Another episode in NYT bestselling author Patricia Rice’s exciting Crystal Magic series!A librarian searches for healing, a felon yearns for forgiveness, and an enemy stalks them both.Hannah Simon holds the library of her ancestors in her head, but she’s in danger of losing her steel-trap mind along with the information it holds. Her only hope is a legendary moonstone said to have healed in times … a legendary moonstone said to have healed in times of trouble. The artifact was last seen in Hillvale, a town that needs help as desperately as Hannah.
After spending two years in prison for art fraud, antiques dealer and psychometrist Aaron Townsend has settled in Hillvale, where his past and his abilities are accepted. But when the universally despised woman who owns half of Hillvale is bludgeoned to death, everyone is immediately suspect, including newly-arrived Hannah. Aaron, however, is the only one with a criminal past.
To save his friends, as well as himself, Aaron has to find the killer. His search becomes more complicated when he learns Hannah’s touch can yank them back in time. That way lies madness, but also, possibly the answers they seek.
Despite all Aaron’s attempts to keep the tempting librarian at a distance, her terrifying enhancement of his psychometric ability binds them intimately as they tumble down passages of time in search of clues. To save themselves and Hillvale, they must risk their lives and their minds—and possibly their hearts.
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Hillvale is a magical place – literally. The mountain on which the town is located has seen so much evil throughout history that it has seeped into the ground and the eccentric residents have taken strange methods to counteract the evil. We’ve already read the stories of several of those residents as they solved a mystery and found their HEA. This story features Aaron, an antique dealer, and Hannah, the librarian for the Malcolm journals. If you have read the Magic, Unexpected Magic, etc. series, then you’ll recognize the Malcolm and Ives names in Hillvale. Aaron has had minor roles in the previous books and he was always intriguing. I was really happy to get to know and like him in this book.
Aaron is a guardian and psychometrist who has spent the last several years of his life trying to protect Hillvale from evil, but the evil seems to be getting stronger. None of the methods the residents have been using seem to be strong enough to combat it. Aaron has had a sad life and has closed himself off from all human emotional interaction. Yes, he talks with people and has contact with them, but he never allows himself to become emotionally involved in any way – because that leads to incredible pain.
Hannah, a Malcolm descendent, is the librarian for the Malcolms, but she has no other gifts that she knows of. She has come to Hillvale in search of the Healing Stone because she has been diagnosed with a knot in her brain which will eventually take her life.
What happens on her first day in town – a murder. Nobody mourned the victim – the whole town was happy to see her gone, but still, it was murder. Hannah and Aaron are thrown together and Hannah discovers that she does, indeed, have a gift. Her gift enhances Aaron’s psychometric gift – makes it much stronger.
When a second murder occurs, they have to work together – even unwillingly – to capture the murderer and also to reduce the evil that is growing stronger. Can Aaron overcome his aversion to being close to anyone? Will they find the Healing Stone to cure Hannah? Can they drain the evil from the mountain? Will they find their HEA?
I hope you’ll read this book – and this series – and enjoy it as much as I do.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Librarian and the Guardian.
Yet another fantastic story that draws the reader into the crystal world of Hillvale. Hannah travels to the town hoping to find a cure for the knot in her brain. Little does she know that the sexy antiques dealer Aaron will be the key to a new and far more exciting life than the one she has lived so far. Murder, time travel, mystery and romance. A lot of loose ends are tied up in this book, though Harvey, Tullah and Dinah are still single and available for stories of their own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed the characters of this book as well as trying to solve a mystery and I love the writings of Patricia Rice.
I am looking forward to the next book by her
Moonstone Shadows the 7th and concluding book in Patricia Rice’s Crystal Magic Series. This book answers questions from the previous volumes, beginning with Sapphire Nights. The setting is in the California town of Hilldale complete with its eccentricities, villainous entities, mysteries and the constant happily ever after. It’s a fast-moving story which reminds us the damage the social ills of the past carry though to today.
The story starts with antiquity dealer Aaron Townsend trying to determine what evil has come to the surface in Hilldale. In the past he served prison time because he sold fraudulent art to try to protect an unsuspecting collector from the original. He uses his psychometric ability to read the past in objects, trying to fulfill his role of guardian.
Hannah Simons is a Malcolm librarian and historian with a photogenic memory and the uncanny ability to know things to which she has not been exposed. When she touches Aaron, she accentuates his power which is quite frightening for both. She has spent much of her life subduing her abilities and is looking for the moonstone which she hopes will heal a tumor in her brain. The clue to the stones’ location could be in the art Aaron has been trying to protect everyone from.
There is murder and bad karma to investigate and when Hannah and Aaron work together, they are transferred to the past to ultimately solve the mysteries plaguing Hilldale. This brings closure for the town’s many residents and I hope we see another series about the children of Hilldale!
Moonstone Shadows is the final book in the Crystal Magic series. I’ll let you look at the blurb for the synopsis. What I always enjoy about Patricia Rice’s novels is the excellent character development, including how they speak and act. I also really enjoy her magic and how each character has something different, but also similar to others. I was slightly disappointed in how the main issue of the entire series was wrapped up, but I really enjoyed the story of these 2 characters (Hannah and Aaron). I highly recommend that you start at the first book in the series and read sequentially, although each book can stand on its own. Also consider reading her other series that are related (Magical Malcolms and Unexpected Magic).
Timeless Love Renewed.
I normally read a book in one to two days. This one took me almost four days! I just enjoyed it so much that I could not rush thru it, but had to savor it like a fine meal to consume. This is the seventh book in the Chrystal Magic series and is the one that I have enjoyed the most. I have read each of these books and each has seemed to be more complex and entertaining than the previous one, but I have finished and review each of the others much quicker than this one. The relationship between Hannah and Aaron was so enjoyable read as it built that I had to savor it a small bite at a time. The mystery “who done it” was also intriguing and I did not figure it out my myself. I am, not the swiftest as I normally do not read mystery novels, but I have enjoyed this series so much that I just keep on reading one novel after another. It is my selfish hope that there will be many more stories yet to come from the city of Hillvale and the quirky and loveable characters with their individual magic senses. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Love the way it wraps this story line up and adds to previous ones. Love all the characters and the locations. Someday it would be fun to return and see how the town has progressed.
Hillvale. I’m rather sad to leave it.
Aaron was a background character in the other books, and Hannah is new to us. We revisit old characters, and Hillvale itself is a character of a type.
I enjoyed watching these two connect, the mystery unfold, and all of the cast of characters work together.
My least favorite in the Crystal Magic Series, Moonstone Shadows follows along with a quirky group of friends and neighbors in the town of Hillvale, set in California. Residents are commonly known as “Lucy’s” if they have extra sensory “powers” or “Nulls” if they are considered normal. In this book, the newest addition to the town is Hannah, who falls in with Aaron, the antique store owner. They do not seem to get along at all, but a murder in town has them working together to not only help solve the crime, but to find the missing Moonstone that Hannah is desparately seeking.
Though all the books in the series can be read as stand alone books, I found this one to be the most difficult if you were not already familiar with the town and its residents. After having read others in the series, the ending felt a bit predictable, but I would have felt slighted if it had ended any other way. As a fan of the series I recommend it, however, if you have not read any of the other books in this series, I highly recommend reading a few of those first.
I was given a pre release copy of this book for a fair and impartial review.
Aaron Townsend is a loner. He lost his wife years ago when she died of cancer. He hasn’t let others ‘in’ since she died. When Hannah arrives in town, Aaron initially wants to keep her at a distance. Then they figure out that her skill actually amplifies his abilities in the area of psychometry, which allows him to access the emotions of people who have touched or owned a particular object. This turns out to be a handy skill when two people are murdered in a short span of time.
This story is deep into this series of stories written about the town of Hillvale, and about some of the Malcolm and Ives descendants from a prior series by this author. Start with the earlier books within this series if you want to fully experience and understand these books.
Ms. Rice does an amazing job of placing the reader within the scene—especially during the times that Aaron and Hannah are working together to try to get answers. There is a steady, if slightly uneven, tension present throughout this book. The characters are unique and well thought out. There are multiple characters and storylines to follow, but that all works together to keep the reader engaged. Well done!
I have really enjoyed the Crystal Magic series set in the fictional town of Hillvale, California and I have loved reading about the interesting and talented people that live there.
This last story reveals the talents of Aaron who owns an antique shop in town and considers himself a guardian of the area. He is surprised to meet the new Librarian, Hannah Simon, and soon realizes that they both have an important role in healing the area of evil. It is a standalone story, but it is very helpful to read the earlier stories and become familiar with the townspeople of Hillvale.
I received an advance reader copy of this book provided by the author in exchange for a fair, objective, and honest review.
I love Patricia Rice books! This series is no exception. I hate that this is the last book and I’m not sure why. What about Sydony, Teddy’s sister? What about Dinah, Tullah, Harvey and even Cass? What about Hillvale? It’s such a cool fictional town I wish I could find one similar, so I could move there. Meaning the community interaction. Anyway, I digress. This is Aaron’s book. He meets Hannah, Keegan’s cousin, on the evil mountain near the lodge and we get a glimpse of the possible end to his lonely self-cutoff life. One thing I found funny in this and the last few books is that I thought a number of the residents were older than they turned out to be as their books were written. It was a nice a surprise. Although, I do wish we would sometimes get books with a little bit older couples with happy endings. Regardless, I really enjoyed these characters and their story. Aaron’s history was a sad one, but intriguing and Hannah might have a sad future ahead of her. You’ll have to read it to find out for sure. I liked the idea of the couple’s powers being stronger together. Different than the others.
I have read all the books from the series Crystal Magic and this one, together with Crystal Vision are until now, the ones that I most liked.
The readers that not have read the other books of this series will find this book very easy to read. Those readers who know the characters from the other books, and the history of Hillvale will enjoy reading a lot of new background information about the town and its inhabitants.
The story is fast paced, has a very imaginative plot, and well-developed characters.
I still hoop to read the story of Harvey. He is one of my favourite characters.
The story
Hannah Simon, the Malcolm librarian, arrives at Hillvale as the would-be new teacher for the small school in construction in the town. She is looking for more than a job as schoolteacher.
Aaron Townsend, the owner of Hillvale’s antique store, and the one with the gift of psychometry, is the first one to meet Hannah.
Short after her arrival, one of the permanent resident of the Redwood Resort is bludgeoned to death. Everyone is immediately suspect, including newly-arrived Hannah.
And soon after that, Aaron and Hannah find another one of the Resort residents dead in suspicious circumstances that could be the result of foul play.
In the process of finding the killer(s), Aaron and Hannah are stuck working together and discover that they are bounded in more ways them they had thought off or dreamed.
On the bright side, the Lucys have the chance to welcome the first baby born in Hillvale in almost thirty years with a birth song. Love is in the air, the town see more couples formed and Monty and Fyona get married.
It seems that the evil around the Resort and Hillvale starts to go away.
I received an advance reader copy of this book provided by the author in exchange for a fair, objective, and honest review.
The latest Crystal Magic book is one of my favorites! Not only do I like the dynamic between Aaron and Hannah, but there are a lot of tie-ins to the historical Malcolm and Ives books, which I love! Also, in this book, a lot of story threads are completed and several others are strongly hinted at. I hope that there will be more stories in this series. I’ve grown fond of Hillvale and its quirky, eccentric residents.
Really enjoyed visiting Hillvale again. So sad this is the wrap up to the series. Aaron and Hannah are wonderful, complex characters. Aaron is a Guardian and feels he must protect Hillvale from the increasing evil in the soil. Because of his past history and Guardianship role he doesn’t feel as if he deserves a relationship and fights his immediate attraction to Hannah. Hannah has her own secrets and tries to resist her attraction also. Again murder revisits Hillvale so our quirky residents must come together before the HEA.
