A Ghost of a Chance by Casey Claybourne is part of the Haunting Hearts series published by  Jove/Putnam Berkley and is the delightful story of the ghost of Isadora Harkwell.  In life Isadora did everything she could to stop the marriage of her daughter Daphne to the Marquess Lindley.  In death she must pay the price for her meddling and get the unhappy couple together.
 

Daphne Harkwell is about to be married to Iain Ashingford despite her mother's objections, demands and tantrums.  Having fallen in love with Iain the first moment she saw him she is delighted that he has chosen her as his bride but wise enough to realise that he must have some other motive for marrying her so suddenly.

The wedding goes off without too much of a problem and it is after the ceremony that Isadora drops her bombshell on her daughter's new husband.

Isadora takes the Marquess aside before the wedding breakfast and informs him that Ash Park, the property he is marrying Daphne for, will never be his.  She informs him that the property is in trust and she is in charge of the Estate and not her husband, despite her husband's promise to the groom.  Only her instructions, or her death, will let the property pass to Daphne.  Something she intends to avoid at all costs.

Calling her bluff Iain walks out on his new bride before the wedding breakfast is underway.

Shocked that her bluff was caused and that she has caused her own daughter's humiliation and unhappiness Isadora finds herself dying before she can make amends.  And before she can pass on she must succeed in her mission to secure her daughter's happiness by haunting her detested son-in-law and driving him and Daphne back together.

Iain Ashingford's family lost Ash Park in a game of cards and Iain promised his father on his death bed that he would return the property to the family.  The only way he can see to do this is to marry Daphne and gain control of the property through her.  When Isadora bursts his bubble at the wedding breakfast he is angry at being taken for a fool and walks out on his new bride.  What he did not bank on was the bothersome Isadora waiting for him in her spirit form.

Her meddling soon results in Daphne following after her husband and then Isadora's work is really cut out as she tries to get her disillusioned daughter and her hated son-in-law together.

A wonderfully amusing book with some delightful one-liners from both Iain and Isadora including my favourite :
 

"By God," he whispered.  "I'm living every man's worst nightmare.  I'm being haunted by my mother-in-law!"

A wonderful addition to this series and certainly one of my favourites.  Definitely the most humourous.

RATING : 
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Also by Casey Claybourne:  Nick of Time and A Spirited Seduction

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