INDIGO by Karen Hulene Bartell
Fiction, Paranormal Romantic Suspense
5*****

BLURB: After encountering a Northwoods hunk, unscrupulous realtors, bloodthirsty prowlers, and a dysfunctional family, of which one member–according to windigo legends–never left, is Raluca at risk of losing her heart, her inheritance, or her mind?Reeling after her fiancé dumps her, Raluca Olson inherits a rustic cabin from an unknown relative. Eerie incidents and rumors of a mythical windigo alarm her, but she’s determined to learn the truth about her dysfunctional family before she flips the property. Despite unscrupulous realtors, bloodthirsty prowlers, and a devious ex, her life improves with a rescued puppy, and passion ignites when she meets Dylan McCoombs, but…What does a demonic half-beast share with a psychosis and porphyria? Are monsters born or formed? Nature or nurture? Is a windigo spirit genetic? More importantly, does she carry the gene?

THOUGHTS: This is a very well-written story. Which is why it got five stars. Did I like it? Nope. Not even a little. It’s fast paced, terrifying, creepy, at times gory… definitely not my kind of story. But I’m a reviewer so I try hard to tell the truth and give you my honest opinion.

In this story, the main character, Racula, inherits a rustic cabin in northern Wisconsin from a great aunt she didn’t even know she had. Having just been dumped a week before their wedding by her ex, coming to the cabin is a way for her to figure out what she’s going to do. She’s broke, broken, and alone. The first night in the cabin, she hears noises that go beyond any normal noises. She eventually meets Dylan, a good friend of her great-aunt. He introduces her to people who can help her repair the cabin so she can flip it as well as watch over her when unnatural –and scary things start happening. Like a gutted rabbit at her back door followed by a gutted deer at her front door. While on a walk, she finds a puppy that she names Indigo and he quickly becomes another protector. Meanwhile, she is introduced to her family lore and the myth of the wendigo – a human who is everything bad. Things go from bad to worse before Racula and her new friends finally figure out what’s really going on in their town.

This book is well-written in that it evokes strong emotions (and a nightmare or two in my case). Definitely not the kind of book I usually read, but the ending satisfies. There are a lot of twists and turns in the story and family secrets that come out as well as things going on in the town that add to the creepiness of the story.

Recommended with the caveat that, to me, it was more a horror story than a sweet romance. If you like your romances on the dark side, pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed.