INTO THE MIST

Fleeing a humiliating end to a passionless marriage, Lisa Harbinger seeks refuge in a posh summer retreat on Australia’s lush South Coast. There she finds work as a nanny for two wilful children on one prestigious estate. But behind Rangoon’s ivy and red brick walls lies a mystery: What really happened to the family’s beloved Penelope?

Even more mysterious is Richard Prescott. Cold and aloof by day, Lisa’s boss heats up her nights and awakens her soul. But to have a future they both must escape their pasts. Vengeful ghosts and a generations-old curse seek to bring ruin on Richard and his family. But if Lisa can find the answers, she—and her growing love—could be the one to set him free.

Reviews

Reviews: Pretty Little Pages blog

If I had to describe the romance in this book with just one word, I’d use sweet. The entire story itself is very good, and I found it to be an enjoyable read. Goldie Alexander is an established writer, and Penelope’s Ghost is a testament to that. It was good for a light but mysterious break from some of my normal reading.   The characters were the part that I enjoyed the most. A lot of attention was given to details. This gave all of the characters a unique and authentic voice. But I feel like the title was misleading a bit. Because of it, I expected Penelope’s Ghost to focus more on the ghost story. Yet, I still enjoyed reading this.   Parts of the story did seem rushed in an effort to get through necessary parts of the plot. It wasn’t too distracting, but I did notice it. The love story as I said is sweet. If you’re looking for passion and tearing of clothes, you’ll be disappointed. If you’re like me and don’t mind your romance served sweet with a heap of mystery, you’ll definitely enjoy what Penelope’s Ghost by Goldie Alexander has to offer.

See more at: http://prettylittlepages.blogspot.com.au/#sthash.sRBa7wwF.dpuf

 

Cary Morgan Frates: More Romance Please Blog | 4 stars

This story is delightful…and mysterious…and a wonderful Australian vacation in book form. I learned so many Aussy-isms! When Lisa loses her husband to another man, she is forced to regroup, reassess, and rebuild her life. Money is short and good jobs seem to be non-existent, so she takes a temporary job as a live-in nanny. She finds herself in the middle of a sad and dysfunctional family, and, being sensitive to ghosts, she can’t help but wonder who is haunting handsome Mr. Prescott’s ancient manor home. Well, wouldn’t you wonder, too? Lives are changed, both past and present, and in the end, the changes are all good, very good.

Well done.

 

 

From Courtesan Press Blog

Penelope’s Ghost is a deviously delightful romance from down under. It was exciting to read about such a unique and unusual locale. Many of us Americans will never have the chance to visit the Land of Oz, but author Goldie Alexander bring the outback to the reader. The novel tells the story of Lisa Harbinger, newly divorced and desperate for work as she gets back on her feet after her husband leaves her for another man. To that end, she reluctantly takes a position as nanny to two unruly children at an old, posh, historical house on the South Coast. There she meets the strange (and strangely haunted) Prescott clan, headed by Richard Prescott, a cold, aloof, but utterly delicious (and very available!) man who is himself newly divorced. Very soon some serious sparks fly between Lisa and Richard, but when old family secrets come to life, as well as a vengeful ghost, the couple find themselves battling forces beyond their human understanding. A must read!

 

 

REVIEW from Books, Food& YOU blog

It took me awhile to understand this book, but I finally managed to. Although it was not one of the best books that I’ve read, i greatly enjoyed reading this book. The characters were explained in great detail, not leaving out any details for one’s imagination. And Richard, that guy is just chaaaarming as hell. HEHE. Yes, throughout the book I had a crush on him. And the fact that this story is about ghosts, is actually quite unique in itself. This book seemed to be a supernatural book, but at the same time, it is also realistic enough.

 

 

Cluereview:blogspot

After Lisa’s marriage disintegrated she finds herself in need of a complete change. She accepts a position as a nanny for two children. Once she ensconced in her job, Lisa begins to learn more about the family she works for. Her employer once had a sister that tragically drowned at a young age, named Penelope.
Richard , the children’s uncle and a resident at Rangoon, is divorced and it is also a fresh wound for him. He and Lisa get off to a sort of bumpy start when Lisa finds him to be arrogant and rude. But, after a short time, Richard begins to loosen up just a little.
The children are spoiled and willful, but Lisa finds she has a way with children and doesn’t allow them to push her around. However, Lisa is big predisposed to catching glimpses of the dead and Penelope is has decided to make her presence known to Lisa. Lisa believes without a doubt that Penelope is entreating her to solve the mystery of her death. This might be a difficult task because Lisa was warned to avoid the subject at all cost.

