Haunted by ghostly visions from a century past, Declan Fitzgerald is drawn to his beautiful neighbor, Angelina. But as the passion between them grows, their future together depends on uncovering a secret from the past as dark and deep as the bayou.

"#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts presents a novel set deep in the bayou of Louisiana-where the only witness to a long-ago tragedy is a once-grand house. Declan Fitzgerald had always been the family maverick, but even he couldn't understand his impulse to buy a dilapidated mansion on the outskirts of New Orleans. All he knew was that ever since he first saw Manet Hall, he'd been enchanted-and obsessed-with it. So when the opportunity to buy the house comes up, Declan jumps at the chance to live out a dream. Determined to restore Manet Hall to its former splendor, Declan begins the daunting renovation room by room, relying on his own labor and skills. But the days spent in total isolation in the empty house take a toll. He is seeing visions of days from a century past, and experiencing sensations of terror and nearly unbearable grief-sensations not his own, but those of a stranger. Local legend has it that the house is haunted, and with every passing day Declan's belief in the ghostly presence grows. Only the companionship of alluring Angelina Simone can distract him from the mysterious happenings in the house, but Angelina too has her own surprising connection to Manet Hall-a connection that will help Declan uncover a secret that's been buried for a hundred years."

This story takes place in the present, but also in the past. Delcan Fitzgerald is drawn to a house in New Orleans called Manet Hall, but he really doesn't understand why. He just knows that since he first saw it in college, he would own it someday. He gets strange vibes from the house, and when he meets Angelina, they intensify. Together they go on the 100 year old journey to find the answers to the strange happenings within Manet Hall.

While I generally like ghost stories with the paranormal added to the mix, this went beyond the scope of what I can take. The rebirth and reincarnation of characters was just too far out in left field for me. I normally like Nora Roberts books, but this is one I couldn't get into.

Nora Roberts is a great romance writer, but this is not one of her great works. She enters the realm of the pre-Katrina New Orleans with this romance/mystery novel but as an outsider to that society she is unable to capture its actual nature (believe me, as an insider to the pre-Katrina New Orleans, I know about that lifestyle). She makes horrible mistakes in her New Orleans geography and lifestyle then compounds those errors with the fact that in this novel at least she seems to forget about the basic differences between men and women! Considering her fame as a romance writer I find some her writing not only bad, but actually bizarre! I realize that a ghost story is somewhat bizarre by nature but she takes it to an absurd point! As you can tell I found this novel disappointing and do not recommend this book. Nora Roberts should leave this sort of writing alone and let Anne Rice write about the haunted houses in New Orleans.

The minute I got to the ghost part, I was freaked out. This was a very intriguing book from beginning to end. This was one of the best books that i've read from her. It was full of Suspense, mystery, and romance with a twist of merging between different worlds/times. I couldn't put it down!

Another great book by Nora Roberts!!!! When I first started reading the book and got to the ghost part...I though oh no! But, it was written so well and so intriguing, I couldn't put it down. What a different story line!!! I loved it!

I loved this book, I prefer ghost stories and this is one of my favorites. I loved the twist and I'll leave it at that so as not to spoil this book. Just a great book, sweet storyline, and very beautiful descriptions of the land, the house, and the people. Very good read.