Her Dear and Loving Husband (Loving Husband, #1)

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Her Dear and Loving Husband (Loving Husband #1)

by Meredith Allard (Goodreads Author)

3.63 of 5 stars 3.63 · rating details · 534 ratings · 134 reviews

How long would you wait for the one you loved?

Her Dear & Loving Husband, the new novel from Meredith Allard, is part literary fiction, part historical fiction, part romance, and part paranormal fantasy. With elements of Twilight and The Crucible, Her Dear & Loving Husband is a story for anyone who believes that true love never dies.

James Wentworth has a secret. He...more

Paperback, 262 pages

Published April 19th 2011 by Copperfield Press (first published March 25th 2011)

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Community Reviews

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Oct 03, 2011 Alisha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: tour-book

Quick Take: An intensely sweet romance is tied to a riveting narrative on the Salem witch trials. Clearly, much research went into crafting the descriptions of the setting and related cultural intricacies.

Review:
Before reading this book, I'd never heard of Ann Bradstreet nor her poem, "To My Dear and Loving Husband." (I know: nuts, right?) In fact, there was much I didn't know about the general time frame and setting that's highlighted in Meredith Allard's To My Dear and Loving Husband--beyond t...more Quick Take: An intensely sweet romance is tied to a riveting narrative on the Salem witch trials. Clearly, much research went into crafting the descriptions of the setting and related cultural intricacies.

Review:
Before reading this book, I'd never heard of Ann Bradstreet nor her poem, "To My Dear and Loving Husband." (I know: nuts, right?) In fact, there was much I didn't know about the general time frame and setting that's highlighted in Meredith Allard's To My Dear and Loving Husband--beyond the basics taught in grade school, that is. Having read the book, however, I'm riveted and want to know more.

A large portion of my newly rekindled interest in Salem, Massachusetts during the seventeenth century is due to the great amount of detail put forth in Allard's book. It's immediately and clearly obvious that the author's done her homework; though this novel is a piece of fiction, it felt almost like a first-person account of the witch trials. The book shifts between present and past through both the recollections of James Wentworth and the vivid dreams of Sarah Alexander. I love that such vividness can be created about real historical events, even when the character recounting the experiences is fictional. Likewise, the fact that the main character that "experienced" this place and time is...other...was seamless and...well, it worked magnificently.

It's hard to think of this book as a typical paranormal romance, really. The fact that the main character qualifies as paranormal (the description doesn't specify what, so neither will I! ^_^) is almost secondary to the love story itself. In this tale, the paranormal aspect used more as a way to magnify the loss and suffering that James was forced to endure. Heck, the romance is actually quite chaste and innocent for the most part, because the emotional struggles of both James and Sarah are the focus. I really dug that; it's nice to sometimes get away from the love-scene fest of many other books.

The paranormal slant is also used as a means of putting the fervor and hypocrisy of the witch trials into a new context and setting: present-day Salem, Massachusetts. I found the parallels well-drawn and relevant; again, even though a paranormal bent is added. James at one point notes the oft-heard quote, "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

Throughout the first half of this book, I had a hard time figuring out how this story would extent into another book, much less a trilogy. Now, I don't care; I just want more! :o) Her Dear & Loving Husband is paranormal, romantic, historical, and dramatic, but it's more than any of those parts, and excited about delving into more of the characters' struggles in the as-yet unreleased follow-up, Her Loving Husband's Curse .(less)

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Feb 18, 2013 jackie frye rated it 5 of 5 stars

Vampires, witches, werewolf and reincarnations – who can ask for more?? This book is fabulous.

All of her life Sarah had wanted to visit Salem. When her marriage ended in divorce she accepted a job at in the library at Salem College and moved. When riding home from work one afternoon she saw a house that looked familiar, but this was her first time to ride down the street it was located on. Several evenings later she was taking a walk and walked by the house. Since it seemed no one was at home s...more

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Aug 17, 2012 D.M. Dutcher rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, romance

There were a few nice ideas, but there's really no tension in the book. It feels too sedate for its own good.

