Book Review: Hearts Unloched

Hearts Unloched
Claire Gem

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Ghosts

Description
A psychic interior designer reluctantly agrees to renovate a sexy investor’s abandoned hotel on Loch Sheldrake, a lake rumored to have once been the mob’s body dumping ground. 

Interior designer Kate Bardach loves her single girl's lifestyle, living in Manhattan and spending weekends at her lake house. She's passionate about her career, too—reinventing old buildings. But there are some projects she can't take on because of the spirits trapped inside. Kate is psychic—she sees dead people. 

Marco Lareci is one of Wall Street's most successful investment brokers who's achieved all of his life's goals—except for finding his soulmate. His latest project, an abandoned resort on Loch Sheldrake, needs a savvy designer to transform the crumbling complex into a boutique hotel. When Marco meets Kate, he can't believe his luck. She's the perfect match for his business and his heart. 

Marco's body excites Kate even more than does his renovation project. But he wants more than a casual relationship, and she's not willing to give up her freedom. Plus, the haunting at Marco's resort, a bonafide poltergeist, affects her on an intensely personal level. Kate's aunt disappeared from the place fifty years ago. 

Will the spirit doom Kate and Marco's love, or drive them closer together?

Maggie's Review: 4 Stars

I have a confession: I get REALLY creeped out by ghost stories. Like can't sleep alone, leave some lights on, and I envision creepy hands reaching out from all the dark corners of a room and from under beds. I'm a wuss. So why read a book that hints at spirits and ghosts? The blurb had me intrigued, so I gave it a go. The verdict? This was a great read. Did I have to sleep with lights on, snuggled up a little too close to my husband with the blankets pulled high? Heck yes. But it was worth it.

The characters were really well developed, the plot line kept me staying up too late to try and find out what happened next, and the relationship between Marco and Kate was really well done. Often times if a book leans towards the romantic genre at all, it can have intimacy just for the sake of checking off a box, but the progression of Marco and Kate's relationship - with flirtations, jealousy, and a good ol' splash of self-deprecation - greatly complimented the mystery, intrigue, and suspense of the Loch.

And I have to mention the psychic component. In my experience, "psychic" can usually translate to "tacky" or "ridiculous" pretty quickly, so part of my draw to the book was to see how the author had Kate be a successful interior designer, but also psychic. The author did a great job of making Kate's abilities both believable and *not* laughable. I found myself feeling sorry for Kate and her episodes, and at the same time impressed that she held her head high and kicked ass at things.

Admittedly, I don't know how soon I'll be picking up another book by this author, but she should be flattered - her wonderfully descriptive writing compounded with her ability to make legit scary stories is the only thing holding me back. I need a little bit of sleep at night that doesn't start with me questioning how many creepy things are going to grab me once the lights go off.

Please Note: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author for sharing their work!

Grab your copy of Hearts Unloched on Amazon today! 

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