A review by allingoodtime
Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas

emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

 
Two love stories are going on in this book. Although the main story is between Aline and McKenna, I found the story between Aline’s sister Livia and McKenna’s friend Gideon to be captivating. In fact, because they didn’t have a whole past to unpack, it was easier to sink into their story.

While I enjoyed this book and felt the connection between Aline and McKenna, for some reason I wasn’t getting the warm fuzzies I’m always looking for in my romance reading. Yet, some scenes made me swoon. I’m sure that doesn’t make sense to you since it doesn’t make sense to me. Perhaps it’s because I find it hard to get past McKenna having hatred for Aline when he’s otherwise such a smart man. But I guess love is blind. I couldn’t trust McKenna’s actions, not sure if he was enacting revenge or having true feelings.

When it came to Aline, I wasn’t happy about her secret-keeping but I could understand where she was coming from. I wasn’t sure where my feelings were with Aline’s brother, but there is a wonderful and touching scene with him toward the end that made me forgive any of his misdeeds (always done with good intentions) along the way.

There were some definite reservations when it came to Livia and Gideon. He has some demons that I was afraid would be swept away when he found love. Rest assured, that is not what happens here. The author responsibly handled Gideon’s problems, especially considering he is not the main character of this book. Of course, it’s still a bit too easy and not how things would play out in reality. But it also wasn’t swept under the rug. This is, after all, a fictional story.

All in all this book brought me enjoyment. Especially the last handful of chapters. I’m not sure how much this story ties into the other Wallflowers books, but I’m assuming it will take place in the same world. 
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