
Series: Books of the Kindling #3
Published by Samhain Publishing on January 20, 2015
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 305

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I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Sticks and stones may threaten bones, but her words can conquer both body and soul.
During his law enforcement career, Sheriff Jake Moser has been called to Woodruff Mountain a few times to deal with some rather weird situations. Now, recovering from a bullet wound that should have killed him and fending off his mother’s ravings about the evil that lurks on the mountain, he’s making alternate career plans.
Just as those plans begin to take shape, someone starts kidnapping newborn babies, then returning them unharmed. To make things even more interesting, an irritating adversary from his past has returned to bedevil him in a whole new, delightful way.
After her erratic psychic gift forced her to abandon her home and a promising musical career, Thea Woodruff has spent years trying, unsuccessfully, to atone for the death of Becca Moser, Jake’s sister. Once she has mourned those she’s lost and apologized to those she’s failed, she intends to flee her mountain once again.
Jake would rather she stay to compose a new tune—with him. But their complicated harmony reveals a guilty secret that threatens not only their future, but their lives…
Warning: A temperamental flute-player returns to torment an old flame, but he has other ideas, and the music they make together is combustible—and magical.
Woodruff Mountain is alive and still affecting the people it cares about most. Sheriff Jake Moser is used to the unusual happenings on the mountain and takes them in stride. He never really examines them too closely to admit that what happens up there is anything other than bad luck. After taking a gunshot wound and having the time to work on his music, where his heart really lies, he is unsure of his return to law enforcement. Then when Thea returns and the magic their music creates is still there, he is determined to keep that alive. I was rooting for Jake to get through to Thea so hard! The magic of the music was mesmerizing!
Thea is ready to move on. She’s left her job, and is determined that her stop on the mountain is just a pit stop on her way to a new life. She’s been sheltered away and her abilities have been used by others for so long that she’s had it. She is really trying not to put down any roots, but her family, Jake and the mountain work at her resolve. It was so frustrating that Thea believed her abilities did nothing but hurt people. She was a little hard headed about it and I just wanted her to see that she could control it and make it work positively. The mountain wouldn’t have given her something evil.
I found the baby-snatching storyline kind of in the background while Jake and Thea built their relationship a little more. Jake is concerned, and can’t help but stick his nose in, but not enough to jump back into being Sheriff. The kidnappings are so bizarre, they didn’t make sense for the longest time, which really had me puzzled. They just seemed like one lone serial crime. Once things all started piecing together, the whole picture is revealed and it brings the whole Woodruff family and their friends to get to the bottom of it. The story’s resolution ended up being way different than I expected which makes for a great mystery.
I really enjoyed Making Magic. It had a sweet romance but also the excitement and mystery of the mountain. I loved revisiting previous characters and I felt very satisfied and relieved for everyone at the end. Yet another tear jerker. Why, Donna June Cooper, do you do that to me?!
Reading this book contributed to these challenges: