A Lady and Her Magic

Faerie #1

by Tammy Falkner

Rules Are Made to be Disobeyed...

Sophia Thorne is new to the Regency's glittering high society, which resembles her magical homeland only insofar as both places are filled with ridiculous rules. Which means no matter where she goes, she's bound for trouble...

And Scandals Are Meant to be Shocking...

The Duke of Robinsworth has flaunted and shocked society for years. In a moment of fateful mischief, Robinsworth encounters the enchanting and distinctly scandalous Sophia. Between her streak of magical mischief and his penchant for scandal, they're about to take rule-breaking to a whole new level...

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Fantasy, Historical, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Regency

347 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 1, 2012

About the author

Tammy Falkner lives on a farm in a lovely, sprawling little town in rural NC with her beekeeper husband and a house full of boys, a few dogs, and a cat or two (or five – who has time to count?). As half of the Lydia Dare team, she has co-written ten books, including the Westfield Wolves series and the Gentlemen Vampyre series. A huge fan of Regency England, she often wonders what other kinds of magical, mythical and strange creatures might live and interact within the ton. Exploring the theory that the fae can walk between Regency England and their own land, Tammy spends as much time as possible with the lords and ladies of society, horse-drawn carriages, and elegant balls. Now add to that some faeries, a little murder, a bit of mayhem, and a troublesome garden gnome, and you have her exciting new series. She hopes you enjoys her world as much as she does.

Also writes as
Lydia Dare

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story caught my attention twice: First, by its description, which promised a blend of fantasy and regency romance (two of my favorites) and second, by the very first line:

“If the Duke of Robinsworth had known it would be so difficult to raise a daughter alone, he never would have killed his wife.”

Intriguing! So much so, that I paused and quoted the line to my husband, who also acknowledged the sheer hookiness of the first line. But as I read further, contemplating how to use that line in the workshop I sometimes teach on “Beginnings,” I couldn’t help but notice some issues with the story-telling. Then I noticed a few more. And then…well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

This book immediately suffered from withheld information. Even though the duke readily admitted, in point of view, and on multiple occasions, that he killed his wife, he didn’t tell us why. This made it very difficult to like him because by default, I don’t sympathize with murderers.

Then there was Sophia, the fairy on a mission from….well, whoever is in charge of the fairy. Her mission was to…well, it had something to do with the duke’s daughter. Which brings me to my second big problems: World building. I also teach a workshop on that, and after reading this novel, I definitely have a few ideas to tweak that one.

You see, when you’re introducing a magical world (which is anything that differs from the world we know and understand), you have to actually tell us (the readers) about it in a timely fashion. You can’t, for example, give us five rules of behavior which include “Never, ever fall in love with a human” without telling us who makes the rules and what happens if you don’t follow it. Mostly the last one. Because deep down inside, where we all naturally challenge authority, our hedonistic impulses need to understand why they can’t just have what they want.

There was more, though. Frankly, the magic was silly. The fairies reminded me of children’s stories, which created problem number three: TONE. You see, Mary Poppins wasn’t sexy (even if she did have a beau). I found it incredibly difficult, no, impossible, to get into a story about a fairy who turns into a tiny little creature with wings and slips into little girl’s bedchambers in the middle of the night to help them (still not clear on that)….and then switch to her in the duke’s bedchamber straddling his thighs. It was just weird and very uncomfortable.

Back to world building…These fae were not adult fae as I’m used to reading them in fantasy. Which only made it harder to understand the way the world worked or the rules. Adult fairies aren’t mindless little do-gooders. (And maybe that’s not what these were, but if not, I didn’t get that.) I expect my adult stories about the fae to involve a complex world of other-worldly creatures who interact with humans for their own reasons.

All of that was building to a painful crescendo…I was rather dreading the sex scene and trying to decide whether or not to skip it…when I found my ultimate put-down moment at the 3/4 point.

***SPOILER AHEAD***

It was a lie. I was still traipsing through this book on the power of a promise given to me in the first sentence and reinforced at least a dozen times. But it simply wasn’t true. The duke didn’t kill his wife.

I honestly can’t believe this book was published, and I don’t say that lightly. I’ve read books I didn’t care for, but hey, we’ve all got different tastes. I just didn’t realize anyone’s taste permitted repeated, direct and explicit lies by an impartial third person narrator. This wasn’t a case of being misled…I quoted that first sentence to you verbatim, and there were many more like it.

***SPOILER Behind***

I do not recommend this book.

[She-Wolf Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

If the Duke of Robinsworth had known it would be so difficult to raise a daughter alone, he never
would have killed his wife.

What a fantastic opening line. It was this first sentence that made me pick up A LADY AND HER MAGIC by Tammy Falkner from my TBR pile and then not put it down. This line introduces Ashley Trimble, Duke of Robinsworth, wealthy widower and suspected murderer. While out with his young daughter, Anne, he runs into the lovely and enchanting Sophia. It may seem like a coincidence, but Sophia has secrets and this meeting, unbeknownst to the Duke, was planned. Sophia has a wonderful affect on the hard to handle Anne and she makes an indelible impression on the Duke. After this “chance” encounter, they meet again at the Duke’s country estate. His mother is throwing a party in an effort to rehabilitate the Duke’s sinister reputation (but really she just wants to gamble with her friends) and Sophia and her grandmother are invited quests of the Duchess. So begins the Duke’s effort to win Sophia’s heart. Sophia herself tries to stick to her job as a fairy, safeguard her future from her attraction to the Duke, and keep a wily gnome from getting too involved in her business.

Words that came to mind after finishing A LADY AND HER MAGIC are “sweet,” “frothy,” “fun”… "a confection of a tale.” Get the idea? This is a light, romantic story about a fairy on a mission who falls in love with a human despite the obstacles in their way.

I’m a sucker for a period paranormal so I loved the fact that this was set in Regency England with a fey influence. However, this isn’t a story of the dark fey. This is a pixie dust, Tinker Bell, type of fairytale. Sophia is a mission fairy who is sent to the Robinsworth estate to help the family for a specific reason. For me, the weakest part of this story lay precisely in its paranormal aspects. I guess Sophia is a fairy godmother? I have no idea. I don’t understand why there are even mission fairies, why they care about the human world, what the point of their “humanitarian” missions are and what exactly they can do other than morph into little fairies with wings and spread truth dust. The world-building left a lot to be desired in this one. What was there was cute, fun, and light. I actually appreciate that this wasn’t a doom and gloom paranormal. There were a couple of dark moments but overall these weren’t the fey that make you too scared to eat the food. Reading something that was a bit more lighthearted in nature was a good change. I just wish it were a bit more developed.

Unpardonable Error #5:
Never, ever fall in love with a human.

Mission fairies live and work by five unpardonable errors. One of which is to never fall in love with a human. For me, what really worked here was the romance. I loved Ashley Trimble, Duke of Robinsworth. He is a lonely, misunderstood man. Smart, powerful, and isolated. Sophia has an irreverent take on human society and their rules; she is a breath of fresh air to the Duke’s lonely existence. They have wonderful chemistry. I loved the shifting POVs and really enjoyed the Duke’s struggle to win Sophia’s heart.

The supporting cast is fun – Wilson the loyal butler, the Duchess with her sharp tongue and gambling habit, the Duke’s brother, the rakish Finn, and Ronald, the snooping garden gnome. The dialogue was witty, the pace was just right, and the period setting was well done.

I would classify this as a more traditional romance with a light paranormal twist. It was a fast and fun read. I just wish there was more there…the world-building was a little too featherweight for me to really sink my teeth into. Regardless, it was a sweet romantic tale, a fun diversion from the darker stuff I normally read.

This review is courtesy of She-Wolf Reads.

[CaroleDee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Lady and Her Magic was a take on the Fae I haven't experienced yet, and I loved every minute of it. It was a bit longer than I expected, but at no time did the story drag. I was enthralled the entire time.

The characters were fun and engrossing.I especially enjoyed the quirky character of Ronald, the garden gnome. I don't think I will ever look at a garden gnome quite the same way. *Be warned: those little buggers bite!*

I laughed, I cried, I fell in love with the characters. A Lady and Her Magic took all of the elements I love in the historical romance genre splashed it with a huge dose of magic and left me wanting more!

*LOVE LOVE LOVE this cover!*

*posted at http://www.bittenbyparanormalromance....

[Phoenix77 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will be the first to recognize that not every book has to be deep, dark or full of angst. More times than not I prefer a light-hearted type of story, with characters who are pleasant and fun to read about and plots meant to entertain rather than rip at my heart. However, every author has to find a balance between the whimsy and fantasy they create against the reality that these characters supposedly live in. As I read through A Lady and her Magic I felt that author Tammy Falkner always tipped her scales towards the fantasy and the story suffered for it.

Sophia Thorne is a mission fairy, and the closest analogy I could come up with to what a mission fairy is would be a pseudo Fairy Godmother for humans needing assistance in their lives. These fairies do their jobs within the parameters of the Unpardonable Errors; rules made to protect the fairy realm against discovery by the humans, but also a code to keep the fairies from doing more than their assigned task. Sophia’s mission is to help Lady Anne Trimble against a terrible memory that is slowly eating away at her childhood innocence. Unfortunately the assignment comes with a big complication: Anne’s father Lord Robinsworth, also known as the Dangerous Duke. Sophia is quick to introduce herself to both father and daughter and through a convenient set of circumstances she finds herself invited into the Trimble home for an informal house party. Being in such close quarters with the attractive Lord Robinsworth becomes a serious distraction for Sophia. She is pulled to him through a magical connection, but also through their daily interactions where she sees a man who has been touched by tragedy.

Ashley Trimble, Lord Robinsworth, has been living as a recluse for years since the death of his wife. Quietly accused of her murder and unwilling to expose his family secrets to scrutiny he has become an outcast to anyone poised to believe the gossip. His only joys in life come from his daughter, but as she gets older he can see how his withdrawing from society has started to hurt her as well. While he is ready to let the past go he is unable to find the courage or motivation to come out of his shadowed existence. Meeting with Sophia is like a breath of fresh air for Ashley. There is the immediate physical attraction to her, but he can also sense the lightness of her being, as if the dark that has surrounded him for years cannot touch her. Having Sophia under his roof for his mother’s house party becomes a way for him to court her on his terms, allowing the illusions of rank and class to fall away and just be with her as a man. Because of an unknown magical connection Sophia and Ashley are drawn to one another through music, and each time they meet a little bit more of their resistance falls away.

While the romance itself was fairly straight forward, in my opinion many of the fantasy aspects of the story were its weakest link. The idea of Sophia having magic and being a Fae is given to the reader as an absolute, yet very little is written to explain exactly who the Fae are or how their role within the human world came to be. The author wants us to believe that the fairy world is a mirror to the London society of 1817, yet Sophia’s words and actions make it seem more like she’s a modern day American visiting Regency London. The idea of “mission fairies” gave a sense that women like Sophia, her mother and grandmother before her were the mythical Fairy Godmothers from lore. Yet how they work, how they receive their missions and how they are to complete those missions is left very vague. In too many aspects within the story we as readers are left to create our own ideas about who the Fae are. If the people of Sophia’s world are Fairies like the Tinkerbelle kind, why are the men denied wings? Why are Fish the mortal enemy of the Fairies? Why the concern over a human handling Fairy Dust when nothing ever comes of it? Simple questions like this kept popping up for me as the author would throw out unique ideas about the Fae and yet never expand upon it.

A Lady and her Magic was perhaps too light a read even for me. With so many of the fantasy aspects being undefined the rest of the story just floated away in the ether, leaving me with only the slightest impression of it all.

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

The premise behind this story seemed the perfect solution to an inherent flaw in historical romance from the Regency period: If you like reading accurate history and you want romance you have a real problem because appropriate behavior for women in Regency England leaves little scope for satisfying romance by modern standards. So, you end up with either historical accuracy or satisfying romance, while it is not impossible to combine the two, it is quite challenging.

Having a female lead who was a fairy seemed perfect! No one could expect historical accuracy from a fairy and I have read some history/fae combinations that worked very well indeed.

This one, not so much...

Having finished it, I will say that I did not absolutely hate it, but it did lose my attention often, and I only got through it by skim reading a fair bit. The main overall problems with this novel involve the world building, the continuity and consistency necessary to combine two disparate genera in one story.

In terms of world building, the Regency part at times does pretty well, but at other times becomes wholly unlikely; for example the lead male wanting to 'just cuddle' when that is a modern word that was reasonably rare before 1900's. The fairy part is a train-wreck; completely inconsistent and making no sense even as it explains things. The explanations sound like a child "making it up as they go along". A child too young to see inherent contradictions in their story.

It almost lost me for good on page [36] where we are told that despite the fae wearing a lot less clothes and finding human morality confusing,, they seem to have the same prudish morals as Regency England; apparently a fairy's wings turn black or something if she gets laid. Really? What was the point of that? Now we are stuck with the same pursue and resist type blancmange that you could create in historical fiction without involving the fae at all.

