Snow in Summer; Tess Farraday

I found this in a library sale bin and bought it for ten cents. SIS was published by Jove in 1999. I guess it wasn't too bad for the price, but this is much more a gothic than a romance and thus I feel cheated. Ms. Farraday did fine writing it as a gothic, and as such I would have enjoyed it. However, I was expecting a romance and from that genre perspective I was very disappointed, TBH.

Miranda Fairfield is living in her aunt's estate in rural, mountainous California while said aunt and Miranda's parents are away on a cruise. This is a typical American small town- everybody knows you and your family and every time you breathed ever since you were a tiny child. It goes without saying that these same people don't mind rehashing your past whenever it is inconvenient. Miranda was raised in this town and up until now had been happy teaching in the city several hours away.

Christopher Gallatin is a ghost in search of his heart. Without his heart he is unable to move on to whatever afterlife there might be. He's been hunting for it for about 500 years. Hercule Poirot he isn't. Somehow, Christopher discovers Miranda may have his heart, but he can't find it on the estate. So he coonvinces her he's an author writing a book and rents the upper floor of the barn to use as a studio. All the better to search for his lost heart.

That's the set up. Mysterious, vaguely threatening happenings abound as soon as Miranda arrives in the little town. Her past is dredged up by a local harpy working at the village paper. However, Miranda can't decide which guy wears the white hat and which guy wears the black hat. Will Christopher convince her he's on her side in time? And how might it be possible for Christopher and Miranda to end up together? I was disappointed the amber necklace wasn't featured more. I was also disappointed that the method whereby Christopher becomes 'real' wasn't discussed more.