Description
Only by looking into the past can Audrey save her future.

Audrey Eames is happy living the wanderer's life. After a near-death experience in her teens, Audrey can see people's past lives whenever her skin touches theirs, and afraid of being labeled delusional, she's never stayed in one place too long or made any deep connections.

So, when Audrey's estranged aunt dies and leaves her the historic Soberly Inn and Public House on the scenic Oregon coast, Audrey wants nothing to do with it. She is determined to sell the inn and leave town before someone discovers the power she's been hiding from the world, but clauses in her aunt's will seem to block her at every turn.

Yet once ensconced in Soberly's small town life, the people--particularly the bartender, Kellen Greene--start to grow on her, and she begins to feel that maybe she's finally found a place of her own. As accepting as the townspeople seem, Audrey fears their reactions--and Kellen's rejection--and decides to keep her visions a secret. But all is not well in Soberly. Soon after Audrey arrives, people in town start dying in the same manner as in their past lives--but in this lifetime it's murder. When suspicion starts to fall on Audrey and her new beau Kellen, Audrey vows to use her gift to find the murderer and protect the people she loves--before it's too late.

MY REVIEW:

This book was very intriguing as the description captivated me. Past Presence starts off with Audrey having a vision after touching the driver of the bus she is riding in.

Overall I enjoyed the storyline and the characters were well-crafted. This book was provided in exchange for my honest opinion and I truly enjoyed reading it and recommend it.

I would like to thank Literary Wanderlust and the Netgalley website for this partnership.


I was immediately attracted by the cover of this book, which I find beautiful. You can see the pretty Audrey looking in the reader's direction when you look at the cover.


You learn that Audrey will only be able to focus on her future by going back to the past.


She is happy to live her life as a wanderer. Following a near-death experience that happens to a teenager when she touches someone she can see her past life. To protect herself, she never stays in one place for long periods of time. Except that she will learn of her aunt's death and she wants nothing more to do with her. She wants to sell her aunt's inn at any price to avoid showing her hidden talents. But the will seems to block her.


But once settled in Soberly, the bartender Kelley Greene likes her very much and Audrey feels good there. But she wants to keep her secret deep inside. Until the day the people of Sobelry die as they did in their previous lives. Except in this life it's murder. Audrey and Kellen are under suspicion. She's gonna have to use her gift to find out who's behind this and protect those around her.


A book read in one sitting, so I've hung on to the story, so captivating, moving, addictive, full of suspense and twists and turns. Can't wait to read more books by this author who has an addictive feather in her cap.

Paranormal book with unique plot is what I love to read. This book does not disappoint. It has a good plot that makes you turn pages and go forward with the story. It also has a very good writing. I liked the book because of those two factors.

Past Presence is a decent, solid read that I enjoyed reading. An interesting plot, although a bit choppy, with some plot holes, yet entertaining characters and dialogue. I like forward to reading more from this author.

Nicole Bross's PAST PRESENCE was, for me, an unusual read. The paranormal and supernatural elements are not my usual choice for genre, yet this intriguing story captures the imagination from the beginning. The protagonist, Audrey, survives a serious bout of meningitis and brings back with her a disturbing gift, if it can be called that, of sensing others' past lives at a touch. When she inherits and inn on the West Coast from her aunt, she has misgivings about taking it over. But she comes to like the village, the inn and especially Kellen, who tends the bar. When townspeople beging dying, Audrey sees how their deaths repeat those in previous lives. But this time by murder. Then in the way of small town rumor/conjecture, she and Kellen become suspects. The plot moves to its surprising end through unexpected twists. Bross delivers an imaginative tale full of tense turns to an ending that does not disappoint.

Past Presence is a great book and I really enjoyed reading it. The plot was unique and I enjoyed the characters. I hope to read more from this author.

Fun concept with someone who seems to be able to learn things from people
supernaturally. This story has some suspense as well as a supernatural element. .

After a near-deadly bout of bacterial meningitis when she was fourteen years old, Audrey Eames has been able to 'see' assorted life events from the six past lifetimes - as stored in the soul - of those people she touches skin to skin. She doesn't get everything, just tidbits depending on the length of the contact, but the most traumatic or ecstatic events generally cross first, giving her an instant impression she can count on as accurate. Usually.

Past Presence is a very intriguing book, set in the small coastal Oregon town of Soberly in the present time, and peopled with well-rounded folks and some not so, but all quite interesting. Like most very small towns, rumor makes its way around the block at rocket speed and everything said is taken for the gospel truth. Audrey has inherited the local hotel, The Soberly Inn and Public House with ten rooms and a pub, from her Aunt Roz. Audrey remembers Aunt Roz fondly but hasn't seen her since she was 12 years old. Now thirty, she isn't sure she should be the one inheriting this business. Audrey has a well-established business of her own, a national concern specializing in American history as it pertains to modern times. She loves the constant challenges and frequent travel. And she knows nothing about the hotel business. Roz's wife Cora, who had a hand in the business from the beginning, should be the new owner despite the will. Audrey becomes even more sure that the Inn is not for her as local people begin to die... In the same way that Audrey has seen them die in previous lifetimes. That is something that has never happened before.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel on February 22, 2o19 from Netgalley, Nicole Bross, and Literary Wanderlust. I have voluntarily read this novel, and this review reflects my honest opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Past Presence. It's been a while since I've been this into a book. I really loved the small town setting through the perspective of someone who moves around a lot. It sort of reminded me of Hart of Dixie, which I love. Audrey's character growth was really well done. She's given a past which explains her inability to stay in one place and her ability is explored often.

There was so much in this novel that I didn't expect like discussions around abortion, race, religion, small-town rumour mills, etc. There's so much about this novel that I loved. Like the pirate/smuggling past of the town and the starving Russian village past of many of the townies. I would really love to see more of Audrey adjusting to her new life. The novel ended on a really good note, but I (personally) would be interested in reading more, probably because I loved the whole thing. I loved her relationship with Kellen (they made me lol so many times). The romance that they develop is funny, yet steamy.

Also, past life narratives were really well thought out. There was a distinct storyline going on in many of the past lives and I really appreciate the parallels between the past lives and the present lives of characters. It was really interesting how the past narratives were introduced. Many times I wouldn't know whose past life I was reading until after the vision was over, which left me curious until I found out.

Overall, this is a really good debut novel from Nicole Bross. I will definitely read more from her in the future. I highly recommend this novel to people who enjoy paranormal mysteries with a hint of smutty romance.

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

If you saw glimpses of another person’s past lives every time you made skin to skin contact, could you ever have a normal relationship?
Audrey Eames, debut author Nicole Bross’s reluctant hero, doesn’t talk to her parents, nor have any close friends, working instead as a solitary consulting historian. When the death of her Aunt Roz, the only relative she every truly loved, takes her to the quaint sea-side town of Soberly, Oregon, she learns not only that Roz’s absence has left a huge hole in the small town’s social circle, but that she’s inherited a bed and breakfast and a collection of lovable misfits that depend on the inn’s success. Despite her efforts to transfer ownership to her aunt’s less-than-cordial widow Cora, Audrey finds herself falling in love with the town, and possibly Kellen, the perfect bartender. Then someone dies, then someone else, and it becomes clear that someone in this idyllic village does not want Audrey, nor her abilities, to look into the past or present. Author Bross rolls out multiple timelines, from Audrey’s very modern life to a tiny Russian mountain village, with evocative prose, a skilled lens, and a fair amount of bedroom-based heat, that asks the deeper questions about why people are drawn to the same souls, no matter the era, and if the sins of our pasts can ever be redeemed. A thrilling read combining historical fiction, paranormal suspense, and good old fashioned mystery, I can’t wait to see what’s next for both author Nicole Bross and her fearless hero, Audrey Eames.

When Audrey comes to town after her aunt’s death, she never expects to fall in love, agree to keep her aunt’s inn up and running, and be under suspicion of murder. And that’s all in the first month. Audrey, who grew up with a fundamentalist pastor father, nearly died as a teen. As a result, when she touches people she can glimpse into their past lives. This was a paranormal thriller, with some romance. I would like to have known more about the past lives. Maybe a sequel? I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my unbiased review.

I loved Kellen and Audrey The chemistry, the fun they have, the way they interact with each other was amazing. The characters in this book made it so enriched and entertaining. I thought that the mystery, the suspense, and the twists that were within this story made it one of my favorites.

Description
Only by looking into the past can Audrey save her future.

Audrey Eames is happy living the wanderer's life. After a near-death experience in her teens, Audrey can see people's past lives whenever her skin touches theirs, and afraid of being labeled delusional, she's never stayed in one place too long or made any deep connections.

So, when Audrey's estranged aunt dies and leaves her the historic Soberly Inn and Public House on the scenic Oregon coast, Audrey wants nothing to do with it. She is determined to sell the inn and leave town before someone discovers the power she's been hiding from the world, but clauses in her aunt's will seem to block her at every turn.

Yet once ensconced in Soberly's small-town life, the people--particularly the bartender, Kellen Greene--start to grow on her, and she begins to feel that maybe she's finally found a place of her own. As accepting as the townspeople seem, Audrey fears their reactions--and Kellen's rejection--and decides to keep her visions a secret. But all is not well in Soberly. Soon after Audrey arrives, people in town start dying in the same manner as in their past lives--but in this lifetime it's murder. When suspicion starts to fall on Audrey and her new beau Kellen, Audrey vows to use her gift to find the murderer and protect the people she loves--before it's too late.

Thanks, NetGalley for the advance copy for review.
A very enjoyable read. I had to finish in the wee hours. I woke with thoughts of the book. Reincarnation maybe.

I ARC received via NetGalley and in exchange for an honest review.

Audrey Eames like living a wandering life. When she was a teen she was sick an experienced a near death that somehow gave her the gift to see past lives whenever she touches someone.

When her Aunt Roslyn dies she learns her aunt left her business a historic Soberly Inn and Public House on the scenic Oregon coast. When she arrive she want to sell the inn to her aunt wife Cora who seems a bit standoffish because she doesn't want anyone in town to know about her gift.

When she meets  bartender Kellen and other resident she start to feel maybe her Aunt was right she can make a home there as she grow closer to Kellen which in my opinion I wish they stay friends instead being romantic even though it didn't overpower the story I could done without it then people in town starts to died the same way their past lives did but this time it murder instead of accident and Audrey is determined to find the killer before someone else dies as she try keep her gift a secret.

This was a good read I always wonder did we really have past lives do reincarnation really is a thing and do we repeat what our past lives did or did we learn from it. Can't wait to read from this author again.