I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is the story of Aaron (the Antiques Dealer) and Hannah Simon (Keagan’s “Librarian” cousin), and the last of the Hillvale, CA books. I will admit to being sad that this was the last book for this group of characters — I want to know what happens with everyone!
This story takes the some unique twists and turns — both with the characters, their “gifts”, and the mysteries of the town. What is great about this story is that it ties up a lot of the questions that those of us who have read the series have had. It also does a great job of defining who these characters are descended from in the original “Malcolm” series.
If you are new to the series, you can start with this book, but please be aware that you will get a spoilers for the entire Crystal Magic series. If you want to understand the backstories of the town and the characters, then I highly recommend starting with Sapphire Nights (Book 1 of the Crystal Magic series).
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DISCLAIMER: I received an advance reader copy of this book provided by the author in exchange for a fair, objective, and honest review.
I received an ARC but all opinions are mine.
I am late to the Crystal Mountain party in that I’ve only read the last three in the series. That usually isn’t a problem but I did feel more out of my element in this book than the previous two. So if you haven’t read the entire series you might consider that.
Hannah has some secrets in her mind besides the entire library of Scottish Lucy’s history. But she’s on towards an adventure in Hillvale hoping to find the solution to one of those secrets. Aaron, who we know from previous books, may have the answers. There’s a lot of tension between the two but we all know where that often leads.
There is, of course, a murder that makes everything much more complicated. And only Hannah and Aaron have the gifts to find the culprit.
I did enjoy the book but as I stated I would recommend reading the entire series before jumping into this one. Which is what I’m off to do!
After I read one of the Crystal Magic stories of the Malcolms and Ives families, I got hooked and had to read all of them in order and even the one I’d already read. Then I had to start at the beginning of the series.
I’ve enjoyed getting acquainted with the “Lucys” with their different talents as well as the “Nulls” that make all of their lives interesting, and especially how well they work together. Each one is unique but they are a close-knit group.
Aaron is featured in this story and meets his match in Hannah, though each one has their own problems and secrets. Each time I read one of the series, I think it’s my favorite and that is true of this book as well, so I can say, this one is my favorite.
I have to admit I received an advance reader copy of this book provided by the author in exchange for a fair, objective, and honest review.
Moonstone Shadows
Moonstone Shadows is the final book in the Crystal Magic series and is best read as part of the series. Aaron is the guardian of Hillvale, a loner with a gruff nature that isolates himself from everyone else but rushes to the rescue when things turn bad. Hannah is a librarian of all things Ives and Malcolms with a ticking time bomb in her head. She took the job in Hillvale’s school looking for a miracle. With a connection that seems to flow through the ages, Hannah and Aaron’s touch makes magical things happen. There is something about a grouchy, protective man and the lady that can bring out his soft side that always makes for a good romance novel. With a murder mystery and a great evil weighing on the town, the pages turn quickly with the touch of weirdness that I have come to love with the Lucys. I hate to see the series go but it ended with a sweet HEA. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy.
Moonstone Shadows by Patricia Rice
Crystal Magic #7
It was bittersweet reading the final book in this series. I have truly enjoyed getting to know the couples that have made a home in Hillvale. Being able to see how several have found their HEA has been a treat. Quirky Lucys and more mundane Nulls finding relationships has been good fun and with murders to solve and mysteries to unravel this has been an intriguing paranormal series.
In this book Aaron is out walking and sees an angel…or at least he thinks she might be an angel sleeping on the ground. He eventually realizes she is human and after assessing to make sure she is alright heads off to his lair to return to his recluse existence. Little does Aaron realize that meeting Hannah will change both of their lives for the better and provide them both with a well deserved HEA.
This book has murder, blackmail, mysteries, a healing stone, visions, paranormal aspects, a small town of eccentric personalities and a wonderful romance that provided me with a wonderful escape today. I would LOVE to go to Hillvale to visit. I might buy a piece of jewelry or have my fortune told or eat at the diner or…well…I might just move in and life happily ever after there, too.
Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars