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Sisters of the Craft #1
In the Air Tonight
Four centuries ago, in a small Scottish village, three baby girls escaped the wrath of a witch hunter. Today, one young woman will learn about her secret history, her heart's destiny, and the sisters she never knew she had...
With her blue-black hair and dark eyes, Raye Larsen has never fit in with the Scandinavian community of New Bergin, Wisconsin. Being adopted is part of the reason she feels like an outsider, but what really sets Raye apart is her ability to see dead people. Everywhere.
She’s learned to keep her visions to herself . . . until she stumbles onto the ghost of a murder victim who needs Raye’s help. Enter Bobby Doucet, a distractingly handsome homicide detective who has been tracking a killer all the way from New Orleans. Could this be the break in his case he’s been looking for all along?
Meanwhile, the deeper Raye gets involved with the case—and with Bobby—the closer she comes to unlocking the mystery of her own origins. What she discovers about herself could destroy everything she knows . . . and everyone she loves. Is finding the truth worth the risk?
Filled with dark magic, dazzling romance, and dire suspense, this is the first book in a thrilling new series by New York Times bestselling author Lori Handeland.
With her blue-black hair and dark eyes, Raye Larsen has never fit in with the Scandinavian community of New Bergin, Wisconsin. Being adopted is part of the reason she feels like an outsider, but what really sets Raye apart is her ability to see dead people. Everywhere.
She’s learned to keep her visions to herself . . . until she stumbles onto the ghost of a murder victim who needs Raye’s help. Enter Bobby Doucet, a distractingly handsome homicide detective who has been tracking a killer all the way from New Orleans. Could this be the break in his case he’s been looking for all along?
Meanwhile, the deeper Raye gets involved with the case—and with Bobby—the closer she comes to unlocking the mystery of her own origins. What she discovers about herself could destroy everything she knows . . . and everyone she loves. Is finding the truth worth the risk?
Filled with dark magic, dazzling romance, and dire suspense, this is the first book in a thrilling new series by New York Times bestselling author Lori Handeland.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 2, 2015
117 people are currently reading
1710 people want to read
About the author
Lori Handeland
122 books1,347 followersLori Handeland is a five-time nominee and two-time winner of the prestigious RITA Award from Romance Writers of America, as well as the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over sixty novels spanning the genres of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, contemporary romance, historical romance and historical fantasy.
After a quarter-century of success and accolades, she began a new chapter in her career with her women’s fiction debut, Just Once (Severn House, January 2019), which received a coveted, starred review from Library Journal and was optioned as a feature film by Catalyst Global Media.
Lori lives in Southern Wisconsin with her husband of over thirty-five years. In between writing and reading, she enjoys long walks with their rescue mutt, Arnold, and visits from her two grown sons, awesome daughter-in-law and perfectly adorable grandchildren.
After a quarter-century of success and accolades, she began a new chapter in her career with her women’s fiction debut, Just Once (Severn House, January 2019), which received a coveted, starred review from Library Journal and was optioned as a feature film by Catalyst Global Media.
Lori lives in Southern Wisconsin with her husband of over thirty-five years. In between writing and reading, she enjoys long walks with their rescue mutt, Arnold, and visits from her two grown sons, awesome daughter-in-law and perfectly adorable grandchildren.
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June 6, 2016
4 - "Death is the end." ...Not always. Stars!
In the Air Tonight is the first book I have read by Lori Handeland, and it is also the first book in her new Sisters of the Craft series. I will say I was on the fence with this one for around the first 30%, the story was moving along, but the writing style was a bit of s struggle to get into. If you are having the same problem, I would say persevere, once you get used to the slightly quirky prose, and the random information the author intersperses from her characters, this book is a really great read.
”One doesn’t have to be a witch to benefit from magic.”
I think the main thing that really surprised me about this book is that it is so, so different from anything I have read recently, I love a good PNR, and this book had elements of everything in it to keep me entertained. Myth, magic, a little eerie at points, ghosts-a-plenty, a great heroine, a hero whose bones I wanted to jump myself, and lots and lots of plot twists to keep you entertained.
As I said the writing style took me a little time to get used to/ into, but once I did, this book grabbed me and took off like a sprinter in a new pair of Nike's.
His eyes were as haunted as my life.
Raye Larsen doesn’t really fit in, in a town like New Bergin, where it is important too, she epitomizes everything everybody who resides there isn’t. Seeing ghosts as part of her normal everyday life doesn’t really help with that either, and after being considered a little weird by her adoptive parents when she was younger, it is something she keeps totally to herself now that she is an adult.
Bobby Doucet, doesn’t believe in ghosts although he is carrying more than a few of his own around, when he arrives in town to help the local police investigate a spate of murders that may be related to several that took place back in his hometown of New Orleans, he and Raye are literally thrown together from his arrival. As they work together to try and ascertain why she is also being targeted, the chemistry and feelings between them grow. The problem is, they are both keeping secrets, and not telling the whole truth about themselves, and as the story progresses, the threads that were starting to bind them together, begin to unravel.
He looked like I felt – overworked, underpaid, and desperate for an adult beverage.
This is one of those books that you don’t realize you have fallen in love with until you finish it. The author introduces a few characters in it that I am hoping we will get to see more of in the following installments. Raye’s biological father, although 400 years dead is one of them, as a ghost he has been a constant in her life, but it is only as things start progressing and the threat from the Venatores Mali starts to increase that he reveals himself, and the fact that she has two other sisters to her, at one point he had me in tears, because even though he is dead, his love for her and the lengths he will go to a unparalleled.
The Second book in the series; Heat of the Moment is due for release in a few weeks, and I am excited too see where the author takes this series and the sisters next.
”Books last longer than memories.”
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, and it was my pleasure to provide the above honest review.
In the Air Tonight is the first book I have read by Lori Handeland, and it is also the first book in her new Sisters of the Craft series. I will say I was on the fence with this one for around the first 30%, the story was moving along, but the writing style was a bit of s struggle to get into. If you are having the same problem, I would say persevere, once you get used to the slightly quirky prose, and the random information the author intersperses from her characters, this book is a really great read.
”One doesn’t have to be a witch to benefit from magic.”
I think the main thing that really surprised me about this book is that it is so, so different from anything I have read recently, I love a good PNR, and this book had elements of everything in it to keep me entertained. Myth, magic, a little eerie at points, ghosts-a-plenty, a great heroine, a hero whose bones I wanted to jump myself, and lots and lots of plot twists to keep you entertained.
As I said the writing style took me a little time to get used to/ into, but once I did, this book grabbed me and took off like a sprinter in a new pair of Nike's.
His eyes were as haunted as my life.
Raye Larsen doesn’t really fit in, in a town like New Bergin, where it is important too, she epitomizes everything everybody who resides there isn’t. Seeing ghosts as part of her normal everyday life doesn’t really help with that either, and after being considered a little weird by her adoptive parents when she was younger, it is something she keeps totally to herself now that she is an adult.
Bobby Doucet, doesn’t believe in ghosts although he is carrying more than a few of his own around, when he arrives in town to help the local police investigate a spate of murders that may be related to several that took place back in his hometown of New Orleans, he and Raye are literally thrown together from his arrival. As they work together to try and ascertain why she is also being targeted, the chemistry and feelings between them grow. The problem is, they are both keeping secrets, and not telling the whole truth about themselves, and as the story progresses, the threads that were starting to bind them together, begin to unravel.
He looked like I felt – overworked, underpaid, and desperate for an adult beverage.
This is one of those books that you don’t realize you have fallen in love with until you finish it. The author introduces a few characters in it that I am hoping we will get to see more of in the following installments. Raye’s biological father, although 400 years dead is one of them, as a ghost he has been a constant in her life, but it is only as things start progressing and the threat from the Venatores Mali starts to increase that he reveals himself, and the fact that she has two other sisters to her, at one point he had me in tears, because even though he is dead, his love for her and the lengths he will go to a unparalleled.
The Second book in the series; Heat of the Moment is due for release in a few weeks, and I am excited too see where the author takes this series and the sisters next.
”Books last longer than memories.”
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, and it was my pleasure to provide the above honest review.
April 26, 2016
A fairy tale with a bit of a kinky side (now stop thinking about Snow White and the 7 dwarfs!).
Hmm, nope, not this pic...
not this one either...
ah, here it is!
So, do you remember those stories you read when you were a kid? Or the ones you read now to your little one?
Well, after finishing this, I feel like I've read "Rapunzel" for the first time (only well, for grownups, with more sex, more blood and more killings; but still a fairy tale). It feels nice, relaxing, maybe even a bit empowering.
True, the characters aren't impressive nor is the story in general, but the writing is wonderful. You have the big bad wolf/dragon/step-mother/ bad guy, the princess/witch/innocent-sweet-person, the hot guy, the dead(ish) parents and even the happily ever after. All this with a side of murder, a a few serial killers, a bit of mystery and a psycho. What's not to like?!
This read was a really nice surprise.
Hmm, nope, not this pic...
not this one either...
ah, here it is!
So, do you remember those stories you read when you were a kid? Or the ones you read now to your little one?
Well, after finishing this, I feel like I've read "Rapunzel" for the first time (only well, for grownups, with more sex, more blood and more killings; but still a fairy tale). It feels nice, relaxing, maybe even a bit empowering.
True, the characters aren't impressive nor is the story in general, but the writing is wonderful. You have the big bad wolf/dragon/step-mother/ bad guy, the princess/witch/innocent-sweet-person, the hot guy, the dead(ish) parents and even the happily ever after. All this with a side of murder, a a few serial killers, a bit of mystery and a psycho. What's not to like?!
This read was a really nice surprise.
November 8, 2015
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
Raye Larsen is a twenty-seven year old kindergarten teacher. She lives in the same small town she grew up in, the same small town where she has never fit in (b/c typical small town nonsense).
Raye is adopted, you see, and in addition to having dark hair and eyes in a town of blonde-haired, blue-eyed Scandinavians . . . she can also see ghosts.
BUT.
When she was four---yes, four---she overheard her adoptive parents discussing her oddity, and when Dad suggests they "take her back," she modified her behavior to never again betray her awareness of things normal people can't see.
I've got all kinds of problems with that.
My personal perspective on adoption is that once you've made a commitment, you don't get to "take them back" anymore than you'd get to take back a child you share DNA with.
But as sympathetic as I was to the instability and emotional distress hearing that would cause a child, I had a hard time respecting an adult who hasn't come to terms with that childhood distress, preferring to avoid her gifts in favor of trying to fit in (especially when this group of people is so ridiculously small-minded):
No. I wouldn't.
So I thought Raye was chicken and an idiot, which is never good, but I also thought she was . . . I don't know, a dork, maybe? (Not in a geektastic way.)
At first I thought it was a forty-something trying to write a twenty-something, and that may be it, but I've got a twenty-five year old sister, and I'm pretty sure she'd get all the random references Raye was making . . . She just wouldn't ever make them herself . . . b/c dumb.
Like who says a guy flexes "like Arnold"?
1. Arnold's not flexing much these days.
2. Gross, man.
Or how about while flirting with the new guy in town:
Unfortunately, YES, you did. *is vaguely uncomfortable b/c vicariously embarrassed*
Then there's Bobby.
Bobby sounds hot---dark skin, dark hair, blue eyes, Creole---but Bobby is named Bobby (yuck), and I'm not going to say that he thinks and says things that no man would ever think or say, b/c absolutes are inherently flawed . . . However, I will say that I've never met a man who says and thinks things like Bobby, and if I ever did, I would not be attracted to him:
B/c when a guy sees a pretty girl in the shower he's thinking about her neck . . . Riiiiiiiiight.
There's also a guy who gives him "the creepies." *frowns and squints*
SO. I had a lot of issues with the characters, but I feel like they were mainly personality conflicts, so there's a good chance you won't be similarly bothered.
And aside from my character issues, the story is really cool. It involves witches and witch hunters and secret societies, and the history may even be legit. I didn't take the time to look all of it up, but I know that parts of it are true, and the rest of it is believable, so even if it isn't, the melding of fact and fiction is my favorite part, and I felt like it was incredibly well done.
Overall, IN THE AIR TONIGHT by Lori Handeland was a decent first installment in her new SISTERS OF THE CRAFT trilogy. The majority of what I disliked about the book were issues of personal preference, and even with the character clashes, the story was interesting enough to ensure that I read the second book (like right after I finish this review). I'll let you know how it goes. *crosses fingers*
Raye Larsen is a twenty-seven year old kindergarten teacher. She lives in the same small town she grew up in, the same small town where she has never fit in (b/c typical small town nonsense).
Raye is adopted, you see, and in addition to having dark hair and eyes in a town of blonde-haired, blue-eyed Scandinavians . . . she can also see ghosts.
BUT.
When she was four---yes, four---she overheard her adoptive parents discussing her oddity, and when Dad suggests they "take her back," she modified her behavior to never again betray her awareness of things normal people can't see.
I've got all kinds of problems with that.
My personal perspective on adoption is that once you've made a commitment, you don't get to "take them back" anymore than you'd get to take back a child you share DNA with.
But as sympathetic as I was to the instability and emotional distress hearing that would cause a child, I had a hard time respecting an adult who hasn't come to terms with that childhood distress, preferring to avoid her gifts in favor of trying to fit in (especially when this group of people is so ridiculously small-minded):
Despite having seen spirits all of my life, I’d spent most of my time avoiding them, or trying to ignore them, rather than understand them. Wouldn’t you?
No. I wouldn't.
So I thought Raye was chicken and an idiot, which is never good, but I also thought she was . . . I don't know, a dork, maybe? (Not in a geektastic way.)
At first I thought it was a forty-something trying to write a twenty-something, and that may be it, but I've got a twenty-five year old sister, and I'm pretty sure she'd get all the random references Raye was making . . . She just wouldn't ever make them herself . . . b/c dumb.
Like who says a guy flexes "like Arnold"?
1. Arnold's not flexing much these days.
2. Gross, man.
Or how about while flirting with the new guy in town:
“Maybe I should take you to the doctor.”
“I’d rather we played doctor.” I clapped my hand over my mouth. Had I said that?
Unfortunately, YES, you did. *is vaguely uncomfortable b/c vicariously embarrassed*
Then there's Bobby.
Bobby sounds hot---dark skin, dark hair, blue eyes, Creole---but Bobby is named Bobby (yuck), and I'm not going to say that he thinks and says things that no man would ever think or say, b/c absolutes are inherently flawed . . . However, I will say that I've never met a man who says and thinks things like Bobby, and if I ever did, I would not be attracted to him:
She put her hand in his and stepped beneath the water, lifting her face to the stream, arching her long, slim, white neck like a doe worshipping the moon . . . She resembled a nymph beneath a waterfall, a mermaid in the surf.
B/c when a guy sees a pretty girl in the shower he's thinking about her neck . . . Riiiiiiiiight.
There's also a guy who gives him "the creepies." *frowns and squints*
SO. I had a lot of issues with the characters, but I feel like they were mainly personality conflicts, so there's a good chance you won't be similarly bothered.
And aside from my character issues, the story is really cool. It involves witches and witch hunters and secret societies, and the history may even be legit. I didn't take the time to look all of it up, but I know that parts of it are true, and the rest of it is believable, so even if it isn't, the melding of fact and fiction is my favorite part, and I felt like it was incredibly well done.
Overall, IN THE AIR TONIGHT by Lori Handeland was a decent first installment in her new SISTERS OF THE CRAFT trilogy. The majority of what I disliked about the book were issues of personal preference, and even with the character clashes, the story was interesting enough to ensure that I read the second book (like right after I finish this review). I'll let you know how it goes. *crosses fingers*
November 2, 2025
Reminiscent of my years of watching the TV show Charmed, I found In the Air Tonight a perfectly witchy, finding lost sibling, urban fantasy read.
The story starts four centuries early, when two desperate parents try to save their new born triplets by transporting them to the future, where they hope they are safe from persecution. The spell sends the three newborns to contemporary USA. Leaving each child in the hands of whoever found them, the newborn daughter have no clue about their heritage, ability or that they even have siblings.
Raye is adopted by a Wisconsin family, she is loved but always struggles to win her father’s approval. That is why Raye has kept her mouth shut when she sees ghosts.
Raye becomes a target of a serial killer. That is when Raye meets Bobby Doucet, a New Orleans detective who has followed the serial killers MO to Wisconsin.
The attraction between Raye and Bobby grow and so does Raye’s unusual abilities, the more they uncover the secrets behind the killing. Unless Raye can fully trust Bobby with her secret, they might all be at risk because an ancient evil is resurfacing and only Raye may have the power to stop it.
I found In the Air Tonight a sexy, seductive storytelling that had me riveted to the pages. Handeland masterfully unravels each secret, keeping you on the edge of your seat. Fantastic start to what is sure to be a 5 Star series.
I received this ARC copy of In The Air Tonight from St. Martin's Press in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication June 2, 2015.
The story starts four centuries early, when two desperate parents try to save their new born triplets by transporting them to the future, where they hope they are safe from persecution. The spell sends the three newborns to contemporary USA. Leaving each child in the hands of whoever found them, the newborn daughter have no clue about their heritage, ability or that they even have siblings.
Raye is adopted by a Wisconsin family, she is loved but always struggles to win her father’s approval. That is why Raye has kept her mouth shut when she sees ghosts.
Raye becomes a target of a serial killer. That is when Raye meets Bobby Doucet, a New Orleans detective who has followed the serial killers MO to Wisconsin.
The attraction between Raye and Bobby grow and so does Raye’s unusual abilities, the more they uncover the secrets behind the killing. Unless Raye can fully trust Bobby with her secret, they might all be at risk because an ancient evil is resurfacing and only Raye may have the power to stop it.
I found In the Air Tonight a sexy, seductive storytelling that had me riveted to the pages. Handeland masterfully unravels each secret, keeping you on the edge of your seat. Fantastic start to what is sure to be a 5 Star series.
I received this ARC copy of In The Air Tonight from St. Martin's Press in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication June 2, 2015.
May 15, 2015
You guys ever watched Charmed? Growing up it was my absolutely favorite tv show. Three sisters, witches, fighting demons and kicking ass left and right, it was pretty hard not to love it.
Sisters of the Craft has that Charmed vibe, but each book focuses on one particular sister.
In the Air Tonight revolves around Raye, who's always been different, and accepted it long time ago. She's got a strong personality, she stands up for herself and she takes everything life throws at her in stride and she does it with humor, too. It was easy being inside her head and it was always fun.
Bobby, Raye's love interest, is a great male lead. Protective, smart, loyal, and what's important, he owns up to his mistakes and isn't afraid to ask for forgiveness. Their love story is so sweet, as they help each other heal and move on from previous hung ups, that are quite heavy.
The reading experience was pretty exciting. It captured my attention from the first paragraph, and it was always hard to stop reading once I started. The mystery and the suspense take the front lead, while the romance falls behind. Even though I'm a romance fan, this worked perfectly for me because I was more interested in the ghosts and hauntings and witches. And besides, I've always hated when the story focuses only the attraction between the two characters rather than on the serious things that are happening around them that brought them together in the first place.
The writing style is weird and it took some time getting used to. The author decided for alternating PoVs, which I'm not a fan of in the least. The weird thing is that Raye's pov was told in first person narrative, but everyone else's was in third person. It was pretty obvious whose PoV are we reading, but it was unusual. More than once I thought why not just write the whole thing in third person narrative? The good thing is, it was not distracting and it didn't prevent me from following the story; Handeland managed to make it a whole.
So, all in all, In the Air Tonight is a highly addictive and entertaining read for mystery and romance fans alike. Honestly, it's awesome. Read it.
ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.
Sisters of the Craft has that Charmed vibe, but each book focuses on one particular sister.
In the Air Tonight revolves around Raye, who's always been different, and accepted it long time ago. She's got a strong personality, she stands up for herself and she takes everything life throws at her in stride and she does it with humor, too. It was easy being inside her head and it was always fun.
Bobby, Raye's love interest, is a great male lead. Protective, smart, loyal, and what's important, he owns up to his mistakes and isn't afraid to ask for forgiveness. Their love story is so sweet, as they help each other heal and move on from previous hung ups, that are quite heavy.
The reading experience was pretty exciting. It captured my attention from the first paragraph, and it was always hard to stop reading once I started. The mystery and the suspense take the front lead, while the romance falls behind. Even though I'm a romance fan, this worked perfectly for me because I was more interested in the ghosts and hauntings and witches. And besides, I've always hated when the story focuses only the attraction between the two characters rather than on the serious things that are happening around them that brought them together in the first place.
The writing style is weird and it took some time getting used to. The author decided for alternating PoVs, which I'm not a fan of in the least. The weird thing is that Raye's pov was told in first person narrative, but everyone else's was in third person. It was pretty obvious whose PoV are we reading, but it was unusual. More than once I thought why not just write the whole thing in third person narrative? The good thing is, it was not distracting and it didn't prevent me from following the story; Handeland managed to make it a whole.
So, all in all, In the Air Tonight is a highly addictive and entertaining read for mystery and romance fans alike. Honestly, it's awesome. Read it.
ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.
July 8, 2015
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
IN THE AIR TONIGHT is a thriller with a few ghosts, dashes of witchery, and some sweet romance. I enjoyed the fact that this story is set in Wisconsin as not too many books take place in the upper Midwest. The Midwestern vibe is strong in this book and I was afraid we'd forget about it when parts of the plot went to New Orleans. I love that city but I wanted to stay in Wisconsin, luckily they did. Aside from the setting I really enjoyed the magical backstory surrounding Raye. The increasingly complex story of just how Raye ended up where she is and who exactly she is was fascinating. I mean there are witches, secret societies, and witch hunters so what's not to find fascinating?
The actual plot revolving around some brutal murders that shake up Raye's small town really had me scratching my head over just who was doing this and why. I like having no clue since it makes the discovery all the more exciting. There were some aspects of the plot that had me shaking the book wanting people to just talk to eachother and explain things! Then again, some of the 'things' that happen are a bit on the paranormal side and some of these characters might not be able to believe it if they were informed.
Raye grew up seeing ghosts and obviously has to hide it else she end up in an asylum. I loved how she handled her ghosts on a daily basis with a dash of sass and determination. I enjoyed her sweet romance with Bobby. It didn't over take the plot which was really good as it allows the relationship to grow organically behind the scenes. While IN THE AIR TONIGHT has some grizzly murders and violence, its actually pretty light and has some silly moments that bring levity to the darker aspects of the story. Considering Raye is a triplet I'm looking forward to more witchy discoveries, murder, magic, and mayhem in the next two books.
IN THE AIR TONIGHT is a thriller with a few ghosts, dashes of witchery, and some sweet romance. I enjoyed the fact that this story is set in Wisconsin as not too many books take place in the upper Midwest. The Midwestern vibe is strong in this book and I was afraid we'd forget about it when parts of the plot went to New Orleans. I love that city but I wanted to stay in Wisconsin, luckily they did. Aside from the setting I really enjoyed the magical backstory surrounding Raye. The increasingly complex story of just how Raye ended up where she is and who exactly she is was fascinating. I mean there are witches, secret societies, and witch hunters so what's not to find fascinating?
The actual plot revolving around some brutal murders that shake up Raye's small town really had me scratching my head over just who was doing this and why. I like having no clue since it makes the discovery all the more exciting. There were some aspects of the plot that had me shaking the book wanting people to just talk to eachother and explain things! Then again, some of the 'things' that happen are a bit on the paranormal side and some of these characters might not be able to believe it if they were informed.
Raye grew up seeing ghosts and obviously has to hide it else she end up in an asylum. I loved how she handled her ghosts on a daily basis with a dash of sass and determination. I enjoyed her sweet romance with Bobby. It didn't over take the plot which was really good as it allows the relationship to grow organically behind the scenes. While IN THE AIR TONIGHT has some grizzly murders and violence, its actually pretty light and has some silly moments that bring levity to the darker aspects of the story. Considering Raye is a triplet I'm looking forward to more witchy discoveries, murder, magic, and mayhem in the next two books.
January 7, 2016
I have mixed feelings about In the Air Tonight, on one hand I had a lot of problems with the characters but on the other I liked the backstory of the three sisters and I am curious to see what happens next so I do think the series has potential.
