Nora Roberts – Three Sister’s Island Series

Nora Roberts – Three Sister’s Island Series

In the year 1692 during the Salem witch trials three witch sisters (Known as: Air, Earth, Fire) left to avoid persecution. They formed an island where they were safe, but longed for companionship.  Each sister made fatal mistakes and a curse was formed, when the descendents of the Sister’s Three are all on the island once again they each must face their fear and conquers it or the island will disappear back into the ocean.  In the year 2001 the descendents of the Sister’s Three are all once again on the island and danger closely follows now all three women must make the decisions of their lives!

Book 1:

Dance Upon the Air– Zach Todd and Nell Channing

Nell Channing arrives on Three Sisters Island after being on the run for 8 months. She felt compelled to head east from the west coast and to this spot in particular. Nell used to be Helen who is “officially” dead; she died because she was warned that death was the only way she would get rid of her husband of three years. When Nell arrives at Three Sisters she immediately feels at home, she visits the Café Book where she immediately is able to procure a job running the Café as well as a home thanks to the owner of the store Mia, who becomes an instant friend. Mia is like the sister she never had.  It is through Mia that Nell finds out that she is more than just a plain woman, but is also a descendent of the Three and a is a witch.  Zachariah Todd is the Sheriff of Three Sisters Island and his sister Ripley is the Deputy; a Todd has been the Sisters Law Enforcement going back five generations. When Zach sees Nell in the café he is instantly charmed, how could be not be with a smile as wide and genuine as Nell’s.  He decides that he should get to know her better regardless of her feelings on the matter. When Nell learns that Zach is the island Sheriff she decides that he is a man to avoid, she wants no trouble and wants to fly under the radar of the law, after all Nell Channing doesn’t actually exist. Besides romance is the last thing on her mind, she’s just happy to be free and can do anything she wants how she wants.  Zach does not give up and soon a romance blooms, but soon Nell’s past is going to catch up with her. When it does will Nell lose everything she has worked so hard for or even her life, only for real this time…

Nora Roberts has always had a gift of being able to snare a reader with the first page and this book is no different. She creates characters that you grow to care about and want to see good happen to.  After all that Nell has been through you want to see her find a great man to settle down with and create a home for herself. And Zach is just that man; Zach is just that man that every woman can see herself settling down with he is caring, thoughtful, protective and just enough Man’s Man to make sure he isn’t wimpy. An atmosphere is created that you almost feel like you are there with the characters and this book will have you on the edge of your seat at the end!

Book 2:

Heaven and Earth – MacAllister Booke and Ripley Todd

Ripley HATES all things supernatural, she thinks it’s all a crock of … not even when she is alone can she admit what stirs within her. Ripley and Mia used to be the best of friends casting spells together, gossiping, and swimming during the summers, than something happens and Ripley cut herself off from all things magic, including Mia. Now things have been set in motion and Ripley wants no part of a stupid legend. MacAllister Booke LOVES everything supernatural, and since he is filthy rich he can indulge himself to his heart’s content.  That indulgence is what brought him to the island, he heard of the curse and the islands practicing witch. What he didn’t expect was Ripley a headstrong, feisty, opinionated supernatural hater with a lot of power. MacAllister is a self proclaimed geek and proud, so Ripley has no idea why she is so attracted to him, he is so not her usual type. Against her better judgment Ripley decides to engage in a fling with MacAllister while he is on the island, after all this fling has to have an expiration date on it, doesn’t it? As things escalate on the island both regarding her “relationship” with MacAllister and with the curse Ripley must make impossible decisions and she is scared she will make the wrong decisions for everyone involved.

I highly enjoy Ripely and MacAllister!  I love an opinionated, headstrong, smart a** of a woman. One that is not easy intimidated and is usually the intimidator. Ripley is full of fire!  I am also a sucker for a brilliant man who knows how smart he is and if he is sexy, even better!  The clash between Ripley and MacAllister is highly entertaining as they battle for the power position in the relationship. Watching Ripley struggle with herself and her power nail biting, you want her to make the right decision but fear to the very end that she will not be able to. This one comes down to the very wire!

