I really enjoyed Spellbound's setting of 1920s New York with paranormal elements and it reminded me of a mashup of romances by Tamara Allen and KJ Charles. I also thought that the two protagonists had a great romantic dynamic, but found that we just didn't spend enough time with them together on the page to really make the most of this, and I think the fade-to-black scenes didn't help this. The paranormal threat plot didn't entirely work for me and I felt like it distracted from the romance a bit too much. This was an interesting start to a series and I did like the diverse cast of background characters and pro-immigration message, so hope the next book will just hit the spot a bit more for me in giving more page time to the relationship.

Spellbound is the first book in Allie Therin’s Magic in Manhattan series of m/m historical romance novels. As soon as I heard about this book on Twitter, I made a request on Netgalley, and was thrilled to pieces when it was approved.

First of all, most of the m/m historicals I’ve read have been either Regency-era or Victorian. I don’t think I’ve read anything else set in the 1920s, so my interest was already piqued based on setting alone… but then Therin is throwing MAGIC into the mix?

Sign me up!

Rory and Arthur come from completely different worlds. Rory is a scruffy orphan who works in his aunt’s antique shop, and Arthur is the wealthy son of a congressman. There’s also a bit of an age difference- Rory is 20 and Arthur is 28. Their paths cross when Arthur discovers that Rory has the ability to “scry”; he can touch an object and see its provenance. They don’t get along very well, but they are going to have to work together if they are going to defeat the magical threat before it destroys the city.

Needless to say, as Rory and Arthur begin to spend more time together, the former realizes that the latter isn’t so bad, and there is a lot of shy looks and second-guessing of feelings, and oh my goodness, the slow burn was exquisite!

Unlike some m/m historical paranormal series, magic doesn’t play a large role in Spellbound/Magic in Manhattan. This is ironic, given the series name, but seriously- there’s an undercurrent of magic throughout New York, and many of Arthur’s associates have abilities, but that’s just correlation. The general population has no idea that magic/extraordinary abilities are real. In fact, there are several instances in which uncanny happenings are attributed to drunkenness… which reminds me- 1925 means Prohibition- and that certainly added an interesting element to the story.

This book combines tropes: enemies to lovers and slow burn. The former isn’t too pronounced; there isn’t true animosity; more like preconceived notions, especially Rory regarding Arthur. But oh my gosh- the slow burn was amazing. The reader knows that Rory likes Arthur and vice versa, but they both doubt their own feelings for more than half the book. So, there may have been some actual squealing on my when they finally kissed.

I would absolutely recommend Spellbound to fans of m/m historical paranormal series. Even if you’ve only read regular m/m historicals, I would still recommend this book as a good introduction to the paranormal genre. I’m so pleased to have discovered Therin, and I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Set in 1925 New York City, Spellbound follows Rory Brodigan, a twenty-year-old with the ability to see objects’ history, and Arthur Kenzie, a twenty-eight-year-old former soldier. Arthur has a relic, one of seven items that once were bound to specific paranormals and their magic, and is in search of a psychometric and thinks he’s found one in Mrs. Brodigan, owner of the shop where Rory works and his adoptive aunt. When he meets Rory, Arthur originally intends to use him as a means to get close to Mrs. Brodigan until he realizes the one with psychometric abilities is Rory. Arthur is very protective, and Rory brings all those protective instincts to the forefront, but Rory refuses to allow himself to be wrapped up in cotton and kept safe. What results is a paranormal adventure while Rory and Arthur develop feelings for one another.

I really enjoyed this book and in some ways I’m reminded of Jordan L Hawk’s Whyborne & Griffin series. There is some period-realistic fears around sexuality causing a scandal, but that isn’t the biggest point of conflict and in actuality both Ace and Rory have a very supportive chosen family. I do wish we got to see Arthur’s family because it sounds like they’re close, but as the series sounds like it’ll continue following Rory and Arthur, I’m hoping there’ll be some familial scenes to look forward to.

One of my biggest qualms with this book is Rory’s name. He’s been going by Rory for the last four years after escaping an asylum and faking his death. What bothered me is when Arthur learned his given name, he’d randomly call him by that name rather than Rory, and as a trans reader this bothers me because it comes across as only real name is the one given to you. The narration never uses Rory’s previous name, though there are a couple instances where Rory uses it for himself. It just read in a way that was unsettling to me and raised a lot of feelings around names we use and why and what we actually get called.

I loved the buildup of the romance because there is such delicious mutual pining happening. There’s a bit of each of them believing the other doesn’t like men (especially given era) and a few instances where Arthur is hesitant to experience attraction in the states because he doesn’t want to cause scandal for his (politically affiliated) family members. The pacing did feel sudden after the first kiss, but at the same time there was already such a deep connection between Rory and Arthur, and I really enjoyed this. Can’t wait to see the continuing development of their relationship!

As for the story, that is quite wonderful. If you like historical paranormal fiction, this will probably be right up your alley. There is an element of mystery as Arthur and his friends, Jade and Zhang, try to figure out the power of the relic in their possession as well as learning another relic is coming to the states and needing to learn about it before anyone can be harmed. I loved the magic and the setting was masterfully done. I loved the details that really set the tone for 1920s NYC during prohibition.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical-paranormal romances with elements of mystery. Wonderful setting, interesting magic, and a sweet romance all wrapped together!

I adored this. 1920s NYC. Lovable and grouchy MC in Rory. Caring and slightly overbearing MC in Ace. And the side characters? Diverse and unique and wonderful. YES PLEASE TO MORE OF THEM. Excellent antagonists too.

I got this arc from Netgalley and am now impatiently awaiting book two.

In a surprising turn, I might actually be a fan of historical fantasy/paranormal romances. Spellbound is the second such book I’ve read this year (three if we count The True Queen) where I slip easily into the story and never fight the setting. The worldbuilding in Spellbound is complete and unobtrusive, so there’s never a sense of missing a detail or puzzle pieces that don’t fit. But the best thing about the book is actually the relationship between Arthur and Rory.

Arthur is a wealthy, connected, non-magical man with strong tendencies towards being overprotective. In spite of being a “mundane” (non-magical), his friends are very magical and are working with him to help keep evil magic from destroying New York. However, he needs the help of a very specific type of magical person, and that person happens to be Rory, a reckless and vulnerable recluse who fears that his magic may overtake him and leave him in a vision or drive him mad. Anyway, there’s some plot.

Because I favor the relationship story over external plot any day, the resistance these two put up on their way to falling in love is my everything. Rory can’t believe that someone as handsome, cultured, and charming as Arthur would actually choose poor, orphaned, awkward him. And Arthur can’t imagine that talented and brave Rory would choose someone as privileged and predictable as Arthur.

Except here’s what really got me. I am a very overprotective person and I felt rather exposed reading Arthur. There are all these people that Arthur cares about and all he wants is for them to be safe and because he has the means, he wants to protect them. Then, Rory barges into his life and, for the first time, someone wants to take care of him by making him coffee and cooking. The role of caretaker is flipped and shared, and there’s some lovely plot about Rory binding himself to Arthur. (Read the book please.)

A lot of the tension in the romance is built around neither Arthur nor Rory thinking they deserve each other, while also worrying about whether the other is interested in men. Most of the time this works, but it can also feel a bit worn when Rory is worried that Arthur, with all his money and prestige, couldn’t want someone like Rory again. But this is a minor quibble for me because the insecurities are honest, even if they could have been settled earlier.

My biggest issues with the book (and they are minor) are the scenes when Rory is scrying an object. For some reason, these dragged for me, possibly because of the tense change that threw me out of the story a touch. Also, there’s so much emotion in the rest of the book that these emotionless and omniscient visions feel stark in comparison. This makes up so little of the book that my biggest issues are very minor compared to everything I loved.

With that said, this book is adorable in a sort of gritty way, but not too gritty. It’s a strange balance, but done well. Spellbound reminded me of a Jordan L. Hawk book with a bit less gore and violence.




Content warnings: dead mother, violence, crappy father (described), past in an asylum




Margrethe received a digital copy of this book for review from the publisher via NetGalley.

Rory Brodigan has a gift: he can see the history of an object. The danger is he can sometimes get trapped in the history of an object and lose time, sometimes even days. When the woman he works for brings an object locked in a box and tells him the client, Arthur Kenzie said not to look at it yet, Rory’s curiosity is too great and he takes a peak. A very overwhelming peak.

Arthur is, at first, bemused by the young man who comes to him in a fury, but when he realizes what happened, his protective instincts are engaged. Having dedicated his life to protecting the world from dangerous objects and people with powers, protecting Rory comes naturally to him. Rory, however, vehemently doesn’t want to be protected. That doesn’t stop him from behind powerfully attracted to Arthur, an attraction that is returned.

Now a dangerous magical object is on the way to New York. Word of Rory’s powers have gotten out and he’s in danger. Now, Arthur and Rory have to come together to protect the city and each other.
So, I love this book. It is not only really well written, but the characters are just delightful. All of them. Even the villains were incredibly sympathetic and you kind of wanted to give them hugs even though they were trying to do horrible things. Arthur was amazing; I’m a sucker for hero who wants to protect everyone around him. He’s very well named and made me think of King Arthur in his best incarnation. Rory was wonderful, too. A young man, dealing with incredible powers and battling well-founded fears as a result.

This book also had a couple of my favorite tropes. One is a little spoilery, so I won’t say it, but the other is when characters call each other by special names. Not nicknames, but secret, earned names that just they can get away with calling the other person by. I just melt when that happens.

In summary: great plot that moves along at a great pace and keeps you wanting to read more, fantastic characters, good use of historical events (specifically Prohibition) and a good sense of atmosphere. This is definitely a series I’ll be keeping my eye on and following as it unfolds.

I feel privileged to have gotten to read this as an ARC. The prose is great, the characters are great, and I am now a fan of Allie Therin. Not only all that, the typos are very rare! Awesome work, awesome story, so glad there will be more.

If you enjoy feisty romances, mid-1920s historicals, New York City, and very interesting magic worldbuilding, this is for you, too. it comes out July 29. Pre-order!

This is a really fun, fast-paced and imaginative historical fantasy romance/adventure set in 1925 New York, with mobsters, mysterious amulets and a wonderfully diverse cast full of fantastic, lovable characters. It has a really warm, cozy feel, and I enjoyed everything about it except that one of the two romantic heroes, Rory, read to me as so much younger than 20 years old (the age that he was meant to be). It was made very clear in the book that he was an adult, but for some reason, he read more like a teenager to me in his ways of talking and of seeing the world...which made the otherwise sweet romance storyline a little less enjoyable for me (since the other hero felt like the 28 years old that he was meant to be, and I kept having to remind myself that no, this was actually okay, that Rory was supposed to be 20, not 17, etc).

However, other readers may not have that same issue at all, and I enjoyed the fantasy adventure elements a LOT (as well as all of the other wonderful characters in their world!), so I'll definitely be reading the next book in this series.

4.5 Stars

What do you know, this book hit the spot just right!! Allie Therrin’s debut and first in a new paranormal LGBTQ romance series “Magic in Manhattan” is off to a good start. Set in alternate 1920s New York, SPELLBOUND is a blend of heterogeneity. It brought the least likely pair together; a grouchy and prickly young paranormal in hiding and a former WWI soldier who happened to be the youngest scion of the city’s well-known and wealthy family.

Rory Brodigan hid his true self and was redirecting his magic to find counterfeit antiques. Arthur “Ace” Kenzie accidentally found out the truth when he ask the shop where Rory worked to scry a supernatural relic. When another powerful relic arrived in New York in the hand of some corrupted and dangerous people, Ace and Rory must find a way to intercept it.

I‘m strangely not too fond of books (or movies) with prohibition era setting. Strange because I don’t drink, so I can’t say I empathize with the characters to be devoid of alcohol. Although, I made a few exception when the storyline or characters clicked with me. This is one of those instances. I truly enjoyed Therrin’s writing style; the pace of the story, the character and world building, all done meticulously in phases.

The book started slowly and pick up the pace as the anticipation built toward the peak of the action. The dynamics between our two leading men were nothing if not swoon-worthy. Rory was so suspicious and irritable while Ace was indulgent yet overprotective. The back and forth between Rory and Ace as the later coaxed the other out of his reclusion, the growing trust and lingering doubt, even their disagreement had me smiling like an idiot with the cuteness of it all. It’s been a while since I read a couple with equally adorable yet maddening impact that hit just right. What’s more, it’s early day for Ace and Rory yet, they still had more to learn (and adjust) about and with each other

I mentioned earlier the heterogeneity of this book. Not only it shows from Ace’s cabal of talented paranormal associates, the premises made the situation glaringly real and evoked (reader’s) feeling ...even toward some underserving ones. Jade and Zhang especially stole point with their unusual courting.