I think my main issues were with Raye, I had sympathy for her for the way everyone treats her so differently in the small town where she grew up, but I struggled to understand her motives for staying in a town where everyone is so mean to her. It's not like she even had a good relationship with her father, in fact there was more than one occasion when I really wanted to shake some sense into that stupid, stubborn man. Raye was adopted and she's never quite fit in, with her dark hair she looks very different from the rest of the people in her very Scandinavian hometown. The fact that she has the ability to see ghosts just marks her as even more different, although that is a secret she has been keeping since she was a child and overheard her father threatening to send her back where she came from. Her father was horrible and apart from her best friend most of the people in her town weren't that nice either so why was she still there? It didn't help that she came out with some completely ridiculous things, you can have characters who are ditzy in a funny way but she was just cringeworthy at times. I was embarrassed on her behalf and laughing at her for all the wrong reasons half of the time.
I didn't mind love interest Bobby but he wasn't the best male lead I've ever come across. I did like his reaction to the town Raye lived in and I enjoyed seeing him struggle to come to terms with the supernatural but he wasn't quite enough to save the book and I felt like the relationship between him and Raye was really rushed and not particularly believable. I think what I would have loved was a slower build up between them and more time spent getting to know each other. I also wanted to see more time spent with Raye either rebuilding a relationship with her father (he did show a little potential towards the end of the book) or for once in her life actually standing up to him and walking away.
The supernatural side of the story was interesting, particularly finding out where Raye had come from and what had happened to her parents, but I wanted to see more of that. The pace was a little slow in the beginning but that evened out a lot towards the end and I have hopes that the next book will give us more details. I'm also hoping that since each book is going to be told from the point of view of a different sister I'll like the other characters more and find them easier to relate to than Raye. It's not that I hated Raye, I just didn't particularly love her either.
Overall I'd say that In the Air Tonight is a story that didn't quite live up to it's potential but that I do think the series could be about to get interesting. I'm going to give Heat of the Moment a try and I'm hoping it'll have more of the world building and less of the issues that this one had.
I think my main issues were with Raye, I had sympathy for her for the way everyone treats her so differently in the small town where she grew up, but I struggled to understand her motives for staying in a town where everyone is so mean to her. It's not like she even had a good relationship with her father, in fact there was more than one occasion when I really wanted to shake some sense into that stupid, stubborn man. Raye was adopted and she's never quite fit in, with her dark hair she looks very different from the rest of the people in her very Scandinavian hometown. The fact that she has the ability to see ghosts just marks her as even more different, although that is a secret she has been keeping since she was a child and overheard her father threatening to send her back where she came from. Her father was horrible and apart from her best friend most of the people in her town weren't that nice either so why was she still there? It didn't help that she came out with some completely ridiculous things, you can have characters who are ditzy in a funny way but she was just cringeworthy at times. I was embarrassed on her behalf and laughing at her for all the wrong reasons half of the time.
I didn't mind love interest Bobby but he wasn't the best male lead I've ever come across. I did like his reaction to the town Raye lived in and I enjoyed seeing him struggle to come to terms with the supernatural but he wasn't quite enough to save the book and I felt like the relationship between him and Raye was really rushed and not particularly believable. I think what I would have loved was a slower build up between them and more time spent getting to know each other. I also wanted to see more time spent with Raye either rebuilding a relationship with her father (he did show a little potential towards the end of the book) or for once in her life actually standing up to him and walking away.
The supernatural side of the story was interesting, particularly finding out where Raye had come from and what had happened to her parents, but I wanted to see more of that. The pace was a little slow in the beginning but that evened out a lot towards the end and I have hopes that the next book will give us more details. I'm also hoping that since each book is going to be told from the point of view of a different sister I'll like the other characters more and find them easier to relate to than Raye. It's not that I hated Raye, I just didn't particularly love her either.
Overall I'd say that In the Air Tonight is a story that didn't quite live up to it's potential but that I do think the series could be about to get interesting. I'm going to give Heat of the Moment a try and I'm hoping it'll have more of the world building and less of the issues that this one had.
June 2, 2015
IN a time and land filled with superstitions and tales of magic, three babies are born and already their very existence is on the line. Seventeenth century Scottish witch hunters are after them…and I am hooked. Lori Handeland’s In the Air Tonight tells the story of one of these sisters, found as an infant, taken in by a loving couple and raised in contemporary times in Wisconsin. Raye has a secret, she sees ghosts, she talks to ghosts and now, using that very gift may be the only way to stop a serial killer on the loose. Enter Bobby, a detective from New Orleans tracking a killer with a similar MO. Can Raye trust Bobby with her secret? When it becomes a matter of life and death for those she loves, Raye must decide before it’s too late.
Sound good? Sound like a great urban fantasy romance to savor? Hang on tight, because Lori Handeland isn’t finished yet. With each page more is revealed and more questions arise, as Ms. Handeland uses her own magic of smoke, mirrors and great writing to engulf her readers in a dark tale filled with twists, turns and truths come to light as a budding romance heats up and evil must be brought down. Sounds like a win/win for fantasy readers, I know it was for me!
I received an ARC edition from St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Sisters of the Craft - Book 1
Publication Date: June 2, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN 9781250020123
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Print Length: 352 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Sound good? Sound like a great urban fantasy romance to savor? Hang on tight, because Lori Handeland isn’t finished yet. With each page more is revealed and more questions arise, as Ms. Handeland uses her own magic of smoke, mirrors and great writing to engulf her readers in a dark tale filled with twists, turns and truths come to light as a budding romance heats up and evil must be brought down. Sounds like a win/win for fantasy readers, I know it was for me!
I received an ARC edition from St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Sisters of the Craft - Book 1
Publication Date: June 2, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN 9781250020123
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Print Length: 352 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
March 2, 2015
I was given this book for an honest review ...I can honestly say I loved this book,the story line,the characters,it had mystery,humor,and romance,and things that go bump in the night.. a little something for everyone.. I love a story that takes you into the past to give insight as to what has come to be in the future.Welcome to New Bergin,Wisconsin & meet Kindergarten teacher Raye Larsen.. she see's ghosts,and one day comes across one she has to help,and she finds she is able to help them cross over,but only after she discovers how they died.Enter Bobby Doucet,the handsome Homicide Detective from New Orleans,who is hunting a serial killer and thinks the cases are connected,Bobby has his own tragedies that haunt his life,can Raye help him ? I don't want to delve to deeply into the story,I'm afraid to give away spoilers.. I can tell you that if you liked Lori's Night Creature novels,you are in for a treat with this series,I so can't wait for books 2 & 3 in this series...
May 14, 2015
**WARNING: I stayed away from spoilers, but this review talks about all the books in the Sisters of the Craft Series**
You can't read one of the books in the Sisters of the Craft series without reading them all so I decided to write a series review instead of individual book reviews.
IN THE AIR TONIGHT follows Raye. I found her to be strong and loyal, but lonely. Being adopted has made her a bit of an outsider in the town she great up in, but she doesn't really have a want to go anywhere else. Bobby drew her attention pretty quickly and they had a lot of chemistry. He has some issues believing in the supernatural so has a hard time with Raye's abilities.We learn a lot about where the sisters come from and why the conflict exists in IN THE AIR TONIGHT.
HEAT OF THE MOMENT follows Becca. She has a great family and never knew she wasn't a blood part of it. She is independent, confident in her career, but we find out that she is still heartbroken over her teenage love OWEN. They both have to work through their pasts to make it to the future stronger and together. I really loved Reggie. I don't know how someone couldn't, he was a great addition to the story.
SMOKE ON THE WATER follows Willow. Everyone, including Willow thinks she's crazy. She currently resides in a psychiatric facility. When the man she's been having visions of for years walks into her life as her new psychiatrist she doesn't know what to think besides the fact that they belong together and he is going to save her. I don't have a ton of thoughts on the events of SMOKE ON THE WATER that revolves around getting to know Willow. That part of the story was a little slow, but I enjoyed the addition of Mary in her story and it really drew the other books into the story before the sisters actually all met up. The relationship between Willow and Sebastian wasn't as smooth as the other couples, but it really couldn't be easy because of where they were and their relationships.
I actually loved each of the sisters in their own way. They were all able to complement each other and work together from the start. Each book did a great job in continuing the major storyline and building up the world it takes place in. The story was wrapped up nicely at the end of SMOKE ON THE WATER and although I would have loved to read more about the sister's futures, I was happy with the way things ended. The Sisters of the Craft series gave me a great few days of reading. If I was you, I would wait until they are all out so you can read them back to back.
* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
You can't read one of the books in the Sisters of the Craft series without reading them all so I decided to write a series review instead of individual book reviews.
IN THE AIR TONIGHT follows Raye. I found her to be strong and loyal, but lonely. Being adopted has made her a bit of an outsider in the town she great up in, but she doesn't really have a want to go anywhere else. Bobby drew her attention pretty quickly and they had a lot of chemistry. He has some issues believing in the supernatural so has a hard time with Raye's abilities.We learn a lot about where the sisters come from and why the conflict exists in IN THE AIR TONIGHT.
HEAT OF THE MOMENT follows Becca. She has a great family and never knew she wasn't a blood part of it. She is independent, confident in her career, but we find out that she is still heartbroken over her teenage love OWEN. They both have to work through their pasts to make it to the future stronger and together. I really loved Reggie. I don't know how someone couldn't, he was a great addition to the story.
SMOKE ON THE WATER follows Willow. Everyone, including Willow thinks she's crazy. She currently resides in a psychiatric facility. When the man she's been having visions of for years walks into her life as her new psychiatrist she doesn't know what to think besides the fact that they belong together and he is going to save her. I don't have a ton of thoughts on the events of SMOKE ON THE WATER that revolves around getting to know Willow. That part of the story was a little slow, but I enjoyed the addition of Mary in her story and it really drew the other books into the story before the sisters actually all met up. The relationship between Willow and Sebastian wasn't as smooth as the other couples, but it really couldn't be easy because of where they were and their relationships.
I actually loved each of the sisters in their own way. They were all able to complement each other and work together from the start. Each book did a great job in continuing the major storyline and building up the world it takes place in. The story was wrapped up nicely at the end of SMOKE ON THE WATER and although I would have loved to read more about the sister's futures, I was happy with the way things ended. The Sisters of the Craft series gave me a great few days of reading. If I was you, I would wait until they are all out so you can read them back to back.
* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 1, 2015
In The Air Tonight is a fabulous start to the "Sisters of the Craft" trilogy by Lori Handeland. I’m a huge historical romance fan, and was thoroughly entertained by this book, including its contemporary and paranormal elements. The characters and setting are realistic and the story is very engaging.
The story centers on Raye Larsen, a black haired beauty who sees dead people. She lives in a Scandinavian community in Wisconsin and feels like an outsider; besides not being a blue-eyed blonde, she has obvious issues with seeing ghosts everywhere. Much like the main character in Meg Cabot’s The Mediator series, Raye can help the ghosts cross over into the afterlife if she helps them solve their murders. To solve one case, Raye seeks the help of Bobby Doucet, a handsome homicide detective who is haunted himself by his own life’s tragedies rather than ghosts.
I really enjoyed the “origins” and historical parts of the story. Hopefully it will be expounded upon in books 2 and 3. In short, In The Air Tonight is a wonderful beginning and I highly recommend it. I let my 17-year daughter read it too and she agrees with me!
The story centers on Raye Larsen, a black haired beauty who sees dead people. She lives in a Scandinavian community in Wisconsin and feels like an outsider; besides not being a blue-eyed blonde, she has obvious issues with seeing ghosts everywhere. Much like the main character in Meg Cabot’s The Mediator series, Raye can help the ghosts cross over into the afterlife if she helps them solve their murders. To solve one case, Raye seeks the help of Bobby Doucet, a handsome homicide detective who is haunted himself by his own life’s tragedies rather than ghosts.
I really enjoyed the “origins” and historical parts of the story. Hopefully it will be expounded upon in books 2 and 3. In short, In The Air Tonight is a wonderful beginning and I highly recommend it. I let my 17-year daughter read it too and she agrees with me!
December 31, 2015
I liked In the Air Tonight, the start of this trilogy of sisters who are witchborn and sent into the future - by their parent's last earthly act of magic before being burnt at the stake by a vengeful witch hunter. The first sister, Raye, was found naked by the road as a babe and adopted by a family who are more than a little concerned when, as a child, she starts talking to invisible people. Turns out that Rate can see and speak to ghosts - a talent that she quickly learns to hide when she overhears her adopted father talking about un-adopting her.
I liked this - it was a bit exposition info dump-y in the middle since its the first of a trilogy. But I liked Kindergarten teacher Raye who is unaware of her witchy heritage and I liked the Cajun cop leading man, Bobby Doucet who is haunted - both literally and figuratively - by his past. The attraction between them is good and they have a fair amount to overcome to be together with someone trying to kill Raye and with the personal pain in Bobby's past making him not only being not open to the woo woo stuff but also actively hostile toward the 'charlatans' that claim to speak to the dead - which understandably makes Raye hesitant to let him in on her secret despite the fact that avoiding the truth makes it harder to stop the killer.
So, despite the 'first-book-itis' problem of having to squeeze in the world building along side of the romance and the hunt for the killer, I liked In the Air Tonight. And since I've read all of Handeland's Moon and Nightcreature series it was fun to have a tiny bit of crossover later in the story - I'm not sure if Bobby or his off screen partner appeared in the any the previous books that were set in New Orleans but I definitely remembered the 'voodoo princess', Cassandra, and the Jäger-Suchers are also mentioned. Since I was lucky enough to snag all three books as ARCs, I am moving straight on to the next sister's book.
On a side note, it is really cool that covers flow from one sister to the next...
ARC courtesy of St Martin's via NetGalley. Release date 6/2/2015.
I liked this - it was a bit exposition info dump-y in the middle since its the first of a trilogy. But I liked Kindergarten teacher Raye who is unaware of her witchy heritage and I liked the Cajun cop leading man, Bobby Doucet who is haunted - both literally and figuratively - by his past. The attraction between them is good and they have a fair amount to overcome to be together with someone trying to kill Raye and with the personal pain in Bobby's past making him not only being not open to the woo woo stuff but also actively hostile toward the 'charlatans' that claim to speak to the dead - which understandably makes Raye hesitant to let him in on her secret despite the fact that avoiding the truth makes it harder to stop the killer.
So, despite the 'first-book-itis' problem of having to squeeze in the world building along side of the romance and the hunt for the killer, I liked In the Air Tonight. And since I've read all of Handeland's Moon and Nightcreature series it was fun to have a tiny bit of crossover later in the story - I'm not sure if Bobby or his off screen partner appeared in the any the previous books that were set in New Orleans but I definitely remembered the 'voodoo princess', Cassandra, and the Jäger-Suchers are also mentioned. Since I was lucky enough to snag all three books as ARCs, I am moving straight on to the next sister's book.
On a side note, it is really cool that covers flow from one sister to the next...
ARC courtesy of St Martin's via NetGalley. Release date 6/2/2015.
March 5, 2018
*NOTE: This is a review of the entire trilogy. I will try to keep it as spoiler-free as possible*
For whatever reason, I rarely read paranormal romance books. I'm not sure why because it's a genre that I usually enjoy. I have a bunch, but I always seem to skip over them and pick up a fantasy book instead. I was browsing through my unread books, and came across the Sisters of the Craft trilogy. I decided to give it a try because it had been a while since I read a book about witches, and the covers are gorgeous. Unfortunately, I really didn't like the trilogy at all.
I think my biggest problem with the trilogy, in general, is that the writing and plot were very simplistic. It felt like a bad soap opera that your grandma would force you to watch with her when you stayed home sick from school. Everything was over the top, and nothing felt original. It felt like a combination of every paranormal romance I had read, like it took bits and pieces from different stories and combined them to make a plot. The one thing that I really did love about the books was Reggie and Grenade, and they were only in one book, never to be seen again. The sex scenes in each book weren't even very descriptive. It felt like an eighth grade boy was trying to write them.
The first book, In the Air Tonight, was very slow paced. It took about seventy-five percent of the book for things to really get going, and to catch my interest. The second book, Heat of the Moment, went better but I think that's because I liked Reggie so much. I really loved hearing his thoughts. The third book, Smoke on the Water, started off interesting, but quickly went downhill. I was involved until about fifty percent into the book. Then things started dragging on and on. By the time I got about sixty percent, I had to resist the urge to skim read the rest because I was that bored. What should have taken me a day to read, took about three because it just dragged so badly and I kept losing interest. The only bright part of that book was Mary. I loved her snarky sense of humor. It had me chuckling a few times.
I was sad that the first paranormal romance series I picked up in such a long time turned out to be a letdown. I really wanted to like it, but unfortunately, that isn't the case. I disliked this trilogy so much that I felt a sense of relief when I finished the third book. If it wasn't for the fact that I got all three to review, I probably wouldn't have continued reading past the first book. I don't think I will read any more of Lori Handeland's books in the future. I think her writing style just isn't for me.
For whatever reason, I rarely read paranormal romance books. I'm not sure why because it's a genre that I usually enjoy. I have a bunch, but I always seem to skip over them and pick up a fantasy book instead. I was browsing through my unread books, and came across the Sisters of the Craft trilogy. I decided to give it a try because it had been a while since I read a book about witches, and the covers are gorgeous. Unfortunately, I really didn't like the trilogy at all.
I think my biggest problem with the trilogy, in general, is that the writing and plot were very simplistic. It felt like a bad soap opera that your grandma would force you to watch with her when you stayed home sick from school. Everything was over the top, and nothing felt original. It felt like a combination of every paranormal romance I had read, like it took bits and pieces from different stories and combined them to make a plot. The one thing that I really did love about the books was Reggie and Grenade, and they were only in one book, never to be seen again. The sex scenes in each book weren't even very descriptive. It felt like an eighth grade boy was trying to write them.
The first book, In the Air Tonight, was very slow paced. It took about seventy-five percent of the book for things to really get going, and to catch my interest. The second book, Heat of the Moment, went better but I think that's because I liked Reggie so much. I really loved hearing his thoughts. The third book, Smoke on the Water, started off interesting, but quickly went downhill. I was involved until about fifty percent into the book. Then things started dragging on and on. By the time I got about sixty percent, I had to resist the urge to skim read the rest because I was that bored. What should have taken me a day to read, took about three because it just dragged so badly and I kept losing interest. The only bright part of that book was Mary. I loved her snarky sense of humor. It had me chuckling a few times.
I was sad that the first paranormal romance series I picked up in such a long time turned out to be a letdown. I really wanted to like it, but unfortunately, that isn't the case. I disliked this trilogy so much that I felt a sense of relief when I finished the third book. If it wasn't for the fact that I got all three to review, I probably wouldn't have continued reading past the first book. I don't think I will read any more of Lori Handeland's books in the future. I think her writing style just isn't for me.
May 9, 2015
I kindly received this ARC from St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in return for an honest review
This book was intense! In a good way.
Okay, now these 'witch' stories are not my thing, like at all. However, this one surprised me. I usually like the Fantasy notion of a Mage, that's the only thing i'd read, but even though the people were called witches. They resembled mages, because there were elemental ones mainly.
Warning- Adult content...Like more adult than i anticipated if you know what i mean. There are some gory scenes too, like the hacking of limbs.
I'll start with the plot.
Raye was abandoned as a newborn in the middle of the road.
She was adopted, but soon, her difference began to show, she could see and speak to ghosts.
She quickly learned that running around telling people as a young girl would get her in trouble, so she keeps it bottled up and hidden away.
Until the day she can't.
Until the day where a dead, half burnt body is found near her house with the brand of a snarling wolf.
Raye sees a ghost that always tries to protect her, she feels like she's seen him before.
But this ghost is 400 years old, how can that be?
In a time where witches used to be burned, where the smallest abilities would condemn you.
The 21st Century should have been past that.
Until the witch- hunters are resurrected.
Bodies showing up everywhere brings a detective in the small town Raye lives, when her life is obviously in jeopardy, she didn't think that her heart would be also.
I really liked this story!
it was creepy, suspenseful and made me glad I'm a mundane human being!
I liked the 1600s historical aspect of it, it was well done!
"More than one soul in a womb in Satan's work" It sounds crazy, but trust a girl whose majoring at University in this historical time period, they really did believe things like that!
I also LOVED the fact that it removed common assumptions:
"Though the burning of witches was couched in religion, it had nothing to do with God.
Finally, someone understands!
Another thing that made me super happy- This is the first time a character comes from the same ethnic background as me! how exciting! If he lived in Australia, we'd probably be family...but I'm glad we're not, because he's a bit dreamy!
So Bobby comes from "a long line of Creoles- both French and Spanish (like yours truly).
His description: "His hair was black; his eyes were blue, and his skin appeared tan year around.
and so begins a bit of a swoon fest.
What I really liked about this book was the way love was portrayed, it was realistic and beautiful and not necessarily about the love interest either!
"My love isn't based on your loving me back. True Love never is."
or
"You're my child. You always will be. I will protect you no matter the cost."
Aww!!
This author deserves an award just for writing those, especially the former! Which brings me to the more in-depth stuff. The writing was wonderful, descriptive and just enjoyable. You dove head first into the book. I will admit that the physical intimacy parts were too descriptive for me...it just isn't my thing, i don't like knowing what happens behind closed doors. However, there wasn't too much of the bed-sheet tango happening, but enough to make me embarrassed. But of course, the power of the kindle can make you get past it fast by the click of the button.
There are themes of human sacrifice or just sacrifice of any type so if your stomach can't handle that...i gave you fair warning.
Overall, I really liked it and I'm super dooper glad that the publisher already sent me the ARCs for the second and third books! woo!!
Have a wonderful read my lovelies!
-The Book Herald
tweet me @thebookherald
This book was intense! In a good way.
Okay, now these 'witch' stories are not my thing, like at all. However, this one surprised me. I usually like the Fantasy notion of a Mage, that's the only thing i'd read, but even though the people were called witches. They resembled mages, because there were elemental ones mainly.
Warning- Adult content...Like more adult than i anticipated if you know what i mean. There are some gory scenes too, like the hacking of limbs.
I'll start with the plot.
Raye was abandoned as a newborn in the middle of the road.
She was adopted, but soon, her difference began to show, she could see and speak to ghosts.
She quickly learned that running around telling people as a young girl would get her in trouble, so she keeps it bottled up and hidden away.
Until the day she can't.
Until the day where a dead, half burnt body is found near her house with the brand of a snarling wolf.
Raye sees a ghost that always tries to protect her, she feels like she's seen him before.
But this ghost is 400 years old, how can that be?
In a time where witches used to be burned, where the smallest abilities would condemn you.
The 21st Century should have been past that.
Until the witch- hunters are resurrected.
Bodies showing up everywhere brings a detective in the small town Raye lives, when her life is obviously in jeopardy, she didn't think that her heart would be also.
I really liked this story!
it was creepy, suspenseful and made me glad I'm a mundane human being!
I liked the 1600s historical aspect of it, it was well done!
"More than one soul in a womb in Satan's work" It sounds crazy, but trust a girl whose majoring at University in this historical time period, they really did believe things like that!
I also LOVED the fact that it removed common assumptions:
"Though the burning of witches was couched in religion, it had nothing to do with God.
Finally, someone understands!
Another thing that made me super happy- This is the first time a character comes from the same ethnic background as me! how exciting! If he lived in Australia, we'd probably be family...but I'm glad we're not, because he's a bit dreamy!
So Bobby comes from "a long line of Creoles- both French and Spanish (like yours truly).
His description: "His hair was black; his eyes were blue, and his skin appeared tan year around.
and so begins a bit of a swoon fest.
What I really liked about this book was the way love was portrayed, it was realistic and beautiful and not necessarily about the love interest either!
"My love isn't based on your loving me back. True Love never is."
or
"You're my child. You always will be. I will protect you no matter the cost."
Aww!!
This author deserves an award just for writing those, especially the former! Which brings me to the more in-depth stuff. The writing was wonderful, descriptive and just enjoyable. You dove head first into the book. I will admit that the physical intimacy parts were too descriptive for me...it just isn't my thing, i don't like knowing what happens behind closed doors. However, there wasn't too much of the bed-sheet tango happening, but enough to make me embarrassed. But of course, the power of the kindle can make you get past it fast by the click of the button.
There are themes of human sacrifice or just sacrifice of any type so if your stomach can't handle that...i gave you fair warning.
Overall, I really liked it and I'm super dooper glad that the publisher already sent me the ARCs for the second and third books! woo!!
Have a wonderful read my lovelies!
-The Book Herald
tweet me @thebookherald
June 14, 2015
27-year-old Kindergarten teacher Raye Larsen has always felt like an outsider; in a town full of Scandinavian descendants, she sticks out with her brown eyes and black hair. Being adopted, she has no idea where she came from, she just knows she's not like the rest of the townspeople. Add to that, she also has a little problem, one that started when she was very young: Raye can see and talk to ghosts, something she's worked very hard to hide, but not soon enough. Before she learned to hide her "gift", many people formed the notion that she was odd, her father included. The damage inflicted was enough to even further ostracize her and subsequently strain her relationship with her father.
