"Mesmerizing New Time Travel Series"
ENCHANTMENT kicks off the five novel time travel
series set
in Hope Springs, Virginia in the late nineteenth century.
The catalyst is a hope chest left behind in the derelict
Chesterfield Hotel, once a haven for the rich and famous.
The chest contains five items, each of which will send
someone back in time to meet their destiny. Apparently
arrivals and departures are dependant on the solstices,
which give the travelers six months to determine their fate. When dog trainer Gina Charles planned her wedding
rehearsal, she hadn't included catching her fiancé
rehearsing the wedding night with her maid of honor. The
worst part is that both Jerry, and Gina's mother expected
her to go through with the wedding. To loud protests, she
had made her get away. Not knowing where she would go, Gina followed the road sign
that pointed the way to Hope Springs, Virginia. She had no
idea when she checked into a hotel with her dog Scruffy,
that her life was about to get a whole lot weirder. Drake Manton was becoming quite bored with the afterlife.
After spending over a century tied to the Hope Springs
area, he wondered if he would ever be able to move on. He
had spent most of his time observing the lives of the
people in town . New people were always interesting, and so
he had gone in search of Gina Charles the devastated young
woman who had checked in to the hotel earlier. It had
once been his mission in life to cure people of such
misery. He truly wished he could comfort her, but he was
beyond feeling, and she wouldn't feel him either. Or so he
thought. To both of their shock, Gina could not only feel him, she
could see him and hear him as well. Drake is certain Gina
is the key to his moving on, but she isn't sure she wants
to have anything to do with another man, however dead. Yet
helping Drake solve his problem might just help her take
her mind off her own. Drake knows when he died, but not
how. He is sure that knowing the reason will send him on
his way. No such luck. However he now knows how and where
he died. The newspaper report doesn't ring true to him,
especially the insinuation that he'd been having an affair
with a married woman. Perhaps the key is in the ruins of
the Chesterfield Hotel where the fire that claimed his life
had occurred. Once there, Drake discovers an old home chest emblazoned
with the initials EMS. Gina opens the chest to find a bunch
of old junk. About to turn away disappointed, she discovers
a fire damaged pistol. Dizziness overwhelms her. She
awakens in a quite operational Chesterfield where Miss
Esmerelda Sparrow soon takes her under her wing. She is
reluctant to believe in the fact of her time travel until
she bumps into Drake again. A very much alive and handsome
Drake, who has no idea who she is at all. Gina rationalizes that if she can save Drake from dying in
the fire she will be able to return home. All she has to do
is get him away from Hope Springs. Simple really. But her
plan backfires when Drake refuses to leave. He's not even
sure she's quite sane, but he hopes he can help her. Worse
yet she is beginning to fall in love with him. Either way
she's going to lose him. Can Gina find a way to save
Drake's life before she is hurtled back to the present? Is
there a way for her to stay with the gentle man she has
come to respect and love? Let's not forget the pistol which
must factor into the solution somehow. This series promises to be a lot of fun. The mystery
surrounding Miss Sparrow and her hope chest are yet to be
discovered. Ms. McCutcheon's characters are compelling,
both the hero and heroine dealing with their personal pain
in constructive ways. Drake is a deeply kind, caring, and
honest man, just what Gina needs. He has a great desire to
help others. Gina's confidence and insight provide what
Drake needs to attract patients and discover the source of
their problems. They make a great team. Together they
sizzle with passion. I recommend this compelling tale and
look forward to the next installment FIRE WITH FIRE, a
debut novel by Paula Gill. July 2001
Copyright © 2001
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted August 20, 2002
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