Beyond the Book: Nothing to Fear

I thought I’d share a review with you today. I just read Nothing to Fear by Coralie Tate so here goes.

Blurb:

She needed a creative haven. She got a house with its own agenda.

An autumn storm—the likes of which should never happen in Sonoma County—plunges the residents of a neglected Victorian into a struggle against unquiet spirits, unraveling plans, and, worse, creeping water damage and black mold.

Eliza has a six-month plan: quit her building-manager gig, move her mom and cats to a less temperamental abode, and find a way to make a living doing what she really loves—drawing comics.

Joey has a two-week plan: recover from a concussion, write a kick-ass report for his boss, and land a promotion that will give him a break from wealthy security clients whose toxic behind-the-scenes lives are bumming him out.

Unfortunately, Chaste Tree Cottage is becoming more dangerous by the minute. Can Eliza and Joey cobble together a new plan that will get them out of this hellhole before their growing attraction gives old ghosts just the opportunity they’ve been waiting for?

If you like banter, humorous family dynamics, competent protagonists, houses with a little too much history, and happily-ever-afters that include decent career prospects, try Nothing to Fear! Heat level: toast your marshmallow without charring it.

My Review:

I found Nothing to Fear by accident. I was looking at my own book’s ranking on Amazon, and Nothing to Fear popped up. I read the blurb and liked the sound of it, but I thought it might be scary, and I don’t really read scary books. Or watch scary TV shows. Anyway, I was out of anything new to read so I though I’d try it. If it got scary I wouldn’t have to continue with it.

The first paragraph caught my attention with no trouble at all. It said:

Sometimes, when the sky was particularly pretty like at dawn or dusk, Pearl went out and visited the maple tree under which Willie had finally beaten her to death in 1906.

I kept reading. The book wasn’t scary, but it did give you a vague sense of anxiety. You were always waiting for something bad to happen. No apparitions made an appearance, but the author’s atmospheric writing made the sight of a ghost unnecessary. All of this was against the background of a nice little romance. I loved the heroine, by the way.

The book did have a little spice in it, and there was a little language I didn’t think was necessary. I had hoped for a slightly different ending, but I enjoyed the book anyway. If you’d like a ghost story without being scared to death this is probably a good one to try.