Shifting Sands by Kathi Oram Peterson

 

All Gloryanna Griffin needs is a full-ride scholarship to finish her master’s degree in marine biology in order to pursue her dream of saving the ocean. However, to be a serious contender for the money, she needs to publish in a prestigious magazine. A research dive off the Olympic Peninsula is a dangerous proposition but one that just might give her article the impact it needs. But when she’s swept into an underwater vortex, she realizes her life may be the price she pays instead.

When she awakens on the rocky beach—miraculously alive—the first person she sees is the handsome stranger who saved her. Over the years, Jonathan Dawson has saved countless lives from the perils of the ocean. But until now, no one has ever seen him. Nearly eighty years ago, he died on this same beach, and his spirit has been tied to the spot ever since. Now Gloryanna and Jonathan are irrevocably linked as they are plunged into a decades’ old mystery that promises answers to the past and keys to the future. But they soon discover that some secrets may be better left undisturbed.

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I have read so many books by this author (maybe all of them!) and this is the first one that features a ghost as a main character!  Yup, you heard that right.  This author is known for her mystery/suspense novels but this time she has thrown in a bit of the paranormal and I really liked it!  That sure changed things up!

Jonathan is a ghost.  A steady, unwavering, dependable ghost.  Still protecting the stretch of beach he did in life.  His dog is there too and good thing he was because he literally saved Gloryanna a handful of times all by himself.  

Gloryanna is a ocean loving student diver.  Resilient and smart.  She slowly but surely came to love her ghost, Jonathan.  It was a lovely process.  A ghost, a dog and a diver.  

I loved the whole mystery and how everything started connecting together with the characters and the plot.  The ending was great!  The last bit of the book really turns up a notch so I was reading really quickly!  So fun.

Content:  peril, violence, death.  Kissing.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.