Sea Wraithby Jocelyn Kelleyreviewed by Valarie PelisseroJanuary 2010, Publisher: ImaJinn Books, ISBN: 1-933417-46-2 Back Cover Blurb: Sian Nethercott wants to put her mistakes behind her. First, a man she agreed to marry, even though he did not touch her heart; then Lord Lastingham, the only man she has ever loved...even though he seems to have forgotten her. She travels to her sister's house in Cornwall in order to paint a mural, but her trip is interrupted when she encounters a masked man named Wraith, a criminal whose brazen kiss thrills her. But she can't forget the warning she received before she left Nethercott Castle: Beware of ghosts in Cornwall!
Shocked to find Lord Lastingham in Cornwall where he intends to put a stop to Wraith and the other wreckers, Sian also meets Arthyn Trembeth, the curate in the tiny village of St. Gundred. All three men charm her in their unique ways, but it is Wraith who seems to be near whenever she finds herself in need for rescuing...or a soul-sapping kiss. Is he the ghost she was warned about? Even if he is, can she deny herself what she thought she would never find?
Sian and Wraith must come to trust each other–and their own hearts–as they battle a common enemy to protect all they hold dear...and have a ghost of a chance at love.
Man, I hate TSTL heroines and Sian Nethercott in Sea Wraith, Jocelyn Kelley's latest Nethercott Tales, was definitely that. From her refusal to listen when everyone tells her to avoid the cliffs and the dangers posed by the wreckers in Cornwall, to her fickle nature regarding Mr. Trembeth, Constantine, Lord Lastingham, and the dangerous man known as Wraith, I just became so bored by her actions. We've all read the Cornwall smuggler story dozens of times where the good guy is pretending to be bad, etc, etc. The only difference in this tale is that it revolves around wreckers, not smugglers, and there is a ghost in it. For the topping on the cake, our hero isn't too bright either.
Sian has come to her sister and brother-in-law's home long before they themselves arrive so that she can paint a few murals of the ocean in the nursery, but she needs to get close to the cliffs to do that because the cliffs provide the best views. Who cares if she's been warned to stay away from them by everyone? Sian doesn't heed any of the warnings and continues to do as she wishes, crossing the paths of wreckers and falling rubble, and always just barely escaping with her life because The Wraith (who is actually Constantine working on behalf of the crown to stop the wreckers), is always there to save her and kiss her senseless. The kisses naturally have her falling out of love with Constantine, and in love with the Wraith because she's too stupid to understand that they are the same man.
Sian believes the Wraith is the soft-spoken vicar Mr. Trembeth. Even though when she is with Constantine and the Wraith she gets all tingly, but she feels nothing when she is with Mr. Trembeth. So, why does she suddenly think she is in love with Mr. Trembeth? Probably because she is TSTL! Of course Constantine refuses to even touch her hand when they are together for fear Sian will recognize him as the Wraith, so I guess is isn't all her fault.
The “mystery” or the plot surrounding the wreckers was the entire storyline and there was very little room left for the romance. In fact, I'm not even sure there was a romance, I mean I know there was a HEA at the end of the book, but I can't remember it or how the hero and heroine got there. The characters were bland, the writing was bland, the big mystery wasn't much of a mystery and the story was nothing new. In fact, the entire story is summarized perfectly in the blurb.
If you are a fan of Jocelyn Kelley and her Nethercott Tales series then I am sure you will enjoy Sea Wraith far more than me, but I actually expect some romance in my romance novels, if you do too, then pass on Sea Wraith.
Reviewed by: Valarie Pelissero
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