BEWITCHED

Author: Sandra Schwab ISBN: 9780505527233 4/2008 HISTORICAL/PARANORMAL Publisher: DORCHESTER
Time Period: 1820's England

SWEET PASSION After a magical mishap that turned her uncle’s house blue, Miss Amelia Bourne was stripped of her powers and sent to London in order to be introduced into polite society—and to find a suitable husband. Handsome, rakish Sebastian “Fox” Stapleton was all that and more. He was her true love. Wasn’t he? OR THE BITTER TASTE OF DECEIT At Rawdon Park, the country estate of the Stapletons, Amy began to wonder. Several inexplicable events suggested that one sip of punch had changed her life forever—that this love, this lust, was nothing but an illusion. She and Fox were pawns in some mysterious game, and black magic had followed them out of Town. Without her powers, would she be strong enough to battle those dark forces and win? And would she be able to claim her heart’s true desire? Magic potion or no, what she felt for Fox was a spell that could never be broken.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Poor Amy Bourne is a witch stripped of her magic, and she's never met a family more in need of a witch than her fiancé's family. Unbeknownst to them, they've run afoul of some very powerful people.

It's so refreshing to read historical romance that's actually, well.... feels historical. Schwab's gift for detail and description really makes this story come alive. I still remember the black butter for instance. I'd never heard of it before but the way she introduced it, then explained it, then had another character comment on it showed wonderful writer skills. Her powers of description defied my usual skimming technique.

Actually, this is a paranormal story with a great conflict, not just a circa 1820 historical romance. What do you do when you realize you were only in love with a man because you were under a spell? And you know that, but you still half feel all those great love feelings, and half realize it's a spell? Even worse, the man is totally under the spell, doesn't believe in magic, and you've already given your... oh wait, don't want to throw a spoiler in here!

BEWITCHED is thoroughly delightful, and if you are a historical romance fan you should definitely pick this up, whether or not you like paranormal. Lovers of witch books will find this fabulous as well. It's great!

Heather Hiestand