"superb romantic fantasy"
In 1813 in the Midlands, Lord Jack Frayne rides his horse
Dancer during a foxhunt, but when they make a leap, the
steed loses its footing and slips; Jack goes flying head
first into a fence. His best friends since their
Stonebridge Academy days Lords Ashby and Ransom are beside
themselves as Jack nears death. Healer Abigail Barton,
who has secretly loved Jack from afar, tries to help him
but his injuries are beyond her magic. Though non-
practitioners as the aristocracy sees magic as the bane of
the working class, his friends offer to join Abigail in a
Circle of Magic. She says since she is crossing the line
of acceptable magic he must offer her something. She
proposes marriage and the dying Jack agrees. Abigail works her magic assisted by Jack's pals and the
aristocrat heals. They marry, but Jack avoids his spouse
as if he is ashamed of her vocation. However he cannot
totally stay away from her and soon Jack falls in love
with his wife and has a new appreciation for magic. First
he must convince his beloved that he is hers as he loves
her; to do so he decides he must speak out publicly in
support of the healing powers of magic. In her latest superb romantic fantasy, Mary Jo Putney uses
the Regency era as a backdrop to anchor the magical
elements so that the audience believes in healing spells
and wizards. The story line is action-packed from the
moment that Jack suffers the near death traumatic injury
and never slows down as he becomes a true believer. Jack
and Abigail are a fine couple who through love embrace
magic though that is a taboo in Polite Society. Once
again Ms. Putney provides a charming magical historical
(see A KISS OF FATE). Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted May 25, 2006
SummaryNew York Times bestselling author Mary Jo Putney
is acclaimed by critics and readers alike for unforgettable
storytelling and arresting characters. Now she introduces a
Regency England you've never seen before, where dazzling
magic is practiced in all but the highest reaches of
Society, and where desire is the most mysterious and
seductive force of all.
One of the Duke of Wellington's most respected officers,
Jack Langdon, Lord Frayne, takes his family's honor very
seriously. He also hides a shameful secret: a talent for
sorcery he has been raised to suppress and openly reject.
But after an injury lands Jack at death's door, his only
chance at survival lies with Abigail Barton, a peer's
daughter and a skilled wizard. Her price: Jack's hand in
marriage. It isn't long before Jack feels an irresistible
attraction to his forthright new wife, whose allure is as
intense as the reawakening magical abilities he can no
longer deny.
Abigail had to make a great sacrifice to perform a spell
powerful enough to save Lord Frayne, and although she cannot
help but be drawn to her reluctant husband's surprising
sensitivity and kindness, she knows all too well his
distaste for magic. Once she has Jack's name and the child
she has always longed for, she is determined to live apart
from him so that he can preserve his reputation—and so
that she herself can stay true to her gifts.
But neither Abby nor Jack reckons on the deep,
long-simmering passions her spell ignites. They challenge
each other's extraordinary powers and deepest desires for
the sake of a love that may cost them all they cherish most.
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