That Touch of Magic

Nodaway Falls #2

by Lucy March

Stacy Easter has seen better days. Being a librarian is a labor of love—if only paying her bills were half as much fun. What’s a single, bookish beauty in sleepy Nodaway Falls, New York, supposed to do?

To make ends meet, Stacy decides to develop her special…powers. Everyone can use a touch of magic now and then, right? Soon she’s got clients lining up to receive her signature potions—until a few of them go awry. Meanwhile, her own life has just taken a storybook turn: Leo North, the official One Who Got Away, is back in town.

Stacy’s best friends, Peach and Liv, are more concerned about the state of her heart than the side effects of a few rogue magic spells. But someone with dark intentions is crossing magical wires all over Nodaway Falls, and those closest to Stacy are at risk. Can Stacy conjure up a way out of this mess with her life—and maybe even her love life—intact?

Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Audiobook, Magic, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Chick Lit

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 24, 2014

About the author

Lucy March is the split personality of NYT and USA Today bestselling author Lani Diane Rich. In 2010, she started writing her popular blog, A Year and Change, which documented the last fifteen months before her fortieth birthday. On her blog, Lucy worked through personal issues involving her divorce, her sense of self-worth, and her mother; she developed a following that eventually became the Betties, and occasionally opined on things like dieting, the writing process and vajazzling.

Now, she is happily remarried and lives with her husband, her two young daughters and her best friend on a river in southern Ohio, and life is pretty damn good.

Representation:
Stephanie Kip Rostan
Levine-Greenberg Literary Agency

Reviews

[Maja (The Nocturnal Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

By now, those of you who read my blog regularly probably know that I tend to avoid paranormal romance whenever I can. I have friends who are huge fans of the genre and I respect that, but quite frankly, the whole growling-alpha-male-swooning-female combo gives me severe allergies. However, there’s something about this series that appealed to me from the very beginning, and after all the fun I’d had while reading the first book, picking up this one was a very easy decision to make.

The friendships in this book are simply extraordinary, They are so strong and lovely and they easily prevent the romance from taking over. Like Liv before her, our Stacey has magical powers, albeit of a different variety. While Liv brings inanimate objects to life, Stacey makes potions – powerful ones at that – and sells them to help pay the bills. Peach is the only one with no magic whatsoever, but she is special in so many other ways that it doesn’t really matter. These three girls support each other through everything, so when Leo comes back into town and things go terribly wrong for Stacey, Peach and Liv are all the help she could ever really need.

The dreaded growling Alpha male, J.R. Ward-style, is fortunately absent from this book. Instead, we have Leo, a flawed-but-lovable ex-lover, ex-cheater and ex-priest, all rolled into one. Leo and our heroine Stacey have far too much history between them, and even years later, Stacey is still hiding a shattered heart. I have to admit I wasn’t Leo’s biggest fan at first, nor was I meant to be. After all, he cheated on Stacey while in college, broke her heart when he admitted it and then ran off to become a priest. I have no sympathy for cheaters, even nine years later and even when they so obviously still suffer the consequences, but it is a testament to Lucy March’s skill that I did forgive him in the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed the villain in this book too, even though I saw him coming from a mile away. I loved how the entire situation was handled and I was (reluctantly) impressed by the obstacles he put in Stacey and Leo's way. There’s nothing I love more than a truly devious villain and fortunately for me, Lucy March really knows how to create one.

Recommended by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jennifer Crusie and Darynda Jones, the Nodaway Falls series is a witty, funny treat, with a perfect magic to romance ratio. It is a true comfort read, enjoyable and sweet. I highly recommend it.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

After losing her job as the town librarian and with bills to pay, Stacey begins selling potions to help make ends meet. But with no formal education in the ways of magic it's trial and error from the get-go. When her potions start to produce unintended comic side-effects she needs to find out what she's doing wrong and quickly.

Then Leo her former lover, the one she never got over shows up in town and wants a second chance. With her magic going haywire and Leo refusing to leave town she can't seem to catch a break. And if that's not enough, she finds herself caught in a sinister magical web which could very well cost her her life.


That Touch of Magic is amazing. It's been two years since A little Night Magic hit the shelves and it's obvious that Lucy March has kept herself busy. I don't often read books that are this polished. This book is good fun but there is a hard edge to it that some may find confronting. Not me, I loved it!

[Olga Godim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quaint paranormal romance with a unique magical system, this story was a pleasant diversion. Three parallel plot lines intertwined in this book: a magical mystery, a self-discovery journey, and a love story.
When the protagonist Stacy, a former librarian and a first-level conjurer in Nodaway Falls, learns that something is awry with magic spells in her neighborhood, she is determined to uncover the problem and fix it. And whoever is responsible for the magical screwup will be sorry.
While Stacy is searching, her former sweetheart Leo arrives in town. Once upon a time, he left and broke Stacy’s heart. She wouldn’t allow that to happen again. She has never stopped loving Leo, but she knows deep in her soul that she deserves all the pain she’s got because she is such an ugly person inside. Her mother always said so, so it must be true.
Leo disagrees. In his eyes, Stacy has always been beautiful, inside and out, and he is determined to reclaim his place in her heart and her life. But Stacy can’t let the emotional turmoil divert her from her goal: to deal with the magical calamities besieging her town. Somehow, they all revolve around her friends and clients. Who is the culprit and what does he want? To compound her troubles, her egotistic, hypocritical mother starts glowing and acquires a cult of acolytes. Something must be done about that too.
Leo and Stacy have their hands full. He must convince her that he still loves her and make her believe in herself. She must accept Leo’s love and find out who is targeting her friends and neighbors. The three subplots weave around each other in a sophisticated dance pattern that makes for a fast absorbing read.
The protagonist Stacy is a complicated character, a bit brash maybe but vulnerable and compassionate, even towards her narcissistic mother. Loyal to her friends, she would rather sacrifice her life than make them suffer. We all need such friends, friends who might stumble occasionally and make mistakes but never really swerve from the right course.
A tale infused with subtle magic from the first to the last page.

[Jenn Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

That Touch of Magic is a true page turner and on par with what I have come to expect from Lucy March and her alter ego Lani Diane Rich. The characters are smart, charismatic, and real. The sarcastic heroine, Stacy, is a lovable but flawed character that makes her interesting and easy to relate to. At first glance she is the town harlot, but it soon becomes clear she is caring almost to a fault and is only protecting herself from her crazy Mom and a ten year old broken heart. Leo is a strong romantic hero that was as well written, complicated, and interesting as the heroine. Often with books in the romance genre I want to smack the hero across the head for his stupidity, but with Leo I was always wanting to give him a hug. Even the antagonist made me feel sorry for him at times. March is able to write emotion and humor better than any other women’s lit author I’ve come across. Hardly a page goes by where I’m not laughing, crying, or both.

[Kait Nolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightfully funny and perfect for fans of Molly Harper. Loved it.

[Christi Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review:
Overall... 5 star
Performance.... 5 star
Story... 5 star

Whoa, what an amazing, amazing book. Stacy and Leo...omg, they just broke my heart. There is so much incredible emotion in this book. Bravo, to Lucy March...you ROCKED the writing on this one!

Ten years ago, Stacy and Leo were completely and totally in love. Then he blew it. He got drunk and slept with someone else and ruined everything for both of them. When he told Stacy, she blew up. He left and decided to become a priest and never came back. Well now Stacy's brother, who just also happens to be best friends with Leo, is getting married to one of Stacy's best friends and Leo is back for the wedding...and NOT a priest. Stacy is devastated on so many fronts, but she still has her pride and is determined to never let him see it.

When Leo left, it devastated Stacy and she changed...and not necessarily for the better. She acted out and made choices. When those choices came out in the story, I literally was bawling. She has hurt so freaking much and works so hard so that no one ever sees it. She's tough and strong and just not the person you would think has all these incredible vulnerabilities. Seriously, I just wanted to curl up with her and give her a huge hug. And once she allowed Leo to see...bawling again. And the best thing about all that was how the author wrote it. If it had been up to Stacy, Leo would have never truly seen her pain and hurt, but she was willing to reveal that to help others. On the surface she's this selfish, shallow girl, but it's ALL just a ruse. Seriously, she's one of the most kind-hearted people willing to do WHATEVER it takes to save others who simply don't deserve anything...certainly not her sacrifice when they've been so awful to her.

And then there's Leo...he's so obviously still in love with her and so confused by why she won't even consider them anymore. He just doesn't get it and when he finally does, I fell in love with him. Throughout the entire book, little pieces of my heart broke off from page to page. I can't think of too many books where I was so emotionally shattered throughout the entire book for two characters.

But at the same time, the book is fun and entertaining. I loved the magic element and how that all played into the story. Although I will admit, I wanted to kick Nick, Stacy's brother, towards the end of the book. How could he turn on Stacy like that? Another example of just how strong she's had to be despite EVERYONE in her life that should be supporting and helping her.

This book was amazing. I enjoyed book #1 in this series and thought it was good, but this book so far surpassed that one. Seriously, so good!!! It absolutely works as a stand-alone and I HIGHLY recommend you read or listen to it.

The audiobook is fabulous. I've listened to a lot of Amanda Ronconi's narrations before, but she reached new levels of perfection in this one. Every single emotion and character is so easily identifiable from her inflections and accents. I don't think I would have gotten near the enjoyment out of the book reading it as I did listening to it just because she injected so much emotion into the characters' voices. It was just an incredible audiobook!!!

[Carolyn F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just could not get into the romance that much and I blame it on Leo. To take off for awhile to get your head straight is one thing, but to think that you need to become a priest and then to be gone 10 years and want to reconcile with the girl you left behind - uh uh. I have a friend who got in an argument with her first husband and being very young said, "I'm going to my mom's house!". Well, his response was to join the Army. Dick head move and Leo does a dick head move. Too little too late is a popular saying for a reason! So anyway, because of my inability to forgive Leo and not caring what Stacy feels or thinks about the matter, I give this book 3 stars.

