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愛の亡霊
She should have forgotten Damian
Well, she had tried. She had stayed away from him for two long years. But Elizabeth knew she had never quite freed herself from him; she had always been uneasily aware that what had been between them wasn't finished.
She had felt sure somehow that one day they would meet again, but now he was dead. She would never see Damian again.
Yet however many times she told herself this, she felt the same wild stab of pain, the same inner cry of disbelief. If Damian was dead, why did he keep calling to her?
Well, she had tried. She had stayed away from him for two long years. But Elizabeth knew she had never quite freed herself from him; she had always been uneasily aware that what had been between them wasn't finished.
She had felt sure somehow that one day they would meet again, but now he was dead. She would never see Damian again.
Yet however many times she told herself this, she felt the same wild stab of pain, the same inner cry of disbelief. If Damian was dead, why did he keep calling to her?
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First published June 1, 1983
3 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Lamb
261 books316 followersSheila Ann Mary Coates Holland
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 18, 2021
3.5 stars
'I'm wiped out,’ he said to nobody in particular. 'I've never heard anything like it. Somebody ought to make the film!' - the secondary character stole my fuckin' line. 😪
Filmmakers, where are you when I need you so desperately?
If someone goes into this book expecting a love story, I bet they will be creasing their brows in an attempt to figure out how this book fits into the romance category because let me tell ya
There is hardly a strong romantic line present, even though the whole crazy ass plot builds around it. Go figure^
I loved the story because a French chick trying to run an English chick down by her car (the irony), passionate kisses shared between strangers in the woods and erotic dreams transforming into creepy nightmares? That is exactly what gets me going.👁️👄👁️
S P O I L E R, you have been warned/
I just cannot help myself and ignore the fact that the heroine recognized her dead abusive other half in an old friend of the said (not so dead) man precisely due to one beautiful little speech that some of you might find familiar too:
'You're a faithless little bitch, but I'm hooked on you, I can't get you out of my mind, night and day.'
How more iconic could this get? I vote for the phrase being nominated as the best revelation line ever.
Though I must admit I would recognize Ms. Lamb's hero anywhere, no matter whose face he wears. Literally. 💀
✨A call from the heart. ✨
'I'm wiped out,’ he said to nobody in particular. 'I've never heard anything like it. Somebody ought to make the film!' - the secondary character stole my fuckin' line. 😪
Filmmakers, where are you when I need you so desperately?
If someone goes into this book expecting a love story, I bet they will be creasing their brows in an attempt to figure out how this book fits into the romance category because let me tell ya
There is hardly a strong romantic line present, even though the whole crazy ass plot builds around it. Go figure^
I loved the story because a French chick trying to run an English chick down by her car (the irony), passionate kisses shared between strangers in the woods and erotic dreams transforming into creepy nightmares? That is exactly what gets me going.👁️👄👁️
S P O I L E R, you have been warned/
I just cannot help myself and ignore the fact that the heroine recognized her dead abusive other half in an old friend of the said (not so dead) man precisely due to one beautiful little speech that some of you might find familiar too:
'You're a faithless little bitch, but I'm hooked on you, I can't get you out of my mind, night and day.'
How more iconic could this get? I vote for the phrase being nominated as the best revelation line ever.
Though I must admit I would recognize Ms. Lamb's hero anywhere, no matter whose face he wears. Literally. 💀
✨A call from the heart. ✨
August 16, 2018
But...
It was so fascinating, trainwrecky and filled with eerie forbidden romance that I was glued to the story, like this cutie dog is to his PC:
OK, so I've not read all of Charlotte L's novels as yet, but I know that she's written one ( or 2 ? ) romances that have a slight paranormal element in it. I figured this novel would be yet another one, because I interpreted the title literally. It appeared, from the blurb, that this would be about a heroine who's haunted by her dead lover while she's falling in love with his best friend. Well, that is kinda what happens, but there is one huge plot twist that only Charlotte L could devise ( at least in Harlequinland ). This novel was great in spite of the fact that the H had horrible aggressive jealousy issues.
First of all, I need to make something very clear before I continue:
I am NOT an advocate of a H ( or any men ) who would slap a heroine when he's overcome with obsessive jealousy and hates it when other men pay attention to her. I know that some people ( none of whom are my current GR's friends ) will come to that conclusion when they see that I've rated this book with 4 stars. The fact is that I gave this novel a 4 star rating because the story fascinated me so much and the author's storytelling skills were remarkable. It's the old OTT trainwreck factor, I guess. It's much the same reason why I am mega fan of the old tv series Breaking Bad and Weeds even though I've never smoked meth or marijuana in my life. Hell, I've never even smoked a cigarette. Hey, I'm also a fan of slasher horror and unfortunately women tend to be the main victims in those, but that doesn't make me uncaring of the plight of women in society. My point is that it's possible to be vastly entertained by a novel or film that may have certain negative elements in it. I felt the need to clarify this issue since there are certain radical feminist cliques on Goodreads that love to jump on their podiums and pontificate scathingly about "other women" who don't support women. I don't belong ( and never will ) to any such clique on GR's and I'm a grown woman who can enjoy a novel with negative elements without being an advocate of said negative elements.
Ok then. Pre-review rant is over ! And, like I said above, the rant was not aimed at my current GR friends, who are all logical, non judgemental and most importantly, can co-exist peacefully with their GR's pals.
This story's about a textile designer heroine Liz who's just heard that her first lover Damian had died in a horrible car accident a year ago in France. Liz had fallen in love with Damian when she was just 21 and had been his live-in lover in France, where he spent most of his time painting his famous landscapes and portrait sketches. Liz had left Damian 2 years before the novel began because his obsessive jealousy, and intense possessiveness had scared her. Damian had been too domineering and very controlling. Liz keeps remembering what he always repeated to her whenever he got jealous:
'I'll never let you go. You're mine, if I can't have you nobody else ever will. Do you hear me? Nobody else, ever, I'll never let you go.'
That's some scary shit right there ! Most women today have been warned, from the time they reach adolescence, to beware of controlling and dangerously jealous boyfriends/spouses. Damian had never actually gone as far as to beat Liz but, according to what she told her sister Vicky:
'Physically? He hit me once or twice, but no, it wasn't so much that—it was his face, his voice, the way he looked at me, as if he hated me. There's a very thin wall between hate and love, and at times I felt he crossed it.'
No one can blame Liz for leaving Damian even though she loved him. Her decision to leave him was a healthy life choice. In fact, she still loves him and she's shattered when she hears that he's dead. She goes back to the Loire valley to spend time with her aunt Fleur and to come to terms with Damian's death. The drama begins anew as soon as she arrives there. In fact, she sees a man walking in the woods and his gait and mannerisms remind her of Damian. The heroine chases after him in the eerie darkness of the forest and thinks that she's reunited with her first love. She calls him "Damian". She rushes into his arms and begins to kiss him passionately even though she can't see his face in the shadows. The man is stunned and stays immobile for a few seconds before he begins to kiss her back return, before removing himself from her arms. Then a woman comes riding in on horseback. The woman is Chantal De Lavalle, the wife of a local chateau owner. When Liz is finished talking to the hostile Chantal, she realizes that the man has left.
So now Liz thinks that Damian's still alive and her sister and aunt thinks she's nuts. The aunt tells her that she saw the burning wreckage of the accident and that Damian's definitely dead, so when Liz keeps "seeing" him in the woods and hearing him whistling his favourite folk song, she begins to think he's haunting her. The heroine's haunting mystery takes on a new twist when she realizes that the man she keeps seeing in the distance is Yves De Lavalle, the owner of the newly refurbished chateau and the husband of the hostile Chantal. Yves looks nothing like Damian. He's the same height, with the same hair and eye colour but he's more handsome whereas Damian had been more ruggedly saturnine in appearance. The heroine is also filled with self loathing because she's sexually attracted to Yves and he's a married man. Liz hadn't even dated or kissed another man since she left Damian so she's shocked at the way she feels when Yves is near her.
Yves had been in the car accident with Damian and it's only been a month or so since he's been released from his year long stay in the hospital. He'd been badly injured, facially disfigured and has undergone complete facial reconstruction surgery.
This is Yves De Lavalle:
This is the heroine, Liz:
Yves has lost his memory but his bitter wife Chantal has told him a lot of lies about Liz, so he thinks the heroine had been a cheating, promiscuous girlfriend who'd jilted Damian. Liz cannot understand why Chantal, a woman who's a stranger to her, is filled with so much malice. Chantal even tried to kill the heroine by knocking her down with her car. Of course it's obvious that Chantal has observed her husband's intense response to Liz and she's understandably angry and jealous. Any wife will feel such emotions in the same situation. They might not resort to homicide but they'll probably have similar murderous feelings. Strangely enough, Yves is unable to stay away from Liz even though he keeps insulting her:
Yves was trembling, too, she felt the heat in him; he moved his lips down her throat and his face was so hot she flinched from it.
'I've got to have you or I'll go mad,' he muttered, his hands touching her hungrily. 'You're a faithless little bitch, but I'm hooked on you, I can't get you out of my mind, night and day.'
This part is a little skeevy because he keeps forgetting that he's married to Chantal but the heroine does remind him after participating in a heavy make out session with him. Lol. It's when Yves made the above comment to her, that Liz begins to think she's going mad. That's because those were the same words that Damian had told her once ! Liz also finds recent sketches of herself, in Damian's abandoned tower house, that appear to have been drawn by Damian. She knows that the sketches are recent because her hairstyle is the one that she's wearing currently. The heroine begins to think that Yves is seeking vengeance on behalf of Damian.
Is Yves trying to drive her crazy by making her think Damian's alive ?
OR
Is Yves copying Damian's style of sketching in an effort to taunt her ?
OR, has the ghost of Damian taken over Yves' body in an effort to seek his own vengeance ?
Those questions kept me fixated on this novel as the plot unfolded. Yves and Liz continue to have their intense unplanned meetings in the forest that usually end in passionate kisses and angst filled arguments. The situation came to a climax when Liz accused Yves of trying to drive her crazy:
She sat up, jack-knifing with force and pushed him away.
'Why are you doing this to me? Is it some sort of mental torture? Are you hoping to drive me crazy? Is that it? Well, you won't succeed, I'm not going to let you send me round the bend! I know what you're doing, but it won't work.’
He had sat up and was staring at her, his face blank.
She glared at him, her mouth shaking, her face white.
'You're not Damian! You think you'll make me go mad, don't you? Do you think I can't work out what you're doing? Whistling his favourite song, faking his sketches, talking the way he did.'
Her accusations triggered off a catalyst within Yves and that's where the HUGE plot twist happened.
Safety: You guys will need to open the big spoiler and read it if you want the safety information since I can't state this without spoiling the story.
Charlotte Lamb also included lots of fantastic touristy information on the Loire valley since the heroine spent a lot of time visiting the beautiful historical chateaux in the district. The author also provided a nice glimpse into local culture, food, customs etc of the Loire valley. A couple of the famous chateaux that were mentioned were:
The Angers Chateau:
The Chateau Chenonceau:
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2021
Only Charlotte Lamb could tell this improbable story with a straight face. (read Ivy's spoiler review if you want to know why "face" has such significance.)
Heroine's insane-with-jealousy true love is dead, so she travels to France to see his burial site, visit her aunt and to mourn where their relationship began.
There actually isn't too much to that past romance, except now -in hindsight - the heroine understands/accepts the hero's violent jealousy. Not romantic, in my opinion.
But no worries. Any sort of romance for the heroine is overshadowed by: the heroine thinking she's crazy, her younger sister's interest in a botany professor, the travelogue of the Loire Valley, and food descriptions. Those diversions *almost* make a reader forget just how dangerous the heroine's HEA actually is.
For old school crazy fans only.
Heroine's insane-with-jealousy true love is dead, so she travels to France to see his burial site, visit her aunt and to mourn where their relationship began.
There actually isn't too much to that past romance, except now -in hindsight - the heroine understands/accepts the hero's violent jealousy. Not romantic, in my opinion.
But no worries. Any sort of romance for the heroine is overshadowed by: the heroine thinking she's crazy, her younger sister's interest in a botany professor, the travelogue of the Loire Valley, and food descriptions. Those diversions *almost* make a reader forget just how dangerous the heroine's HEA actually is.
For old school crazy fans only.
December 12, 2021
Jeez that was spooky!
It would be a nice plot for a movie for Hitchcock!
The heroine left the hero years before because he was a jealous psycho. He suffered from paranoid jealousy and became dangerous, actually the heroine wasn’t even a flirt, she was madly in love with him, but of course he couldn’t think clearly and eventually she felt threatened and decided to leave him, running away and hiding with the help of her parents.
She has now a good job and accidentally she listens to people telling her mad ex died a year before in an accident in France. The heroine is shattered and decides to go to France where her aunt is living and where she lived with her mad ex.
There she knows a man who at first she confuses with her ex but is his best friend instead, the man who survived the accident where he was killed.
He is there with his wife.
But while the heroine is going around the places they used to live, she often meet this stranger who seems initially to hate her for what she did to mad-ex, but then he is attracted to her and tries to kiss her all the time.
- there’s much confusion and strange signs. The heroine thinks she feels the presence of her ex and even hears his voice calling her, thinks there’s his ghost haunting the place, on the other side the friend starts acting strangely and accuses her of being the cause for her ex’ death, but at the same time he’s always all over her every time they meet.
The ending is crazy and really bizarre.
I don’t want to spoil because it’s worth reading.
- I’ve never read such a fantastic plot. There’s also a dark note, very gothic in all the book, with the castle in France, the abandoned tower, the wood. So Much symbolism that I don’t know if it’s accidental or not.
Dr. Jung would be delighted.
The only thing I didn’t quite like is the end.
The hero, despite the fact that the heroine was deeply in love with him and he with her, had really a problem. His jealousy was pathological and I don’t believe that in this case it could be solved only talking. He needed professional help.
Or maybe the accident and the blow in his head changed dramatically his personality.
It can happen, and in this instance it could have been for the best.
Nice surprise.
It would be a nice plot for a movie for Hitchcock!
The heroine left the hero years before because he was a jealous psycho. He suffered from paranoid jealousy and became dangerous, actually the heroine wasn’t even a flirt, she was madly in love with him, but of course he couldn’t think clearly and eventually she felt threatened and decided to leave him, running away and hiding with the help of her parents.
She has now a good job and accidentally she listens to people telling her mad ex died a year before in an accident in France. The heroine is shattered and decides to go to France where her aunt is living and where she lived with her mad ex.
There she knows a man who at first she confuses with her ex but is his best friend instead, the man who survived the accident where he was killed.
He is there with his wife.
But while the heroine is going around the places they used to live, she often meet this stranger who seems initially to hate her for what she did to mad-ex, but then he is attracted to her and tries to kiss her all the time.
- there’s much confusion and strange signs. The heroine thinks she feels the presence of her ex and even hears his voice calling her, thinks there’s his ghost haunting the place, on the other side the friend starts acting strangely and accuses her of being the cause for her ex’ death, but at the same time he’s always all over her every time they meet.
The ending is crazy and really bizarre.
I don’t want to spoil because it’s worth reading.
- I’ve never read such a fantastic plot. There’s also a dark note, very gothic in all the book, with the castle in France, the abandoned tower, the wood. So Much symbolism that I don’t know if it’s accidental or not.
Dr. Jung would be delighted.
The only thing I didn’t quite like is the end.
The hero, despite the fact that the heroine was deeply in love with him and he with her, had really a problem. His jealousy was pathological and I don’t believe that in this case it could be solved only talking. He needed professional help.
Or maybe the accident and the blow in his head changed dramatically his personality.
It can happen, and in this instance it could have been for the best.
Nice surprise.
February 3, 2021
Charlotte Lamb yet again manages to enchant me with a unique kind of plot in the romance between the heroine Elizabeth who griefs the death of her beloved soulmate, the enigmatic painter Damien Hayes. The man she left two years ago. He haunts her through her dreams, mind and all the shadows around her..and through another man who is the bestfriend who was in the car with him the day the accident occurred.
The supporting characters gives the slight humor to the story, which eases the tension (much to my relief) and Elizabeth`s sizzling chemistry with the hero is tropical, and i have forgotten the many times i forgot to breath...Oh what a train-wreck this was! The fervent Hero has a blazing charisma with his all alike Anti-heroism, a man who lives by his own law, he was a force you couldn`t take your eyes away from.
Thrilling and inarguable Sexy, "Haunted" delivers a phenomenal story you will late forget, and it is a Keeper that directly has earned its place in my "favourite" book-shelf.!
Re-read in 2019-11-08
The supporting characters gives the slight humor to the story, which eases the tension (much to my relief) and Elizabeth`s sizzling chemistry with the hero is tropical, and i have forgotten the many times i forgot to breath...Oh what a train-wreck this was! The fervent Hero has a blazing charisma with his all alike Anti-heroism, a man who lives by his own law, he was a force you couldn`t take your eyes away from.
Thrilling and inarguable Sexy, "Haunted" delivers a phenomenal story you will late forget, and it is a Keeper that directly has earned its place in my "favourite" book-shelf.!
Re-read in 2019-11-08
October 2, 2013
Wow. Charlotte Lamb is a master of the totally insane romance plot! This wasn't all that romantic and I have no idea why the heroine would want this guy back (not only was he stalker crazy/abusive, but the descriptions of his face were creepy), but it was still a pretty entertaining read for the craziness of it all.
March 24, 2021
More mystery than romance.
October 17, 2018
'Was he violent?' 'Physically? He hit me once or twice, but no, it wasn't so much that—it was
his face, his voice, the way he looked at me, as if he hated me.
"Haunted" is the story of Liz and Damien.
Our h Liz had a crazy ex-boyfriend Damien. So crazy was he, that he casually beat her one or two times, got psychotically violent and jealous of her even breathing in another direction with accusations of cheating. She was so harassed that she escaped from him with the help of her family.
Two years later, she is at an art gallery where she finds one of his paintings, and is informed about his death in an accident. In shock and heartbroken, she goes back to her family to recover and ultimately to her aunt's home in the countryside.
There she finds a stranger in the darkness who reminds her of Damien, but who soon turns out to be Yves, a married man who was in car with Damien during the accident.
However soon she finds herself haunted by Damien's ghost. She hears his voice, his music,sees him in her dreams and feels his presence. She also notices hostility from Yves's wife, a new update on Damien's paintings and elusiveness of her aunt.
Has Damien come back from the grave to never let her go?
I honestly enjoyed this book..in parts.
My biggest problem is with the past abuse the heroine faced in the name of love, and despite that how attached she was to his S&M form of loving. The verbal abuse and slut shaming continued in the second half of the book too, and I found myself scared for when the hero would get angry next.
Apart from that, the mystery was predictable but fascinating, the haunting spooky, the obsession strong and the lust unparalleled.
I am not the biggest fan of h who are portrayed as victims of abuse, yet decide to stay with psycho stalkers due to love.
'Damian, I didn't want to go, but your jealousy scared me, you got so violent over nothing.' She remembered the dreams she had had, her eyes haunted. 'I couldn't take any more, I had to get away. I didn't want to hurt you, but I was getting badly hurt myself. But there was never anyone but you.'
Only because of that..
Safe??
2.75/5
his face, his voice, the way he looked at me, as if he hated me.
"Haunted" is the story of Liz and Damien.
Our h Liz had a crazy ex-boyfriend Damien. So crazy was he, that he casually beat her one or two times, got psychotically violent and jealous of her even breathing in another direction with accusations of cheating. She was so harassed that she escaped from him with the help of her family.
Two years later, she is at an art gallery where she finds one of his paintings, and is informed about his death in an accident. In shock and heartbroken, she goes back to her family to recover and ultimately to her aunt's home in the countryside.
There she finds a stranger in the darkness who reminds her of Damien, but who soon turns out to be Yves, a married man who was in car with Damien during the accident.
However soon she finds herself haunted by Damien's ghost. She hears his voice, his music,sees him in her dreams and feels his presence. She also notices hostility from Yves's wife, a new update on Damien's paintings and elusiveness of her aunt.
Has Damien come back from the grave to never let her go?
I honestly enjoyed this book..in parts.
My biggest problem is with the past abuse the heroine faced in the name of love, and despite that how attached she was to his S&M form of loving. The verbal abuse and slut shaming continued in the second half of the book too, and I found myself scared for when the hero would get angry next.
Apart from that, the mystery was predictable but fascinating, the haunting spooky, the obsession strong and the lust unparalleled.
I am not the biggest fan of h who are portrayed as victims of abuse, yet decide to stay with psycho stalkers due to love.
'Damian, I didn't want to go, but your jealousy scared me, you got so violent over nothing.' She remembered the dreams she had had, her eyes haunted. 'I couldn't take any more, I had to get away. I didn't want to hurt you, but I was getting badly hurt myself. But there was never anyone but you.'
Only because of that..
Safe??
2.75/5
May 8, 2016
this was totally different from usual HPs. i really thought we were dealing wid a ghost! who wud have thought it wud turn out dat Yves was really Damian! when Damian's car crashed, he was disfigured. as it had been his car, they all assumed he had been driving. as the driver of the car was dead, they believed Damian was dead. he was given a new face, dat of Yves whom they thought had survived the accident. he suffered from amnesia the following year and Elizabeth's coming back triggered his memory.
August 1, 2012
At this point of my Charlotte Lamb readathon I can see Ms Lamb likes amnesia as a trope/re-set button and marriages in trouble are her thing. Also her heroines (so far) are embedded in supportive if annoying families. This is something that has diminished in the genre in this century or at least in the UF and PNR I normally read.
The book begins with Elizabeth hearing that her former partner has been killed in a car accident. Her family have kept the news from her because she was such a mess when she left him two years earlier. Again it is interesting to note the minimal use of telephones for communication eg. Elizabeth writes letters to her family in the UK and how this slows the plot down as information takes it time to trickle through such as Damian's reported death; there is no checking with Google for the crash report or seeing Facebook memorial pages.
It is at this point it emerges that Damian was violent (hitting Elizabeth a couple of times), controlling and extremely possessive and jealous and she left him for these reasons. But of course she still loves him. I am fascinated by how Damian's behaviour is presented as a real problem but also how it is accepted as an extreme end of normal behaviour. There is no mention that Elizabeth did anything but endure it, then leave or should have or could have done more than that. The idea that there are or should be options such as restraining or apprehended violence orders, that Damian seek counselling just don't exist in this world. I think reading an older story like this is a useful reminder of how far social attitudes and responses to domestic violence have changed. It is also where my real life experience kicks in and tells me that without these sort of interventions he is unlikely to change, whatever incarnation of him the author comes up with. This is also why the book is a two star read for me.
Elizabeth goes back to France where they lived and comes across a man who was in the same car accident as Damian and who reminds her on a visceral level of him. They interact, there are punishing kisses and she is called a whore for tempting him. Gradually his amnesia passes and he realises who he is and they reconcile.
The strengths of the story lie in Elizabeth's caring sister (Vicky has a sweet love story too) and aunt and that she has a career even though that is managed and heavily dominated by her boss Max. Damian agrees to move to New England with her so Elizabeth's work is valued and supported and seen as an integral part of who she is which is great, but... I can't help but wonder what stresses will bring Damian's old behaviours back.
The book begins with Elizabeth hearing that her former partner has been killed in a car accident. Her family have kept the news from her because she was such a mess when she left him two years earlier. Again it is interesting to note the minimal use of telephones for communication eg. Elizabeth writes letters to her family in the UK and how this slows the plot down as information takes it time to trickle through such as Damian's reported death; there is no checking with Google for the crash report or seeing Facebook memorial pages.
It is at this point it emerges that Damian was violent (hitting Elizabeth a couple of times), controlling and extremely possessive and jealous and she left him for these reasons. But of course she still loves him. I am fascinated by how Damian's behaviour is presented as a real problem but also how it is accepted as an extreme end of normal behaviour. There is no mention that Elizabeth did anything but endure it, then leave or should have or could have done more than that. The idea that there are or should be options such as restraining or apprehended violence orders, that Damian seek counselling just don't exist in this world. I think reading an older story like this is a useful reminder of how far social attitudes and responses to domestic violence have changed. It is also where my real life experience kicks in and tells me that without these sort of interventions he is unlikely to change, whatever incarnation of him the author comes up with. This is also why the book is a two star read for me.
Elizabeth goes back to France where they lived and comes across a man who was in the same car accident as Damian and who reminds her on a visceral level of him. They interact, there are punishing kisses and she is called a whore for tempting him. Gradually his amnesia passes and he realises who he is and they reconcile.
The strengths of the story lie in Elizabeth's caring sister (Vicky has a sweet love story too) and aunt and that she has a career even though that is managed and heavily dominated by her boss Max. Damian agrees to move to New England with her so Elizabeth's work is valued and supported and seen as an integral part of who she is which is great, but... I can't help but wonder what stresses will bring Damian's old behaviours back.
January 11, 2025
This was not a romance. This was an h running back to an abusive relationship.
The h thinks the love of her life has died in an accident and she goes back to the place they met and lived to put old ghosts to rest.
Of course the moment she gets there she thinks she sees him and runs to him sobbing and hugging and kissing him.
Him being the overly possessive, jealous and not in a general HP romancelandia way. In a scary, mentally and sometimes physically abusive way.
I read dark romance, I like it too when I'm in the mood. The thing is dark romance isn't pretending to be anything else.
This book on the other hand tries to convince the reader that this is a love of the ages. It giving insidious and sinister tbh.
No.
The h thinks the love of her life has died in an accident and she goes back to the place they met and lived to put old ghosts to rest.
Of course the moment she gets there she thinks she sees him and runs to him sobbing and hugging and kissing him.
Him being the overly possessive, jealous and not in a general HP romancelandia way. In a scary, mentally and sometimes physically abusive way.
I read dark romance, I like it too when I'm in the mood. The thing is dark romance isn't pretending to be anything else.
This book on the other hand tries to convince the reader that this is a love of the ages. It giving insidious and sinister tbh.
No.
May 1, 2016
Awful story. The H was in it for maybe 15%. Most of the story is descriptions of the h on vacation. What she ate, where she went, conversations with her family. I was bored to tears. And the ending was so stupid.
October 19, 2016
The story is that the h has been separated from her artist H for two years - she left him because she couldn't take his extreme jealousy. By chance she comes across his painting and finds out that he has died and so she decides to go back home to silence the ghosts of her past.
So.... once I reached the ending, I was disappointed. The H/h didn't have THAT much interaction and the book was trying to get the feeling of the title "HAUNTED" with the descriptions, atmosphere, dreams and nightmares. And then by the end there seemed to be a tiny dose of comedy/humor which I dunno, seemed out of place.
When I first read the story I was slightly annoyed that the h kept harping internally about her H and how horribly scary he was etc. I was automatically on the side of the H coz i thought she was being an immature little biyatch :P especially since she ran away from him and separated for 2 years. But then when h mentioned that there were 2 instances of being physically hurt by him due to extreme jealousy I was like hell NO! and lost any sympathy for the H. Also h REALLY kept talking about how scary the H was, how she didn't understand him, etc. etc. Which makes the HEA so ???
But as mentioned above, the interactions between the H & h was so sparse! I think there were more interactions with the h's sister and her own little love drama than the main characters! And by the end it was all a rush with the explanations and HEA. I also don't know if I believe the HEA. H/h had a big issue to work on with his jealousy and even physical violence because of it. No way its resolved just like that??? So the h realized how much she REALLY loved the H when she thought he was dead? I dunno.... I don't believe it. I have more issues about the book but bottom line "Haunted" was unsatisfying to me. Sadly I might have to sell my copy because I don't see myself re-reading this again. I like to have a happy feel good feeling after reading an HP romance novel but this one was just huh??? to me.
So.... once I reached the ending, I was disappointed. The H/h didn't have THAT much interaction and the book was trying to get the feeling of the title "HAUNTED" with the descriptions, atmosphere, dreams and nightmares. And then by the end there seemed to be a tiny dose of comedy/humor which I dunno, seemed out of place.
When I first read the story I was slightly annoyed that the h kept harping internally about her H and how horribly scary he was etc. I was automatically on the side of the H coz i thought she was being an immature little biyatch :P especially since she ran away from him and separated for 2 years. But then when h mentioned that there were 2 instances of being physically hurt by him due to extreme jealousy I was like hell NO! and lost any sympathy for the H. Also h REALLY kept talking about how scary the H was, how she didn't understand him, etc. etc. Which makes the HEA so ???
But as mentioned above, the interactions between the H & h was so sparse! I think there were more interactions with the h's sister and her own little love drama than the main characters! And by the end it was all a rush with the explanations and HEA. I also don't know if I believe the HEA. H/h had a big issue to work on with his jealousy and even physical violence because of it. No way its resolved just like that??? So the h realized how much she REALLY loved the H when she thought he was dead? I dunno.... I don't believe it. I have more issues about the book but bottom line "Haunted" was unsatisfying to me. Sadly I might have to sell my copy because I don't see myself re-reading this again. I like to have a happy feel good feeling after reading an HP romance novel but this one was just huh??? to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2018
It was kinda predictable that Damian will be alive and they will have their happily ever after as in CL's novels, but that doesn't mean the plot wasn't amazing, the reason of Liz's departure, her success, her family, her sister's lecturer, the places they visited weren't enjoyable and too much ice on the cake.. And what a cake!! Definitely yummy ♥
February 7, 2014
Emotional.
I cannot truly say I expected that. Like I thought the ghost theme was gonna come up and be true but it was like Face Off with a twist. Wish there was more of an ending on it though.
I cannot truly say I expected that. Like I thought the ghost theme was gonna come up and be true but it was like Face Off with a twist. Wish there was more of an ending on it though.
November 7, 2024
This was fun. Not sure how romantic it was, but it was a fun read 🤷🏼♀️
January 19, 2023
Mystery.
October 29, 2025
The haunting is so well done, the romance itself is (surprisingly, for Charlotte Lamb) less compelling. But a worthwhile read nonetheless, aside from the unbelievable depictions of (off-screen) casual violence towards women, as well as his over the top jealousy.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
May 29, 2023
This was sure different! I pretty much guessed the truth, though I wasn't sure if Ms. Lamb wasn't going to throw a twist at the end, and derail it all, as it did go off track a bit now and then.
It's a fascinating tale of love, obsession, feelings that continue on, even after a loss that you believe to be for good, and soi much about the story makes the title appropriate, even the atmosphere in France has a sort of other worldly air about it.
What kept me from giving this another star, is that there wasn't enough flashback to Elizabeth and Damien's tormented, tempestuous relationship, just a few glimmers here and there. His obsessive jealousy was enough to worry her family, even making her parents glad she was going overseas to get away from him (leaving England and taking a designing job in New York) and though she still loved him and always would, she had to get away. Then, most of the story focuses on her time in France with her aunt and sister, and the enigmatic Yves de Lavalle.
(Damien's jealousy, BTW, was completely unfounded. Elizabeth never so much as flirted with another man, and even after she left and moved to New York, she was never interested in another man romantically.)
There was also the disturbing comment she made when asked if Damien had been abusive. She said no, but then admitted he hit her once or twice, but didn't seem to think that was abuse. (WHAT?????) Unless she's turned on by violence, wouldn't she consider him hitting her abuse??? Did she mean a mild slap, or a hard punch? She never went into details, but I would think that would be a real motivation to leave him, never mind his jealousy.
And in a relationship that was so troubled, any reconciliation would have to depend on the person working really hard to change, even if that means getting professional help.
I found the secondary character in the book almost as interesting. Elizabeth's boss, Max surprised me, as at first, I thought he might be an older man on the make. It seemed a bit too generous for him to get her a great apartment in a good neighborhood, get her a car and offer her the use of his beach house (by herself, not with him) and invite her to go jogging with him in the park, without expecting the use of her body in return. But as it turns out, all he wanted was use of her design talents, locking her into a contract for several years, and throwing all these perks in to keep her from wanting to stray to some other company. Strictly a shrewd move, businesswise, but he also was as real friend and she thought of him the way you would a family friend who's like an uncle, which made it easy for her to accept those perks. He also worried about her and had a protective instinct that was kind of sweet.