All things said, I did have a tiny miff with the way Ace and his crew handling the case - at least I wish they were better prepared. I’m off two minds about it really as on the one hand I still loved this book as it is. But really, the way Ace and Jade had been at it, I thought they had better plan!! Granted, what transpired fit the plot nicely (well, duh of course!). Still, having basically taking a leisure walk to up and sprint at the last few chapters was so not good for my poor heart. This niggle aside, I’m glad to find this gem of a story and absolutely can’t wait for the following sequels to be released!


Copy of this book is kindly given by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review excerpted from my blog post over at FanSciHist (https://fanscihist.wordpress.com/2019/07/03/spellbound-by-allie-therin/)

My Rating: 5 stars

Library recommendation: Recommended for public library Romance, Fantasy/Paranormal Romance, and/or LGBTQIA collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.


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Number of titles I have read by this author: 1

Love story speed: Medium burn

Relationship dynamics: The Paranormal in Hiding (H1) / The Politician’s Son (H2)

Sexual content: Some. Sex is “off-screen”, foreplay “on-screen”; some mild description after the fact.

Triggers: Some violence; intolerance of diverse sexual orientations (due to historical setting)

Grammar/Editing: This ARC had a couple of minor typos.

Review: The pacing of this book was excellent and even. The historical details, down to the 1920s Hell’s Kitchen slang, seem accurate based on cursory research of various details referenced in the story. The fantasy elements in the book are consistent throughout and it is obvious that the author spent a lot of time putting the structure of this paranormal world together.

The relationship between Rory/Teddy and Arthur/Ace really tugs at the heartstrings and left me with the warm fuzzies – so much so that I re-read passages as I was going through the book, and I already plan to re-read the novel right away. Arthur/Ace is a worldly and cautious man and tends to be overprotective, but not in an aggressive way, which is refreshing. Rory/Teddy is inexperienced and unsure of himself, but he is also a spunky and lovable scamp. The supporting characters are well-developed, fascinating and, best of all, are the supports that the main characters need, leaving the conflict to the villains. The villains are similarly well-developed and very interesting in their own right. While I would love to see these characters have stories of their own, this book does end in a bit of a cliffhanger and it seems as though Ace and Rory will still be the main characters in the subsequent books in the series – and I will be with them all the way!

Italian Version: Divertente, fantastico, bello, commovente!



Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

although I feel like the plot of Spellbound was a little bit lacking and disperse in places, I can’t give this book any less stars knowing that I very genuinely enjoyed every minute of reading it!! it was a fun and light read, with a magic system that’s very easy to follow, and a weightlessly seamless world building.

now, hear me out. Spellbound a very strong debut and an even more powerful beginning to what is sure to be an amazing series, but it definitely strays more towards the line of romance than it does full-on fantasy, and that’s not a bad thing at all!! I love Arthur and Rory and would deadass die for them, but I unquestionably wanted to know more about the magic system and the fantasy aspects of this world. every single power manifested within the characters was SO interesting, and other than Rory’s skills, we barely got to see any of them display the full extent of their abilities and I’m not kidding when I say I’m still REELING from that ending. I have no idea when the next book might be coming out, but you best believe I’ll be the first in line to pre-order because I really want to see this world, and its characters, develop fully into what I KNOW for a fact is a powerful world with a TON of potential.

Allie Therin’s writing is magnificent, and Spellbound hits exactly on the right kind of tropes without ever falling on the trashy side of romance. you have the attractive age gap, the overprotectiveness of one character over the other, the slow burn, the “will-they-won’t-they”, and I could go on forever. I *do* wish Arthur and Rory had fallen into some sort of angst at some point (I mean..... love really isn’t that easy) but I’m happy with where the characters left off and I really want to see where their relationship lands within the next books of the series.

all in all, though, I feel like Spellbound is a very safe read. perhaps too safe. it deviates from the risky at all costs, plot-wise and character-wise. I love it, but I really want to see some grit!! building strong characters isn’t easy but I do feel like Allie Therin has only just scratched the surface of what seems to be a beautifully fascinating world, and I want more. I want to dive deeper. thanks again to Harlequin and Carina Press for providing a free copy of Spellbound!!

