Maybe This Time is a romantic tale with a supernatural twist. Andie Miller visits her handsome ex-husband, North Archer, to get him to sign their divorce papers. After giving her the papers, North asks one last favor of her. He is the guardian of two children that live in a spooky old mansion in southern Ohio. They can’t seem to keep a nanny and he offers Andie the job as a nanny for a considerable amount of money. Andie agrees to the deal hoping to use the money to start a new life with her fiancé.Andie soon integrates herself with the two children, Carter and Alice, and gives them the kind of secure upbringing that they have been missing. She does not get along with the creepy housekeeper and has to pretend to still be Mrs. North Archer in order to have an upper hand at the house. She is also disturbed to discover that the house is haunted by more than one ghost, the children’s recently dead Aunt May, and two mysterious and malicious ghosts – Peter and Miss J. Will Andie be able to help the children get rid of the ghost without becoming one herself? Will Andie be able to handle her unresolved feelings for North?
I have read two other Jennifer Crusie novels, Bet Me and The Cinderella Deal. I loved the romance of both and the quirky characters. I was looking for the same great characters and romance in this novel, and thought the supernatural elements would be a fun bonus (I love ghost stories)! Sadly, I think there was too much going on in this novel and the result is a tale that was okay, but not as great as her other novels. I thought that characters were not as well developed, especially North, and I never got fully hooked on the story. In fact the ending dragged on (are the ghosts real or not? Can one get rid of them?) and I got bored.
I listened to the audiobook version as narrated by Angela Dawe. I think she did a good job with a unique and distinctive voice for each of the characters. This audiobook had 30-second chapters, which I like for being able to find your place faster!
This is my seventh item for the Audiobook Challenge.
Audiobook Source: The Kewaunee Public Library
I wonder if the print version is better? Sorry to hear this didn't work for you. Good to know that you liked Bet Me and The Cinderella Deal. I will keep an eye out for those two books!
ReplyDeleteI wondered the same thing, but I don't think so. The problems I had were with character development (north) and how the ghost plot dragged on for much too long. That would annoy me in the print version as well.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast I'm listening to A Reliable Wife right now and I'm riveted. I wasn't sure if the audiobook would work for me!
I read the print version of Bet Me, but listened to the audiobook of The Cinderella Deal. I enjoyed both and would like to read some more Jennifer Crusie novels.
Thanks for your honesty. I too thought this sounded fun but halfway through the description I started to wonder if there was too much going on. Thanks for the honest review.
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