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Love and Sorcery #1
Disillusioned
Expecting to guard a powerful sorcerer, Dan Forell instead finds himself the unwanted bodyguard of a young sorceress, a pretty girl who could destroy his dreams of prestige in the army. If he wasn’t falling in love with her, he might hate her entirely.
When Lillian Loraine is pushed into accepting an irritable defender, one who clearly doesn’t want the job, her social life and happiness are threatened with utter collapse. She shouldn’t fall for him or trust him with the truth of her abilities, but his quiet intensity and devotion make her question her resolve.
As a foreign power works to annihilate the sorcerers protecting their homeland, Lillian and Dan must repel enemy attacks, overcome first impressions, and somehow convince each other that love is worth the risk of heartbreak.
Disillusioned is a sweet romance with fantasy elements for fans of Pride and Prejudice and fairy tale endings.
When Lillian Loraine is pushed into accepting an irritable defender, one who clearly doesn’t want the job, her social life and happiness are threatened with utter collapse. She shouldn’t fall for him or trust him with the truth of her abilities, but his quiet intensity and devotion make her question her resolve.
As a foreign power works to annihilate the sorcerers protecting their homeland, Lillian and Dan must repel enemy attacks, overcome first impressions, and somehow convince each other that love is worth the risk of heartbreak.
Disillusioned is a sweet romance with fantasy elements for fans of Pride and Prejudice and fairy tale endings.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 23, 2021
25 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Roxanne McNeil
5 books40 followersRoxanne writes sweet, chemistry-driven romance, and her bookshelves are full of happy endings. She loves the Pacific Northwest and has a long-standing relationship with See’s chocolate. She lives with a sweet, 45-pound ball of fur named Queenie, who is much more of a princess than Roxanne is.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
March 20, 2021
*I was provided an eARC from the author for an honest review*
It’s official: Roxanne McNeil is now my new favorite author! After her brilliant debut, Sister to Beauty , a historical beauty and the beast retelling, I was thrilled to learn that she wrote a fantasy, which is my favorite genre. And Disillusioned did not disappoint!
Disillusioned is a cute, light fantasy romance that tells the story of Lillian, a young and powerful sorceress, and her new defender, Dan. With wild imagination, faced-paced actions, and swoony hate-to-love romance, this page-turner is sure to be a great enjoyment.
As a fantasy lover, I’ve read many epic fantasies with complicated magical systems that could be wonderful yet a bit confusing. I know people who can’t stand the complexity and give up on fantasy. In Disillusioned, however, the author finds the perfect balance between imagination and simplicity. The magical system is easy to understand but still fun and imaginative enough to be entertaining. Although each sorcerer only has one special ability, it somehow makes them more creative about their magic, and thus more fun to read!
What I really love about her writing is the tough and imperfect female lead. Being tough and independent doesn’t mean you have to be lonely and guard your heart. It also doesn’t mean you cannot be afraid. I love how Lillian comes to realize her worth and learn to trust others. Her relationship with Dan is also fun and cute to read.
I devoured this book in a couple of days and enjoyed it immensely. I would recommend Disillusioned to anyone who loves a light-hearted romance. It is also perfect for introducing people to fantasy. It’s not YA (since the main male lead is 25), but it’s a YA-friendly book with clean romance and limited violence scenes.
It’s official: Roxanne McNeil is now my new favorite author! After her brilliant debut, Sister to Beauty , a historical beauty and the beast retelling, I was thrilled to learn that she wrote a fantasy, which is my favorite genre. And Disillusioned did not disappoint!
Disillusioned is a cute, light fantasy romance that tells the story of Lillian, a young and powerful sorceress, and her new defender, Dan. With wild imagination, faced-paced actions, and swoony hate-to-love romance, this page-turner is sure to be a great enjoyment.
As a fantasy lover, I’ve read many epic fantasies with complicated magical systems that could be wonderful yet a bit confusing. I know people who can’t stand the complexity and give up on fantasy. In Disillusioned, however, the author finds the perfect balance between imagination and simplicity. The magical system is easy to understand but still fun and imaginative enough to be entertaining. Although each sorcerer only has one special ability, it somehow makes them more creative about their magic, and thus more fun to read!
What I really love about her writing is the tough and imperfect female lead. Being tough and independent doesn’t mean you have to be lonely and guard your heart. It also doesn’t mean you cannot be afraid. I love how Lillian comes to realize her worth and learn to trust others. Her relationship with Dan is also fun and cute to read.
