SPELLBOUND is the first book in the Magic in Manhattan series, and I seriously can't wait for book two!

Set in the 1920's, you get a front seat to all that involves--Speakeasy's, prohibition, mobsters, Germans. It's all here, and gives you an insight into what life might have been like.

Rory and Arthur make for a perfect couple! I loved Rory's sass and his spitting alley cat fight. Arthur is the big softie with an even bigger heart, who just wants to help.

With a great cast of characters, this story was gripping from the very start. The pacing is smooth, there were no plot holes I fell through, and the world building is outstanding.

With humour, sass, peril, and betrayal, this book had it all for me. Highly recommended, and when is book two coming out? Absolutely brilliant.

Excellent story by a new to me author.
Set in NY in 1925, the historical aspect felt spot on, capturing the atmosphere of time and place without seamlessly within the story. The paranormal aspect was woven into this backdrop with ease and I had no problem believing that such people walked among the rest of us mundane non magical people.
The whole cast of characters were brilliant--I even had sympathy for a couple of the bad guys--and very diverse. But I loved the MCs the most. Arthur was just so lovely, solid and stoic, determined to act in the greater good and resigned to being forever alone. And Rory, oh Rory, sharp and snappy, reluctant to trust and almost certain he wouldn't see his 21st birthday. The development of their relationship is a delightful dance to and fro. The relationship is most definitely at the heart of this book but the more intimate scenes are fade to black.

Highly recommended. I can't wait for the sequel.

You know that feeling, when you start reading a book and it immediately clicks? With Spellbound, I knew I was in love only few pages in. Allie Therin’s writing is just the perfect amount of lush prose combined with straightforwardness that I love. It’s so refreshing and beautiful. I don’t understand how she managed to write a book that plays into all the very specific things I adore.

The cutest, most charming romance ever? ✓

Tiny grumpy bisexual protag? ✓✓

Giant protective grumpy mother hen ex-soldier? ✓✓✓

Wonderful diverse cast? ✓✓✓✓

A sympathetic villain with understandable motives? ✓✓✓✓✓✓

A wonderful nuanced take on being biracial and white passing? ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓

The characters are absolutely delightful. There’s Rory, the young, grumpy, biracial orphan, hiding his powerful scrying magic in the back of an antique shop, afraid of getting stuck in the past. His story broke my heart, because at his young age, he’s already been through so much. Thankfully, he hasn’t had to make the journey all alone.

There’s Arthur, the overprotective, charming and rich ex-soldier, so worried about the well-being of his friends that he routinely calls them to make sure they’re okay. If it were up to him, he’d wrap all his friends in blankets like little burritos and made sure they’re safe and cherished. I love big men with even bigger hearts.

There’s Jade, Arthur’s best friend and ex-spy, a beautiful and badass black woman with kinetic abilities, who’s family runs a speakeasy during prohibition. And she wears tailored suits with trousers and yes, I am extremely super gay for her, thank you for asking.

There’s Miss Brodigan, the elderly owner of the shop Rory works in, posing as his aunt to protect him from authorities and showering him with love. There’s Zhang, a kind man with the powers of astral projection, who’s constant coming and going combined with Rory’s consternation made me giggle.

And then there’s Gwen, Arthur and Jade’s old friend, who disappeared on them after getting hurt by a horrible man and swearing her revenge. Gwen is such a complicated, sympathetic villain and I loved her presence. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Despite being set in New York 1925, the book feels very topical. One of the villains is a politician raving about immigrants and deportation, while getting rich off of the backs of immigrant labor. And I love that the history of such a diverse city isn’t whitewashed.

Honestly, I had only one quibble and that’s that Rory felt very indiscreet, for someone in his specific situation. There’s at least one conversation where I was mentally yelling at them to stop having it in public. But that didn’t take anything from my immense enjoyment. We’re looking at a top 10 books of this year for me, maybe even top 10 ever. That’s how much I loved this book.

There’s one thing I want to talk about, and that’s how this book handles Rory’s biracial status. There’s such a nuance in this book that mirrored my own experiences that I haven’t seen anywhere else. The way this book portray’s Rory’s yearning for his mother’s home country, the way he can flow between being read as a white american or italian depending on his hairstyle, the loneliness in hearing his mother’s first language or when he says “all my soft words are in italian”, because that’s what he used to hear in his childhood? It brought tears to my eyes, because I’ve been there, and I’m still there. Rory showed a mirror to my existence, and it’s a wonderful feeling of representation that I don’t get to enjoy much.

