AAR

[xina]

The reviewer gave the book a D, but I would give it a strong B. I am not a fan of paranormal fiction in the romance section. I pass it by...however, when it comes to a witch book that is not erotica, has a lovely cover and is written by an author I admire, I think twice. I'm glad I did because I very much liked this book. The heroine is a witch who has made one too many mistakes with her magic. Her family takes her power away and sends her to London to find a husband. With no magic, she does find one...Sebastian Stapleton aka "Fox". When I first started the book I thought it would be more of a comedy, but it isn't really. There are some amusing parts, but mostly I enjoyed being in their world. Also, the hero is red-haired, which is very rare in romance fiction. And he is sexy too! Fun book, beautiful writing with a very romantic ending.

[Natalie]

Red-haired hero! I'll definitely check it out
And I did like The Lily Brand, one of the most unusual romance books I'd read...

[Margaret]

[xina]

I haven't read the review here, but I thought it was more in the B range too. Once I reached a certain point I didn't want to put it down and stayed up way too late finishing it. I loved the banter between Amy and Fox...pre and post-potion. I certainly couldn't anticipate what was going to happen with a turn of the page, it was very creative. I also thought it was a very sensual novel. The only real negative(s) for me was that some scenes were a bit jumpy, and the h/h needed more time together in the last quarter. A very good read overall![/quote]


Yes, I loved the banter too, Margaret. And now that you mention it, that is probably what kept me reading with interest. When I closed the book after finishing I realized that this book is the first in a long time that I haven't zipped through the ho-hum ending. I was interested through to the last word. That is saying something.
And Natalie, I was going to reply to you before this, but this book isn't as dark as Schwab's Lilly Brand. It is unusual though, and different from every other paranormal out there. A nice twist, I think.

[Sandra Schwab]

Xina & Margaret, I'm so happy to hear that you've enjoyed Amy and Fox's story. Thanks for making my day!

And Natalie, I hope you'll like Bewitched, too, even though it's not as dark as TLB (hey, I can't always be in a pitch-black mood when writing a novel). Still, it does include some darker elements -- among them a real evil charm (bullock's heart, stuck with nails and thorns) which is based on one of the objects in the Pitt River's Museum in Oxford. If you follow this link, click to activate the panorama view and then turn around, you'll see one of the display cases with the amulets and charms in the museum. Unfortunately, the bullock's heart is not among the objects you can clearly see (nor are any of the other pierced hearts - sheep heart and pig heart - or the dried toad). But there are two apples, also stuck with pointy things.

The charm to get rid of warts has also been inspired by an object in this museum: that's how I learnt the word "slug".
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Enchanting Fiction
www.sandraschwab.com

[xina]

. Still, it does include some darker elements -- among them a real evil charm (bullock's heart, stuck with nails and thorns) which is based on one of the objects in the Pitt River's Museum in Oxford. If you follow this link,


Sandra, I'm having trouble seeing this on my computer, but I'll use another one, and I might have more luck there. As I was reading that particular part, I did wonder what that bullock's heart looked like. Trying to picture it in my mind, and all. Loved the book....do you plan on writing a sequel featuring Fox's friends??? xina

[Sandra Schwab]

Xina, if I remember correctly, the real bullock's heart (shrivelled brown thing with old rusty nails and thorns stuck into it) didn't look half as interesting as the dried toad right next to it. *g* The Pitt River's Museum truly is a giant treasure trunk of curiosities.

[Not Quite Nicole]

I just finished this book today, and I would also give it a solid B. I liked that the heroine initially could not find much of anything to like about the hero, even thinking of him as more carrot-colored than fox-colored.

I was so caught up in the story that I didn't notice anachronistic language, but I wish there could have been more interaction between the two after the big scene with Lady Margaret.
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