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The Mist Trilogy #2
Gathering Mist
Giselle Draxler has denied her hereditary magic from the time she came of age, right down to dying her red hair brown. But at her husband’s funeral, she runs into a demon hunting for Kundigerin. Then her aunt and cousin turn up dead. Paranormal intuition leads her to new friends Marissa and Wolf Harper, who bring her face-to-face with the one love she never got over—a man who chose his music career over her.
Scott Michaels fails his mother and sisters, unable to protect them from the tragedies that scar their family. He turns to his guitar to heal, and when the band he joins vaults to popularity, the front man demands Scott walk away from the one woman who owns his heart. Now in their 40s, the band is slowing down, and Scott’s thoughts turn more than ever toward Giselle and the life they might have had together. Their passion reignites as though no time has passed.
Scott is helpless to shield Giselle when they are drawn into the supernatural world of ghosts and demons, another reminder of his inability to protect the people he loves. Out of her depth, Giselle needs his support. Can she count on him not to run this time?
Scott Michaels fails his mother and sisters, unable to protect them from the tragedies that scar their family. He turns to his guitar to heal, and when the band he joins vaults to popularity, the front man demands Scott walk away from the one woman who owns his heart. Now in their 40s, the band is slowing down, and Scott’s thoughts turn more than ever toward Giselle and the life they might have had together. Their passion reignites as though no time has passed.
Scott is helpless to shield Giselle when they are drawn into the supernatural world of ghosts and demons, another reminder of his inability to protect the people he loves. Out of her depth, Giselle needs his support. Can she count on him not to run this time?
230 pages, Paperback
First published April 6, 2015
1 person is currently reading
217 people want to read
About the author
Karla Brandenburg
36 books156 followersKarla Brandenburg is an award-winning author of contemporary romance novels which include paranormal elements. Now that her children have settled into lives of their own, she loves to go out into the world on adventures with her husband, from Milwaukee to the French Riviera, but the Chicago suburbs have always been “home.” She is an avid reader across multiple genres and is a card-carrying cookie-holic (we all have our vices). Sign up for her newsletter
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 6, 2015
Gathering Mist, Karla Brandenburg
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: Romance, women’s Fiction, Paranormal
well, hands up – I made a mistake...I saw there was an earlier book, but from the description I assumed they were two separate books around the same theme, as the characters were different. Wrong, it’s a trilogy, three books connected by an overall plot....but it was OK as I still found the storyline relatively easy to follow. Of course if I’d read book one I’d have known more about the overall plot, and the Kundigerin and Huters. It was still a good read, an interesting story, a romance, a puzzle and some serious danger to be worked out, and with a paranormal slant just to add that bit more edge.
Giselle, her husband has recently died unexpectedly. She’s sad but not broken hearted, they had a kind of friendship marriage – at least on her part. Her heart was lost years ago to Scott, but he chose his band, saying she affected his concentration too much and would hold him back. He was scared of the intense passion between them. Turns out though that neither of them have forgotten the other, and in a strange way they’re brought back into each others orbit. That connection though that scared Scott is even more close now, and he doesn’t know what to do about it. He really annoyed me at times, seeming to blame Giselle, as if she’d conned him in some way. Now he knows she’s got these extra talents he’s even more wary, despite having been in love with her still. That got me too – 15 years and no-ones matched up and yet he hasn’t made any attempt to see her? Seemed a bit spineless to me, and really that’s how he feels for much of the novel, shilly shallying about, casting blame when he can’t stop himself from wanting her. He knows that when they first me she didn’t have this power, knows she didn’t ask for it, knows its bringing her into danger and yet all he can think about is me, me, me....When he won’t tell Giselle about Clay because his (Clay’s) health is personal, even knowing it could be connected to and affect the very real danger she’s facing? What? Is the guy nuts? He didn’t have to tell all, just the basics, but he’s still playing at Ostrich, hiding from what he’s scared of and casting blame on everyone else. Towards the end he finally steps up, accepts her love and the wya he feels about her, takes his place and really shines, but God, it took some time and he fell low in my estimation until then.
Marissa and Wolf – and Max of course – were great. I think if I recall correctly they were the leads in the first book, and now they’ve joined forces with Scott and Giselle it makes them a strong team. They’ll need that though – it was tough here, lots to work out and little time and it seems the danger is growing exponentially. They need to work fast, learn what they can in the little time they have and hope they can stop the Demon.
Its a great read, full of danger, Legends, Ghosts, Demons and of course a side of romance...I look forward to reading the conclusion
Stars: Four.
ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: Romance, women’s Fiction, Paranormal
well, hands up – I made a mistake...I saw there was an earlier book, but from the description I assumed they were two separate books around the same theme, as the characters were different. Wrong, it’s a trilogy, three books connected by an overall plot....but it was OK as I still found the storyline relatively easy to follow. Of course if I’d read book one I’d have known more about the overall plot, and the Kundigerin and Huters. It was still a good read, an interesting story, a romance, a puzzle and some serious danger to be worked out, and with a paranormal slant just to add that bit more edge.
Giselle, her husband has recently died unexpectedly. She’s sad but not broken hearted, they had a kind of friendship marriage – at least on her part. Her heart was lost years ago to Scott, but he chose his band, saying she affected his concentration too much and would hold him back. He was scared of the intense passion between them. Turns out though that neither of them have forgotten the other, and in a strange way they’re brought back into each others orbit. That connection though that scared Scott is even more close now, and he doesn’t know what to do about it. He really annoyed me at times, seeming to blame Giselle, as if she’d conned him in some way. Now he knows she’s got these extra talents he’s even more wary, despite having been in love with her still. That got me too – 15 years and no-ones matched up and yet he hasn’t made any attempt to see her? Seemed a bit spineless to me, and really that’s how he feels for much of the novel, shilly shallying about, casting blame when he can’t stop himself from wanting her. He knows that when they first me she didn’t have this power, knows she didn’t ask for it, knows its bringing her into danger and yet all he can think about is me, me, me....When he won’t tell Giselle about Clay because his (Clay’s) health is personal, even knowing it could be connected to and affect the very real danger she’s facing? What? Is the guy nuts? He didn’t have to tell all, just the basics, but he’s still playing at Ostrich, hiding from what he’s scared of and casting blame on everyone else. Towards the end he finally steps up, accepts her love and the wya he feels about her, takes his place and really shines, but God, it took some time and he fell low in my estimation until then.
Marissa and Wolf – and Max of course – were great. I think if I recall correctly they were the leads in the first book, and now they’ve joined forces with Scott and Giselle it makes them a strong team. They’ll need that though – it was tough here, lots to work out and little time and it seems the danger is growing exponentially. They need to work fast, learn what they can in the little time they have and hope they can stop the Demon.
Its a great read, full of danger, Legends, Ghosts, Demons and of course a side of romance...I look forward to reading the conclusion
Stars: Four.
ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers
March 7, 2016
This is a fantastic sequel. I’m not usually interested in reading sequels where the main characters from the first book become secondary characters. I made an exception for this trilogy, because Mrs. Brandenburg cleverly created a gripping story line that arcs through all three books. She also made the new main characters, well – NEW. We’ve never met them before, so we have the pleasure of learning about them without the stigma of them previously being the “characters of lesser importance”. I wanted to know more about them and *really* wanted to know what was going to happen. In fact, I had originally purchased the third book of this series, Rising Mist, thinking it was “just a stand alone”. I could have read it all the way without getting lost on what was going on, but I got excited about overall story. I wanted to experience the previous installments of the story line, so I stopped reading it in order to buy and read the first two before returning to the final book. Totally worth the time and money!!
The new main characters, Giselle and Scott, are wonderfully crafted. They fit so well with the story and previous characters that this book was more like an extension of the first book with a perspective change instead of a whole new book. I’m really glad I had all three books on hand!
The only issue I had with this book was that I found the section where Giselle meets the main characters from the first book, Marissa and Wolf frustrating. I know the author was trying to make sure new readers were caught up with the events of the first book, so this one could be a stand-alone. So, I didn’t mind a recap. My issue was that Giselle repeated HER story (the part we’d just read) several times to Marissa (3 times, if I recall correctly). Technically, I give this one 4.5 stars, but the rest of the book completely makes up for that slight annoyance. So, like the Canadian government which removed pennies from circulation and rounds prices up, I have rounded up my rating to 5 stars ;-)
This is one of the more original paranormal romances I've come across. While each book is written well enough to stand by itself, I highly recommend reading all three so you can really immerse yourself in the world or wonder, terror, and passion that Mrs. Brandenburg has created.
The new main characters, Giselle and Scott, are wonderfully crafted. They fit so well with the story and previous characters that this book was more like an extension of the first book with a perspective change instead of a whole new book. I’m really glad I had all three books on hand!
The only issue I had with this book was that I found the section where Giselle meets the main characters from the first book, Marissa and Wolf frustrating. I know the author was trying to make sure new readers were caught up with the events of the first book, so this one could be a stand-alone. So, I didn’t mind a recap. My issue was that Giselle repeated HER story (the part we’d just read) several times to Marissa (3 times, if I recall correctly). Technically, I give this one 4.5 stars, but the rest of the book completely makes up for that slight annoyance. So, like the Canadian government which removed pennies from circulation and rounds prices up, I have rounded up my rating to 5 stars ;-)
This is one of the more original paranormal romances I've come across. While each book is written well enough to stand by itself, I highly recommend reading all three so you can really immerse yourself in the world or wonder, terror, and passion that Mrs. Brandenburg has created.
January 16, 2017
This story is an imaginative and exciting one that quickly sucked me into the plotline. From the moment that Giselle found out that she was hunted, I felt the anger that she felt towards the faceless menace nipping at her heels. And when she runs into her soulmate, Scott, after setting him free years ago, I felt the tug on my own heart when they reconnected. It was easy to see that they were fated to be together. This story also has lore that was easy to follow especially with the descriptions of what each German word meant. My heart was torn in half with all of the family and loved ones that she had lost because of her “heritage”. Who knew that being psychic would mean that demons would hunt you to the ends of the earth and back again, endangering all that you hold dear.
I found myself wishing that I had a supernatural connection with my ancestors that help me along in my life decisions as well as a guardian to protect me from the dangers that lurk in the dark. The sex scenes between Giselle and Scott were steamy enough to fog up my glasses and fire up my imagination. This is made even more so that the very act of making love connects them in otherworldly ways. For them, it was even better after all of the time they spent apart due to jealousy and poisoning anger. And when the truth behind their separation came out, I wanted to punch the a-hole responsible in the throat and geld him. Gathering Mist is one story in what I hope to be a series that I want to follow to the very end. I can’t wait until the next book hits my Kindle so I can sink back into the gathering mist once again.
I found myself wishing that I had a supernatural connection with my ancestors that help me along in my life decisions as well as a guardian to protect me from the dangers that lurk in the dark. The sex scenes between Giselle and Scott were steamy enough to fog up my glasses and fire up my imagination. This is made even more so that the very act of making love connects them in otherworldly ways. For them, it was even better after all of the time they spent apart due to jealousy and poisoning anger. And when the truth behind their separation came out, I wanted to punch the a-hole responsible in the throat and geld him. Gathering Mist is one story in what I hope to be a series that I want to follow to the very end. I can’t wait until the next book hits my Kindle so I can sink back into the gathering mist once again.