[Hallie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My last (finished) book of 2014! It was fine, but the anguish of returning-to-town long lost love never quite worked, which was a disappointment. I found Jackie's review of it on her Romance Novels for Feminists blog more interesting than the book itself.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

stacey just irked me (but then she also did in bk 1 as well) - a tad too much TSTL at times

[Michelle Cable · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received a digital copy from Edelweiss. Was a little slow to start and I thought the ending was a little anti-climatic.

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

the ending was too abrupt, but overall I enjoyed this book 3.5 stars

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one a little more than the first. I'm a bit apprehensive about the 3rd book bc of who the male love interest is. We'll see how I feel a little later.

[Karenfaith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't bring myself to read second chance romances with cheating as a reason for breakup. Especially when the pair was supposed to be so in love with each other before that. Though H repents it a lot than most, I don't think the trust can be built back.

It is different when cheater get an happy ending with some other person. But if the H could love the h before and still do that for whatever reason, what is the point of the reunion. So the sweet parts about their first chance only stresses the point.

Some other parts of the book and even the characterization of H had potential. I guess it would work for some. But I couldn't get over it. I wish these books come with warning tags.

[Dr susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did a bad, bad thing...I started a new book after midnight. Hello 4 am!!
That Touch of Magic got 5 stars because I read it in one gulp. I admit I liked the more 'fluffy' A Little Night Magic better. The humor and joy of That Touch of Magic was more subdued, and Stacy is more broken than Olivia. The Widow at the rehearsal dinner is a hoot, and Stacy's interactions with Deirdre and Henry are high points. I had hoped for a Stacy/Cain pairing, but it was not meant to be. This merciful ending did not give the closure of ALNM, but one could argue that this villain's end was not merciful at all.

[Melindeeloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars- I really have enjoyed these books in audio. The characters are very appealing. I loved Amanda Ronconi as the reader - she may have predisposed me to like this from her Jane Jameson performances.

I would have continued straight on to the next book... but it is not out in audio yet :(

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

See full review at
http://romancenovelsforfeminists.blog...

[BibliofiendLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. Not sure if I liked it as much as the first book though.

[Kristin Whitehouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was book 2. I'm not sure if there's going to be another one or not. I liked it, but I think I liked book one just a little bit more.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

2nd book in the series but it’s been so long since I read book 1 that I was confused for the first few chapters. Not as good as book one but quite entertaining nonetheless.
2.5 Stars.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing second story. A lot of inner dialog and/inner angst that didn't move the story. I'm not spending any more money on this series.

[Bree Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

That Touch of Magic had a lot of the same elements that I loved about A Little Night Magic: humor, great characters, and all the quirks.

This book was a touch more serious than the first because Stacy has a few more issues to get through than Liv did, but the humor was still bright and uplifting.

I also appreciated how Lucy March was able to introduce a brand new character, a character that was an old love interest at that, and still had me buying into that relationship despite it not being mentioned in the previous book.

I liked that this book gave Stacy’s character much more depth and growth, considering I wasn’t expecting this book to be following her. I actually didn’t even read the synopsis before I read this book because I loved the first in the series so much. So, it was a little disorienting at first.

I’m sure there were little plotholes in the use of magic and how conjuring worked, but it didn’t deter me from the story at all. I’m not huge into fantasy or paranormal, so I don’t typically notice those things as much.

I think this book was a little slower for me than the first, which is why it is only 4 stars instead of 5, but I still really enjoyed this one!

♥ Read the full review on my blog: In Love & Words ♥

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stacy is a librarian, but laid off. She makes magic potions to pay the bills. Her first love, Leo, comes back to town for her brother’s wedding, as best man. It hurts too much for Stacy to see him, so she gets a potion from another conjurer to be able to face him at the wedding without the pain. That spell, and some others in town, go awry, so Stacy has to figure out who and why is messing with things and straighten them out. But she almost loses Leo. Kind of dark but a good book.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book starts abruptly. Which wouldn't have been a problem if I had read Book 1 of the series closer to reading this one. But, alas, that did not happen. Do not read as a stand alone. It doesn't work as one.

[Elizabeth Holen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute sophomore book in the Nodaway Falls series, this is a perfect listen for a touch of sweetness on a dreary day. While this novel focuses on Stacy, you still revisit old friends from the first novel in the series. Amanda Ronconi was spot on with her narration.

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story. Stacy is tough and I am enjoying the new characters that are introduced. The relationship between her and her mother and Clementine and her mother was tough for me to read, but all-in-all a good book.

[Sarah (relativelylucid) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been a while since I read the previous novel but I had remembered enjoying it more than I expected. This one was a little slow to start and the primary character this novel focused on was not as likeable as book one.

[Briana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little more romancy then i would like.

[Marie Connolly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was ok .

[Gennielc · Rating 2 out of 5]

Went on and on and on, and not in a good way

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid addition to this series. Must confess I didnt love Stacy as much as Liv or Peaches, but I enjoyed her snark and her relationship with Leo.