Okay, what you’ve got here is a likable hero, an agreeably independent heroine, and a story that ultimately feels so familiar that there’s nothing – and I do quite literally mean nothing – that makes this book even slightly memorable.

Olivia Moreland, daughter of a duke and proud member of a family far more interested in intellectual pursuits than they are in the shallow concerns of the ton, believes that the psychic mediums so popular in late Victorian England are little more than con artists. Stephen, Lord St. Leger agrees.

Disturbed by his mother’s growing dependency on a medium who claims to have established contact with his deceased brother, Stephen’s first meeting with Olivia at a London seance is a less than auspicious one when he mistakes the psychic investigator for an accomplice of the so-called medium. When matters are explained, however, he determines that Olivia is the right choice to investigate a medium he’s convinced is perpetuating a cruel and elaborate con on his grieving mother. Where better to conduct the investigation than a house party at Stephen’s country estate?

But Olivia and Stephen’s plans take an unexpected turn when their sleuthing is interruped by the fact that both begin to see things – and people – they know aren’t real. Even more disturbing, both feel an indefinable connection to the ghostly lovers who so mysteriously, and frequently, appear to the mytified pair.

Stephen is a younger son who unexpectly came into his title. The time he spent in America cheerfully making his fortune and own way in life transformed him for the better. His anxiety for his mother comes at time when he is already occupied with the difficult adjustments necessary to adapt after his long absence to both life in society and to his new role as holder of the family title. Stephen is a nice guy hero – a breed I wish we’d see more often.

Olivia is also a nice person – there’s nothing not to like. She’s independent, strong (but, thank heaven, not feisty), smart, and knows what she’s going. Fortunate to have been brought up by intellectually gifted parents who carefully nurtured the talents of their children, the only bump in Olivia’s otherwise charmed life seems to be her discomfort with her own psychic abilities.

So, why the C+? Because, when all is said is done, I felt as if I’d read this book before – many, many times. Despite the title, don’t expect to find yourself mesmerized by a book that ultimately amounts to little more than a generic romance. There are worse ways to while away a few hours in Victorian England, but there are better ways as well.