I love a good mystical romance, especially one set at a maybe-haunted inn on the shores of Maine, so, needless to say, I was excited to read this book. The setting was deliciously haunting and mystical, and the romance was interesting, but I had a few problems with it in the long run. The two main characters, T.J. and Maggie, bickered and sassed each other way more than was necessary. What started out cute really grated on my nerves when it became apparent it wasn't going to stop. The mystery was intriguing, and Miss Hattie was a dream, but I need character growth in a story like this, and there just wasn't much at all with T.J. and Maggie.

In summary, I liked the setting and mystery in this mystical book, but the romance left a lot to be desired. I think it just wasn't my cup of tea, but others might enjoy it.

3/5 stars.

I received a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion. ( )

Welcome to Seascape Inn. Here you will meet the inn keeper Hattie, T.J. MacGregor and Maggie Wright. I would say these three are thrown together, but that wouldn't be true. T.J. MacGregor is a recognized artist. Seascape is very familiar to him. He finds himself drawn back there after his the death of his fiancee, Carolyn. He needs the time and this place to heal. There is a problem though, every time he tries to leave he can't. He struggles against something until he passes out. He has been stuck there for nine months.

Maggie has been looking for T.J. for quite some time. She blames him for the death of her cousin Carolyn. When she sees a painting T.J. did, that was supposedly in the car with Carolyn when she died, Maggie is sure he is guilty. After all that could be the only reason the painting is there. Since she can't find him, and the painting seems to be calling her she drives to Seascape Inn. There she finds T.J. She has witnessed first hand T.J.'s inability to leave. She knows how uncomfortable her being there makes him and she does everything possible to make him more miserable. That is until she finds that she is not only becoming friends with him, but developing true feelings for him.

The inn itself is one of the characters. Hattie seems to know what is going on but chooses to let things unfold they way they need to for the good of all. Vicki has done a wonderful job of connection all things in a manner that leaves you wanting to read the rest in this series. I love the way the book is written, If you've read any of my other posts you know I am a fan of romance only if there is mystery or something else tied to it. I've never gone in for the mushy romance stories. Maybe that is why I find Vicki's books so intriguing. There is something here for everyone, so come and join us at Seascape Inn. ( )

I received this and its two sequels from Netgalley, for which I thank them. Not my usual fare, but for me good writing trumps genre – I've been pleasantly surprised enough times to almost balance out the unpleasant surprises. This sounded like a light, quick, enjoyable read. It sounded like a sweet, gentle romance with a sense of humor and a bit of a paranormal flavor. And that's what it was: it was sweet, it achieved funny here and there, it was comparatively gentle (which in my library usually means no explicit sex – in this case there was some), and there was a hint of otherworldliness – magic, even, particularly in the first half.

That's the good news.

For me, though, the sweetness, fun and engaging in the first half of the story, became a bit cloying by the time the couple in question got their act together. The endearments, the "does he love me" "does she love me" "do I love him/her" "should I tell him", all started to stale pretty quickly.

The "gentle" aspect of the story was swamped about two-thirds of the way in what I found to be some awkwardly phrased lust. The book had a strange sort of split personality: on the one hand it was woven through with Christianity, emphasizing the impression I had that this was going to be an old-fashioned sort of romance. However, it shortly turns out that the "hero", Tyler MacGregor, has been in the past rather slutty, and he's not alone. The sex scenes were introduced sparingly, which is a positive; writing in these scenes is rarely better than awkward, and is often howlingly bad. This didn't bring howls of outrage, but it did cause a few groans – no, not in a good way.

The magic, initially, hit the right notes. There is something strange keeping T.J., an artist, at the Seascape Inn, and he's been there for nine months. Every time he tries to leave the property he ends up flat on his back on the rocks. Which doesn't stop him trying. What I have a hard time understanding is that, apparently, he keeps trying in the same place, so that after nine months he's left a T.J.-shaped dent in the ground. Every day, apparently, he tries the same thing: he goes to the edge of the property, draws a line in the dirt, tries to step over it, is knocked out. It was, possibly, Einstein who said that the very definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. It might also be a definition of … shall we say a lack of fundamental data processing functions?

The supernatural-ish happenings increase when Maggie Wright arrives, and that's about where this aspect of the book started losing ground for me. The book had a split personality, and so did this part of it: the "entity", as the two of them begin calling it, seems to yo-yo from being a particularly invasive match-maker to being mildly malignant.

Whatever the outcome, there are certain things done by this "entity" that I for one wouldn't be too quick to forgive … In fact, were I T.J. I think the next time I sat in front of a computer, which would be soon, the first thing I would be doing is www.goodsearch.com, keywords "Maine, priest, exorcism". And that web search would not be done from within the property boundaries of the inn; once I got out of there I would send for all of my possessions and never go back again. There was much made of the peaceful and restful and loving atmosphere of the place, but this was a good example of the difference between showing and telling: the reader is told that it's a good place and any spirits residing there must be good, but what is shown through the events of the story is kind of the exact opposite. Manipulation, physical attack, holding someone against their will, extreme invasion of privacy, outright mind control and brainwashing … this is less Casper and more Japanese horror.

There were good and bad aspects to the writing as well. The very first sentence of the book is "T.J. MacGregor tried to leave Seascape Inn, but every time he crossed the property's boundary line, he blacked out." For the next four and a half pages that one sentence is reiterated and reworded and expanded upon, along with information dump on his past. It was a close thing as to whether I was going to push through those first pages because of the heavy-handedness of it all. Unfortunately, the author's hand remained pretty heavy throughout.

I have to say I was a little disappointed in the lack of art detail in the book. T.J. is a painter, and a good one – honest enough to own he's not extraordinary, but he is good; it is his painting of the inn which, seemingly, sparks most of the plot. Granted, he has not painted in some time and has no intention of beginning again, which lets the author off the hook for the most part, but throughout most of the novel he might as well have been a lawyer or a pilot.

The book, overall, was … fine, kind of straight down the middle. I liked the main characters well enough (when they weren't irritating me); I liked the setting; I liked the slightly clichéd background characters. I liked the idea the story began with but hated the explanation – I hated the "entity", both the concept and the character. There are two other books set in the same place, with similar storylines; one of these days I might just give them a try. ( )

Review:Beyond The Misty Shore by Vicki Hinze
4 STARS
I's a little different romance novel but good. Like to read the other two books in the series.
T.J. MacGregor is a well known artist. He came to Maine to heal from the tragic death of his fiance Caroline. T.J. has been at the bed and breakfast for 9 months. He tried to leave lots of times, but everytime he came to the edge of the property he would blackout. T.J. had to be dragged back into the property before he would come too.
Maggie has lots of questions about her cousin Caroline death two years ago. She was in bad car accident that caught on fire so bad she had to be idea by her dental records. The painting of Seascape Inn was not burned even a little bit. The Gallory said that she had stolen that picture the day of the crash.
Maggie for the past 2 years has been taken care of her mother after a bad injury of falling down the stairs. Now her mom could take care of herself she was going to look at Caroline fiance T.J. to see if he had any part of her death. She saw the painting of Seascape Inn and felt she needed to go their.
First she runs into T.J. at the inn. Then she see's T.J. passing out every day as he tries to leave. Then she keeps hearing a voice to help him. Caroline told him that she had no relatives even though she had lived from 12 to 18 with her aunt and Maggie.
Lots of weird things are happening at Seascape Inn now and in the past. Charming town is full of characters to get to know.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review by Netgalley.
11/01/2011 PUB Bell Bridge Books ( )