Hearts Aligning

Ellie Whitaker has no idea why her grandfather insisted she remain in Saint’s Grove for so long after his death, but soon she can sell her bar and move on. Bryan Nichols is a regular there but never seems to notice her. Bryan struggles with being a werewolf and would give anything to be normal. Unable to fit in with his pack, but forbidden from Ellie, he finds himself torn. However, when planets align, portals open to various dimensions, creatures are unleashed and chaos and destruction follow. Ellie begins to change and Bryan may be her only hope. Even with that, Ellie must track down her mother and learn the truth about what she is - but is the knowledge enough, or will the draw to her home world mean leaving Bryan behind?

The second book in “Saint’s Grove” series, “Hearts Aligning” is a paranormal romance that can be read as a standalone. Full of passion and action, the book starts off with the portals opening and chaos reigning and continues from there. However, despite the quick pace and interesting premise, Ellie comes off as immature and helpless for most of the story, with Bryan a brooding but hopelessly devoted hero - which makes neither of them particularly memorable. Furthermore, the high diversity of characters contained in the story, while providing plenty of room for further books, sometimes detracts from the tale as the main antagonist doesn’t make an appearance until the very end. Still, fans of paranormal romance will enjoy the different take on succubi and werewolves.

Sarah E. Bradley