Published synopsis:
James Wentworth has a secret. He lives quietly in Salem, Massachusetts, making few ties anywhere. 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. Will James make the ultimate sacrifice to protect Sarah and prevent a new hunt from bringing hysteria to Salem again?
Review:
After her divorce, Sarah moves from LA across the country to Salem, Massachusetts. Though born in Boston, Salem has the allure of a new beginning and she feels drawn to creating a life there. James is a lonely college professor who has kept his past a secret for many years. When the two meet, James is torn between telling Sarah his secrets at the risk of losing her, or keeping their relationship limited to friendship only. The longer he waits, the more Sarah believes the desire she feels for him is not reciprocated. Forced into a corner, he realizes he must confide in her. When he does finally open up to her, running as far away as possible may be the sanest thing to do, especially as he has become the target of an overzealous reporter. But could she live without the man she has come to care so much about?Her Dear and Loving Husband is a sweet, romantic book about the endurance of love. Two people find themselves drawn together, but facing what might be insurmountable obstacles, as Salem’s past closes in on them. The imagery created by Meredith Allard of the torment women and their families experienced during the Salem Witch Trials brings the reader to that time, feeling the anguish of those affected by such a horrendous part of American history. The characters are people you would like to get to know – even if you’re leery of the supernatural. The story weaves history in and out throughout the book so that the reader comes away not only with the feeling of enjoying a good book, but with a solid knowledge of a time that may only have been a vague recollection from a US History class some time in the past.
I enjoyed reading Her Dear and Loving Husband very much. The characters had an intriguing innocence to them that worked for the book even with the heavy subject matter that surrounded them. A small drawback for me was that much of the information about the Witch Trials, and the lessons to be learned from them, were repeated several times, which came off as a bit tedious and even preachy at times. The pace was also a bit slow in the beginning but it did pick up as the book moved along. Those things aside, Her Dear and Loving Husband definitely deserves four stars.
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