"Hurt by a failed marriage, can she trust this man with her heart?"

Lilesville's new chief of police Sarah Wylde comes across a strange primitive ritual as she jogs across her neighbor's land. Sarah knows she shouldn't be trespassing, but she does anyway. Besides, she needs to know about any unusual activities going on in her town. Sarah has seen it all as a big-city detective, before her divorce sent her looking for a fresh start. But she hasn't ever seen a sexual ritual like this.

Local shopkeeper and Wiccan priest Justin Herne is like no one Sarah has met before. There's something about him that draws her closer than she's comfortable with. Still, Sarah cannot resist the passion between them any more than she could stop breathing. Waking up alone the next morning, Sarah resolves to put this incident in the past and move on. Too bad a suspected murder brings her to Justin for advice on rituals.

Justin knows from the first that Sarah is the one for him. His other half, his soulmate. He feels constrained by the barriers she keeps throwing up between them. When Justin's past collides with the case Sarah is working, he cannot --- will not -- tell her the full truth about the events of years ago. He knows that the answers Sarah seeks are supernatural in origin, of which she will be skeptical. All he can do is try to move forward and convince her to give him her trust, her heart.

Sarah is shocked by the instant connection between Justin and herself. Can she trust her heart and believe in him? Or should she follow her cop's instincts that say everyone has an ulterior motive? Is sex the only link between them, or is there more to it? When otherworldly danger strikes, will Sarah trust in Justin to save both of them?

IF WISHES WERE HORSES is an unusual love story, with paranormal elements added to the mix. Justin is a very unique hero, comfortable in his sexuality and in the forces of nature. As a Wiccan priest, Justin exudes a spirituality little seen in modern novels. His love for Sarah is never in doubt; it's her fear that is the stumbling block to their continued relationship. Ms. Hill is known for writing compelling stories with an erotic edge, which she has delivered with this book.

Sensuality: Rated E-rotic by the publisher. Explicit sex, bondage, anal play, spanking; sexually explicit scenes: 12

Reviewed by Denise Powers
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted January 10, 2004

Summary

Sarah Wylde did not move from Chicago to a small town to get involved with a man. Particularly one like Justin Herne, a man far too mesmerizing and dynamic to be in a rural town like Lilesville. To make matters worse, Herne runs a sex shop in the unincorporated limits of Lilesville, and Sarah is Lilesville's new police chief. She doesn't care whether or not the locals call it a "women's sensuality shop" and that Herne is considered a respectable citizen. She's keeping her eye on him.

The only problem is, Justin is more than happy to stay within viewing distance. When a ritual murder draws them together on a case, she finds that maintaining a professional distance isn't going to be an option.