'A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night . . .'
author: Nora Roberts
title: Blue Dahlia book One of the 'In The Garden Trilogy'
first sentence: 'Birthing a bastard wasn't in the plans.'
pages: 367
rated: 4 out of 5
The book starts off in Tennesse 1892, where the mistress of Reginal Harper, Amelia Ellen Conner, finds herself pregnant. She gives birth to a stillborn daughter and becomes mad with grief.
Then fast forward to Michigan 2001, where Stella Rothchild, thirty something mother of two young boys, becomes a widow when her husband is killed in a plane crash home from a business trip. A few years later, Stella and her kids move to Tennesse. She got a job working for Roz Harper's 'In the Garden' nursery, by Harper House. Part of the job requirement is living on the grounds, so Stella and the kids move into Harper House.
She meets handsome landscaper Logan Kitridge. At first sight, the two don't get along, but after a short while they become attracted to each other.
A few times, Stella swears she hears a sad singing coming from the boys bedroom at night, when she enters the room, it is icy cold. One night her son tells her he 'talks to the lady who sings', so Stella gets freaked out. Roz had told her the house was haunted, but Stella just thought it was an old ghost tale.
A short while later, a very pregnant twenty something Hayley, comes to work for Roz, she is also Roz' distant cousin through marriage. Hayley, Roz and Stella get along very well. As time goes on, Stella's boys keep telling her they see a lady singing in thier bedroom, and Stella herself sees the ghost a few times. Hayley ends up seeing it too. The three ladies get together and try to find out the history of this 'Harper Bride'. It turns out the Harper Bride shows herself to young children and mothers.
I found this book interesting enough. It had a good story line to it. I garden as well, so I could relate to the 'gardening side' of the story.
'Planting a flower's like opening a book, because either way you're starting something. And your garden's your library.'
I like the ghost story to it too, that's what caught my attention most. I like Stella's character. She's a widow, a mom of two and independant. Her kids are a cute addition to the story too. I like Roz and Hayley as well. Roz was kind of a motherly figure, while Hayley was the young pregnant single mom-to-be.
I also liked Logan's character and the romance between him and Stella. I would definitely read the rest of this trilogy.
'It was insane. It was rash and it was foolish, but she couldn't stop herself. They rolled over the grass like frenzied puppies. He smelled of sweat, of labor and damp....Pungent and gorgeous and sexy.'
visit Nora Roberts website
this has been part of the following reading challenges:
-RRC
-TBR
-Triple 8
this book has also been reviewed by:
marg
