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Sleight of Hand #1
Close Up Magic
Do you believe in magic?
Reporter Stacey Matthewson has made a living writing sensational stories that knock celebrities off their pedestals. Now she's got a hot lead on an even hotter magician who's mystifying Las Vegas with his new show--the problem is, she's had a crush on him for years. How can she write a story that might ruin him, especially when he proves himself to be so much more than she'd ever dreamed?
Magician Andre Hawke has a knack for making things disappear, but when it comes to his brother's drinking and gambling, he's got a problem. Hiring the sexy reporter who threatens to blow away his carefully wrought illusion might be the answer to his problems...or she might bring on a whole new set of them.
Stacey’s never believed in magic, and Andre doesn’t know who to trust anymore. Can passion overcome their inhibitions, or will betrayal stem the tide of love?
Reporter Stacey Matthewson has made a living writing sensational stories that knock celebrities off their pedestals. Now she's got a hot lead on an even hotter magician who's mystifying Las Vegas with his new show--the problem is, she's had a crush on him for years. How can she write a story that might ruin him, especially when he proves himself to be so much more than she'd ever dreamed?
Magician Andre Hawke has a knack for making things disappear, but when it comes to his brother's drinking and gambling, he's got a problem. Hiring the sexy reporter who threatens to blow away his carefully wrought illusion might be the answer to his problems...or she might bring on a whole new set of them.
Stacey’s never believed in magic, and Andre doesn’t know who to trust anymore. Can passion overcome their inhibitions, or will betrayal stem the tide of love?
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2013
312 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Garren Flye
39 books237 followersMichelle Garren Flye is an award-winning author of romance and women's fiction. Reviewers have described her work as: “an engaging novel with charming and likable characters”, a story that “will make you believe in love and second chances”, and a “well-written and thought-provoking novel.”
Michelle placed third in the Hyperink Romance Writing Contest for her short story “Life After”. Her short stories have been published by the romance anthology Foreign Affairs, Opium.com, SmokelongQuarterly.com and Flashquake.com. She has served on the editorial staffs of Horror Library Volume 1, Horror Library Volume 3, Butcher Shop Quartet, Butcher Shop Quartet II and Tattered Souls.
Michelle has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is the mother of three and lives in North Carolina with her husband and their rapidly growing collection of pets.
Michelle placed third in the Hyperink Romance Writing Contest for her short story “Life After”. Her short stories have been published by the romance anthology Foreign Affairs, Opium.com, SmokelongQuarterly.com and Flashquake.com. She has served on the editorial staffs of Horror Library Volume 1, Horror Library Volume 3, Butcher Shop Quartet, Butcher Shop Quartet II and Tattered Souls.
Michelle has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is the mother of three and lives in North Carolina with her husband and their rapidly growing collection of pets.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 10, 2015
Maybe I'm a little jaded but I found this book full of fluff. The main characters fell in love within 2 days. Just not believable. Especially since he was a player and she had major trust issues. Lust maybe but not love. I think the author could have gone deeper with the story but instead chose to make it a silly fairytale. If you like that kind of book then you will enjoy this one.
May 21, 2013
Thirty year old New York freelance entertainment reporter Stacey Matthewson is known for her sensationalist stories exposing secrets of famous stars. But her career took a downward turn two months ago when she screwed up, and now all her sources have dried up.
Thirty-two year old Andre Hawke is an up-and-coming hot magician who is taking Las Vegas by storm. He has charisma that easily draws people in with his mesmerizing illusions and a reputation for being a charming womanizer.
Stacey has been an admirer and has followed Andre's career since she first saw him perform his magic show years ago in a small New York theater. But now she is flying to Las Vegas to be the first to try to get an exclusive from him since finding out about a scandal that involved a betrayal by Tony, his twin brother/agent. This is her chance to revive her faltering career. What she doesn't count on is his ability to break down her inhibitions when he counters her proposition with one of his own, and offers her the position as his public relations representative.
Can a little bit of magic go a long way to break down the history of mistrust and betrayal in Stacey and Andre's past and lead them to finding true love? Or is it just an illusion?
In Close Up Magic, author Michelle Garren Flye weaves an entertaining tale of romance with a touch of magic that will captivate the reader's attention. Written in the third person narrative and set in Las Vegas, the reader follows Stacey and Andre's relationship develop with a mixture of humorous verbal banter, drama, magic and passionate interactions.
Both Stacey and Andre share a past history of mistrust and betrayal within their family dynamics. Stacey has always lived her life by maintaining control at all times. She doesn't believe in magic, there hasn't been many reasons in her life to believe in it. She also isn't the type to fall in love, she never has, and falling in love requires trust and she never has been able to trust a man. Andre is a charismatic and intelligent man who also has trust issues. He is passionate about his craft and surrounds himself only with a close knit group of family and friends, and will only reveal his secrets to people he completely trusts. What starts out as a business arrangement magically builds into something more when their instant mutual attraction to each other takes over. They want to love each other, but they struggle with inner turmoil over trust and betrayal issues that holds them back from taking a leap of faith, and with family drama added into the mix, it's not easy to trust another with your heart until a little bit of magic brings them back to each other.
Author Michelle Garren Flye weaves an enjoyable romantic tale that is interwoven within the themes of magic, trust and betrayal. The reader can't help but become engrossed in the development of Stacey and Andre's relationship as their story unfolds with drama, passion, witty humor, family issues and inner turmoil. I think the author's underlying message that true love can be found if you are able to let go of your inhibitions and give your heart and trust to someone becomes clear with this touching scene between Stacey and Andre: the symbol of the red origami phoenix bird with the following message in silver ink written on it's wings: "Sometimes you have to do something that frightens you just to be sure that you're still alive."
With an engaging secondary cast of characters; witty dialogue and humorous interactions; Close Up Magic is an enchanting story that will make the reader believe in romance and magic!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
Thirty-two year old Andre Hawke is an up-and-coming hot magician who is taking Las Vegas by storm. He has charisma that easily draws people in with his mesmerizing illusions and a reputation for being a charming womanizer.
Stacey has been an admirer and has followed Andre's career since she first saw him perform his magic show years ago in a small New York theater. But now she is flying to Las Vegas to be the first to try to get an exclusive from him since finding out about a scandal that involved a betrayal by Tony, his twin brother/agent. This is her chance to revive her faltering career. What she doesn't count on is his ability to break down her inhibitions when he counters her proposition with one of his own, and offers her the position as his public relations representative.
Can a little bit of magic go a long way to break down the history of mistrust and betrayal in Stacey and Andre's past and lead them to finding true love? Or is it just an illusion?
In Close Up Magic, author Michelle Garren Flye weaves an entertaining tale of romance with a touch of magic that will captivate the reader's attention. Written in the third person narrative and set in Las Vegas, the reader follows Stacey and Andre's relationship develop with a mixture of humorous verbal banter, drama, magic and passionate interactions.
Both Stacey and Andre share a past history of mistrust and betrayal within their family dynamics. Stacey has always lived her life by maintaining control at all times. She doesn't believe in magic, there hasn't been many reasons in her life to believe in it. She also isn't the type to fall in love, she never has, and falling in love requires trust and she never has been able to trust a man. Andre is a charismatic and intelligent man who also has trust issues. He is passionate about his craft and surrounds himself only with a close knit group of family and friends, and will only reveal his secrets to people he completely trusts. What starts out as a business arrangement magically builds into something more when their instant mutual attraction to each other takes over. They want to love each other, but they struggle with inner turmoil over trust and betrayal issues that holds them back from taking a leap of faith, and with family drama added into the mix, it's not easy to trust another with your heart until a little bit of magic brings them back to each other.
Author Michelle Garren Flye weaves an enjoyable romantic tale that is interwoven within the themes of magic, trust and betrayal. The reader can't help but become engrossed in the development of Stacey and Andre's relationship as their story unfolds with drama, passion, witty humor, family issues and inner turmoil. I think the author's underlying message that true love can be found if you are able to let go of your inhibitions and give your heart and trust to someone becomes clear with this touching scene between Stacey and Andre: the symbol of the red origami phoenix bird with the following message in silver ink written on it's wings: "Sometimes you have to do something that frightens you just to be sure that you're still alive."
With an engaging secondary cast of characters; witty dialogue and humorous interactions; Close Up Magic is an enchanting story that will make the reader believe in romance and magic!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
May 20, 2013
My Review:
B+ rating
Whoa...I do believe in magic and the incredible ambience it creates in this wonderful romantic story. I'm not a huge fan of magicians...I just have never gotten into that world of entertainment, but wow, it makes such an incredible setting for this book!
Stacey is a *somewhat sleazy* entertainment reporter. She's fallen into this profession where her job is to dig up the dirt on others in the entertainment industry because she needed the money to help raise and support her sister. When the book begins, she's trying to renew her reputation after a story went wrong. She saw Andre perform years before anyone knew who he was and she's always been fascinated, so she's followed his career. That's how she knows that she can break a huge story about him when she realizes there's a scandal with his brother. What she doesn't count on is Andre...
Andre is a performer...a mesmerizing one, but he's also a guy who's passionate about his art, his friends, and his family. He doesn't plan on doing anything to jeopardize those things. But when he meets Stacey, even knowing upfront that she's there to dig on him, he innately trusts her. Trust is a big theme to this book and one that Andre is struggling with since his brother just betrayed him in the biggest way possible. I liked how Andre trusted his instincts when it came to Stacey especially in the beginning. He could truly see the person she was through the quality (if not the subject matter) of her writing. (As a writer, I LOVED that...*happy sigh*)
Trust is something that Stacey has NEVER known. She never had home stability. Her sister is virtually the only person that she's ever counted on and that isn't necessarily a good recommendation, because her sister is very human and a bit self-absorbed. So she has a really difficult time trusting Andre with her heart.
This book had such great themes. Magic is definitely the basis of it and there is a thread of mystical quality to the story-telling. It makes you want to believe in the magic of these characters. It truly is like reading a grown-up fairy tale and I loved that gorgeous, magical quality to it. But this is a romance novel so there is some drama thrown in there too which I thought the author did really well. That's where that whole second theme of Trust came into play. Really superbly told and written.
It truly was a great story and I can't wait to read the next one in the series.
B+ rating
Whoa...I do believe in magic and the incredible ambience it creates in this wonderful romantic story. I'm not a huge fan of magicians...I just have never gotten into that world of entertainment, but wow, it makes such an incredible setting for this book!
Stacey is a *somewhat sleazy* entertainment reporter. She's fallen into this profession where her job is to dig up the dirt on others in the entertainment industry because she needed the money to help raise and support her sister. When the book begins, she's trying to renew her reputation after a story went wrong. She saw Andre perform years before anyone knew who he was and she's always been fascinated, so she's followed his career. That's how she knows that she can break a huge story about him when she realizes there's a scandal with his brother. What she doesn't count on is Andre...
Andre is a performer...a mesmerizing one, but he's also a guy who's passionate about his art, his friends, and his family. He doesn't plan on doing anything to jeopardize those things. But when he meets Stacey, even knowing upfront that she's there to dig on him, he innately trusts her. Trust is a big theme to this book and one that Andre is struggling with since his brother just betrayed him in the biggest way possible. I liked how Andre trusted his instincts when it came to Stacey especially in the beginning. He could truly see the person she was through the quality (if not the subject matter) of her writing. (As a writer, I LOVED that...*happy sigh*)
Trust is something that Stacey has NEVER known. She never had home stability. Her sister is virtually the only person that she's ever counted on and that isn't necessarily a good recommendation, because her sister is very human and a bit self-absorbed. So she has a really difficult time trusting Andre with her heart.
This book had such great themes. Magic is definitely the basis of it and there is a thread of mystical quality to the story-telling. It makes you want to believe in the magic of these characters. It truly is like reading a grown-up fairy tale and I loved that gorgeous, magical quality to it. But this is a romance novel so there is some drama thrown in there too which I thought the author did really well. That's where that whole second theme of Trust came into play. Really superbly told and written.
It truly was a great story and I can't wait to read the next one in the series.
June 18, 2013
We have all read those books where the girl is infatuated with the guy, they both have been screwed over by someone close to them and they have trust issues. But what Michelle Garren Flye has done that not many authors are capable of is, she had created incredible characters with such depth that they evoke such true emotion from the reader that you find yourself yelling at your kindle even when you knew it was going to happen,
Stacey has unfortunately suffered betrayal at a level that few recover from, her parents and Andre's betrayal tragically comes from a family member also. There is an immediate attraction. They both follow their instincts and love comes very quickly. But as in all good love stories, the outside world comes in to the picture, old wounds resurface and our beautiful characters find themselves doubting, lashing out and both are heartbroken.I have to give Stacey credit no matter how many punches life throws she is fighter and for the good of her sister and herself she pulls herself up and continues to move forward!
What happens in Vegas may need to stay in Vegas for some but I am incredibly glad Andre decided to take it on the road! This is a well written sweet story that renews our faith in happily ever after.
**a free copy of this book was provided for an honest review**
for more reviews see welovekink (dot) com
Stacey has unfortunately suffered betrayal at a level that few recover from, her parents and Andre's betrayal tragically comes from a family member also. There is an immediate attraction. They both follow their instincts and love comes very quickly. But as in all good love stories, the outside world comes in to the picture, old wounds resurface and our beautiful characters find themselves doubting, lashing out and both are heartbroken.I have to give Stacey credit no matter how many punches life throws she is fighter and for the good of her sister and herself she pulls herself up and continues to move forward!
What happens in Vegas may need to stay in Vegas for some but I am incredibly glad Andre decided to take it on the road! This is a well written sweet story that renews our faith in happily ever after.
**a free copy of this book was provided for an honest review**
for more reviews see welovekink (dot) com
May 29, 2013
A lifetime of disappointment and discouragement has left entertainment reporter Stacey unable to believe in love or trust anyone with her heart. Does sexy magician Andre have the right blend of magic to break past her emotional barriers while dealing with betrayal issues of his own?
Michelle Garren Flye does a fantastic job of putting her readers into the heads of each of her characters – her words making one feel so profoundly their desires, their reticence, their range of emotions as they fumble towards each other and true love. This story is a perfect blend of magic, romance, and drama….anyone who loves that emotionally charged process of working through the muddiness of background issues towards, what we find ourselves desperately hoping for the characters is a happy ending, will find delight in this read. Readers will certainly be looking forward to the future books in this series with anticipation!
Michelle Garren Flye does a fantastic job of putting her readers into the heads of each of her characters – her words making one feel so profoundly their desires, their reticence, their range of emotions as they fumble towards each other and true love. This story is a perfect blend of magic, romance, and drama….anyone who loves that emotionally charged process of working through the muddiness of background issues towards, what we find ourselves desperately hoping for the characters is a happy ending, will find delight in this read. Readers will certainly be looking forward to the future books in this series with anticipation!
July 11, 2013
** Disclaimer ** I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway. My review is of my own opinion."Close Up Magic" is a sensational read! I enjoyed the chance encounter between Andre and Stacey. I liked how Stacey felt such an impact the first time she saw Andre, that she always had a crush on him. Then one day she was given an opportunity to write about him and thats when her secret crushing became a magical real life experience. The story was a fast read but the characters made it memorable. Stacey and Andre has the kind of relationship (between two fictional characters) that I want to see more of. For me, I think this was a great first book from a new author I never read from.
May 20, 2013
In Michelle Garren Flye’s Close Up Magica sexy magician and an entertainment reporter quickly find love in this fast-paced and engaging love story In the wake of an apparent betrayal, will their love prove to be nothing but an illusion? Please click HERE to read my review in its entirety.
May 28, 2013
I really enjoyed the book. I found myself immediately caught up in the story of Stacey and Andre. They had a tough patch at the end, but the best part was that they were able to work everything out. The magic element of the book made it fun to read. I have always been a skeptic when it comes to magic, but the story had me believing that maybe Andre did have something special.
June 24, 2013
I really enjoyed reading this book. Characters could have been formed a little more. Magic and romance was a great combination.
August 8, 2021
Looks like there are at least seven books in this romance series.
I read the first three, which was more than enough for me. I'll not continue the series.
Magic and magicians are part of the storylines, but magic is just a weak McGuffin. I suspect this is a common structure for romance stories, though I've read so few that I'm not certain about that.
(Lauralin Paige does a better job with the romance stories than Flye... though I have to admit that Paige is a friend and she inserts a sly reference to my son in every book. {They were college classmates.}
BTW, it turns out that there is a List someone put together here on Goodreads that shows 58 romance novels featuring magic. Doesn't look like I'll be steeling myself to read them, but I'll add them to my list of titles.
I read the first three, which was more than enough for me. I'll not continue the series.
Magic and magicians are part of the storylines, but magic is just a weak McGuffin. I suspect this is a common structure for romance stories, though I've read so few that I'm not certain about that.
(Lauralin Paige does a better job with the romance stories than Flye... though I have to admit that Paige is a friend and she inserts a sly reference to my son in every book. {They were college classmates.}
BTW, it turns out that there is a List someone put together here on Goodreads that shows 58 romance novels featuring magic. Doesn't look like I'll be steeling myself to read them, but I'll add them to my list of titles.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews