Bea Reviews A Reason to Believe by Diana Copland

Publisher: Carina Press 
Format Read: eGalley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: October 22, 2012
Buying Links: Amazon* | Kobo* | ARe* | Barnes & Noble | 
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Blurb from goodreads:

Detective Matthew Bennett doesn't believe in ghosts. So when the spirit of a murdered child leads him to her body, he's shaken to the core--and taken off the case. Unable to explain his vision, or to let go of the investigation, Matthew turns to renowned medium Kiernan Fitzpatrick. Though he has doubts about Kiernan's claims to communicate with the dead, Matt is nevertheless drawn to the handsome psychic, who awakens feelings he thought were long-buried.

Haunted by the lingering spirit of the little girl, Kiernan is compelled to aid in the search for her killer. The chance to get closer to the enigmatic Matt is an unexpected bonus. Although Kiernan's been betrayed by people who turned out to be more interested in his fame than in himself, with Matt he's willing to risk his heart. As the two men grow closer, Kiernan helps Matt rediscover that life offers no guarantees--but love offers a reason to believe...

81,000 words

Bea's Thoughts:

This book first came to my attention a few years ago when another blogger brought it to my attention. She was raving about it on twitter and when I expressed interest in it, she said that it was up on NetGalley. I trotted off and requested it but then kept shoving it down my TBR pile. Two years later (hangs head) and I finally got around to reading it. I enjoyed it and wish I'd read it sooner.

Matt is a police detective whose lover Brad, also a detective, died almost two years ago. He's been in mourning all this time. He's also been outed. At the funeral for Brad, Brad's mother unintentionally outed him and he's had problems at work ever since. After months of desk work, he gets pulled to help on a child abduction case. He finds the child with help from her ghost. He's never seen a ghost before and he's freaked out. The ghost creates more problems for him at work and then he meets Kiernan, who communicates with the dead. There's an instant attraction between the two of them despite Matt's skepticism. Kiernan is funny, goofy, wise, and both level-headed and impulsive. Matt is steady, solid, honest, closed off, and loyal. Together, they make a great pair.

Copeland has a gentle, easy style and she weaves a captivating story that combines romance and mystery with a light touch of paranormal. Running through the story  is the theme of hope - hope of justice, hope of new love, hope for a life after death, hope that life is really worth living.

The romance between Matt and Kiernan is both sweet and hot. Kiernan's irreverence combined with his understanding is just what Matt needs to break through his fear of loving and caring again while Matt is the calming, reliable romantic interest that Kiernan has been lacking. Both Matt and Kiernan have strong female presences inn their lives - Kiernan has his older sister and manager, Aida, while Matt has his sister-in-law Sheila. Both are important to their respective men and help move the story forward.

The mystery was a sad one, involving a young child's death. Matt's involvement in the investigation is iffy and mostly unofficial but he can't walk away, even if it means losing his career. I was kept guessing and was just as lost as Matt and Kiernan as they worked the case. The investigation was well done and believable. The paranormal aspect, that ghosts are real, talk to some people, and can interact with the human world, occasionally stretched credibility but worked for the most part. The story's ending was a bit predictable and sappy but I didn't mind too much give how much I enjoyed the rest of the story. 

"A Reason to Believe" was a sweet love story and an interesting mystery that kept me reading. I had to put the book down at 95% and wanted to scream in frustration. I'll be looking for more of Copeland's books.