now there are pagan symbols and ghostly voices and someone flitting mysteriously about in a cape. And the human inhabitants are not exactly welcoming -- Dillon wasn't expecting them, his old band members are there to try to cut some new music and don't want Dillon distracted by other issues, and it seems like the dead woman's ghostly presence is making itself felt. The strong attraction between Dillon and Jessica just complicates matters for everyone. So is someone really trying to hurt the children or sabotage the band, or is it all just accidents and coincidence?

There was an excellent Gothic feel to this story -- the fog- shrouded island, the background of madness and murder and fire, the hidden motives of the characters, the supernatural happenings. It was great fun to read, and to come out into the sunshine of the ending.

Sensuality: Good build-up of sexual tension; makes you wait for three-quarters of the story before consummation.

"Lady Of The Locket" by Melanie George

Rachel Hudson's parents first met at Glengarren Castle in Scotland on Christmas thirty-one years ago. A year after meeting, they returned to the castle to be married. They had intended to return for their 30th anniversary, but both died in the preceding year. Rachel has never met the current Laird, the son of her parents' old friend, but he graciously gave her permission to come to Glengarren and fulfill her promise to her parents to scatter their ashes on Christmas Eve at the castle. On her arrival, Rachel is fascinated by the portrait of Duncan MacGregor, who built the castle 250 years ago and then died heroically at the battle of Culloden. The elderly caretaker of the deserted castle natters on about ghosts and family curses -- maybe that's why Rachel starts hearing things at night and having strange feelings about certain areas of the castle and grounds.

This was a good and interesting story, although rather predictable to anyone at all familiar with the standard ghost and time travel stories.

Reviewed by Raelene Gorlinsky
Posted February 13, 2002

Summary

"Lady of the Locket" by Melanie George . . . The echoes of history and romance lure Rachel Hudson to Glengarren, the Scottish castle where her parents met many Christmases ago. But it is the portrait of the fierce Highlander Duncan MacGregor that sparks an inexplicable yearning inside her. On a storm-tossed night, as lighting cracks across the castle's turrets, Rachel finds herself face-to-face with MacGregor, astride a mighty stallion. Now, stepping into Rachel's time - and her heart - the warrior from the past is pursued by an ancient evil enemy . . . "After the Music" by Christine Feehan . . . Terrified by mysterious threats, Jessica Fitzpatrick spirits away her twin wards Tara and Trevor to the remote island mansion of their father, world-famous musician, Dillon Wentworth. Ever since the fire that claimed his troubled wife's life and left him horribly disfigured, Dillon has shut out the world. With Christmas approaching, the spark between him and Jessica might light the future, but there are those who shared DIllon's wife's love of the occult and their evil machinations threaten everything.