Desert Hearts is the sequel to Bad Vibrations, and the second in Christine
Pope's "Sedona Trilogy" of romantic adventures. Set in that beautiful
red-rocked city (whish the author clearly adores), Desert Hearts ups the ante in every direction and the stakes are
nothing less than saving the world.
Psychic
Persephone, the heroine of Bad Vibrations, is back, but this time the focus is
on her friend Kara Swenson, whose book store is a hub for UFO enthusiasts (both
locals and tourists). Kara is a geek--her dog's name is Gort and he is a
terrific character--but working in a bookshop, even one she owns, was not how
she expected life to turn out. She's feeling overwhelmed and under-loved when
the book opens. And then a handsome, green-eyed stranger shows up and shakes up
her life.
If you liked
Bad Vibrations, you are going to love
Desert Hearts, which can be read as a
stand-alone. The characters are all back, including Jeff Makowski, an unkempt
hacker who forms a deep attachment to Kara's sister Kiki, Lance the taciturn
UFO hunter with a mysterious past, and Michael Lightfoot, who has seen a lot of
odd things in his life and is fazed by none of it. This cast of characters is
joined by a sexy Man in Black with a sense of humor, Kara's nosy neighbor who
is very interested in her house
guest, and various and assorted friends, colleagues and villains. The
"world" of the story is fleshed out nicely, and the characters have
context. We believe these people are friends. And Kara's relationship with her
younger sister Kiki feels real and honest. They love each other, but they also
know how to push each other's buttons, just like real siblings.
Everything
is bigger in this book--the romance, the action, the tension. There are some
truly scary scenes here and Pope does a fine job of balancing sex and suspense.
(Let's just say Kara does not feel under-loved by the end of the book.) Whether
you like romance with a dash of mystery and adventure, or like your adventure
leavened with a little love, Desert Hearts is the book for you.
