Only When I Sleep by E.V. Lind
/Only When I Sleep by E.V. Lind
Available March 12, 2019
Big Time Content Warning:
There are several graphic scenes of rape and physical assault.
I am a big fan of all things ghostly and spooky and this book has both of those elements. Add in some missing persons, murder, and an abusive ex and you have the formula for a very intense read.
Beth Campbell has seen a lot of tragedy in her life. Her parents both passed away in a car accident while on their way to visit Beth at college. After their death, Beth learns that their insurance money will barely cover her parent’s debts and expenses. Left with very little money and hope, Beth leaves school and tries to get a fresh start waiting tables at a local diner. When she meets a handsome police detective, Beth begins to believe that she has a chance at a happy future. But that happiness is short-lived when she discovers that her boyfriend is married to another woman and turns incredibly abusive. Now pregnant and with nowhere to turn, Beth sets off to find a place to hide from Detective Dan Henderson and protect her unborn child.
While on the road, Beth meets Ryan and Mary-Ann Jones, locals to Riverbend, Oregon. Mary-Ann won’t take no for an answer when she discovers Beth on the side of the road, wet and shivering. Ryan, wounded from war and wary of everyone, immediately distrusts Beth and her intentions. But his mother Mary-Ann is determined to rescue Beth and hires her on at her cafe and puts her up in an empty house on the family farm. But Beth’s new home is full of dark secrets and spirits that guide Beth through her dreams to the clues needed to solve a decades-old crime.
Even with her new home and anonymity in the small town, Beth is still wary of anyone finding out her true name and history. But Beth will need to learn to trust Ryan in order to stay safe from her abusive ex.
This story is so well written and compelling that I finished it one sitting. I was immediately caught up in Beth’s story and invested in her well-being. The abuse scenes are very intense and I spent the entire book hoping Dan came to an ugly and horrific ending.
Spoiler Alert-
He does.
Alongside Beth’s story is that of Lizzie and Aggie MacDonald. The MacDonald family lived in the farmhouse during World War II and saw their own share of tragedy. When their father walks out on the family when the girls are young, the two sisters are left with a bitter and abusive mother who justifies her cruelty as religious and moral discipline. When Lizzie runs away after learning her lover was lost at war, Aggie’s mind seems to break from the loss. But her seemingly senseless ramblings reveal that she knows far more about her father and sister’s disappearances. Is Lizzie’s ghost helping to guide Beth? Is Beth living through Lizzie’s pain? Unexplained events in the house leave Beth with far more questions than answers.
Beth has more than ghosts to deal with in Riverbend. Ryan seems to be both suspicious and protective of Beth and his meddling mother is constantly putting the two together-against both of their wishes. Their relationship is definitely not of the instalove variety-they both dislike each other immediately and neither one is interested in being in any type of relationship. Ryan has the tragedy of losing his fellow soldiers to come to terms with and he has no time or patience for a pregnant woman who does not want to be his damsel in distress. Their relationship is built very slowly through trust and a lot of patience on both of their parts.
A well written and compelling story full of ghosts and mysteries, Only When I Sleep, will be a great addition to your paranormal romance collection. If you’re a Kindle Unlimited user, it’s free!
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Full Disclosure Time: I received a free review copy from the author. All opinions are, as always, my own.