One more for Halloween Bingo...Magical Realism!

Annie Crowe is a recovering alcoholic and though it seems like her life should be coming together, it is falling apart at the seams. Annie's marriage has ended due to her actions while being an addict and now her prestigious job at a PR firm is at risk. In order to simultaneously escape her failed marriage and try to get her career on track, Annie takes a high-risk assignment in Ireland. On the shores of Ireland, in the remote Beara Peninsula, Annie is supposed to get the townspeople to agree that a copper mine in Ballycarog Cove would be the best choice for the economy and people there. However, once she arrives in Ireland and is given a tour by hiking guide Daniel Savage of the land that the mining would destroy and the bird that would be displaced, Annie seems starts to think that she might be on the wrong side. Daniel Savage is also haunted by his past mistakes and has closed himself off to getting close to anyone else, but when Annie Crowe arrives for his hiking tour, he feels a connection; and on the wind they both hear the disembodied call of Mise Éire calling them.

Before I was swept into Annie and Daniel's stories, I was entranced by the opening, the Hag of Beara in her glory, looking out over her beautiful land. I had to know more about this legend and how she would effect the story. Written in changing points of view between Annie and Daniel, I was thrown into their lives. Both characters are broken, recovering alcoholics. Annie wants to escape her past and start over. Daniel would rather wallow in his guilt, believing this is what he deserves. Through the writing and the voice on the wind, I was able to feel their immediate connection. The internal struggles in both Annie and Daniel were mirrored in the external struggles of the mining company and the environment. In addition to these strongly developed characters, I felt fully immersed in the beauty of Ireland and Ballycarog Cove. The red-billed chough also caught my attention, I too would surely be rooting to save the unique habitat of this special bird. The rise of fall of tension between Annie and Daniel kept me absorbed within the story and I almost forgot about the trouble of the mine and the birds. Overall, a charming story with a mix of redemption, love, folklore and environmental themes.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

I wanted to love this book with comparisons to Susanna Kearsley having been made but I was confused too often so it loses half a star.  Glad to have given it a try.

Is Lia coming back to her roots?

Is Lia coming back to do research?

Is Lia coming back to France to try to heal her broken heart and find out more about how her husband died?

Is Lia coming back to find secrets she didn't know about people she trusted and people she shouldn't trust?

Lia Carrer probably came back to Languedoc because of all of those reasons and wasn't aware why she felt the need to return. She did know that being with her friend from college and her friend's family in beautiful, laid back Southern France was comforting.

A few of the people she found and things she saw were not comforting and hard to believe, though.

Could a few of these people have been reincarnated from 1208?

IN ANOTHER LIFE pulls you in with the detailed descriptions of the landscape and the beauty of Southern France and its vineyards.

We learn some history and bask in the love Lia finds as well as marvel at what Lia finds out about a centuries-old murder and her husband's death.

I am not sure if I can call this book historical fiction, women's fiction, or paranormal which I normally do not read. I am going to go with all three.  I am not familiar with the historical part, but it was interesting to learn about this event.

The cover is gorgeous. the story line is good but confusing at times, and Ms. Johnson's writing flows beautifully and is very detailed. It is a marvelous debut novel in all aspects.  

IN ANOTHER LIFE has love, mystery, murder, and history all rolled into one.  

The blending of the two time periods and especially the book's ending is a bit chilling, but oh so good.  4/5