More Than Magic

In More Than Magic (Books of the Kindling #1) by Donna June Cooper, Grace inherited more than Woodruff mountain and a herbal business from her grandfather.  She also inherited magic...magic she doesn't necessarily want, magic that scares her and leaves her uncertain.  Her last message from her grandfather also haunts her...there is something wrong with the mountain only she can fix.  A physician now living on Woodruff Mountain running the herbal business and renting cottages on her property, Grace shuts the business side of her life down when events she's not sure she knows the reason for start occurring.  Kept company by her dog and a young child, Jamie, she babysits, Grace is running low on energy and life, filled with unanswered questions.

DEA agent Nick arrives unexpectedly on her property as a writer recovering from illness looking to heal and write.  He is not who he says he is, but for him magic has a whole other meaning - meth on the streets of Atlanta that he is sure is coming from Woodruff Mountain.  Always trusting his gut instincts, as soon as he meets Grace he knows something is not quite right...but what?  She's his prime suspect, but his gut is screaming no.  With his body and mind falling for her, the pull between them is almost magical.  But with each having their own hidden agendas and danger of all kinds in the mountains surrounding them, can they make it through all of it to see what they can have together?

More Than Magic is a thrilling first book in the Books of Kindling series.  At times frightening and at times so romantic, Donna easily pulled me right into Grace and Nick's story.  I really liked both of these main characters.  Both of them are driven, determined to do the right thing.  I liked how they spent time getting to know one another, even if Nick's initial reasons were mixed.  I felt this gave me really good insight into the characters and their lives, which made me like their story even more.  I really liked the dual POV's that took us into their minds.  Jamie, the child, is a strong secondary character who was so easy to picture.

Donna paces More Than Magic well, with a great mix of magic, uncertainty, healing, and the power of nature.  I enjoyed how she blended all of these elements together with a romantic suspense that had me on pins and needles at times!  She writes with great knowledge of her subject, and makes her characters believable.  Even the paranormal aspect is one of those things you think just might be possible, which is an element of paranormal romances that I love.  Her description of Woodruff Mountain is so detailed I could feel it, see the stars, the fog and the forest.

With action, danger, and romance, I'd recommend More Than Magic to romantic suspense readers who like some paranormal woven in...to keep it magic.

4/5 stars