I devoured this book in a couple of days and enjoyed it immensely. I would recommend Disillusioned to anyone who loves a light-hearted romance. It is also perfect for introducing people to fantasy. It’s not YA (since the main male lead is 25), but it’s a YA-friendly book with clean romance and limited violence scenes.
March 23, 2021
I really enjoyed this author's first book (Sister to Beauty) and was thrilled to see an advanced copy of Disillusioned. It is delightful. A charming story, well told. The fantasy elements are enough to satisfy my craving for magic and the romance is a fun one and the adventure kept me turning the pages. I can't wait for Roxanne's next offering.
March 9, 2021
Disillusioned is a magical book filled with sorcerers, magic, action, and romance. There is a hate to love relationship, interesting family connections, and many intriguing characters throughout the book. If you enjoy fairy tales with happy endings then I would highly recommend this book!
March 12, 2022
Being weak on world-building, this story didn't have place and time, so some incongruities existed that were off-putting for historical romance readers, particularly the juxtaposition of the language with the technology. As an excellent fantasy romance, the rather lengthy war tangent is off-putting, making this a 4.5 star review.
I don't write reviews with synopsis/spoilers, rather, my reviews are technical in nature and give the potential reader a taste of the issues they'd find if they read the book that could niggle them into dropping stars.
Overall, the concept for the story is excellent, and the author has subsequently given the reader a complete plot that ends at HEA and flows well in between. The only beef I'd have is that the author didn't know whether she was writing a romance novel or a war strategy novel in places, which took away from the flow of the main story arc and slowed down the pacing. I could see the intent behind the war sections of the book towards the romance story arc; however, those scenes didn't quite work as intended (they were a redundancy of where we already were) and slowed down the story's pace at best, alienated readers at worst. However, the main story line was fantastic, so I could slog through those scenes.
Scene-setting was good, with exceptions, at the micro scale, with use of all the senses and some excellent descriptions. On the macro scale, the world-building was almost nil. It's hard to figure this book out since it uses too many vagaries, e.g., weapons of one era and language of another. Clothing sounded vaguely Regency-ish, but the cover art implies modern wear. However, no gloves were worn when dancing, which was the norm for the 18th and 19th century. It's not like I need a time, but there needs to be congruity that makes sense with a vagary.
As for language, which is an area that can set the tone for an historical novel, words were used that were definitely Victorian or later, not to mention the plethora of contractions--hundreds, where a true historical book might have half a dozen since those contractions weren't even invented until the Victorian era. It was weird when the weaponry was 18th century or older. The location appeared to be British-ish, but Americanisms like "toward" were used. This once again goes to the too-vague macro setting. However, the author does speak in an historical manner, using interesting prose and terminology that hearkens of the past.
Typos included missing quotation marks and "stiches" for "stitches," both very visible problems. A man is not an heiress.
Characters were well-drawn and consistent, and the depth of characterizations was appropriate to each character's role within the story line. There were quite a few important sub-characters, and they were well-rounded. The naming was done so they weren't easily mixed up, except for two main guys whose names started with M, and I kept trying to figure which was which and what their importance in the story was. But I figured that out in time for the more important character's actions to come to play.
There was 1% book stuffing at the end.
The author's writing style was excellent. It engaged the reader with a good mix of dialogue and narration using deep point of view alternating between the points of view of each protagonist with appropriate breaks.
Formatting made for easy reading of the novel on my Kindle.
The protagonist's magic was described well enough for newbies to fantasy like me to understand and enjoy it as if it were a character on its own. I got a kick out of the way the magic was restored time and again. That was clever of the author. I also feel that the other magic was well-balanced.
The romance works well and develops at an excellent pace, including all the stutters along the way. As the core of the novel, it holds it together exceptionally and I like every time one of the protagonists does an "ouch" about their own feelings or their view of the other's. It adds a nice level of drama that can't be duplicated by that old war scene. HEA is timed well too.
As for angst, the protagonists' holding back provides a certain level of angst, as do the several physical conflict scenes. I don't mind the odd short scene, but the prolonged fight scene was too much and made for a boring section in the book even as it ramped up the tension.
