I loved this. Everything from the setting to the characters whisked me away from the first page. It was hard to put down and lingered long after it was over. The entire cast is extremely well developed and so real. The post WW1 setting was beautifully constructed and the world was so vibrant and realistic. Will definitely be looking out for more books by this author! ( )

Overall, a good read that blended elements of history, magic, romance, and adventure. My only compliant is that sometimes it felt like the story switched between a romance novel and a paranormal adventure, making it feel a little uneven. I may need to check out the other books in this series. ( )

I really loved the dynamic in this, and I think the story overall was pretty fun, if a bit fast-paced at times. The cast is lovely. What let it down was a bit of weirdness with plot that got a bit... overly silly, and I'm mostly just grateful there was no point where it was revealed that Pavel designing potions they didn't know the use of and them ending up being entirely used up by the antagonists was actually a GOOD thing and what the potions were meant for.

I'm also not entirely sure if I love the dynamic on its own, or mostly because it resembles another character dynamic with part of a vaguely similar plot to an ongoing serial I'm reading, and so I see that here and like it, but not so much on its own merits.

I also agree that the time period/locale/culture was underused, but I don't fully expect an overwhelming look at Prohibition-era New York, especially with white leads. It's m/m romance, not just historical fiction with a romance subplot. And I honestly found the dialect more distracting than interesting, used correctly or not. It did vaguely give me "Lackadaisy" vibes, for obvious reasons (Rory in particular reminds me a bit of Freckle). But of course "Lackadaisay" can just show us all the neat Prohibition-era research that Tracy Butler did for that comic, whereas the book has to tell us... and it kind of does. Sort of. I was more... surprised than anything else that we were frequently in Hell's Kitchen than feeling like we were actually in it, to the point that I just kept expecting Daredevil to jump down at some point rather than imagining the world Rory lived in.

Perhaps the biggest issue was I found the climax disappointing. At first irritating, and then it kind of made up for itself, but overall it was just... silly, in a lot of ways. Rory bumping into Ellis was okay enough, but then Ace somehow not getting Rory kicked out, and then seemingly standing in plain sight to talk to waitstaff and no one said anything? And Rory is 20 years old, yes, we know, and seemingly has no comprehension that being visibly gay with another man could be dangerous for him? Because it's never something that pops into his mind. We're meant to see him as smart and street savvy and yet he's at turns quick-witted and creative, and other times truly oblivious. I love how bi/pansexual he's written, but the fact that Ace heavily emphasizes the danger, even though he's far more privileged (though admittedly his concern is more for his family than himself), while Ace, a far less privileged person who is used to having run-ins with authority figures and has reached the mature age of 20 years old while living in Hell's Kitchen is entirely oblivious is... well...

It's also frustrating how the story punishes you for taking it seriously. You're not meant to think too hard about how dumb it is that Ace and Co., just bring some unknown potions with them with no attempt to discover their usefulness on the off-chance they'll be useful, despite how incredibly stupid it is, and how you're told, time and again, that the people in this group are quite smart and good at what they do. But you were meant to think a bit how strange it was that "Phillipe" died in a fire at sea. And the second is obviously strange. My assumption was that Phillipe was a traitor who got killed by someone else. He knew something. Which is sort of true. I also still have no idea why Rory was able to use one relic to find Ace. Not the relic ON Ace. Ace. The relic, which was locked and not bound to him, just sort of... modified a vision of the past to give him a direction to his boyfriend?

I also do appreciate that the magic in this universe has a lot of rules, and it's not the most useful or even safest thing in the world, though it can be made to do incredible things in the right hands and with the right training. But this world's magic seems to much more trouble than it's worth, and it's not all that fun to explore. When even an object of power just in the open air hurts anyone with magic. When mundanes can't see magic users who can go invisible but magic users... can? The rules are just weird and kind of silly. If you don't think too hard about it, it's fine, and that's fair enough, but it's... mm...

Overall, it was an interesting introduction to the story universe, and given what I've seen of the summary for book 2, I'm interested in going on, particularly because I want to read the spin-off novel. But I'm cautious going on. ( )

Very enjoyable and fast moving urban fantasy set during prohibition in NYC. I liked the paranormal aspects of the story and really enjoyed all the different characters. Rory and Arthur are so very cute together! I've binged the second story already as well and am on to reading the third! ( )

I feel privileged to have gotten to read this as an ARC. The prose is great, the characters are great, and I am now a fan of Allie Therin. Not only all that, the typos are very rare! Awesome work, awesome story, so glad there will be more.

If you enjoy feisty romances, mid-1920s historicals, New York City, and very interesting magic worldbuilding, this is for you, too. it comes out July 29. Pre-order! ( )

3.5

I had fun reading this book (the blend of paranormal/fantasy historical romance has been my biggest weakness for ages now), it was entertaining and well-written, especially for a debut novel.

However, some things still niggled me. This read a little like a YA book, in the sense that most of the characters were a bit too ‘goody-goody’ for my taste. Especially Arthur, he was as perfect as they come. Perfect face, hair, eyes, body (his dick was probably perfect as well, but the sex scenes are all fade-to-black here — another one of my niggles — so that’s unconfirmed), and perfect personality! ( )

I really enjoyed this book. The build-up to the romance was pretty realistic (more of a slow burn than most mm romance) and the paranormal elements were interesting and somewhat unique to what I've read before.

However, it's hard not to compare this to [b:The Magpie Lord|17730586|The Magpie Lord (A Charm of Magpies, #1)|K.J. Charles|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1365084262l/17730586._SX50_.jpg|24803707] especially since I read this immediately after finishing the Magpie series. The two are very similar in so many ways. However, I enjoyed these two leads a little more and found Arthur far more charming, and Rory much more interesting and likeable.
The author did a good job writing dialogue with historical slang (though a little liberal with the use of the word "doll") with detailed descriptions of settings and clothing that make the reader more immersed in 1920s New York City. My main issue is that Rory/Theodore will be written in one scene as very sexual in an almost aggressive manner and then he'll be back to being very reserved, almost shy, and secretive in the next - the latter I feel is more realistic for the time. It's almost like two different characters. There's also no mention of the public baths or anti-vice laws in regards to homosexuality at the time which, while I realise this isn't supposed to be some kind of treatise on gay culture in early 1900s NYC, it's still odd that the characters don't even mention either in passing or internal dialogue (though they do fret about their predilections for dramatic purposes). Arthur frets internally quite a bit about engaging in homosexual acts while in America while simultaneously admitting to many affairs across Europe with some sense of freedom - this is more understandable in France which has always been a bit laissez-faire about sex in general, this wouldn't have been the case in England or Germany. This book also seems to suffer from the "everyone is gay" trope or at least everyone seems to simply accept same-sex relationships as if it's just expected and it always make me roll my eyes a bit. If you're going to set your book in a specific real-world era, all of these realities of that era should be considered and researched, despite the plot being in the fantasy genre.
Speaking of sex, there's none in this book. This is a very closed doors book in that we "see" them kiss and make their way to the act, but then we're transported to the next morning or next scene and it's a little frustrating. If you're unable or unwilling to write out the scenes, you can have them develop their physical relationship outside of the timeline of the book. I personally found it felt like a bit of a cockblock for a "romance" novel.

Despite those personal complaints, it's still a very enjoyable narrative with laughs and thrills and I look forward to continuing the series. ( )

3.5 stars rounded up. This is my first from this author, and I will definitely continue with the series. Art made sense to me as a character, I understood why he did the things he did and he was easy to 'buy' and like. Rory was a bit strange for me. He would kind of drastically go one way, and then swing entirely the opposite direction the next moment and it was harder to figure out what exactly was making him tick. He seemed inconsistent to me, but maybe it's partially because he's younger than all the other characters or something. And he changed the most from the beginning to the end. Anyway, I wasn't feeling him as much, but I didn't wish him ill or anything and I'm open to still liking him more as the story goes on in the other books. He may have worked through some of his hangups here and be on the other side going forward. The secondary characters were well fleshed out though, and I felt like I had a good grasp of them even though not as much was said about them in comparison, so it's really just Rory who didn't feel as believable. Overall I enjoyed it though.

The steam is mostly closed-door, some kisses and groping on page, but the majority is just referenced or alluded to rather than shown. ( )

That this could tear me away from reading the next book in a different series speaks to how engaging this was at setting the stage for this series. It was a lot of fun, pretty sweet, and a good read overall.

That said, I don't know if I have a burning desire to continue. I would be completely fine leaving it as is for now. TBD I guess.

And I want more books about this time period. Period. ( )

Just a little warning: no sex on page. ( )

Excellent story by a new to me author.
Set in NY in 1925, the historical aspect felt spot on, capturing the atmosphere of time and place without seamlessly within the story. The paranormal aspect was woven into this backdrop with ease and I had no problem believing that such people walked among the rest of us mundane non magical people.
The whole cast of characters were brilliant--I even had sympathy for a couple of the bad guys--and very diverse. But I loved the MCs the most. Arthur was just so lovely, solid and stoic, determined to act in the greater good and resigned to being forever alone. And Rory, oh Rory, sharp and snappy, reluctant to trust and almost certain he wouldn't see his 21st birthday. The development of their relationship is a delightful dance to and fro. The relationship is most definitely at the heart of this book but the more intimate scenes are fade to black.

Highly recommended. I can't wait for the sequel. ( )

Fun story, likable characters. The romance pacing seemed off to me, though. It felt like insta-relationship, but also lots of artificial barriers to getting together at the same time. For example, the scene where they're on a skyscaper construction site together. That scene was memorable and sweet, and also didn't really make sense in the context of the story. I 100% can't remember what they were doing up there in the first place, which wouldn't be true if it belonged in the book. And then afterwards, it didn't seem to have moved the needle on their relationship, which it should have.

This is a good book, but with stronger plot development and a tighter edit, it maybe could have been a great one. ( )

The descriptive bit: Arthur Kenzie is wealthy, educated and has some very magical friends. He keeps the supernatural secrets of his friends while trying to make sure that magical objects don’t fall into the wrong hands. Rory Brodigan is living a secret life, hiding his supernatural gift by working as an appraiser. The two men meet up when Kenzie finds an object that he needs read by someone with the right abilities. Then, things get really complicated!