In my youth, one of my favorite books was Patricia C. Wrede’s Mairelon the Magician: in Victorian London, an orphan girl dressed as a boy gets taken up by an aristocratic magician accused of a theft he didn’t commit; together, they solve the theft, prevent a great magical crime, and begin the orphan girl’s magical training. (The less said about the romance between the two in the sequel, the better—it was fun when I was sixteen but now that I’m closer to Mairelon’s age I find myself appalled.)
This book is like the queer, age-appropriate, New York Prohibition-set version of that and I am so delighted I could shout. With the added bonus that our upper-class hero, Arthur, so confident and privileged and strong, has no magical talent whatsoever.
Meanwhile our urchinish Rory, struggling and suspicious and vulnerable, has immense magical gifts he’s only barely learned to control, and a smart mouth that doesn’t hesitate to tell anyone to fuck off when he feels cornered. It goes a long way to smoothing out the power imbalance between the two. Meanwhile we’ve got historic New York, marvelous side characters, and a real magical threat that needs to be stopped. It’s textured but not terribly complicated, just the kind of historical fantasy sparkler that I adore the most. Perfect escapism for lazy summer days by the water, or long trips, or to read by a fire in the middle of the woods.

I just didn't connect with this book at all. I didn't enjoy the historical setting but more importantly, the writing seemed superficial and I couldn't have cared less about these characters. Too much happening at once gave the book a very chaotic feel. I read this book a month ago and I honestly have trouble remembering even the names of the MCs.
Final Verdict: Forgettable and ordinary.

Allie Theron wrote a pretty good debut book! It was definitely a bit more in the romance side than fantastic way but the world that was created in the form of 1920s New York City with magic was creative. The magic itself was not necessarily unique to fantasy or steampunk, but done in this setting was something I hadn't read before. There was a mystery, a well imagined interpretation of magic and excellent characters, both Arthur and Rory also my with the secondary characters. Their romance was nicely written, there wasn't a significant amount of conflict but sometimes a straightforward not overly dramatic romance is nice to read. I'll be reading book 2 when it comes out!

This is an engrossing and entertaining book, a fun read that kept me hooked till the last page.
I loved the plot, the mix of romance and paranormal works very well and makes you smile and enjoy the adventures of the characters.
I liked the detailed historical background, the likeable and well written cast of characters, and unusual world building.
I'm happy this is the start of new series because I want to read more about Rory and Ace, I look forward to the next instalment.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Gah, these characters and their romance were so CUTE! They made me smile so much. Can that just be my whole review? It's a really great summary of my thoughts.

Seriously though, I loved this. Rory was so naive in some ways but tough in others, and he was so feisty. He wasn't about to let Arthur walk all over him or Mrs. Brodigan. And Arthur was a lonely hottie with a big heart. He just wanted to help people and maybe find himself someone to love. And then they found each other, and there was all this fun banter and embarrassed flirting and sweet moments and hidden feelings and confusion over how the other one felt, and it was all so cute. When they finally got together, the feelings were pretty strong pretty fast, but they were so adorable that I didn't care. I just wanted them to be together and happy.

The non-romance plot was good too, albeit fairly simple (which is not a bad thing). There were supernatural powers (like Rory's psychometry---his ability to see an object's past by touching it---and Jade's telekinesis). There were relics with powerful abilities sealed inside them. There were the bad guys who wanted to obtain the relics, presumably to use them for nefarious purposes. And there were our good guys, trying to keep the relics out of their hands. The supernatural stuff was cool. Seems like there might be even more of that in the next book.

The Prohibition Era is one of my favorite settings, so I enjoyed that too, even if it was more of a backdrop than anything.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this. It was cute and funny and put so many smiles on my face, and I needed that. These characters are sweethearts and their relationship is adorable, and I look forward to reading more about them!

A solid 3 star paranormal mm romance.

Things I liked:
The varied cast of characters was a delight. (A female telekinetic ex-spy turned bootlegger for the family speakeasy is just one example!)
The world's "rules" for how psychic/magical powers worked was clearly thought out and cleverly used.
The warm connection between our heroes, Rory and Arthur, made me wish the love scenes were more revealing to go along with how touching they were at times.

Things that I didn't like so much:
The book managed to trigger some of my personal fiction pet peeves.
Firstly, the description of the various parts of Old New York felt more "televisory" than lived in.
Secondarily, the characters could have spoken in a more historically accurate way. There were places where a turn of phrase just didn't seem right but I was having so much fun I passed over it (which is why I haven't a concrete example for you).
Finally, Arthur's reaction to any prejudiced treatment of someone based on assumed race or economic status. While his progressive attitude was not out of place, the early 1900s were a turbulent time of change after all!, the way he expressed that attitude made me cheer for him even when the words and phrases coming out of his mouth seemed better suited to modern times.

On the whole, enjoyable reading! Bring us more!

This book was such a surprise! In all the best ways. As soon as I read the blurb I knew I had to have a copy.
To save Manhattan, they’ll have to save each other first…

"1925

New York

Arthur Kenzie’s life’s work is protecting the world from the supernatural relics that could destroy it. When an amulet with the power to control the tides is shipped to New York, he must intercept it before it can be used to devastating effects. This time, in order to succeed, he needs a powerful psychometric…and the only one available has sworn off his abilities altogether.

Rory Brodigan’s gift comes with great risk. To protect himself, he’s become a recluse, redirecting his magic to find counterfeit antiques. But with the city’s fate hanging in the balance, he can’t force himself to say no.

Being with Arthur is dangerous, but Rory’s ever-growing attraction to him begins to make him brave. And as Arthur coaxes him out of seclusion, a magical and emotional bond begins to form. One that proves impossible to break—even when Arthur sacrifices himself to keep Rory safe and Rory must risk everything to save him.."

Ms. Therin does a tremendous job of creating a world of supernatural and magic set alongside Prohibition, speakeasys and the politics of 1925. She introduces readers first to Rory, a young man with a angst filled backstory, who works in an appraisal office for antiques. He has but to touch an object to see back in time to read it’s history. And then to Ace, who is looking for just the kind of magical ability Rory has.

Arthur “Ace” Kenzie is a charming, handsome congressman’s son who has surrounded himself with friends with paranormal abilities. His closest two friends are Jade, a telekinetic, and Zhang, an astral walker. They are currently trying to find and obtain magical relics while keeping them out of the bad guys hands. They need someone who can help them figure out just what kind of magic the relics hold and the keys to unlock that magic. Which is where Rory comes in.

Arthur and Rory’s relationship was slow to develop, and there was a lot of mistrust between them. Mostly on Rory’s side as Arthur couldn’t do anything right for the first half of the book. But I liked them together and wanted them to succeed. I was disappointed for a minute when I realized this was a closed door romance, and that isn’t something that usually concerns me. Maybe because I think seeing their trust and intimacy build in those moments would have helped me understand and believe the tender feelings I did see on page.

But that is really my only complaint as everything else really worked for me. The worldbuilding, the diversity of the cast of characters, the pacing and plot. I’m especially excited that it seems we will be following this couple for at least another book, although I would love to see Jade and Zhang have their own love story.

Spellbound was a strong, solid debut and I am very much looking forward to my next adventure with Rory and Ace.

Final Grade- B

4-4.5* - I really enjoyed this immersive and interesting paranormal romance! The main character Rory's power of being able to touch an object and see its history was really interesting and well done. The rest of the worldbuilding, including the magical abilities of other characters, the 1925 NYC/Harlem prohibition setting and the diverse cast of characters made for a page turning story. The romance is quite good too, though a little weaker than the action and suspense plot. Rory and Arthur are a bit of a mismatched couple, certainly quite opposites in life history, and they were on the cusp of some sexy scenes but the author chose 'fade to black' which left me a little disappointed but not enough to detract from my overall enjoyment. There's lots of action especially as the story ramps up to an exciting finale, and an HFN ending so more to come with this couple! Thoroughly enjoyable and unique, a great debut for the author.

Review has been posted at sale sites.

This book sounded perfect for me, an LGBT love story and magic. What a perfect combination. However something just missed the mark for me.
The story was interesting, but it just wasn't interesting enough. It didn't have me hooked. I found myself struggling pick it up to read my. The magic was there, it just wasn't magical enough. The love story was there, it just wasn't enough.
The whole premise sounded interesting. This book is set in old New York, during the prohibition area. I love that. I just don't think it was explored enough. It wasn't detailed enough. It was just lacking.
Then there was the magic, this is where the twist comes in. This is what would make this book other worldly, but it didn't. It wasn't explored that much, and when it was it wasn't interesting. Rory's gift is being able to scry, which is super interesting but again it just came off as dull. It also seemed that there was a villain they were working to stop, but in all honesty I'm still not sure who that is.
Now the love story, the bit I was most looking forward to. It was a slow burn romance, and you know I like that. But this one was very slow, a bit boring. When they finally did get together it was lacklustre. Then out of nowhere the author tried to say, they were meant to be together, meant to find each other. That didn't come across to me. It wasn't believable. It just made me think of better love stories.
There's better books out there set in this era. There's better books, with more imaginative magic. There's better books with more heartfelt romance.
The writing was all over the place, it had not clarity. The action (when it finally happened) wasn't exciting. The story was all over the place. It just totally missed the mark for me. It's the first in the series, but will I be reading the next book? I don't think so.
When I started this review, I had this book at 3 stars, but after writing this it's gonna down to 2.

This historical paranormal romance from new author Allie Therin is a great debut.

The plot revolves around efforts by the heroes of the story to protect New York from powerful relics—objects infused with magical power—that would be dangerous if misused. While not possessing magic himself, Arthur uses his family’s wealth and political power to help his gifted friends keep the city safe. Arthur has come into the possession of a mysterious relic, so he’s looking for someone with the power of psychometry (the ability to divine information about an object by touching it) and finds Rory verifying antiques at a shop in the poor neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen. Scared by the strength of his power, Rory’s reluctant to get involved. However, the magical threat to New York is too important to ignore, and Arthur and Rory find themselves working together to keep the relic from falling into the wrong hands. The more time they spend with each other, the more their shared attraction deepens into a bond that neither Rory nor Arthur can ignore.

I liked both the paranormal and historical aspects of the story. The author has created an interesting system of powers, which range from telekinesis and astral projection to super strength and the ability to make magic-infused potions. As for the historical parts of the book, one major anachronism caught my eye, but overall Therin does a good job of staying true to her 1925 setting. I really appreciate that she included a cast of characters that reflect the diversity of New York’s citizens, including its immigrants. (Her discussion of the desire to restrict immigration in the 1920s seems especially timely.)

As for the romance, it’s sort of adorable. Arthur is a romantic at heart, and he’s gone pretty quickly over the younger and seemingly vulnerable Rory. Rory thinks Arthur is the handsomest man he’s ever seen but much too far above him socially for Arthur to be attracted to him. I think that the “he obviously doesn’t like me” (Arthur)/“he can’t possibly want me” (Rory)/”I’m not good for him” (both, really) protestations might go on a bit too long for some readers who get impatient with that sort of waffling in the face of obvious attraction. I liked how Therin brought them together in the end, though. (A note for people who want their romances spicy—the sex scenes here are fade to black or off page entirely.)

All’s well that ends well in this book, but it clearly sets up further adventures for Rory and Arthur. Book 2 will be out in 2020, and I’m looking forward to it!

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

A beautiful book with adventure, love, friendship and magic. This book set in 1920s Manhattan has a twist with paranormals and an adventure to save people from danger specially when they dint even know paranormals exist.
Arthur, a world war soldier has taken upon himself to save the world from magic and relics with powers beyond all. As he is not paranormal himself, he may need the help of Rory, a kid who is trying to stay alive instead of letting his magic take control of him. They need each other to save the world as well as to save each other.
This book written with so much love and humor and bravery is all you need to get those smiles getting etched on.

Great beginning to the series.

As you may have realised I love PNR/Urban Fantasy and historical romance so a mixture of all three made my day! I gobbled this one in one sitting.

I loved Ace and sloooowly warmed up to Rory. I eventually understood his need for an armour but prickly/surly/rude people are so not my type of people(even in real life) so I really struggled with Rory.

