Bittersweet

Title: Bittersweet
Author: Madeleine Urban
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Paranormal
Length: Novella (86 pages)
Rating: 3 stars out of 5

A Guest Review by Aunt Lynn

THE BLURB

His business failing and his marriage floundering, Harrison Holden is falling apart. To make things worse, he wakes one morning to see Piers Claybrook, a man he rescued after a car crash, standing in front of him—the same Piers who’d died in the hospital the night before.

Now a ghost, Piers believes he’s with Harrison to make a difference in the other man’s life. It’s up to the two of them to find the key to living—and dying—and how to walk the line in between without being separated by it.

THE REVIEW

Upset with the challenges in his life — major problems at work and a messy divorce — and looking for an at least temporary escape, Harrison heads out for a drive in the country only to have a blowout on a wooded road. As he changes the tire, a car speeds past, coming close enough to cause him to hit his head. Just before passing out, he hears a crash. When he comes to, he discovers an accident involving the car that almost hit him and what certainly has to be another. Finding the wreckage of the other car in a ravine, he calls the police and heads down to see what he can do to help. The passenger is alive, though hurt, and the driver is missing. When Harrison does find the other man, Piers, he takes him to the hospital where they are both shocked to discover that Piers has died in the crash, and the “person” with Harrison is now a ghost. Getting past the fact that he’s is dead but still around, Piers has decided that he has been kept from moving on to help Harrison with his problems and change his life. As they spend more time together, the men find themselves attracted to the one other and worry about what will happen when the day comes when Piers must go for good.

Regulars to this site will know two things about me. One is that I’m not so much into paranormals. But when Wave asked if I had interest in reading an early ghost story by Madeleine Urban, I said sure because number two, this is one of my favorite authors (when paired with Abigail Roux, they can do almost no wrong in my eyes). That being said, this one wasn’t so much of a winner with me. Originally released in the Desire Beyond Death anthology from this publisher in 2007 and re-edited as a standalone novella for new release, Bittersweet was her first published work, and all I can say is she has come a long way in her writing. She even says so in her own blog:

I wrote this story all the way back in… uh. 2003? 2004? Back before my writing was half as good as it is now.

What this means is that, while I didn’t dislike the decently-written story with the great cover — I got to the end and said to myself “well, that was…okay” — it displayed a certain amount of immature skill which came through to me in a few ways.

First, there is the almost signature head-hopping that I’ve come to associate with early Madeleine, but here it is so extreme it was to the point of distraction for me. I would just get barely comfortable in one protag’s mind when we are thrown into the other, sometimes alternating a short paragraph at a time. Additionally there are times when I didn’t know whose head I was in, making for some confusion.

Also, the characters didn’t feel fully developed to me, I connected with neither protag, and I didn’t feel any chemistry between them. Harrison is supposed to be this mogul of business — someone who buys companies, chops them up and sells off the pieces — yet he spends much of the story crying, feeling sorry for himself, and having no spine. I didn’t feel that I got to know Piers hardly at all.

There were a couple of suspend my disbelief moments for me as well. Now I know this is paranormal and suspending ones disbelief is needed to enjoy the story, but my issues had nothing to do with Piers being dead and smexxin it up with someone alive. 🙂 For example, shouldn’t have Harrison suggested that Piers stay with the wreck to talk with the authorities and get checked out by medical professionals? Plus, isn’t taking Piers, the driver, away considered leaving the scene of the accident (the police probably knew by then he’s dead, but neither Harrison or Piers do)? And didn’t Piers want to stay to see about Gerard, who was hurt? Oh, and wouldn’t them going to Harrison’s car, which was parked right next to the first car, put them right in the middle of emergency personnel? Just saying…

Lastly, I had a bit of confusion over the ending, which I didn’t think was explained enough, and to elaborate would need to include spoilers, so I, well, won’t.

OVERALL

I’ve read so much better from this author, so unless you already have the Desire Beyond Death anthology, then I recommend skipping this one and waiting until her next wonderful story is released.