Magnolia Mystic
by Lisa Kessler
Series: Sentinels Of Savannah, #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: July 23, 2018
Skye Olson is a psychic like her mother, and her grandmother before her, but a bad break up with the man she thought was her soulmate has left her confidence in her abilities shaken. While she's in crisis, a real estate tycoon from Atlanta swoops in with his eyes on her shop.
Colton Hayes spent his mortal life plundering royal ships with his pirate crew, but one holy relic changed everything. Now he and the rest of the crew protect the port of Savannah from their captain who traded his cutlass for a fountain pen.
When Colton discovers the captain wants to build a hotel in the heart of historic Savannah, he sets out to stop him, but nothing could prepare him for the sexy smile and violet eyes of the Magnolia Mystic.
“Tour’s up on the bow.” A tall shadow fell over her.
She didn’t take her eyes off the river. “I know, thanks.”
His boots thumped on the deck behind her. “I wasn’t givin’ directions.”
She sighed and glanced over her shoulder. Her gaze traveled up his body, way up, to focus on his dark eyes. “I just need a minute."
He shook his head, crossing his tan muscled arms over his broad chest. “Plenty of minutes are available with the tour. This area’s off-limits.”
He was just doing his job, but her tolerance for men was at an all-time low at the moment. “I’m not going to touch anything.”
His eyes moved to her feet and back to her face. “Seems you already are.”
Heat burned in her cheeks. “What is it with you men thinking you can just make a law and judge us when we question it?” She jammed the ring in the pocket of her jeans. “I’m sick of your shit. So if you want me to move, you’ll have to do it yourself.”
He raised a brow. “You finished?”
His calm only fueled the tempest inside her. “No, actually, I don’t think I am.” She matched his posture: chest out, arms crossed. “My family’s been in Savannah since it was settled. I know the pirate stories, and I didn’t buy a ticket for a tour and ‘swearing in’ ceremony under the pirate mast. Forgive me for wanting a few minutes peace with the Savannah River.”
He pointed to a sign.
Area is for Crew Only
A spark lit in his eyes. “If you’d been sworn in, you might be able to sway me to let you stay.”
She blew out a frustrated breath, her hands falling to her sides. “Look, I just wanted to toss my engagement ring into the river without getting arrested for littering. I figured no one would see me from up here.”
He relaxed his stance a little. “Must be an idiot to allow a fiery lass like you to get away.”
“Please don’t get flirty.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m not in the mood.”
A hint of a smile curved his lips. “Wasn’t flirtin’, just stating a fact.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Speaking of facts, you should pawn the ring. Feedin’ gold to the fish won’t cure heartache.”
She didn’t take her eyes off the river. “I know, thanks.”
His boots thumped on the deck behind her. “I wasn’t givin’ directions.”
She sighed and glanced over her shoulder. Her gaze traveled up his body, way up, to focus on his dark eyes. “I just need a minute."
He shook his head, crossing his tan muscled arms over his broad chest. “Plenty of minutes are available with the tour. This area’s off-limits.”
He was just doing his job, but her tolerance for men was at an all-time low at the moment. “I’m not going to touch anything.”
His eyes moved to her feet and back to her face. “Seems you already are.”
Heat burned in her cheeks. “What is it with you men thinking you can just make a law and judge us when we question it?” She jammed the ring in the pocket of her jeans. “I’m sick of your shit. So if you want me to move, you’ll have to do it yourself.”
He raised a brow. “You finished?”
His calm only fueled the tempest inside her. “No, actually, I don’t think I am.” She matched his posture: chest out, arms crossed. “My family’s been in Savannah since it was settled. I know the pirate stories, and I didn’t buy a ticket for a tour and ‘swearing in’ ceremony under the pirate mast. Forgive me for wanting a few minutes peace with the Savannah River.”
He pointed to a sign.
Area is for Crew Only
A spark lit in his eyes. “If you’d been sworn in, you might be able to sway me to let you stay.”
She blew out a frustrated breath, her hands falling to her sides. “Look, I just wanted to toss my engagement ring into the river without getting arrested for littering. I figured no one would see me from up here.”
He relaxed his stance a little. “Must be an idiot to allow a fiery lass like you to get away.”
“Please don’t get flirty.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m not in the mood.”
A hint of a smile curved his lips. “Wasn’t flirtin’, just stating a fact.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Speaking of facts, you should pawn the ring. Feedin’ gold to the fish won’t cure heartache.”
Prepare to set sail on another adventure from Lisa Kessler! This quick read was fun and did the perfect job of setting the backdrop for the series.
I just loved Skye and Colton. Skye is suffering from a crisis in confidence. She’s always had faith in her psychic abilities, but after a bad ending with her ex, she is doubting herself, especially in matters of the heart. Colton has been going through the motions, he’s alive but not really living…until he recognizes Skye as the woman who may be the one that a witch prophesized about years ago. These two were all sorts of fun together, especially when Skye would get Colton all flustered and/or hot and bothered and he would forget his modern-day persona and slip back into his pirate life.
There were so many things throughout this book that had me wondering how things will play out in the series. The author always does a fabulous job setting up future books and adding just enough “hmmm, wonder how that will factor into this” moments when she writes, and I’m certain that will be the case with this series as well. There seems to be quite a few things that connect Skye to this group of pirates, and knowing there must be more to the story with Colton and the crew and their old captain has me looking forward to unraveling all the secrets in this series.She rocked her hips into him and gasped. “Do you have a sleeping cabin on this boat?”
His teeth brushed her ear. “Yes.”
“Do you have protection?”
Her question didn’t register through the haze of his hunger for her. “Cannons, a cutlass, and a few pistols.”
She chuckled and kissed him again. “How about condoms?”
“Oh.” He would’ve smacked his forehead but dropping her wasn’t option. “Yeah, I think I do.”
I’ve not read many pirate books and love the idea of bringing this group into current day times and the lore that surrounds that happening. There wasn’t a lot of surprise that Colton and Skye would end up together, but all the supporting parts of their story did a great job laying the foundation for all the twists and turns that I expect this series to have. Add in the wonderful writing and character dialogue that I have come to expect from Lisa Kessler, and this is definitely a series I am 100% invested in already!
This is a very short read that leaves a lot of unanswered questions, but the main characters do get their HEA within the series arc that has been set up. Another great read from Lisa Kessler that I highly recommend.
Lisa Kessler is a Best Selling author of dark paranormal fiction. She’s a two-time San Diego Book Award winner for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror and Best Published Romance. Her books have also won the PRISM award, the Award of Excellence, the National Excellence in Romantic Fiction Award, the Award of Merit from the Holt Medallion, and an International Digital Award for Best Paranormal.
Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.
When she’s not writing, Lisa is a professional vocalist, and has performed with San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in San Diego.
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