Love Spell, Oct 2001, 5.99, 361 pp.
ISBN: 0505524554
Her son died and her husband accuses her of their child's death. He refuses to share his grief with her or allow her to mourn. Robert adds to Catherine Reed's distress when the former Confederate soldier kills himself. Stunned by her husband's actions and still mourning her losses, Cat endures strike three when she receives an urgent message from her older sister Elizabeth McMahon to come immediately. Since the two siblings have not communicated during the recent Civil War years, the note is not only a shocker, but Elizabeth is unaware of Cat's losses. Still Cat runs home to the family plantation.
At Whispering Oaks, Cat learns her sister is missing and her brother-in-law John seems unconcerned. When Elizabeth's corpse is found, a non-mourning John simply asks Cat to marry him for the sake of her niece Rebecca who he insists needs a caring adult female in her life. Reluctantly, Cat agrees, but when she returns from her honeymoon, she begins to hear the whispers of doubt about her new spouse.
WHISPERS GOODBYE is a perfect novel for those readers who enjoy an old fashioned Gothic romance. The story line is 200 proof Gothic with a foreboding tone and whisperings in and around mansion, a dark mysterious hero, and a doubting damsel in distress. Though often over melodramatic, the plot grabs the reader with its twists and turns that Karen White cleverly ties together in a stirring but stunning climax. Sub-genre fans will really like this tale.
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story
- 19th century
Action/suspense subplot?
Yes
Action:
- chased by/chasing kidnapper/killer
Inner struggle subplot
Yes
Struggle with...
- angst over dead lover
Hidden Identity/Secret Motive
Yes
Children/Pregnancy
Yes
Children/Pregnancy:
- both sides claim kid(s)
- kid(s) make adults sensitive
Main Male Character
Profession/status:
- business executive
Age/status:
- 20's-30's
How sexual is this person?
- very picky
How romantic is this person?
- somewhat romantic
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Female Character
Age/status:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- homemaker
How sexual is this person?
- very picky
How romantic is this person?
- somewhat romantic
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Southeast
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
What % of story is romance related?
- 60%
Focus of story
- equally on him and her
How much dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
