by Lisa Kleypas
First published 2012
Alex Nolan drowns his pain in whiskey bottles at his Victorian house in Friday Harbor. The bitter, cynical man stands apart from his brothers Sam and Mark, who still believe love justifies its risks. Then a ghost materializes, visible only to Alex, leaving him questioning his sanity. Zoë Hoffman brings gentleness and romance to their first meeting, but Alex's gorgeous exterior hides deep damage that screams danger. Her instincts warn her to flee, and Alex echoes that warning. Something draws her to him anyway, compelling her to force him toward self-reflection and the radical possibility that love isn't foolishness. The ghost has wandered in half-light for decades, trapped in the Nolan house without knowing his identity or purpose. He remembers only loving a girl once. Alex and Zoë possess the key to solving his mystery and freeing him from this limbo. Oil and water describe Alex and Zoë's fundamental opposition, yet their connection might provide the light needed to dispel his darkness and prove love transcends time and reason.
Genres: fantasy, ghost-stories, paranormal-romance, contemporary-romance
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Friday Harbor
Period: 19th-century
384 pages · Kindle Edition · St. Martin's Griffin