I don’t know if it was his age or something else that was to blame but bless Ace and his overly large heart because I would’ve shaken some sense into him once or twice. But anywhoo… Ace’s method also worked so I guess that’s that.

Despite all my griping about Rory, I loved his chemistry with Ace. He obviously needed a caretaker and someone to just dote on him and Ace needed someone to dote on so I must say their pairing was genius.

They had real chemistry out of, and in bed although their sexy times were fade-to-black. This was my first book by Allie Therin and I don’t know if that’s her style but I liked it. It didn’t take anything from the storytelling.

Concerning the story proper, I liked the world building and its nuances . It was nicely done. I also liked how fast paced it was and how the secondary characters were fleshed out and diverse. I couldn’t get enough.

I must say however, that considering how evil the baddies were, that ending just didn’t satisfy my vindictive heart. I hope they get what they really deserve and hopefully this gets sorted out with the next book.

Also I hope we get more relationship development in that one.This story ended with a HFN, with Rory and Ace’s relationship still in the honeymoon stage(and Rory still over the place emotionally).

I pray the next book comes out soon because I will be first in line for it. Great read!

When I first heard about Spellbound, I couldn’t wait to read it.  Love.  Magic.  Queer.  Paranormal.  Suspense.  Prohibition-era Manhattan.  First in a series.  Friends, the author had me at “Love”.  I couldn’t ask our publisher for this book fast enough!   Ms. Therin, in her published début, almost delivers on all this promise, and Spellbound is a compelling, entertaining and intriguing set-up for stories to come.  Unfortunately, her lead character is an immature, awkward, frequently rude oddball who falls for his exact opposite - a sexy, handsome, sympathetic, rich and suspicious stranger - and their total lack of believable chemistry together is a jarring counterpoint to the story in which they star.  It’s a shame.  The writing is strong, the world-building is compelling, and the secondary characters (especially the women) nearly steal every scene in which they appear.  But the romance is a mess.

Rory Brodigan is a recluse, afraid of life and what he believes is a perilous future.  His magical gift (or curse) - psychometry (he can touch an object and scry its history) - nearly destroyed him once, and he fears it’s only a matter of time before he’s subsumed in the past and lost again.  To protect himself, he hides away, working with his elderly aunt, Mrs. Brodigan (the only other person who knows of his gift) at her antique shop, helping her recognize counterfeits.  Jumpy, paranoid and lonely, he’s resigned himself to this unhappy life... until a powerful object comes into the shop and forces him out of his self-imposed isolation.

Arthur (Ace to his friends) Kenzie, the handsome, wealthy son of a powerful and connected New York political family, was a soldier on the WWI battlefields when his eyes were opened to a secret, magical shadow world.  Following the painful and tragic deaths of two close friends - and loss of another - he’s dedicated his life to intercepting powerful magical relics before they can wreak havoc on an unsuspecting world or fall into enemy hands.  He’s recently received reports that an amulet with the power to control the tides is on its way to New York - and possibly into the hands of a formidable enemy.  Only a powerful psychometric can prevent a catastrophe - and fortunately, Ace thinks he might know where to find one.  An antiques store with an uncanny record of spotting counterfeits has snagged his attention, and a fake ‘test’ has only intensified his suspicions.  After a tense confrontation with the store owner (who suspects there’s more to Mr. Kenzie than meets the eye),  he entrusts her with a ring in a locked box - failing to mention it also has the power to control the wind - but tells her not to open it, yet.  Rory, working late and unable to resist opening the box, is instantly sucked into its dangerous, sinister past.  Unbeknownst to him, his magic triggers the attention of Ace and his loyal band of supernatural relic hunters - and others who might use his gift to harness the power of the amulet.

After Ace and his friends (Jade, a telekinetic; Zhang, an astral walker) finally realize Rory is the supernatural in the shop, they vow to keep him - and the relics - away from villainous forces who might misuse and abuse his gift.   But Rory doesn’t want anything to do with them.  Wary and suspicious (and inconveniently attracted to the handsome, friendly and urbane Mr. Kenzie), he behaves like an immature adolescent brat towards the older man.  Lucky for him, Ace finds that attractive.  Ahem.  Rory triggers Arthur’s protective instincts and his lust, and the combination is... ridiculous?  Bizarre?  Ace and his crew ignore Rory’s overwhelming hostility, and instead, offer to help him however they can.  And before long, he needs their help - and craves it too.

