Review: Shadows of the Past by Carmen Stefanescu
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 5, 2013
There is nothing I love more than a good paranormal romance. Something that makes me warm and fuzzy, and gives me goosebumps. Occasionally, all at the same time.Shadows of the Past alternates between Genevieve's story and Anne's. One a 15th Century nun; the other, a 20th Century businesswoman. Yet, somehow, you just know there's a connection.In the mid-1400s, the gap between the haves and have-nots is huge. For Genevieve, her parents and siblings, life is extremely difficult. Then, following a trip to the forest stream to catch fish, her father is forever changed. And life becomes dangerous.Anne comes back from a business trip to find her boyfriend, Neil, in bed. And her partner sauntering out of the bathroom - naked. In a fit of rage, she throws them both out of her home and her life.Two years later, Anne and Neil are trying to rekindle their relationship with a trip to the English countryside. Lost in the forest, they come across the ruins of an abbey. Little do they know that this is where Genevieve sought refuge, nearly 500 years before.When Anne starts to have visions and they discover a skeleton in a hollow tree, the couple seeks help from local authorities and the resident Wiccan. What they find challenges all that they believe.~*~*~Despite great promise, this book fell short for me. The writing was, for lack of a better phrase, awkward. It read like a translation and, occasionally, like a poor one.I would have liked to see the characters more fully developed, their 'voices' more individualized. One person seemed to sound much like another, regardless of gender or century. Twentieth-century colloquialisms, coming from a fifteenth-century individual, just sounds ... wrong.The surprise at the end, hinting at a second book, was intriguing. I just hope that Neil develops a bit more ... spine by then.~*~*~Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary electronic galley of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.