I persevered, and was still limping along at page 65, mostly because I liked the male lead a good deal. So I quite enjoyed the story as long as it stayed away from the idiotic attempt at a female fairy lead: little miss "Yes, I must hide my nature from humans, and I can best do this by discoursing on unicorns, publicly swooning at wind-chimes, and having long conversations with garden gnomes while my Lord is in the garden right behind me." (And how DID that gnome get there anyway, when apparently you need to go through gates guarded by fish (?????) to get from Fairyland to London?)

Next severe inconsistency that made me put the thing down for a while occurred on page 142 when we learned that male faeries do not have wings. Sadly my memory was good enough to remember that back on pages 58-60 we met a male fairy that did have wings.

These are merely the most glaring contradictions, nearly every time anything fae was involved there were inconsistencies. It is hard to tell if the author has any actual overview of her version of fairyland, or whether she is just very, very bad at putting her version into writing.

Also, the sex scenes were tedious and unconvincing, full of flowery euphemisms and not much else. The ending was convoluted and unlikely, has to skim read to make it through.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Lady and Her Magic is light, fluffy, and adorable! Ashley has been raising his daughter alone after his wife died. The ton all believed he murdered her and he's never denied it, so he's become quite the recluse. Then he meets Sophia. There's something about her that just draws him to her. Not to mention, she's been the only person to get his daughter to behave. The two meet again at the house party Ashley's mother throws, and their connection grows even more. Too bad that she's fae and is only in the human world for a mission.

I loved the concept of fae going on missions to help humans! Although I was less than thrilled that Sophia's mission in A Lady and Her Magic involved Ashley's daughter. I am not fond of children, nor do I like children being the driving force in a romance. It's weird. Luckily, Anne isn't annoying despite being described as a brat in the first chapter. I just wish that Sophia had been sent to help Ashley instead, since she wound up helping him reenter society anyway.

The romance between Sophia and Ashley was so sweet! He's completely taken with her from the beginning even though she is a bit odd. Actually, he likes her more because she is a little weird! She doesn't fit into Society, and neither does he, although for very different reasons. Their connection is quite magical even though they're forbidden from being together! I love forbidden romance! Of course, there has to be a twist at the end that allows them to be together and I really liked it.

A Lady and Her Magic was super cute and definite braincandy. There was a bit of a disconnect for me between some of the plot points. It felt disjointed in places which kept me from loving it overall. But the romance was just so darn adorably sweet!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Jessica Kayuha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book so much more. I had it written down in my little TBR list after reading the first chapter a few months back. The premise sounded right up my alley for a bit of light, happy reading.

And it definitely is light, happy reading, but just not at all satisfying. The take on fairies is just, for lack of a better term, weird. The heroine is a Mission Fairy, whose mission is to help the daughter of the hero forget, or overcome maybe, her tragic past which has turned her into a brat. Miraculously, just being around Sophia is enough to turn the little girl's behavior around a full 180. That was my first eye-roll moment.

Our hero is a true pariah, thought to have murdered his wife. Women everywhere are terrified of him, even the courtesans paid to be with him. That was eye-roll number two. But of course our heroine cares not one whit, and is completely comfortable around him from the very first moment. I'm not a history buff, and 99% of what I know from this time period is through historical fiction, but I am pretty sure I've read enough of that by now to know that the majority of what Sophia does just could never have happened, fairy or not. When she barged into breakfast with the Duke and his daughter, well, that was eye-roll number three.

The insta-love here isn't as far-fetched as normal since we are talking about fairies after all, but it's still fairly schlocky. The denouement is what really killed the book for me. All of the problems were solved, poof, just like that! And after reading an entire book about the rules of fairies, no, it can't happen, just like that! Fairy magic or not.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sophia Thorn walks between the two worlds of the Fae and Regency high society, constantly struggling to complete her magical missions without breaking an impossible set of rules handed down from the Fae people. She must work and interact with humans, but she must never fall in love with one. The Duke of Robinsworth, who lives in exile in his ancestral home, is not familiar with Sophia’s rules. And even after meeting her at a fateful house party, he has no idea that he’s about to push her to a whole new level of rule breaking.

It’s a great idea and the story starts off very interesting, but then the it sort of came to a halt. I felt like I was reading filler so that the book could be a certain amount of pages. Easily 75 pages could be edited out of this book. Also, when we finally find out what Sophia mission is I was disappointed. I expected there to be much more at stake if she failed. And her mission made the Trusted Few much less ominous to me, which took away from the story. All the love scene’s are at the end of the book, so if your looking for steamy romance you’ll have to trudge through. But then they are there in abundance.

If you’re a fan of Lydia Dare (the author of this book is half of that writing duo) and you just want to read something about the Fae then this is the book for you. It’s fun, dull, then kind of fun again. So keep that in mind.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just ok for me. There wasn't as much paranormal elements as I expected and what was there was kind of silly. Sophia is a fairy on a mission to help a little girl little does she know that the little girl has a handsome, lonely father that needs help too. The Duke of Robinsworth is accussed of murdering his wife and is a outcast in society. Everyone is terrified of him especially women until he meets Sophia who seems not to care a bit about all the rumors and is totally at ease with him maybe even a little to comfortable with him. They are automatically attracted to each other but Sophia won't have anything to do with him because if she does her wings will change colors and everyone will know that she is no longer pure.

This story had some funny parts I even laughed a few times and it was cute but it was a little slow in the beginning and didn't pick up until the end. Everything works out nicely at the end. I would have to say this is more of a historical romance than a paranormal so if you like historical romance novels and light paranormal elements this book may be good for you.

[I_love_a_happily_ever_after · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been quite a long time since I have read a book without putting it down, but this is exactly how I spent the past six hours. I loved this book, it was absolutely charming. I would have liked to get to know the Hero a little better, but the book was delightful enough on it it's own to earn 5/5 stars. It is filled with engaging characters and an interesting new plot line that has not been beaten to death, like most regencies. I highly recommend this book to people who are looking for something fun and sweet in a regency with a new twist.

[Valerie · Rating 1 out of 5]

oh brother

[Coco.V]

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[Rosie Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Lady And Her Magic is book one of the Faerie series which mixes light erotic historical romance and fantasy.

Sophia is a mission fairy sent to help the daughter of a duke who has murdered his wife. Single child Lady Ann, the Duke’s daughter, has been chosen to receive some much-needed help growing up in an adult world.

The Duke of Robinsworth is rumoured to have murdered his wife, a charge that he doesn’t deny.  Most of society shuns him because of the accusations; however, Sophia doesn’t fear him and their shared love of music draws them across forbidden fae and human rules.

