Heaven and Earth (Three Sisters Island Trilogy) [Mass Market Paperback]

Nora Roberts (Author)

Book Description

Release date: December 30, 2003

#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts has enchanted millions of readers with her moving, intimate tales of friendships made and hearts lost, of legends, lovers and longing. Now, in the second book in her bewitching Three Sisters Island trilogy, she returns to the haunting shores of New England—and to the lives of three passionate, powerful women…

Ripley Todd just wants to live a quiet, peaceful kind of life. Her job as a sheriff’s deputy keeps her busy and happy, and she has no trouble finding men when she wants them—which, lately, isn’t all that often. She’s perfectly content, except for one thing: she has special powers that both frighten and confuse her—and though she tries hard to hide them, she can’t get them under control…

Distraction soon arrives in the handsome form of MacAllister Booke—a researcher who’s come to investigate the rumors of witchcraft that haunt Three Sisters Island. Right from the start, he knows there’s something extraordinary about Ripley Todd. It’s not just her blazing green eyes and her sultry smile. There’s something else. Something he can detect, but she’ll never admit. Fascinated by her struggle with her amazing abilities, he becomes determined to help her accept who she is—and find the courage to open her heart.

But before Ripley and Mac can dream of what lies in the future, they must confront the pain of the past. For Three Sisters shelters centuries of secrets—and a legacy of danger that plagues them still…

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Roberts (Dance Upon the Air) popularized the romance trilogy, and here she offers up the second installment of her newest trilogy, a conventional saga about three witches who must right the wrongs of their ancestors in order to save their homeland, Three Sisters Island. Ceremonial candles, iris petals and a sprig of rosemary set the scene for magic and romance, but it will take more than mood lighting and witchcraft to lend an air of amiability to the novel's heroine. Hard-edged Ripley Todd is one of the island's two police officers the other being her brother as well as a temperamental witch in denial of her powers. When paranormal researcher Dr. Mac Booke visits the island, Ripley greets him with her customary hostility ("I didn't know they gave out degrees for the study of crapola"). Nevertheless, Mac, a self-proclaimed "rich geek" with a Jimmy Stewart-like affability and an athlete's physique, pursues Ripley romantically and professionally. A brief, overly dramatic encounter between Ripley and a possessed, blood-thirsty reporter adds a touch of suspense, but the novel's finale is hardly deserving of all the buildup it receives. Although Roberts is not in top form here, her deft use of metaphor and charismatic hero are sufficient to hold even the most reluctant reader.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

Exciting, romantic, great fun, You can't bottle wish fulfilment, but Nora Roberts certainly knows how to put it on the page --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Jove; First edition (December 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780515132021
• ISBN-13: 978-0515132021
• ASIN: 0515132020
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (215 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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#6 Overall (See top 100 authors)

#2 in Books > Romance

#3 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance

#3 in Books > Romance > Romantic Suspense

#5 in Books > Romance > Contemporary

#6 in Books > Literature & Fiction

#2 in Books > Romance

#3 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance

#3 in Books > Romance > Romantic Suspense

#5 in Books > Romance > Contemporary

#6 in Books > Literature & Fiction

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

94 of 100 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Romance with a Dose of Paranormal November 28, 2001

By Sheri Melnick

Format:Mass Market Paperback

In this, the second installment of the Three Sisters Island trilogy, Ms. Roberts has once again hit the jackpot in this clever mix of romance, wit, and witchcraft.

Deputy Ripley Todd was a little irritated. Outsider MacAllister Booke had just rented Mia Devlin's yellow cottage for the duration of his stay on Three Sisters Island, off the coast of Massachusetts. Bad enough that Ripley wanted to rent the cottage to escape her home and newlywed brother, Zack, and his likeable wife, Nell. But Mac is visiting to conduct research on witchcraft and its history on the island. As legend would have it, three witches who separated it from the mainland created Three Sisters Island. Nell, Ripley, and Mia are descendants of the original three, only Ripley shows great disdain for the power she was born with.

