Brought to you by OBS reviewer Dawn

Summary:

James Wentworth has a secret. He lives quietly in Salem, Massachusetts, making few ties with anyone. One night his private world is turned upside down when he meets Sarah Alexander, a dead ringer for his wife, Elizabeth. Though it has been years since Elizabeth’s death, James cannot move on.

Sarah also has a secret. She is haunted by nightmares about the Salem Witch Trials, and every night she is awakened by visions of hangings, being arrested, and dying in jail. Despite the obstacles of their secrets, James and Sarah fall in love. As James comes to terms with his feelings for Sarah, he must dodge accusations from a reporter desperate to prove that James is not who, or what, he seems to be. Soon James and Sarah piece their stories together and discover a mystery that may bind them in ways they never imagined. Do vampires and witches live in Salem? Will James make the ultimate sacrifice to protect Sarah and prevent a new hunt from bringing hysteria to Salem again?

Review:

After her recent divorce, Sarah needs a change. She decides to move from Los Angeles to Salem. Sarah is a college librarian, a proud nerd as is James.

Sarah has become one of my favorite book characters. Spending time in her head is enjoyable. I cannot rave about her enough. She is open to new experiences in a way I wish I could be as well. She has a carefree attitude that I admire.

James Wentworth is an English professor. He notices Sarah right away as she resembles his late wife. James and Sarah share many commonalities. Too many to be a coincidence. They love the same poet; they are of like mind on many things.

Sarah is having bizarre dreams. Initially, she doesn’t realize they are flashbacks of a past she knows nothing about.

Between Sarah’s dreams and James’ memories, I was taken on a historical Salem witch hunt. The detail is amazing; I felt like I experienced what they lived through. Allard must have done a great deal of research because she did a marvelous job of taking the reader back in time. It was fun and educational. I immersed myself in their fight against those who play judge, jury and executioner. They fought the hypocrisy, the cruelty of targeting another human being just because you can.

James doesn’t want to scare Sarah. He gives her the time and space to work it out in her head. They tiptoe around one another for quite a while but in the process I came to know them well. I fell in love with these characters, I never wanted the story to end.

I assumed the book would lose steam once James and Sarah got together, but it did not. I was engrossed by the plot. Once I began the book, I read until I finished it.

Her Dear and Loving Husband is the first installment of the Loving Husband series. Overall, it is a great book. I feel like I came to know James and Sarah very well. They are such likeable characters. I want to read the entire series now. I like Allard’s writing and her ability to make it seem real.