CHARMING THE SKEPTIC

This book is different from what I usually read, but was a page-turner. Definitely recommend this one.

Fun book. In magical Cat's Paw Cove, you never know if you're talking to a witch, a fairy, or, in this case, a bookworm. Astor's magical talent is the ability to step into the world of any book. As the oldest of her siblings, Astor has had the responsibility of caring for her family ever since her mother left them. It's no wonder that escaping into the worlds of <i>Little Women</i> or <i>The Great Gatsby</i> is more interesting. It's the perfect magical talent for the manager of a haunted bookstore.

Wade is the host of a television show called <i>Haunted Hoaxes</i>, where he exposes fake supernatural events. He believes that there is no such thing as paranormal activity. When his show is about to be canceled, Wade plans to win renewal by exposing Tales bookstore as a fraud. Things don't go quite the way he expected.

I loved following Wade's conversion. The book opened with a prologue from Wade's childhood detailing a traumatic event that goes a long way toward explaining his obsession. When he arrived in Cat's Paw Cove, he simply observed the bookstore and noticed Astor right away. When they met, there was no doubt about the sparks that flew between them. Neither planned to act on them because Wade is only there for a short time, and Astor can't imagine getting involved with someone like Wade. However, they can't resist spending time with each other, and because of that, Wade is around as ghostly activity in the bookstore begins to escalate. It was funny to see him try so hard to explain away the things that happened. There was also a terrific scene involving Astor's cat, Pickles, and a compost bin that also chipped away at his disbelief.

The real kicker came when Pickles disappeared into a damaged journal, and Astor followed, vanishing right before Wade's eyes. The intensity was fantastic as Astor dealt with obstacles to her return, including an unexpected quarantine. On the other side, Wade and her family were desperate to find a way to get her back home. Help came from an unexpected source that made it possible for Astor to get back and answered questions about Wade's past. The ending was terrific.

Charming the Skeptic is an adorable tale of opposites attracting. Wade Preston spends his time debunking hauntings while Astor Carmichael knows magic is real. Astor is a young woman with too many responsibilities who escapes into a good book to relax. Literally. Wade had a brush with the paranormal as a child and has spent his life trying to make it untrue. He is not ready for Cat's Paw Cove or Astor but boy is it fun watching him awaken to the possibilities.