Bobby Doucet, a detective for the New Orleans PD, is assigned to a case that takes him to Raye's small town in Wisconsin. Someone was murdered and it follows the pattern of several killings in the NOLA area. It may be the work of a serial killer, something Bobby intends to find out. He is immediately introduced to Raye because of something that happens in her apartment that sends her running into the street. He and Raye instantly hit it off, and sparks begin flying soon after.
In this first installment of the Sisters of the Craft trilogy based on the lives of three unknowing sisters, Handeland creates such an interesting story pertaining to witches and the groups, past and present, that are bent on persecuting them. Not only does she create this hidden society of witchcraft and covens in the modern-day, but she also goes back in time and bases parts of her story from a period in time where witches were still burned in pyres. I absolutely loved the historical aspect of this particular story and how she bounced back and forth from the 1600's to present day and how the events from then and now are so intricately connected. It seems the past is never the past, and I'm quite anxious to see how that plays out in the following books in this trilogy.
Normally, I'm not such a fan of the paranormal romance genre. I like paranormal, I like romance. Put them together, label it PNR, and I more than likely will pass on it because the romance is often rushed, it overshadows the other exciting parts of the story, and most times ends on a mushy and unrealistic note. Much to my surprise, I found I really adored this, even with it being paranormal romance. The relationship was a bit rushed, it did end on a mushy and unrealistic note, but there was balance. The relationship didn't overshadow the murder mystery and the star of the book was truly the witchy business. I also liked the amount of humor -- Raye was truly a smartass who said some dumb and funny things, and I especially loved the communication issues between Bobby and the rest of the town. I found myself laughing out loud quite a lot through this book, and that's always something I enjoy.
Bottom line -- great first installment in this new trilogy. I'm really looking forward to the next book and seeing how the sisters eventually come together after not knowing of one another for all of their lives. I recommend this for paranormal romance lovers and those who like tales centering around witchcraft. Handeland did an awesome job with the witch aspect and their history and that was certainly the highlight of the book.
** eARC received on behalf of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Bobby Doucet, a detective for the New Orleans PD, is assigned to a case that takes him to Raye's small town in Wisconsin. Someone was murdered and it follows the pattern of several killings in the NOLA area. It may be the work of a serial killer, something Bobby intends to find out. He is immediately introduced to Raye because of something that happens in her apartment that sends her running into the street. He and Raye instantly hit it off, and sparks begin flying soon after.
In this first installment of the Sisters of the Craft trilogy based on the lives of three unknowing sisters, Handeland creates such an interesting story pertaining to witches and the groups, past and present, that are bent on persecuting them. Not only does she create this hidden society of witchcraft and covens in the modern-day, but she also goes back in time and bases parts of her story from a period in time where witches were still burned in pyres. I absolutely loved the historical aspect of this particular story and how she bounced back and forth from the 1600's to present day and how the events from then and now are so intricately connected. It seems the past is never the past, and I'm quite anxious to see how that plays out in the following books in this trilogy.
Normally, I'm not such a fan of the paranormal romance genre. I like paranormal, I like romance. Put them together, label it PNR, and I more than likely will pass on it because the romance is often rushed, it overshadows the other exciting parts of the story, and most times ends on a mushy and unrealistic note. Much to my surprise, I found I really adored this, even with it being paranormal romance. The relationship was a bit rushed, it did end on a mushy and unrealistic note, but there was balance. The relationship didn't overshadow the murder mystery and the star of the book was truly the witchy business. I also liked the amount of humor -- Raye was truly a smartass who said some dumb and funny things, and I especially loved the communication issues between Bobby and the rest of the town. I found myself laughing out loud quite a lot through this book, and that's always something I enjoy.
Bottom line -- great first installment in this new trilogy. I'm really looking forward to the next book and seeing how the sisters eventually come together after not knowing of one another for all of their lives. I recommend this for paranormal romance lovers and those who like tales centering around witchcraft. Handeland did an awesome job with the witch aspect and their history and that was certainly the highlight of the book.
** eARC received on behalf of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
March 19, 2015
Raye Larson is a woman with a mysterious past, she was found on the side of the road and raised by foster parents in the small town of New Bergin Wisconsin. Raye is a kindergarten teacher that doesn’t fit in with the town, she doesn’t look like them and she has the ability to talk to ghosts. She keeps her ability to herself but when murders start to take place in her home town she might be the only one that can help.
The small town murder has also gotten the attention of New Orleans homicide detective Bobby Doucet. Bobby has been tracking a killer that has been leaving a certain mark on the murder victims. With the murder in Wisconsin being similar, he shows up to investigate the crime. When Bobby meets Raye sparks fly and the two work together to find the killer. What they also find is the answers to Raye’s mysterious background and how it’s tied to the killings.
In The Air Tonight by Lori Handeland is a paranormal romance that builds into a much more complex story as it moves along. As I started this book I thought it would be a basic story of a guy meeting a woman and they manage to solve a mystery as they fall in love. When I started reading this book I thought I knew how the relationship between Raye and Bobby would go, but it didn’t go that way which made the book better. While you do have an awesome love story here, there is much more going on then meets the eye.
Lori Handeland also creates her own spin on Wiccan mythology and there is a theme of fitting into society when your different then everyone else. In the beginning of the story Raye is presented as a misfit who has lived her life as a square peg in a round hole. She soon discovers that there are others out there like her and she wasn’t as alone as she thought. Of course finding out there are others like her creates a whole new set of problems that she isn’t quite ready for.
My favorite part of the book were the scenes with the ghosts, I liked the concept of Raye talking to ghosts and each ghosts having its own personality. In particular there is a scene from a ghost’s point of view where you find out a lot about the main characters without them even being in the scene. The ghost that I liked the best was Stafford, a ghost that haunts the kindergarten where Raye works. Stafford maybe a minor character but you learn enough about him where you can’t help to like him.
In The Air Tonight might be a paranormal romance but there is enough going on in the story where people who don’t like romances will enjoy it also. This is the first book in a three book series, the way the story builds in this one makes me wonder where Lori Handeland is going to take it. Its like she built a foundation and now she is going on to make the house bigger in the rest of the series. If you like a story with good characters and a fascinating mythology, you should check this one out.
The small town murder has also gotten the attention of New Orleans homicide detective Bobby Doucet. Bobby has been tracking a killer that has been leaving a certain mark on the murder victims. With the murder in Wisconsin being similar, he shows up to investigate the crime. When Bobby meets Raye sparks fly and the two work together to find the killer. What they also find is the answers to Raye’s mysterious background and how it’s tied to the killings.
In The Air Tonight by Lori Handeland is a paranormal romance that builds into a much more complex story as it moves along. As I started this book I thought it would be a basic story of a guy meeting a woman and they manage to solve a mystery as they fall in love. When I started reading this book I thought I knew how the relationship between Raye and Bobby would go, but it didn’t go that way which made the book better. While you do have an awesome love story here, there is much more going on then meets the eye.
Lori Handeland also creates her own spin on Wiccan mythology and there is a theme of fitting into society when your different then everyone else. In the beginning of the story Raye is presented as a misfit who has lived her life as a square peg in a round hole. She soon discovers that there are others out there like her and she wasn’t as alone as she thought. Of course finding out there are others like her creates a whole new set of problems that she isn’t quite ready for.
My favorite part of the book were the scenes with the ghosts, I liked the concept of Raye talking to ghosts and each ghosts having its own personality. In particular there is a scene from a ghost’s point of view where you find out a lot about the main characters without them even being in the scene. The ghost that I liked the best was Stafford, a ghost that haunts the kindergarten where Raye works. Stafford maybe a minor character but you learn enough about him where you can’t help to like him.
In The Air Tonight might be a paranormal romance but there is enough going on in the story where people who don’t like romances will enjoy it also. This is the first book in a three book series, the way the story builds in this one makes me wonder where Lori Handeland is going to take it. Its like she built a foundation and now she is going on to make the house bigger in the rest of the series. If you like a story with good characters and a fascinating mythology, you should check this one out.
June 4, 2015
In the Air Tonight
is the first installment in the Sisters of the Craft series, as well as my first read by author Lori Handeland, and it is an exceptional one. Handeland's world building, development of her characters, in addition to the mystery revolving around the cult group trying to murder female witches makes for a very interesting story. Although the romance wasn't very profound, I enjoyed Raye and Bobby's interactions. Their attraction to each other felt
real
and believable.
Individually, Raye and Bobby are awesome characters as they are both independent with a mysterious past. Raye was an enjoyable character with a strong personality and humor who who lives in the moment while Bobby is damaged hero because of his pastis and protective of those he cares about. I truly sympathized with him and Raye realizes what makes him who he is early on. In any case, the book revolves around a huge murder mystery of a witch hunting group who has been killing numerous females who may or may not be witches around the country. I actually enjoyed this part of the book a lot because it had action and plenty of suspense. I guess you could categorize this book as more fiction than romance, but either way, it does have romance between two interesting and realistic characters.
Initially, I thought some of the dialogue between the characters were rather stunted as a result of the constant switch between first person narrative and third person. Of course, I eventually got used to the format and didn't prevent me from enjoying the book but it was definitely weird at first. I had never read anything with format before so I was actually surprised by it. Raye is of course in first person while Bobby and everybody else were told in third person.
To sum things up, I thought In the Air Tonight was a strong debut in Lori Handeland's new series and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book about Raye's sister, Becca Carstairs in Heat of the Moment.
This arc was kindly provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Individually, Raye and Bobby are awesome characters as they are both independent with a mysterious past. Raye was an enjoyable character with a strong personality and humor who who lives in the moment while Bobby is damaged hero because of his pastis and protective of those he cares about. I truly sympathized with him and Raye realizes what makes him who he is early on. In any case, the book revolves around a huge murder mystery of a witch hunting group who has been killing numerous females who may or may not be witches around the country. I actually enjoyed this part of the book a lot because it had action and plenty of suspense. I guess you could categorize this book as more fiction than romance, but either way, it does have romance between two interesting and realistic characters.
Initially, I thought some of the dialogue between the characters were rather stunted as a result of the constant switch between first person narrative and third person. Of course, I eventually got used to the format and didn't prevent me from enjoying the book but it was definitely weird at first. I had never read anything with format before so I was actually surprised by it. Raye is of course in first person while Bobby and everybody else were told in third person.
To sum things up, I thought In the Air Tonight was a strong debut in Lori Handeland's new series and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book about Raye's sister, Becca Carstairs in Heat of the Moment.
This arc was kindly provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 13, 2015
I received this book for the purpose of an honest review.
I have to start off by saying that I'm not normally a fan of first person stories, but Lori Handeland is an exception to that rule. Her stories have first person moments but there are third person as well and somehow it works. I'm not sure how. It just does. With IN THE AIR TONIGHT we start a new series, fans of Ms. Handeland's NightCreature Novels will find another set of characters to adore and cheer on. This is the story of one girl, one from a set of triplets. We walk with Raye as she learns who she is, and where she came from. Bobby is the other half of this story, he's haunted in more ways than one and we watch as he comes to understand his place, not just in life but in Raye's life. I have to say the characters were engaging, realistic and completely wonderfully well written. They quickly become "real". The setting is fun and fascinating, I found I wanted to visit the location myself! The story is fast paced, thrilling, at times funny, at times heart wrenching but always enjoyable. Fans of Lori Handeland's Nightcreature Novels know that Lori Handeland always delivers with great stories and characters, and they may just recognize a few. Those new to Lori Handeland will find a great novel to start their journey into her worlds. The story is one that will leave you eager for the next books! I'm already stressing over the wait for books 2 and 3. In The Air Tonight is a great read, I highly recommend for any paranormal contemporary romance fan!
