So Enchanting

by Connie Brockway

“Realistically quirky characters, delightfully clever writing and a warmly nourishing story about family, friendship and love come together brilliantly in Skinny Dipping, Connie Brockway's latest beguiling tale of a woman who discovers life is all about commitment.”—Chicago TribuneYears ago, lovely young Francesca Walcott ruled the fringes of London society as a mysteriously gifted medium. Until the uncompromising Lord Greyson Sheffield accused her of being a fraud, shattering her world, and sending her into exile in the Scottish Highlands. Now Greyson has received word that his ward's life is threatened, and he travels to Little Firkin to investigate, only to find the girl’s companion is none other than Fanny Walcott, and that the ethereal girl who has haunted his dreams is now a ravishing woman.  The audacious Fanny is more than his match in every way and as the sparks of challenge set fire to a passion neither can control, Grey is prepared to risk everything for the one woman he can never forget.Fighting an unseen enemy, thrown together by danger and desire, the cynic and the enchantress discover their own brand of magic . . . and a love too powerful, too consuming, too beguiling for either to resist.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Regency, Paranormal, Fiction

432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 3, 2009

About the author

New York Times and USAToday best selling author Connie Brockway has twice won the Romance Writers of America's Rita award for best historical romance as well as being an eight time finalist. After receiving a double major in art history and English from Macalester College, Connie entered grad school with an eye to acquiring her MFA in creative writing. Soon enough she jettisoned the idea of writing serious literature for what she considered (and still considers) the best gig in the world, writing romance.

Connie has received numerous starred reviews for her romances in Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal. Library Journal also named her Her 2004 romance, My Seduction, one of the year's top ten romances.

In November of 2011, THE OTHER GUY'S BRIDE (a sequel to the perennially popular AS YOU DESIRE) was Amazon's Montlake Publishing's launch title. Here next book, NO PLACE FOR A DAME will be published September, 2013. A regency set romance, it is also the sequel to ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT.Today Connie lives in Minnesota with her husband David, a family physician, and two spoiled mutts.

Reviews

[kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Six years ago, Francesca Burns/Brown/Walcott's husband was outed as a fake medium before he died in a train accident; now she's companioning the beautiful Amelie Chase. When Lord Greyson Sheffield rolls into town with his nephew Lord Hayden Augustus Collier, he and his boner recognizes her. Unfortunately, she's kind of a witch and he's kind of a cynic and also their wards are pining for one another—OH NO WILL THEY EVER FIGURE OUT HOW TO LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

1. The thing about this book is that it's just...rather silly? And I don't mean that in a negative way! It's just got elements of the ridiculous to it: Amelie and Hayden's over-the-top romance; Grey and Fanny's bickering; the tight-knit town that begrudgingly accepts Amelie Chase as their witch: it's all very light in a way that seems redolent of Heyer (especially the older couple falling in love in spite of the younger couple's nonsense).

2. That said, that ending was twisted and I'm not sure in a good way. Having your villain literally threaten to shoot your hero/heroine? Standard issue. Having him threaten to shoot dogs? More unhinged. Having him literally rave about A STAMP is....not in fitting with the tone of the rest of the book, methinks.

3. I must once again commend Brockway on her use of setting; I absolutely love the slivers of Victorian life we get in her novels. The flavor is unique and strange and familiar and this amazing blend of historical with technology and cultural and societal advancements and I just really like it OK.

4. Overall: this book suffers from its very levity. Is it a paranormal? Not really. Is it a romance? Somewhat. It doesn't seem to have enough weight to allow it to settle and take root and ultimately results in a a somewhat disappointing read.

[Chels]

It's a "fraudulent medium and the aristocrat who wants to unmask her" story but the medium actually does have paranormal capabilities (animals can feel her emotions) so it gets complicated. Proof by Seduction meets Uncertain Magic. The main couple is extremely charming, just bickering themselves into a constantly aroused state.

Would be an unequivocal recommendation but there's some colonialist nonsense that sours it.

[willaful · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars. In theory this has everything: interesting characters, interesting set-up, a great sense of feeling for the period… but too much of the time, it doesn’t quite gel.

The setting is the London season of the classic Regency romance, and it’s beautifully drawn. It feels like home to be reading a Regency with a sense of time and place again, one in which people are actually aware of the constraints of their society. Our heroine, Lydia, is one of the most aware. A celebrity of her time, she was brought up to be charming and delightful, and she walks a very careful line between being “an original” and crossing into unforgivable scandal.

Lydia at first seems like she’s going to be an unpleasant character, a spendthrift who only care about her position in society. She’s actually far more complex: not just caring and generous, as all seemingly selfish, spendthrift heroines turn out to be, but inwardly quite insecure from never having known unconditional love. She’s the star who doesn’t dare give up being the star.

Ned is not quite a match for her. He’s noble, honourable, all the good things… and a little bland when they’re together. Their witty conversation never felt all that witty to me. Though there's a masquerade ball scene that raised my temperature a few notches... and when that man writes a love letter, Lord have mercy! Utterly swoonworthy and almost makes this a keeper.

Overall, there was a lot to really like here. Intelligent characters; intelligent writing. Misunderstandings averted by people actually paying attention to each other. Some illuminating plotlines with secondary characters (and unlike many other readers, I did not get the feeling of sequel-bait, though I certainly wouldn’t mind.) It's a book I was glad I'd read. Just not a book I loved.

[holly quigley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was simultaneously charming and frustrating. I found myself skimming a lot of it, and when my suspicions were confirmed about the "mystery" arc in it (BOTH suspicions, btw), I was thoroughly annoyed. I loved the premise - the heroine with a supernatural or paranormal "gift" against the hero whose sole aim is to find and reveal frauds and con-artists claiming to have supernatural and paranormal gifts. There really was a great plot set-up here. Unfortunately, though, it just kind of... fell apart.

The main issue was a huge one: TOO MANY POVs. Plenty of other reviewers have said as much, but the sub-romance between Amelie and Hayden was obnoxiously sappy enough on its own - we really didn't need their narrations/points of view added to the mix. It wound up really detracting from the flow of things and it seemed gratuitous and pointless. The whole story would have been better served by paring down the narration/POVs to only Fanny and Grey, with the added bonus of helping us believe in their lightning-fast and utterly unlikely tumble into "love." Maybe that was supposed to be part of the old-fashioned charm of this story (separate of it being a historical, it totally felt like one of those black and white romantic comedies where proclamations of love came early on, and usually with the climactic ending being little more than a kiss). But as much as I wanted to be convinced, it just felt so rushed. And for a book that was over 300 pages, there was plenty of room to not be rushed. I would have preferred a shorter novel without Amelie's and Hayden's stupid mooning POVs. Then I might have been able to say, "hey, light, fluffy, entertaining read," instead of, "not really worth the patience required to muddle through it." Which is totally unfortunate, because like I said, I loved the premise. The plot was a great idea. The execution was just distracting.

[Linda Banche · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! Ms. Brockway has written a first-class tale of love, honesty, and honor triumphing in that most artificial of all places, the Regency ton.

Lady Lydia Eastlake must wed for money. So must former Navy captain, Ned Lockton. Each appears the other's ideal--until they fall in love and discover the other is penniless. Honor pulls them toward other partners. Love pulls them together. You'll wonder how they will reconcile their differences in this page-turner, even though a happy ending is guaranteed in a romance.

When I read a romance, I have to like both hero and heroine. The heroine is usually no problem, and I like Lydia. But, all too often, the "hero" is a villain in disguise and I hate him.

Not so with Ned. Ned Lockton is that rarity in romance, a nice guy. Now, "nice" does not necessarily mean "wimp". Ned is a former Navy captain who was invalided out after a distinguished career, and now has the thankless job of rescuing his feckless family from penury. He's also young, gorgeous, and blond. (I like my heroes blond.) I adore him.

If you like a story that keeps you reading and guessing right up to the end, try THE GOLDEN SEASON. You won't go wrong.

[willaful · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started well, ended well, but there was a lot of drag in between, particularly the most tedious two young lovers I've seen since Georgette Heyer was writing. There's even some Heyeresque commenting on how very tedious they are: "The only interruptions to this inanity were the breathless silences during which, Grey imagined, they pair stood gazing raptly into each other's eyes. Rather like poleaxed beef. God, but young people in love were boring." Too true, and the lampshade doesn't help enough.

