Haunting Beauty

By: Erin Quinn, aka Erin Grady
Genre: Paranormal romance
Grade: C

This book was lost in its own complexity. While Grady's "Echoes" and "Whispers" combined the past with the present to reveal a complex intertwining of history repeating itself this book was completely lost in the mazes Grady had handled so well previously.

Heroine Danni was stunned when the visions returned. And even more surprised when the vision is rapidly followed by the appearance of Sean, the man she had seen in the "dream". What he has to say is the largest surprise of all in a rather shocking day. . .

Danni thought she knew everything important about her past: that she was a child abandoned by her mother at Cactus Wren Preschool. And Danni had no doubts as to the cause of that abandonment; while she has managed to block out most of her memories she has never forgotten that her strange "visions" alienated foster parents and friends alike. When Sean Ballogh tells her that things are not quite what they seemed, the small comfortable world Danni has worked so hard to build spins out of control.

Sean claims Danni's remaining family has been looking for her since she first disappeared and that they need her to return to Ireland and set things right. Because things have been very, very wrong in the village of Ballyfionuir since Danni has been gone.

Danni agrees to a flight to Ireland and does go but the trip is not quite what either she or Sean had in mind.

Danni and Sean are both difficult characters to get a handle on but I think this is because of everything happening to them and around them. The book contains visions, ghosts, time travel, seers, a magic book and an evil fairy. My experience is that one or two of those things make for a good story but piling on everything in the paranormal world you can get your hands on doesn't.

The subtle air of menace that Grady/Quinn weaved into her last several books is also missing. Here the menace is very overt but also almost comical.

I looked forward to reading this one and think it could have been good if the author had not tried quite so hard. Still, I will read the next one and hope for the best.

Tea: As we all know by now, tea is very beneficial to your health but did you know hibiscus tea lowers blood pressure? Three cups a day has been found to take about five points off. Check the ingredients on your tea, many herbal teas have a main ingredient (which is what is wanted) of hibiscus. I am drinking Black Cherry Berry and Lemon Zinger right now. I am only at one cup a night but I am determined to get to three.