BEWITCHING THE BACHELOR
Author: Suzanne Marie Calvin 7/2004 CONTEMP/PARANORMAL Publisher: ScheherazadeTales.com
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When Liam Halestrom turned his illicit lover Celia Honeywell over to the witch-hunters, he made a mistake that would haunt his descendents for three hundred years. Celia, unlike the other hapless innocents who were victims of this madness,
happened to be a real witch. And the curse she put on all male Halestrom descendents was handed down generation after generation.
Luke Hale, a Halestrom descendent and magazine reporter in search of a good story, can't explain why all the men in his family die in mysterious ways. He doesn't believe, for one second, that witches, curses and magick exist. When he meets Bianca Honeywell, a direct descendent of the hanged witch who inherited her ancestor's gift of magick, he's about to have his beliefs shattered.
Bianca wants nothing more than to put an end to the curse, and Luke wants desperately to find out the truth. But no reporter has ever been able to write a fair and impartial article about the Honeywell curse, and there's no reason for Bianca to believe that Luke will be the first, not when his persistent skepticism prevents him from believing in something beyond what he considers "normal". Trusting Luke with the truth about her gifts requires a giant leap of faith for Bianca.
Nevertheless they join forces and share a common goal to find out the truth and somehow put an end to the inexplicable Halestrom deaths that have plagued Luke's family for centuries, before it claims its next victim -- Luke himself.
Luke, however, isn't the only Halestrom descendent bent on finding a way to end this curse -- a distant cousin, crazed and vengeful, plans on ending the curse himself in the only way he knows how: by destroying the last of the Honeywell witches.
The odds seem stacked against them as they follow a trail of clues in a race against time and their own hearts -- for Luke and Bianca have fallen in love, which means that if the curse is real, then Luke will be the next victim of the three hundred year old curse.
Sometimes seeing is believing, and sometimes believing is seeing. Lies and secrets are uncovered and answers come in unexpected ways. But nothing can prepare them for what they find in their hearts – or the magick two lovers can make – especially when Bianca Honeywell is BEWITCHING THE BACHELOR. |
 RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:
An interesting plot that combines contemporary romance with suspense and the paranormal, BEWITCHING THE BACHELOR turned out to be a much more exciting read than I believed it would be. It might be a bit slow at the starting gate, but once the main characters connect and the plot thickens, this book takes off like a shot.
As you can tell from the synop above, the story follows a curse and the dire consequences it evokes through 300 years of its intended victims. Bianca and Luke's connection to each other as romantic leads began slowly for me. I so liked both characters, especially Luke, and I wanted to feel the underlying electricity the author so aptly described but couldn't at first, which rather disappointed me. However, about a third of the way in, the two suddenly connect with a jolt, and from then on it became a gripping and riveting story of both present and past loves and a curse with no seemingly happy ending, especially where the two modern-day lovers are concerned.
There are some fun secondary characters in this tale of romance and witchery, all of whom are a bit bent but wonderfully amusing. From the brother and sister wannabe witches, to strange librarians and ditzy townsfolk, Ms. Knight has included them all and done a brilliant job at making each one memorable. There are some tender and endearing moments, as well as an underlying suspense-filled secondary plot which leads this story to its satisfying climax with a twist. Sharp dialogue and a rhythmic prose round out this enjoyable and entertaining romance.
Quirky, fun, and told with an on-the-edge humor that made me smile, BEWITCHING THE BACHELOR by Suzanne Marie Calvin is an engaging story sure to please those who enjoy a mixed bag of tricks in their romances.
Nancy Davis |
