Into Thin Air

After centuries of protecting lost souls, modern-day earthbound angel Gawan of Conwyk is a month shy of retirement (into blessed mortality) when a new case drops in his lap—or, more specifically, onto the road to his ancient, spirit-inhabited castle. When he finds Ellie stumbling in the rain, she doesn't know who she is or how she got to the north of England; as it turns out, she's more dead than alive, a corporeal projection “fluttering about betwint the living and the unliving.” To help her, Gawan's got to track down her real body and solve the mystery of her near death, but he knows that once he saves her life, she'll forget him—a matter complicated by Gawan's discovery that she's his one-and-only soul mate. Miles's sophomore novel (following Spirited Away ) is another sweet paranormal featuring a sparkling lead couple and a supporting cast of ghostly charmers. Gawan is brawny, charismatic and funny; Ellie is a worthy, witty damsel in distress, and the growth of their relationship (despite the foreordained outcome) is plausible and endearing. A welcome break from vamps, demons and werewolves, this adorable, otherworldly romp is sure to leave readers feeling warm and fuzzy. (Nov.)