New York City – Present Day

Rowie Shakespeare is just your average, every day New Yorker, or at least she would like to be. However, red hair and green eyes aren’t the only things that run in the Shakespeare women -- so does magic. In Rowie’s case, she has an uncanny ability to predict the weather, and unlike most meteorologists, she is never wrong. She also knows with a single kiss the destiny of the person she’s kissing. Unfortunately, it’s hard to develop a relationship with a man when you know you’re not in his future. Rowie lives with her mother and grandmother in the family home and works in the family business, a metaphysical shop named Second Site. It’s a family tradition that each generation of Shakespeare women takes over running the family business, but Lilia, Rowie’s mother, is more often found with her head in the clouds than dealing with business, and so Gwendolyn, Rowie’s grandmother, still owns and runs the business with Rowie’s help. Rowie’s loves her mother and grandmother, but she wants a life of her own.

Jess Walker is one of the producers for the local news channel, and when she gets a call that her star weatherman, Drew Henderson, has been injured while covering a hurricane in Florida, she’s devastated. First, who will she get to replace him, and second, how can she win him back if he’s not even in town? Jess happened to see Rowie at the Second Site. and curiosity about the crowd gathered forced her to stop and see what was going on. When she learned that Rowie predicted the weather every morning, and that she has never been wrong, Jess dismissed it as hocus-pocus. But later in the day when the rain Rowie predicted arrives, Jess realizes she may have a temporary solution to Drew’s absence – a psychic weather person.

Rowie is thrilled at the opportunity Jess offers and jumps at the chance to go out on her own. But first Drew Henderson has to approve his temporary replacement, so it’s off to Florida for a face-to-face meeting with the hottest weatherman on the air.

Will Rowie be able to use her psychic gifts to deliver the weather in the Big Apple, and what will she do when Drew recovers and wants his job back? And what about Gwendolyn, Lilia, and Second Site? If Rowie makes it big, who will take over after Gwendolyn is gone?

FORECAST is a contemporary romance with a dash of magic, and a heaping helping of fun. The above is just the tip of the iceberg and in no way introduces the cast of well developed quirky characters that are a part of Rowie’s life. Her grandmother, Gwendolyn, is a stern matriarch who loves her family, puts Post-it notes on her possessions as to who will get what when she dies, and still carries on conversations with her dead husband -- and he talks back. Lilia is like a fey creature planted smack in the middle of New York and just doesn’t fit -- she seems to float through life, but underneath her beautiful, flighty exterior is a woman strong enough to stand on her own and protect those she loves. Rowie is a delightful blend of pragmatism and magic. She longs for her own life and love, but is beginning to despair of having either. In addition to the three Shakespeare women who are larger than life, the secondary characters add charm and entertainment to the story. From Angel, Rowie’s outspoken, promiscuous and thoroughly loveable best friend to Petey, a man looking for love and reminds me a bit of Icabod Crane in his demeanor. J But let’s not forget Drew, the sexiest weatherman on television. He’s charming, flirtatious and a bit leery of trusting his heart to a woman, though he’s no match for Rowie. There are at least a half dozen other characters worthy of mention, but to list them and why they are so memorable would spoil a bit of the fun of meeting them yourself.

From the first page to the last, author Jana Tara proves that she knows how to deliver up a lively, fresh story and fill it with characters who come vividly to life. Romance, magic, and loads of fun fill the pages of FORECAST, and readers are in for a delightful read. I highly recommend this charming book.

Terrie Figueroa