Mariana by Suzanna Kearsley

genre: historical fiction/paranormal romance

When Londoner Julia sees the little grey house, on the outskirts of a tiny village, something in it calls to her. Loudly.  So loudly that she buys it and moves herself out into the country to do her illustrations and live a more laid-back life.  This laid-back life, however, becomes more complicated than Julia could have ever dreamed when she begins to suddenly have flash-backs of experiences she's never actually had - not in this lifetime, anyway.  Who is that mysterious man on a horse that seems to be watching from the hill and what is it that Julia is supposed to learn that happened in that grey house?

I really like Suzanna Kearsley, and this wasn't a bad read, by any means, but this is my least favorite of the ones I've read so far - mostly for two reasons.  First, the dialect that her characters speak in the flashbacks felt contrived to me and not particularly authentic.  That may not bother everyone as much as it bothers me :)  Second, the ending! It just wanted at least another whole chapter - it felt very rushed and like a door was shut in my face just as I figured out what was happening.  That bummed me out.  I think, though, that if you like this sort of paranormal/ghostly historical fiction that she writes, it's still worth picking up because it IS an interesting story.  I just like Winter Sea and The Shadowy Horses better - and I will certainly keep reading through her books.  This just wasn't a favorite.

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