Making Sense

Sensual Healing #2

by Serenity Woods

A contemporary romance with a supernatural twist, from a USA Today bestselling author

Previously published by Samhain Publishing.

Only she has the power to heal his heart…

Freya Fletcher’s ambition to use her nursing skills abroad remains a distant dream while her father’s gambling debts eat into her measly savings. Bound by her job and family responsibilities, she grows desperate to find a way to escape.

Nate Taylor is a man on the run, hiding from the life he left behind when he came to Wellington. Following a car accident at fourteen, he developed the ability to heal, but the memory of a boy he couldn’t save continues to haunt him. He doesn’t believe he deserves to be loved, but the gorgeous Freya provides a temptation he cannot refuse.

Neither of them want a relationship, but one night in a thunderstorm soon develops into a fling. Before long, lust turns to love, but only when they’re able to break free of their pasts will they be able to heal and move forward to a life together.

Warning: contains a hero with hot hands, sexy scenes in a thunderstorm, and a touch of the Twilight Zone.

*

Reviews include:

"I thoroughly enjoyed reading it... Making Sense had a great cast of characters. The sense of family and community really enhanced the story for me. I loved the little touches of paranormal that only added to the overall plot instead of usurping it. Making Sense was full of laughter and fun, but had a lot of heart too." 5 hearts from Sizzling Hot Book Reviews

5 stars from Long and Short Reviews
4 stars and a "True Gem" Award from Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
4 stars from Musings from an Addicted Reader
4 stars from Muse Unleashed
Recommended Read by Harlies Books

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Paranormal, Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, Erotica

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 4, 2012

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Serenity Woods writes emotionally warm billionaire romance with luxury, escapism, and breathtaking New Zealand settings. Her books combine warmth, wit, and wanderlust with unforgettable happily-ever-afters.

Reviews

[Saly]

3.25 stars
This was a decent book with two characters that had too much of parental baggage they had yet to deal with. What starts off as one-night only morphs into more. I felt they jumped into "love" too quickly.

[Simply Love Book Reviews]

Amanda's review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

4 Stars

Making Sense by Serenity Woods is book 2 in her Sensual Healing series. It is a story of healing and sensual attraction about Freya and Nate. You meet both these characters in book 1, An Uncommon Sense, but nothing more than a brief glance to see that there was an attraction between the two. I like this series because it’s nothing like I’ve read before and it is a welcome to read something refreshingly new. I also like the fact that the author is from New Zealand and the dialogue and sayings are different from American authors. I may not be used to the slang, but I get the gist of it, and I liked it.

Nate is the manager for Ash Rutherford, the very popular Medium, and is leading a very quiet existence in the background. He came to Ash’s show years ago, was taken in by him, and was given a chance to heal. When you are a teen you trust your parents to know what is best for you, but when they take advantage of you and what you have as a gift, what do you do when it all goes wrong? Nate has gotten to a good point in his life and has made progress. Yet he still needs to come to terms with his past and stop hiding from it in order to move forward. I liked Nate’s character because he learns more about his healing powers and still wants to help but on his terms. He’s grown up in some ways but it still tentative to go forward on his own.

Freya is a girl I admire and had a quiet strength about her. She is a nurse at the hospital and has a plan for her future. However, she too has to move from her parents hold on her, but also feels she is too weak to say no. She made up her mind that she wanted her life to take a different path from her sisters and she took the steps to make that happen. When she thinks she is making progress on The Plan her mother calls or texts and it takes a setback. Her father’s gambling addiction and the loss of money puts her on the spot and she bails them out over and over again. She wants to stop the cycle but somehow can’t take the steps to do it.

Nate and Freya are both dealing with parents and situations that have to be resolved before either of them can move on with their life. They both say that neither wants a relationship, that they both are stretched emotionally and can’t devote the time into a relationship, but it doesn’t stop the sexual attraction. It took just one kiss and they knew they couldn’t stay away from each other. Thank goodness for that because their sex scenes were sizzling hot and made me feel all warm and tingly inside. The pace of their meetings wasn’t forced and neither planned for their sex to happen, but it happens nonetheless. Once Freya and Nate explain their pasts and all their secrets are out there is no judgment, no ridicule, no recoil but understanding. That was a well written scene when it is all unfolded and my hats off to Serenity for keeping it real between them.

Making Sense is a story of moving on. They may not have intended to fall in love with one another but they both see that they belong together. It was good seeing characters from book 1 like Grace, Ash, Jodi and Mia. This story may have been a bit more subdued mood to it, but it was the right amount of playful, light scenes and serious and somber moments. It can be read as a standalone story but why would you do that? If you are looking for a story with a paranormal twist, then I would recommend Making Sense and look forward to Talking Sense in 2013.

Review copy provided for an honest review.

[Tamara]

Really cute! full review @http://www.sizzlinghotbooks.net/2012/...

[Tanja Glavnik]

The only reason I'm docking one star is because I felt the ending, on Nate's side, was too rushed and much too simplified. While of course I applaud and cheer the fact that love wins the day, and that the book was at length to finish, I feel that it was such a significant bump in the road that just a 'eureka!' moment didn't cover it.

Still, everything else, however? Yes, please!

[Lori]

Review to come

[Ness]

SF library ebook - 4 stars

Freya (25) - Nurse
Nate (?) - Ash's manager & singer/guitarist

"I'd throw my underwear at him," Freya said, eyeing the singer on the stage, "but I'm not wearing any."

That was the first line of the book. I rarely read books in a day, but with this one I did! It was just a fun, easy read. I forgot that this series was based in New Zealand, and they made a reference to Waitangi Day, which is such a coincidence because I went to a Waitangi Day Dinner on the weekend. The characters in my head didn't have kiwi accents though =p

Not your typical romance but really enjoyable. I loved the friendship between the ladies, full of banter, love and support. The interactions between Freya and Nate were fun the read as they fell into lust. Their first kiss, wowzer.

Mia had some funny lines lol. Can't wait to read her story next!

[Karen Wood]

Nate Taylor has built a formidable wall around himself. A gift or a curse, his ability to heal has left him unable to trust or commit to anyone. Then Freya Fletcher enters his life. She isn't looking for a relationship, nor is she the type to rush into intimacy, but something about Nate makes her want to throw caution to the wind. What begins as two people finding solace in each other after a difficult night leads them both to wonder if it's possible to depend on another as an anchor.



This is a beautiful story. Both Nate and Freya are wounded souls striving for freedom, yet they find themselves at a stalemate. Freya's background is fascinating; she is portrayed as a confident woman, except when it comes to her family. Nate is a swoon-worthy hero; despite his faults, there is something incredibly endearing about him. An excellent read.

[Victoria Sturlini]

WONDERFUL STORY.

This was a beautiful story. It was about love, communication and acceptance of the fragility of all of us and how we are highly effected by those that are supposed to love and care about us the most. I really enjoyed the way Freya and Nate connected with each other. Right from the start they were able to be honest with each other and build a good solid foundation of friendship, support and true love. This was a very undue book.... It was sexy, romantic and sweet but also at the same time taught life lessons that could be helpful to the readers and worth pondering. I highly recommend this wonderful book!

[Rachel Snushall]

A must read!

I don't think Serenity Woods is capable of writing a bad book. I've read most of them now, lots of them twice, but I've only just discovered the Sensual Healing trilogy. Great stories as always, these ones with the fascinating twist of things beyond our understanding and liberally peppered with the sort of sex that most of us romance readers would give our eye teeth to experience on a regular basis!

[Mary Willard]

A welcome continuation of the characters in an Uncommon Sense. Im glad to see that Freya gets her own man who is not only Ash’s best friend and business manager but who has a secret of his own which he is only willing to share with the right woman. A strong, intelligent, caring woman who will stand beside him as he deals with his past as he will do for her to get her out from under the influence of her manipulative parents. Love finds a way.

[Andrew]

I usually don’t read paranormal, but this one was interesting. I enjoyed the relationship that was built between the two main characters - Freya and Nate. The strength they gained from working together. How they solved Freya’s real life problems and Nate’s understandable problems.

And of course, everything goes better with some fun filled, passionate sex.

[Michele]

I wanted to be the main character Freya so bad! The connection she and Nate had was electric, and how they leaned on each other to overcome obstacles was inspiring. Serenity Woods writes love stories with nuggets to take into real life. I loved this book!

[Margarette Dibble]

5+ Star's

I was so entangled in the story that I could not stop reading. Well done funny, suspenseful, steamy, romantic story with wonderful characters both male and female.

[Cassey]

Really enjoyed this book in the series, and the characters were lovely.

[Kelly Fountain]

I enjoyed this one more than I did the first. A story of want, passion and healing. It was sweet and beautiful.

[Alice]

Such a fun, interesting series. Serenity never disappoints!

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews]

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.com/bo...

Freya Fletcher longs for a different life, one where she is free to travel, and use her nursing skills to help others. Too bad family responsibilities keep taking all her money, keeping her tied to the one place she’d love to escape. When her friends convince her to take one evening for fun and relaxation at the local bar, she hesitates at first. But once she is there, she is fascinated by one of the band members they came to hear. Nate Taylor has a unique talent, just not with his music. As a young teen, a car accident left him with the power to heal others, and he is on the run from the family that abused that talent and his trust. He isn’t able to handle relationships any more than Freya is, so it seems like the perfect match; two people who just want some no-strings romance and easy-going sex, no talk of happy ever after. The funny thing is, they forgot to tell their hearts, and as the saying goes, life is what happens when you just aren’t looking for anything special. Can Freya stop enabling her father’s gambling and say no to her family? Can Nate come to terms with his past, and move on, making a place in his life for Freya? Or will the weight of their combined responsibilities drive these two fractured souls apart?

Making Sense is Serenity Woods’ second book in her Sensual Healing series and is set in her familiar Australian world, where things are sometimes unseen, but no less real. I like this world, one where people are open for new and different experiences, and you never know if the person next to you is just your regular person or a psychic who talks to the departed. As always, her characters are multi-faceted and well crafted, and are folks who make you laugh and cry in equal measure.

Freya Fletcher is a strong woman, with responsibilities that keep her from fulfilling her dreams. She has a strong sense of family loyalty, but wants more from life than she has gotten so far. When Nate offers a chance at some ‘no-strings’ sex and fun, she accepts, telling herself that it is all she wants in her life. I liked watching as she fell under his spell, and discovered that there was always room in her life for love. I loved watching as Freya grew and found the strength to, finally, tell her family that enough was enough, and that she was finished enabling them. I loved that Nate supported her decision in that.

Nate Taylor is a sensitive, caring man, handsome and a bit of a wounded hero. His family abused his talent for healing, and pushed him to the breaking point. But rather than strike out at them, he just walked away from it all, using his gift quietly, out of the spotlight, with small things. When he meets Freya, he sees in her a kindred spirit, someone he can relax with, and enjoy a ‘no-strings’ relationship with. I liked Nate, with his gentle manners and his caring nature, and loved watching as love sneaked up on him with Freya. I loved his sense of honesty and fair play; at no time did he lead Freya on, and always was up front with her.

The chemistry between Nate and Freya is hot, almost from the first moment they met. I like that there was no hesitation, and that they both head into this with no expectations other than a good time. I enjoyed catching up with the characters from the first book in the series, and look forward to more from this world that Ms. Woods has crafted. The secondary characters deserve to be applauded for their ability to see that these two would have more than either of them expected, and I totally enjoyed watching these two learn about life and love together. This is for all of those who want their romance on the hot side, with some unexplainable powers thrown in. One warning: keep the fan on high, and lots of ice at hand, because, like most of Serenity Woods’ romances, this one goes to scorching quickly and quite often.

[eRomantix]

Originally posted at http://eromantix.com/wordpress/
This is the second full length book in Serenity Woods Sensual Healing series. I didn't read the first book before I embarked on this one. There wasn't any problem following the story line or characters. You do meet the main players from book one. But that was fine it didn't complicate things, as the author explains the relationships. Freya and Nate have this amazing chemistry instantly but are smart enough to know that doesn't necessarily make a relationship.

Both have family issues making a relationship difficult. Freya is supporting her father who is addicted to gambling. She is strong and focused on her future but constantly being pulled back by her family. Nate has been hurt and damaged by his family in the past. I liked Nate's gentle and caring nature. In a genre filled with alpha males Serenity Woods makes Nate seem sensitive while still being manly and so sexy. A refreshing combination.

Both feel like they have nothing to offer a relationship. Casual sex however sounds like just the escapism both of them need. Everybody around them can see that there is much more going on with these two than no strings attached sex. But it takes Freya and Nate longer to see the growing emotions for what it really is, love.

I liked how both where really honest about what they were expecting. Neither where playing with the others emotions, and it seemed like these two would be great friends with out the romance. That always gives you a good feeling about their future. There was a paranormal element to the story, however it didn't take over from the romance which was nice. It was great that when they decided to face their problems they did it together. Once again it made it seem like these two had turned into a team. Supporting each other.

Serenity Woods lives in New Zealand and that is where this book is set. It certainly has a New Zealand flavour and I really liked that. It added a point of difference that made the book more memorable. Book three in the Sensual Healing series Talking Sense is out July 9th 2013. I just might read the first book in the series before that one comes out.

[Melissa Jolley]

We were introduced to Nate and Freya in An Uncommon Sense, and their immediate attraction was very briefly touched on. Now they have their own story. It's a story about forgiveness, moving on and finding your strength. As usual the secondary characters say all the things I would if they were my friends, which is great because I don't have to yell at my book and wake my husband. Beside all this the sex is HOT! (Yes capital letters are deserved) It's bordering on exhibitionist, (even though it's never their intent to be watched or caught.) They just can't keep their hands off one another. I, regretfully, had to stop reading when I was around the half way point, due to too many pressing commitments (Christmas, kids and really late nights). A week later I picked it up again, with no effort remembering what was going on in the story, and finished the rest in one sitting (before life could get in the way again)! Thanks Serenity Woods, looking forward to the next.

[Emily]

Nate Taylor has built a solid wall around himself, a gift or a curse to heal has left him unable to trust or commit to anyone. Enter Freya Fletcher into his life, she is not looking for a relationship nor is she the type to just jump into bed with someone, but something about Nate has her wanting to throw caution to the wind. What starts as two people needing one another after a rough night, ends up with both of them wondering if it’s possible to depend on someone else as you anchor.

I thought this was a beautiful story, both Nate and Freya are wounded souls who are trying to break free but are at a bit of a stalemate. I thought Freya’s background was fascinating and you see her as a confident woman, except when it comes to her family. Nate is a swoon worthy hero, he has faults but even so there is just something endearing about him. Excellent read.

[Marran]

Oh I loved this.. Omg please let me be kissed like that..holy moly that was some smoking hot and sizzling kisses...

Great chemistry and great characters..LOVED IT

[Pamela]

Definitely better than the first.

[LadyTurtel]

Another pleasant, easy read.