Sandy M’s review of Rendezvous at Midnight by Lynne Connolly
Paranormal Romance published by Decadent 3 Apr 12
I don’t read many ghost stories. Either they don’t appeal to me or not that many come to my attention. When Lynne Connolly offered this novella, along with the idea of perhaps continuing on with a series, I like the concept, hope she goes with it, and got in on the ground floor.
Michael and Lisa work on a ghost hunting TV show together, she’s the narrator/host and he’s the psychic, also called a sensitive, who communicates with the spirits that are discovered. There’s been an attraction between them for a while, but because Lisa was involved with someone else until just recently, they’d never gotten together. That’s all changed now, and Michael and Lisa are looking forward to a weekend with each other — and a few ghosts who live on the restored ocean liner, the Gem of the Sea.
Once aboard, however, Michael discovers there’s anti-sensitive spies who are targeting Michael himself. Needing to eliminate Lisa as a suspect, he gently probes her mind, something she fears and despises. It scares her and also tells her Michael has no trust in her. I’m a little confused at this attitude of Lisa’s, though. The man talks to ghosts. Helps them cross over. We’re talking real paranormal here. But Lisa, for some reason, has a problem with anything beyond that. Of course, she does eventually understand and accept Michael’s powers, it’s just the initial discovery that jolts her. It’s her feelings for Michael that help her get over it.
What makes this particular event personal for Lisa is her mother. It’s her ghost who haunts the Gem of the Sea. She died when Lisa was very young, so Lisa never knew her mother and really has no connection to her spirit now. Lisa just needs to know the truth of what happened, not what someone was bribed to tell the world all those years ago. Poor Lisa gets another jolt when her mother takes control of Lisa, reliving her last day – all done with a twist you certainly don’t see coming, which is good because the anti-sensitive resolution, you kinda figure it out before all is revealed. Michael handles that jerk quite well.
Michael and Lisa are very likable characters, you care about them right off. There’s plenty of danger to keep the intensity high, and the paranormal covers several different elements other than psychics. Another confusion for me, however, along that line is in the book blurb that says Michael is a vampire. I really didn’t get that from the story. His father is a vampire, mother a sensitive also. Like father like son perhaps? What I come away with, though, is Michael is only a psychic and Lisa is not upset he’s a vamp.
But I think Ms. Connolly is on to something with a series, especially if she uses some of the same characters with Ghosts of Home, the company that produces the TV show. A great concept.
Grade: B
Summary:
When medium Michael Scott takes the assignment with the TV company “Ghosts at Home” to explore the old ocean liner Gem of the Sea, he does it with one aim in mind. Lisa Perez. Michael had wanted Lisa for a long time. She already knew about his ability to communicate with ghosts, but not his deepest, darkest secret. Would she object when she discovered he was the son of a vampire?
Lisa was desperate to discover why her mother died on Gem Of The Sea all those years ago. And she wanted Michael for his gift, but she also wanted him. With her revengeful ex and a malicious ghost onboard, Michael and Lisa might not survive the weekend.
If they want their passion to survive, they have to fight the living. And the dead.
Read an excerpt.
