REVIEWED by Colette
TITLE: Forgotten
AUTHOR: Rider Jacobs
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 194 pages
BLURB:
Some houses come with secrets, and some secrets should never be forgotten.
After eight years together, Peter and Rhys have finally achieved success: good jobs that keep them comfortably fed and a happy married life. The icing on the cake is their move from a small city duplex to a large farmhouse in need of repair.
Peter instantly senses something going on in the house that he can’t put his finger on, something a bit sinister. Things start to happen: whispers in the night, crying only Peter can hear and faucets that turn on for no reason. When Peter starts to dream of a dark-haired young man who tells him how much he loves him, he feels like he’s losing his mind, especially since Rhys doesn’t see or hear anything.
Only after suffering accidents and injuries does Rhys agree the house is haunted, and they’ll have to figure out how to fight a lovesick ghost.
REVIEW:
Peter and Rhys are a happily married couple; there is real warmth and love between the two that comes clearly through in the story. Peter is a writer and Rhys creates video games, both work from home and are looking for a larger space for their home and offices, what they find is a beautiful farmhouse in the country that is more than they bargained for. Once owned by the reclusive Demetri, a wealthy art dealer who purchased the home in the 1930’s, Demetri had specified in his will that the house should never be sold! After he died, the estate manager tried to rent the house, but no one stayed longer than a few weeks. Something very bad happened in that house.
Soon after moving in Peter starts hearing voices, crying and dreaming of a young man named Alexey. Peter’s dreams are filled with pain and fear, Alexey asking him to love and protect him, or telling Peter he loves him and Peter should tell Rhys to leave. There are visions of violence and abuse. Rhys thinks Peter is stressed from the move and his publishing deadlines; he tries to convince Peter he just needs to relax. It isn’t until Rhys starts having accidents and black outs that he begins to believe that there is something or someone haunting their home and it is out to get him.
This is a very nice little ghost story, with just enough chills to make sure you turn the lights on when you go upstairs at night: doors open and slam closed by themselves, the water turns on and off, messages appear in the mirror, vases crash off tables. They start to investigate the history of the house and find out Demetri travelled to Europe a lot during and after WWII, but can find no record of Alexey. Peter and Rhys are determined to find out who Alexey is and what happened to him; and to keep each other safe and reclaim their home.
I loved the relationship between these two; it was a pleasure to read about a happy, stable, long standing couple. You knew they loved each other deeply and passionately, and they expressed that passion a lot! I like how the mystery of Alexey and what happened in the house was resolved; I found the ending to be sweet and satisfying.
RATING: 
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Nice review Colette 🙂