Then the was Chantal, the young French woman who was obviously troubled, and just as obviously resentful of Elizabeth, to the point where she does something that could have landed her in jail, but after everything she's gone through, all the pain and loss, you can't help being sympathetic.
I really enjoyed the secondary love story, between Elizabeth's younger sister, Vicky and Teddy, her former professor. They keep up a facade of being casual friends, each not ready to admit their true feelings to the other, since Teddy has a long-time girlfriend and he's not yet ready to admit it's over and not quite sure how to tell her, anyhow. I wish Ms. Lamb had added an epilogue, to show how things turned out for both couples.
It's a fascinating tale of love, obsession, feelings that continue on, even after a loss that you believe to be for good, and soi much about the story makes the title appropriate, even the atmosphere in France has a sort of other worldly air about it.
What kept me from giving this another star, is that there wasn't enough flashback to Elizabeth and Damien's tormented, tempestuous relationship, just a few glimmers here and there. His obsessive jealousy was enough to worry her family, even making her parents glad she was going overseas to get away from him (leaving England and taking a designing job in New York) and though she still loved him and always would, she had to get away. Then, most of the story focuses on her time in France with her aunt and sister, and the enigmatic Yves de Lavalle.
(Damien's jealousy, BTW, was completely unfounded. Elizabeth never so much as flirted with another man, and even after she left and moved to New York, she was never interested in another man romantically.)
There was also the disturbing comment she made when asked if Damien had been abusive. She said no, but then admitted he hit her once or twice, but didn't seem to think that was abuse. (WHAT?????) Unless she's turned on by violence, wouldn't she consider him hitting her abuse??? Did she mean a mild slap, or a hard punch? She never went into details, but I would think that would be a real motivation to leave him, never mind his jealousy.
And in a relationship that was so troubled, any reconciliation would have to depend on the person working really hard to change, even if that means getting professional help.
I found the secondary character in the book almost as interesting. Elizabeth's boss, Max surprised me, as at first, I thought he might be an older man on the make. It seemed a bit too generous for him to get her a great apartment in a good neighborhood, get her a car and offer her the use of his beach house (by herself, not with him) and invite her to go jogging with him in the park, without expecting the use of her body in return. But as it turns out, all he wanted was use of her design talents, locking her into a contract for several years, and throwing all these perks in to keep her from wanting to stray to some other company. Strictly a shrewd move, businesswise, but he also was as real friend and she thought of him the way you would a family friend who's like an uncle, which made it easy for her to accept those perks. He also worried about her and had a protective instinct that was kind of sweet.
Then the was Chantal, the young French woman who was obviously troubled, and just as obviously resentful of Elizabeth, to the point where she does something that could have landed her in jail, but after everything she's gone through, all the pain and loss, you can't help being sympathetic.
I really enjoyed the secondary love story, between Elizabeth's younger sister, Vicky and Teddy, her former professor. They keep up a facade of being casual friends, each not ready to admit their true feelings to the other, since Teddy has a long-time girlfriend and he's not yet ready to admit it's over and not quite sure how to tell her, anyhow. I wish Ms. Lamb had added an epilogue, to show how things turned out for both couples.
May 18, 2017
Nice concept of suspense revolving the hero's identity, dint work well though.
Hero comes across as a choppy , eccentric guy.
And the girl ran away from him , then ran back towards him. Confusing.
Nothing other than physical chemistry was explored between the leads.
Hero comes across as a choppy , eccentric guy.
And the girl ran away from him , then ran back towards him. Confusing.
Nothing other than physical chemistry was explored between the leads.
June 26, 2019
This one, the amnesiac's the hero, not the heroine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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September 1, 2021I did not expect a ghost story!
May 16, 2022
The plot was just too ridiculous and he was a bad prospect for a long term relationship. She should have kept running.
May 15, 2023
A lot of side story and it's creepy
October 26, 2021
She should have forgotten Damian.
Well, she had tried. She had stayed away from him for two long years. But Elizabeth knew she had never quite freed herself from him; she had always been uneasily aware that what had been between them wasn't finished.
She had felt sure somehow that one day they would meet again, but now he was dead. She would never see Damian again.
Yet however many times she told herself this, she felt the same wild stab of pain, the same inner cry of disbelief. If Damian was dead, why did he keep calling to her?
Well, she had tried. She had stayed away from him for two long years. But Elizabeth knew she had never quite freed herself from him; she had always been uneasily aware that what had been between them wasn't finished.
She had felt sure somehow that one day they would meet again, but now he was dead. She would never see Damian again.
Yet however many times she told herself this, she felt the same wild stab of pain, the same inner cry of disbelief. If Damian was dead, why did he keep calling to her?
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