ETERNITY'S MARK – Maeve Grayson
Kensington Brava
ISBN: 978-0-7582-7339-0
March 2012
Paranormal Romance

Present Day U.S.; Scotland , and  Erastaed (a magical parallel world)

Veterinarian Hannah MacPherson has lived in the same small community all her life.  She met, married, and buried her childhood sweetheart there as well.  Hannah has no desire to leave the town or her “one true love's” final resting place.  Hannah's practice is thriving, and she is almost magical in her ability to work with animals.  But then Hannah has a secret.  She can actually communicate with the beasts. A gift passed down to her through her Grandma.

Taggart de Gaelson has reached the end of his patience waiting for the American, Hannah MacPherson, to come to Scotland and claim her inheritance and take up her duties as the Guardian of the Draecna, or magical dragons.  Taggart is the Guardian's sworn protector, but he cannot protect the woman if she will not answer his mail.  Left with no other recourse, Taggart leaves his beloved Taroc Na Mor in the Highlands and travels to the United States to talk to the Guardian in person.

When Hannah first meets Taggart, she is sure he is insane until he convinces her to read all the missives he sent her that she had tossed to the side without opening.  The fact that he makes her heart race does not sit well with Hannah.  Her “one true love” is dead, and Hannah will never open herself up to such devastation again.  Taggart is drawn to Hannah, but as her protector, he is forbidden from touching her.  Initially Hannah refuses to leave her home to visit a Scottish ruin she's never heard of.  But Taggart is nothing if not persistent; he's had over 700 years to practice, and once the danger he warns her of rears its head, Hannah reluctantly agrees to visit.

It's not until Hannah reaches Scotland that Taggart finally tells her she is the destined Guardian of the Draecna.  Skeptical at first, the magic of Taroc Na Mor quickly unlocks Hannah's powers and her heart.  Before Hannah can settle into her new life, danger threatens and Taggart whisks her away to his world in another dimension.  A world filled with magic and evil.

Hannah will need to let go of the past and open her heart if she and Taggart are going to win against the evil that will destroy mankind.

ETERNITY'S MARK gets high grades for imagination and the author's ability to paint a picture with words.  After reading about Taroc Na Mor, I wanted to visit—even if there are Dragons. <g>  The character development is well done, and the interactions between the characters sizzling and exciting.  The plot is intriguing, and I was entertained to a point…but more about that in a minute.  As for the characters, Taggart is one sexy Dragon, and I found his patience with Hannah commendable, almost heroic.  Hannah, on the other hand, got on my last nerve for the first part of the book.  She seems to wallow in her grief, but early on the reader is well aware that Hannah loved her husband more than he ever loved her.     She's a very prickly woman, and I honestly didn't get it.

Once I warmed up to Hannah and she and Taggart were in Scotland , I really got into the book.  I was practically glued to the pages and couldn't wait to see how the villain was defeated and the problems resolved.  That's probably why the last chapter left me cold.  The author took the easy way out.  The big bad was too simply defeated, and something involving one of the protagonists was so unexpected and then resolved in a ridiculous manner.  Suffice it to say I did not toss the book but I was sorely tempted.

ETERNITY'S MARK could have been a great book.  Unfortunately, the last chapter was so disappointing I'm almost sorry I read the book at all.

Terrie Figueroa