Review: Shadows of the Past by Carmen Stefanescu

Title: Shadows of the Past

Author: Carmen Stefanescu

Publication Date: December 4, 2012

Synopsis:

When Anne and Neil leave on a one-week holiday hoping to reconcile after a two-year separation, little do they know that destiny has other plans for them. Their discovery of human bones and a bejeweled cross in the hollow of a tree open the door to the supernatural realm and the anguished life of Genevieve, a nun from medieval England.

Can Anne save her relationship and help Genevieve her eternal rest?

The twists and turns in this paranormal tale keep the reader guessing up to the end and weave themselves together into a quest to rekindle love.

My Thoughts:

After two years apart, Anne is finally ready to give Neil one more chance to win her heart forever. They have gone on vacation to England and soon find themselves lost in the mountains. As if this isn't upsetting enough, they discover human remains along with a mysterious necklace that quickly brings danger along with it. Anne is seeing visions and finds herself torn between the present and the past. Who is the ghost-like woman that Anne sees crying and how are they connected?

Shadows of the Past is a gripping story of two women who have never met, but are deeply connected. The story alternates between the past and the present, slowly bringing to light the true evil haunting both unassuming women. We first meet Genevieve, a nun living in a monastery in the late 1400's. After a very hard life, she has been living here for only a short time when a new Mother Superior has taken over and strange things start happening. Genevieve seems to be a target of this mean woman and is desperate to get help. 

Next we meet Anne. After a long breakup, Anne and Neil are trying to work beyond their harsh history and are attempting to mend their broken relationship. If you want to know if a relationship is built to last, the easiest way is to test it in a stressful situation. This is exactly what happens to the couple when they come across bones and a strange cross in the mountains. Anne immediately starts seeing strange visions of a woman and bad things start happening to them while they are stranded in the mountain overnight. Something evil is after them but they don't know why or what.

This was such a fascinating tale that I can't even decide whose story I enjoyed more, Genevieve's or Anne's. I needed to know why Genevieve was in so much danger, and I also wanted to know what happened between Anne and Neil to break them apart years ago. But of course, I was most desperate to find out how the two women were connected and why they were being targeted by evil. The author does such an amazing job building the suspense and pacing the two stories out perfectly that I found it very hard to put this book down even for a few minutes. 

Overall, Shadows of the Past was an intriguing mystery that held my attention throughout. Whether you are a fan of historical fiction, contemporary fiction, mysteries, or even romance, this book a book for you. 

For more about Carmen Stefanescu and Shadows of the Past, visit her website here.

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*I received this book for free in exchange of my honest review. This did not influence my opinion in any way and all views and opinions expressed are 100% my own.