Sarah moves to Salem, Massachussetts in order to reboot her life after a divorce. She meets James, a retiring English professor whom she shares a bond to; she looks exactly like his dead wife. Except that his wife died three hundred years ago, and he is an immortal vampire. Mix an inquisitive vampire hunting reporter, and the vampire who turned him popping in, and life is about to get com...more There were a few nice ideas, but there's really no tension in the book. It feels too sedate for its own good.

Sarah moves to Salem, Massachussetts in order to reboot her life after a divorce. She meets James, a retiring English professor whom she shares a bond to; she looks exactly like his dead wife. Except that his wife died three hundred years ago, and he is an immortal vampire. Mix an inquisitive vampire hunting reporter, and the vampire who turned him popping in, and life is about to get complicated.

The idea of the book isn't bad. Imagine a more restrained Twilight with adult protagonists and a fair splash of history. Sometimes it rises to be interesting, usually with the minor characters. Timothy and Gregory add some needed life to the book, and you wish the latter especially had more presence in the novel.

However, most of the book is a somewhat dull love story with no real tension, and what little that does is dispelled quickly. I think just reading the premise you can get what the mystery is. The problem though is that there's no tension due to each revelation. James's true nature? She freaks out for a few pages, then it's all okay. Her own true nature? She gets over it too quickly.

Also, her own nature really needed that. You'll figure it out anyways, but putting it in spoilers: (view spoiler) The problem with this being waved over in this book is twofold:

1. She divorced her husband because of it, unconsciously. Her husband was said to love her, but she just knew he wasn't right. There's a lot of tension implicit in this which I wonder will be in the second book. But it's not in this one, which makes me raise an eyebrow.

2. There's no one else but James. Sarah doesn't put up much of a fight, and there is no rival to make things interesting. There really isn't even any tension due to what James is, either.

Also, the main adversary in the book has little screen time and is dispatched pretty boringly.

So it while the book is restrained in a good way, it's also in a bad one. I have the feeling though the second book might have more conflict, and maybe more of the interesting things will shine in it, but this one was a bit too slow going and tension-free for me.(less)

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Jul 31, 2012 Libi rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book and was left wanting more. Good thing it is part one of a trilogy. =)

It was well written, well edited, and moved along neither too fast nor too slowly. However, I can't resist a good HEA with a supernatural spin. This story starts with the Salem Witch Trials, jumps forward to present day, and is full of witches, werewolves, vampires, and hunters.

**SPOILERS**

Sarah ditches her boyfriend and moves from sunny California to Salem, where she discovers that a) she really needs...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Sophia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr-uf

I won this book last fall in a blog hop and had to chuckle because this book would definitely be a perfect fall read for a dark stormy night before the fire- too bad its April at the moment. The backdrop to the story that takes place both in present day and flashes to the past is Salem. Yes, Salem as in the place where the famous witch trials took place three hundred years ago. I loved this story and read it all in one sitting.

The story begins when a recently divorced woman follows a whim and m...more I won this book last fall in a blog hop and had to chuckle because this book would definitely be a perfect fall read for a dark stormy night before the fire- too bad its April at the moment. The backdrop to the story that takes place both in present day and flashes to the past is Salem. Yes, Salem as in the place where the famous witch trials took place three hundred years ago. I loved this story and read it all in one sitting.

The story begins when a recently divorced woman follows a whim and moves from LA to Salem to take up a job as a research librarian at the local college. The woman, Sarah, has haunting dreams that are both pleasant and nightmarish, but always involve her looking through the eyes of a woman who lived through the Puritan times and who loved and was loved by a man who she knew to be handsome and yet, she never could see his face. Sarah soon meets Jennifer the head librarian and they become friendly and Jennifer introduces her to her mother Olivia. Jennifer and Olivia are Wiccan. At this point, Sarah meets James Wentworth a new English professor at the college who has recently moved back into his family's old house in town. James and Jennifer are already friends so Jennifer decides to hook the lonely James and Sarah.

Odd things continue to happen to poor Sarah. The dreams increase in frequency and intensity and even come when she is awake, she sees James' house and recognizes it from the dreams and finds James even familiar, and James is behaving oddly around her seeming both attracted and repelled. Sarah is also concerned because James admitted to her that she looks like his dead wife whom he loved.

Salem is a place that hides secrets even in the contemporary times and will these secrets destroy the romance that is blooming between James and Sarah?

Ever so often you read reviews where someone mentions 'the author's voice'. This is one of those books where the author's voice is perfect for their story and its characters. The perspective switches back and forth between Sarah and James with her dream journals providing even more depth. There is a sweet haunting quality to their thoughts particularly James who is an old soul. I love the description of the old city of Salem that made it almost another character in the story instead of just the backdrop.

The plot unfolded slowly but surely building tension even as it revealed answers. I was very engrossed as I worked through what was taking place. This is not an action packed story, but one that is very-much character driven though I won't deny that it had its tension filled moments near the end.

It was a great read and I was sad to leave this story behind. I know this is part of trilogy and can only hope that the next book revisits these characters that I have come to love.

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Oct 11, 2011 Emma Harrison rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, paranormal, historical-fiction

I’ve never been a vampire fan, so I shouldn’t read vampire novels. Twilight didn’t appeal to me (too much teen angst) and I’m not a blood and guts person. What I do like is a good story, and that’s what Her Dear and Loving Husband is–a good, romantic story with enough plot twists and turns to keep the interest high and the reader guessing.

Sarah Alexander moves to Salem after her divorce. She works at the local college and meets James Wentworth, a handsome professor. She dreams about the Salem Wi...more

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Aug 01, 2011 aobibliophile™ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Then while we live, in love let's so persever,
That when we live no more, we may live ever. - Anne Bradstreet, To My Dear and Loving Husband

Sarah Alexander leaves Los Angeles and her ex-husband and begins a new life in Salem, Massachusetts. despite the change in scenery, she still continues to be plagued by dreams of an earlier time and a faceless stranger. when she meets real witches and the enigmatic James Wentworth, her ordinary life spirals into the unknown.
the historical facts regarding the...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Tracy Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Paranormal romance and historical witch hunts create the story of "Her Dear & Loving Husband."

Sarah, being newly divorced, relocates to Salem, Massachusetts, looking to build a new life. Here she meets new friends, who she learns are witches, and meets the man who is inhabiting her dreams and her nightmares. James, a college professor/vampire falls instantly for Sarah, not knowing exactly why except for the fact that she looks like his deceased wife of 300 years ago. Will they find the conn...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Laurie Jenkins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, fiction, ghosts, gothic, historical, horror, kindle, mystery, paranormal, read-in-2011, romance, suspense

After her divorce, Sarah feels compelled to get away from her old, frantic-paced lifestyle and decides to take up residence in Salem, Massachusetts. Sarah has always had a fascination with that area and feels that in Salem she may be able to slow down, rest her battered soul, and hopefully find an inner peace that is lacking in her life.

According to sketchy family history accounts, an ancestor died during the infamous witch trials. Sarah hopes for the opportunity to discover the identity of her...more

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Jul 04, 2011 Bonnie Lamer rated it 4 of 5 stars

After her divorce, Sarah moves from LA across the country to Salem, Massachusetts. Though born in Boston, Salem has the allure of a new beginning and she feels drawn to creating a life there. James is a lonely college professor who has kept his past a secret for many years. When the two meet, James is torn between telling Sarah his secrets at the risk of losing her, or keeping their relationship limited to friendship only. The longer he waits, the more Sarah believes the desire she feels for him...more After her divorce, Sarah moves from LA across the country to Salem, Massachusetts. Though born in Boston, Salem has the allure of a new beginning and she feels drawn to creating a life there. James is a lonely college professor who has kept his past a secret for many years. When the two meet, James is torn between telling Sarah his secrets at the risk of losing her, or keeping their relationship limited to friendship only. The longer he waits, the more Sarah believes the desire she feels for him is not reciprocated. Forced into a corner, he realizes he must confide in her. When he does finally open up to her, running as far away as possible may be the sanest thing to do, especially as he has become the target of an overzealous reporter. But could she live without the man she has come to care so much about?

Her Dear and Loving Husband is a sweet, romantic book about the endurance of love. Two people find themselves drawn together, but facing what might be insurmountable obstacles, as Salem’s past closes in on them. The imagery created by Meredith Allard of the torment women and their families experienced during the Salem Witch Trials brings the reader to that time, feeling the anguish of those affected by such a horrendous part of American history. The characters are people you would like to get to know – even if you’re leery of the supernatural. The story weaves history in and out throughout the book so that the reader comes away not only with the feeling of enjoying a good book, but with a solid knowledge of a time that may only have been a vague recollection from a US History class some time in the past.

I enjoyed reading Her Dear and Loving Husband very much. The characters had an intriguing innocence to them that worked for the book even with the heavy subject matter that surrounded them. A small drawback for me was that much of the information about the Witch Trials, and the lessons to be learned from them, were repeated several times, which came off as a bit tedious and even preachy at times. The pace was also a bit slow in the beginning but it did pick up as the book moved along. Those things aside, Her Dear and Loving Husband definitely deserves four stars.
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Jun 23, 2011 Kimberly Maloney rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book for several reasons. The author was able to pull ideas from several different books about the supernatural (i.e. Twilight, TrueBlood, etc.) without coming across as unoriginal. Yes, I recognized ideas that had been used in other books; like vampires crying blood, not having a problem with silver, and witches not being able to use their spells for evil. Seriously though, it would be impossible to write a book dealing with vampires, witches, or werewolves without including some d...more I liked this book for several reasons. The author was able to pull ideas from several different books about the supernatural (i.e. Twilight, TrueBlood, etc.) without coming across as unoriginal. Yes, I recognized ideas that had been used in other books; like vampires crying blood, not having a problem with silver, and witches not being able to use their spells for evil. Seriously though, it would be impossible to write a book dealing with vampires, witches, or werewolves without including some details that have been used before!

My favorite aspect of Allard’s novel is the fact that a lot of the history of Salem was brought up. It’s not just a story about a human and a vampire falling in love and making crazy love; it’s also about the injustice that happened to innocent people hundreds of years ago. Also, it touches upon the idea that modern day witch hunts are entirely possible. I’m not talking about vampires and witches, but more so about the idea that fear often breeds hysteria and this could be applied to the fear American’s have of Muslim terrorists.

Anyways, I loved how she incorporated the history of the Salem Witch Trials, because I love history and anytime I have the opportunity to read and learn more about an interesting time period I am happy. Especially when it’s in the form of Historical Fiction, because then it brings the time period to life for the reader. Allard is an excellent writer and the fact that she was able to write about witches, vampires, and werewolves without coming across as tacky or cliché is pretty dang good. I admit, I like a good vampire book once in awhile, but only if it’s creative and tells a good story. As with this book, my favorite part of books dealing with vampires or witches is their background story. I love reading about their life before they were turned, and Allard is able to give the reader a good understanding of the past and the events that lead up to the characters current situation without boring the reader with unnecessary details or boring narrative.

If you are a lover of the supernatural then I would definitely suggest this book. I tried to read the first book in Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels, and became bored and was unable to finish the books about a quarter of the way in, but Allard’s book kept me intrigued throughout.

I give Her Dear & Loving Husband 4.5 out of 5 Stars.(less)

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Jun 18, 2011 Jessica at Book Sake rated it 4 of 5 stars

Book Review
I was a bit skeptical when I initially read the synopsis of the novel, but since it had vampires and witches and werewolves I decided to read it anyway. Thankfully I was surprised and really enjoyed the story and the history that was brought in to make it so much more powerful. Aside from The Crucible, I haven't read much on the Salem Witches, and after reading this I found myself googling the history and finding it to be as terrible as the author portrayed it to be. I also appreciate...more

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Jun 06, 2011 Fran rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Her Dear and Loving Husband
Author: Meredith Allard
Reviewed by Fran Lewis

Close your eyes. What do you see? Do you see trees, the sunset, flowers, and the events of your day? Keep them close and imagine seeing images so terrifying, so horrific you are not sure whether you are imagining them or reliving events from your past. What would happen if your present life were linked to events that happened in the past? What would happen if you were actually a victim of one of the most tragic events in Ame...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Cocktails and Books rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour, paranormal

Sarah Alexander has just moved to Salem, after spending the past ten years in Los Angeles. Divorced and looking to start over, she picks the one place that has always intrigued her. She figures while making Salem her new home, she can take the time to research that mysterious ancestor that died during the witch trials in 1692. While adjusting to her new surroundings, she finds herself somewhat familiar with some of the historic buildings throughout the town, even though she'd never been here bef...more Sarah Alexander has just moved to Salem, after spending the past ten years in Los Angeles. Divorced and looking to start over, she picks the one place that has always intrigued her. She figures while making Salem her new home, she can take the time to research that mysterious ancestor that died during the witch trials in 1692. While adjusting to her new surroundings, she finds herself somewhat familiar with some of the historic buildings throughout the town, even though she'd never been here before, especially the tall gabled white house on the hill.

