Review: Seducing Amanda – Antonia Van Zandt

A lonely girl, a haunted house, and a ghostly passion from the past.

Escaping from a disastrous marriage, Amanda Dalton seeks a chance to heal her troubled mind at Dalton Manor, the rambling Victorian mansion recently inherited from her aunt. Her new home seems the perfect place to recuperate, but the house has a secret or two of its own. A mysterious couple comes to call–a beautiful man and woman who share their passion and encourage Amanda to explore her deepest sexual fantasies. But who are they? Where have they come from? Why won’t they tell her their names?

When Amanda discovers she is not the first to enjoy a ménage a trois with the couple, she’s drawn in ever deeper. She combs the house for clues to their identity, her desire to learn the truth becoming an obsession. But her work proves fruitless. With Christmas coming, Amanda knows she will soon have to make a decision–one that will determine the rest of her life. The snow is falling as she sips her wine. In the corner of her room, the lights twinkle on the Christmas tree near the fire. All is still and quiet. Until there’s a knock at the door…

Series:
Release Date: December 7, 2012
Publisher: Etopia Press
Source: Provided by Author/Publisher via Manic Readers
Reviewer: Iria
Rating:

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Reviewer’s Thoughts

Amanda has inherited this once magnificent house. A house that unbeknownst to her is already occupied with ethereal beings bent on seduction. Or at the very least otherworldly. Are they good? Are they evil? Honestly we never really find out one-way or the other. What could have been a very good ghost story sadly felt as if it had been cut drastically short just as it was reaching the most interesting part.

Other than a weak female main character, the only thing that aggravates me more about a book is when I invest my time in reading it only to be left hanging at the end with no resolution to my many questions. That unfortunately is exactly what Van Zandt does. The story itself is enjoyable. Amanda has just the right amount of seductive innocence and pessimist. However, that’s just about it. There wasn’t enough character development with the other characters to truly decide how to feel about them. A quality I did not particularly enjoy.

I have to admit however, that although I did not enjoy this particular novella by Ms. Van Zandt, I did enjoy her way with words. With a unique way of world building, you almost believe in the possibility of ghosts or entities from the great beyond becoming corporeal if only for an hour and enjoying everything that it means to be human and alive. Therefore, although this novella did not do it for me, I will be giving Ms. Van Zandt’s work another try. And hopefully, next time I will not be left wanting with nothing but a cliffhanger and my own imagination to decide what will happen to the characters next.