Maybe This Time

Andie Miller hasn't had contact with her ex-husband in ten years, except to receive her monthly alimony check, which she never wanted and didn't cash. But now she's getting married, and she feels it's time to sever the ties once and for all, so off she goes to visit her lawyer ex, North Archer, and return the checks. But once she gets there, of course things don't go as planned; North needs a nanny for one month for the two orphaned children of his cousin, and Andie, a teacher, fits the bill. Plus she could use the $10,000 to start her new marriage debt-free. What would be the harm?

If you are at all familiar with Jennifer Crusie, you know her books are usually light romances with a touch of mystery mixed in for good measure. Maybe This Time is no exception; when Andie meets the two children, twelve year old Carter and eight year old Alice, she knows she's got her work cut out for her. They live in a castle that was moved brick by brick to Ohio with an austere old housekeeper and their lives have been devoid of routine for ages. Andie takes matters into her own hands, thus putting her continually in contact with North...and the three ghosts which also haunt the home. An unbeliever at first, Andie quickly changes her mind when she finds herself face to face with the kids' recently deceased Aunt May; and good news travels fast as word of the hauntings spread and a film crew, a medium, a parapsychologist, Andie's former mother-in-law and brother-in-law, and her own mother all arrive to help. Oh, and of course North, who has never forgotten his ex.






This book is engaging from the first page; the attraction between Andie and North is evident, and the presence of the paranormal is fun yet mysterious at the same time. Set in 1992, the music mentioned and the atmosphere both enhance the story, and Crusie writes sexual tension like few authors can. There did come a point when everyone is arriving on Andie's doorstep that the story was a bit of a farce, but the fierce way Andie protects the children and the presence of North kept it from going over the top. I read this one following a deep, dark book, and it was the perfect antidote to lift my spirits and keep me entertained. Fun, fun, fun.
 
~taminator40