Out of Mind, Court of Angels, Book 2 by Stella Cameron (ARC)

Publisher:  Mira, Imprint of Harlequin
Pages: 400

(Release Date:  March 30, 2010)

From the Cover: Willow Millet longs to deny her family's exceptional gifts—paranormal talents known to few, shared by even fewer. Benedict Fortune is one such—a connection that should have strengthened the undeniable bond between him and Willow. But her self-doubt has driven them apart.

Married instead to her business, Willow's concierge we-can-do-anything service is thriving until it is hit by a string of bizarre and fatal accidents—every victim a client. Now her livelihood depends on two enigmatic socialites and their notoriously decadent parties. In this anything-goes atmosphere, Willow and Ben are thrown together again and their need for each other is as strong as ever, but they are challenged at every turn….

For dark forces are stalking Willow—coveting her gift as a means of cheating death…and ruling New Orleans forever. 

Willow Millet is the only Millet who is 'normal', that is she doesn't have all the paranormal powers of her family.  She's happy running her little personal care service, Mean' n' Green Concierge, you need it, we can get it done is her mantra.  She's always been completely normal, instead of the oddness that the rest of the family makes use of from time to time.  Sometimes she knows things, feels things, but everyone can do that, she's just particularly sensitive to the feelings of others.  Right?

Ben Fortunes has watched Willow grow up from childhood through the awkwardness of teen years, and now as a beautiful young woman, denying what and who she is.  He has come to love her, has known it could be no one other than her to complete him, but she sent him away.  Only Ben knows that he can never let Willow go, the Bond between them can never be severed, but also can never be fulfilled until Willow recognizes who and what she is.

But, now there's another force to be reckoned with.  A strong force that has been haunting the Millet family for a century, and finally it has found a home within the Millets, unknown to them, and it's the same force that tried to take Marley Millet.  The Embran, creatures of the dark and far away place, are determined that New Orleans will be theirs, one way or another, and the Millets are the only thing standing in their way.

Out of Mind by Stella Cameron is the second book in the Court of Angels Series.  It's a very quick read, twisting and turning to lead the reader along the treacherous path that finds the Embran and what they desire.  Somehow in their battle against the Millets, the Embran have become stricken.  Instead of the immortality that has always been theirs, they are starting to weaken and even to die.  Only the Millets hold the secret to how to reverse the curse, their legend.  The Millets only problem is they haven't figured out the legend either.  Jude, their Mentor and the original member to bring the curse of the Embran to the family, has been trying to guide them, but there is only so much a spirit can do.  Marley and Gray's story from the first book, Out of Body, tells the beginning of the battle between Light and Dark, Millet against Embran.  Book Two, Out of Mind continues the story with Willow and Ben's story.  Willow is in denial about who she is, and she just strong enough to hide from herself.  Marley and Sykes will have no part of it, as sister and brother, they know what she's hiding.  Ben, long suffering lover, also knows that she hiding what and who she truly is.  But until she's ready to admit to herself what is obvious to others, they can never be Bonded and both will continue to suffer.  It takes the evil influence of the Embran to force Willow to see.

Out of Mind is twisting urban fantasy/paranormal romance that kept me flipping through the pages.  It was a quick, fun read and I didn't want to put it down.  Although, it's was the second book in the series, I had no trouble picking this one up and reading out of order.  I would usually recommend reading the series in order, but it's not necessary to enjoy this book.  If you enjoy urban fantasy or paranormal romance with a touch of seduction and a sexy heart pounding romance, then this is the book for you.  I enjoyed the story immensely and I'll be going back to read Out of Body, Book One (released March 1, 2010), and the following book, Out of Sight, Book Three (Sykes and Poppy's story) which is set to be release on April 27, 2010.  I can't wait to see where this story goes. 

(Release Date:  March 1, 2010)

Born of an ancient family of clairvoyants, Marley Millet finds that her psychic gift is both unsettling and incredibly dangerous. She never wants to "travel" again - but the choice is not hers to make.

After glimpsing the fates of two missing New Orleans jazz singers, Marley knows she has no choice and must speak up before more women disappear. Flinty cop-turned-writer Gray Fisher, who interviewed both chanteuses before they vanished, takes a special interest in Marley's incredible story - and in Marley.

Scouring the wild clubs of the French Quarter, Marley and Gray make an unlikely and uneasy team. But their determination is matched only by the heat between them.and the evil they have uncovered. 

(Release Date:  April 27, 2010)

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Stella Cameron brings readers a sexy, supernatural new trilogy.Psychic master talent Sykes Millet can vanish at will, read minds and control others with hypnosis. What Sykes cannot do is escape his destiny--an ancient curse foretelling the misery his dark beauty may bring to everyone he loves. Poppy Fortune knows all too well the burden of having paranormal talent. The supernatural world has fractured her entire family – now it's keeping at bay the one man she wants more than life. Sykes and Poppy must set aside old distrust and use their bonded talents to save their families, themselves and New Orleans from the evil Embran race who threaten to terrorize the city into submission. 

I received this book from Mira/Harlequin for review.  All opinions expressed are my own.