Other than that, the story has some of Brockway's wit and sparkle; even some inauthentic sounding language kind of works with the mood of the book. And the primary romance is strong and appealing. So overall, not as good as it could have been, but worth a read.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmm... Not as good as As You Desire, My Seduction or My Pleasure, but good nonetheless. I liked the book till the last 50 pages, where it kind of sputtered a little. I wish Fanny and Gray had actually had to talk out their problems instead of him just deciding "what the heck" and staying with her.. But 4* because I loved their banter, and Amelie and Hayden were so funny!

[Katie(babs) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Connie Brockway is one of my all time favorite historical romance authors. When I heard she was taking a break from historicals to try her hand at contemporaries, I was saddened. I assumed she would leave the historical world behind like may of her other author counterparts have done before. I was pleasantly surprised when I heard she was publishing a new historical romance this year. So Enchanting is exactly what the titles states. This is one enchanting read.

It is 1892 and England has a new craze on their hands with those who can contact loved ones that have departed the Earth. Lord Greyson Sheffield works as a special prosecutor for the Lord Chief Justice where he exposes these frauds. He hates these charlatans ever since his father was as victim of one when he was just a boy. He is on another case where he has exposed a so-called spiritualist who uses his wife as his accomplice. There is something about Francesca Brown that brings out Greyson’s protective nature. When he finds out that her lying husband has been killed, he goes to her, but she has left London and disappeared to places unknown.

It has been six years since Francesca, now known simply as the widow Fanny Walcott was given a new lease on life. She has left her old life of tricking people behind and resides in the small town of Little Firkin, Scotland. There she is the companion to Amelie Chase, a young girl who is believed to be a witch. Amelie’s father, who was once Fanny’s neighbor when she was a girl, came to Fanny after she was exposed and asked her to watch over his daughter who may have supernatural powers. He felt Fanny could help Amelie control her powers because Fanny is much like his daughter even though all of London thinks she is a hoax. Fanny's gift is that she has a way with animals (There are no Dr. Doolittle scenes in this book). The Colonel gave her a way out all those years ago. Fanny’s life couldn’t be better and only has to deal with the villagers who act a bit wary when it comes to Amelie. The townspeople accept Amelie because when she turns twenty-one she will inherit most of her father’s estate, and those who resided in the town around the time of the Colonel’s death will divide the one hundred thousands pounds among them that the Colonel has left them in his will as a thank you for keeping Amelie safe.

Greyson and his nephew Hayden visit Amelie because Hayden’s father is Amelie’s guardian. An anonymous letter was sent stating that Amelie’s life is in danger. Both Greyson and Hayden go to investigate. The men are dumbfounded when they meet Amelie and Fanny. Hayden is dumbstruck by the beauty and personality of Amelie, while Greyson cannot believe that this Fanny is the same one who ran away from him so many years ago. Fanny would love nothing more for Greyson to leave and even though Greyson feels the same way, he can’t help but enjoy the teasing and banter he has with Fanny.

Greyson and Fanny have to keep a strong eye on Hayden and Amelie who are so young and passionate, as well as finding the person responsible who may want to harm Amelie. All of a sudden, strange accidents start to happen and soon Fanny and Greyson are the ones who have to start looking over their shoulders. Is there something supernatural force at play or someone who is out to cause harm to the young girl and the woman who treats her as her own daughter?

Connie is a master at writing witty dialogue and there is a great deal of it here. One such scene that had me in stitches is a scene in the middle of the book between the Greyson and Fanny. From the moment these two see each other in Little Firkin, they insult each other left and right.

Here is where Greyson and Fanny are at odds over Amelie and Hayden’s growing love. This is the perfect example of what a skilled author like Connie can do:

“Well, what do you have to say about that?” Fanny repeated, glaring out toward the terrace.
“Calm yourself madam,” Grey said. “They are simply viewing the wildlife.”
“Oh for the love of all that’s sacred. They most decidedly are not viewing the wildlife. They are canoodling.”
“Canoodling,” Grey repeated blankly.
“There’s hanky-panky going on out there, mark my words.”
“Are you under the delusion that you are speaking the King’s English? Do you think you might communicate without resorting to vulgar slang?”

Then there is Fanny’s reaction to the canoodling she and Greyson share later on:

“You did not ask permission. You… you took me by storm!”
A slow, amused smile spread over his dark, bold face. “Oh, my dear Mrs. Walcott, I assure you, you were not taken by storm. Should that have happened, you would not know be standing here berating me for kissing you.”
“Then where would I be?” she demanded, setting her hands on her hips.
“Still abed. With me.”

Isn’t the dialogue between Grey and Fanny so witty and engaging? One minute they are ready to come to blows, the next they are in a passionate embrace and kissing each other like there is no tomorrow. Amelie and Hayden’s romance is the complete opposite of what Greyson and Fanny have. These two young lovers are sweet and tender with one another and their internal thoughts will crack you up. Hayden thinks Amelie is the perfect woman while Amelie, who is still so naive, wants to experience the world and life in general. I also really loved Fanny’s relationship she has with Amelie.

The love scenes are a bit tame but should still please most readers. As for the mystery of who wants to harm Amelie, that could have been handled better, but I didn’t mind since I was enjoying these four characters and their reactions to each other. This is a light hearted mystery that will keep you smiling till the last page.

Every single one of Connie Brockway’s historicals are so incredibly well written and I can say without a doubt the same goes for So Enchanting.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Enchanting is a 2009 Penguin Group publication.

Six years ago, Francesca Walcott, along with her husband were exposed as fraudulent spiritualist. Shortly thereafter, Fanny becomes a widow and re-invents her life. She is offered the job of governess to Amelie, a girl that has had a few experiences with the paranormal. Fanny starts life over with a new indentity and raises Amelie after her father dies and her guardian finds himself too busy to find the time to be a part of her life. An unusual provision in Amelie's father's will keeps her trapped in a small community until she become of age or marries. But, then a letter arrives to her guardian claiming that someone is out to harm Amelie. The man still can't seem to find the time to investigate on behalf of his charge, so he sends Lord Greyson Sheffield and his nephew to see if there is anything to worry about.
Well, it turns out there is plenty to worry about. Grey is the very man that exposed Fanny six years ago. Now he is convinced she is up to her old tricks and intends to find out what kind of scam she is tying to pull this time.
In the meanwhile, Amelie has fallen in love and wants to leave the small community she is tied to more than ever. Not only that, it appears that the threat against Amelie may be real.

This is a delightful, light, historical/paranormal romance. Grey has a strong opinion in regards to spiritualist and mediums and all things magic. His father spent his fortune hoping to make contact with his dead wife and daughter. But, when Grey sets eyes on Fanny, he finds his attraction to her unsettling. Now, six years later he finds himself fighting that attraction more than ever. But, can Fanny convince the skeptical Grey that magic really does exist?

I really enjoyed this one. Overall an A.

[Margeline · Rating 2 out of 5]

could have been perfect for me, but the third act drama was too much and unnecessary still I loved both mc and the h girl friends

[K.C. Bateman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laughed out loud a couple of times with this one. Not quite as brilliant as 'As You Desire,' (it's tough to beat Harry Braxton!) but still a fun, quick read.

[Kim H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Connie Brockway's long awaited & newest historical. I had this on my wish list from the moment I knew it was due to be released. Overall, I thought it was an excellent book, but graded it somewhat less than perfect at 4 stars. The heroine is an animal empath and the widow of a con artist & fake medium, and the hero is a man driven & determined to expose supernatural charlatans. She and her husband run afoul of him in the opening chapter, and even though he is profoundly attracted to her, her life is ultimately destroyed due to his intervention in her husband's nefarious activities.
She goes to work for a former acquaintance as a governess & companion for his mildly telekinetic daughter after her husband is killed, and ends up caring for her after the death of the girl's father. The hero coincidentally is a relative of the daughter's new guardian, and he finds the heroine again six years after their first encounter, when he journeys to Scotland to investigate a possible threat to the girl's life. Of course, he's still attracted to her and sparks immediately start to fly.
This book ultimately reminded me a lot of Brockway's 2001 Victorian Romance, The Bridal Season. It has a similar storyline and the author's signature comic subtlety abounds. It failed somewhat to engage me as consistently as some of her previous efforts, however. The story lags a bit toward the middle, but picks up very nicely later in the second half. I felt the resolution of the external conflict was somewhat abruptly resolved, and the ending a little nice & neat for all that the hero had so many trust issues with the heroine due to her past; I really felt like more of a heartfelt discussion between the H&H was in order to fully resolve their internal conflict.
That said, I still highly recommend it and will be adding it to my keeper shelf. I adore Connie Brockway and I'm nothing short of thrilled to see her writing historicals again. Even her less than perfect efforts are ahead of the pack in terms of wit & originality.

Sensuality Rating: PG-13

[Kim H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a huge Connie Brockway fan & was eagerly anticipating this book for some time, but frankly, I was pretty disappointed with it. It's not a *bad* book, but it definitely did not live up to my expectations.
The H&H just did NOT have any chemistry. Nothing really physical starts happening until way late in the book & I was so not into them as a couple by then, the big love scene felt like it was dropped on me out of nowhere. The best I could give this is maybe a B- and I'm not even sure if it rates that, or I'm just cutting it some slack because it's a Connie Brockway.
The premise is familiar; both the H&H find themselves in financial difficulties & need to marry for money, and they fall in love not realizing that the other is just as penniless as they are. I think an old premise can still work in the right hands, but this just seems to drag on for chapter after chapter with the hero & heroine secretly pining for each other and never doing anything in the way of acting on it.
The heroine was fine if a little lacking in dimension, but the hero is a complete letdown. I have no problem with stoic heroes, but this one was almost completely deadpan and I never 100% bought into the attraction he had for the heroine - mostly because his self-control where she's concerned never really seems to slip. There's a slight, very clichéd external conflict thrown in at the end that you could see coming from a mile away, meaning it plays like a slow-motion train wreck, complete with the obligatory cardboard cutout villain. One thing I truly appreciated about this story is that CB doesn't invent some magical fix for the H&H's money problems, no fairy godmother or rich relatives conveniently dropping dead & bequeathing them a fortune; they finish as broke as they begin. All in all, it's not a bad story, but I've come to expect much better from Connie Brockway & she just didn't deliver this time.

Grade: B-
Sensuality Rating: PG-13

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was my misfortune to read the Kindle version of this book. It contained so many egregious typographical howlers that I was tempted to ask for a refund -- until I consoled myself that the fault probably lay with the original publisher, not the retailer.

I feel sorry for Ms Brockway, that such a fine book should be such an eyesore. It would be untrue to say I enjoyed reading it. It was painful. My four-star rating reflects my reaction to the content.

The Victorian seance was a masterful opening attention-grabber. The shift of location from the salons of London to a village somewhere in the Scottish highlands was as refreshing as a mountain stream.

The romantic leads of So Enchanting are a bluntly boorish aristocrat lawyer who has devoted much of his adult life to exposing spiritualist frauds, and a victim of one of his exposures who has transformed herself into an equally blunt but sharply articulate companion to an under-aged lady. The dialogues between Lord Grey and Fanny sizzle and sparkle, reminiscent of the cut-and-thrust of two equally matched swordsmen. The vapid romance between Grey's nephew Hayden and Fanny's charge Amelie is a perfect foil to the overpowering adult attraction between Grey and Fanny.

As if this wasn't enough, Ms Brockway throws in several witches, real and imagined, a deranged stamp collector willing to murder to acquire the funds for a rare stamp, and a supporting cast of bats, birds, and animals.

The lack of a fifth star in my rating reflects the length of the book and a few patches in the narrative that might have done with some firm editing.

[Hirondelle (not getting notifications) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can not quite make myself finish this. I liked very much 3 of the author´s first books, but each newer one seemed worse and worse till I quit. I picked up a new book of hers again, just to check - vintage Connie Brockway would be precisely the type of light reading I am really craving. But no luck. The writing was just piecewise - for example when describing this character ( a character which seems like a refugee from Sex in the City btw) her personality is described contradictorily on adjacent pages:
page 34:
"Sarah reminded one of a particularly toothsome blancmange, a mass of sweetness without substance. Loath as Lydia was to admit it, it was not an assessment without grounds"

page 35: blabla about Sarah "a docile and indolent nature, when in truth Sarah was and always had been a virago"

Besides not being sure if virago is really the word she meant when put in context (and I am also not sure about the use of the word labile elsewhere) perhaps there is no inconsistency but the effect is just confusing. I ended up not really knowing what Lydia thinks of Sarah. Friendships might be complex, but surely the writing could be more to the point. And I really think Sarah is not a virago - lots of other things yes, including blancmange but not virago.

And apart from contradictions, the characters in general seem thin, two dimensional, inconsistent. I quit before the ending and good riddance to this book.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Wealthy, orphaned Lady Lydia Eastlake reigns over Regency England as the town's most celebrated beauty. But she must face losing the only life she's ever known when her fortune suddenly disappears-and the only solution is to find a wealthy husband. Enter Captain Ned Lockton, a rich and dashing war hero who sends Lydia's pulse racing. Little does she know that the enigmatic captain's family estate is secretly on the selling block--and he's on the hunt for a rich bride who will rescue his family from poverty ..."--Publisher

Why I picked this up: Since I am completely broke, in ever sense of the word, a romance novel that did not feature super-rich heroes really appealed to me.

I was intrigued by the storyline itself, but I only kept reading to see how these two worked their lack of funding out. It wasn't as satisfying as I imagined it would be, mostly because these two still purchased expensive clothing and gifts on credit. The heroine was a little too perfect in beauty, brains, and kindness to really appeal to me. Ditto the hero. However, I was intrigued by the fact that the story does not end with a pile of money falling in their lap and by the fact that most of the secondary characters also did not get a magical happily ever after. Brockway writes a very grown-up romance and while it doesn't do much for me, I can see why many people enjoy her books.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise was interesting and the setting was refreshing, but the "romance" of the main characters was unbelievable. They viciously bickered and hated each other through most of the book and then suddenly were in love? Sorry...I didn't buy it.

I agree with other reviewers that there was too much POV jumping which made it a bit of a jarring read.

A point I disagree with reviewers on is that many complained about the silliness of the romance between Amelie and Hayden, but the on thing they had going between them that the main characters lacked (and would have made the story better) was trust. Yes, they waxed poetic too often and were very, very mushy, but at least I believed their attraction. Fanny and Grey were physically attracted (so we are told) but they nevertheless truly developed an emotional bond that I could believe would help them overcome their numerous differences.

With that said, Brockway Is still a great storyteller and can write some really great humorous and romantic scenes, but on the whole, this book just didn't do it for me.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good! There is a paranormal aspect to the story which forms its skeleton but the romance leads the way. And there are two romances. The secondary characters are young with the exuberance and innocence of youth and the main characters are each more seasoned and cynical. Their verbal interaction is sharp wit but without meanness. When the hero realizes he is in love, he is honest with himself and with the heroine. She also demonstrates honesty with herself regarding her feelings. I loved that. Both are reticent for believable reasons and the reticence is not overdrawn. I was almost finished when the story started to take a wrong turn, the two heroines agree to deceive the hero(es) and I almost closed the book in disgust. But, alas, I was less than a hundred pages from finishing I decided to do so. So glad I did as the deception was dealt with immediately and reasonably.

Good story, good romance, good hero, good heroine: 4.5 stars

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Witty" banter between H/H was probably the highlight, but everything else was a dud.

The "magic" plot in this book was much more dull than it sounds like. Fanny has a connection with animals, Grey hates charlatans, conflict ensues.

Fanny has a charge/adopted daughter Amelie who falls for Grey's nephew. Their romance is young, melodramatic, boring, and annoying. Both the adults comment and bond over this. Then why does Brockway subject us to So. Many. Damn. Pages. devoted to them? I'd much rather that be spent giving more meat to Grey/Fanny's relationship.

But thanks to the not so secondary romance and a pretty inane "mystery", Fanny and Grey really don't have much to their story except witty banter and trust issues.

Also the plot with the bad guy near the end was so ridiculous I can't believe it made it past the first edit.

[Paranormal Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

The hero debunks magical frauds for a living and the woman was such a fraud with her deceased husband before starting a new life in Scotland as a governess. Turns out, however, she is a witch with her emotions connecting to animals. Her charge has received death threats and her guardian has sent over two men to investigate. Turns off the hero is one of these men. The male is brutally honest to the point of rudeness and has absolutely no tolerance for silly emotions or stupid girls. The heroine is neither silly or stupid and though he knows of her past, he's drawn to her. He enjoys the verbal fighting matches she gives him and eagerly awaits her response to each of his statements. They're love was pure and genuine without all the bells and whistles but none the less magical.

[Alicja · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked (like always Brockway). It was the tragic heroine, who, after a big error, scandal found the strength and built a new life. A tragic hero, glacier, distrustful. It was intrigue, lack of confidence and fascination. Wow, once again Brockway could describe fascination, desire and obsession with the other person as to be withheld breath. Chemistry between the characters, their struggle with feeling, hurting each other .. and all so human, natural. The contrast was love young pupils - a bright, luminous, poetic. Full of elation and sighs. Franceska and Greyson? They had to tear down its own walls, defeat dragons. Without preconceived problems, they had enough of their own.

[Kindaangelic · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read the back of this book, I thought it would be some serious mystery and wasnt really looking forward to it. Boy was I wrong...lol This book had me laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. I havent read any of Ms Brockways other books, but if this is an example of her work, I will be reading much more of her books! Grey and Fanny were excellent leads and Hayden and Amelie werent far behind. Loved it and looking forward to more of her work!

[Lynn Calvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazon preorder
A good but not great version of the "he's broke and needs to marry a fortune" "she's broke and needs to marry a fortune" story. I liked him a lot better than her. Her childhood trauma explained but didn't engage me, and there was a melodramatic plot twist at the end involving a secondary character that all felt sort of "eh."

Overall pretty good fun though.

[Zołza_czyta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lubię romanse historyczne i wcale się z tym nie kryję, bo każdy ma prawo lubić coś innego. „Urzeczenie” już kiedyś i wiem, że w jakiś sposób musiało mi się podobać, bo kojarzyłam postaci i fakty po spojrzeniu na okładkę. Postanowiłam ją sobie przypomnieć.
Francesca Brown była żoną mężczyzny, który uważał, że jest w stanie kontaktować się ze zmarłymi osobami. Podczas jednego z takich seansów, jako parę oszustów demaskuje ich lord Greyson. Mąż kobiety ucieka z kochaną a potem ginie przejechany przez pociąg w Paryżu lub Orlando (sama autorka tego nie wie, bo są podane dwie różne nazwy). Sama Fanny dostaje propozycje od dawnego sąsiada jej rodziców, aby zaopiekowała się jego córką, która według mężczyzny posiada pewne paranormalne zdolności, a Brown powinna to doskonale rozumieć. Kobieta zgadza się i razem z Amelią wyjeżdżają do Szkocji, gdzie po kilku latach odnajduje je Greyson, który szuka ‘czarownicy’ z północy.
Romanse mają to do siebie, że mają bardzo przewidywalne zakończenie i tego wcale się nie czepiam, bo przecież o to w nich chodzi. Po prostu szukam w nich czegoś, co mnie przyciągnie. Czasami może być to styl, którym posługuje się autor, a czasem wystarczy zabawny bohater lub śmieszne, słowne utarczki między głównymi postaciami, jak np. w „Mistyfikacji” czy „Kłopotliwym długu księżnej”. W „Urzeczeniu” też to było, ale wyczuwałam pewnego rodzaju sztuczność. Nie przekonało mnie to do siebie.
I coś, za co drastycznie obniżyłam ocenę. Ta pomyłka z miejscem śmierci męża Fanny. To Orlando czy w końcu Paryż? Dobrze by było, żeby sama autorka to wiedziała, bo może nagle okaże się, że mąż żyje i Fanny wcale nie jest wdową i wtedy mężulek będzie rogaczem? Bardzo, ale to bardzo nie lubię (chyba nikt tego nie lubi), kiedy autor gubi się w swojej książce. Dla mnie jest to znak, że książka była pisana na kolanie i czytelnicy nie są dla pisarza ważni, bo według niego łykną wszystko jak kaczor kluchy. To nie robi dobrego wrażenia, a ja, jako czytelnik poczułam się rozczarowana.
W zasadzie niczym specjalnym ta książka się nie wyróżnia. Podobała mi się też średnio ta cała fabuła. Na dodatek Amelia jest postacią tak naiwną i irytującą, że ja bardzo wiele razy przewracałam przy tej książce oczami. Całe szczęście, że postaci nie da się wyjąć z książki i jej zabić, bo u mnie w pokoju leżałaby już całkiem spora kolekcja trupów.
Romans jak romans. Nic specjalnego. Jeden wieczór i po książce.

"Pragnienia serc nie spełniają się tak łatwo." ~ Connie Brockway, Urzeczenie, Warszawa 2009, s. 295.

[Jessica Layman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

So funny story. I set "The Golden Season" on my TBR list like years ago, and it filtered through recently to be at the top of the list. I put it on hold and was surprised that the cover on Goodreads was different than the one I had, but whatever. I also was surprised it was one of those little books I call "bodice rippers" because there's usually half-clad people on them and you know it's just a smut book set in Victorian or Regency times. I don't normally go for those, especially ones that are a little older, but I figured I saw something intriguing when putting it on my TBR.

Got all the way through it (review forthcoming) and realized only just now when going to review it that I had read the "wrong" book. There is a different book titled "Golden Season" that I was supposed to be reading instead. This Golden Season book just happened to be a romance that I could see myself reading, so I went with it. The other, correct book is back on my TBR list.

So, to review. This was a pleasant surprise from the stereotype of bodice ripper I was expecting. It was written to a pretty decent standard, although because we were in 3rd person sometimes the author switched briefly into bystanders' perspectives and it was confusing and mostly didn't add a lot to the plot. For some reason I also had a hard time keeping the side characters straight especially Lydia's friends, something about their names were all too similar.

I thought the plot had a touch too much going on. It distracted a little from the main relationship. Each main character had their own side plots that I think were supposed to help characterize them to the audience, but it meant we didn't spend as much time on their chemistry and relationship beyond some banter and noting that they spent a lot of time together. I still believed the chemistry because I love a slow burn relationship where the man is pining, so I was invested. But I feel like there could have been more.

I also thought, romance wise, that it was decent, but again, maybe too much assuming we know they are fated to be together. So, overall, this was a good beach or airplane read, it definitely was quick, but turns out I never would have read this without the title mix-up.

[Clarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm kind of surprised that reviewers are lukewarm on this one - four stars, from me, means "solid+", in other words, I was pretty pleased with it. It was occasionally LOL funny, and the contrast between old romance and young romance really resonated for me. I didn't find the youngsters cloying, as some did - just naive, and best of luck to them that they never suffer the kind of wounds that made the older lovers so wary. I also enjoyed the dimension added by the fact that there were four major relationships in the novel - the senior love affair, the junior love affair, the women with each other, and the men with each other. It was a light read overall, in spite of juggling a little more complexity and characterization than the average romance.

That said, this is NOT a feelgood witchcraft romance, as the official blurb suggests. The most striking quality of the book was the role the witchery played - like a minor character, it wandered in and out, often abrasive and occasionally unsettling - neither good nor evil, it simply was. We never quite know what to make of it, because Fanny herself doesn't know. I think that Brockway deserves credit for not falling back on any of the cliched answers to that question popular with other authors. But I would love to see a sequel that tackles the question of witchcraft more fully - if the answer isn't to be a cliche, what is it to be?

[Leena Aluru · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟

It's lovely,just not there for the 5 🌟.

This isn't our run of the mill romances. A great plot and well told too. It's got a suspense angle to it and it's been done well. It kept my interest through till the end.

The 2 couples are fantastic and I liked the difference in how the older pair behave as against the younger pairs puppy love. But, the Lady of the hour is 17 yr old Amelie Chase. I love the way she stands up for herself and her capabilities. 👏👏

Super dialogues , bantering is top notch.
And yet, there's just that something missing and I'm feeling terrible about it.

Overall, a great read .

Recommended : 👍

[S Deys · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun read. Light hearted while also having a serious element intertwined in the mix. I enjoyed Fanny - she’s not a hopeless heroine. But she’s also just what Gray needs. The ending seemed abrupt and I think the author kind of meant for no real resolution in if the hero believes that the heroine is truly “enchanted” because that’s just who his character is.

The enemies to lovers trope is an old one but I love how this was has the added element of them judging the new young lovers.

A good, fun read.

[Adélie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book that I’ve read from this author and it’s my favourite (so far)! There’s usually great witty banter in historical romances. But there’s banter and then there’s Connie Brockway’s banter. The dialogues were explosive omg! Holy fuck the tension between Fanny and Grey was insane! The back and forth between the two was absolute gold. The characters were all so likeable. I loved the plot, the setting, the intrigue. All of it. I felt completely immersed in the time that the story’s set in. I didn’t want it to end.

[Priyankaraa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot line was sort of predictable, but it made up for it in the humour. Bernard McGowan turning into a murderer over a stamp was one of the most ridiculous and funniest things I have ever read.

Grey's thoughts throughout the novel, when he was falling in love with Fanny, were sweet. He was battling his own beliefs (beliefs he had because of what happened to his father) because he loved Fanny. It was interesting because she was the thing he vehemently did not believe in and hated. I think him giving in to his feelings for Fanny proved how strong his love for her was.