I enjoy stories from both historical romance and fantasy, and I like to read books in the urban fantasy genre where fantasy mixes easily in real world situations.  However, I did struggle to accept the genre mixes within this book. For me, the fae world needed more world-building and depth to it to make it believable. How the two interwove also felt awkward; the fairy dust and pretty wings were sweet in a Disney style, but were ill-contrasted with the erotic sexual relationship between Sophia and the Duke.

So overall, two popular genres, but the way they were married together felt at times like sucking on lemons rather than being tastily believable.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sophia Thorne is new to the Regency's glittering high society, which resembles her magical homeland only insofar as both places are filled with ridiculous rules. Ashley Trimble, The Duke of Robinsworth has flouted and shocked society for years. In a moment of fateful mischief, Ashley encounters the enchanting and distinctly scandalous Sophia. Between her streak of magical mischief and his penchant for scandal, they're about to take rule-breaking to a whole new level.
I was drawn into the book from the first sentence, which had me totally intrigued however the rest of the book left me slightly disappointed. Misinformation & withheld information could have made for a great read but for me it fell flat. It was in fact a fun read with no great depth, the characters were well portrayed but lacking depth. The pace flowed well but it just left me wanting more
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

[May Mostly Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Lady and Her Magic ของแทมมี ฟอร์คเนอร์

เรื่องนี้เป็นเล่มแรกในชุดที่เล่าเรื่องราวเกี่ยวกับภูติแฟร์รีที่ไม่ใช่เพียงแค่ตำนานที่มนุษย์เข้าใจ แต่พวกเขามีตัวตน และอาศัยอยู่อีกมิตินึง (ที่ต้องใช้ประตูข้ามไปมาระหว่างกัน)

การพบกันครั้งแรกระหว่างมิสโซเฟีย ธอร์น และแอชลีย์ ทริมเบิ้ลสร้างความประทับใจให้กับดยุคแห่งโรบินเวิร์ธชนิดที่เขายังจดจ��เธอได้ แม้จะในอีกหลายวันต่อมา

โซเฟียอาจจะไม่ใช่สาวรุ่นจากตระกูลผู้ดีสูงศักดิ์ แต่เธอคือคนแรก และคนเดียวที่สามารถจัดการกับลูกสาวนิสัยดื้อรั้นของเขาได้ และวิธีของโซเฟียก็ไม่เหมือนใคร ซึ่งความจริงแล้วโซเฟียก็ไม่เหมือนใครจริง ๆ เธอไม่ได้มาจากโลกมนุษย์ หากแต่เป็นหนึ่งในสิ่งมีชีวิตที่เราเรียกกันว่าแฟร์รี ซึ่งหน้าที่ของโซเฟียที่ถูกส่งมาโลกมนุษย์���็เพื่อช่วงเหลือลูกสาวของแอชลีย์นั่นเอง และนี่คือสาเหตุที่เธอพยายามเข้าไปตีสนิทกับครอบครัวของเขา

ยายของโซเฟียจัดการจนตัวเอง และหลานสาวได้ไปร่วมงานเลี้ยง ณ บ้านที่ชนบทของแอชลีย์ ที่นั่นเองความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างโซเฟีย และแอชลีย์ก็พัฒนามากขึ้นไปเรื่อย ๆ แล้วก็ยิ่งมีความลึกซึ้งมากขึ้น เมื่อโซเฟียซึ่งมีอาการเมาเสียงฟัง ที่เมื่อไรก็ตามที่ได้ยินเสียงเพลง โซเฟียจะมีอาการเหมือนคนเมาค้าง แต่อาการนี้ยิ่งหนักมากขึ้นเมื่อเธอได้ยินเสียงการเล่นเปียโนของแอชลีย์ ถึงขนาดที่วิ่งออกจากห้องนอนของตัวเอง (ในสภาพใส่ชุดนอน) ไปหาเขาที่ห้องอย่างควบคุมสติไม่ได้

การได้พบกันในยามค่ำคืน แม้จะไม่มีอะไรเกินเลย ก็ยิ่งทำให้โซเฟียได้รู้จักแอชลีย์มากขึ้น ได้เห็นตัวตนของดยุคผู้ถูกเล่าลือกันว่า เป็นฆาตกรที่ฆ่าภรรยาคนแรกของตัวเอง และยิ่งรู้จักโซเฟียก็ยิ่งกลัวใจตัวเองว่าจะฝืนกฎเหล็กของเหล่าแฟร์รี

กฎที่บอกว่า ห้ามตกหลุมรักของมนุษย์ เพราะถ้ามันเกิดขึ้น โซเฟียจะต้องทิ้งทุกอย่างโลกแฟร์รี สูญเสียครอบครัวที่อยู่ที่นั่น ถูกตัดปีก และเนรเทศมายังโลกมนุษย์ โซเฟียรักแอชลีย์ แต่มันก็ไม่มากพอที่จะทำให้เธอทิ้งทุกอย่างได้

เรื่องนี้ไม่ค่อยแข็งแรงในส่วนของพล็อตการสร้างโลก มิติที่เป็นส่วนของแฟร์รีไม่ค่อยมีความชัดเจนมากนัก หรือกระทั่งหน้าที่ของเหล่าแฟร์รีที่ถูกส่งมายังโลกมนุษย์ก็ไม่ชัดเจนว่าถูกส่งมาเพื่ออะไรกันแน่ ตลอดทั้งเรื่องไม่ได้มีการอธิบายอย่างเป็นเรื่องเป็นราว บอกแค่ว่า โซเฟียมาเพื่อช่วยลูกสาวของแอชลีย์ แต่ทำไมต้องช่วย หรือทำไมแฟร์รีต้องเข้ามายุ่งเกี่ยวนั้น ไม่มีรายละเอียดเลย

แต่นั่นไม่สำคัญสำหรับเราเท่าไหรค่ะ เราหลงใหลไปกับคาแร็คเตอร์ เราชอบความน่ารักของนางเอก ความอ่อนโยนของพระเอกที่คาแร็คเตอร์ขัดกับชื่อเสียงของเขาอย่างมาก แอชลีย์แทบจะไม่มีด้านมืด ซึ่งก็แปลกดีในโรแมนซ์ที่พระเอกมักจะต้องมีปมปัญหา คือแอชลีย์มีปัญหานะคะ แต่เขาไม่มืดมิดเลย เขากล้ายอมรับ และเปิดใจให้กับความรักที่เกิดขึ้น เขากล้าที่จะเสี่ยง ซึ่งจำเป็นมาก ๆ ในเรื่องนี้ เพราะโซเฟียเป็นคนที่ลังเลมากกว่า

เราคงต้องบอกว่า เวลาอ่านเรื่องนี้อยากคิดมาก ปล่อยให้เรื่องราวนำมาไปเอง (จะบอกว่า เรื่องไม่ค่อยมีสาระก็ฟังดูไม่ค่อยดีนะคะ แต่มันเป็นแบบนั้น เพียงแต่คนแต่งทำได้ดีมาก ๆ) ได้อ่านเรื่องราวเกี่ยวตัวตัวละครที่ทำให้คุณยิ้มออกมาได้ ฉากน่ารัก ๆ เล็ก ๆ น้อย ๆ ระหว่างพระเอก และนางเอกที่แคร์กันและกันมาก

พูดตรง ๆ ก็คือ อ่านเล่มนี้แล้วให้อารมณ์เหมือนตอนที่เราอ่าน A Certain Wolfish Charm เลยล่ะค่ะ แม้ว่าพล็อตเรื่อง หรือกระทั่งตัวละครจะไม่เหมือนกัน แต่อารมณ์เรื่องเหมือนกันมาก อ่านแล้วมีความสุข

ตอนจบสรุปแบบแสนจะมีความสุข ซึ่งอาจจะลงตัวเกินเหตุ แต่ด้วยธีมของเรื่องที่นำมาแบบนี้ ก็ไม่แปลกอะไรที่จะจบลงแบบเทพนิยาย

ติดใจนิดเดียวค่ะ ตรงที่ (สปอยล์) คนร้ายที่ฆ่าเมียคนแรกของพระเอกไม่ยักกะถูกพูดถึง เหมือนคนแต่งเปิดประเด็นไว้ แต่หน้ากระดาษหมดซะก่อน ก็เลยไม่ได้เขียนถึง ไม่รู้ว่าจะเป็นประเด็นที่ตามไปต่อในเล่มสองรึเปล่านะคะ

คะแนนที่ 70

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS THE BEST BOOK I HAVE READ YET THIS YEAR!!!! I just love everything about this book!! Its awesome to find an adult faerie story!! Not that there is anything wrong with stories like Wicked Lovely but I wanted something more adult and this is it!! I fell in love with Sophia and Robin and Anne and Clair and Finn and Ronald and the Ramsdales, and sophie grand parents and the trusted few and everyone else I didnt mention!! The story had me laughing the people made me hopeful and the outcome made me happy!! Thhis was a great story of love that is fought for even when it is given freely. You will feel like you are in a different world. A world where even you wish you could stay!! (which you might be able to find if you have the right item for the fishes :P) I cant wait to read Finn and Clairs' story!! Thank you Tammy!! You are a great whimsical writer and you can take me on an adventure anytime!! 5 STARS!!

[Stephanie Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book... I cant wait to read the next one

[Kathy Brickert · Rating 5 out of 5]

What fun!

Far and the nobility! Crossing paths, add in a touch of magic and the punishment of forgetfulness and you have a mix! I loved Ronald the garden gnome! Good read!

[D Call · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: R for sex
Sex: multiple scenes
Language: a few Lord's name in vain
Violence: punches, gnome-napping
HEA or Cliffhanger: HEA
Do I need to read books before this one: no
Would I read more of the series: yes!

The tone of the narrative surrounding Sophia is light and airy, appropriate to her being a faerie. She just says things that come to her head, and it's so refreshing, even to a 21st century person. I love how animals in the fae world have personalities. A few things were left unresolved (what happens to the 2 dowager duchesses, where are Sophia and Ashley living, will the fishes still be demanding men's clothing), but all in all, I loved this story!

----SPOILERS----
Ashley's daughter, Anne, is throwing a tantrum because she wants two treats. A lady talks to Anne and teaches her the benefit of manners. Anne gets two treats.

Sophia is a faerie. Her mission is to help Anne.

Ashley needs to find another governess for Anne. The agency won't send anymore because the last one got her hair set afire by Anne on purpose.

At a house party, the Duke hides in the drapes. He sees Sophia and has Anne deliver a message to meet him in the garden. When Ashley leaves for a moment, Ronald the garden gnome only sees bad things in her future. He warns her to keep her wing color pure. Ashley comes back, they flirt a little bit, then she hears a most magical sound and races toward it. It's wind chimes. They make her dance and feel giddy. When she leaves the Duke, he has the chimes sent to her room and installed outside her window.

The Duke and his brother, Finn, play cards. Ashley shares his interest in Sophia. Ashley remembers he needs to put a gift under Anne's pillow because she lost a tooth.

Sophia changes into her faerie form, and goes flying around the house to find Anne's bedroom. In it she finds a gift faerie who's looking for the tooth. Ashley enters the room to take the tooth and leave a ribbon. When he leaves, the two real faeries leave. Sophia returns to her room, lies down to sleep, when she hears a noise and sits up.

Ashley, nearly ready for bed, sits down to play his piano in his bedroom. Sophia comes in and sits beside him on the bench. He stops playing. She said she must leave, he asks her to stay, and he starts playing again. She's touching him and it distracts him so much he can't play anymore. He pulls her onto his lap and starts a little seduction. She notes that he likes to have his hair tickled like caterpillars do. He plays a little bit more for her, she can't decide if she likes the playing or the tickling more, then he escorts her back to her room. On his return trip, Ashley encounters Finn coming out of someone else's room. Finn is going to get background on Sophia.

The next morning, Sophia is lurking in the halls, waiting for the Duke to leave so she can talk with Anne. She meets Finn, and they don't like each other. She bursts into the breakfast room, and tells the Duke that Finn doesn't trust her. She and Finn engaging some verbal sparring, the Duke gets Finn to leave, and then he asks what that was all about. She tells him lurking. She asks Anne about the tooth faerie, and then says she wishes she had a ribbon like Anne got. He says that it's too bad she's lost all of her baby teeth because the tooth faerie can't come to her now. She says they don't like my kind anyway. Oops. She invites Anne to play in her father's garden.

Ronald is there. Sophia is supposed to unlock Anne's secrets, and she can't do that if she can't ever get her alone. She and her grandmother had left secretly from the fae world, and somehow Ronald tagged along. Then Anne and Ashley join her, with Anne darting away for her treasure hunt. Sophia is disappointed he didn't make a treasure hunt for her, too. She asks to know more about him, learns that he was never formally accused of the murder of his wife, and then leaves to go see how Anne is doing on her treasure hunt. He asks her to visit him again tonight, and she tells him if he's playing the piano, she can't not visit him.

She walks into the garden with him a little behind her, and comes upon Anne who is crying and has torn up the treasure hunt list. Sophia says she was looking forward to the treasure hunt, but she doesn't want to see a beastly girl, so she'll go find entertainment elsewhere. Ashley says messes are not allowed in his garden, so clean it up and go see your grandmother learn how to embroider. The treasure hunt gets restored, and he says thank you to Sophia. He asked how he can repay her, and she says to join the dinner tonight. He says he could get used to having her around, and she says but that won't happen. He says what if I want you to stay, she says she can't, and he assumes it's because of the rumors. He says I'm wishing for things I can't have, and she says I am too. "She could have him. She could have him begging at her feet with a toss of her hair. With a glint of her eye. With absolutely nothing at all, aside from that smile. That beautiful, beautiful smile that made him want to kiss her." She says I'm here on a mission and my kind can't mix with your kind. He realizes he wants Anne and Sophia both, and he's going to figure out a way to make it happen.

At dinner, Sophia is seated next to Ashley's grandmother, who needs an ear horn. She likes to talk about dangly parts. Ashley arrives.

Later that night, he's waiting for Sophia to come to his room. He gets discouraged, starts playing the piano, and she arrives. He asks about her mission. She asks when the last time someone other than Anne embraced him. She hugs him. He kisses her. Then his mom knocks at the door. Ashley tucks Sophia into his closet and answers the door. The dowager duchess asks why he came to dinner because she wants him to stay a recluse. When she leaves, Ashley tells Sophia he killed his wife, she's asking to listen, and she kisses him. There's another knock at the door. Wilkins (butler) says Anne is having a nightmare. Wilkins escorts Sophia back to her room.

Marcus, Sophia's brother, is there to collect her and Claire, her sister, that she'd thought they left home. Both Sophia and Claire had bribed the fish guarding the way between worlds with his clothing. Sophia stole this mission from Claire because Sophia was going to get her wings clipped for botching her last mission. She goes to see what Anne's nightmare is about.

Anne dreamed she was pushed and falling, a recurrent dream since her mother's death. He tells her a story.

In the morning as Sophia's dressing, Ronald climbs to her windowsill. Marcus has assigned him to be her shadow. Margaret says Sophia's pain reminds her of Sophia's mother's pain, and that fae marry fae and humans marry humans.

Marcus interrupts Ashley's breakfast, and they go to the study. Marcus asks why Sophia was in Ashley's night robe and why she was in his room. Ashley explains piano, then offers for her. Marcus asks if she's still innocent, then says he's taking the entire family away today. Ashley says she could be carrying his child, and gets punched twice. Marcus says she'll have to marry Ashley and face the consequences whether the child is born like them or him. Sophia rushes in, and Marcus looks like an old man. Ashley tells her that he told Marcus she could be with child. She laughs because Ashley thinks what they did brings babies. She tells Marcus about the music, and he asks if that's why she was dancing in circles when she returned to her room. That makes Ashley smile. After Marcus leaves, Ashley pulls Sophia into a hug and asks her if she could love him, and she says probably. He likes how he feels when he's with her. Then Margaret shows up to take Sophia away, and Wilkins arrives to say that Anne bit her new governess and is now hiding somewhere.

That evening, Sophia is checking the attic to find Anne, and comes across a picture of the dead wife. After searching the rest of the attic, she figures out that Anne probably went to the village. She and Marcus ride out, and he puts pixie dust, aka firefly bait, on the horses's manes to light their way. When they arrive, she hears Anne screaming in an alley, and finds her backed against a wall with boys brandishing weapons. Sophia puts truth dust on the four boys to reveal their fears. She dismisses them, but they can't leave because the Duke is there. He'd seen all of it.

Ashley takes Anne home, and his mother takes her to bed. He calls for Finn, and asks him to research Sophia. The butler then informs them that Sophia, Marcus, and their grandmother have left with all of their possessions.

Marcus points out that Sophia has broken three of the five rules. When the elders find out, they'll clip her wings and the only magic she will have left is intuition. Ronald shows up with a missive. It's a new mission to deliver a silver casket to Ramsdale and his wife at the ball in a week. Claire is now Anne's governess, and she'll keep that mission.

Ashley misses Sophia. It's been 6 days. Finn comes in looking like a crazy man, saying he found them. Then Finn opens the burlap sack with Ronald inside it. Ashley frees Ronald from his bindings, so he gets a wish. He wishes to have Sophia, and is told about the ball. He tells Wilkins to get him invited to the ball and to take Ronald to the best bedchamber.

At the ball, Sophia is affected by the music, but not in the same way as Ashley's music affects her. She's about to dance with Marcus when Ashley shows up. At the end of the dance with Marcus, her next dance partner is coming toward her. Ashley asks for the dance, rips off her dance card, and takes her onto the floor. They dance a little while, then Ashley leads her down the hall to a parlor so they can talk. She tells him she's not from this world, she's magical, and has to leave soon. Ramsdale comes in, she gives him the silver casket to give to his wife, and tells Ashley to dance with her as if it's their last.

Perkins, the man that Sophia is dancing with, warns her away from the Duke. Ashley's wife fell from the tower to her death, and Sophia asks if she couldn't have thrown herself. No, because she was in a wheelchair. Perkins is escorting Sophia toward the game room so he can check on his sister when Sophia hears someone singing beautifully. It's Lady Ramsdale. Sophia goes into the room to listen, and Lady Ramsdale's music affects her like Ashley's does. Then she notices that Lady Ramsdale is fae. She's losing her strength, turns and finds Ashley beside her, and sinks into his arms, saying she thinks Lady Ramsdale is her mother. Grandmother comes and points into another room. Lady Ramsdale comes in, touches Sophia's face and says mine, then rushes into Grandmother's arms and cries. Marcus doesn't recognize his mother yet. Lord Ramsdale picks up Sophia and they all go upstairs, asking Ashley to please take care of the guests.

Sophia awakens to her mother embroidering and humming. Everyone else has gone to bed except Ashley. She kept trying to get back to the fae world, but she didn't have the magic. The silver casket is from Sophia's grandfather, and it holds Lady Ramsdale's memories of the fae children taken from her. She thought her magic would be strong enough because she's the daughter of one of the Trusted Few. When a fae falls in love with a human, she has to choose a world to live in. She chose to stay in this world, and any children she had that were born fae would be taken from her along with her memories of them. She tried with everything she had to keep her children with her. With her fourth fae child, Rose, it worked. She has two or three other children that are human.

Lady Ramsdale and Rose leave, and Ashley goes in. She rushes into his arms and cries. They sit down, and he says he's beginning to understand she isn't part of this world. He says I have someone who belongs to you. Ronald. She initially thought it was Claire.

She goes into Lord Ramsdale's garden and her father joins her there. He asks her to come and go between worlds so they can have the time to get to know each other. She says it's still to be determined if she gets to go back to the fae world because of Ashley. She says he plays the piano and that's why she was drawn to him. And her dad says that the spell was so that the music would draw her to someone who would love her heart and soul.

Sophia goes to say goodbye to Ashley and Anne because she's leaving on the morning wind. He kisses her, and notices her ears are pointed. He wants to know more, he wants to know everything about her, he picks her up in his arms to take to his bed chamber. She tells him about her mother's spell with music, but that all it did was draw her to him. He by himself made her fall in love with him, and she knows he loves her. The secret she asks of him is if he loved his wife. His answer is no, they married to appease their families. She only came to his bed to satisfy the obligation for an heir. Turns out she had a lover. That man had invested in everything the Duke invested in, and when the Duke got suspicious that he was his wife's lover, he gave her false information that led to that man's ruin. Ashley believes that man killed Anne's mother.

Time for another of her secrets. She shows him her wings, and she has to be naked to show him. Her wings cover her from shoulder to knees. He lets her have his dressing-gown. And they make love. While they're sleeping, Wilkins comes to tell the Duke that Anne is having a nightmare again. Claire is there, and she's not very nice. Anne races into Sophia's arms, and Sophia gets a little music box and tells her that she can put the memory of her mother falling into this box and she doesn't have to have nightmares about them anymore and she can open the box when she wants to. Sophia asks Claire to stay long enough to make sure that Anne and the Duke don't remember her.

Ashley awakens, finds Wilkins who tells him where Sophia is, and he gets there just as Claire is coming out of the room. He asks how he can get Sophia to stay, and she says that Sophia has to want to. He goes into the room and sees Sophia lying with Anne on her bed. It's all he wants.

They go back to his room, and she tells him that she probably won't be allowed to leave the fae world, that her wings will be clipped. He says he and Anne could join her. No human has been in the fae world. She says she'll be known as one with lost innocence, if she's even allowed to keep her wings. But she had to have one night. They make love again, and he tells her to say she loves him.

Ronald wakes them because it's nearly dawn. Ashley begs for 2 more minutes. Ashley walks her to his garden, patting something in his coat pocket. Margaret appears in the garden, and she and Sophia are gone with the wind. Ashley grabs Ronald, though, and Finn steps out of the bushes with a burlap sack. Ashley is off to talk to Sophia's parents.

In the wind, Sophia begins to sob. When they see Ronald grabbed back out of the wind, Margaret says Ashley is a fool if he thinks he can get to the land of the fae with a wish. Then Sophia notices her purse is empty of faerie dust.

When Sophia arrives home, Marcus and the Trusted Few are there. Grandmother stayed with their mom and dad. Only four of the leaders are there, Grandfather is ill. The Trusted Few grow concerned when they learn Ashley grabbed Ronald. Sophia runs to Grandfather's room. Grandfather is deathly pale, and he tells her he had some wrongs to right. She says they need to get Grandmother, and he says that she will be there if Sophie's Duke and his son-in-law can figure out how to get by the fishes.

Ashley takes Ronald in a bag to see Ramsdale. Her father asks where she is, and Ashley says she caught the wind. Rose barrels into Ashley, and her father reprimands her for flying in the house. Ramsdale takes Ashley somewhere, they sit, and Ronald announces they had inappropriate relations last night. Ashley says he wants to marry her, that he told her he loved her, and Ramsdale earns Ashley's eternal respect by saying if you don't make it right by her, I'll throw you from your tower. Lady Ramsdale appears, Ashley lets Ronald out of the bag, and Ronald bows very deeply to Lady Ramsdale. She's glad to see him. Grandmother arrives, too, and Ashley asks for help to phrase his wish correctly so that he can marry Sophia. He pulls out the vials of faerie magic, and Grandmother is concerned because they could explode in the hands of non-fae people. They agree to meet at midnight in his garden to use the water there for the portal to the fae world.

Ashley goes into the garden where Anne is playing. She had lovely dreams about unicorns and puppies and talking caterpillars. The Duchess, his grandmother, Finn, and Claire are there, as well. He announces he intends to go get Sophia and propose to her. The Duchess and grandmother leave. Claire says what he proposes is impossible, then he pulls out of vial and gives it to Finn. Claire says to give it to her because it'll blow up, and Finn says he'd better not lose his dangly bits. Finn is to hold Claire hostage in case things don't go right in the fae world.

Sophia's grandfather is the one who set this all in motion. She vows no child of hers will be kept from her, which is why she returned to the land of fae. Later, the land goes quiet, which has never happened. Something is wrong. Grandfather gets out of bed and they put a chair in the walkway outside for him. Grandmother appears, then Lady Ramsdale, Ronald, Anne. Ashley and Lord Ramsdale are still in the mist, waiting for clothes. They had to trade them with the fishes to get passage. They wrap the fog around them as bath towels from the waist down, and Ashley make sure Sophia goes to her father so he doesn't have a conniption. Margaret brings clothes, Ashley and Sophia hug, then the Trusted Few arrive. They order the arrest of the humans, and Ashley warns them that he has Claire and will tell his entire world about their world. All the men go off to talk about the situation, and Sophia tells Ashley to be careful. “I just came through a fishpond, played cards with a carp, slogged through smoke so thick I thought I’d have to saw my way out of it directly into your magical land, and you’re telling me to be careful now?”

The men hold court, and Grandfather explains that the laws are ridiculous because they pull families apart or people have to choose family before love. He then tells Lord Ramsdale that he has a third daughter, Claire. Grandfather opens the silver casket and restores Lord Ramsdale's memories, and exposes everybody to the trauma of losing a child. The Trusted Few finally understand how awful this custom is, but they don't know how to reconcile that they perform services for humans and humans shouldn't know about them. Ashley proposes that he and Lord Ramsdale be ambassadors, they be only ones free to come and go at will, and no other humans need know. After negotiating, Lord Ramsdale is now one of the Trusted Few, and his family (except Marcus) will join them here. Ashley is building a library and supplying all literature. He'll be the liaison and represent their interests in Parliament.

Sophia is getting married in her grandmother's wedding gown. She asks her grandmother and her mother to leave the room. She tells Margaret that she has acted as her mother for many years, and she hopes that whenever and wherever she has children that Margaret will be there with her.

Sophia and Anne arrive faerie style at the wedding. The animals make music. Sophia wishes she could marry him as herself, with her wings showing. Ashley says it's their actions that brought about all this change, so she brings them out. They're the same color! Her mother explains its because they lived each other first.

A few years later, they have Anne, a little boy, a baby girl, and Sophia is pregnant again.

[Shelby · Rating 2 out of 5]

***ARC was provided to me by Net Galley and the Publisher for a fair and honest review***

Overall rating: 2/5 I wish more time was spent on world building with the Fae.

Heroine (Sophia Thorne): 2/5 Naive 26 year old mission fairy who wants to follow the rules.

Hero (Ashley, Duke of Robinsworth): 2/5 The current gossip is that his late wife died by his hand. He is the loving father of a wayward daughter and not exactly looking for anyone to fill the spot his wife left.

Plot: 2/5 Sophia is a mission fairy who helps young humans. She steals her sister’s mission to fix the Dangerous Duke of Robinsworth’s daughter Anne. Sophia spends a lot of time with the duke himself and both catch feelings pretty quickly. Sophia also has an interesting habit of following music back to the source and tells the duke this which makes him play the piano every night so Sophia will show up. But relationships between humans and fairies are forbidden, will they defy the odds?

Personal Review: I accepted this book in preparation for the new show Carnival Row which also features a Fairy/human relationship. This is decidedly not what I was really looking for. Nothing is ever really explained about Sophia’s world so the reader has no idea about the stakes of any of what they’re doing. Even when rules are explained like changing wing colors, they just make up a new rule later. It was poor world building and that saddens me because I love the concept of injecting magic into historical romance.

Sophia’s mission is to basically fix the duke’s daughter Anne, but she only meets the girl a handful of times and it’s mostly an excuse to throw Ashley and Sophia together. I’m rather unsure if her mission was completed by her or plot convenience.

[A Klue · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a rare treat for me to stumble upon a historical romantic read series that intertwines with the magical mythical world of Fae. In this case, the heroine was Fae and stole the show with her sass yet sweetness, engaging back and forth banter with the Duke hero, and her at first glance soul connecting chemistry with him. I’d call it a slow burn since it didn’t get smexy until close to the end, folks. Even then, I think there were only 3 or 4 very graphic steamy scenes that may make you blush. It had a proper English ton feel until things got a naughty towards the conclusion.

She seemed to see right to the heart of the man whom everyone else feared and helped him admit to himself he wasn’t the monster he had allowed others to peg himself for.

I enjoyed the sub-characters and felt it all fit together nicely. The wrap up continued at a leisurely pace when a rather inevitable event occurred.

(These comments are based on a Kindle Unlimited edition. This is not a detailed ARC review. I was not compensated in any manner for these comments.)

[Martha B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fae magic collides with Regency reality

Within the pages of this enchanting stand-alone tale, a fae with a sketchy past is on a mission in the human world. She believes she knows who her target is, but there are unforeseen forces at work to insure an unexpected outcome.

A Lady & Her Magic by Tammy Falkner is a well written and charming story with and interesting cast of likable characters. The witty banter and humorous dialogue, as well as the madcap situational scenes, are laugh-worthy. The Duke of Robinsworth, aka the infamous Dangerous Duke, is the right balance to Sophia Thorne. Together their chemistry (and passion) is off the musical chart. The likable supporting characters are so believable that they often steal scenes from the duke and Sophia.

All in all this is an entertaining and fun read.

Content alert: Descriptive sexual content and swearing.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophia comes from the land of the Fae on a mission. She is not to reveal who she is or fall in love with a human. When she meets Lord Robinsworth, she finds him with his young daughter, Anne.. She whispers something in her ear and she starts behaving. Lord Robinsworh is a very handsome man and he is followed around by rumors that he killed his wife. There are more Fae there than anyone would guess. Sophia's mother came to the land of the Fae many years ago, but no one knows where she is. Sophia could possibly lose her wings of she breaks one of the rules. She loves Ashley,. Lord Robimsworth, but knows she must leave soon. I loved this book. It is magical with characters that you will love. I received this book from Net Galley and the publisher for a honest review.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was first intrigued by the title with the word magic in it I was immediately interested as it fed my love of all thing mystical.

Then you read the description with a hint towards murder and well I was ready to delve in.

What I wasn't prepared for was just how good this book was. Not only did I find the magically part intriguing and captivating but the mystery behind our leading man was rather interesting.

Add in romance, talking gnomes and a wee bit of fairy dust and I couldn't put this book down. I enjoyed the story, the characters were enchanting and the, of course, the writing brilliant.

Overall a great winter read to snuggle by the fire with.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not like anything that I have read before. I mean the fae mixing with humans in the regency area was an intriguing idea and I could not be happier that I jumped on the chance to read this book The interactions between Sophia and Ashley warmed my heart. Her innocence but outspokenness had me smiling and hesitant to put the book down. The tragic backstory aspects and forbidden love angle only made me more eager to finish the book. My only wish for the book is that there would have been more steamy bits, but that is just what I personally like in books of this sort.

I would recommend that anyone who loves historical romances with some magic thrown in read this book.

[ShariB · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Sophie Thorne and Ashley, the Duke of Robinsworth’s story, Book 1 of the Regency Fairies series; a standalone, no cheating, happily ever after, historical romances with some sizzle.
This was a cute, magical fairy tale, with a mystery to be uncovered, lovable characters, humor, and a nice build to the romance with plenty of sizzle.
This author’s writing pulls you into the story, so as to feel invested in each of the characters; looking forward to the next in this series.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

[Anna]

I got about 100 pages in and just had to quit. The writing was bad, and I kept feeling like the author just skipped over some logistical things — the characters are responding to things like “what did you say?” but the author skipped over writing those lines… or someone is mentioned as being somewhere but how they got there or when is just skipped over. It was very confusing. Also, the promised genre crossover, rather than being interesting, just felt confusing and nonsensical. A definite disappointment.

[Miranda M · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is hard to rate. On the one hand, I liked the plot and I liked the characters. But about halfway through the book, I noticed that the author seemed allergic to using commas. She continued to use fragments and used short, choppy sentences instead of flowing ones with conjunctions. Then by the time I got to the final 100 pages, the author has a character share a story in the past tense, but has no consistency with tense usage. It was things like that that kept me from rating the book more than 2 stars.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little magic never hurts if it helps someone. Sophia's mission is to help a little girl and her father overcome the sadness of the death of her mother/his wife. Sophia didn't count on falling in love with the Duke and his daughter. She has to go back to the fae world when her mission is over, but not if the Duke has any say about it! A charming romance filled with humor, magic and all the info on the tooth fairy. Nice read!

[Hijinx Abound · Rating 3 out of 5]

** I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.”
It’s been quite some time since I’ve read an England times with magic book.
This book was adorable. A Duke, who is believed to have killed his wife, is attempting to raise his rambunctious daughter. The Fae send Sophia to help them as her mission.
The book flowed smoothly and was a quick read. There were a few things that seemed out of place but verbal it was a good story.