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Reviewed by
Kimberly, Sizzling Hot Book Reviews
Claire has traveled 11,000 miles to her new home, well
new to her. Claire Stines has just inherited the old Upton
Place. She is moving from Dallas to a log cabin in Lake
Weemonaka, Minnesota. She is hoping for a better life for
her and her beloved Bengal cat, Mike.
Homeless and destitute, Claire Stines has no choice but
to move into the log house bequeathed to her out in the
Minnesota wilderness. Although she has little else to
sustain her other than a few dollars and even fewer
seeds of hope, she believes she can make a fresh start
for herself, and if she’s lucky, maybe find a little
romance.
But first she has to overcome the rumors of the
house’s supposedly dark past. More importantly, who is
that young man she’s seen in the woods, and why has he
been watching her from a distance ever since she
arrived?
And why does he both fascinate and terrify her?
Warning! Contains a decades-old curse, hidden
compartments, dead fairies, spirits in the forest,
unrelenting winter cold, and a possible explanation for
people gone missing in the woods.
Claire enjoys exploring her new home. The complete
darkness and silence of the forest is strange to her. As she
gets ready for bed on her first night, a face peers out from
the darkness.
The next day was spent emptying the U-haul trailer, so she
could return it on time. As she walked out the front door, a
man is standing at the corner of the cabin.
His presence startles her so much that she calls out
to him. When he doesn’t answer, she calls 911.
When the sheriff’s cruiser arrives, the man has
disappeared. The deputy searches around by can’t find any
trace of the man.
The
officer believes the intruder to just be passing by and
probably as startled as she is. She explains that she just
inherited the cabin and decided to move here when she lost
her job and apartment in Dallas. She is at Lake Weemonaka to
make a fresh start.
As she explores her new home, she discovers the mysterious
stranger. This time he talks with her. His name is Horne and
he lives in a nearby cabin. He tells her that it is not safe
to be out after dark, and abruptly leaves after asking if
she knows the history of the cabin. The next day, he arrives
again to show her where her pump is located. He startles her
but soon begins the tour of the pump house. He blurts out
that the house is cursed.
She is suddenly startled by the arrival of a car. It is the
deputy back to check on her. When she turns back, Horne is
gone. She tells the deputy about her visitor. He doesn’t
recognize the name and says that he will check around.
Claire discovers that while she is able to relax when
talking with the deputy, Horne is a more comfortable
companion. The deputy shares the story of the cabin’s
curse with Claire. The story goes that the builder of the
cabin angered the spirits of the forest by cutting down the
sacred trees and other atrocities. The original owner, Oren
Palmhurst, sold the cabin to Claire’s grandparents. On the
same day that he sold the cabin, Palmhurst died of a heart
attack.
Claire
wonders if the curse will extend to her.
Claire wanders into the forest searching for Horne. She
wants to know more about the curse. What is the curse? Why
was the owner cursed? Who is Horne? Why does her normally
skittish cat like Horne so much? Why is she so comfortable
with Horne? What has she been
Bequeathed?
Bequeathed is a spooky, sexy ghost story. I enjoyed the
foreshadowing and all the creepy undertones. This story has
a lot of character development and it really draws you into
the story. Make sure you keep the lights on for this one.
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Reviewed by
Claudette, Dark Divas Reviews
This paranormal book mainly covers the mystery of why
the new home that seemed like such a godsend to Claire when
she inherited it was so creepy.
Given that the cabin’s location is fairly isolated,
Claire is shaken up to find a strange man watching her. One
who keeps turning up every time she steps outside. Claire’s
enigmatic stranger claims to be a neighbour, calling himself
Horne. Disturbed by him and yet strangely drawn, Claire cannot
put her finger on what it is about him that makes her trust
him.
I really enjoyed the fact that Claire is not at all
cringing or timid. She is not only curious, but also
compassionate in regards to wanting to help Horne. I enjoyed
both the mystery itself and the revealing of it. I don’t
think Claire got to know Horne nearly well enough to take the
step she makes at the end of the novel though. I would have
preferred it if Claire and Horne had spent more time talking
and the author had allowed the reader to see that they really
gelled, before the ending.
Bequeathed by Linda G. Mooney is a very
original story with a strong, bold heroine. Her sidekick cat
was a great character too.
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Reviewed by
Carey, Toot's Book Reviews
Audiobook Review - I was really surprised by this little
tale of a cursed house passed down to a young woman whom finds a
strange man in the woods. It's not the man she should fear but
the dark secrets the house holds within it's walls.
I love the twists that Linda Mooney puts into her
stories and I never see them coming. As someone whom reads a
lot, it's a breathe of fresh air to still be surprised. The
narrator did a great job with the characters, emotions and
overall storytelling.
If you want a quick PNR listen with some heat and
mystery; all in a bite-sized nugget. give this one a try. |
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