The hero debunks magical frauds for a living and the woman was such a fraud with her deceased husband before starting a new life in Scotland as a governess. Turns out, however, she is a witch with her emotions connecting to animals. Her charge has received death threats and her guardian has sent over two men to investigate. Turns off the hero is one of these men. The male is brutally honest to the point of rudeness and has absolutely no tolerance for silly emotions or stupid girls. The heroine is neither silly or stupid and though he knows of her past, he's drawn to her. He enjoys the verbal fighting matches she gives him and eagerly awaits her response to each of his statements. They're love was pure and genuine without all the bells and whistles but none the less magical. ( )

It was my misfortune to read the Kindle version of this book. It contained so many egregious typographical howlers that I was tempted to ask for a refund -- until I consoled myself that the fault probably lay with the original publisher, not the retailer.

I feel sorry for Ms Brockway, that such a fine book should be such an eyesore. It would be untrue to say I enjoyed reading it. It was painful. My four-star rating reflects my reaction to the content.

The Victorian seance was a masterful opening attention-grabber. The shift of location from the salons of London to a village somewhere in the Scottish highlands was as refreshing as a mountain stream.

The romantic leads of [b:So Enchanting|5262503|So Enchanting|Connie Brockway|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1267371905s/5262503.jpg|5329816] are a bluntly boorish aristocrat lawyer who has devoted much of his adult life to exposing spiritualist frauds, and a victim of one of his exposures who has transformed herself into an equally blunt but sharply articulate companion to an under-aged lady. The dialogues between Lord Grey and Fanny sizzle and sparkle, reminiscent of the cut-and-thrust of two equally matched swordsmen. The vapid romance between Grey's nephew Hayden and Fanny's charge Amelie is a perfect foil to the overpowering adult attraction between Grey and Fanny.

As if this wasn't enough, Ms Brockway throws in several witches, real and imagined, a deranged stamp collector willing to murder to acquire the funds for a rare stamp, and a supporting cast of bats, birds, and animals.

The lack of a fifth star in my rating reflects the length of the book and a few patches in the narrative that might have done with some firm editing.
( )

Amazon preorder

A fun read blending historical romance and a touch of fantasy. ( )

I think I have mixed feelings about this book.

Based on the goodreads reviews on this book, it doesn't seem like this book is an example of Brockway's best. I for one was not all that amused by the Hayden/Amelie romance. I thought those two were annoying as all hell. I thought the "villain" at the end a bit ridiculous, although it did fit with the humor that tinged the book. I wished the plot moved a lot faster with more fun scenes with Grey and Fanny.

Despite some of the book's flaws, and despite the inconsistent ratings, I DID see experience some spectacular writing and nuance. I loved the verbal sparring between Fanny and Grey, and I found their dialogue hilarious and fun. When they finally got together (about 2/3rds of the way through the book, might I add :/) it was gorgeously written and so romantic and amazing. I thought they were a well matched pair and I found their internal conflict an interesting one. There was depth to the characters and to the romance. Even though I hated Hayden and dumb Amelie, I understood why they were included in the plot as foils to the jaded and world-weary Grey and Fanny.

At any rate, if this is Brockway at her so-so, I am really excited about the prospect of potentially reading her better stuff. ( )