Wow! What an outstanding read. Allie Therin is a new-to-me author I will absolutely be reading again, and I cannot wait to read further installments in this series. I was so taken by Rory and Arthur and the dynamic, incredible cast of characters in this Prohibition-era paranormal thriller. Rory and Arthur have scorching chemistry from their first meeting, but I enjoyed how the book drew out their initial interactions instead of delivering on the romance straight away, and I appreciated how this gave them the opportunity to learn about each other first, as well as developing meaningful friendships with the other characters too. I found the book well-balanced that way, deftly navigating the thriller/mystery elements of the plot as well as the romance aspects, and the pacing and flow of the book is exceptional. While I thought the editing could have been a little tighter at the prose level, I found Therin's writing style deft, consistent, and very readable, walking a fine line between polished and nuanced without ever coming across as purple or too literary for the genre. Really just an exceptional book over all and a wonderful start to an exciting series.

Spellbound introduces this world of magic a little after World War II, the prohibition is still in place, and people with magic seem to not be the norm but part of the world. In this world we meet Rory Brodigan who works in an antique shop finding counterfeit items, his gift of being able to touch objects and see their past is of great help here but he's scared of being discovered. In this he meets Arthur Kenzie, son of a politician who seems to be everything Rory should be afraid of. This he discovers is not the case. Rory is brought along in the search of relics, magic artifects that could have dire consequences for everyone in the world especially if fallen into the wrong hands. With a cast of other amazing paranormals and Rory's adoptive aunt/boss, he's immersed in a new world.

I loved this book, all the characters, the worldbuilding and everything about the storyline, I was caught from the first word and I couldn't put down the book until the last. I'm very much looking forward to the sequel and maybe checking out what other books the author has written

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. What a great book , I really enjoyed it. Highly recommend to everyone.

I received a free copy from the publisher through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

One day an author I follow on Facebook shared the Netgalley link to this book. I have to admit I might not have checked it out otherwise as the cover didn’t really catch my attention, but when I read the blurb I was sold. And I am so glad I got approved for a copy as this book was so good. The combination or historical elements, paranormal and romance is a great combination and I quickly grew to like the characters and become invested in the story.

Spellbound is told from dual point of view of both Arthur and Rory. Arthur isn’t a paranormal, but he has friends who are and he is aware magic exists. He and his friends are looking for a paranormal with specific powers who can help them and that’s how they stumble upon Rory. Rory is a paranormal with the power to see the past of items, he sometimes gets lost in the visions without a way to get out of the visions. He fears for his sanity at times and now spends most of time scrying items at an antique shop.

This book is a romance story and a paranormal story in one and it also has some historical elements. The author blends all these parts together in an engaging read and once I was reading I had a hard time putting it down. I wanted to know about the characters, see Roy and Arthur fall in love and figure out how they would stop the destruction on Manhattan.

The romance and the characters were probably my favorite part of this book. Rory and Arthur are both great characters to read about, you get quite the good feel for their personalities early on. And then there is Jade, Zhang and Mrs B who are the most important side characters who are all great too.

Arthur is the type of good person who wants to help the world and other people. He’s caring and overprotective, but in the best possible way. I usually don’t care for overprotective characters as they can feel so stifling and overdone, but Arthur was overprotective in a way that made sense and not in a smothering way. He might have trouble with putting his friends in danger and would much rather sacrifice himself (and he does so when he can), but he also realizes sometimes what’s the best thing to do and he doesn’t try and control his friends their lives. One of my favorite Arthur scenes is when Rory gets drunk and he’s there for him.

Then there is Rory who has this amazing and scary paranormal power that he fears. It’s clear he has some struggles in his past and we learn part of the extend of that in this book. He’s been through a lot, but he’s still going on and fighting. He has this vulnerable part where he gets lost in his magic. But he also has a lot of bite and willing to fight for what he believes in. He has his vulnerable moments, but also has a lot of determination. It made for a great combination of characteristics. And then when he lets Arthur in and lets him be there for him, it’s the best.

Once these two characters come together the sparks fly. Rory wants to have nothing to do with Arthur at first and it’s great to see them slowly grow closer. They have some great dynamic and I really liked the scenes they have together. It was great to see them together. It has a bit of a slow burn romance at first, until later in the book when their romance progresses. I liked the build-up and sexual tension between the two. I have to say I was a bit disappointed this book had fade to black scenes. These two were so great together and I would’ve liked to see how they were in the bedroom.

The paranormal plot line surrounding the relics is also quite interesting, it moves at a bit of a slower pace, but with steady progression. I also liked how the “villains” were well done, their behavior made sense and while they did bad things I could see why they acted the way they did and that made them a lot more interesting to read about.

The world building was well done, although the focus is quite limited, but that works. It mostly focuses on the powers of the paranormal we meet and the relics. I like how the paranormal aspect was blended in the whole story and it was interesting to read about the different powers and how they worked. I also thought it was interesting to see the downside and danger in magic when things go wrong.

The historical setting at 1925 in the prohibition period was quite interesting, although I wouldn’t have minded a few more mentions here and there if only to remind me as the reader to what was normal and what not in that time. The setting did give it an unique twist and I liked the slight historical vibe. I just would’ve liked to be able to visualize a bit more of the time period and learn a bit more. On the other hand I appreciate how the focus wasn’t on the time period, it was just the backdrop for the series.

To summarize: this was so good! I had a great time reading this one. The author blends the historical, paranormal and romance elements together well. This book has great main and side characters, well done villains, an awesome slow burn romance and an interesting paranormal plot line. Arthur and Rory were such awesome main characters, I really enjoyed reading about them. Arthur is caring and protective, but his overprotectiveness was done in a way that worked and didn’t feel overdone and stifling. I loved seeing how he is there for Rory. Rory has this great combination of vulnerability due to the danger his magic poses and also has a lot of fire and bite. He has been through a lot and isn’t about to let anyone tell him what to do or endanger him and Mrs B. The romance was so well done with a great slow burn build-up that slowly burns into more. I am just a bit sad the sex scenes were fade to black. They had some great chemistry and were great together and I wanted to see how they were in the bedroom too. Jade, Zhane and Mrs B were great side characters. I also liked how the villains their behavior made sense as it made them much more interesting that way. The world building was well done. I liked learning about the different paranormal powers and the relics. The historical setting added an interesting vibe to the story, although I would’ve liked to see a bit more of the historical aspect at times to get a better feel for the time period. All in all this was an amazing read and I am excited for book 2!

Very promising debut novel and series opener. Spellbound is set in one of my favorite time periods and places, prohibition-era New York City. It features the rich, handsome Arthur "Ace" Kenzie, who has no magical powers of his own but works with paranormals to keep the world safe from dangerous magical artifacts. When he meets scrappy, grumpy Rory Brodigan, a psychometric who hides his powers from others and is resigned to gradually being driven mad by his tendency to get lost into whatever he is scrying, sparks fly. Rory is initially mistrustful of Arthur's motives and even after he begrudgingly starts to trust him, he is sure that the dashing former soldier would never go for a poor, near-sighted wreck like himself. But the bond they formed in a moment of confusion proves to be exactly what both men needed to change their lives - and maybe save them when some bad guys with magic of their own turn up.

There were definitely some weaknesses to this story. Rory acts like a hissing, spitting cat for a REALLY long time, to the point where I wouldn't have blamed Arthur for giving up on him. And then he does a very abrupt 180 degree shift to "Oh god, he's wonderful, what could he possibly see in little old me?" which is really one of my least favorite tropes (while arrogance is awful, absolute self-doubt isn't much better). Plus there's a fair amount of telling not showing in the first half with some info-dumping about Arthur's previous experiences with magic.

And yet Spellbound was a very enjoyable, page-turning read that sets up an intriguing world I want to know more about. There are lovely moments of passion and tenderness between the two MCs, and plenty of wry humor. The secondary characters are diverse and interesting in their own right (Rory's boss, Mrs. Brodigan pretty much steals the show), and the last third of the story is taut and action-packed. There's still a lot for Arthur and Rory to figure out about their relationship, and there are plenty of loose ends left about the magic plot, but there's a satisfying HFN ending.

I will definitely read the next book in the series and look forward to Allie Therin's growth as an author.

ARC provided by Net Galley in exchange for an objective review.

Spellbound was, indeed, a spellbinding work. I loved every minute of the story, and fell in love with both Arthur and Rory. Their relationship developed at a believable pace, with instant attraction but not instalove. Meanwhile, the plot was interesting and contained plenty of action and adventure. I did regret the fade-to-black sex scenes. After the slow build-up I was keen to see the characters finally get together and would have liked to have witnessed a little more of those intimate interactions, but that's a minor complaint, and it certainly didn't ruin my overall enjoyment of the story. I would like to read more from this author in the future and am definitely keen to continue the Magic in Manhattan series when book two releases next year. An easy 4.5-star read for me, and I recommend Spellbound to fans of MM fantasy looking for works that encompass memorable characters and a strong, well-written story.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

Title: Spellbound
Author: Allie Therin
Rating: 4 stars
Rep: Gay MC and bisexual (?) MC. POC side characters.

