Hallie's Comet

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful story
Review: Alice "Hallie" O'Brien has lately been filling her canvas with portraits of people she never met and edifices from late nineteenth century towns that she never has seen even in pictures. She desperately needs to understand why she paints people like Lady Scarlet and Knickers and Gabe, a man she is half in love though she never met him. Then there are the detailed paintings of brothels such as the Homestretch. When Hallie delivers her sister-in-law's baby as if she has done this before, she turns to her history professor mother for help. Following a short search, her mom informs Hallie that the town she dreams about is Cripple Creek, Colorado.

Hallie arranges for her friend Joshua Quinn to meet her in Denver. When he cannot make it, he sends his older brother Gabriel to meet Hallie at the airport. She is stunned when she sees him because he is the man in her portrait. As Hallie and Gabriel fall in love, she keeps zoning out ending up relating scenes from the 1890s. Gabriel worries about his beloved, but also how his sibling will react to his wanting Hallie and finally why is she "dreaming" of the past. Still he cannot shake the feeling that he has known her forever.

Sub-genre readers will enjoy this intriguing paranormal romance, as fans will want to know what exactly is happening to Hallie. The story line moves forward at a fast clip yet Denise Dietz ensures that the reader fully comprehends what Hallie observes and what Gabriel sees Hallie doing. Though the action is somewhat light, fans will gain plenty of pleasure from a tale that will make believers of everyone.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful story
Review: Alice "Hallie" O'Brien has lately been filling her canvas with portraits of people she never met and edifices from late nineteenth century towns that she never has seen even in pictures. She desperately needs to understand why she paints people like Lady Scarlet and Knickers and Gabe, a man she is half in love though she never met him. Then there are the detailed paintings of brothels such as the Homestretch. When Hallie delivers her sister-in-law's baby as if she has done this before, she turns to her history professor mother for help. Following a short search, her mom informs Hallie that the town she dreams about is Cripple Creek, Colorado.

Hallie arranges for her friend Joshua Quinn to meet her in Denver. When he cannot make it, he sends his older brother Gabriel to meet Hallie at the airport. She is stunned when she sees him because he is the man in her portrait. As Hallie and Gabriel fall in love, she keeps zoning out ending up relating scenes from the 1890s. Gabriel worries about his beloved, but also how his sibling will react to his wanting Hallie and finally why is she "dreaming" of the past. Still he cannot shake the feeling that he has known her forever.

Sub-genre readers will enjoy this intriguing paranormal romance, as fans will want to know what exactly is happening to Hallie. The story line moves forward at a fast clip yet Denise Dietz ensures that the reader fully comprehends what Hallie observes and what Gabriel sees Hallie doing. Though the action is somewhat light, fans will gain plenty of pleasure from a tale that will make believers of everyone.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding new voice in paranormal romance!
Review: Successful artist Hallie O'Brien is renowned for her ballerina paintings -- not ones of comets, an unknown hunky man, an historic brothel and its occupants. But those are what she's been painting lately -- from her dreams. She can't explain either the dreams or the visions she's also been experiencing, both of which are connected to the paintings. While in one of her "trances", Hallie has an out-of-body experience and observes two inhabitants of the brothel, Lady Scarlet and Mary Knickers. They talk about being in Cripple Creek, Colorado, so Hallie decides to visit there, hoping to solve the puzzling and mysterious mystery of the paintings and her visions. Little does she expect to also meet the perfect man in her painting, whom she's dubbed Gabriel, up close and personal.

Recently successful glamour photographer Gabe Quinn agrees to meet his younger brother Josh's friend, Hallie O'Brien, at the Denver airport. He's still stewing over the fact that a serious leg injury has taken him away from his world travels as a former photojournalist, and that his fiance is unable to deal with his now less-than-perfect self. The last thing Gabe wants is to have to play nice with some snooty ballerina artist. Upon meeting Hallie, however, Gabe feels that somehow, somewhere, he has met and loved her before. Intrigued, he decides playing host to Hallie might be just exactly what he needs.

Hallie and Gabe are delightful characters! Ms. Dietz does an incredible and believable job of pairing them to try and solve the mystery of Hallie's paintings and to explore her unsettling claim that they may have shared a past life. When Hallie has one of her "trances," poor Gabe can only listen and wait until she returns to her "normal" self. In the beginning, Hallie rarely recalls what happens during her time slips. When they become more frequent and compelling, and with Gabe to tell her what she says and does during the trances, Hallie is better able to remember them. That leads to some very intense moments between them.

HALLIE'S COMET is a thoroughly refreshing, believable, and original story about true love. Ms. Dietz elicits all of the reader's emotions and senses in this enchanting tale of lost and found love. I guarantee this novel will find a place on your keeper shelf!

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding new voice in paranormal romance!
Review: Successful artist Hallie O'Brien is renowned for her ballerina paintings -- not ones of comets, an unknown hunky man, an historic brothel and its occupants. But those are what she's been painting lately -- from her dreams. She can't explain either the dreams or the visions she's also been experiencing, both of which are connected to the paintings. While in one of her "trances", Hallie has an out-of-body experience and observes two inhabitants of the brothel, Lady Scarlet and Mary Knickers. They talk about being in Cripple Creek, Colorado, so Hallie decides to visit there, hoping to solve the puzzling and mysterious mystery of the paintings and her visions. Little does she expect to also meet the perfect man in her painting, whom she's dubbed Gabriel, up close and personal.

Recently successful glamour photographer Gabe Quinn agrees to meet his younger brother Josh's friend, Hallie O'Brien, at the Denver airport. He's still stewing over the fact that a serious leg injury has taken him away from his world travels as a former photojournalist, and that his fiance is unable to deal with his now less-than-perfect self. The last thing Gabe wants is to have to play nice with some snooty ballerina artist. Upon meeting Hallie, however, Gabe feels that somehow, somewhere, he has met and loved her before. Intrigued, he decides playing host to Hallie might be just exactly what he needs.

Hallie and Gabe are delightful characters! Ms. Dietz does an incredible and believable job of pairing them to try and solve the mystery of Hallie's paintings and to explore her unsettling claim that they may have shared a past life. When Hallie has one of her "trances," poor Gabe can only listen and wait until she returns to her "normal" self. In the beginning, Hallie rarely recalls what happens during her time slips. When they become more frequent and compelling, and with Gabe to tell her what she says and does during the trances, Hallie is better able to remember them. That leads to some very intense moments between them.

HALLIE'S COMET is a thoroughly refreshing, believable, and original story about true love. Ms. Dietz elicits all of the reader's emotions and senses in this enchanting tale of lost and found love. I guarantee this novel will find a place on your keeper shelf!