Monday 18 June 2012

Book Review: Sight Unseen by Hunter Raines

Sight Unseen
by Hunter Raines
MM Romance, Paranormal
Ebook available 23 July
3.5 stars
ARC from Netgalley courtesy of the publisher.

Blurb:
Daniel Van Doren was once a renowned writer, until he was blinded in the car accident that killed his lover. Now, all he sees are ghosts in need of help. They follow him everywhere, and the only way to be rid of his ethereal visitors is to help them resolve their unfinished business here on earth so their spirits can find peace.


Ghostwriter Logan Riley is assigned to pen Daniel’s biography. He plans to reveal him as a fraud, but when they meet he’s struck by Danny’s quiet sincerity—and a growing attraction. Which makes sticking close to Danny to find out the truth more than a little distracting.

When they are attacked by a violent poltergeist, Logan begins to believe Danny’s not just telling the truth, he’s in grave danger. A spirit has learned how to harness the energy of the living to break through the barrier between worlds to harm Danny. And Logan may be the one to blame…

Review after the jump


Review:
Young adult author, Danny Van Doren, loses both his sight and his lover in the same car accident. He gains something else instead, the ability to see ghosts.

Logan Reilly has made his money ghost writing biographies of the rich and famous, the more scandalous the better. When his publisher wants an exposé on Danny, Logan jumps at the chance, wanting to prove what a fraud he is. There aren't such thing as ghosts. What neither of the men counted on was falling in love, or that there really seems to be a ghost who has it in for Danny. Before this, most of the ghosts he sees are benign and want Danny to help them to move on to the next plane, people who have left things undone, or have been murdered and their bodies haven't yet been discovered.

I enjoyed this book, Logan and Danny were each interesting characters in their own right and I wanted things to work out between them. Ms. Raines writing flows well so that you want to keep reading to see what happens next. The secondary characters are well drawn, no cardboard cutouts here, from Danny's sister and brother-in-law, divorced, but still seeming to have feelings for each other.

It was interesting to see a blind person as one of the heroes and Danny comes across as a sympathetic character, without becoming pitiful. He fought for his independence after he loses his sight and when Logan does things for him, it's because it's things that lovers would do for each other, not because Danny can't do them himself. Theirs is an equal partnership, even if one of them is blind. The love scenes sizzle between both of them with frank writing. These are men after all, and they don't shy away from telling each other what exactly they'd like to do, or have done to them.

I do have one quibble with the book, and that is that the ghost's identity and motivation for harming Danny were revealed too soon. I would have much preferred for there to have been more of a mystery as to that aspect. There were also some scenes from the ghost's point of view, which I think were unnecessary. It would have been better, in my opinion, for the book just to focus on Danny and Logan's points of view.

Overall, an enjoyable read.

Reviewed by Annette Gisby, author of The Chosen and Silent Screams.










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