If any author can take you into a fantasy, mystical world and make you believe it is real, that author is Nora Roberts. This is the second book of her Guardians Trilogy that finds six strangers united in search of three stars and the protection of the world from evil. In BOOKS OF SIGHS we watch as a mermaid and space-and-time traveler take the lead to retrieve one of the missing stars. This is truly a BOOK OF SIGHS that will have you not wanting it to end.

First off I must say there is just something so compelling about Annika, the mermaid, it brought out a bit of motherly protectiveness and pride in me that I did not expect. She is so innocent especially in learning to use English and our slang but she was fast to grasp everything and so eager to learn and just a sweetheart. It was cute when she figured out that "damn skippy" was a good phrase to use and everyone started using it. Her delight in simple things, helping with the cooking, cleaning, making drinks gave her such pleasure watching her grow and learn is really fun to read. She's also trying very hard to figure out why Sawyer wouldn't kiss her. She was not allowed to ask for such things and Riley and Sasha (the other two women in the group) were very willing to help her figure out what to do.

Sawyer King is a bit more complex. It is his honor and the strength of it that is foremost in his personality. As far as Annika is concerned, he has his own thoughts. He believes she is too innocent and worries that he would be taking advantage of her but in the end love does win out as he decides to not fight what he feels. His ability to travel through space and time is an intriguing way to move when it was needed and he had to use it a couple of times against the bad guys. One of those bad guys, one that starts out normal but by the end he has become something else, is someone who had once tried to get his hands on the "compass" that Sawyer uses for travel.

If you are looking for fantasy, magical travel, love, steamy heart racing moments, strangers who become family, and good versus evil written only as Nora Roberts can, then BOOK OF SIGHS is just what you want to get your hands on. And, if you are like me, you won't want to wait for the next installment, because you want to know what happens to the final two guardians, Riley and Doyle.