*Book source ~ Many thanks to Untreed Reads for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Lucinda is a plain and chubby heiress. Severely sheltered from the world she believes the handsome and dashing Captain Anders when he says he loves her and convinces her to elope to Gretna Green. Unfortunately for Lucinda, she’s been hoodwinked in the worst way. In a struggle to defend herself from his now unwanted advances at an inn along the way, she unintentionally kills him. Compromised and now a murderess (even if it was self defense) she steals a horse and rides for home. Except she falls off the horse and hits her head. Now in a coma, her irate father declares her dead to the family and other than putting her in a bed he orders no one to feed or help her. He intends to let her die. Can we say asshat?
Lucinda, stuck between the living and the dead is told she has two weeks to reform Kieren Somerfield, sixth earl of Stanford if she wants to walk through the Pearly Gates. Kieren is deeply in debt with no hope in sight of ever being flush with cash let alone fix up the ancestral estate. He sees only one way out, but as he puts his father’s dueling pistol on the desk, he hears a voice. There sits Lucinda and she’s beginning to realize this reformation is going to be a lot harder than she was led to believe. Let the convincing begin.
Lucinda has been a good girl all her life, but since she racked up some serious sin in the short time before she hit her head she’s one of those souls that is hard to judge whether she should go to Heaven or Hell. So they give her the time it will take for her body to die without nourishment to reform a man who appears impossible to reform. If she can do that then she is destined for Heaven.
What a great story! I’ve read historical romances by Metzger before and enjoyed every one of them, but this is the first one of hers that has a touch of the paranormal to it. I was curious to see if she could pull it off and I’m happy to give a resounding Yes! Full of humor, fun and wonderful characters, it is a great ride watching Lucy (as Kerry calls her) convince Kerry first that she is a real apparition and second if he doesn’t reform his ways he will not only condemn himself to Hell, but her as well. And I have to say how much I love the ending. *swoon*
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