Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts

Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts

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.

My thoughts:

I love a good romance occasionally, and add a touch of paranormal, in this case ghosts, and I devour it. A sexy, handsome man with a heart of gold, a tough, but tender woman who’s been hurt before, a couple of ghosts, and some great secondary characters add up to a wonderful story.

I love the setting of New Orleans, the bayou and the hall itself. The setting is a character, an integral part of the story. Many of the books I truly enjoy have that in common, a unique setting that really guides the story.

Are there any books that have stayed with you because of the setting, not necessarily the characters?