Hayley loves her life in Memphis: her precious baby girl, Lily, her job at the In the Garden nursery, and her close friendships with her boss, Roz, and coworker Stella. Hayley isn't about to risk all this on the chance that Roz's son, Harper (his mother's last name), might be interested in her. But when her desire for Harper finally proves to be too strong to resist, Hayley discovers not only that Harper feels the same about her but also that everyone is delighted to see them together. In fact, the only one who seems upset by her new relationship is the Harper Bride ghost, who, after nearly a century of unthreatening behavior, is suddenly turning violent. Now if Hayley wants her budding romance to flourish, she must find a way to root the Harper Bride out of all of their lives. The consistently excellent Roberts brings her In the Garden trilogy to a spooky, sexy conclusion with this spellbinding romance that beautifully celebrates the power of love in all its guises. --John Charles Copyright 2005 Booklist

Amelia, the psychotic ghost who haunts the grounds of Harper House, is once again gathering strength, and this time she has set her sites on Hayley Phillips, a young mother living in the Harper mansion with her young daughter, Lily. Although the man-hating Amelia has never harmed children and seems to identify with unmarried Hayley, things change when Hayley's friendship with Harper Ashby turns romantic, and possession--and things far more sinister--become new aspects in the mystery. Although the story of Hayley and Harper stands on its own, this final book of Roberts's ghostly âIn the Gardenâ trilogy is so closely linked to its predecessors (Blue Dahlia, Black Rose) that readers will want to read them in order. Roberts lives in Keedysville, MD. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

The final book of Roberts's In the Garden trilogy sees the bride going on a full-frontal assault, with Hayley and Harper in the spotlight. Susie Breck, who reads the series, shows empathy for our ghost, Amelia. And although Amelia is clearly psychotic, Breck never makes her shrill or maniacal; her approach is more tempered, allowing us to see Amelia's love for her child, however corrupted. The narrator's lilting Southern accent is pleasurable rather than affected and isn't used to displace individual characterizations. There is less romantic development in this book, since Hayley and Harper are a given, leaving the onus of the story on the mystery, which wraps up neatly. Breck's reading adds interest; highly recommended.--Jodi L. Israel, MLS, Jamaica Plain, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.