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A review by research_department
Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
3.25 ⭐️, it was good
Stats: MF (x 2) historical (Victorian England) romance, third person omniscient/past tense, open door, second chance romance, misunderstood FMC
I had to check the copyright date (2004), because it felt of a certain vintage, with such lines as “[h]e was a man who made a woman feel safe, and at the same time, deliciously overpowered.” The overall atmosphere was reminiscent of Downton Abbey, with a house party at an earl’s residence (but ostensibly Victorian era, rather than Edwardian). This is the first book that I’ve read by Lisa Kleypas, and at first I thought I was going to DNF this for being anachronistic, but I gave it another chapter, and I decided to just surrender to the story. Once I did that, I decided not to let the red flag MMCs bother me either. One MMC is arrogant and bent on revenge; he gets nicknamed “Sturm und Drang” by the gay best friend (yes, this Victorian romance has a gay best friend). The other MMC is an alcoholic rake. But hey, they’re both wealthy and strong and love the FMCs. I’m giving it a hard time, but it was also kind of fun. After the opening chapters (which are set 12 years earlier than the majority of the book), the characters are grown up, and have some depth (even the MMCs). There was a misunderstood FMC and some angst (although not as much angst as I was hoping for). The pacing was steady. The writing was solid. If you’re in the mood for something a little retro with alphahole MMCs with hearts of gold and hairy chests, this might be just the thing.
Stats: MF (x 2) historical (Victorian England) romance, third person omniscient/past tense, open door, second chance romance, misunderstood FMC
I had to check the copyright date (2004), because it felt of a certain vintage, with such lines as “[h]e was a man who made a woman feel safe, and at the same time, deliciously overpowered.” The overall atmosphere was reminiscent of Downton Abbey, with a house party at an earl’s residence (but ostensibly Victorian era, rather than Edwardian). This is the first book that I’ve read by Lisa Kleypas, and at first I thought I was going to DNF this for being anachronistic, but I gave it another chapter, and I decided to just surrender to the story. Once I did that, I decided not to let the red flag MMCs bother me either. One MMC is arrogant and bent on revenge; he gets nicknamed “Sturm und Drang” by the gay best friend (yes, this Victorian romance has a gay best friend). The other MMC is an alcoholic rake. But hey, they’re both wealthy and strong and love the FMCs. I’m giving it a hard time, but it was also kind of fun. After the opening chapters (which are set 12 years earlier than the majority of the book), the characters are grown up, and have some depth (even the MMCs). There was a misunderstood FMC and some angst (although not as much angst as I was hoping for). The pacing was steady. The writing was solid. If you’re in the mood for something a little retro with alphahole MMCs with hearts of gold and hairy chests, this might be just the thing.