Follow Me
Grade : C

Follow Me is an unusual paranormal about a man and a woman who are soulmates, but live in different countries and centuries. There were some passages in this book that were haunting and powerful - but there were even more passages that were simply confusing. The idea behind this book is a good one, but the execution was off.

Claire Islington owns a successful flower shop and keeps company with Ian Gilbertson, a doctor who professes to love her and wants to marry her. On the surface they look like a perfect couple, but Claire is emotionally fragile and haunted by an incident from her past. She was at The Black Hound Inn (which is a haunted one) when she met a man. They had had a passionate night of love, but he disappeared and she had a breakdown. Ever since then, Claire has felt incomplete. Ian, who has no patience with anything that hints of the paranormal, alternately coddles and bullies her, while Claire who can't forget the stranger, is still in thrall to his memory and unable to commit to Ian.

Harcourt Abernathy lives in 19th century England. He's a successful artist and his most recent commission is to illustrate a medical monograph by Dr Cowpe. While working on it, he meets Kate Ishingham, who has come to work with the doctor. Kate is also a doctor, having been trained by her father. Dr. Cowpe expected a man and at first resists taking Kate to work with him, but she convinces him. Kate and Harcourt fall deeply in love and marry. But when Kate falls ill with meningitis, her path and Claire's begin to converge and the present meets the past.

This book confused me more than once. The time and place changed quickly with no preparation for the change and I had to remind myself where and when I was in the book. Toward the end, the changes were easier to follow and by then I had gotten my bearings, but I'll admit to closing the book still confused.

The most intriguing character was Kate. She was intelligent and learned, but in her time and place women simply were not doctors. It was as unthinkable for a woman to be a doctor as it was for a man to give birth - it was simply against nature. Kate is strong without being dogmatic or strident and I really liked her very much. She was much more interesting than Claire, who seemed weak and passive by contrast.

Harcourt is an intelligent and passionate man, but he got lost in the labyrinthine plot. He and Kate make a wonderful couple, but he and Claire seemed ill matched. The love scenes were very hot, sensual and tender. They were some of the best love scenes I've read this year.

A debut novel, Follow Me has an intriguing concept and Kate is a truly strong and interesting character. But the whole of this book doesn't succeed as well as some of its parts. An easier to follow narrative, along with a more consistent treatment of characters, would have gone a long way with making this a better read.

Reviewed by Ellen Micheletti
Grade : C

Sensuality: Hot

Review Date : December 7, 2005

Publication Date: 2005

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Ellen Micheletti

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