Product Description

A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night. . . Hayley Phillips came to Memphis hoping for a new start, for herself and her unborn child. She wasn't looking for a handout from her distant cousin Roz, just a job at her thriving In the Garden nursery. What she found was a home surrounded by beauty and the best friends she's ever had - including Roz's son Harper. To Hayley's delight, her new daughter Lily has really taken to him. To Hayley's chagrin, she has begun to dream about Harper - as much more than a friend. . . If Hayley gives in to her desire, she's afraid the foundation she's built with Harper will come tumbling down. Especially since she's begun to suspect that her feelings are no longer completely her own. Flashes of the past and erratic behaviour make Hayley believe that the Harper Bride has found a way inside of her mind and body. It's time to put the Bride to rest once and for all, so Hayley can know her own heart again - and whether she's willing to risk it. . .

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #330361 in Books
• Published on: 2005-11-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 384 pages

From the Publisher
6 Hours, 5 CD's, Abridged

About the Author
Nora Roberts is the number-one New York Times best-selling author of more than one hundred fifty novels, including Northern Lights, Birthright, Chesapeake Blue, Three Fates and many more. She is also the author of the best-selling futuristic suspense series written under the pen name J. D. Robb. The first writer to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame, Roberts has over 280 million copies of her books in print.

Customer Reviews

Great Supernatural Twists, not so keen on the gardening...
Red Lily makes up the final third of Nora Robert's latest paranormal romance. This series got off to a fairly lacklustre start with Blue Dahlia and started to show some spice in the middle instalment Black Rose. Here the established main cast is well drawn, giving the reader the welcome chance to pop in and check how the previous characters are getting on- I'm particularly fond of David even if he is too stereotypically gay at points. The dialogue is as bitingly funny as ever, but this trilogy lacked the sparkle of the Three Sister's Island, or Ardmore series for me. Be prepared to have to read lots of gardening information unless you skim it as I did. SKIM! Lots of unsubtle metaphors about grafting plants together to make a unique whole abound, believe me you will thank me for this advice later, unless you are Alan Titchmarsh...

Hayley and baby Lily are doing fine at Harper house, although they are still no closer to discovering the past of the mad Harper bride ghost who walks the house and has crooned lullabies to generations of Harper babies within its walls. Hayley finally realises how drawn she is to Harper, but in true romance style spends a lot of time procrastinating because he's the boss. Hayley who I liked the best after Roz of the female cast is slightly whiny and not as fun in this installment, which was a great shame.

Luckily, the best parts of the story are the truly creepy portions where the ghost manifests, especially when she possesses Hayley for short periods of time. One of the drawbacks of Robert's trilogies is that by the time you reach its conclusion you have a very good idea who the final character will end up with; this remains true here. Hayley and Harper's romance is sweet but never reaches full blooded passion, ironically despite having two books to build the tension, their romance also feels the most forced.

However, the shenanigans of the Harper ghost more than make up for that as she possesses Hayley and we get a creepy, tense look into an unravelling mind. I won't give too much away but the final third of the book and the ghost related creepiness strongly reminded me stylistically of the Harrison Ford film, What Lies Beneath. Leave the light on when you read. Trust me. You will thank me later.

I give this three stars for lukewarm romance, it's just a shame that Nora felt that what the world really needed was a gardening themed supernatural mystery. Something to keep her supernatural fans happy until her new series is released this September.

Red Lilly - not the best conclusion to the ghost!!
Red Lilly is the third and final instalment of the " in the garden" trilogy. And i have to say it is the weakest of the lot.

Hayley as we all know, came to Roz's home pregnant and alone, she came looking for her very distant family her only family now that her father has died. What she found was a place to make home for herself and her daughter Lily. She has also found love with Roz's son Harper, only neither of them know it yet.

As with the previous two stories, we have a ghost who we now know is called Ameila and who might have had a child here,and who might have lived here, nobody's really sure of that yet.

All the other charactors are here, Stella her two boys and Logan her new husband. Roz and ner new husband Mitch, who also happens to be investigating the ghost and of course there's David,surrogate son to Roz and cook extraudinare(!).
I love all these charactors and have really enjoyed their stories.
But Red Lilly was lacking that certain something.I didn't really like the way in which Hayley had developed,she has become miss goody two shoes, and she's always feeling sorry for herself. " she really shouldn't have feelings for Harper,as he's her boss's son". Blah Blah.
I also didn't enjoy the way in which the ghost had become so menacing, she's inhabating Hayley's body,a little bit of possession going on there, and i hated the fact that Harper and Hayley keep going around in circles before one of them admits to the other that they are in love.
The previous two books had some light comedy as well as being a seriously well written book. This book feels lost.

And last but not least, JD Robb has invaded this story, there was quite a bit of dialogue from which i would expect Dallas to sprout off.
All in all, this was not the best that i have read and it's a shame to finish such a good series on such a poor note.
I enjoyed reading this book and the conclusion to the harper family ghost and i will probably keep this book and read it again and again, because if like me you are a fan of Ms. Roberts, even her lesser works always seem to be enjoyable.

I was looking forward to this book
I was looking forward to this book.

I think it was because you were teased with the two main characters in the two books before. However, relationship development between Harper and Hailey was a bit hurried and forced and could have been better.

But Nora Roberts is such a good writer that you are not left too disappointed.