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Showing posts with label Tammy Falkner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tammy Falkner. Show all posts
Friday, June 14, 2013
Review: The Magic of "I Do" by Tammy Falkner
The Magic of I Do
Author: Tammy Falkner
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Regency Faery #2
ISBN: #978-1402268151
Genre: Historical/ Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (320 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Claire Thorne is a faerie on a mission. When the governing body of her world puts a prohibition on magic, she escapes to the human world and straight into the arms of Lord Phineas Tremble. When he insists on being her crime-solving partner, she does everything she can to get rid of him—until she realizes his gift for smooth talking might come in handy when tracking down a killer. Before long, Finn has his hands full keeping Claire out of trouble, because the two of them together create more sparks than her faerie dust ever could...
What Una is talking about:
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I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this Historical Paranormal Romance series, A Lady and her Magic. The second novel, The Magic of I Do, is just as fun and fluffy and was more even more engaging. I continue to enjoy this fresh Regency Faery series.
As we reenter this fascinating world of Regency Faery, we are better introduced to Sophia’s sister, Claire. While Sophia is stubborn, Claire in contrast will make Sophia look as if she lacks a backbone. Claire is delightfully hardheaded, sarcastically witty and carries a bit of a chip on her shoulder. She is having a very difficult time adjusting to the impact that Sophia’s romance and marriage to Ashley, the Duke of Robinsworth, had on the fae. Most notably the inclusion of her estranged/banished mother, father and her siblings (most who are not considered fae).
Finn, the Duke of Robinsworth’s brother, is a rake. He is the younger son, so he is a gentleman with no profession. Except, he enjoys solving mysteries, interestingly enough, and it seems it is something other members of the ton know. Finn seems to have a somewhat successful time of solving crimes, discretely which causes someone to seek his assistance in The Magic of I Do. However, as the novel begins Finn’s life was devastated when his long time mistress leaves him for a wealthier gentleman.
At the conclusion of A Lady and her Magic, Claire is entrusted into Finn’s care. As The Magic of I Do begins it seems that Claire and Finn are stoutly opposed to each other. However a bit of whiskey and relaxation create the catalyst for them to find themselves attracted. With the isolation they are experiencing at the time, they find themselves in an unplanned tryst. After their passionate encounter, Claire is shortly whisked away with the winds to be reunited with her family due to the death of her grandfather. While home, Claire discovers that her indiscretion with Finn may have a more serious consequence than the breaking one of the five Unpardonable Errors. But the changes occurring in her homeland and the reconciliation that her parents seek with her are too much for her to handle. Claire finds an old paintbrush from her childhood as she attempts to hide from her parents and nurse her anger. It seems Claire has an unusual talent for being able to step into paintings. In trying to runaway for a moment of solace, finds her back in the temptation of Finn and without her magic faerie dust.
While trapped for the time being as an almost human with Finn, she discovers Finn’s talent for solving mysteries and attempts to help him. Much to Finn’s chagrin, he discovers Claire trying to sneak around and spy on him. However, as much as Finn tries to protect Claire, she finds herself in the crosshairs of an evil man who is bent on painful retribution on Finn and Ashley. As the mystery heats up, so does the attraction between Finn and Claire – much as they remind themselves that they will not fall in love.
The Magic of I Do has many different parts. As I write this review there is so much that happens and yet the book is not as long as you think. It is just richly written with the right balance between passion (and some VERY steamy moments/interludes), the mystery and drama of the evil man and the resolution of the attraction between Finn and Claire. If you haven’t tried this series yet, I urge you, if it is your cup of tea, to pick it up. The Regency Faery series is a fun historical romance with a good dash of paranormal romance.
Una’s Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Purchase Info:
Reviews in the Series:
FOR A CHANCE TO WIN the first book in the series, A Lady and Her Magic, stop by the guest post from author Tammy Falkner, HERE.
