Undying Love is the first in the Secrets of Roseville series of paranormal romances featuring ghosts and witches in Tennessee.
How does one recover after tragic loss demolishes your heart and soul? Meredith Reed grapples with that question every day, especially after she inherits Twin Oaks. The historic plantation is meant for a large family but hers no longer exists. She has some ideas for its future: tear it down; bulldoze it; burn it. Regardless of her incensed family and the handsome, irate estate lawyer’s objections. And despite the influence of the Lady in Blue haunting the place…
Max Chandler anticipates buying his dream home with the raise from his expected promotion after passage of the historic property preservation legislation he championed. Twin Oaks is just the sort of place he dreams of. Big and roomy, with lingering echoes of laughter and love from past generations within its very walls. Perfect. Except, perhaps, for the Civil War era ghosts in residence. They’ll have to go. When Twin Oaks is threatened with a bulldozer, he has to fight, ignoring his growing attraction to Meredith. Her intentions go against everything he’s worked for. He has no choice but to do all in his power to stop her.
Will Meredith’s grief destroy her heart and home or will she listen to what the Lady in Blue is trying to teach her?
(Updated and revised edition; originally published in 2014 as Traces.)
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Reviews for "Undying Love (Secrets of Roseville #1)"
Reviewed by Amy Campbell
11/19/2018
I enjoyed Undying Love. It was a quick read and I had no problem having it read in one sitting. I cannot wait to read the second installment from the Secrets of Roseville series. Great read!
4 stars.
I received this book from the author. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
Reviewed by Brittany Dalton
6/6/2018
I love the pearonorml element. I have never read a book like this and seen a book like this and used that kind of thing it's also original too. It's a quick read. I love the setting as well. This books is not boring at all keep me wanting to read even more. I could not put it down till I finished it last.
If her inheritance from her grandmother had come several years ago, she would have welcomed it as a new home for her family. But last year, in a horrible assault, a thief had murdered her husband. That was bad enough, but Meredith Reed had been pregnant and also been shot. She lived, but the baby was also murdered. Nothing had been able to allow Meredith to forget what she had lost and seeing what could have once been a place in which she would continue the family heritage was nothing more than a reminder of how many flashbacks still continued to haunt her...
The thing was that her grandmother had picked her out for the inheritance for a reason. Meredith was an architect and had won many awards on her work. Her grandmother anticipated that with the entire inheritance, including funds, that Meredith would work to bring their family home back to its original grandeur.
Family drama soon erupted, though, when Meredith's first decision was for herself--she wanted to build a memorial park to honor her lost family as well as all of her ancestors...and others... With Meredith being the younger child, her sister as well as her parents felt they had a right to try to stop her... The thing was that Meredith's plans included destroying their family home and turning the land back to natural use...
At first, I was concerned about the two main characters in particular. Meredith comes off as very selfish, yet as the story moves forward, she begins to open up to both the pain of her past as well as to being home once again, and with her family from whom she had pulled away from over the years...
The one character that also confuses us is Max, who is the estate lawyer. He was adamant that Meredith follow her grandmother's wishes and fulfill her duty! Not something Meredith was willing to even listen to at that time in her life. We do get to know more of Max's personal feelings and find that he has loved the property since he first saw it...and only wished that he had sufficient funds to have the ability to own such a home for his future... Of course, he also needed to find that wife to share that home. As is common, the two main characters do find themselves attracted to the other. But are arguing over much as the story proceeds.
The one thing that was able to pull Meredith into the present situation was that, first, she had seen a woman looking out from the second floor on the day she had arrived. Then as she started to clear things out, pending what she would do with the house, she found many books, letters and journals from her ancestors... When she arrived at the point where a family member had disappeared, she was hook into the intrigue and mystery of what had happened to her!
And when she realized that the missing woman had begun to be called the Lady in Blue, and it had been probably her at the window, Meredith wanted to know more, especially when she began to smell a scent--flowery, and nobody else seemed to be able to smell it, Meredith became convinced that she was being haunted...
Blending the historical past with its secrets is often an engaging read as we both go back into the beginning of the story hundreds of years ago, while at the same time, living in the present, trying to respond to today's issues within the historical background. There were hints throughout the book, but, for me, none of them stuck...so I was totally surprised with the conclusion of the Lady's secrets...
I was watching Meredith closely because everybody other than her thought it was crazy to raze the family home. Still with a tragic family loss recently that devastated the whole family, I could see and understand why Meredith could not--was not able to--deal with what everybody was expecting and pushing for her to do... It is a lesson that we must learn for ourselves, but which requires sympathy as well as empathy for those involved.
This multi-genre paranormal, historical, romance, mystery will pull you into the story after the first chapter or two. Max and Meredith are two independent, opinionated, and aggressive people who find a match in meeting each other. If you allow them to be themselves, with their own fears and desires, you'll be soon watching as the family drama, which includes, by the way, a wonderful couple who has helped on the estate for many years, pulls each character into merging, once again, as a loving family. Highly recommended.
GABixlerReviews
Paperback provided by Authors Den
Reviewed by E Harris
12/26/2017
It is not everyday that someone inherits a plantation, but that is exactly what happened to Meredith Reed. Left to her by her grandmother for reasons she doesn't fully understand, she struggles with what to do with a ten bedroom house that has secrets and a history of its own. Add to the mix her own tragedy, family complications, and an attractive new man in her life and Meredith's life changed in ways she didn't predict. As Meredith deals with the aftermath of a loss, will she make the right decisions?
The author has crafted a heartfelt and meaningful story about family and legacy. The realistic characters are linked in powerful ways and the reader is immersed in their stories. This is a well written and memorable story. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Reviewed by Carrie Artrip-Sallie
10/24/2017
When I saw that this book took place in Tennessee, I had to read it. It could've been about something completely silly and I would've went for it anyway. Thankfully, it wasn't a silly book. It's a love story at it's core and a really good one. I loved Meredith and all the rest of the characters. They are well fleshed out and well rounded. This is a short read and in this case that works, it moved through the story perfectly, not being dragged out and made to be boring in parts for a bigger page count.
I love the paranormal element also. I've never seen a book like this use that kind of thing and I found it original. I love the setting, duh. It plays a wonderful role in this tale and that's something I have a soft spot for. The writing flows easily. Overall, it's a wonderful read. If you are looking for a sweet love story and want to punch through it quickly, this is for you!
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