Carina Press is fast becoming a favourite publisher of mine, so I am constantly checking out their catalogue of books to request. When I saw this one, the cover and synopsis instant drew me in, 1920s New York, magic and romance? Definitely my cup of tea and this didn't disappoint.

The writing style and plot was very gripping, entertaining and engaging, I read this book in one sitting! Such a unique premise, I really loved the world/magic, I was confused at times but overall I really enjoyed it. I will admit that my knowledge of the 1920s is limited to the reading of "The Great Gatsby" at school, though.

On the whole, I really liked Arthur & Rory and their relationship, at times there were some cringy moments and at the start, I was very sceptical, but I ended up loving and rooting for them.

While the plot and characters frustrated me at times, I had a lot of fun reading this and I won't hesitate to pick up the next book!

I would definitely recommend this to people who enjoy diverse characters, unique settings and magic!


Review will be posted on my blog, closer to the release date.

This is one of those books I picked up off Netgalley because it sounded like it might be my cup of tea and, for the most part, it pretty much worked for me. It's historical urban fantasy, for lack of a better descriptor, set in the Prohibition era in the US but with added magic - a number of the characters we meet during the book have various powers and this is not generally known.

Their way of life is under threat from the import of artefacts which can be used to devastating effect by people who have these magical powers, though usually at a high cost. One of our protagonists (Rory) has such a power, in his case the ability to see the history of an object, which he uses to determine whether or not antiques are fakes and he helps his aunt run a profitable business in Hell's Kitchen. Early on, Rory crosses paths with our other protagonist (Arthur), who has no magic of his own but who hangs around with a hell of a lot of people who do - he and his friends also have a troubled history with magic and its misuse, which led to the death of people they cared about.

There's a lot to like about Spellbound, the adventure plot of which mostly hangs together well and the setting of which also promises some future issues around period-typical discrimination even if those are only alluded to in this particular book. There's enough period detail to make the setting work without falling into infodump territory or the perils of an author wanting to demonstrate that they have Done The Research.

In terms of the romance storyline, this book was on the knife-edge for me between 'these characters are delightful' and 'these characters are annoying me now' and I'm not completely sure which side they landed in the end. For a novel-length story, there's a temptation for miscommunication to get over-used and I think this was a little too heavily done here. There's only so much mileage to get out of 'surely he can't feel about me the way I feel about him?' and this was a fraction overdone for my tastes.

There's also some messing about with names, as one of our heroes is commonly known as 'Ace' and that's used interchangeably (and not always consistent with the temperature of the relationship at the time) while it's revealed partway through that Rory is actually using an assumed name and not only does he get called by both names, there's also a nickname added in too. I initially thought that Rory's big secret, one of those 'you wouldn't like me if you knew the truth'-type secrets, was that he was trans and that then led me down the wormhole of dead-naming someone, which made the name usage really not work for me.

Anyway, an enjoyable enough read even with the issues above and apparently the first of at least a trilogy, so I guess if I end up reading those then we'll see whether the author can push the characters firmly back into 'delightful' for me!

"Spellbound" is the first book of a paranormal romance set in New York during the prohibition.

Rory is a 20 year old with a special talent - he can see into the past of objects. He works in an antique shop and tries to keep his gift a secret - but then a new client appears who changes everything. Arthur doesn't have any talent of his own but is friend with several people with magical abilities, and together they try to save the world - as one does. Rory soon becomes entangled with Arthur and his group - *especially* with Arthur.

This book pulled me out of my romance reading slump, which alone is something to be said for it. I loved the setting and both the main and supporting characters - I'm a sucker for found families, and there's plenty of that here. I also liked that the sex happened behind closed doors.

Rory and Arthur were cute together, although I am a bit afraid of what's to come in the next book - I feel like I've read that sort of dynamic about a million times already (both think neither is good enough for the other and the other person is Not Serious, and neither will talk about this .. I really hope this part will turn out differently). Now that I think about it, the dynamic is similar to K.J. Charles' Magpie Lord, although Arthur is much nicer than Lucien.

With plot-heavy romances, my problem tends to be that the plot isn't gripping enough. That was true here, too - it was just rather predictable, especially the showdown.

Despite that, I enjoyed it. I read romance for the emotions, not so much the plot, and I felt like I got what I wanted in that regard. I love the world and the characters, and for me the strengths of the books made up for it's weaknesses.