AUTUMN THORNS - Yasmine Galenorn
Whisper Hollow , Book 1
Jove
ISBN: 978-0-515-15624-9
November 2015
Paranormal Romance

Whisper Hollow, Washington - Present Day

With the death of her grandparents, Kerris Fellwater knows that it is time to return to Whisper Hollow and her destiny.  Kerris has always known that at one point she would take over as the spirit shaman, but it's been fifteen years since she lived in Whisper Hollow.  The spirit shaman, along with her guardian and the lament singer, help spirits cross over the veil, but there are times that the spirits need more than a little nudge.  As daughters of the Morrigan, the women in Kerris's family have been spirit shamans for generations, and now it is time for Kerris, the fiftieth shaman, to take over the role.

She was aware that there would be challenges, but nothing could have prepared Kerris for the truths she uncovers when she returns.  Kerris had grown up with her loving grandmother and cruel grandfather after her parents disappeared. Thanks to her grandfather, she'd believed that her father left when he learned of her mother's pregnancy, but now Kerris knows that not to be true.  Just how many secrets will be revealed as Kerris takes on the mantle of spirit shaman of Whisper Hollow?

The first book in a new series, AUTUMN THORNS introduces readers to a fascinating cast of characters.  Kerris left home at eighteen to get away from her grandfather, but now that she's back, she's beginning to understand how much she missed by being away from her grandmother.  Guiding and corralling the spirits works best when done by a triad: spirit shaman, guardian, and lament singer.  Ellia was the lament singer for Kerris's grandmother, and continues on in that role for Kerris.  Yet, even as she learns from Ellia, Kerris knows that the older woman is hiding things, and Kerris isn't sure how much she can trust her. Soon after her arrival, Kerris meets her handsome neighbor, Bryan Tierney, who also has his secrets, but the attraction she feels for him is almost impossible to deny.

There is much about her past that is a mystery to Kerris, yet while dealing with her past, she also has a very real threat in the present.  Whisper Hollow is a mystical place, but lately things have been getting out of hand, and it will be up to Kerris to figure out what's going on, and to put a stop to it.

A gripping story, AUTUMN THORNS will have you hooked on the weird little town of Whisper Hollow.

Jennifer Bishop