Rebel Waltz

Another reprint from author Kay Hooper. "Rebel Waltz" was originally published as a 'Loveswept' title in 1986. These two facts (date and publisher) should give you plenty of warning as to the tone and heat index of the book. I confess that I did enjoy it, but that was mostly because I was prepared for the tenor since I knew what I was getting into...

Banner has finally accepted that her beloved antebellum home, Jasmine Hall, will be sold. That doesn't mean she has to like it though! It's where she was born, grew up, learned to love the ghosts who also reside there, and had hoped to live out her life. And when she meets the man her grandfather has selected as a possible buyer...well, he may be her dream man--and he may love Jasmine show more Hall--but how can she ever know which of them, her or her home, he loves most?

Rory is amazed when he drives up and sees the lovingly restored and maintained Jasmine Hall and he falls a little in love with the estate. Then SHE opens the door and it only takes a few days for Rory to know that THIS woman and THIS home, ghosts and all, are where he's meant to live. But he knows he's facing a tall task...he must figure out a way to prove his love to Banner before he can have his dream...and even with a little ghostly assistance this may be more than is possible.

Yes, it didn't take long to figure out the ending. Yes, the heat scale was fairly light. Yes, I could tell from attitudes and actions that this book was originally written over twenty years ago. But you know what? I still read it cover-to-cover without stopping. I still wanted to know exactly what the ghosts were going to do to help. And I was a little bummed that the ghosts didn't have a bigger part in the story. This is likely one of the 'lightest' paranormal elements book that Kay Hooper wrote. And it was just right for a sunny afternoon. show less

This is some old school Kay Hooper. I loved the southern setting and the ghost aspect was interesting. But the characters were rather flat and the plot got a little boring. I understand that the plantation had been in the family for years and years but honestly towards the end I wanted to tell everyone to just get over it and move on. Also all the Gone With the Wind talk started to get on my nerves.

Before Kay Hooper started writing her FBI series, she wrote a fair number of light romances; this is a reprint of one of those. It's very sweet (not quite cloying, but close); it reminded me of the author's "CJ's Fate." Fun and predictable.