Kathleen Nance - Linda Needham - Sharan Newman
Nance, Kathleen - MORE THAN MAGIC (Love Spell - 3/99) (4)
On her way home one night, Isis Montgomey takes a shortcut and notices a curiosities shop that she's never seen before. As she passes by, she gets a whiff of an elusive perfume and immediately
recognizes the scent as one from her grandmother's perfume collection. This scent has haunted her ever since the collection disappeared upon the death of her grandmother, and Isis wants to recreate the perfume for her business, Dream Scents. Overcoming a strange foreboding, she enters the building and meets the owner, Madame Paris. After inquiring about the perfume, Isis
is told that the only way to obtain the scent is to summon a djinni (singular for genie). Madame's price for the ritual is $200, plus a favor when the djinni appears. Reluctantly, Isis pays the money and agrees to the terms.
Isis performs the ritual that evening, and is astonished when Darius appears. He is the Protector of the Ma-at (magic) in the realm of Kaf, and he has recently begun to experience problems controlling his ma-at, something that has never occurred before. The only way Darius can regain complete control over the magic is to take a zaniya (wife). However, she must be the descendent of Abregaza, a Terran magician, and Isis is the only descendent. When summoned, Darius is angry at her attempt to spellbound a djinni, but he agrees to grant Isis three wishes as long as she grants him three bargains. What he doesn't tell her is she must willingly agree to become his wife—and Isis hates all things magical!
How Darius and Isis handle the wishes and bargains (and the eventual discovery of a betrayal) makes for a fast-paced story. There is an instant attraction between them and Darius is a very sensual djinni! In addition, the duo share some really great scenes with the four overbearing, overprotective brothers of Iris. MORE THAN MAGIC combines magic, suspense, humor and red-hot love scenes in one irresistible package. This book is very hard to put down, so don't start it late at night. Ms. Nance has written a keeper that is apropos for Love Spell's Perfect Heroes line. I enjoyed the book enormously and hope she plans a sequel. ~Pat Cavender for Bookbug on the Web
Needham, Linda - WEDDING NIGHT, THE (Avon - 4/99) (3+)
Viscount Jackson Rushford, a mining baron in Victorian England, has heard of the Willowmoon Knot and wants it for the silver field it represents. Antiquarian scholar Mairey Faelyn doesn't want him to have it, and she has promised her late father to protect the secret. Jackson forces Mairey into a devil's bargain; work for him and with him to find the Knot or lose her livelihood. Mairey has no choice, but she vows to herself that she will deceive him, to lead him astray from the start. However, she discovers a great many things about Jack that make him less of a
villain and more of a victim of circumstance.
As we get to know the hero and heroine, we realize they are not as they seem. Jack has been referred to as a "dark" hero, but he isn't really. He's not the ruthless mining baron who would sacrifice the safety of his miners for profit, as Mairey believes. The heroine is neither helpless or afraid of Jack; she just doesn't like what he represents. In his interactions with Mairey, I'd call him befuddled. Jack really doesn't know what to make of her and her three sisters. He just knows that the more he gets to know her, the more she entrances him. Mairey also realizes that Jack is driven by demons she can only imagine. The horns of her dilemma come when she realizes that although she loves him and he loves her, she still has to deceive him.
There are some delightful secondary characters in THE WEDDING NIGHT, namely Mairey's three sisters and aunt, and their interaction with Jack is wonderful and heartwarming. While I would recommend this book, I didn't find it overly memorable. Linda Needham's writing is easy to read, but I had trouble with some of the characterizations. The heroine is not as clearly drawn as the hero and I didn't always understand her motives, and some of the secondary characters, apart from the sisters, are murky. I will say that this is the first Needham I have read, so I didn't know what to expect. After finishing THE WEDDING NIGHT, I was curious to read her other books for comparison. ~Beth Coogan for Bookbug on the Web
Newman, Sharan - DEATH COMES AS EPIPHANY (1995) (4+)
Novice nun Catherine is pulled away from her convent to investigate a murder. She keeps running across an intriguing apprentice, Edgar, who complicates things even more. This book presents a fascinating view of medieval life, and I really felt like I was there alongside the characters. A good blend of mystery and romance. ~Karen W. (kwheless@rockland.net)
NEXT PAGE
Background provided by Judi's Doodlings
Copyright © 1997-1999 Bookbug on the Web