My thoughts bit: This was enchanting! (I don’t regret the pun!) I loved every moment of this book. It was fast-moving, intriguing, and had the absolute perfect amount of sexual tension. The chemistry between Arthur and Rory was carefully crafted and has ensured I will be anxiously awaiting a sequel. In addition to the wonderful main characters, the supporting cast is all well-rounded and contributed a great deal to the plot.

The supernatural powers in the story were based on the traditional powers one might have read about, but I loved the authors twist on losing oneself into the magic. Each power demonstrated by one of the characters seemed to have an equal drain on them, and the terrifying possibility of losing themselves to a power they were unable to harness.

This is a creative twist on the supernatural mystery and I thoroughly enjoyed it. ( )

1920’s New York with magic? Sign me tf UP!

Loved, loved, loved this book to pieces. I basically gulped it down in two sittings, because I just couldn’t put it down: the world is so alive and characters are incredibly lovely, and the main romance is simply swoon-worthy.

5/5 for a well-crafted debut. Can’t wait for book 2! ( )

This vastly exceeded my expectations; I was expecting (and would have been satisfied with) something much fluffier, something lighter on plot, detailed fantasy elements, and characterization—instead it excelled at all three. The central romance hit most of the usual tropes and story beats; there weren't any surprises there—but isn't that what we all signed up for? I'm happily anticipating reading more in the series. ( )

Spellbound by Allie Therin
Magic in Manhattan #1

Stepping into a magical paranormal romance set in 1925 New York was a delight. The plot and characters were perfect to time, place and this story. From page one I was hooked and I kept reading eagerly to find out what would happen next. Rory and Arthur were an absolute delight as they found way to one another. I fell in love with both of them and am so happy they found one another.

This book has a cast of characters with and without paranormal abilities. There are relics with power, people who want the relics to gain the power and while Arthur and his band of paranormal people are doing their best to keep that power contained and away from the corrupt evil people after the relics.

One of the side benefits that I love about getting to read advanced reader copies of books is that sometimes I stumble on a new-to-me author that I want to read more by. This time I found a debut author that I see a great future for. I loved this book and am eager to read what will happen next in this series. With seven magical relics mentioned and characters with paranormal abilities I want to know more about I am hoping that there will be more books to look forward to soon.

What I liked:
• Arthur: a noble hero without “magic” but who is magical lifeline to Rory
• Rory: a younger man with magic that has so much to give
• The Paranormal Friends of Arthur: so much I want to learn about them
• Mrs Brodigan and her sister: good women who were there for Rory
• Everything...still smiling as I think about this book

What I didn’t like”
• Exactly what was meant not to like

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Will I read more by this author? Without a doubt!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin-Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )

The descriptive bit: Arthur Kenzie is wealthy, educated and has some very magical friends. He keeps the supernatural secrets of his friends while trying to make sure that magical objects don’t fall into the wrong hands. Rory Brodigan is living a secret life, hiding his supernatural gift by working as an appraiser. The two men meet up when Kenzie finds an object that he needs read by someone with the right abilities. Then, things get really complicated!

My thoughts bit: This was enchanting! (I don’t regret the pun!) I loved every moment of this book. It was fast-moving, intriguing, and had the absolute perfect amount of sexual tension. The chemistry between Arthur and Rory was carefully crafted and has ensured I will be anxiously awaiting a sequel. In addition to the wonderful main characters, the supporting cast is all well-rounded and contributed a great deal to the plot.

The supernatural powers in the story were based on the traditional powers one might have read about, but I loved the authors twist on losing oneself into the magic. Each power demonstrated by one of the characters seemed to have an equal drain on them, and the terrifying possibility of losing themselves to a power they were unable to harness.

This is a creative twist on the supernatural mystery and I thoroughly enjoyed it. ( )

The descriptive bit: Arthur Kenzie is wealthy, educated and has some very magical friends. He keeps the supernatural secrets of his friends while trying to make sure that magical objects don’t fall into the wrong hands. Rory Brodigan is living a secret life, hiding his supernatural gift by working as an appraiser. The two men meet up when Kenzie finds an object that he needs read by someone with the right abilities. Then, things get really complicated!

My thoughts bit: This was enchanting! (I don’t regret the pun!) I loved every moment of this book. It was fast-moving, intriguing, and had the absolute perfect amount of sexual tension. The chemistry between Arthur and Rory was carefully crafted and has ensured I will be anxiously awaiting a sequel. In addition to the wonderful main characters, the supporting cast is all well-rounded and contributed a great deal to the plot.

The supernatural powers in the story were based on the traditional powers one might have read about, but I loved the authors twist on losing oneself into the magic. Each power demonstrated by one of the characters seemed to have an equal drain on them, and the terrifying possibility of losing themselves to a power they were unable to harness.

This is a creative twist on the supernatural mystery and I thoroughly enjoyed it. ( )