It is more "straight" romance than paranormal romance. The ghosts involved in the story are more for background or supporting "characters". A Date With The Other Side is about Shelby Tucker, a guide for tourists for the most "haunted" houses in Cutterville. She may not believe in ghosts herself, but it is a way to pay the bills. She has never seen or experienced a haunting herself. However, she is pretty startled to find a naked man in a bedroom of one of the haunted houses that is on her tour. Boston Macnamara is renting the "White House" from Shelby's grandmother. He isn't happy to find the house he is renting on the Haunted House Ghost tour. Not only does he not believe in ghosts, but he isn't happy about being in Cutterville period. He has been "banished" with no explanation by his boss to this town where his boss owns a plastic factory. Because of that, the town isn't sure what to make of him. And he doesn't know what to think of Shelby and her ghost tours, but he does know what he would like to do with her body. Things start heating up quick when the two find themselves attracted to each other. Especially when some supernatural and mortal assistance keep "helping" them. Overall, I am unsatisfied with this book. It started off great. Had a nice hook and I was excited with the plans of the various mortals and the supernatural shenniagans in the beginning. It had quite a few humorous moments (the eyelet crochet blanket is worthy of a few laughs). But halfway through the book it starts to fizzle out. I realized that the lead characters were idiots, especially the heroine. Harsh? Yep. I got to really hating the heroine about the time the hero admits his love to her and vice versa.Boston wasn't so much a problem. Standard in romance: lonley, workaholic male who desperately wants love, but refuses to admit it to himself much less others. A good guy deep down, but starts off a bit cold and ruthless appearing to the rest of the cast. Is a bit of an idiot on not accepting what he wants. He kept denying not only his need for love, but other things in his life that he needed. I could understand that and handle it with the way he was raised. No problems there. I had problems with the fact that it was going very obvious that each character wanted the other to sacrifice everything for the others wants. It was obvious from the start that the "other side" meant not as in ghost terms, but in one is a city boy and the other is a country gal. There was no talking of possiblities or trying to see how things would go. It was an immediate demand on both sides that the other had to either go to Chicago or stay in the town. No talking. No middle ground really. Doesn't lead me to believe things will get better after the HEA on disagreements if they can't learn how to compromise or even TALK about it. I could even handle that factor, but the harping Shelby does on wanting to stay in her town to raise kids just bothered me. She wants kids. However, she can't afford to barely feed herself despite her ghost tour gig. The reason the author gives her for not being able to get a better paying job just made me want to beat my head on the wall. To be blunt, Shelby has no ambition as she just prefers to coast through life undecided until Boston enters her life and she encounters passion which then scares her on the realization of what she might have to give up to get it. So instead of confronting the problems, she decides to go with what is the easiest and comfortablest for her despite her knowledge that it won't make her happy and the fact it isn't fair to her ex. And that scene of the "confession of love" is where I lost all hope for a HEA despite the ending the author gave the book. It just didn't work. I despises the lead female by then. The ex and the hero were too good for her. I did like the supporting characters including the ex-husband (who just seemed a tad too understanding at times on certain matters). Amanda was awesome as was the grandmother. Brady wasn't bad at all either. The next book in the series is about Amanda and then we have the short story in The Enchanted Season anthology. I am hesitant on reading them now after this book. Gah. I actually regret reading this one. It just seemed forced by the end on the romance. Hell, the obstacles seemed forced by the time she got to them. Either forced or the heroine is just too dumb to live as my mom would say. I am glad I borrowed this from the library as I would've been mad as hell to even pay money for this used much less new.
I thought this was the cutest love story/trashy romance that I have ever read! I am actually considering buying it! Maybe I liked it so much because I started reading it with such low expectations. I didn't think it would be funny and sexy at the same time. Realistically, I was expecting cheesy humor with a few dirty sex scenes thrown in for good measure. It wasn't. It was...well, cute. I actually liked both of the main characters. Really. I know, I'm as shocked as you are. By the way, I have to throw in my opinion of the cover. THANK YOU! It's nice to be able to leave the library with my head held high. Ok, high-ish (it's no War and Peace, after all). Sometimes it's nice to take a little chick porn home to snuggle up with, and it's always embarrassing for me to hand the librarian a book with the half-naked couple on the cover. You know the one I'm talking about. The Fabio cover. I always feel dirty handing them to the little old lady behind the counter. So, thank you, Erin McCarthy. I didn't feel like a perv when I checked this one out.
Do You like book A Date With The Other Side (2007)?
I seriously can't find a book that I wouldn't give Erin McCarthy 5 stars. In A Date with the Other Side, Shelby Tucker is a tour guide for all the haunted areas in Cuttersville, Ohio. She is a 26 yr old who was previously married for 5 years after divorcing for certain reason I will not say. While giving a private tour for her cousin she comes across a very sexy naked man laying in one of the beds, and this man is certainly alive, blood flowing and everything. Boston McNamara is an exec at Samasons Plastics and was sent to cuttersville for a reason he doesn't know but thinks he about to be fired since his boss sent him to this hick town that has nothing and while there is a Samsons Plastics plant there, it is running just fine and cant figure out why he is here, another reason he thinks he has be getting fired. He hates it here, he loves working in the city, where there are restaurants and lattes, not dinners that are trying to fill his arteries. After a run in with the annoying tour guide that walked in on him his first night there, his thoughts about Cuttersville and the paranormal are being questioned considering the door slams shut while him and Shelby are in the parlor and are now trapped. hmmmm...I highly recommend this book!!
—Sarah's Book Blog
Shelby Tucker has always just gone with the flow, she married young and divorced her high school sweetheart, not because they fought or disliked one another, he just wasn't it. Shelby has never expected more than what life has to offer and one of those is giving ghost tours to tourists. Boston Macnamara doesn't know why his boss sent him to Cuttersville, but he is not happy about it. Point in fact waking up nude to have a pixie of a woman checking out his goods and talking in crypted speak that he can't wrap his head around. What he does know though is he would like to get closer to Shelby but with no commitment. Shelby wants a fling, but she maybe a little to hometown girl to allow it to happen.The story is hilarious in the beginning, has a great opening chapter. It is fun and quirky but towards the end loses a little of it's charm. Overall a good story
—Emily
Plot of the book: Haunted house tour guide Shelby Tucker gets hot and bothered when she stumbles upon sexy, naked Boston McNamara. She knows he's no ghost, though he does makes her weak in the knees..My plot would be: a tour guide divorcee girl has the hots for the workaholic guy who currently resides her Granma's house. She constantly has to “squeeze her thighs” and he is happy to stare at her bra-less breasts and super-short shorts (where he can always catch a glimpse of her panties). And the ghosts? Either trying to matchmake this couple or creating boring fuss. More than romance it is a lusty relationship. They getting jealous and whatever made my eye rolled. To be honest, I had more fun staring at the cover than reading the book.
—Sakura Yue Michaelis
