Beautiful Creatures meets Gone with the Wind in the spellbinding second novel in the Heirs of Watson Island trilogy that “skillfully blends rich magic and folklore with adventure, sweeping romance, and hidden treasure” (Publishers Weekly, on Compulsion).
Grieving the death of her godfather and haunted by her cousin Cassie’s betrayal, Barrie returns from a trip to San Francisco to find the Watson plantation under siege. Ghost-hunters hope to glimpse the ancient spirit who sets the river on fire each night, and reporters chase rumors of a stolen shipment of Civil War gold that may be hidden at Colesworth Place. The chaos turns dangerous as Cassie hires a team of archeologists to excavate beneath the mansion ruins. Because more than treasure is buried there.
A stranger filled with magic arrives at Watson’s Landing claiming that the key to the Watson and Beaufort gifts—and the Colesworth curse—also lies beneath the mansion. With a mix of threats and promises, the man convinces Barrie and Cassie to cast a spell at midnight. But what he conjures may have deadly consequences.
While Barrie struggles to make sense of the escalating peril and her growing feelings for Eight Beaufort, it’s impossible to know whom to trust and what to fight for—Eight or herself. Millions of dollars and the fate of the founding families is at stake. Now Barrie must choose between what she feels deep in her heart and what will keep Watson’s Landing safe in this stunning addition to a series filled with “decadent settings, mysterious magic, and family histories rife with debauchery” (Kirkus Reviews, on Compulsion).
Persuasion has all the magic and beauty and wonderful things that I loved about Compulsion, but we get a lot more insight into the origins all the lore surround Watson's Island. In this book, we get more details about the curse, the gifts, and the impact of these things on the lives of the Barrie and Eight (and Cassie too). We are introduced to Obadiah and his voodoo, which I am sure we will learn more about in the next book. Relationships are emerging and changing. Barrie and Eight, Seven and Pru, Barrie and Cassie, Barrie and Pru, Seven and Eight, Seven and Barrie -- each of these relationships is explored to some extent as we get to learn more about these characters. I loved collecting all the pieces of information and assembling them to get the big picture of how all these people's lives are intertwined and how they are connected to the past. I also was very impressed with some of the topics Boone explored (PTSD, sexual assault, dyslexia). I was intrigued throughout the story and cannot wait to see where this is going