Book 3:

Face the Fire – Sam Logan and Mia Devlin

Mia was burned by Sam once before, they were childhood sweethearts.  Their passion burned bright and hot! Into his first year of college Sam starts to feel smothered not only by Mia and his overwhelming feelings for her but by his family obligations as well. Not able to handle it all at the age of 19 Sam breaks up with Mia crushing her heart so badly that years later she is still unwilling to give her heart to another and especially not Sam.  After all these years Sam blows back into town, he is older now and knows what he wants…. Mia. What he doesn’t know is how to win her back when she is determined to keep him at a distance, only problem is she can’t. The curse is hanging over Mia’s head and she knows that she is next and that it will be coming after her more aggressively than with her sisters, and she cannot deny Sam’s part in the curse or that she may need his help!

Anyone who has ever had their heart broken can defiantly feel for Mia, her desire to not be hurt again and to keep Sam at a distance is something we have all probably felt at one time or another. She is also a strong, motivated woman with a deep sense of responsibility. She is very protective of her loved ones and will do anything she can for them. Sam is hard to resist; he as a wiggling his way into your heart even though you want to dislike him for what he did to Mia, but like with her he gets in any way. This novel is an exciting conclusion to the series you will have felt like you knew every one of the characters like they have become one of your friends. I hated to see the end!

Johanna Lindsey – A Heart So Wild

A Heart So Wild: Chandos and Courtney Harte
 
Summary:
The year 1873, Kansas territory:
Courtney and her Step-Mother were stranded in Kansas 4 years earlier after an Indian attack where her father was presumed dead, his body was never found and the other men were brutally killed for their transactions against the Comanche. In that same attack Courtney’s life was spared by one of the fearsome Comanche warriors.  Now four years later Courtney is still in Rockley, Kansas working in the local hotel when a disturbing and compelling man comes through town and saves her from a horrible fate. Chandos spared Courtney’s life four years earlier (although she does not know that was him) in his and his fellow warriors attack against the farmer that was participated in raid that left his mother and young sister brutally raped and murdered. Now four years later he is still thinking about his cat eyes when he is compelled to stop through Rockley, Kansas to see if she is still there. Courtney has grown into a beautiful young woman that most of the men of Rockley are pursuing, that same beauty causes Chandos to have to save her once more from a gunslinger who tries to take her. Later that evening Courtney sees a newspaper from Waco, Texas where she sees a picture of her father that she thought was dead.  Courtney begs Chandos to take her to Texas, she figures he saved her once so he would be perfect to take her 100’s of miles across hostile territory. Chandos very reluctantly agrees to take her against his better judgment. So begins these two’s journey across 100’s of miles of desert and Indian Territory where they are followed/attacked by bounty hunters, gunslingers, Indians, and wildlife!

Chandos:
Chandos has been thinking about his cat eyes for four years, now he knows her name is Courtney. The once girl that reminded him of his sister so he spared his life has now turned into a beautiful young woman. He is cursing himself for ever agreeing to take her to Waco, Texas the one place he told himself he would never return to, there is someone there that he never wants to see again.  They are not long into their journey when Chandos realizes he is never going to be able to keep his hands off of Courtney for the duration of this journey but damnit he sure is going to try. Chandos is haunted by his mother and sisters spirits, they cannot rest until they are avenged and he will not rest until he has gotten that revenge which is what he was working on when he agreed to take Courtney to Texas. Two men left and finally his mother and sister will be at peace…

Courtney:
Courtney has been stuck in the god awful cow town of Rockley, Kansas for too long! Now that there is a possibility that her father is alive there is no way she is not going to go after him. Courtney knows Chandos the strange man that saved her life would be the perfect person to escort her to Waco; he has already shown that he can protect her if the need arises. What she doesn’t realize is who is going to protect her from him?! They are not long into their journey when Courtney realizes just how wildly attracted to Chandos she is and if he doesn’t touch her soon she just might die if the journey doesn’t do it first. The journey to Waco was not a peaceful one, it was very turbulent but Chandos was always there to protect her, in the process he just may have stolen her heart.

Review:
I adore this book! It is one of my all-time fav’s! Courtney retains some of her insecurities from when she was younger as a rather plump child, even though is quite beautiful now. I think that this really helps to make Courtney real, every women has insecurities so it is something that anyone can relate to. Chandos is that tall, dark, intense, strong silent type that is every woman’s down fall. That man you love to hate and you know you should stay away from but like a moth to the flame there you are caught up in the whirlwind. These two together are perfect and intense; you will be caught up in the journey with them. There is enough action that you will never be bored.

Rating:
5 orchids out of 5