The familiarity with historical Salem isn't the only thing that Sarah has to deal with. She's also haunted by horrific nightmares that make no sense, of faceless men and chains choking her. While she was used to these terrifying nightmares happening while she lived in LA, they have become increasingly worse now that she was in Salem. The only bright spot, the nights when she has the dreams of the faceless man with the golden halo of hair who happens to look an awful lot like a certain English professor a the university.

James Wentworth has spent the last 319 years stuck in the past. Stuck missing his wife, who died while imprisioned as being a witch, and riddled with guilt that he wasn't able to do anything to save her. He's spent the last 319 years learning how to get his humanity back and controlling the baser needs of a vampire. You see, he was unwillingly changed into a vampire a few days before his wife's death. He was left to his own devices to figure out how a vampire was to live. It took some time, but he managed to overcome those vampiric instincts and become a semblance of the man he once was.

But his life is thrown into a tailspin when a woman stops in front of his house and he mistakes her for his dead wife, Elisabeth. While he realizes his mistake, he begins to realize that there was a reason Sarah Alexander was brought to Salem. Maybe, if he hopes long enough, he might just get that second chance with this soul mate.

I didn't know what to expect with this book, but I was presently surprised at how much I liked it. James, as an older "Edward" type character, plays against the typical stereotype for vampires and proves that they can have some humanity. He does tend to go over board on thinking through his every action, but as stated later in the story, he's acting as he did when he was a human. Which makes you believe that if there was good in you to begin with, that good can overcome whatever adversary (or immortal monster) you may face.

Sarah, our older "Bella" did at times seem like the one more willing to throw caution to the wind (she tried to kiss James in one scene and he fled to his car), but she also wasn't easily scare, despite her horrible nightmares. Even after finding out what James was, it only took her a couple of hours to figure out she was wrong and go running after him. She decided it was better to be with James as he was, than be with a regular mortal man.

Sure, you'll spend time comparing this story to Twilight, but it does have it's differences that make it stand above. I loved the historical references to the Salem Witch Trials. It tied everything together and showed you how given everything James (and subsequently Sarah) went through during that time could have jaded them in a way that completely understandable. It was only when Sarah told James he needed to forgive the past that I think they were able to have that happily ever after.(less)

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Sep 30, 2011 Andrea Guy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, bewitchingbooktours, ebook, paranormal, romance

If you like a bit of history, some paranormal goodness and a downright good story, look no further than Her Dear and Loving Husband for your next read. This is definitely a good, get ready for Halloween, read.

Sarah's past life is really what makes the story. I love the way Meredith brings her former life to us through the dreams/nightmares she has. She really brings her former life to life well.

I also love the modern day witches in the story. Jennifer and Olivia really help Sarah to find her tr...more

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Aug 27, 2011 Annette M Guerriero Nishimoto rated it 5 of 5 stars

Today's review is on Her Dear and Loving Husband by Meredith Allard

Her Dear and Loving Husband is an amazing work of art. Well written and well edited, it is a must read. What starts out looking like some sort of ghost story is actually a wonderful mix of vampires, witches, and the afterlife. A love story that spans the great beyond.

Sarah Alexander is plagued with terrible nightmares almost every night. Bound in chains and dying. Seeing others hanged. But some nights the dreams are pleasant. A m...more

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Oct 13, 2012 Elise Marion rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I read the blurb of this book and saw it compared to 'Twilight', I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm definitely not a diehard Vampire romance fan, but the historical and 'past life' bend to the story pulled me in. Boy am I ever glad I didn't pass this one over. Her Dear and Loving Husband is a soul stirring read, hauntingly beautiful, and wonderfully executed.

It's pretty much impossible not to write a review of this book without SPOILERS, so if you want to be kept in the dark, you can stop re...more

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Oct 06, 2011 Theresa rated it 4 of 5 stars

In "Her Dear & Loving Husband". Meredith Allard combines historical fiction with magic and romance and incorporates a paranormal twist to create an intriguing story. Weaving the present with the past, Allard gives a horrifying and quite accurate account of the Salem Witch Trials, while at the same time keeping the reader entertained with a developing romance in the present.

With believable characters and a captivating storyline, I found it almost impossible to put the book down. Allard's crea...more

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Sep 15, 2011 *Babs* rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-asked-to-review, contemporary, historical, paranormal, fiction, romance, witches

Sarah has left Los Angeles for Salem Massachusetts after her divorce from a man she never really loved. Even in Los Angeles she was having some messed up dreams. Her ex told her to suck it up and keep going. In Salem the dreams were getting more vivid and frequent. As she starts her librarian job at the college, her boss Jennifer become close friends. They were driving along and she noticed a house that was very familiar to her. She asked who it belonged to and it was a professor that worked at...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, paranormal-fiction, romance, nook

Two people; two secrets.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I downloaded what I thought was going to be another ho-hum freebie from Barnes & Noble. Oh, I was so very wrong! I could immediately tell by Ms. Allard's writing style that this was going to be a good read!

Without giving anything away, Her Dear and Loving Husband is the emotional and mysterious love story of James and Sarah. It's a story that causes you to believe in soul mates, fume over injustice, and realize that...more

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Oct 18, 2011 Aislynn (Stitch Read Cook) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-s-to-review, blog-book-tour, contemporary-romance, mystery, paranormal-fantasy, read-in-2011, smashwords

This was a really intriguing and unique read. It combined all of my favorite things - romance, vampires, history and of course witches! Sarah has always felt drawn to Salem, and after her divorce she decides to move to the town of Salem.

Her first night in Salem while driving home a glimpse of a beautiful old home that she swears she has seen before. Little does she knows this house will play a huge part in her new life!! James meets Sarah through the library where they both spend a great deal o...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Cana Elene rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sarah has always felt drawn to Salem, Massachusetts, but never really understood why. Moving there after a divorce, she can’t help but wonder why she feels things are so familiar. Worse, her dreams that have always haunted her have gotten worse.

James has been hiding for centuries what he is. And when he sees Sarah, he is positive it is his deceased wife come back to him. After realizing his mistake, he still can’t help but court Sarah. He feels a draw that he doesn’t want to resist.

Together th...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Trish Arrowsmith rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was a little torn as to how to rate this book. It was very interesting as I don't typically read paranormal or fantasy type books. The author was able to weave together the past and present almost flawlessly and the characters were all likeable. The book was a good reminder of how one should act towards the ones they love and how tight family bonds should be. It was a light, easy read and worth the time it took to read it.
The repetitiveness was a bit overbearing at times. The phrase "oh so ver...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Jessica rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction

Another Kindle freebie or $3.99 deal book. I've had a streak of good luck with them though so I had high hopes for this one. It had an interesting premise: modern woman somehow connected to the Salem witch trials, and oh by the way she falls in love with a vampire. The Salem witch trial connection was the only part that kept me reading though.
I felt like I was reading Bella and Edward all over again and that was a disappointment. If I read "beautiful Sarah, sweet Sarah, smart Sarah" one more tim...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Sanette rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: witches, vampires, supernatural-abilities, adult-romance

So it took me a while to get into this book. The concept was good and I really enjoyed the dream sequences, but the style of writing made it hard for me to connect to some of the characters.

For much of the book I was not impressed by Sarah's character. I found her to be weak . Running away like a crazy person screaming and tearing her hair out whenever she could not handle some truth about what way happening to her and then suddenly calming down and begging for forgiveness and gushing about how...more So it took me a while to get into this book. The concept was good and I really enjoyed the dream sequences, but the style of writing made it hard for me to connect to some of the characters.

For much of the book I was not impressed by Sarah's character. I found her to be weak . Running away like a crazy person screaming and tearing her hair out whenever she could not handle some truth about what way happening to her and then suddenly calming down and begging for forgiveness and gushing about how much in love with James she is and how sorry she was that she ran off like a mad woman. I get it the first time but to keep doing it was annoying. I didn't like her until she finally faced the truth about what was happening to her, a truth that I was able to figure out in the first two chapters.

