Touched by Magic

by Constance Laux

Fleeing his creditors, Gowan, a physician and the new Earl of Welshpool, arrives in Chirk, an unusual village on the border between England and Wales, where the machinations of three eccentric witches lead to an encounter with the mysterious and beautiful Nicolette Llewelyn. Original.

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 1996

About the author

Aka Miranda Bliss, Casey Daniels, Zoe Daniels, Connie Deka, Mimi Granger, Anastasia Hastings, Connie Lane, Connie Laux, Kylie Logan, Lucy Ness.

Constance Laux is an U.S.American writer of romance novels as her real name and under the pen names: Connie Deka and Connie Lane. Writing as Constance Laux, she's published nine historical romance novels and as Connie Lane, she writes both category romance books and romantic suspense/comedy novels.

She was born on January 21 in Cleveland, Ohio. She remembers the day she got her first library card and the first book she took out of the Cleveland Public Library; Horton Hatches the Egg. She studied English Literature in the Queen's College in the prestigious university of Oxford. She married with her love of adolescence, and they live in a suburb of Cleveland with their two children, and an oversized Airedale named Hoover.

Reviews

[Paranormal Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the hero inherited the title of Earl, he was surprised and very happy. He sold his practice and moved into the estate, pleased with his fortunate turn of events. For a time, the life as a pier was exciting and the thought of being wealthy and having woman fall over themselves to be with him was like heaven.... Then realized the truth. The title meant nothing. His uncles had gambled away all of the funds and in the process of setting the debts, the hero lost his estate and now without his practice he has nowhere to go. Nowhere but the last house left to the title, but it's in Wales. Stepping off the train, he is thrust into a world of uncivilities and insanity. Case in point, the heroine and her crazy family. The 3 old woman, if the heroine is to be believed- which she isn't because she's just as crazy as they are, put a magic spell on him that brought him to them in the woods. Apparently, they seek to unite him with their niece but little too they know, no number of potions or fake magic will ever make him look at the heroine that way. She is arrogant, brash and far too self-assured for her own good.

The heroine couldn't agree with the hero more that they will never be married. Not only are her own reasons for never marrying sound and true to heart but the hero is far from her ideal man. He looks down upon them because he's from London. He doesn't see the little village and beautiful or it's people kind and selfless, he sees them are peasants. But he himself was not raised as an Earl and though he says a doctor in London is a gentleman, he does not act like such. He curses, he complains and he demands. No, she has zero interest in even liking this man and the sooner he's gone the sooner life can get back to normal. But he has nowhere else to go and so he takes up residence in the house on the hill but soon he discovers life is very different than he's used to. He wants the acceptance of the village and so, he changes. He offers to hold the summer celebration at his house, he opens a practice to help them with their troubles and he over all becomes a more open and welcoming man.... And he can't keep his mind of the troubling heroine. Somewhere along the line, the competition between them, the tension, has caused the hero to fall helplessly and hopelessly in love with her. Despite her arrogance and despite the fact she's a 'witch', he loves her and he wants to show her that. The heroine is startled by this new Earl she encounters and she's frightened. She finds it hard to resist the pull towards him and she hold on desperately to the last wall between them...His medicine and her herbs. He doesn't believe in her that she helps people and that's good because she can therefore say she can't fall for a man who doesn't trust her.... How long before she can't stop herself from falling though?

What started out slow turned into a decent romance. The hero started off as a very disagreeable man. He was judgmental and put himself above those around him and it made him unlikable. He came to Wales not expecting much but what he got was insanity. He was surrounded by crazy people and he genuinely thought he was in hell. He made great dramatics at every encounter with either a cat or a horse or anything he could not handle with that cocky self-assurance I believe that he believed was his due as an Earl. His attitude made him fight with the heroine like cats and dogs because she was arrogant as well but she was kinder to those around her. Still, as time passed the hero changed and it was for the better, He become more open to the villager and his actions spoke of a man who just wanted to belong. He became a genuine Welshman when he won the Rugby game and tended to an injured bull. The hero and heroine had that enemy/sexual tension chemistry and it was as fun as it was exciting. I loved the hero falling for the heroine and trying to get her to see him as a desirable man not just the enemy. The plot was slow at times and it dragged on at the start but it did pick up towards the end. It was a decent book and I'd say it rated 2.5 so as policy starts I will round it up to a 3.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

not very exciting