Eloise by Judy Finnigan

"She was a daughter, a wife, a mother. She was my friend. But what secrets did Eloise take to her grave?"

After her best friend Eloise dies from breast cancer, Cathy is devastated. But then Cathy begins to have disturbing dreams that imply Eloise's death was not all it seems.

With a history of depression, Cathy is only just recovering from a nervous breakdown and her husband Chris, a psychiatrist, is acutely aware of his wife's mental frailty. When Cathy tells Chris of her suspicions about Eloise's death, as well as her ability to sense Eloise's spirit, Chris thinks she is losing her grip on reality once again.

Stung by her husband's skepticism, Cathy decides to explore Eloise's mysterious past, putting herself in danger as she finds herself drawn ever deeper into her friend's great - and tragic - secret.

REVIEW:
I wanted to like this book but it was just too all over the place to make for a good read. Though the background story of Eloise and her family was quite engaging, Karen and Chris were just too unbelievable as characters to carry the story. I know the author was trying to call up the atmosphere of classics like Wuthering Heights and Rebecca but that effort failed. Karen's thoughts and emotions vacillated so wildly and unpredictably that I was unable to grasp her as a character, and Chris' reactions to Karen made it impossible to believe he could be a mental health professional. The drama of it all was just too much to be realistic even for a gothic style novel. 2.5 stars.

Stuck in Manistique by Dennis Cuesta

Near the midpoint of the Upper Peninsula, along a Lake Michigan bend of shore, is the town of Manistique, Michigan. Mark had never heard of Manistique before the death of his estranged aunt, but as sole beneficiary of Vivian's estate, he travels there to settle her affairs. As Mark tours his aunt's house for the first time, the doorbell rings.

Days after graduating medical school, Dr. Emily Davis drives north, struggling with her illicit rendezvous on Mackinac Island. She never makes it--on the highway near Manistique, her car collides with a deer, shattering the car's windshield. Stranded for the night, Emily is directed to a nearby bed and breakfast.

Maybe it's a heady reaction, the revelation that his aunt, an international aid doctor, ran a bed and breakfast in retirement. Or perhaps he plainly feels pity for the young, helpless doctor. Regardless, Mark decides to play host for one night, telling Emily that he's merely stepping in temporarily while his aunt is away.

As a one-night stay turns into another and more guests arrive, the ersatz innkeeper steadily loses control of his story. And though Emily opens up to Mark, she has trouble explaining the middle-aged man who unexpectedly arrives at the doorstep looking for her.

Will these two strangers, holding on to unraveling secrets, remain in town long enough to discover the connection between them?

REVIEW:
This was a delightful read- by turns both funny and poignant. Though the central truth of Vivian and Mark's relationship is obvious to the reader long before it is to Mark, that doesn't have any impact on the reader's enjoyment of the story. This book is just a quietly satisfying read. Mark and Emily are fantastic characters with an enjoyable rapport. The descriptions were wonderful- made me feel like I was right there on the Upper Peninsula with Mark and Emily. The cast of secondary characters are both quirky and poignant in just the right amounts to be endearing rather than aggravating. Highly recommended!