Release Date: August 1st 2013
Published By: Chicken House
Pages: 240
Goodreads: Add it to your reading list

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Synopsis: On a misty cliffside, mystery and romance await. . . .

Ivy Calhoun’s life has been turned upside down. Her new stepdad has uprooted Ivy and her mom, bringing them to live in an actual castle in the misty Scottish countryside. There are stone-faced servants and shadowy corridors, and the ancient walls seem full of secrets. Ivy is at once frightened and intrigued.

Especially when she meets Logan, a gorgeous, elusive ghost who has haunted the castle grounds for decades. Ivy is immediately drawn to him . . . but Logan is not the only spirit around. Something dark and deadly is afoot, and soon Ivy finds herself in mortal danger.

Is Logan exactly what he seems? Could his mysterious past be tied to Ivy’s present? And can Ivy stop herself from falling in love with him?

Review: Forevermore is an enjoyable story about finding love in the most unexpected places and situations. Cindy Miles has cleverly weaved a modern day story with a historical feel that is endearing, delightful and utterly enjoyable. The setting in the highlands in Scotland is brilliantly described, the characters have substance (no pun as it is a ghost story), there is mystery and a very engaging romance.

Part punk, part Victorian, Ivy finds herself pulled from her life in America to move to Scotland to live in Glenmorrag Castle with her mum and stepdad, Niall. Things are strange, cold and unfamiliar in the little seaside Scotland village, and spooky sounds and eery shadows fill Glenmorrag Castle - and just as Ivy thinks her imagination is running away with her, she starts feeling like someone is watching her, and she hears a voice that is warning her leave and her belongings start floating mid-air. Fearing that she is going crazy, she doesn’t tell anyone about the mysterious and frightening occurrences, until she meets Emma - Emma believes it is possible that there are ghosts in the castle, and Ivy starts to feel that maybe she isn’t going crazy after all.

Ivy soon learns that her life is in danger, and after an occurrence where she is trapped, she sees cute boy… a ghost. He is the one who has been warning her, and possibly the one who is trying to harm her. After a little investigation, Ivy learns that the ghost she has seen is eighteen year old Logan. But Ivy wants to know why he is trying to get her to leave, and after a few encounters, she stands her ground and demands more information out of this ghost who is becoming more frustrating than frightening. Ivy learns that Logan is not trying to harm her, and that he was just trying to keep her safe from the unknown evil forces within the castle walls.

As the evil seems more determined to get rid of Ivy and her mother, Logan and Ivy become closer as they together try to understand what they fighting against, and what exactly happened to Logan over 100 years ago. And as the relationship between Ivy and Logan develops, you cannot help but be charmed by it, but yet you remain somewhat anxious, after all, Logan is a ghost - how can this work out well for anyone?

Ivy is an extremely interesting character - she is strong, she doesn’t let others tell her what to do, and she has fierce protective and caring side. Her actions and emotions are believable and realistic, especially as she falls for a boy she can never be with, a ghost - Logan. Logan is surrounded by mystery - he is not sure how he died, or why he is stuck where he is. However, he wasn’t overdone as a ghost - besides the fact the he faded in and out, he was just a boy. He is sweet and caring, and he effortlessly charming and oozes chivalry.

This story flowed brilliantly, and how the storyline developed, the mystery is unravelled and the romance was blended together was a great example of storytelling. Filled with interesting secondary characters, such as Emma, the caring and knowledgeable steward Jonas, the distant but sharp gardener Iain, and the cruel and malicious Lady Elizabeth. I loved how Cindy Miles also incorporated an author into this storyline - not only was this authors book and story compelling and appropriate, but it gave a more mysterious and yet hopeful tone to the book.

Forevermore is a magnetic and sweet story that will leave you delighted that you read such a sweet, entertaining and enjoyable story.

Quotes:

“The world will end but love and music will endure”

“Are you Gryffindor or Slytherin?”

“It isn’t a stuffy, manicured castle. Instead it’s… menacing. Barely a notch above ruinous. And it completely fascinates me”

“Tis a mystical place filled with enchantment”

“I wonder if, in time, he’ll be easier to think of without my chest hurting so much. For now, I’ll have to learn to live with the pain”

“I didnae expect you”