"The Magical Sisters series continues in this Christmas tale"

Ms. Feehan's enchanting new Magical Sisters series continues in this story, and is sure to delight one and all.

Kate Drake is one of seven sisters, gifted with incredible magical gifts. Her gift is in her voice -- the ability to soothe the souls of people in distress with only her words. She has returned to her home town, just in time to celebrate Christmas, and enjoy the annual Christmas pageant, with her family and friends. Little does she know what fate has in store for her this holiday season.

Matt Granite is a retired Army Ranger who has recently returned home to take part in the family business. He has loved Kate for years, but figured she was too "perfect" to ever be interested in a man like him, especially since he had a tendency to act clumsy in her presence, much to the amusement of his brothers. When Kate asks him to do some work for her in a run-down mill she intends to turn into a bookstore, he jumps at the chance to spend more time with her. What he doesn't know is she has always felt the same way for him.

While they are inspecting the building, they find an old crypt in the basement, which seems to have been opened by a recent earthquake, allowing something better kept imprisoned to escape. Suddenly Kate feels that an old evil has been freed, something dreadful with plans to ruin Christmas. Its first desire seems to be to destroy Kate, and her family. Matt wants nothing more than to protect his love from the entity set on destruction. Now all seven sisters must join their powers to stop this being once and for all, before it destroys Christmas, her town and family, and her new-found love.

Is there nothing the incomparable Ms. Feehan can't write? Once again she has proven herself a master of the paranormal romance genre. She is always pushing the envelope with new stories bound to become keepers for all of her fans, as well as to bring in new ones. Her voice is as fresh as ever, proving her imagination is far from tapped out. This book is very different from most of her other works, while still showing strong her trademark voice.

Matt and Kate are meant to be together, if only they can get past their doubts. Sparks are evident from their first meeting in the story, igniting rapidly into the 5-alarm blaze their passion develops into. Both are amazed by this, never having believed anything could come of their love for each other. Plenty of humor still can be found, even in the midst of such a dark tale. It is provided by the antics of Mike's brothers, and a couple of Kate's sisters, as they harass the couple, and other family friends. There is also evidence of a couple blossoming relationships between some of the other characters, possibly to be developed in future books in the series.

The action is well-developed and perfectly paced to keep the reader waiting with baited breath. The anticipation builds, with Kate and her sisters' victory becomes more imperative as the malevolent entity grows in strength, all the while wearing their own strengths down. Events spiral up and around, leading into the ultimate confrontation, which is not quite what the reader is expecting, but guaranteed to please.

This book has it all, with a fiery romance, abundant humor, plenty of action, and a satisfying ending, leaving the reader begging for more. One will be happy to know, the story does not end here... it is only beginning.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, September 2003. All rights reserved.

Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell
Courtesy Love Romances
Posted October 25, 2003

Seven sisters...
and a legacy of magical secrets.

Summary

Bestselling novelist Kate Drake is one of seven sisters gifted with amazing powers of witchcraft. Returning home in time for her northern California town's annual Christmas pageant, Kate catches the spirit of the season and decides to open a bookstore in a charming but run-down historic mill. Decorated former U.S. Army Ranger Matt Granite, now a local contractor, doesn't mind working in the undeniably eerie house-not if it means getting closer to Kate. There's something about the quiet, sensual woman that powerfully attracts him.

When an earthquake cracks the mill's foundation and reveals a burial crypt, Kate senses that a centuries- old evil has been unleashed...and that it's coming after her. Though Matt vows to guard her from dusk till dawn, Kate knows she will have to summon all of her and her sisters' powers to battle the darkness threatening to destroy both Christmas and the gift of soul-searing passion her hometown hero wants her to keep forever....