"An Enjoyable Regency Adventure"
On Midsummer's Eve Amanda Barclay, the young daughter of an
Oxfordshire vicar, has snuck out of the house in order
to find out who her future husband is going to be. It is an
old charm she wants to try, one that calls for her to eat
an apple and look into running water. The face that appears
is that of a young man named Marcus, but he's not a vision,
he is real. Their meeting is innocent and shortly over. They meet again sixteen years later. Marcus is the Duke of
Yarborough now and Amanda is a woman past the first blush
of youth. She had just been given a magical coin when
Marcus hires her to be governess to his young sister, a
girl whose flighty mother would have much preferred to be a
male. Already a burden to her brother and her best
friend/sister-in-law, Amanda agrees to Marcus' proposal of
a home and salary. Is this the magic token's way of
bringing her together with the man destined to be her
husband? Knight writes Regency romance well with her language and
the concerns of the character clearly reflecting the
culture they are living. The characters are vivid and
sympathetic and the story rolls along nicely. There are
hints of true magic in the story — the good luck charm is
depicted as a token with real power — but the romance and
most of the story itself rests on the usual day-to-day
lives of the characters. THE MAGIC TOKEN has Ms. Knight's usual boisterous extended
family; lonely child with a flighty mother and spunky
heroine who wins the hero's heart without even trying.
Although this reviewer felt the story seemed a little
formulaic (think Jayne Ann Krentz's habit
of plot-element-recycling) those who haven't read some of
Knight's other work, or those who have enjoyed ALL of her
work, will probably not be bothered by the phenomenon.
Reviewed by Ann Leveille
Posted December 1, 2002
SummaryWhen Amanda Barclay receives a magic token as a gift from a
stranger, she is more than skeptical about whether this
gold coin can change her life. But then the very man who
captured her heart years ago suddenly appears. Is it
destiny or cruel fate? Does he even remember her?
Circumstances obligate her to accept the position he offers
as governess, but how can she endure being near a man so
beyond her reach?
Marcus Hamilton, Duke of Yarborough, is a man burdened by
family and political responsibilities. He does not have the
time nor the inclination to dally with women beneath his
station. But a chance meeting throws him together with
Mandy, the engaging young sprite from his past, causing him
to reevaluate his beliefs. For once in his life, the call
of love beckons far stronger than the duties and
obligations of his position.
| 
