Sisters of Prophecy, Ursula

What’s a girl to do? Katherine Shipton has a painting that talks, an ancestor who won’t stay in her own century, and a former boyfriend with a serious ax to grind against her new fiancé. She already has a full plate, but when said ancestor sends her tripping back and forth between the 15th and 21st century without benefit of psychedelic drugs, the poor girl begins to doubt her own sanity. Then her best friend, a high fashion model with more than her own share of psychic energy, and her troubleshooting aunt show up on her doorstep in response to a psychic SOS Katherine swears she didn’t send. Life couldn't get more complicated. At least, that's what she thinks until her oilman fiancé disappears in the Gulf of Mexico and a DEA agent knocks on her door.

Review
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Ursula, Sisters of Prophecy Book 1" by Jude Pittman and Gail Roughton.]

Katherine Shipton knew her life was about to change as she prepared to marry Parker Drayton, heir to an international oil firm, but she never dreamed that it would change this much. As Ursula, the first book in the Sisters of Prophecy series by Jude Pittman and Gail Roughton opens, Parker is setting off to inspect oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and Katherine is planning to occupy herself with wedding plans and maybe finally finishing that portrait she’s been working on. In a matter of hours, Katherine is doubting her own sanity, and Parker’s life may be in jeopardy.

There are really two stories happening in this book. One has a modern setting and involves Katherine, Parker, and the people close to them. The other is about Katherine’s mysterious ancestor, Ursula, and takes place during the reign of England’s Henry VIII. Guided by a talking portrait and assisted by her best friend, Katherine needs to alter history’s natural course - or Ursula faces tragedy and Katherine will never have been born. Even though she definitely feels like she’s been thrown into the deep end without knowing how to swim, it is imperative for Katherine to find a way to help Ursula and then return to solve the problems that face her in her own time.

For such a short book, there is a lot going on. There’s drama with Katherine’s newfound psychic abilities, drama with Katherine’s ex-fiancee who makes a sudden reappearance in her life, drama with the danger that Parker must face, and drama surrounding Katherine’s friend Sylvia, who has her own secrets. While this keeps the book very exciting, some readers may find it to be too scattered and lacking the more subtle development that can really separate the good from the great.

I think it is also worth noting that this book is clearly meant to be part of a larger series. I don’t know if readers should expect the same cast of characters to appear, but I wouldn’t eliminate the possibility, and that may help further develop characters that were introduced in this book. For readers with strong opinions, rest assured that there is a real ending to the book (not a cliffhanger), but you’ll need to read the book to find out if it’s happy or not.

I am rating this book 3 out of 4 stars. It was quick, but it was also exciting and interesting. I think many readers will find it enjoyable and a good read for a sunny afternoon or an evening indoors. It’s definitely a fast read, and it will entertain without eating away your entire day.