The Moors in North Yorkshire, England – Regency Period

Miss China Nethercott has just been charged with a most unlikely task by a most unusual stranger. After all, it is not everyday one encounters a ghost. Quintus Valerius, a Roman centurion, once occupied the area some fifteen hundred years ago in a Roman settlement not far from China’s home, Nethercott Castle, and he wants her help. He needs China to rescue his descendant, Lord Alexander Braddock, from the curse that originated in Quintus’s lifetime and now befalls all the firstborn sons in the Braddock family on the fifth of September in their thirtieth year. Over the centuries, Quintus’s descendants have either gone insane or been killed and, as a result Quintus has remained trapped in limbo, never able to move on to the next world.

Quintus knows that Alexander will be betrayed and murdered, but he is not sure by whom. Only China can help, for she is the only person in this generation who can see Quintus, and so he has led her to the ruins at the Roman settlement where he has caused a cave-in, trapping and injuring Alexander. Fortunately, China is able to dig him out and get him home to Nethercott Castle where Quintus plans for her to keep watch over Alexander while he recuperates, hopefully past the dreaded date of September 5th in a few weeks. However, he is hardly an accommodating patient. Alexander vexes China at every turn. He is highly skeptical of China’s warning about a curse and a ghost; he ignores China’s advice to rest, and he is an outrageous flirt, distracting China to no end. She constantly finds herself daydreaming about her handsome houseguest. But as their relationship heats up, so does the danger surrounding Alexander and the unexplained happenings. It hurts China that he does not believe her about Quintus, but still she is determined to save Alexander’s life. If she fails, not only will Quintus remain locked in his miserable existence but China will lose the man she is coming to love.

Alexander intended only to stop briefly at the Roman ruins on his journey from Cropton to Pickering, but instead, he found himself trapped beneath tons of rock and debris from which he had to be rescued by a woman! How embarrassing for a man who has survived countless battles during the war with Napoleon. Even more frustrating is the realization that he still needs Miss Nethercott’s assistance because of a serious blow to his head. His only consolation is China herself, who turns out to be a delightful woman, even if she does believe in ghosts. Alexander can hardly credit her tale of a Roman centurion and a curse. To do so might mean he is beginning to succumb to the madness that has claimed so many men in his family, and he is already struggling with his own personal demons that have plagued him since the war. Then again, Alexander cannot deny the strange happenings at Nethercott Castle, or the strong feelings he is starting to develop for China that are telling him to trust in her warnings and trust her with his heart.

KINDRED SPIRITS is a captivating Regency tale that offers more than just engaging characters and a sparkling romance. A ghost, an ancient castle, and the lonely moors give this story a decidedly Gothic feel, not to mention the whole mysterious curse surrounding Alexander. As the tortured hero, his character fits right in with the tone of the book. He’s skeptical of ghosts but he is haunted by his memories of his time spent in the military. At night he relives the horrors of war in his dreams, often unable to separate reality from recollections. Alexander fears he is going mad like so many of his relatives. Yet, as sympathetic as he is for his vulnerabilities, he’s also just as charming. He’s a shameless flirt around China, and a wonderful protector, too, rescuing her from all kinds of dangers. China, though, is by no means a damsel in distress. She’s an intrepid heroine, not easily intimidated. She grew up with a father who spent his life trying to convince the world that ghosts exist, so Quintus is a welcome visitor. She also is tenacious when it comes to Alexander. She’s quite determined to save him from an unknown murderer. The two are a good match. As they work together to break the curse, the suspense and danger they are confronting serves to heighten the sexual tension between them and create a strong bond.

KINDRED SPIRITS is the second story starring a Nethercott sister, and it is quite a romp. The action is fast paced, the romance passionate, and the mysteries, for there are more than one, are suspenseful and full of twists. I highly recommend KINDRED SPIRITS, and if, at its conclusion, you are sorry to say goodbye to China and Nethercott Castle, there are her sister Jade’s story LOST IN SHADOW (July 2007) to enjoy and their sister Sian’s story to look forward to.

Sandra Brill