Goodreads Blurb

*** *** *** 

Review
My rating - 3.5 Stars

I've read an really enjoyed Ms Cosway's previous book, Still Life with Strings (my review), and after seeing the blurb for thus one, featuring an illusionist, I was more than excited to read it. It was a nice romantic story with some elements of suspence and I liked it but didn't love it as I hoped.

The story is told from the heroine's, Matilda, POV. She came off a too naive, especially in the beginning, and even though she had little experience with men, her total obviousness towards Jay's reactions/feelings for her, didn't seem convincing and I found it mostly annoying. She acted Ms Goody Two-Shoes most of the time and it took me while to warm up to her. Through her relationship with Jay she became more adventurous, dared to take some risks (albeit some stupid ones) and I liked the her growth into her own self, as a young independent woman who is not afraid to experience love.

Jay, on the other hand, made the book work for me. He was a very interesting character, absolutely mesmerizing, truly magical. He kept playing tricks on people, playing with their emotions and despite some disputable choices, he was a noble guy fighting for a good cause. Jay was drop-dead gorgeous and I found his pursuit of Matilda endearing and romantic in an old-fashioned way, even when he put things between them on hold just to protect her and to give her a fair chance to be with with him without lies and secrets between them, really endeared him to me.

Plot wise, I felt the beginning (him coming to their firm to seek a lawyer and ending up taking lodging with her and her dad) was too contrived. It was unrealistic but gradually the story got better, it picked up pace and the final 1/3 was great - fast-paced and intense, all the puzzle pieces finally falling into place. The mystery was no mystery for the reader, since the prologue of the story made things pretty clear, yet Matilda was ignorant about that till the very end. This put her in somewhat of a disadvantage since she appeared clueless a lot of time and even made some poor decisions because she didn't know the facts. 

I wish there was more emphasis on the magic shows and people who make them happen. I felt Jay was presented more as a man on a mission to revenge the evil done to him and to win his woman, than as an artist creating illusions and doing magic tricks for a living.

It's a intense romance with some magic and mystery, some hot sexy times and some suspense which I can recommend to all fans of the genre.

*** *** *** 

Excerpt

Jay tugs on my hand and leads me out to the back garden, where the sun is shining down warmly. “I created a magic trick just for you. I think I have it perfected.”

“For me? Seriously?” I ask in delight. He hands me what looks like a small beige chicken’s egg, placing it in my upturned palm.

“It’s an egg,” I say, stating the obvious.

Jay nods. “Just keep watching.” He passes his hand over it once, and it starts to crack, like maybe there’s a tiny chick inside. Then he passes his hand over the top of it again, and it cracks completely open. I gasp with surprise as five gorgeous red and black butterflies with white spots practically explode from the shell, their wings flapping through the air. They flutter all around me, and my heart lifts when one of them comes to sit on my shoulder.

“Oh, wow,” I whisper, smiling like crazy and trying my hardest not to move. Another comes and sits on my hand, tickling me and making me giggle.

When I look at Jay, his eyes are shining bright under the sun as he soaks up my reaction, his mouth curving ever so slightly at the edges. I’m not even going to ask him how he did it. I’m locked in his spell, and I don’t want to break it.

“That was amazing,” I say to him when the butterflies have all finally flown away.

Stepping closer, he takes my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Look at those eyes, so full of wonder. I love your reactions. They make me feel like I can reclaim the childhood I never had.”

His heartfelt words make my throat tighten with empathy. I feel like hugging him, but I can’t. It would be…too much.