Judith‘s review of Haunting Flame by Janice Bennett
When Captain anthony, Lord Lambeth, returns from the Peninsular War, he is crippled in both body and spirit. He has just inherited an estate in desperate need of repairs and no money to make them. he can’t stomach making the marriage of convenience his family urges on him, avoiding it by vowing to fulfill a promise to his dying friend to look after his impoverished little sister–by marrying her.<
The lively Calpurnia Rycroft has worshipped Tony since they were children and is appalled by his depression. She agrees to an engagement to give him time to recover, though it will break her heart when he eventually marries someone more suitable.
The ring he gives her turns on her hand and a ghostly flame emerges from it. Callie realizes the ghost wants something from her–but is it revenge or help? the search is on to find the answers, but as Tony’s spirits improve, Callie sees her chance of love slipping away.
This is really a historical ghost story in many ways but at the heart of it is a very engaging love story. These two people have been friends since forever and have a history that is both competitive (in the way of long-time friends) as well as familiar and comfortable. That neither one recognizes that their feelings go deeper is to be expected as the years of friendship often disguise what is, underneath it all, a deep and abiding love that is durable and goes beyond the level of infatuation or sexual attraction. That Calpurnia has developed into a beautiful woman comes as a surprise to Tony who has tended to always view her through the eyes of adolescent friendship.
Now there are indeed ghosts at the old family home–ghosts that are troubled and who almost immediately not only make themselves known to Tony and his mother but Calpurnia as well. They know who she is, and they know that she wants something from them. In addition, the household includes Tony’s second cousin who has made a name for himself as a gambler that loses a lot, and Tony’s widowed sister-in-law, married to his selfish and self-centered now-dead brother, the man who reduced the family fortunes to almost nothing through his excesses and thoughtless spending.
All the characters in this book are unique in their own way and each stands out as a “player” in the development of the story. Callie and Tony each find that their attachment to one another is greater than they first suspected, but because of his war injuries Tony feels that he is unworthy of Callie, while Callie sees herself as an unworthy mate for Tony because of her poverty. And in the way of romance fiction, neither opens up in honest communication.
Romance fans will appreciate that there is a love story here as well as subplot that involves romance as well. Those who like a ghost story will find this mild in many ways but interesting, nevertheless. And of course, resolving the mystery why the ghosts–yes, there are two of them–keep on appearing and disappearing, just enough that they have the household in an uproar. Callie is not willing to be satisfied with the initial discoveries. She wants to know the entire ending, believing that the ghosts will only rest once the whole mystery is solved.
I found this book so very readable, the characters interesting, the historical references authentic, and the dialogue full of the relational energy that sparked between Tony and Calpurnia as well as the other household residents. It is not heavy reading and not terribly complicated, but it is well-written to the extent that it kept my interest and I thought the story worth taking the time to read. I actually went back and re-read the story before writing this review and found I was not at all bored. I think lovers of historical romance will find this to be a light-hearted but very interesting read.
I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.
This book is available from Cerridwen Press. You can buy it
here in e-format.
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