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Author Guest Post & Giveaway: Tammy Falkner
Today I have the honor of bringing to you paranormal/ historical romance author Tammy Falkner. As half of the Lydia Dare writing team, Tammy has co-written ten books, including A Certain Wolfish Charm and In the Heat of the Bite. A huge fan of Regency England, her regency paranormal series combines the magical elements of both mystical faeries and the glittering regency ton. Tammy lives on a farm in rural North Carolina with her husband and a house full of boys, a few dogs, and a cat or two. Visit her website, www.tammyfalkner.com, for more information.
Tammy is here today to talk about writing regency paranormals and tell us about her new release, The Magic of “I Do”. Keep reading for a chance to win a copy of A Lady and Her Magic (Book 1 in the regency faery series, directly preceding The Magic of “I Do”).
Please help me welcome Tammy back toThat’s What I’m Talking About.
When I started plotting my faerie books, I had already written vampyres and werewolves in the Regency period, writing as half of the Lydia Dare team. I started to think about what other beings might live and interact with the members of the ton. Believe it or not, I was out with friends and saw this adorable little garden gnome and I dreamed up Ronald, the menace of a garden gnome in my fae books, before I even began to think about faeries. I knew he was quirky, he wore a waistcoat and a cravat, and he was no more than two feet tall. He was also fiercely protective of the people he loved.
Now, who would interact with a garden gnome? Faeries! Yes, that’s how the faeries were born. Every fae family is assigned a garden gnome to take messages back and forth from the land of the fae and to generally oversee their well-being.
How do faeries interact with the lords and ladies of the ton? They are mission faeries, so they help the humans, particularly children, to find peace from things that would do them harm. They assimilate into households and do their magic. Then they leave and they go on another mission.
Then the question was – How could I keep my faeries and humans apart? So, I created the Unpardonable Errors, which make it impossible for a human to fall in love with a faerie. I love mixing historical and fantasy/paranormal. I get to have all the glittering balls, the lord and ladies of the ton, and I get to bend the rules of the Regency a little bit to suit my faeries. My heroines get to be witty and outside the social norm. They say things that are inappropriate, they don’t always know how to interact with Society, and they cause scandals at times, which is a tremendous amount of fun for me.
I am having a great time with my faeries, and I hope you do too. Just for you, here’s a sneak peek at The Magic of “I Do”...
A faerie without magic was about as useless as a carriage without a horse. If Claire Thorne had known that this would be her reward for trying to save her sister from the dangerous Duke of Robinsworth, she never would have gotten involved in her sister’s mission. She would have stayed at home. The land of the fae was so much more comfortable than the land where others resided.
Claire refused to look at her abductor. She refused to acknowledge his presence, although he did have her magic dust. It was in his pocket at that very moment. Despite the fact that she’d warned him it could explode in untrained hands, he’d taken it with no hint of hesitation. And now he refused to give it back. Claire lifted her chin and stared out the coach window. If anyone had told her a sennight ago that Lord Phineas would take her hostage, she would have laughed in his face. Yet here she was, at his mercy.
“Oh, blissful silence,” he said. He must have said it to himself, because he certainly couldn’t be talking to her.
“You really should return my dust to me before it does you harm.” She didn’t look at him as she talked. She continued to stare at the changing landscape. They’d left behind the bustle of Mayfair and were headed toward… nowhere, it appeared.
“And just what kind of harm might a little bottle of shimmer do to me?” He looked much too composed.
“It could explode and blow off an arm.” She finally turned to look toward him and found him grinning at her unrepentantly. That man had a smile that could stop a lady’s heart. Though it had no effect on hers. Well, almost no effect. His sparkling blue eyes made him look impertinent enough to annoy her to no end.
He held out his hand and appraised his arm with a critical eye. “I can live without an arm.” Lord Phineas swiped a lock of hair from his forehead and lowered his arm back to his side. He arched a golden brow at her as though taunting her to continue her threats. He hadn’t seen threats yet. Just wait until she turned him into a toad. Or a pig so that his outside could reflect his inside.
Claire let her gaze roam up and down his body slowly. “It might blow off something you use on occasion.” Her eyes stopped at his lap. He fidgeted in his seat. “It’s really quite volatile in the hands of the untrained.”
That wasn’t true. Not in the least little bit. But he didn’t need to know that. In his hands, the dust was useless. Just shimmery flecks of shiny things he didn’t understand. In her hands, however, it was quite useful. If she wasn’t afraid to commit one of the Unpardonable Errors—never use your magic to do harm—she would take a chance and wrest it from his possession. But if she had the dust in her hands right at that moment, she would use it to harm him. In a most satisfying way.
She forced herself into a casual shrug. “Take a chance. Blow off an appendage. Perhaps you’ll be lucky and it’ll be the smallest one. One you probably don’t get to use much.”
His smile vanished. “I can assure you there’s nothing small about my appendage.”
She grinned. “That’s not what she said…” She left the taunt dangling in the air. His face flushed. She must have touched a sore spot. But since he was holding her hostage, he deserved to be just as uncomfortable as she was.
***
How the devil could a faerie be aware of his problems with his mistress? Katherine had only left him a few weeks before. It wasn’t his fault that she’d spread a bit of a rumor about his prowess in the bedroom. One that was completely unfounded upon reality. He narrowed his eyes at Miss Thorne. “Are your people omniscient?”
She didn’t answer. She simply turned to look out the window again. Blast and damn. The woman was already driving him toward Bedlam and he’d only had her in his possession for a few hours. His brother, Robin, would owe him dearly for this. Very dearly.
The carriage hit a rut in the road and she bounced in her seat. She uttered a most unladylike oath as her head bumped the roof of the carriage. “Beg your pardon?” he asked. He cupped a hand around his ear. “I didn’t quite hear that.”
“If I’d meant for you to hear it, you would have heard it.” She adjusted her skirts, settling back more heavily against the squabs. The bounce had left her looking a bit disheveled, with a strawberry blond curl hanging across her forehead. She blew the lock of hair with an upturned breath.
She really was quite pretty if one could get over the shrewish behavior. Her body was tall and willowy, her limbs long and graceful. Her heartshaped face would probably be beautiful if she ever graced it with a smile.
“Just where are we going?” she asked. She still didn’t look at him. She gazed out the window with the countenance of someone who had the weight of the world upon her shoulders.
“My house in Bedfordshire.”
Her shoulders stiffened and then she exhaled deeply.
“And just what recommends such a place?”
“It has bars on the windows and heavy locks on the doors.” It didn’t. But she didn’t have to know that.
“It will take more than bars and windows to keep a faerie under lock and key.” She sniffed and raised her nose in the air.
“Then thank God there are ropes aplenty. I will tie you to my side if I must. I did promise Robin I’d take care of you.” That was a bit of a long and sordid tale, and he still didn’t understand the half of it. “Pray tell me how you people came to exist.”
She arched a delicate brow at him. “The same way you did.” Her face flushed scarlet. “Do you really need me to tell you about reproduction?”
Damn her hide. He didn’t need her to explain anything about reproduction. This lady knew how to jab him where it hurt, though. He would have to take great care with her. He grinned slowly and leaned forward. “Please do. If you’re lacking anything in the telling of how babes are made, I’ll fill in the blanks for you. Certainly, you have questions about it.”
“Should any pressing questions arise, I’ll be sure to let you know.” She looked back out the window. Damn, he hoped that Robin finished up his business soon so he could free the harpy.
“How long do you plan to keep me there?”
“As long as it takes for Robin to finish his business.” The sooner, the better.
“I’m certain he’s done by now. So we can turn around and go back to the city.” She looked quite pleased by that idea. A smile tipped her lips and the beauty of it nearly took Finn’s breath away.
“He’ll send word when he’s done. I’ll set you free not a moment before.”
She laughed lightly, and the sound raked over his skin like silky fingertips in the night. “Only an idiot would think he can keep a faerie confined.” She snorted lightly. It was a most unladylike noise, but he found himself biting back a grin at the sound.
Finn leaned over and looked out the window at the cloud-filled sky. If he couldn’t keep her confined, the inclement weather would. Unless he was mistaken, the snow would begin to fall before they reached their destination. Then she would be as confined by the elements as she was by him. Perhaps he wouldn’t have to tie her to him. He’d have to wait and see.
Tammy, once again thank you so much for taking the time to tell my readers a little bit about yourself and your writing.
GIVEAWAY: I have one (1) copy of A Lady and Her Magic by Tammy Falkner to giveaway here at That’s What I’m Talking About. Thank you to Sourcebooks for sponsoring the giveaway of Book 1 in Tammy’s regency faery series. To enter, please leave a comment answering the question “What your favorite fae / fairy related story?” Winners restricted to US and Canada mailing addresses. Contest open from June 14 until June 19, 2013 at 9:00 PM EDT. One (1) winner will be selected from the comment entries using random.org. Prize will be mailed to winner directly from publisher.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Review: A Lady and Her Magic by Tammy Falkner
A Lady and Her Magic
Author: Tammy Falkner
Release Date: Sept. 4, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks
ISBN: #978-1402268120
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Historical
Format(s): Paperback (352 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Rules Are Made To Be Disobeyed...
Sophia Thorne is new to the Regency's glittering high society, which resembles her magical homeland only insofar as both places are filled with ridiculous rules. Which means no matter where she goes, she's bound for trouble...
And Scandals Are Meant To Be Shocking...
The Duke of Robinsworth has flaunted and shocked society for years. In a moment of fateful mischief, Robinsworth encounters the enchanting and distinctly scandalous Sophia. Between her streak of magical mischief and his penchant for scandal, they're about to take rule-breaking to a whole new level...
What Una is talking about:
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A Lady and her Magic is the debut novel in a new crossover series by Tammy Falkner. It is a historical romance mixed with fantasy. Una found it to be an enjoyable and delightful, fluffy read.
A Lady and her Magic is said to be the first in a new series, although, truth be told, I cannot find for the life of me the name of the series. Imagine a historical romance that is crossed with fantasy and you will have the rich world that Ms. Falkner has created. The story begins with Sophia starting what may prove to be her last mission. It seems the Fae have a parallel world to ours and yet are involved in our world – whether solving issues or providing coins for children’s teeth. Although the worlds are similar, they are different in the mores that govern them. It was fun to read about Sophia being unladylike and yet how refreshing it was to the Duke. It seemed strange that for a lady, Sophia’s odd behavior was not more censured by Ashley. In fact, it seemed his attraction to her rather odd behavior was a bit of a juxtaposition for a man of this time period.
Ashley, the Duke of Robinsworth, is scandalized by the death (most importantly the circumstances surrounding it) of his wife. He lives a fairly secluded life for being a Duke, with his only child, his daughter, Anne. For as rough a reputation he has, Ashley is surprisingly warm and kind. I enjoyed his characterization and his good-heartedness. The flirtations between Ashley and Sophia are sweet and candid. However, their romance is strictly forbidden by Fae law. Sophia, sadly, is right on the line of being irrevocably punished, her wings being removed along with her magic. It is akin to a death sentence for a Fae. It is vital for her to resolve the mission – she must save Anne from the terrible night terrors that plague her.
The mythology is very similar to some of the tales I have heard growing up. I enjoyed the world of A Lady and her Magic and felt it was simply and yet richly described. Although it feels as if the plot moved a bit slowly, it was not painfully slow. The world-building was scattered throughout, as the plot moved. Some moments and resolutions were predictable; however the overall ending of the novel was surprising. It is this cliffhanging event that makes me curious as to what the next novel will hold. I will say that the gnome, Ronald, was a bit of a scene-stealer. The interactions involving him were hilarious but did have a tendency to overshadow the other characters.
If you are looking for a fun and entertaining blend of historical romance and fantasy, you might want to give A Lady and her Magic a try. You may find it an enjoyable and fluffy Saturday afternoon read.
Una’s Rating:
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Liked it - recommend (B+)
Purchase Info:
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