The Rarest Rose by I. Beacham is a sapphic paranormal romance novel.
Beautiful, recluse Eleanor Teal, has completely retracted from public life after tragically losing the love of her life. However, with her new book being soon to be published she has to open her home and studio to Kiernan Foyle, the photographer sent by a magazine featuring her work. Disarmed by Kiernan’s Irish charm, Eleanor lets down her guard and discovers that the false sense of comfort of living in the past has lead to aching loneliness.
Please with how her photography shoot went with Eleanor, Kiernan is excited to edit the day’s work. However, the photo’s she has downloaded are not what she expected, every single one has an unsettling flaw. A man standing behind Eleanor. A man that was not there when she took the pictures.
For Eleanor ruined photographs are just the beginning, strange occurrences that she was able to ignore are not only intensifying they are getting more dangerous. With Kiernan’s help can she put the dead to rest?
Pros And My Favourite Parts
I enjoy ghost stories that are not horror or gory, and this completely fits the bill. I liked that it’s and easy to read ghost story that doesn’t make you feel afraid of what is lurking in the dark, but is still able to deliver as paranormal fiction.
Cons And Heads Up
My only con with this book is that the way in which the characters speak to each other felt dated for a book that was set in 2013. It reminded me of Barbara Erskine’s The Lady of the Hay which is set in the 80s.
The Conclusion
If you like British ghost stories with a little romance sprinkled on top, then consider this for your next read. I also think that fans of Barbara Erskine would enjoy this from a writing style point of view, although her books can get much darker.
Excerpt from The Rarest Rose by I. Beacham
Normally a rational and level-headed woman, Kiernan had not been calm since she looked at the digital photos of the previous day’s reshoot at Ele’s.
Her mind would not accept what she saw. At first, convinced her computer was playing up, she had spent the evening transferring all the shots onto other equipment. When that hadn’t worked, she had processed the photos through alternate software. No matter what she did, how many times she loaded and reloaded the photos, the outcome was always the same, and it continued to defy her reasoning. What she saw was not possible.
All night, her nerves were on edge as she thought about the photos and what they meant. Consequently, here she was on Ele’s doorstep—again—and out of breath. Though the weather was damp and chilly, a typical November day, Kiernan was hot and bothered. There was no question that she was out of her comfort zone, and her hands felt sweaty as she tightly grasped her laptop to her body. When Ele opened the door, Kiernan realized how much her agitation showed, for she saw the instant look of concern on Ele’s usually serene classic features.
“Something’s wrong.” Ele stated the obvious.
“You have no idea,” Kiernan breathed as she moved into the house without waiting for an invitation.
“But you said all the photos came out.” Frowning, Ele referred to the phone call she’d received from Kiernan that morning. Kiernan had tried to sound composed and reassuring. That hadn’t worked. She had ended up sounding like an alarmist trying not to sound like an alarmist, which of course, had alarmed Ele. Kiernan then insisted she might be allowed to show Ele the photos, that she might then understand what it was she wanted to bring to her attention, what it was that couldn’t wait.
“Go into the sitting room,” Ele said. “Do you want a drink or something?”
Behind the politeness, Kiernan thought she heard the birth of unbridled interest. Ele was hooked on whatever had brought her back for a third time.
A drink? Oh Jesus, yes, she thought. Would it be too soon in the day for a large neat whiskey? But she said nothing, not even bothering to answer Ele’s question. Instead, she scanned the room for a suitable area to place her laptop, to show Ele what had made her drive over here at some ungodly speed and then sprint to the door.
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9781602829237
Publisher: Bold Stroke Books
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