March 29, 2016
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Gathering Mist set a steady pace, full of constant conflict that kept me guessing what would happen next. The tension was built perfectly for an end showdown- that disappointingly wasn’t very substantial. Book three must be the key.
There were a lot of paranormal elements that weren’t really explored, and I have to assume the first book in the series already filled this in. (Though the main character was mostly clueless, so it made sense to have pieces of knowledge missing).
The pieces of mythology that were included are thoroughly enjoyable and entirely unique.
There was a nice sense of camaraderie too; the romantic relationship wasn’t the only one explored, which was great since Scott wasn’t a particularly strong lead.
This book can be read as a standalone, though maybe bookmark the glossary page so you can flick back if needed.
This was an enjoyable read, and I loved that the plot never went where you expected.
Gathering Mist set a steady pace, full of constant conflict that kept me guessing what would happen next. The tension was built perfectly for an end showdown- that disappointingly wasn’t very substantial. Book three must be the key.
There were a lot of paranormal elements that weren’t really explored, and I have to assume the first book in the series already filled this in. (Though the main character was mostly clueless, so it made sense to have pieces of knowledge missing).
The pieces of mythology that were included are thoroughly enjoyable and entirely unique.
There was a nice sense of camaraderie too; the romantic relationship wasn’t the only one explored, which was great since Scott wasn’t a particularly strong lead.
This book can be read as a standalone, though maybe bookmark the glossary page so you can flick back if needed.
This was an enjoyable read, and I loved that the plot never went where you expected.
August 3, 2015
Giselle is a Kundigerin who possesses powers she tries to deny. This becomes impossible when people close to her are killed. She learns a demon is responsible, and he’s after her next. She turns for help to an old flame turned rock star, who is the only man that can help her. But to work together, they must regain the trust they lost so many years ago. Set in a unique universe, Gathering Mist will have you rooting for this young couple to combine their powers and defeat the enemy.
November 6, 2015
4.5/5.0
The glossary in the front of the story was a nice touch, so one knows what the magic creatures are from the beginning.
Read full review in the 2015 November issue of InD'tale Magazine.
The glossary in the front of the story was a nice touch, so one knows what the magic creatures are from the beginning.
Read full review in the 2015 November issue of InD'tale Magazine.
August 10, 2015
Action packed and page turning
After 14 years of marriage, Widow Giselle Draxler finds herself adrift. Without her husband’s easy ways, she’s forced to accept her powerful intuition for what it is – a family secret on par with a fairy tale. She’s more than human, she’s a Kundigerin.
A strange, evil man crashes her husband’s funeral. She knows he’s looking for her because she can read his pulsing force field. Frightened, Giselle and her brother head up to visit her aunt who is also a Kundigerin. But it’s too late. With death stalking her relatives and nearly grabbing her, Giselle hooks up with an old friend, her first and only love. Together they must face an uncertain future and peril like they’ve never experienced, along with strong riptides of self-doubt.
Action packed and page turning, Gathering Mist was an entertaining read. This is the second book of a series, and I’m eagerly looking forward to book three.
Maggie Toussaint and Rigel Carson for Muddy Rose Reviews
After 14 years of marriage, Widow Giselle Draxler finds herself adrift. Without her husband’s easy ways, she’s forced to accept her powerful intuition for what it is – a family secret on par with a fairy tale. She’s more than human, she’s a Kundigerin.
A strange, evil man crashes her husband’s funeral. She knows he’s looking for her because she can read his pulsing force field. Frightened, Giselle and her brother head up to visit her aunt who is also a Kundigerin. But it’s too late. With death stalking her relatives and nearly grabbing her, Giselle hooks up with an old friend, her first and only love. Together they must face an uncertain future and peril like they’ve never experienced, along with strong riptides of self-doubt.
Action packed and page turning, Gathering Mist was an entertaining read. This is the second book of a series, and I’m eagerly looking forward to book three.
Maggie Toussaint and Rigel Carson for Muddy Rose Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews