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Release Blitz: Wonderstruck by Allie Therin

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Wonderstruck | Allie Therin

Magic In Manhattan #3

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Release Date: February 9th, 2021

Publisher: Carina Press

Buy Links:

Harlequin | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55475835-wonderstruck

READ MY REVIEW

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Blurb

New York, 1925

Arthur Kenzie is on a mission: to destroy the powerful supernatural relic that threatens Manhattan—and all the nonmagical minds in the world. So far his search has been fruitless. All it has done is keep him from the man he loves. But he’ll do anything to keep Rory safe and free, even if that means leaving him behind.

Psychometric Rory Brodigan knows his uncontrolled magic is a liability, but he’s determined to gain power over it. He can take care of himself—and maybe even Arthur, too, if Arthur will let him. An auction at the Paris world’s fair offers the perfect opportunity to destroy the relic, if a group of power-hungry supernaturals don’t destroy Rory and Arthur first.

As the magical world converges on Paris, Arthur and Rory have to decide who they can trust. Guessing wrong could spell destruction for their bond—and for the world as they know it.

Excerpt

Rory spent the last of the afternoon and most of the evening packing antiques into boxes and dusting shelves he already kept dust free. He made a Going Out of Business sign to put in the window in the morning that might prompt some bargain hunters to come in.

As he was locking the front door, Mrs. Brodigan came back in through the side door. “You’ve got another postcard from Arthur.”

Rory nearly tripped over his own feet in his scramble over to her. She passed it over with a soft smile.

The air was still chilly on his walk home to his boarding house. He bought copies of the Sun and the Post off a newsie and left most of the papers on the main table for the other tenants to read, pulling out just the ads and taking them up to his room, where he sat cross-legged on his bed and spread them out on his quilt.

Help Wanted.

Alone in his room, he let himself sigh. He could ask Sasha and Pavel if the Taussigs needed help in their pharmacy, but they’d already taken in the refugee Ivanovs, and if they had money to spare, Sasha and Pavel wouldn’t be sharing a closet-size room in the Taussigs’ apartment while their teenage son, Levi, slept on the couch. The Robbinses had a speakeasy, and the Zhangs had a restaurant, and Rory was good at all kinds of kitchen and restaurant work, but they also had their own families to take care of.

Who did he really have, if he didn’t have Mrs. Brodigan?

He could have sworn he felt a sudden tug in his magic. He glanced at the postcard on the bed, a colorful city scene with shopping, cars, and people. Rue Sainte-Catherine, the postcard proclaimed, and then, in smaller letters, St. Catherine Street. He ran a finger over the picture, then turned it over.

He’d already read the message four times, but his eyes drank in Arthur’s beautiful penmanship again.

Mr. Brodigan:

I hope this missive finds you well. We’re in Montreal, a beautiful city if lacking in the company I truly crave. Still no success, but Niagara Falls will be our next stop, and we are hopeful. Please continue to take very good care of my antiques; I’m afraid I have a reputation for being overprotective.

Yours, AJK

Niagara Falls. Wow. Rory would’ve loved to see them. He put his finger on Arthur’s signature, then closed his eyes and let the magic rush in, drowning himself in the postcard’s history.

Arthur signs his name. He’s so handsome, even with tired eyes. He’s looking at the postcard, and then, in a whisper, Arthur says, “Miss you.” He touches Rory’s name, then with a sigh he drops the postcard into the mail slot—

Rory came back to the present, where he was alone, clutching the postcard too tightly.

Catch up with the Series

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Carina Press: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/miniseries/magic-in-manhattan.html

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/262172

allie therin

About The Author

Allie Therin is a writer and avid reader of sci-fi, fantasy, and romance. She also is, or has been, a bookseller, an attorney, a Parks & Rec assistant, a boom operator, and a barista for one (embarrassing) day.

Allie grew up in a tiny Pacific Northwest town with more bears than people, although the bears sadly would not practise Spanish with her.

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An exceptionally good debut from Allie Therin

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Spellbound by Allie Therin

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This book is exceptionally good.

It hit pretty much every note I’d expect in a historical paranormal mystery romance, from a great sense of the time period, to a unique interpretation of magic abilities, to a decent set of villains and some sweet relationship development.

My only criticism, and it comes down to personal taste only, is that I really dislike fade to black or sex scenes referenced as happening off page.

It takes away an aspect of relationship development – that of the trust which comes with a sexual exchange – from the reader and, again in my own opinion, means you have a slight disconnect between the affection happening on page and that layer of build-up.

This is especially important to see for me as a reader in a period where homosexuality was not only frowned upon but could, in certain parts of the world, still mean imprisonment or death, as it demonstrates the emotional connection between two men in spite of the dangers.

That said, it really is my only niggle, because everything else just absolutely worked. I adored Rory and Ace, the secondary cast of both heroic accomplices, and villainous former friends, were brilliantly outlined and detailed.

The magical world is New York with a twist, it has a steampunk feel to it while mostly being rooted in the 20s Prohibition Era and I loved the paranormal elements.

Annoyingly for me, book two isn’t due out until next year because we’re left with a sort of cliffhanger and a lot of loose story plot ends which will be running through the series and I’m dying to find out more!

#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review

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