Red Lily (In the Garden Trilogy Series #3) »

One of the most prolific and popular writers in the world, Nora Roberts (who also writes as her edgier alter-ego J. D. Robb) publishes multiple books a year. Not that it s enough for her fans, who tear through her unconventional romances. With her trademark mix of fantasy, mystery, and romance, Roberts has created her own genre -- and romance fans are grateful for it!

A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night...

Hayley Phillips came to Memphis hoping for a new start, for herself and her unborn child. She wasn't looking for a handout from her distant cousin Roz, just a job at her thriving In the Garden nursery. What she found was a home surrounded by beauty and the best friends she's ever had - including Roz's son Harper. To Hayley's delight, her new daughter Lily has really taken to him. To Hayley's chagrin, she has begun to dream about Harper - as much more than a friend...

If Hayley gives in to her desire, she's afraid the foundation she's built with Harper will come tumbling down. Especially since she's begun to suspect that her feelings are no longer completely her own. Flashes of the past and erratic behavior make Hayley believe that the Harper Bride has found a way inside of her mind and body. It's time to put the Bride to rest once and for all, so Hayley can know her own heart again - and whether she's willing to risk it...

Library Journal

The final book of Roberts's "In the Garden" trilogy sees the bride going on a full-frontal assault, with Hayley and Harper in the spotlight. Susie Breck, who reads the series, shows empathy for our ghost, Amelia. And although Amelia is clearly psychotic, Breck never makes her shrill or maniacal; her approach is more tempered, allowing us to see Amelia's love for her child, however corrupted. The narrator's lilting Southern accent is pleasurable rather than affected and isn't used to displace individual characterizations. There is less romantic development in this book, since Hayley and Harper are a given, leaving the onus of the story on the mystery, which wraps up neatly. Breck's reading adds interest; highly recommended.-Jodi L. Israel, MLS, Jamaica Plain, MA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.