Title: Heat of the Moment
Series: Sisters of the Craft (#2)
Author: Lori Handeland
From: Netgalley
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 30th June 2015
Challenges: 2016 Blogger Shame, 2016 Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge, 2016 Reading Assignment, 2016 Prequel & Sequel Challenge (2 points)
Links: Goodreads - Amazon
Synopsis (from Goodreads): A spell that tore three sisters apart is broken four hundred years later, when the magic in their blood reunites them. Now, one of them will discover her gift—and reignite a love long thought lost…Flame-haired Becca Carstairs was born to be a veterinarian. Since childhood, her affinity for animals has been special, and her healing touch nothing short of magic. But only Becca knows the truth—that she alone can hear the creatures’ voices. She’s always trusted her sixth sense… until a string of missing pets, an attempted murder, and a face from her past converge into one explosive mystery, with her at its center. Is haunted Owen McAllister, the boy who broke her heart ten years ago, related to the sinister crimes that have peaceful Three Harbors, Wisconsin, on its guard? Or is his reappearance part of the answer to questions that have troubled her all her life? As Becca delves into her strange heritage, she’ll have to fight for her life… and the man she will always love.
While Heat of the Moment contains a standalone couple, there were links to the previous book (In the Air Tonight) and important information linked the two books. However it has been a long time since I read In the Air Tonight but it was easy to remember what happened once I'd started Heat of the Moment. This review may contain minor spoilers.
I really liked Becca, she was a strong female character who didn't take her life for granted. She had an affinity for animals which meant that she heard their thoughts, and while she learnt as a child not to express that, it didn't stop it happening. As a qualified vet, she's well known and respected in the community, which made her interactions with other characters seem natural.
Her relationship with Owen was complicated by history, and the more was revealed about that the more I felt sorry for the young couple they'd been. While they'd both been hurt by the seperation, at first it seemed like completely Owen's fault, though when the truth was revealed it showed that that wasn't quite the case.
I liked that characters from the previous book, including Raye, Bobby, Pru and Henry, were included in the story, and not just on the periphary. They were an integral part of the book and the plot. It was good seeing Raye again and seeing how she and Bobby had progressed in their relationships.
There were a couple of mysteries in Heat of the Moment, one was who sacrificed the animals and set off the chain of events for the whole book, and one was who attempted murder. I had the latter right by the time the reveal came along, but was somewhat surprised when the former was revealed.
The only thing that made me stumble on this book was the first time the POV shifted. Other than a break in the text there wasn't really anything that signified it had happened (it was first person POV for Becca and third person for Owen) but once I was used to it it was really only a minor thing.
This was an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to finding out how it all ends in the final book.
Series: Sisters of the Craft (#2)
Author: Lori Handeland
From: Netgalley
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 30th June 2015
Challenges: 2016 Blogger Shame, 2016 Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge, 2016 Reading Assignment, 2016 Prequel & Sequel Challenge (2 points)
Links: Goodreads - Amazon
Synopsis (from Goodreads): A spell that tore three sisters apart is broken four hundred years later, when the magic in their blood reunites them. Now, one of them will discover her gift—and reignite a love long thought lost…Flame-haired Becca Carstairs was born to be a veterinarian. Since childhood, her affinity for animals has been special, and her healing touch nothing short of magic. But only Becca knows the truth—that she alone can hear the creatures’ voices. She’s always trusted her sixth sense… until a string of missing pets, an attempted murder, and a face from her past converge into one explosive mystery, with her at its center. Is haunted Owen McAllister, the boy who broke her heart ten years ago, related to the sinister crimes that have peaceful Three Harbors, Wisconsin, on its guard? Or is his reappearance part of the answer to questions that have troubled her all her life? As Becca delves into her strange heritage, she’ll have to fight for her life… and the man she will always love.
While Heat of the Moment contains a standalone couple, there were links to the previous book (In the Air Tonight) and important information linked the two books. However it has been a long time since I read In the Air Tonight but it was easy to remember what happened once I'd started Heat of the Moment. This review may contain minor spoilers.
I really liked Becca, she was a strong female character who didn't take her life for granted. She had an affinity for animals which meant that she heard their thoughts, and while she learnt as a child not to express that, it didn't stop it happening. As a qualified vet, she's well known and respected in the community, which made her interactions with other characters seem natural.
Her relationship with Owen was complicated by history, and the more was revealed about that the more I felt sorry for the young couple they'd been. While they'd both been hurt by the seperation, at first it seemed like completely Owen's fault, though when the truth was revealed it showed that that wasn't quite the case.
I liked that characters from the previous book, including Raye, Bobby, Pru and Henry, were included in the story, and not just on the periphary. They were an integral part of the book and the plot. It was good seeing Raye again and seeing how she and Bobby had progressed in their relationships.
There were a couple of mysteries in Heat of the Moment, one was who sacrificed the animals and set off the chain of events for the whole book, and one was who attempted murder. I had the latter right by the time the reveal came along, but was somewhat surprised when the former was revealed.
The only thing that made me stumble on this book was the first time the POV shifted. Other than a break in the text there wasn't really anything that signified it had happened (it was first person POV for Becca and third person for Owen) but once I was used to it it was really only a minor thing.
This was an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to finding out how it all ends in the final book.