Therin does a marvelous job of introducing her secret supernatural world and hooking readers into the story.  The diversity of the cast felt appropriate and organic to melting pot Manhattan in 1925, as does the palpable fear Ace and Rory feel knowing they’re attracted to each other at a time when homosexuality was a dangerous (and potentially ruinous) proclivity.  The setting, the tension between the lead characters, the intriguing secondary characters - they bring this story to colorful life.  I particularly enjoyed the friendship/professional interplay between Ace and Jade and Zhang, and Rory and his aunt.  The author also cleverly incorporates the prohibition-era time period into her narrative - giving readers a sneak peek into Jade’s life (more please!), and Therin’s magical world is fascinating.  I loved learning about the origins of relics and potions and their respective powers (although I wanted more here, too), the application of magic for good and evil, and the struggles and challenges facing supernaturals in this world.  The first half of this book is tremendously entertaining and illuminating despite the information dump.

Unfortunately, after a scared Rory softens towards Ace and his goodness and patience and kindness (and good looks, wealth and sexiness), the magical elements are shoved to the background (except when we need a clever plot device).  Therin rapidly pivots and focuses instead on the developing rhw opposites-attract romance which, frankly, doesn’t work.   Arthur, damaged by his wartime experiences, is dedicated to saving the world.  He’s blessed with friends who know and love him, but he’s lonely.  His work (and the secrecy inherent in it), along with his sexuality, compel him to keep people at a distance.  He falls hard for an unstable, paranoid, an immature oddball who’s often rude, hurtful, and selfish.  Rory, who can count on one hand the people he likes and/or trusts, instantly falls in lust with Ace.  Rory could be lovable too (his backstory is compelling), except the author insists on writing him as a spoiled, tantrum-prone, petulant grown up child; even after we discover his secrets, he remains an unlikeable, polarizing figure.  Really folks, I hesitate to call him a hero because he’s so reluctant (and fearful) to use his powers, and only reluctantly does so.  I felt sorry for him, but I didn’t like him.  Nothing about these two as a couple or crime-fighting duo works.  And I absolutely hated the tease and then fade to black love scenes.  Therin wastes an opportunity to show their connection, and leaves readers removed from their intimacy.

There is a clever and complicated suspense plot that unfurls as the story progresses.  Individual plot threads eventually coalesce, but the bizarre romance between Rory and Ace (unfortunately) steals our attention just when the story reaches its climax.  Plotlines are left underdeveloped just when good and evil, friends and enemies, past and present, finally converge.  The author tries to pivot from action to romance, and good vs. bad, but what should have felt urgent and thrilling, is instead confusing.  The villains aren’t villainous enough, and I wish I knew them better.   I wasn’t invested in Rory’s last minute heroics or powers, and I wanted more magic, more villainy, more supernatural powers... just more, more, more.  And less (unbelievable) romantic yearning.

Spellbound didn’t keep me spellbound, but nevertheless, it is a strong and compelling début.  Unique, and sometimes dazzling, it kept me entertained and eager for more of its magical, supernatural world - and hopeful for better yet to come.

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Really enjoyed this one! I liked all of the main characters basically from the moment they appeared on the page and I think that Arthur and Rory had great chemistry. The magic system was very interesting [although I'm hoping it's expanded on a bit more in the next book] and there was a really good balance between the romance plotline and the magic plotline. A really good book in general and even more impressive since it appears to be the author's first book. I will definitely be checking out the next one!

I really enjoyed reading this story. I enjoy reading new concepts for paranormal historical romances and this story fit the bill. The different paranormal powers each character had was exciting to learn about and I appreciated the diverse characters, both with ethnicity and sexuality. It's exciting that more authors are including characters like these. I thought the plot was gripping and the characters intrigued me. I am excited to read further in the series and I look forward to sharing this title with readers in the store.

First off – this cover is gorgeous! Anyone following romance has seen an uptick in illustrated covers, and I especially like this one. Second, this book is absolutely adorable! It’s a bit of a role reversal, with the older man being the softie with a heart of gold and the younger one being the prickly hedgehog.

Rory is happy, for the most part, with his quiet life working at his aunt’s antique shop, where he uses his psychometric abilities to authenticate items for her. When a wealthy man appears with a bunch of letters he wants authenticated, Rory knows it must be a test, but for what purpose? Arthur isn’t a paranormal himself, but formed friendships with several after serving in the first World War. Now back in America, he’s seeking to identify a magical relic of unknown power, and he thinks he’s found the right paranormal for the job at Mrs. Brodigan’s shop. But it turns out, it’s not the elderly proprietor who has the powers, but Rory, her nephew. The attraction between the two is a shock, but they have more important things to worry about, and Arthur will need Rory’s help if New York City, and maybe the world, is going to survive.

Arthur and Rory together are just perfection. Arthur’s older than Rory (28 to his 20), and his service during the first World War have left him even older in some ways. While he has no powers of his own, he formed friendships with several paranormals during and after the war, and he uses his money and influence (his father is a politician) to take care of everyone in his circle. He’s the quintessential caretaker with a driving need to protect everyone, though that also comes with an overprotective streak. Despite his circle of friends, Arthur is lonely; watching them fall in love while he remains alone hurts him deeply, though he tries not to show it.

Rory is a prickly hedgehog in a newsboy cap who also happens to have a lot of magic he has little control over. Sometimes he read as younger than his twenty years to me – he’s been sheltered for most of his life, and basically secludes himself in either his tiny apartment or Mrs. Brodigan’s shop. He manages to be both distrustful and naive, and that mixture was catnip to both Arthur and myself! Rory is (rightfully!) distrustful of Arthur. He’s been warned about people who’d want to use him for his magic, and he’s in danger enough from himself unwittingly scrying something and getting caught in it. It’s no surprise that Arthur’s caretaking feels to Rory like he’s treating him like a child or trying to trap him into doing favors for him. Conversely, Arthur views Rory’s rejection of his caretaking efforts as a rejection of himself.

“How’d you break your specs?”
“Let’s see, how was it?” Rory tapped his lips thoughtfully. “Oh, right. None of your business.”
Arthur rolled his eyes. The cute ones were always little shits.”


The relationship builds slowly – besides Rory’s distrust, homosexuality is illegal and coming on to the wrong man would be a disaster – but once they’re finally together, their feelings go from 0-60 very quickly. Watching their banter morph from snarky (Rory, despite his fear, is not afraid to take potshots at Arthur) to sweet was one of my favorite parts of the book, and I highlighted so many of their exchanges. I loved how clearly they saw each other – there’s a particularly sweet moment where Rory brings lunch to Arthur because he realizes that Arthur will probably forget to eat and no one else will think to do that for him. Despite the slow burn, there’s still plenty angsty sexual tension, but besides some kissing and making out, the actual sex is off-page. The fade-to-black was unexpected but worked for me, as I think their relationship dynamics were well explored outside the bedroom.

All the supporting characters were well done, including the villains, and they’re actually reflective of the diversity of 1920s NYC. The world building was well done. I don’t know much about the 1920s, but enough of the social structure was explained so that the characters’ actions made sense without feeling like I’d dropped into a history lesson. The paranormal elements were deceptively simple and easy to understand, though they were deep enough that I was left wanting to more about what other sorts of abilities existed. For the most part, the pacing worked for me, though I was more invested in the romantic tension than the rest of the plot. The way the book ends leaves no doubt that this is the first book in a series, with several plot lines left dangling, but I felt like the major conflict of the book was resolved well enough.

Overall, this was an enjoyable debut, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next book in the series. If you’re looking for a book with a heart of gold hero, a prickly younger hero, and lots of snarky/adorable banter, I highly recommend this book!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I got lost in this book. Lost, I tell ya! This story of magic set in 1920s NYC during Prohibition hooked me from the very first sentence, and I had trouble putting it down. The setting is written so perfectly that I felt as though I was running the city streets with Rory, sneaking into a hidden club to have a drink with Arthur, and freezing my butt off at Coney Island. The world-building is phenomenal, the character development is amazing, and the magic is...well, magical. The book ends on a cliffhanger of sorts, but not to worry! This is the first in the trilogy of Therin's stunning debut.