Chasing Her Dreams by Stacey Coverstone
The Wild Rose Press Faery Rose
Contemporary Paranormal
Short Story, Sweet
Review by Dandelion

DEVIN FULLER has dreamt for weeks of the mysterious woman in white beckoning to her from atop the island lighthouse. On the anniversary of her grandmother’s death, Devin hires local fisherman KIPP SULLIVAN to ferry her across the bay to Monhegan Island during a storm.

When it appears that the lighthouse, an old oil painting, and two spirits from beyond are all pieces of a puzzle meant to bring Devin together with this man, she must ask herself: Is this fate? Or is she simply chasing her dreams?

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 Ms. Coverstone has created a fascinating tale here, of love that passes through generations and coincidences that bring people together.  The coastal setting of Maine is beautifully described, and the rugged hero Kipp is a classic Maine fisherman.  I’ve been to this area many times and appreciated the accuracy of the geographic details. 

Though the heroine seems a bit manic and unfocused at times, she acts in the name of love - first for her late grandmother, and later for the man who quite literally saves her life and then makes the connection between the “white woman” Devin sees and a mysterious painting they discover on the island.  I liked the premise of this story, that fate has a way of directing souls to find each other, and that we are often much more closely connected  to random strangers than we might imagine.

Unfortunately, I also felt that the execution of this story lacked in certain areas.  Devin’s character motivations are not always believable, starting with the fact that as a Maine native she rushes to cross the bay on a ferry without thinking ahead to prepare for either the trip or her stay on the island.  There’s also an awful lot of backstory here, especially for a short story.  Finally, a multitude of clichés kept me from becoming fully engaged in the plot itself.   I think some solid editorial work would have helped make the story more compelling from start to finish. 

Still, that aside, Ms. Coverstone has a solid premise in “Chasing Her Dreams,” and it’s a quick read with a rather neat twist at the end.