“Must have been nice to know someone cared about you so much,” Paul remarked.
Danica watched as Gaston’s figure dissolved before her eyes. “It was comforting at times, and then sometimes suffocating.”
“I heard that,” Gaston hollered as the last vestiges of his form faded from view.
(from The Ghosts of Rue Dumaine, page 144)
The Ghosts of Rue Dumaine is the latest novel from New Orleans native Alexandrea Weis, a paranormal romance that will captivate readers who enjoy ghost stories. After divorcing her abusive husband, Danica Giles returns to New Orleans to rent the Creole cottage on Dumaine Street in the French Quarter where she lived as a child. She isn’t concerned about the warnings from the real estate agent and the neighbors about the dark man haunting her home; in fact, the reason she returned is because she promised the ghost who helped her deal with her mother’s death when she was just a child that she would be back some day.
Gaston Deslonde, a rich plantation owner who has been dead for more than 150 years, still inhabits Danica’s childhood home. He has been intrigued by Danica since he first appeared to her when she was six years old, and she wasn’t scared of him. With Danica now a grown woman, her feelings for the charming, sexy Gaston have changed. Though Gaston knows she needs a real flesh and blood man, he can’t bear the thought of losing her, so when Paul Gaudette, the son of her ghost-obsessed neighbor, Claire, takes an interest in Danica, Gaston goes too far in his efforts to keep her for himself. Gaston’s decision forces Danica to confront a sinister spirit…and her own heart.
Weis never fails to pull me into a story from the very beginning with her rich, vibrant descriptions of New Orleans and its architecture. I never really felt a desire to visit that city until I discovered her books, where it is almost a character itself. As Danica uncovers secrets from Gaston’s past, Weis emphasizes visitors’ fascination with the city’s ghosts, fortunetellers, and voodoo culture.
I couldn’t help but root for Danica as she tries to rebuild her life, and I could easily understand her feelings for the seductive Gaston and her confusion when Paul enters her life. I like how Weis kept me guessing about both Gaston and Paul because it made it harder for me to predict the outcome of the book. There were times that, had I been in Danica’s shoes, I have no idea what I would have done, and there were times I wanted to shake her silly because she didn’t do what I wanted her to. I just love how I can get all wrapped up in a character’s life and decisions; it means the author has crafted them well.
The Ghosts of Rue Dumaine was so good I couldn’t put it down. It followed me to my daughter’s soccer game, and I stayed up way past my bedtime reading it despite not feeling well because I just had to know what happened. Weis has become one of my favorite romance authors, and even though I don’t consider myself a huge fan of the genre, I always enjoy her strong, believable characters, steamy sex scenes, humor, and the touch of New Orleans that is the icing on the cake.
Disclosure: I received The Ghosts of Rue Dumaine from the author for review.
© 2013 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
I love when you just have to take a book with you when you go somewhere 😀 Then it’s good
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Of course, I put it away when my daughter was playing, but I had a good half hour of reading time while she warmed up. 🙂
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I love ghost stories and books set in New Orleans. It really sounds great.
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I really want to visit New Orleans now!
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You are making me want to read The Ghosts of Rue Dumaine. This sounds right up my alley. Great post.
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Thanks! I hope you get a chance to read it!
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And as always, I am honored that you thought so much of my book. Wonderful post. Thank you, Anna!
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You’re very welcome!
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Weis has some great books from what you seem to tell us. This one intrigues me since I long to visit New Orleans and its spookiness.
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I think you’d really enjoy this one. It was fun.
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I haven’t read a ghost story in ages and this one sounds really good!
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I hope you give it a try!
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I must admit your review was so good, you have me convinced! On my list!!
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Yay! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
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[…] Review: The Ghosts of Rue Dumaine by Alexandrea Weis (diaryofaneccentric.wordpress.com) […]
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You had me at paranormal romance:)
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Yay! 🙂
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[…] The Ghosts of Rue Dumaine by Alexandrea Weis — I’m very picky about romances, especially paranormal ones, but Weis is one of my favorite romance writers. I do enjoy a good ghost story, though, and coupled with Weis’ detailed and enticing descriptions of her native New Orleans, this one grabbed me from the very beginning. […]
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