Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC of this title. After reading Raquel Vasquez Gilliland's first book in this series, Witch of Wild Things, so much of it stuck with me that I was excited to read the next one which is Teal's story. Lightning in Her Hands did not disappoint, in fact, it was really hard to put the book down once I had started it. Gilliland's character are fresh and raw and funny and flawed. The magical elements of her stories are grounded in real life situations and characters so they feel completely natural in the setting.

Teal was the only one of her sisters to be there the moment her mother left them behind. It wasn't until many years later that Teal realized her mother had taken something from her that night, something that would cause her to always feel unlovable, unworthy, and out of control. It's not really a surprise that she ended up in a horribly violent relationship that only made her lack of belief in herself worse. But finally she is free of that situation and has vowed to try to make things up to her sisters and her best friend, Carter. When she agrees to a fake marriage with Carter to both help him and get enough money to show her sisters that she is there for them, she has no idea how much of her true self gets unlocked in the process.

Gilliland draws the lines between past trauma and self-love elegantly, showing that it is both generational and within our reach to heal. Teal's is not an easy story to read. And yet, it makes clear the resilience within us. With the support of those we love, we can learn to love ourselves.

Also, the spicy scenes with Teal and Carter are very hot. Love a fake marriage, single bed trope especially when making fun of the fake marriage, single bed trope!

I lived vicariously through this book. It had me transported to a world of wonder. The characters are vibrant, the plot is full of twists, and the world-building is awe-inspiring. A breathtaking and an unforgettable journey!

I enjoyed this companion to the Witch of Wild Things. Teal was a frustrating character at times, but her actions were understandable and mostly realistic. I flew through this book as well and really enjoy the sister dynamic. However, I didn't love love the relationship and found it bit cheesy for my liking.

This book reeled me in from the very beginning! I was a little disappointed with the story line regarding the mother since I thought the conclusion was a bit rushed and fell a little flat, but I still loved this book as a whole. Even though this is the second book in a series, I didn't have any difficulty understanding and reading this book.

Wow wow wow. Witch of Wild things was my favorite book of last year and Lightning in Her Hands may well be better. Teal is an absolutely brilliant main character, and her longing, pining history with Carter is so swoony.