I have to start off by saying that I'm not normally a fan of first person stories, but Lori Handeland is an exception to that rule. Her stories have first person moments but there are third person as well and somehow it works. I'm not sure how. It just does. With IN THE AIR TONIGHT we start a new series, fans of Ms. Handeland's NightCreature Novels will find another set of characters to adore and cheer on. This is the story of one girl, one from a set of triplets. We walk with Raye as she learns who she is, and where she came from. Bobby is the other half of this story, he's haunted in more ways than one and we watch as he comes to understand his place, not just in life but in Raye's life. I have to say the characters were engaging, realistic and completely wonderfully well written. They quickly become "real". The setting is fun and fascinating, I found I wanted to visit the location myself! The story is fast paced, thrilling, at times funny, at times heart wrenching but always enjoyable. Fans of Lori Handeland's Nightcreature Novels know that Lori Handeland always delivers with great stories and characters, and they may just recognize a few. Those new to Lori Handeland will find a great novel to start their journey into her worlds. The story is one that will leave you eager for the next books! I'm already stressing over the wait for books 2 and 3. In The Air Tonight is a great read, I highly recommend for any paranormal contemporary romance fan!
May 30, 2015
My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 Unicorns - I loved it!!!
***Received a copy of the ebook for an honest review
The cover is stunning, and you do not realize that the red hair is her sister’s unless you see all of the covers together which is really cool to tie all of the covers together, so I highly recommend visiting Lori’s website to see that :)
I didn’t realize I was going to love this book as much as I did. This is the first book in a new series Sisters of the Craft. This book is like Ghost Whisperer meets Charmed meets I don’t know pick your favorite crime/cop or fed show. It had so much going on that I didn’t want to put the book down, so I just read all day and loved it. There is the mystery that is Raye and everything about her, drama, murder mysteries, puzzles, love, and so much more.
Raye is a smart and intelligent woman which I love in a female heroine, and she is kind despite being the odd duck so to speak. I’m not sure what to think of her father. Bobby is brave but haunted both literally and figuratively by his past. And from the beginning you can see how they fit together even if they don’t. Raye’s real parents are still a bit of a mystery, but I like what I’ve seen so far. I can’t wait to read the next book :)
I highly recommend this book to magically inclined people who don’t mind seeing dead people, and I really think if you loved any of those TV shows I mentioned that you want to read this :)
***Received a copy of the ebook for an honest review
The cover is stunning, and you do not realize that the red hair is her sister’s unless you see all of the covers together which is really cool to tie all of the covers together, so I highly recommend visiting Lori’s website to see that :)
I didn’t realize I was going to love this book as much as I did. This is the first book in a new series Sisters of the Craft. This book is like Ghost Whisperer meets Charmed meets I don’t know pick your favorite crime/cop or fed show. It had so much going on that I didn’t want to put the book down, so I just read all day and loved it. There is the mystery that is Raye and everything about her, drama, murder mysteries, puzzles, love, and so much more.
Raye is a smart and intelligent woman which I love in a female heroine, and she is kind despite being the odd duck so to speak. I’m not sure what to think of her father. Bobby is brave but haunted both literally and figuratively by his past. And from the beginning you can see how they fit together even if they don’t. Raye’s real parents are still a bit of a mystery, but I like what I’ve seen so far. I can’t wait to read the next book :)
I highly recommend this book to magically inclined people who don’t mind seeing dead people, and I really think if you loved any of those TV shows I mentioned that you want to read this :)
June 11, 2015
~ Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion ~
Originally published on Bookgatherer
Actual Rating: 4,5 stars
You looking for a witchy read? Well, the synopsis says it’s about witches, but the truth is it’s only in the end, but I liked it this way. I guess it will be more about witches in the next two books since two sisters are still left.
I personally read and liked this because our main character, Raye (short for Raymond – poor girl) could see ghosts. I’m a sucker for ghost stories.
Then stir in a little murder and a hot detective and I guarantee you I will really, really like this.
Raye, our ghost whisperer, is an kindergarten teacher, who is targeted by some psycho that wants to kill her. I immediately liked her. She was just do down to earth even for her nifty little talent.
Bobby is our detective and Raye’s love interest. Do you see a hot detective when I say Bobby? I don’t, but whatever. He was nonetheless, the name just ruined it a bit, but I guess that’s just me being weird – again.
What I liked most about this story was the fact that no insta-love was involved. Finally a book were a relationship progresses slowly without love declarations after 3 pages.
Then I thought it was cute that Raye’s parents were watching her from the beyond all those years without Raye’s knowledge.
Originally published on Bookgatherer
Actual Rating: 4,5 stars
You looking for a witchy read? Well, the synopsis says it’s about witches, but the truth is it’s only in the end, but I liked it this way. I guess it will be more about witches in the next two books since two sisters are still left.
I personally read and liked this because our main character, Raye (short for Raymond – poor girl) could see ghosts. I’m a sucker for ghost stories.
Then stir in a little murder and a hot detective and I guarantee you I will really, really like this.
Raye, our ghost whisperer, is an kindergarten teacher, who is targeted by some psycho that wants to kill her. I immediately liked her. She was just do down to earth even for her nifty little talent.
Bobby is our detective and Raye’s love interest. Do you see a hot detective when I say Bobby? I don’t, but whatever. He was nonetheless, the name just ruined it a bit, but I guess that’s just me being weird – again.
What I liked most about this story was the fact that no insta-love was involved. Finally a book were a relationship progresses slowly without love declarations after 3 pages.
Then I thought it was cute that Raye’s parents were watching her from the beyond all those years without Raye’s knowledge.
June 13, 2015
ARC given by netgalley for an honest review
A late review but given noneless. I'm in a lazy write mode but this book is totally rocking it. It is the first book in the series and it is a really, really good one.
I've rarely read a story about witches but this is well recommended. To be read in order it start with the first sister, Raye has been raised by her adopted family in a Scandinavia family (whose whose family relatives all blonde hair and blue eyes per Raye with dark hair). Feeling left out all her life, future takes a different turned after a serial killer hits her town, and made her his next target. New Orleans police detective, Bobby is summoned to investigate the murder. Raye with her ability to talk and see ghost made her feel like a freak, tried to help the detective solve the cases and at the same time uncover an old coven of serial killers dedicated to killed people with abilities or practice magic. The nature of her true parents were revealed along with possible sisters alive. With her understanding and passionate attraction with Bobby grew, can she raced against time to have happiness in her future?
I love the first book in the series, the suspense, romance are all well balanced. Will update the review on the next sisters, but it is a fav. Double thumbs up to the author.
A late review but given noneless. I'm in a lazy write mode but this book is totally rocking it. It is the first book in the series and it is a really, really good one.
I've rarely read a story about witches but this is well recommended. To be read in order it start with the first sister, Raye has been raised by her adopted family in a Scandinavia family (whose whose family relatives all blonde hair and blue eyes per Raye with dark hair). Feeling left out all her life, future takes a different turned after a serial killer hits her town, and made her his next target. New Orleans police detective, Bobby is summoned to investigate the murder. Raye with her ability to talk and see ghost made her feel like a freak, tried to help the detective solve the cases and at the same time uncover an old coven of serial killers dedicated to killed people with abilities or practice magic. The nature of her true parents were revealed along with possible sisters alive. With her understanding and passionate attraction with Bobby grew, can she raced against time to have happiness in her future?
I love the first book in the series, the suspense, romance are all well balanced. Will update the review on the next sisters, but it is a fav. Double thumbs up to the author.
June 2, 2015
What an interesting story! Three babies were sent through time by their parents who were witches being burned at the stake. The babies all inherited various witch powers. Those babies ended up in different places in the current time period. Who knew that the hunters of evil would still be around trying to kill witches and resurrect their evil leader? Well, they are, and on their list to kill was Raye Larsen.
Raye has always been able to see ghosts. She hides that ability from everyone. But, a murder in her small town brings Detective Bobby Doucet up from New Orleans to help with the case cause he's been looking into murders that tie to this one. What follows is an often humorous story that is action packed that is the back drop for Raye and Bobby's new romance.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series :)
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
Raye has always been able to see ghosts. She hides that ability from everyone. But, a murder in her small town brings Detective Bobby Doucet up from New Orleans to help with the case cause he's been looking into murders that tie to this one. What follows is an often humorous story that is action packed that is the back drop for Raye and Bobby's new romance.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series :)
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
October 14, 2015
This is a new series for LH and I really liked this first book. Since the ARC is going to span the 3 sister's books the ending was a little cliff hangy, but still good. This is a good book to read this time of year because our heroine has the ability to see and talk to ghosts, as well as being a witch and Bobby Doucet (love the hero's name) is very anti witch and anti ghost...he has his reasons. Eagerly awaiting the next one.
May 31, 2015
3.75 stars. overall an interesting read, though I'm still not sure I like the format
June 7, 2015
Outstanding Novel of Ghosts, Wiccans, Death and Love "Religion as a human phenomenon is as riddled through with potential for both good and evil as any other phenomenon." -- Richard John Neuhaus"The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding." -- Albert CamusIgnorance. Illiteracy. Hubris and insecurity, mad obsession. "Once upon a time, long ago, in the bad, ignorant, evil times of King James and his Danish queen, there was a great storm. James, an ignorant, religious fool, thought to himself, “Such a storm can only have been caused by witchcraft!” And in his ignorance and fear, he called to himself Roland McHugh, witch hunter, who he placed in charge of a secret society, known as Venatores Mali – Hunters of Evil. And from those savage beginnings there began an age of slaughter, of blood and death of innocents such as hearkened to war. And Roland McHugh spread his evil across Europe, spraying blood and hatred in his path. . . Roland McHugh – who, "according to his Wikipedia entry, “had burned more witches than anyone in history.”"Ignorance. It was, of course, a filthy, superstitious time – a time when the Christian church was doing its best to wipe out any other religion, subsuming beliefs, co opting holidays and celebrations, changing peaceful pagan ritual instruments into Christian tools of torture. And what better victims than those who healed the sick, assisted the elderly and weak, assisted in the birth of children, and stayed by the dying on their way to wherever souls travel? Who worshiped outside, under the stars and moon, often led by women, instead of in a cathedral, led by men – men who wanted to control everything from medicine to beliefs to (most importantly) wealth? What else to do but declare them evil, devil worshipers, monsters who should be slaughtered, burned at the stake, pulled apart by horses? Women. Men. Children.Infants.McHugh’s wife died in childbirth, McHugh waiting too long to summon the midwife, allowing her to bleed out before help could arrive. There was nothing Prudence Taggart could do to save either wife or child. Witchcraft. Witchcraft, of course, what else could it be? So Prudence, and her husband, Henry, were burned at the stake. But not before they were able to cast a spell – for all that they were goodness and purity, lovers of the world and humanity and nature, they actually were witches – witches of healing, witches of creation and beauty. And as they died, they set a spell in motion, sending their three infant daughters, three days old, far into the future. Far far into the future, where “no one believes in witches any longer.”But even now, the Venatores Mali have returned, slashing a path of fire and slaughter in their wake. The slaughter of Wiccans. Wiccans – whose one main belief, one true calling and law, is Do No Harm. The murders are horrific, murders of men, women, children. All slaughtered, all burned to some degree. Horrific actions, all carried out in the name of McHugh. Of the Vanatores Mali. Of a god who I would hope would shudder and turn her head away from what is being carried out in her name. But who must, certainly, no longer care, or no longer even watch. Why else such a nightmare of a world?Raye Larsen is the very definition of a foundling. She was found tossed on the side of a highway, no clothing, no blanket – simply a tiny infant, left beside the road to die. Adopted by the Larsen’s, a good New Bergin, Wisconsin family, Raye never knew who left her by the side of the road. She never knew why she saw ghosts. She did, however, know that her ‘father’ told her ‘mother’ one night, after Raye had once again been caught talking to someone who wasn’t visible, “Take her to a psychiatrist?” my father repeated. “I was thinking of taking her back.” Talk about feelings of inadequacy, of fear, and loneliness, of an incessant need to please. “If I wasn’t “right” I could be returned like a broken chair or a moldy loaf of bread.” What a terrible way to live, always fearful that the only family you have ever known could throw you away like trash. So, she stopped, as best she could, interacting with ghosts. But now, someone is trying to kill Raye. Someone who has already killed one woman in New Bergin. In fact, they have tried to kill her twice. And when a New Orleans detective, Bobby Doucet, shows up in New Bergin to verify a strange brand on the neck of the first victim, to verify that the serial killer who struck New Orleans a year ago is now killing again, far to the North of NOLA, the deaths fall hard and fast. There are things Raye knows – things she can’t tell Bobby. Bobby, who thinks anyone who is determined that, “The dead don’t come back… Anyone who says so is a liar. Probably a thief and a charlatan too.” And as things become more and more tense, more dangerous, Bobby Doucet’s prejudice may just be the death of both of them.Bobby’s pure, pigheaded stubbornness was the only thing about the book that really irritated me. As you get into the book you realize what caused his disbelief, and you can’t help but hurt for him. But when you get hit over the head several times and still don’t understand that someone is standing behind you hitting you on the head with a 2”x4”, well, I still stayed irritated at him. Then, that’s just me. Honestly, I adored this book. Absolutely adored it. I did it in one sitting (yes, it flippin’ rained again today – downpour, lightning, thunder, the whole nine yards. Oregon wasn’t this wet.) and finished at 2AM. And yes, I have already preordered the next in the series. They are all three up on Amazon (three sisters, three stories – though no one knows where the youngest sister ‘landed’ as of this book.) I love it. Raye is believable in her reactions to everything, the ghosts are awesome, and the Evil just that – believably evil. Bobby:“How could a seventeenth-century Scottish witch-hunting society kill someone in America in the twenty-first century?Raye: “There are still Nazis.” “Any society can be revived. For that matter, any one can start a society and slap any name on it that they want. It’s America.”I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a realistic review. Note to the Publisher:Guys, Really! I never would have picked up the book on my own, based upon the cover art and title. It comes off as a very young Young Adult novel if you simply look at the cover. The title has only a passing reflection of the book contents. “In the Air Tonight” sounds like a Harlequin Romance. Just sayin’.
June 7, 2015
"Religion as a human phenomenon is as riddled through with potential for both good and evil as any other phenomenon." -- Richard John Neuhaus
"The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding." -- Albert Camus
Ignorance. Illiteracy. Hubris and insecurity, mad obsession. "Once upon a time, long ago, in the bad, ignorant, evil times of King James and his Danish queen, there was a great storm. James, an ignorant, religious fool, thought to himself, “Such a storm can only have been caused by witchcraft!” And in his ignorance and fear, he called to himself Roland McHugh, witch hunter, who he placed in charge of a secret society, known as Venatores Mali – Hunters of Evil. And from those savage beginnings there began an age of slaughter, of blood and death of innocents such as hearkened to war. And Roland McHugh spread his evil across Europe, spraying blood and hatred in his path. . . Roland McHugh – who, "according to his Wikipedia entry, “had burned more witches than anyone in history.”"
Ignorance. It was, of course, a filthy, superstitious time – a time when the Christian church was doing its best to wipe out any other religion, subsuming beliefs, co opting holidays and celebrations, changing peaceful pagan ritual instruments into Christian tools of torture. And what better victims than those who healed the sick, assisted the elderly and weak, assisted in the birth of children, and stayed by the dying on their way to wherever souls travel? Who worshiped outside, under the stars and moon, often led by women, instead of in a cathedral, led by men – men who wanted to control everything from medicine to beliefs to (most importantly) wealth? What else to do but declare them evil, devil worshipers, monsters who should be slaughtered, burned at the stake, pulled apart by horses? Women. Men. Children.
Infants.
McHugh’s wife died in childbirth, McHugh waiting too long to summon the midwife, allowing her to bleed out before help could arrive. There was nothing Prudence Taggart could do to save either wife or child. Witchcraft. Witchcraft, of course, what else could it be? So Prudence, and her husband, Henry, were burned at the stake. But not before they were able to cast a spell – for all that they were goodness and purity, lovers of the world and humanity and nature, they actually were witches – witches of healing, witches of creation and beauty. And as they died, they set a spell in motion, sending their three infant daughters, three days old, far into the future. Far far into the future, where “no one believes in witches any longer.”
But even now, the Venatores Mali have returned, slashing a path of fire and slaughter in their wake. The slaughter of Wiccans. Wiccans – whose one main belief, one true calling and law, is Do No Harm. The murders are horrific, murders of men, women, children. All slaughtered, all burned to some degree. Horrific actions, all carried out in the name of McHugh. Of the Vanatores Mali. Of a god who I would hope would shudder and turn her head away from what is being carried out in her name. But who must, certainly, no longer care, or no longer even watch. Why else such a nightmare of a world?
Raye Larsen is the very definition of a foundling. She was found tossed on the side of a highway, no clothing, no blanket – simply a tiny infant, left beside the road to die. Adopted by the Larsen’s, a good New Bergin, Wisconsin family, Raye never knew who left her by the side of the road. She never knew why she saw ghosts. She did, however, know that her ‘father’ told her ‘mother’ one night, after Raye had once again been caught talking to someone who wasn’t visible, “Take her to a psychiatrist?” my father repeated. “I was thinking of taking her back.” Talk about feelings of inadequacy, of fear, and loneliness, of an incessant need to please. “If I wasn’t “right” I could be returned like a broken chair or a moldy loaf of bread.” What a terrible way to live, always fearful that the only family you have ever known could throw you away like trash. So, she stopped, as best she could, interacting with ghosts.
But now, someone is trying to kill Raye. Someone who has already killed one woman in New Bergin. In fact, they have tried to kill her twice. And when a New Orleans detective, Bobby Doucet, shows up in New Bergin to verify a strange brand on the neck of the first victim, to verify that the serial killer who struck New Orleans a year ago is now killing again, far to the North of NOLA, the deaths fall hard and fast. There are things Raye knows – things she can’t tell Bobby. Bobby, who thinks anyone who is determined that, “The dead don’t come back… Anyone who says so is a liar. Probably a thief and a charlatan too.” And as things become more and more tense, more dangerous, Bobby Doucet’s prejudice may just be the death of both of them.
Bobby’s pure, pigheaded stubbornness was the only thing about the book that really irritated me. As you get into the book you realize what caused his disbelief, and you can’t help but hurt for him. But when you get hit over the head several times and still don’t understand that someone is standing behind you hitting you on the head with a 2”x4”, well, I still stayed irritated at him. Then, that’s just me. Honestly, I adored this book. Absolutely adored it. I did it in one sitting (yes, it flippin’ rained again today – downpour, lightning, thunder, the whole nine yards. Oregon wasn’t this wet.) and finished at 2AM. And yes, I have already preordered the next in the series. They are all three up on Amazon (three sisters, three stories – though no one knows where the youngest sister ‘landed’ as of this book.) I love it. Raye is believable in her reactions to everything, the ghosts are awesome, and the Evil just that – believably evil.
Bobby:“How could a seventeenth-century Scottish witch-hunting society kill someone in America in the twenty-first century?
Raye: “There are still Nazis.” “Any society can be revived. For that matter, any one can start a society and slap any name on it that they want. It’s America.”
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a realistic review.
Note to the Publisher:
Guys, Really! I never would have picked up the book on my own, based upon the cover art and title. It comes off as a very young Young Adult novel if you simply look at the cover. The title has only a passing reflection of the book contents. “In the Air Tonight” sounds like a Harlequin Romance. Just sayin’.
"The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding." -- Albert Camus
Ignorance. Illiteracy. Hubris and insecurity, mad obsession. "Once upon a time, long ago, in the bad, ignorant, evil times of King James and his Danish queen, there was a great storm. James, an ignorant, religious fool, thought to himself, “Such a storm can only have been caused by witchcraft!” And in his ignorance and fear, he called to himself Roland McHugh, witch hunter, who he placed in charge of a secret society, known as Venatores Mali – Hunters of Evil. And from those savage beginnings there began an age of slaughter, of blood and death of innocents such as hearkened to war. And Roland McHugh spread his evil across Europe, spraying blood and hatred in his path. . . Roland McHugh – who, "according to his Wikipedia entry, “had burned more witches than anyone in history.”"
Ignorance. It was, of course, a filthy, superstitious time – a time when the Christian church was doing its best to wipe out any other religion, subsuming beliefs, co opting holidays and celebrations, changing peaceful pagan ritual instruments into Christian tools of torture. And what better victims than those who healed the sick, assisted the elderly and weak, assisted in the birth of children, and stayed by the dying on their way to wherever souls travel? Who worshiped outside, under the stars and moon, often led by women, instead of in a cathedral, led by men – men who wanted to control everything from medicine to beliefs to (most importantly) wealth? What else to do but declare them evil, devil worshipers, monsters who should be slaughtered, burned at the stake, pulled apart by horses? Women. Men. Children.
Infants.
McHugh’s wife died in childbirth, McHugh waiting too long to summon the midwife, allowing her to bleed out before help could arrive. There was nothing Prudence Taggart could do to save either wife or child. Witchcraft. Witchcraft, of course, what else could it be? So Prudence, and her husband, Henry, were burned at the stake. But not before they were able to cast a spell – for all that they were goodness and purity, lovers of the world and humanity and nature, they actually were witches – witches of healing, witches of creation and beauty. And as they died, they set a spell in motion, sending their three infant daughters, three days old, far into the future. Far far into the future, where “no one believes in witches any longer.”
But even now, the Venatores Mali have returned, slashing a path of fire and slaughter in their wake. The slaughter of Wiccans. Wiccans – whose one main belief, one true calling and law, is Do No Harm. The murders are horrific, murders of men, women, children. All slaughtered, all burned to some degree. Horrific actions, all carried out in the name of McHugh. Of the Vanatores Mali. Of a god who I would hope would shudder and turn her head away from what is being carried out in her name. But who must, certainly, no longer care, or no longer even watch. Why else such a nightmare of a world?
Raye Larsen is the very definition of a foundling. She was found tossed on the side of a highway, no clothing, no blanket – simply a tiny infant, left beside the road to die. Adopted by the Larsen’s, a good New Bergin, Wisconsin family, Raye never knew who left her by the side of the road. She never knew why she saw ghosts. She did, however, know that her ‘father’ told her ‘mother’ one night, after Raye had once again been caught talking to someone who wasn’t visible, “Take her to a psychiatrist?” my father repeated. “I was thinking of taking her back.” Talk about feelings of inadequacy, of fear, and loneliness, of an incessant need to please. “If I wasn’t “right” I could be returned like a broken chair or a moldy loaf of bread.” What a terrible way to live, always fearful that the only family you have ever known could throw you away like trash. So, she stopped, as best she could, interacting with ghosts.
But now, someone is trying to kill Raye. Someone who has already killed one woman in New Bergin. In fact, they have tried to kill her twice. And when a New Orleans detective, Bobby Doucet, shows up in New Bergin to verify a strange brand on the neck of the first victim, to verify that the serial killer who struck New Orleans a year ago is now killing again, far to the North of NOLA, the deaths fall hard and fast. There are things Raye knows – things she can’t tell Bobby. Bobby, who thinks anyone who is determined that, “The dead don’t come back… Anyone who says so is a liar. Probably a thief and a charlatan too.” And as things become more and more tense, more dangerous, Bobby Doucet’s prejudice may just be the death of both of them.
Bobby’s pure, pigheaded stubbornness was the only thing about the book that really irritated me. As you get into the book you realize what caused his disbelief, and you can’t help but hurt for him. But when you get hit over the head several times and still don’t understand that someone is standing behind you hitting you on the head with a 2”x4”, well, I still stayed irritated at him. Then, that’s just me. Honestly, I adored this book. Absolutely adored it. I did it in one sitting (yes, it flippin’ rained again today – downpour, lightning, thunder, the whole nine yards. Oregon wasn’t this wet.) and finished at 2AM. And yes, I have already preordered the next in the series. They are all three up on Amazon (three sisters, three stories – though no one knows where the youngest sister ‘landed’ as of this book.) I love it. Raye is believable in her reactions to everything, the ghosts are awesome, and the Evil just that – believably evil.
Bobby:“How could a seventeenth-century Scottish witch-hunting society kill someone in America in the twenty-first century?
Raye: “There are still Nazis.” “Any society can be revived. For that matter, any one can start a society and slap any name on it that they want. It’s America.”
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a realistic review.
Note to the Publisher:
Guys, Really! I never would have picked up the book on my own, based upon the cover art and title. It comes off as a very young Young Adult novel if you simply look at the cover. The title has only a passing reflection of the book contents. “In the Air Tonight” sounds like a Harlequin Romance. Just sayin’.
August 20, 2017
This one is off the beaten path. It definitely falls into the Paranormal Romance side of Urban Fantasy. Each book is about a different young lady.
I really liked the way this is set up. From the prologue to the conclusion. The romance, as isn't unusual for my PNR tastes, is a little fast and unrealistic. And, a little too much sex. All standard stuff for me. But, the characters are likable and realistic enough to keep me interested.
The mystery is solid. The bad guy came from out of nowhere for me. I enjoyed the relationship between Raye and her friends and her dad. I enjoyed Bobby and his relationship with his partner. Everything is well set up and established. I enjoyed just spending time in this world.
I immediately checked out the next 2 to finish the trilogy. Solid 4 star read.
I really liked the way this is set up. From the prologue to the conclusion. The romance, as isn't unusual for my PNR tastes, is a little fast and unrealistic. And, a little too much sex. All standard stuff for me. But, the characters are likable and realistic enough to keep me interested.
The mystery is solid. The bad guy came from out of nowhere for me. I enjoyed the relationship between Raye and her friends and her dad. I enjoyed Bobby and his relationship with his partner. Everything is well set up and established. I enjoyed just spending time in this world.
I immediately checked out the next 2 to finish the trilogy. Solid 4 star read.
June 7, 2015
Raye has always been an outsider, even in her own adopted family. When a murder occurs in her hometown of New Bergin, Wisconsin - the first in decades - Raye meets Bobby Doucet, a detective from New Orleans, who’s come to New Bergin to hunt down a serial killer that he believes may be in New Bergin. While all of this is going on, you guessed it - romance happens.
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
A happy accident : I got an accidental email from the publicist, asking about posting a review. I responded, saying I didn’t know i had this book. She apologized for the confusion, and offered the ARC if I was interested. I’m glad I accepted it. This wasn’t on my radar but now I want more.
It’s an unusual story : I haven’t read alot of witchy romances, but I want to seek more out. I could break it down like this - think Sixth Sense + Charmed but in small town Wisconsin and you’ll come close to the feel of this book. There’s alot more going on though and it has a quirky charm, blended with genuine spooky moments, inevitable with the ghosts and all. Ms. Handeland did a good job of setting up the 'verse and I was pulled in. She has an almost cinematic writing style (I could see this as a TV show or even a movie), which was helpful with the suspenseful and downright creepy moments when Raye’s talents manifested. Add to that the quirky, dry humor and I had a good time reading this.
The romance is hotter than I expected : It’s still mild by true erotic romance standards, but it’s not fade to black either. It was more than I thought there’d be and it didn't feel like insta-love because of the time spent allowing those two to get to know each other, even on a condensed timeline. I really enjoyed the buildup for Bobby and Raye’s romantic relationship, in the midst of all the witchy happenings.
First to third person POV and back again : About the only thing I had problems with was the way the story was told in alternating POV, switching from first person (Raye’s) to third person (for Bobby). I would have liked the story told from one POV (my personal preference is third person). Also, since there weren’t clear breaks (perhaps because it was an ARC), it took me a while to adjust and it can be jarring at times. I’d say the story tension really started to kick in around 25% in or so, and it stopped distracting me as much.
The beginning of the series : In the Air Tonight is just the beginning of this series and as such, there’s an overarching storyline that isn’t resolved but this isn’t a cliffhanger. There is an HEA and a resolution to the main mystery in New Bergin, which left me satisfied.
Rushed finale : The ending felt a bit rushed and I would have liked more info on the villains.
The Bottom Line
I wasn’t expecting this but I’m glad I read it. I really enjoyed this new series, and I’d recommend it for paranormal/urban fantasy romance fans. I’m eager to see what happens in the next book.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
A happy accident : I got an accidental email from the publicist, asking about posting a review. I responded, saying I didn’t know i had this book. She apologized for the confusion, and offered the ARC if I was interested. I’m glad I accepted it. This wasn’t on my radar but now I want more.
It’s an unusual story : I haven’t read alot of witchy romances, but I want to seek more out. I could break it down like this - think Sixth Sense + Charmed but in small town Wisconsin and you’ll come close to the feel of this book. There’s alot more going on though and it has a quirky charm, blended with genuine spooky moments, inevitable with the ghosts and all. Ms. Handeland did a good job of setting up the 'verse and I was pulled in. She has an almost cinematic writing style (I could see this as a TV show or even a movie), which was helpful with the suspenseful and downright creepy moments when Raye’s talents manifested. Add to that the quirky, dry humor and I had a good time reading this.
The romance is hotter than I expected : It’s still mild by true erotic romance standards, but it’s not fade to black either. It was more than I thought there’d be and it didn't feel like insta-love because of the time spent allowing those two to get to know each other, even on a condensed timeline. I really enjoyed the buildup for Bobby and Raye’s romantic relationship, in the midst of all the witchy happenings.
First to third person POV and back again : About the only thing I had problems with was the way the story was told in alternating POV, switching from first person (Raye’s) to third person (for Bobby). I would have liked the story told from one POV (my personal preference is third person). Also, since there weren’t clear breaks (perhaps because it was an ARC), it took me a while to adjust and it can be jarring at times. I’d say the story tension really started to kick in around 25% in or so, and it stopped distracting me as much.
The beginning of the series : In the Air Tonight is just the beginning of this series and as such, there’s an overarching storyline that isn’t resolved but this isn’t a cliffhanger. There is an HEA and a resolution to the main mystery in New Bergin, which left me satisfied.
Rushed finale : The ending felt a bit rushed and I would have liked more info on the villains.
The Bottom Line
I wasn’t expecting this but I’m glad I read it. I really enjoyed this new series, and I’d recommend it for paranormal/urban fantasy romance fans. I’m eager to see what happens in the next book.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
July 31, 2015
I really enjoyed this and am so glad I chose it for a current round of Bookshelf Bingo. I've read a couple of Handeland's Phoenix Chronicles and at least the first of her Nightcreature Series, but never finished either of them out because there were so many other series out there I'd rather finish. And I say "at the least the first", because I don't really remember clearly if I read any others and it's pre-Goodreads for me, so no easy way to track back. Anyway, I've always felt her books were an even balance of hit-or-miss for me. In the Air Tonight was definitely a hit.
Other's have mentioned the slightly quirky writing style and having to get used to it. Not so much for me. I was halfway into the book before I even noticed. I knew the POV was switching between Raye and Bobby, but it took a while for me to even realize the bigger switch between Raye's first person POV and Bobby's third person POV. If this is the sort of thing that will bother you, I'd definitely take it into consideration before starting this book. But unless it's one of those things that really bugs you, I think most readers will be able to get past it. Personally, it didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. It barely registered. LOL.
Dark haired and adopted into a Scandanavian community makes Raye stand out all on its own. So the fact she sees ghost is something she learned to hide at an early age. No one in New Bergin has ever known about her ability, not her best friend or her adopted parents. One of the things I wished had been addressed more deeply in this book is Raye's relationship with her father. Because of a conversation she overheard as a child, the same conversation that led to her hiding her abilities, she's always held/felt a distance between them. His care and concern for her comes through to the reader, but Raye is genuinely surprised and finds ways to attribute his behavior to other causes. I was really hoping for them to have a moment at some point and feel a bit disappointed to have never seen it.
Bobby has been deeply hurt in the past and looks askance at any charlatan claiming to have "powers". This obviously causes Raye to hide a lot from him, but they grow closer as he investigates the murder and protects Raye.
If you are fans of Handeland's Nightcreature series, you might recognize someone appearing later in the book. Since I only recognize the name of the organization and haven't read his/her/their book yet, I'm extremely tempted to go back and continue the other series. But only after I finish reading the other 2 books in the Sisters of the Craft trilogy.
Overall a very enjoyable romance and definitely worth the money to me to buy the next two.
Other's have mentioned the slightly quirky writing style and having to get used to it. Not so much for me. I was halfway into the book before I even noticed. I knew the POV was switching between Raye and Bobby, but it took a while for me to even realize the bigger switch between Raye's first person POV and Bobby's third person POV. If this is the sort of thing that will bother you, I'd definitely take it into consideration before starting this book. But unless it's one of those things that really bugs you, I think most readers will be able to get past it. Personally, it didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. It barely registered. LOL.
Dark haired and adopted into a Scandanavian community makes Raye stand out all on its own. So the fact she sees ghost is something she learned to hide at an early age. No one in New Bergin has ever known about her ability, not her best friend or her adopted parents. One of the things I wished had been addressed more deeply in this book is Raye's relationship with her father. Because of a conversation she overheard as a child, the same conversation that led to her hiding her abilities, she's always held/felt a distance between them. His care and concern for her comes through to the reader, but Raye is genuinely surprised and finds ways to attribute his behavior to other causes. I was really hoping for them to have a moment at some point and feel a bit disappointed to have never seen it.
Bobby has been deeply hurt in the past and looks askance at any charlatan claiming to have "powers". This obviously causes Raye to hide a lot from him, but they grow closer as he investigates the murder and protects Raye.
If you are fans of Handeland's Nightcreature series, you might recognize someone appearing later in the book. Since I only recognize the name of the organization and haven't read his/her/their book yet, I'm extremely tempted to go back and continue the other series. But only after I finish reading the other 2 books in the Sisters of the Craft trilogy.
Overall a very enjoyable romance and definitely worth the money to me to buy the next two.
July 8, 2015
Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over
This book is solidly two interrelated stories: one a love story and the other urban fantasy with ghosts, witches, and evil hunters. I enjoyed both, but my favorite was the witch story.
The complexities of being an outsider in a small town because Raye’s adopted then further because she has the ability to see and speak with ghosts were wonderful. The little side stories like Stafford the ghost with his mischief and how the children could see him too gave the story an unexpected depth. This only grew as Bobby, the lawman from out of town come to help investigate an unusual murder, turned out to have his own hauntings.
Raye’s connection with her world and how matter of fact she’s become about it was fun while her attraction to Bobby was strong from the start, as was her determination to avoid letting him know what she could do. I liked how she balanced hiding her ability with helping the ghosts she saw. She might have wished to be normal, but she didn’t use that as an excuse to ignore those in need, live or not. Everyone kind of knew she had something special going on, but they didn’t make a big deal out of it or they’d have to face it. Like when she gives a clue and the sheriff shrugs and accepts it, saying only Raye knows things.
The one piece that didn’t work as well for me was the danger. It didn’t fit the rest of the tone and happened so quickly it never felt pressing. However, that’s as much a bonus as a detriment to my mind.
This could have been just another serial killer story. It’s not.
In the Air Tonight is more complicated and more interesting than “just” anything in part because it is full of well-drawn people. It also doesn’t dwell on the gore beyond necessary clues, and trust me, there’s gore to be had if Handeland wanted to go in that direction.
The sex is explicit, but only to a normal contemporary romance level and fits the situation nicely. Bobby offers Raye something she’s never had: a lover she didn’t grow up with. As much as she’s determined to see him as a fling, it’s clear there’s more to them than that.
So, interesting characters, good environment, and fun events. Yes, I’m looking forward to the next one.
P.S. I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
This book is solidly two interrelated stories: one a love story and the other urban fantasy with ghosts, witches, and evil hunters. I enjoyed both, but my favorite was the witch story.
The complexities of being an outsider in a small town because Raye’s adopted then further because she has the ability to see and speak with ghosts were wonderful. The little side stories like Stafford the ghost with his mischief and how the children could see him too gave the story an unexpected depth. This only grew as Bobby, the lawman from out of town come to help investigate an unusual murder, turned out to have his own hauntings.
Raye’s connection with her world and how matter of fact she’s become about it was fun while her attraction to Bobby was strong from the start, as was her determination to avoid letting him know what she could do. I liked how she balanced hiding her ability with helping the ghosts she saw. She might have wished to be normal, but she didn’t use that as an excuse to ignore those in need, live or not. Everyone kind of knew she had something special going on, but they didn’t make a big deal out of it or they’d have to face it. Like when she gives a clue and the sheriff shrugs and accepts it, saying only Raye knows things.
The one piece that didn’t work as well for me was the danger. It didn’t fit the rest of the tone and happened so quickly it never felt pressing. However, that’s as much a bonus as a detriment to my mind.
This could have been just another serial killer story. It’s not.
In the Air Tonight is more complicated and more interesting than “just” anything in part because it is full of well-drawn people. It also doesn’t dwell on the gore beyond necessary clues, and trust me, there’s gore to be had if Handeland wanted to go in that direction.
The sex is explicit, but only to a normal contemporary romance level and fits the situation nicely. Bobby offers Raye something she’s never had: a lover she didn’t grow up with. As much as she’s determined to see him as a fling, it’s clear there’s more to them than that.
So, interesting characters, good environment, and fun events. Yes, I’m looking forward to the next one.
P.S. I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
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