Kimber Leigh Reads

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

They say you can't go home, and that's even more true when talking about a small town. Graciela knew that when returning, but that couldn't stop her need to run and escape when her life fell apart. In many ways the paranormal mystery takes a backseat to Graciela recovering and pulling her life back together. Though I really think the ghost helped that more than hurt. Fortunately Graciela was open minded about the paranormal, so rather than the ghost bothering her, she embraces the mystery presented.

Graciela was really hurting. She'd lost her mother, her grandmother, not to mention her broken engagement when she caught the rat cheating on her. She also had to deal with her grandfather's fading health. She spent much of the first third of the book rather depressed as one would expect. Really, the list of crap this woman has had to deal with is long and very sad.

I liked Graciela. She was sassy and fun (when she finally stopped her pity party). She seemed to meet her match in the new mayor Beau, who she loved to call Mr. Mayor to irk him. I enjoyed their budding friendship and relationship. Frankly I was worried she might go after her first love in her despair. Not Quite Dead isn't just a paranormal mystery, it's a story about mending friendships, starting over-- and it really makes one realize how precious life really is.

The mystery surrounding Anne Bonny's ghost is interesting, and I liked the romps back through history. While I really enjoyed the plot, it moved a tad slowly for my taste. I found myself skimming more than I like to. It was also quite sad and a bit of a downer at times. I do not recommend reading this if you're feeling down, save it for a brighter day. The ending is quite intriguing, letting the reader know that Graciela's life will not be boring.