What do You think about Ghost Of A Chance (2003)?
Meh, hopefully I enjoy the future books more since I bought the first five at once.I like the paranormal aspect - the protagonist is already familiar and comfortable with her abilities. She has a successful tea shop in a small town, which isn't as interesting as you'd think - she mainly sells china pieces and sets, but it's fun to see her randomly drink tea throughout the book, make it an important ritual with what pieces she chooses for the tea, but besides that it's in the background.I think my main issue is this character got on my nerves. She spends a lot of the book being a 'good mom' by disciplining her kids and trying to teach them lessons. She grounds her son for a serious mistake, but she takes it too far by removing from him the one friend he has. He committed the crime to look impressive in front of his friend, but it wasn't the friends fault. Taking away a friend should never be a punishment. Then she turns around and tells her daughter her next punishment will be sending her away to live with her father, pointing out the father doesn't want her there, if she argues with her brother again. Who the hell does that? It's just weird.Also her and her friends keep calling each other 'babe'. That's another small thing that didn't sit right with me either. Seems unnatural.Small irritations aside, I just found the protagonist too high on her horse with lecturing a man who losing his temper slightly, going over board with not giving her kids tea with caffeine but then turning around and being ridiculous with punishment all the time - it felt like the author was on a soapbox with lectures on parenting and it became the main focus of the book. She also jumped in bed way too quickly for my tastes with the love interest so I didn't care at all about the relationship. There is a clumsy attempt at a weird love triangle at the end that didn't come across well.The mystery itself is good. I didn't see it coming, the villains worked well, the ghost stuff was awesome, and there was definite tension when it should have been there. Stakes were high, pacing strong enough, the and theme intriguing. I hesitate to call this is a cozy - instead let's say a regular mystery series. Cozies usually shy from language and detailed sex - this one wasn't vulgar but it wasn't cozy material (which is not a flaw at all, of course, but something important to point out.)First novels in series can be rocky, so I'll be continuing with the second and hope it works better at winning me over.
—Erin (Paperback stash) *is juggle-reading*
Oh dear. I had high hopes that this would be a fun book, but alas. The main character is a single mom with 2 kids, and the plot looked interesting from the cover. However, I had trouble with the writing style in that there was no segue way into introducing new characters, they just immediately appeared without the reader developing any sort of feel for the character. I guess the author felt they were disposable, in that we didn't need to get to know them. That set the tone for the rest of the book. I intensely disliked scenes where the kids were written to be truly scared and in peril, but the mother's attitude was "get over it and your attitude". Hunh? I sold this to a second-hand book store, so that someone else wouldn't need to pay full price like I did.
—Cina
I really hate to give a book a bad review... really I do! There are so many factors that go in to how I feel about a book and many are influenced by external things... is it the wrong time of year to being reading this book? Maybe I'm in the mood for a cozy mystery and I'm slogging through a historical fiction.... Is is a book that requires me to read it slowly and I'm trying to hurry through it only catching quick moments of reading here and there? I truly try to always give the book the benefit of the doubt but this book was just... well, it was just blah!From beginning to end it was just... almost there! It didn't quite have whatever it needed! I know, I know, that is so mean of me and I'm truly sorry! I really am! I WANTED to like the book! I was all prepared to like it! I was happy to have it in my hot little hands... and then I tried to read it! Blah! There wasn't enough character development... who exactly is Roy? I mean I know he's your ex but why? We get snippets of information but no real explanations. He's a deadbeat dad... well okay, I guess. I don't know... I really wanted to relate, I wanted to find that kinship with the characters that said, "You are maybe not my type of person but I find you so interesting that doesn't matter!" This time I just didn't feel it. I closed the book and thought, "Well, I guess I'll mark that one off my list." No fanfare, no "Oh goodness, I really wish that book could go on longer, I want to get to know these people better!" just blah.Now before you label me a meanie I will say that I did read the entire book! And I'm more than willing to give the characters another chance... if it is even a series, I didn't even look! But I just cannot like this book as much as anticipated! The one person I liked the most was Nana and she's dead and gone and appears three times briefly, but importantly, and is not a major player at all! And while I love the name Kipling for a boy, why on earth didn't you expect a 9 year old boy to get in trouble with magic??? Are you really that surprised that he screwed things up? He's 9!It's a shame because this type of book is one I usually enjoy. I will give it another shot. I'll put it on my "To Be Read Again, Just In Case" pile. Who know, it might speak to me then and I'll think it is the neatest thing since sliced bread, stranger things have happened... but not this go-round!I am so sorry! Please forgive me Ms. Galenorn! I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you slaved over this book and loving crafted it from within your being. I know this! It just isn't the book for me... right now. Thank you for writing it. Thank you for writing other, fabulous, books that I have enjoyed! You are most certainly a wonderful author and I will continue to eagerly anticipate future books by you! :-)
—Hope
