Review: The Restorer

Reviewed by Jen
 

It's always a treat when you end up liking a book more than you expect to. And this was definitely the case here for me...

Amelia can see ghosts. But she has known from a young age that she should never acknowledge them. She must live on holy ground and avoid people who are haunted. Her father's rules have served her well. But now, she finds herself in circumstances where the rules have gone out the window.

Amelia restores old cemeteries for a living. She is working on one in Charleston, when the body of a murder victim is found there. She gets drawn into the investigation, at first because of the detailed pictures she had of the site, but later, her knowledge of cemeteries and their symbolism becomes relevant as well.

The cop in charge of the investigation, John Devlin, strikes a major chord with Amelia. He's charismatic, dark and sexy. She fights her attraction to him because he is haunted by the ghosts of his wife and child. But her feelings for him grow faster than she can push them down. Devlin is a man broken by the loss of his family, but that is changing with Amelia in his life. I loved watching their relationship develop. There is great sexual tension between these two! Devlin's past and present are all tied in with the murder mystery... which grows more complicated as more bodies are found.

I became completely immersed in the murder case. I am a romance fan at heart, so usually I find myself wading through most stories just to get to the big relationship developments. But not here. I was just as wrapped up in the murders and the ghosts plaguing Amelia as I was in her pseudo-relationship with Devlin. There was intrigue, mystery, horror, and strong characters.

We do get a resolution to the murder arc, but many threads are left hanging as the book draws to a close... plenty of material to kick off the sequel. I can't wait to learn more about her family history and her future with Devlin. I just wish I didn't have to wait to find out what happens next! 5 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley