RITA Reader Challenge Review

RITA Reader Challenge: The Restorer by Amanda Stevens

C+

Title: The Restorer
Author: Amanda Stevens
Publication Info: MIRA 2011
ISBN: 978-0778314004
Genre: Paranormal

The Restorer This review was written by Anne . This story was nominated in the Best Paranormal Romance category.

The summary:     

My name is Amelia Gray. I'm a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. In order to protect myself from the parasitic nature of the dead, I've always held fast to these rules passed down from my father…until now.

Detective John Devlin needs my help to find a killer, but he is haunted by ghosts who shadow his every move. To warn him would be to invite them into my life.

I've vowed to keep my distance, but the pull of his magnetism grows ever stronger even as the headstone symbols lead me closer to truth and to the gossamer veil that separates this world from the next.

And here is Anne's review:

Amanda Stevens is a very good storyteller.

The book is set in and around Charleston and the right atmosphere lingers through the book. It’s full of scents, humid warm weather, southern gothic charm and suspense.

The writing is more on the side of prose and literary fiction but still delivers riveting suspense and horror.

I loved all the details about old cemeteries and headstone symbolism. The ghosts of Mrs. Stevens story are scary; Cold, menacing, sometimes cruel and vengeful.

The story had me on the edge of my seat and although I haven’t been scared by a book in years, I couldn’t read this one at night.

The Restorer is not for the faint of heart and speaking of hearts although a very good urban fantasy/ghost story, I was disappointed by the lack of romance in the book.

I rarely felt any intimacy or strong emotions between the two main characters. I kept waiting for Amelia to feel more, to indulge, I wanted a good look at her heart but it never really happened. As for John Devlin, he was too one-dimensional for me. By the end of the book I couldn’t root for him or him and Amelia as a couple.

The Restorer is still a very good ghost story and I will read the second book of the Graveyard queen.


This book is available from Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | All Romance eBooks.

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  1. Joyce Greenfield says:

    I really like this series, and felt that it only got better as you read through it.  It’s not overly romantic in the traditional theme, but the ties between Amelia and her male love interests are interesting and more complicated than most.  But I do agree with you that this isn’t really a “paranormal romance” in terms of what we readers look for in that category.

  2. Ruby says:

    I was completely sucked into this series from book one. I listened to the audiobooks, though, so I don’t know if that makes a difference. The way that both Amelia and Devlin are so closed off is an important part of their story, I think. And I suspect that theirs isn’t going to be one of those HEAs that is easily accomplished. I don’t even think it’s going to happen until loooooooong after their relationship is consummated.

  3. Ms. L says:

    Sounds like a really interesting premise, will definitely keep an eye out for the series.

  4. Natalie H says:

    I was sucked into this series as well. It terrified me more than any book ever has. Mrs. Steven’s ghosts were a horrifying new spin that left me cold and feeling watched.

    I agree that the lack of romance was a little disappointing when I finished this book….but with the 2nd book you learn more of Amelia and she begins to open up. The 3rd book is the same for Devlin. They are both so full of dark secrets that it takes time for them to learn to let go of the past in the hopes of even having a future with the other.

    Luckily, there will be 3 more books to this series. I’m eager to see where Mrs. Stevens takes Amelia and Devlin.

  5. Kirok_enterprises says:

    Anything with a Weeping Angel on the cover is going to get my attention.  Just don’t blink.

  6. I really love this series, but I also think it would have been a much stronger contender if it was put into the “Strong Romantic Elements” category.

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