In nineteenth-century Angland, magic is reserved for gentlemen while ladies attend to the more practical business of politics. But Cassandra Harwood has never followed the rules…
Four months ago, Cassandra Harwood was the first woman magician in Angland, and she was betrothed to the brilliant, intense love of her life.
Now Cassandra is trapped in a snowbound house party deep in the elven dales, surrounded by bickering gentleman magicians, manipulative lady politicians, her own interfering family members, and, worst of all, her infuriatingly stubborn ex-fiancé, who refuses to understand that she’s given him up for his own good.
But the greatest danger of all lies outside the manor in the falling snow, where a powerful and malevolent elf-lord lurks…and Cassandra lost all of her own magic four months ago.
To save herself, Cassandra will have to discover exactly what inner powers she still possesses – and risk everything to win a new kind of happiness.
Pros – Clever escapes, daring do’s and (eventually) proper communication between adults
Cons – villain is somewhat one-dimensional, Cassandra really liked to remind us that Wrexham was her ex-fiance, not a lot about Wrexham outside his relationship to Cassandra
Notes – Recommended to me by the EVER SO CHARMING Samantha, my once and future Sestra. Also I want that coat on the cover.
Review – SUCH A DELIGHT.
And a great way to kick off reading for this holiday season since it’s not about Christmas at all, but set around it with snow.
Cassandra was resourceful, stubborn and clever in her thoughts and words. I did side eye the miscommunication element between her and her ex-fiance, but Wrexham being utterly open about his feelings on the matter helped.
I do wish we learned a bit more about him – serious minded, driven, stubborn, intelligent, hard working…we saw much of this on display, but for the life of me I can’t remember a single hobby or leisure activity he enjoyed? Or how he proposed to Cassandra? We’re thrown into the middle of their history together with a lot of lamentations and ‘just don’t understand why’ conversations.
Otherwise I quite enjoyed the secondary characters, as much as this was Cassandra’s book, they had lives and histories and lessons to learn as well. The good natured teasing from her older brother and his wife, the way too candid Mr. Samson and the convinction of Miss Bell to fight for a brilliant future for her and her girlfriend…it was all engaging.
I wonder though if Cassandra will be quite so eager to make rash promises in the future…
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Release: November 4, 2017
Series: The Harwood Spellbook Book 1
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