The cover is outstanding. It gives a sense of both the magic and the female protagonist without being too busy or looking like some trite covers these days. Both artwork and fonts are nicely selected and laid out. The only drawback is that the colouring is a bit dull, and that might delay the "Buy me" reaction a bit. But I personally love this cover.
Overall, this is a distinctive novel with excellent magical scenes and relationships, including an over-arcing theme of the interaction between the protagonists, where the denial of the mutual attraction is as magical as the heroine's gifts. The author's lively prose brings it all to us in a pert little historical package.
I don't write reviews with synopsis/spoilers, rather, my reviews are technical in nature and give the potential reader a taste of the issues they'd find if they read the book that could niggle them into dropping stars.
Overall, the concept for the story is excellent, and the author has subsequently given the reader a complete plot that ends at HEA and flows well in between. The only beef I'd have is that the author didn't know whether she was writing a romance novel or a war strategy novel in places, which took away from the flow of the main story arc and slowed down the pacing. I could see the intent behind the war sections of the book towards the romance story arc; however, those scenes didn't quite work as intended (they were a redundancy of where we already were) and slowed down the story's pace at best, alienated readers at worst. However, the main story line was fantastic, so I could slog through those scenes.
Scene-setting was good, with exceptions, at the micro scale, with use of all the senses and some excellent descriptions. On the macro scale, the world-building was almost nil. It's hard to figure this book out since it uses too many vagaries, e.g., weapons of one era and language of another. Clothing sounded vaguely Regency-ish, but the cover art implies modern wear. However, no gloves were worn when dancing, which was the norm for the 18th and 19th century. It's not like I need a time, but there needs to be congruity that makes sense with a vagary.
As for language, which is an area that can set the tone for an historical novel, words were used that were definitely Victorian or later, not to mention the plethora of contractions--hundreds, where a true historical book might have half a dozen since those contractions weren't even invented until the Victorian era. It was weird when the weaponry was 18th century or older. The location appeared to be British-ish, but Americanisms like "toward" were used. This once again goes to the too-vague macro setting. However, the author does speak in an historical manner, using interesting prose and terminology that hearkens of the past.
Typos included missing quotation marks and "stiches" for "stitches," both very visible problems. A man is not an heiress.
Characters were well-drawn and consistent, and the depth of characterizations was appropriate to each character's role within the story line. There were quite a few important sub-characters, and they were well-rounded. The naming was done so they weren't easily mixed up, except for two main guys whose names started with M, and I kept trying to figure which was which and what their importance in the story was. But I figured that out in time for the more important character's actions to come to play.
There was 1% book stuffing at the end.
The author's writing style was excellent. It engaged the reader with a good mix of dialogue and narration using deep point of view alternating between the points of view of each protagonist with appropriate breaks.
Formatting made for easy reading of the novel on my Kindle.
The protagonist's magic was described well enough for newbies to fantasy like me to understand and enjoy it as if it were a character on its own. I got a kick out of the way the magic was restored time and again. That was clever of the author. I also feel that the other magic was well-balanced.
The romance works well and develops at an excellent pace, including all the stutters along the way. As the core of the novel, it holds it together exceptionally and I like every time one of the protagonists does an "ouch" about their own feelings or their view of the other's. It adds a nice level of drama that can't be duplicated by that old war scene. HEA is timed well too.
As for angst, the protagonists' holding back provides a certain level of angst, as do the several physical conflict scenes. I don't mind the odd short scene, but the prolonged fight scene was too much and made for a boring section in the book even as it ramped up the tension.
The cover is outstanding. It gives a sense of both the magic and the female protagonist without being too busy or looking like some trite covers these days. Both artwork and fonts are nicely selected and laid out. The only drawback is that the colouring is a bit dull, and that might delay the "Buy me" reaction a bit. But I personally love this cover.
Overall, this is a distinctive novel with excellent magical scenes and relationships, including an over-arcing theme of the interaction between the protagonists, where the denial of the mutual attraction is as magical as the heroine's gifts. The author's lively prose brings it all to us in a pert little historical package.
August 23, 2021
five slow-burn enemies-to-protective-lovers stars because I needed and that book DELIVERED
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April 1, 2021Nominated for a 2021 Swoony Award, to vote click here: https://tinyurl.com/y593ce67
March 26, 2021
Dan Forrell has just finished his training as a defender, and he's one of the best! He goes to a ball with his superior to receive his new assignment (defenders defend sorcerers). Normally sorcerers don't come into their power until their 40s, his assignment is young, beautiful, and most likely spoiled and vapid. They obviously get off on the wrong foot.
I had trouble engaging the first third of this book, once Lillian and Dan met the other army sorcerers things picked up, and I started really enjoying the book. I was intrigued by the different powers each sorcerer had, and how they used them to work together. I loved how Lillian brought everyone together. I loved Lillian's sense of humor, and how she used it in the illusions she could form.
The romance between Dan and Lillian was sweet, paced, and chemistry driven.
This is obviously the first book in the series, but the romance was not left hanging to wait for several more books. Thank you! I can't wait to see what comes next, and to better understand the conflict with their neighboring country.
Content: clean (no language, some kissing-making out, magical violence and battle scenes)
I had trouble engaging the first third of this book, once Lillian and Dan met the other army sorcerers things picked up, and I started really enjoying the book. I was intrigued by the different powers each sorcerer had, and how they used them to work together. I loved how Lillian brought everyone together. I loved Lillian's sense of humor, and how she used it in the illusions she could form.
The romance between Dan and Lillian was sweet, paced, and chemistry driven.
This is obviously the first book in the series, but the romance was not left hanging to wait for several more books. Thank you! I can't wait to see what comes next, and to better understand the conflict with their neighboring country.
Content: clean (no language, some kissing-making out, magical violence and battle scenes)
July 9, 2024
If you are a fan of Darcy and Elizebeth, then you will like the romance in this book. Both characters had to overcome some pride and prejudice. I liked the grumpy/sunshine trope. I liked that Lillian could be kind and loving but also powerful. The book emphasized Lillian’s power of being able to love people more than her sorcery power. I like that bc that is a power we can all have! Love people first! Before they love you. I liked how protective Dan was. I liked all the sorcerers and their powers. The battles were epic and fun to read. The slow romantic moments were adorable too. You should read for a sweet, easy to read, entertaining fantasy book.
SPOILERS and book notes:
I love Dan and his grumpy cockiness. His first impression of Lillian before he knew she was the sorcerer he was guarding is the best: “her smile was her best feature. It transformed her into a dimpled fairy.”. I love his thoughts on young single women: “He had a strong aversion to young, unmarried females. They were man hunters, and he never could have finished his training if he’d allowed one to snare him.” “He snapped his mouth shut, embarrassed that he’d been staring and not defending himself from the man-eating siren.” Ha ha! Dan has finally discovered our home girl Lillian’s gifts! “We’ve never had someone with a gift for illusions, and she would perfectly complement the gifts of the army sorcerers. Or she’d be perfect to work directly with the king. Either way, no one would suspect her, not with her youth and social standing. She’s pretty, but not so pretty that she should draw attention.” She got injured but he is a trained medic and so takes care of her wound!!! I like this insight about herself from Lillian to Dan. It’s how we should view ourselves and our abilities. ““And no one should know what I can do. Besides, a different estimation doesn’t mean an underestimation. I wouldn’t be less of a person without my gift, just less useful to Madsen and His Majesty.” Lillian’s illusions: ““I can’t change the way it feels, or the weight of it. I can only bend the light to alter the image.” She also can’t have her illusions talk obviously. Creating darkness and invisibility takes most effort. As well as creating an image 360 degrees. I’m getting frustrated at Lillian’s stubbornness and that she runs away EVERY TIME a little conflict comes up. Just communicate!! It’s so annoying. anytime he tries to help her she runs away. But I do like that for her to be powerful she doesn’t have to be “tough” and hard ya know? She can be powerful and want kindness and softness toward her. She responds better to that and that’s ok! I love it. And they shouldn’t have to change her! Awwww Dan the protector: “But when he’d done those things, he wasn’t thinking of his duty. He wasn’t thinking at all. He’d only felt an all-encompassing terror that she might be harmed or killed. Was that how all defenders felt about their assignments?” I loooove a good palm kiss. People are underestimating her bc she is pretty and pleasant. I love the relationship she is developing with Sur Hollis. He is a distance walker and has a hard time moving and talking, but he is so kind!! And she is so sweet to him! Only genuine sorcerer there! I love this discriotion: “kissing Lillian felt like coming choke by jumping off a cliff.” I love that this happened: “He washed and settled down into his bed, only to find that his face was sore. His muscles were used to the exertion of training, but he’d never smiled so much in his life.” Hehehehe: “There was something very satisfying about having a strong, handsome man wanting her to be safe, even if he was grumpy about it.” This is adorable: “She moved to take a step but stumbled, and he gathered her into his arms, holding her tightly. “For the record, I am so angry with you,” he said, pressing his lips to her hair over and over. “Why?” she asked weakly. “It wasn’t safe. What were you thinking by coming back?” he demanded. She reached up to pat his face sleepily. “Silly. I could never leave you there. I love you too much, Dan,” she breathed before going limp in his arms.” Her other super power is having people love her. And the source of that power is that she loves everyone FIRST and instantly. ““Lillian Loraine. Wherever you are is where I want to be. It will be my home.” No one could blame her for her response, she reasoned later. It was perfectly instinctual to throw herself into his arms and kiss him fervently.” Super cool battle! Only a few villages fought a huge army bc of her illusions. It tricked the enemy! Super cool battle. I love this love confession: ““I’m very glad you wanted me with you for all that, but Lillian, you are a force of nature. You don’t need me.” “Well, I happen to love you, Dan Forell,” she said, frowning up at him. “So yes. I do think I need you.” Awww this marriage proposal!!! ““Lillian,” he murmured into her hair. “Since I didn’t die, could I convince you to marry me?” She made a choking noise, and he pulled away to make sure she was all right. But she was laughing. “Dan! I thought I was going to have to ask you, and then bully you into it. I love you. Of course I’ll marry you!” And this about love: “He’d quietly offered to kill the man, but she’d only laughed. “There’s no rule in heaven or earth that says the people you love have to love you back.” The words were light, flippant even, but the tightness in her eyes contradicted her tone. “I love you back,” Dan said savagely. “That’s everything I need,” she said.” And this adorableness: ““Will you take a break from the fireworks to kiss your husband?” He loved saying the word aloud. He was far prouder of that title than of defender.”
SPOILERS and book notes:
I love Dan and his grumpy cockiness. His first impression of Lillian before he knew she was the sorcerer he was guarding is the best: “her smile was her best feature. It transformed her into a dimpled fairy.”. I love his thoughts on young single women: “He had a strong aversion to young, unmarried females. They were man hunters, and he never could have finished his training if he’d allowed one to snare him.” “He snapped his mouth shut, embarrassed that he’d been staring and not defending himself from the man-eating siren.” Ha ha! Dan has finally discovered our home girl Lillian’s gifts! “We’ve never had someone with a gift for illusions, and she would perfectly complement the gifts of the army sorcerers. Or she’d be perfect to work directly with the king. Either way, no one would suspect her, not with her youth and social standing. She’s pretty, but not so pretty that she should draw attention.” She got injured but he is a trained medic and so takes care of her wound!!! I like this insight about herself from Lillian to Dan. It’s how we should view ourselves and our abilities. ““And no one should know what I can do. Besides, a different estimation doesn’t mean an underestimation. I wouldn’t be less of a person without my gift, just less useful to Madsen and His Majesty.” Lillian’s illusions: ““I can’t change the way it feels, or the weight of it. I can only bend the light to alter the image.” She also can’t have her illusions talk obviously. Creating darkness and invisibility takes most effort. As well as creating an image 360 degrees. I’m getting frustrated at Lillian’s stubbornness and that she runs away EVERY TIME a little conflict comes up. Just communicate!! It’s so annoying. anytime he tries to help her she runs away. But I do like that for her to be powerful she doesn’t have to be “tough” and hard ya know? She can be powerful and want kindness and softness toward her. She responds better to that and that’s ok! I love it. And they shouldn’t have to change her! Awwww Dan the protector: “But when he’d done those things, he wasn’t thinking of his duty. He wasn’t thinking at all. He’d only felt an all-encompassing terror that she might be harmed or killed. Was that how all defenders felt about their assignments?” I loooove a good palm kiss. People are underestimating her bc she is pretty and pleasant. I love the relationship she is developing with Sur Hollis. He is a distance walker and has a hard time moving and talking, but he is so kind!! And she is so sweet to him! Only genuine sorcerer there! I love this discriotion: “kissing Lillian felt like coming choke by jumping off a cliff.” I love that this happened: “He washed and settled down into his bed, only to find that his face was sore. His muscles were used to the exertion of training, but he’d never smiled so much in his life.” Hehehehe: “There was something very satisfying about having a strong, handsome man wanting her to be safe, even if he was grumpy about it.” This is adorable: “She moved to take a step but stumbled, and he gathered her into his arms, holding her tightly. “For the record, I am so angry with you,” he said, pressing his lips to her hair over and over. “Why?” she asked weakly. “It wasn’t safe. What were you thinking by coming back?” he demanded. She reached up to pat his face sleepily. “Silly. I could never leave you there. I love you too much, Dan,” she breathed before going limp in his arms.” Her other super power is having people love her. And the source of that power is that she loves everyone FIRST and instantly. ““Lillian Loraine. Wherever you are is where I want to be. It will be my home.” No one could blame her for her response, she reasoned later. It was perfectly instinctual to throw herself into his arms and kiss him fervently.” Super cool battle! Only a few villages fought a huge army bc of her illusions. It tricked the enemy! Super cool battle. I love this love confession: ““I’m very glad you wanted me with you for all that, but Lillian, you are a force of nature. You don’t need me.” “Well, I happen to love you, Dan Forell,” she said, frowning up at him. “So yes. I do think I need you.” Awww this marriage proposal!!! ““Lillian,” he murmured into her hair. “Since I didn’t die, could I convince you to marry me?” She made a choking noise, and he pulled away to make sure she was all right. But she was laughing. “Dan! I thought I was going to have to ask you, and then bully you into it. I love you. Of course I’ll marry you!” And this about love: “He’d quietly offered to kill the man, but she’d only laughed. “There’s no rule in heaven or earth that says the people you love have to love you back.” The words were light, flippant even, but the tightness in her eyes contradicted her tone. “I love you back,” Dan said savagely. “That’s everything I need,” she said.” And this adorableness: ““Will you take a break from the fireworks to kiss your husband?” He loved saying the word aloud. He was far prouder of that title than of defender.”
March 30, 2021
Great read! It had romance and lots of action. The main characters were so likable. Lillian was strong, kind and so talented! Dan was swoony!! Great side characters. I think this authors writing style is so smooooth!
Read it!
Read it!
March 27, 2021
I really enjoyed this book, it was a lovely sweet romance, with danger, magic and humour.
March 31, 2021
Amazing story of sorcery laced with romance. And at the strength of it all is pure love. A wonderful romp you won't want to put down. Ms McNeil enchants her readers with her imagination spells!
April 2, 2021
This stand alone fantasy romance was a fun read! As one who has always been a fan of Pride and Prejudice, I found this book had an enjoyable Jane Austen feel about it while adding the right mix of danger and magic to make it a quick and compelling read.
Lillian is a young woman who is a powerful sorceress. She has the power to bend light and make illusions. Dan is brought on as her proud, condescending protector. At first the two don’t get along, but as time passes their mutual attraction turns into a deep love.
The book is written from the point of view of both Lillian and Dan which I found worked really well for the book. The switch between viewpoints kept the book moving along. It was fun to see them grow closer together as a couple and come to appreciate each other’s strengths.
The one drawback that I sometimes had a hard time with was when Lillian would act a bit like a child or when Dan would get super overprotective in an unhealthy way. The romance was a bit formulaic. But I enjoyed how Lillian grew into her own powers and how eventually Dan came to see her as capable.
This is not my style of book. Usually I enjoy a lot of action with some nice romance on the side but the cute relationship between Lillian and Dan was enjoyable and these were characters that I genuinely enjoyed getting to know. Again I think the Pride and Prejudice feel really hit it home for me. The magic and action on the side were a great bonus to make this feel like a nice well rounded fantasy romance. I felt like what the author did with Lillian’s powers was very clever, using her ability in new and refreshing ways that I hadn’t considered before.
Overall an entertaining read! If you are into reading clean fantasy romance with a regency era Pride and Prejudice feel, then check out Disillusioned by Roxanne McNeil!
Lillian is a young woman who is a powerful sorceress. She has the power to bend light and make illusions. Dan is brought on as her proud, condescending protector. At first the two don’t get along, but as time passes their mutual attraction turns into a deep love.
The book is written from the point of view of both Lillian and Dan which I found worked really well for the book. The switch between viewpoints kept the book moving along. It was fun to see them grow closer together as a couple and come to appreciate each other’s strengths.
