Dogs and Goddesses

Author: Jennifer Crusie, Anne Stuart, Lani Diane Rich


Abby Richmond, Daisy Harris and Shar Summer are descended from three of the seven ancient priestesses who served the goddess Kammani Gula. After their goddess was defeated by another goddess and banished from our world, their ancestresses sealed themselves in Kammani's temple and slept until their temple was re-opened. They waited, prepared and tried to raise their daughters to serve when their goddess returned, but they passed on and their daughters, not believing that the goddess would ever come, put away the traditions and raised their daughters with no knowledge of Kammani or what might be expected of them when she returns. Return she does and with it the powers of her priestesses who become minor goddesses in their own right. Of the seven women called Abby, Daisy and Shar are the most powerful, and the most suspicious of Kammani and what she wants. This does not sit well with Mina Wortham, the priestess carrying the power of death, descended from the one family who kept the old traditions, who feels she deserves to be the post powerful and prized by her goddess as she is the most faithful.The three, however, are too busy trying to control their new powers, freaking out over their suddenly talking dogs, and trying to deal with the men who have suddenly appeared in their lives.

Daisy is attracted to Noah Wortham at first sight, but can she trust a guy who's working for Kammani and who's family has been taught to serve Kammani from the moment they're born? And what if Noah's feelings for her aren't real, but a product of the chaos magic swirling all around her?

Abby's powers keep drawing Professor Christopher Mackenzie to her despite the fact that the genius math professor who hears the voice of a long dead mathematician in his head wants nothing to do with anyone who might distract him from his equations. Abby is none too happy that her magic keeps pulling her towards a man who is upright, cold and just plain frustrating.

Shar literally has a man appear in her life. He is the god king Samu-la-el, raised by Kammani and destined to be sacrificed. She'd been attracted to his likeness before, but it was nothing compared to the man. How can she let herself fall for him when he serves Kammani, sleeps with any woman who wants him and was in love with her grandmother, Sharrat?

I originally thought this book was an anthology. Imagine my surprise when I cracked this book to find that it's a book told from the perspective of several women in the book and written by all three authors in concert. I think each author wrote one of the three female leads, but I'm not sure. I really liked the story, though I'll admit that Shar's parts of the story were my favorite, followed by Abby, but Daisy bugged me a bit. Of all the guys and relationships in the book, Noah was the one with the least conflict and the least reason for Daisy to doubt and yet she was the one who made the biggest mess of things. Abby's was a close second as far as emotional mess goes, but in her case it was warranted. Christopher was so socially inept that he did the worse thing he could have done to hurt Abby without really meaning to. I was really glad when he finally pulled his head out of his ... ahhh ... books and went after Abby. I think, had I been Shar, my biggest issue with Sam would have been the fact that he had been in love with her grandmother, whom she apparently looks exactly like her, and that he occasionally called her Sharrat. Most especially when he called her by that name as he was holding her and kissing her. Apparently Sharrat wouldn't give him the time of day because she was all about serving Kammani. I'd have some trouble believing he was really in to me and not just using me as a substitute for the woman he loved.