As the 4th book in a series, this one can easily be read as a stand alone, but the reading experience will be better if you know the back stories and can see the growth of the characters in their world. That being said....

Princess Sorcha joins the defense of the elfin lands where she is captured along with a member of her extended family. Enter The Woodman, an expert in keeping to himself who must decide what action to take when he witnesses the battle and abduction of Sorcha. The story is well defined, Kerrelyn Sparks is one of my "followed" authors because she gives her characters so much detail that you easily "see" them and recognize their characters. The battles between the elves and the invaders are heart felt, the elves must protect their lands since they have no where else to go. The Woodman has the skills that will not only let him save the princess but the day. But each battle brings this community to the edge of their limited resources. How will they keep fighting? You will just have to read the book. Then you too, will add Kerrelyn Sparks to your list of favorites.

Kerrelyn Sparks does it again.

I'm not always one for romance books, but I absolutely loved the Love at Stake series for a long time and I knew I would have to check out the next fantasy series put out by this author. I've always enjoyed how she writes and I look forward to finishing the whole series.

Five girls princess were exile to island to keep them safe and see if they can bring peace to their world .As they get older each will met people who will want to kill them and stop the prophesy the Princess will marry their mates who with their help will change their world. This is the fourth princess Sorcha and the Woodman story. When Gwennore mother invites her to her land for a meet all is not what it seem during a battle Sorcha is left behind when she stop to rescue Gwennore brother in law who was injured during battle. They both get capture and its up to the Woodman to try and save them. The story was very well written in that it pulls the reader into their world the last book written about a year ago and after reading a little abut the other sister one remember the story. This Is Sorcha adventure which has Elves an tree and magic. I enjoyed the marriage of romance and action they are companions in this story. Ms Spark has written a story that can be read alone or as part of series it also very hard to put down.

In full disclosure, I have already read the previous book for this series, but I still found myself confused. How to Love Your Elf is a continuation of The Embraced Series, yet at the same time it is the first novel of the Embraced by Magic series-- this leads to confusion for the readers, is it the beginning of a series or should I read the other three previous books of the series. The answer would be yes, you do need to read the other three books as previous characters from the other books are talked about and tend to pop up now and again in the pages.

Once you get over the confusion, How to Love Your Elf is a guilty pleasure to read if you love fantasy books focusing mostly on the "hate to love" troupe of romance stories-- which I do love.

I love Kerrelyn Sparks. This was a great story that I couldn’t put down! I can’t wait to see what happens next in this series.

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

I wasn't aware this was the fourth in a series, but that didn't matter. This was a unique romance with an otherworldly aspect. Not my usual type of book, but enjoyed nonetheless.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. Wow what can I say about this title it was just an awesome read. This book was just something so wonderfully different I’ve never quite read anything like this. You should read to find out you won’t be disappointed. I’m definitely going to read more by this author.

OMG I loved this book. So unique, Kerrelyn Sparks grabs you by the heart and just takes you for a ride so unforgettable that you wouldn't know how to look out. Brilliant!

How to Love Your Elf is both fourth in a series and first in a series, which is a little confusing if you don't know that she switched publishers in the middle and while this book is about the fourth of five sisters-by-choice, it stands alone very well. Series readers will recognize the first three couples, but I am new to the series (this is actually my first by Sparks) and I was able to enjoy it. The hero is something of a Robin Hood character with the ability to speak to trees and control wooden objects and the heroine is a princess with control of fire. It's enemies-to-lovers but quickly turns into allies-to-lovers and while I think HTLYE is stronger as a fantasy than as a romance, I enjoyed it a lot. Enough that I plan to circle back and read the first three.

If you're looking for a fantasy romance series with world-building that's both familiar and fresh enough to not be boring, these books are worth checking out.

It's my first book written by Kerrelyn Sparks. I am a big fan of paranormal romance, so this was a nice surprise. I was unaware of the series, so it will standalone without missing a beat. I received this book from the Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.

The story was fast moving from the start. Feisty Sorcha is rescued from kidnappers by a mysterious Alpha male only known as the Woodsman. Sorcha and the Woodsman's story was a bit of a Fairy Tale with a host of mythical creatures. Kingdoms won and lost. Evil Queens. Romance was a slow burn, but steamy. What a great escape! I am hooked on their world and need to read all the books!

I've been a Sparks fan for many years and this one didn't let me down! I didn't realize this was a continuation from a previous series so I did have to go back and read the others, which, wasn't a hardship!

I covered this book on Frolic

I've really enjoyed Kerrelyn's fantasy series and HOW TO LOVE YOUR ELF is a great continuation. The characters were fresh and emotional. And sexy! Brava! Can't wait for the next one!

I liked it! It was a fun, paranormal romance. I did not know that it was fourth in a series, and now I definitely plan to go back and read the others. The attraction between the two characters felt a little forced at times. And there was a little too much fluff for my taste. But it is a lovely diversion of a book.

First, despite the series name change, this is actually book 4 in the Embraced series. So having this listed as Embraced by Magic #1 could be very misleading to those that may be new to the series. You could read this first, but you will be missing the back story of all the other sisters and areas. I do recommend reading the Embraced series first.

I really enjoyed the mystery behind the Woodsman. His connection to the kingdoms and the trees kept things interesting. He has earned the devotion and adoration of many people.

Sorcha was not my favorite sister. She definitely relied too heavily on the stone's predictions. The feelings between Sorcha and The Woodsman were fought despite being a pretty much instant attraction just because The Woodsman did not meet what Sorcha's interpretation of the stone's prediction. I guess that is probably a good thing as it made the story last a bit longer.

The romance was definitely secondary to the wars being fought. As the previous books we work toward having a kingdom being run by an ally. The mystery of the Circle of Five is still alive and we get hints on who the members are. I was much more interested in the building of the mystery and world over the romance. Sorcha was just a bit silly for me.

I'm looking forward to the next book since Brody is a favorite character of mine. Also, the sister I'm assuming is his match is much more level headed I think. Definitely going to continue on to the next book!

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book has a little bit of everything for the adult fantasy lover. Dragons, battles, betrayal, potions, royalty and even steamy sex scenes. I'm not a big fan of fantasy, but I really enjoyed this one. The characters were cheesey but I really enjoyed reading about them. The insta-love, and other love situations, in this book are equally as cheesey, but yet again so damn enjoyable. It's like that movie that you know isn't great but you're just enjoying it too much to care.

Good story! Quirky and fun, sexy and fantastic. The story catches you and the characters are great. I really enjoyed this. Fun and lifht , this book is great to while away the day.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shelby – ☆☆☆☆
3.75 Stars
How to Love Your Elf was an interesting, if not slightly confusing, romantic fantasy story. I would have appreciated knowing that there were books that preceded this, prior to picking it up.

Apparently, in this world there are multiple kingdoms that are ruled by different types of beings (e.g., humans, dragons, elves), and the elves are the least liked in the world. When the Norveshka enter the elven lands, all hell breaks loose, and Sorcha is among the casualties. This story really picks up once we meet the Woodsman. The magic comes alive, and the characters all have a story to tell!

The world building was mediocre, some areas were well built while others were just okay. The action scenes were told rather than shown. The romance was quick to take, with both characters quickly falling for the other, but of course it's denied.

Overall, I liked this world and the characters. I enjoyed Sorcha's wit and sass! I am disappointed that I started in the middle of the series and I think I may just start The Embraced series from book one.


Erica – ☆☆☆
3.5 Stars

How to Love Your Elf is the first installment in the Embraced by Magic series, while also the spin-off of The Embraced series, listed as the fourth novel. Since I hadn't read its predecessor, I can confidently say I was prepared to go on a long diatribe in my review over how I found confusion, like I was dropped in the middle of a book, with events laundry listed for me, info-dumpage, which is what made me drop my rating to 3.5 stars. After reading and discovering this was the fourth installment, I do wish to go back and start at the beginning. BUT, and this is a huge BUT, I wish I had known that from the start.

My recommendation to readers who haven't read The Embraced series yet, go do that first to save yourself a ton of confusion, frustration, where you'll be emotionally connected to the story by starting at the beginning. This would add to the entertainment value.

Yet to figure out why authors/publishers do this to their readers.

It's been a good decade since I read a Kerrelyn Sparks novel, and I was more than curious once this debut in a brand-new series popped up (until I came to Goodreads to post my review, I didn't know it was a spin-off, to be honest). As I said, I'm swallowing down my need to vent over a mega pet-peeve of mine...

What to expect when reading Kerrelyn Sparks: romance, action, suspense, paranormal elements to bring the excitement, banter and push-pull between the hero and heroine. But the one signature element is humor. Sometimes it's cheesy slapstick, usually it's self-deprecating, with plenty of moments where the reader experiences secondhand embarrassment for the narrator. If this was Goldilocks and the Three Bears, I'd say the humor is Just Right.

Sorcha is stubborn and independent, which are good traits if not used to make a heroine who is willful and fiery at the expense of logical thinking. I'm all for an empowered heroine, because that always strongly resonates with me. But Sorcha's actions and reactions could be a bit difficult to swallow at times. Other than Sparks telling the reader that Sorcha is fiery in spirit, I didn't really see it. The traits didn't match her mindset and actions.

How about that Woodsman, eh? (blushing smirky face) (being vague to avoid spoilers)

While I was entertained, and mostly frustrated, I'm glad I read the novel, as it gave me a taste of an author I hadn't read in many, many years. It put The Embraced series on my radar, which I'll will eventually get around to reading from the start.

I do highly recommend to fans of the author, as How to Love Your Elf is a good representation of her writing style. I definitely recommend that you go back and read the original series first to avoid confusion.

A note to publishers and authors: STOP doing that bait and switch BS. If it's a part of another series, don't call it a debut and brand-new. Just saying... you'll lose readers like me who have that at the top of our pet-peeve lists.

Oh, it was a lot of fun to be back in this world! I'm glad that we're going to get all 5 of the sister's stories, because they all deserve to get happy endings! And Sorcha is such a great character-she puts on a brave front, but is scared of loving anyone else, for fear of losing them. Not fun!

I really enjoyed Sorcha and Woodsman, whose name we don't get till further in, because yeah, it's kinda a spoiler. But there's a bit of a pattern in this series, about hidden identities and connections to the ruler. I enjoyed finding out what that was for this book!

There are several events that happen regarding the Five. Like, we find out a pretty shocking reveal, that is going to be interesting to deal with! And we find out the identity of another member. So there's only 2 that we don't know, I think it's mentioned.

We're left with a uncertain note with Brody, and since he and Maeve are the stars of the 5th and I think final book, well, certainly means that that trouble is going to be part of his story, and I can't wait for that! I know it's going to be a different, since all 4 mainland countries are ruled by her sisters, so Maeve probably won't end up a ruler, unless it's for shifters or something...

This was a fantastic read, I enjoyed it so much, and I can't wait to see how it all ends!

So although this is a first in a new series it is also a continuation book four to the Embraced series. So full discourse I have not read the first three books. Although I haven't read those titles I still had fun with this story. I could not put it down and I can not wait for more. This story was all about hidden magical powers and more and wow it was good. Great paced and man I need more!

I loved this book so much. I really can't wait for the last book in the series to be published. I still think it's stupid that this series got broken up into two different series because of a publisher change.