In a crafty mix of the paranormal complete with visions and dreams of the past, Ripley comes face to face with her ancestor and senses a dark force that could destroy all that she holds dear. As the romance between the bookish Mac and Ripley builds, she is forced to let down some of her tough gal defenses and learns to trust him and their love. And the steamy love scenes will melt the pages as Ripley's supernatural powers take her attraction to Mac to a whole new level. Only time will tell if Ripley will join forces with her fellow sisters, Mia and Nell, to bind together and repel the evil that threatens to destroy them as it did their predecessors.

Fascinating characters, a picturesque seaside town, and paranormal events form the foundation in this riveting read. Even the romance reader not enamored of the supernatural will find the allure in this latest from Ms. Roberts, who just keeps getting better and better.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Nora Roberts Creates Earthy Magic November 15, 2003

By Jana L. Perskie HALL OF FAMEVINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Three Sisters is a small, rocky island off the coast of Massachusetts. Legend has it that the island was once a part of the mainland. Back in the late 1600s, during the Salem witch trials, three sisters, good witches all, known as Fire, Earth and Air, conjured the island and made it a haven against persecution. Unfortunately, the sisters did not fare as well as their island. All three were doomed by unfortunate relationships and a misuse of power. Before the last sister died she cast a spell to keep the island safe for 300 years. At that time she prophesied a reunion of three sisters, descendants of the original three, who would join together to redeem their ancestors, right the wrongs of the past and save their home from destruction.

Fast forward 300 years to Three Sisters Island. Ripley Todd is the town's deputy sheriff and she's an earthy, practical, no nonsense kinda gal - not at all the type one would peg for a witch. And make no mistake, Ripley is a witch although she tries very hard to deny her powers. Handsome, scholarly MacAllister Booke comes to the island to research the legend and to interview the one inhabitant he knows possesses magical powers - Mia Devlin, owner of the local bookstore cafe, and direct descendant of the original sisters. Booke has studied, recorded and witnessed the impossible for over 12 years. "He'd interviewed witches, ghosts, lycanthropes, alien abductees and psychics. Ninety-eight percent of them were delusional or con-artists. But the remaining two percent...well, that kept him going." Imagine his surprise when he discovered that Three Sisters Island is the home of three witches, all descending from the original line - Nell Channing Todd (Ripley's new sister-in-law), Ripley and Mia.

He is immediately attracted to Ripley, who goes out of her way to be disagreeable to him. She wants nothing to do with magic or with anyone who is interested in the supernatural. However, the island's 300-year anniversary is coming up and Ripley has to come to grips with the powers that terrify her if she is going to help break the centuries-old curse and save her beloved home. Dr. Booke, Mia and Nell are behind Ripley all the way as she learns to manage her energy and fear.

"Heaven and Earth" is Nora Roberts' second book in the Three Sisters trilogy. You don't have to read the first book to enjoy this one, although it is a delight to continue with the story of Nell, Mia and Ripley. Ripley is a more difficult character than the other two sisters. She is abrasive, stubborn and initially did not fit my image of a witch. However, once the story is underway and Ripley's frailties are exposed, she becomes quite believable as a woman and a sorceress. Ms. Roberts creates a wonderful relationship between Ripley and Mac, as well as between the three woman. I wish the source of evil, thrills, chills and suspense were more original, and not something/someone dredged up from book one. The plot works well enough as is, but the novel would have been so much better with a new villain. The novel still makes for a wonderful light read, perfect for a rainy evening.
JANA

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Heaven and Earth February 25, 2008

By Kelly VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Ripley Todd is a deputy on Three Sisters, and also a reluctant witch. Nell, Ripley, and Mia are witches that descended from the original three sisters on the island. Eager for some independence and privacy, she plans to rent Mia's cottage, but is upset to learn it is already rented to MacAllister Booke. Ripley is further irritated to find out he is there to do research about witchcraft.

While Ripley is attracted to Mac, she will have to let go of some of her hostilities and past hurt to let him in. With the visions, dreams, and paranormal events that happen when they are together, it is evident they are connected. Ripley will need the help of her sisters to survive the threat that awaits her.

This is Ripley's story of the three and while she is integral, I wasn't very fond of her character. She is abrasive and harsh to everyone. She did grow on me as the story went on.