The one drawback that I sometimes had a hard time with was when Lillian would act a bit like a child or when Dan would get super overprotective in an unhealthy way. The romance was a bit formulaic. But I enjoyed how Lillian grew into her own powers and how eventually Dan came to see her as capable.
This is not my style of book. Usually I enjoy a lot of action with some nice romance on the side but the cute relationship between Lillian and Dan was enjoyable and these were characters that I genuinely enjoyed getting to know. Again I think the Pride and Prejudice feel really hit it home for me. The magic and action on the side were a great bonus to make this feel like a nice well rounded fantasy romance. I felt like what the author did with Lillian’s powers was very clever, using her ability in new and refreshing ways that I hadn’t considered before.
Overall an entertaining read! If you are into reading clean fantasy romance with a regency era Pride and Prejudice feel, then check out Disillusioned by Roxanne McNeil!
December 10, 2023
So excited to finally pick this one up! Highly enjoyable medieval fantasy with lots of romance and suspense!
Lillian is a young sorceress with incredible powers and now that she is working to help the kingdom, is assigned a protector. She doesn't want a protector, however, especially after she meets the protector assigned to her and though he is handsome, he is also incredibly irritating.
Dan is surprised that the sorceress he is assigned to protect is both young and beautiful but as he gets to know the woman behind the magic, he realizes he has done the unthinkable and fallen for her.
What to love:
Fantasy
Dual POV
Protector/bodyguard trope
The battle
Dan taking care of Lillian
Touch her and die
The kisses!
Suspenseful scenes
I love heroes who are not intimidated by intelligent or powerful women and Dan ended up being a "pineapple" hero. Romance was very sweet and swoony and the focus of the story. Loved all the plot twists and turns! Will definitely be picking up more from this author.
Lillian is a young sorceress with incredible powers and now that she is working to help the kingdom, is assigned a protector. She doesn't want a protector, however, especially after she meets the protector assigned to her and though he is handsome, he is also incredibly irritating.
Dan is surprised that the sorceress he is assigned to protect is both young and beautiful but as he gets to know the woman behind the magic, he realizes he has done the unthinkable and fallen for her.
What to love:
Fantasy
Dual POV
Protector/bodyguard trope
The battle
Dan taking care of Lillian
Touch her and die
The kisses!
Suspenseful scenes
I love heroes who are not intimidated by intelligent or powerful women and Dan ended up being a "pineapple" hero. Romance was very sweet and swoony and the focus of the story. Loved all the plot twists and turns! Will definitely be picking up more from this author.
May 6, 2021
This was such a sweet, cute story! If you liked her first book (a super sweet reimaging of Beauty & the Beast), then you are guaranteed to love this one too.
The blurb is completely accurate as to the P&P vibes...Dan and Lillian start off unimpressed with each other and annoyed to have to work together. But the more they learn of the other, the more their admiration and eventually love grows. I liked the fantasy element with the sorcerers and their different abilities, though it wasn't deeply explored/explained.
The romance was soooo sweet and the MCs were adorable, and I especially loved that Lillian took some initiative. There was also a sweet side element with her finding some lost family.
If you like really sweet, clean romances with some fantasy and charming characters, pick it up!
The blurb is completely accurate as to the P&P vibes...Dan and Lillian start off unimpressed with each other and annoyed to have to work together. But the more they learn of the other, the more their admiration and eventually love grows. I liked the fantasy element with the sorcerers and their different abilities, though it wasn't deeply explored/explained.
The romance was soooo sweet and the MCs were adorable, and I especially loved that Lillian took some initiative. There was also a sweet side element with her finding some lost family.
If you like really sweet, clean romances with some fantasy and charming characters, pick it up!
September 29, 2021
I've had my eye on this book for a while now. Not only is the cover gorgeous, but it sounded really good. I am so glad I finally got around to reading it! I had a grin on my face the whole time; the chemistry between Dan and Lillian was top notch and I loved the little pride and prejudice vibes though this story is in no way a pride and prejudice retelling. The plot was so original and I loved the world the author created
This was a really fun fantasy romance with an intriguing plot. Definitely a book I will recommend and I cannot wait to read the others in the series.
This was a really fun fantasy romance with an intriguing plot. Definitely a book I will recommend and I cannot wait to read the others in the series.
April 4, 2021
This was such a fun book! Definitely a slow start, but once we really got into the different types of magic and how they could be used, things picked up. Lillian is such a fun, cute heroine, and I love how much depth she got throughout the story. I wish there would have been a bit more of that for Dan, but I did enjoy seeing him warm up to her and fall in love. Combine that with the sweet happily ever after, and you can color me a happy fantasy romance reader. :)
August 29, 2021
I absolutely loved this book!
The world building, magic system, and character development were so well done! I really liked that the sorcerers had defenders, it's a really unique concept and was executed perfectly. I also thought that the sorcerers all having different abilities was really cool. I enjoyed reading about the abilities each one possessed.
Lillian and Dan are honestly two of my favorite characters that I've read recently. I loved every minute of this book!
The world building, magic system, and character development were so well done! I really liked that the sorcerers had defenders, it's a really unique concept and was executed perfectly. I also thought that the sorcerers all having different abilities was really cool. I enjoyed reading about the abilities each one possessed.
Lillian and Dan are honestly two of my favorite characters that I've read recently. I loved every minute of this book!
March 27, 2021
I enjoyed Roxanne McNeil's other book Sister to Beauty so much that I checked what other books she had and immediately started Love and Sorcery:Disillusioned which I also loved perhaps even more as I do like a good love story with a little magic thrown it.
July 5, 2021
Dan was too much of an idiot for how amazing he was supposed to be. I didn't like how it was repeated that she was the most amazing/important sorcerer. They all had specialized talents that were useful and even better when they worked together.
September 6, 2021
I don't typically read books in the fantasy genre, but I really enjoyed this one! The magical elements of the story were well done and original. And the romance between the two main characters was so sweet and I loved every minute of it!
April 18, 2021
Great read
Very entertaining magical fantasy read! Engaging characters and interesting story line. Can't wait for the next one (Also enjoyed Sister to Beauty)
Very entertaining magical fantasy read! Engaging characters and interesting story line. Can't wait for the next one (Also enjoyed Sister to Beauty)
June 28, 2021
This is by far my favorite novel by this author. I have liked them all but this one I LOVE! I can recommend it to any age! Awesome love story, fun magic, a quick read you will totally enjoy.
June 28, 2021
I loved this book! So cute and a great plot! I loved all the characters and their personalities. I definitely suggest it.
July 26, 2021
Fun!
A nice change of pace wrapped in a beautiful world built by imagination. Good guys, bad guys, sorcerers, magic, mystery, romance, and intrigue! Who could want more!
A nice change of pace wrapped in a beautiful world built by imagination. Good guys, bad guys, sorcerers, magic, mystery, romance, and intrigue! Who could want more!
October 19, 2021
I liked it. It's a fun read.
March 23, 2021
This book took a little while for me to get into because Lillian and Dan don’t get along at first and it took me a bit to understand the magic. Once I caught on and Lillian and Dan started to understand and like each other I could not put the book down. I thought the storyline was well paced and intriguing. I really liked both Lillian and Dan. They were well crafted characters. Overall a great book.
March 24, 2021
ARC provided by author (thank you!). Review is 100% honest.
Look at that pretty cover!
A lady with powerful illusionary magic meets brooding guard in this book. The fairytale vibes is strong, the characters dynamic beautiful, and I enjoyed this magical tale! Pacing could be better because it was a bit too slow for me, but overall a sweet ride.
This book is perfect for swoony romance fairytale fans!
Look at that pretty cover!
A lady with powerful illusionary magic meets brooding guard in this book. The fairytale vibes is strong, the characters dynamic beautiful, and I enjoyed this magical tale! Pacing could be better because it was a bit too slow for me, but overall a sweet ride.
This book is perfect for swoony romance fairytale fans!
March 24, 2021
Very cute read! Full of action and romance. The chemistry between the two characters was so well done, they fit together very well. I loved the idea of a protector for a sorcerer, that's what grabbed me, and it definitely rewarded. It got a little cheesy near the end but overall it was excellent! Can't wait for more!
April 19, 2021
Wonderful, engaging story. The characters were wonderfully developed. I’m a sucker for romances with a good amount of intrigue and suspense and this did not disappoint! It transported me to a different world and I loved it!
January 2, 2025
Loved this book! It was exceedingly well written and unique. The characters and plot were complex and developed well throughout the novel. I look forward to reading the next in the series as well as her other novels.
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