With M. Night Shyamalan.
<This is
a standalone novel.>
New York architect Tate Donovan is in Heatherington, a
[fictional] town on Cape Cod, meeting with his best friend, Oscar, and his wife
Lorena. He’s designing their summer home and picking up Paulie, his cat. Tate’s
aiming for a new start since losing his sister, Sylvia, to illness, then
spiraling downward and being recently discharged from a swanky psychiatric
facility. It’s said that Sylvia could see spirits trapped on this plane of
existence, but he’s skeptical of her “gift” until he encounters a captivating
woman doing yoga in the living room. After he speaks with Louise and Reece
Gaston, the property’s caretakers, Tate learns that the woman is Wren Tobin ...
and she’s been dead almost two years. Reece is Wren’s last-remaining blood
relative. Tate comes to learn that there’s a Daytime Wren – who doesn’t realize
she’s dead – and Nighttime Wren – who is terrifying and sometimes grotesque.
Her death wasn’t gentle, and when Nighttime Wren finally communicates that she
was murdered, Tate can’t help but do his own civilian investigation with Oscar’s
help. He’s fallen in love with a ghost. Was it Griffin, Wren’s estranged,
alcoholic husband whom she wanted to divorce? Or Nash, the business partner who
was stealing money from her, and she was preparing a civil suit against him?
What about Dax, the substance abuse counselor and Wren’s friend who wanted to
be more than friends despite both being married? Tate will try
to free Wren from what still tethers her here, knowing that that will mean the
end of their strong, yet tenuous, relationship.
A
collaboration between romance author Nicholas Sparks and supernatural genre
filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan? Talk about a plot twist! A collab such as this
one I couldn’t pass by. Yes, I did find the paranormal love story to be a
little weird sometimes, but the relationship remains a moving one. I did
enjoy the supernatural element, and the contrast between Daytime Wren and
Nighttime Wren is as different as a warm, sunny beach and a blizzardy winter
night. There is strength in loving others, as this adult fiction standalone
showcases. I’m pleased that I read this haunting and emotional love story. For
those who startle easily, there are small sparks of horror. But worry not, for “Remain”
is a reminder to “live well and love deeply. Look for reasons to be grateful.
Treasure your friends. Embark on wonderful adventures.”
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