Review: Maybe This Time, by Jennifer Crusie

Jennifer Crusie, formerly a romance novelist, has branched out into the supernatural with her new novel, Maybe This Time, the story of a woman whose ex-husband, North, reaches out for help when he becomes the guardian of two children after the sudden death of their aunt. The catch: the children are wild, and several nannies have already quit the job, claiming that the house is haunted. North is at his wit's end, and offers Andie a large sum of money to take on the job; Andie accepts under the premise that she has debts she wants to pay off before she becomes engaged to another man. Of course, it's no surprise that the two still have strong feelings for one another, and their suppressed emotions come to the forefront as the truth about the old house comes to light.

I will be honest: I did not pick this novel to read on my own; a representative from the publisher (St. Martin's Press) contacted me and asked if I would review an advance copy, and I agreed. Ordinarily, I would probably not have given 'Time' a second glance, and assumed it was *serious* chick-lit based on the cover which, to me, screams romance. However, I'm glad I read it; the storytelling was solid, and while there were relationship threads to the plot, they were not the main focus of the book, which stayed true to its ghostly theme, yet was not grisly or gratuitous. Crusie has written a good, old-fashioned haunting, complete with possessions and banishments, that is enough to keep the reader turning the pages into the night without causing nightmares.

Andie and the children are well-written and believable. The little girl, Alice, is particularly appealing, and as the plot unfolds Andie - and thus the reader - uncover the real roots of her near-psychosis and develop an attachment to her. Carter, her brother, is less developed as a character, but is still interesting. The only person in the story who comes across as a little flat, a little too scripted, is North, but his part of the story is minimal until the last quarter or so, which makes it not as damaging as it could have been otherwise.

All in all, Maybe This Time is an enjoyable, light read that won't leave you with that greasy, mildly guilty feeling that a lot of so-called women's literature does, because it doesn't resort to sex, violence and ridiculous stereotypes to reel readers in; the story is good, and the ending satisfies. I will be passing it on to friends.

Rating: four stars out of five. Fun, well-written, spooky entertainment.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing an advance copy for my reading pleasure!