Lorelei

Legend...the past meets the present as the veil between the spirit world and that of the physical world is lifted...

Amanda has suffered much loss in her life, including the deaths of her grandmother and a close friend. She lives in fear of so many things. She escapes into writing fanciful stories, and refuses to acknowledge that she is turning into a woman. And she keeps seeing the strangely dressed, beautiful woman who offered her comfort after her grandmother’s death. Who is this strange woman who brings the scent of roses with her when she comes?

The story continues through Amanda’s teen years, where yet more fears are added to the pile...boys, dating, a friend’s pregnancy, college... the list goes on and on. But always the light is there, appearing and disappearing when a crisis or trauma comes into her life. Then she meets Gabe, and everything changes; she begins to feel things she’s never felt before, but her future is calling, and soon she embarks on a whirlwind career. She never expects that she’ll run into an old acquaintance, but she does and once again her life changes irrevocably.

Lorelei is the saga of one woman and her journey to live, really live her life. Amanda is sheltered and her childhood misconceptions color her existence for years to come. She really grew on me as the book unfolded, and I found myself rooting for her to grab onto life with both hands. Her pain inspired sympathy, and the success that she finds really helped her to grow as an individual. Supporting characters serve only to enhance and round out this emotional tale of Amanda and her life’s path. While a little lengthy, Lorelei was well-crafted and inspiring. Lori Derby Bingley wraps the ghostly legend into this story in a seamless fashion and draws readers along with her to a happily ever after.

Reviewed by: Michelle