Only five weeks into her new job and Lisa is making some headway with her charges. She has also managed to become immersed in the family drama and has begun an affair with Richard whose ex-wife is still coming around, leaving Lisa unsure as where she stands. Lisa also begins to learn about Rangoon and the family’s sordid history.

But, what of her ghost? Well, at one point Lisa begins to wonder if the stress of divorce and a complete new life has caused her imagination to spiral out of control.

Deep down she knows that’s not the case and soon Lisa will understand why Penelope needs her story told.

This paranormal mystery/romance got off to a slow start for me. I got that Lisa was going through a divorce and the reasons for it. I thought a little too much time was spent on this area. I would rather have sped past that part and dived into Lisa’s job and the situation with the ghost. Once we got started on this part of the book, things were much more interesting. I didn’t feel the chemistry with Richard all that much and it isn’t until the mystery is solved that Richard and Lisa are able to address their issues. This part moves too fast. LOL! But, the mystery and ghost story which was at the heart of the novel was very good. Finally, the truth comes out about Penelope’s death and hopefully she will now rest in peace.

I loved the history that is interwoven with the present day events which gave the story a Gothic mystery atmosphere at times. Over all this is a solid effort and despite a few pacing issues was an interesting and engaging read. This one gets a 3.5 rounded to 4.

 

 

Musings in Fiction alley

4 fangs out of 5

This book is about a woman named Lisa Harbinger. She is recently separated from her husband and looking for a job doing something different. She wanted to get away and do something new. She found her self applying to be a Nanny for 2 children while they are on holiday visiting with family. She has never really been a Nanny before, but children seem to like her. She is offered the job and accepts it. Lisa worked as a rental agent previously. Part of the reason she wanted to leave to job was she sees ghosts, usually ones where their deaths were unsolved and violent. When she arrived at Rangoon where she was to Nanny to she got the same shiver she does whenever she is someplace where a ghost haunts. The children she is to Nanny are named Willow and Mitchell. The man she interviewed with and who hired her was named Richard. Lisa learns from Shirley another employee that Richard’s little sister Penelope drowned in the dam when she was young. He also takes care of Rangoon. The children were a bit difficult at first. After those first few days with more structure and adult attention the children were much better behaved. Lisa also has a small crush on Richard, at first she just thinks it is because she is lonely. Lisa saw the ghost of Penelope on night on the dam. This has her curious, she begins asking questions subtlety about how Penelope and how she died. How old she was and such when she died. On another night she saw Penelope again and also some other people, a tribe maybe. She starts asking other employees about the land and its history. Richard comes to Lisa in the cottage one night and they share a night of passion. Will Lisa be able to help Penelope and the other ghosts she saw? Will she and Richard start to see each other or was it a one time thing? Will the children continue to improve in their behaviour?

I enjoyed this book a bunch. I liked the mystery of the ghosts and how she would figure out how to help them. I liked how she helped the children. It was sad how little attention their parents paid to them. Everyone was very hush hush at first about anything to do with the property and Penelope’s death. After she was there for a bit people were more willing to talk. Others that didn’t work on Rangoon where more willing to talk. I like the romance between Lisa and Richard. I didn’t expect it when I first reading the book, but it was a nice surprise. The book was well written and the characters were engaging.

 

 

E-Originals from Alexander Xpress Reviews

By LJ Reviews on May 22, 2014

Lisa Harbinger is ready for a change. Her passionate marriage is over, her real estate job costs more than it brings in, and her landlord is ready to give her the boot. When she’s offered a summer job as a nanny for a prestigious family on Australia’s lush South Coast, it seems like just the change she needs. But with vengeful ghosts, an ancient curse, and two incredibly spoiled children, the gig becomes more than she bargained for when she accepted. It doesn’t help that the strong attraction to her boss becomes something more. Penelope’s Ghost flits between the 19th and 21st centuries to tell the story of family loss and redemption all because an unlikely nanny comes to stay the summer.

Verdict: In this paranormal romantic suspense novel, Alexander (Surving Sydney Cove) evokes Australia’s colonial past to set the scene for a reawakening of passion between two people who are still recovering from bad relationships. Readers who like their romance slightly historical and a little paranormal will fall into Alexander’s Australia.—John Rodzvilla, Emerson Coll. Lib., Boston