That was my second problem. This book was very predictable. From the second chapter, page 12, when she takes a drive around town I knew how this plot was going to unfold and I knew what the big twist would be. So I then had to spend the next 248 pages basically waiting for what I knew to happen play out.

However, as I said the concept was good as was the historical details about the Salem Witch Trial, and I really really enjoyed James character and I feel if it was not for him and the witches, Jennifer and Olivia, this book would have gotten 1 star from me. James was such a heart broken man and to watch him come out of his darkness as he adjusted to Sarah in his life and to finally love her for her and not for Lizzy was a heart wrenching journey. I found other than Sarah's dreams, I was always hoping to spend more time in the chapters with James than I was with Sarah. Fortunately Allard granted us more time with James and thats part of why this book was a 3 star for me.

I am a little confused as to where this story is going that it needed two more books but I look forward to James and Sarah's growth as a couple and his as he deals with a future he never thought possible. So I'll be putting the second book on my list of TBR's and hopefully there is more mystery to the second book. If not, at least I get to spend more time with James. (less)

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Aug 26, 2012 Christine rated it 2 of 5 stars

Her Dear and Loving Husband... I had high hopes for this book when I started reading it but as it dragged and dragged and dragged some more, I was left very disappointed.

I like the Salem Witch Trials aspect but that was all that kept it somewhat readable for me. It was so boring, there was no intrigue that kept me wanting for more. I finished it because I felt as though I had to because I personally hate to give up on a book. I skipped several of the overly descriptive pages and just cut to the...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Mer rated it 4 of 5 stars

I just finished this book up this morning, I read it in one day as it kept me wanting to know what happened next as well as the embedded history lessons. This book also had a storyline that was new to me and very interesting. This is really a very good story about love that spans centuries and how they find another once again, through the help of some paranormal friends. I will say the one thing that bothered me and did interrupt my flow was some of the editing. There were hypens all over the pl...more

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Sep 15, 2011 Stacy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bewitching-book-tours

reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blo...

I gave it 3.5 Stars

Another Historical type book that surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. Sarah has always been pulled to Salem and after she divorced her husband of 10 years she decided it was time to move there. Sarah has always been plagued with dreams of someone living and dying during the Salem witch trials. After she moves to Salem the nightmares get worse and she finally has a way to peace together the mystery of them. James lost his...more

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Jul 13, 2011 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I won this book through first reads giveaways and I couldnt wait to read it. It's about supernatural things and the main characters are james and Sarah and ironically I am Sarah and my boyfriend is James so I was interested. This was an excellent book. It was a really good quick read. I love the historical feel it has. It's about the Salem witch trials and how it affects the new lady Sarah in town. The description of this book says that James has a "secret" and I was very pleasantly surprised wh...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Tuppermalone rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

Awful, I now understand why it was a free Kindle offering. If someone really knew what they were getting, they wouldn't take it, unless they're under 16 years of age and have no discrimination in their reading habits. Obviously I didn't finish it. I was going with it until the vampire turned up. I stayed with it several more chapters but between whiny Sarah and whiny James I couldn't take it beyond Chapter 21 and according to the Kindle, I was only 75% of the way through the book. Are there no b...more

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Fantasy > Paranormal

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Romance

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Fantasy

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Historical Fiction

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Paranormal > Witches

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Mystery

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Paranormal > Vampires

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Horror

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Romance > Paranormal Romance

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Witchcraft

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About Meredith Allard

Meredith Allard received her B.A. and M.A. degrees in English from California State University, Northridge. Her writing has appeared in journals such as Muse Apprentice Guild, Moondance, The Paumanok Review, Writer's Weekly, CarbLite, and ViewsHound. She is the executive editor of The Copperfield Review, the award-winning journal for readers and writers of historical fiction. She has taught writin...more

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Books by Meredith Allard

Her Loving Husband's Curse (Loving Husband, Book #2)

Her Loving Husband's Return (Loving Husband Trilogy, #3)

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Her Dear and Loving Husband (Loving Husband #1)

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