Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Love’s Magic-Traci E. Hall

Love’s Magic
Traci E. Hall
Medallion, Jun 2008, $7.95
ISBN: 9781933836270

In 1192, Celestia Montehue wonders if she is adopted; her sisters are red hair amazons while she is a small blond. She also has two color eyes; one blue and the other green. There is no trace physically that she descends from the notorious Queen Boadicea, but Celestia shares in common the ability heal.

Sir Nicholas Le Blanc is a knight pledged to Baron Peregrine. While on a crusade, he and his men are assigned to protect an ancient artifact. However, they are attacked leaving all dead except Nicholas; his enemies take him prisoner and torture him. He escapes but feels guilt because he killed a woman to get away.

Celesta who vowed to never marry and Nicholas who is too mentally disturbed to marry are forced to wed in an arranged ceremony. They travel to his dilapidated keep where his mom committed suicide and still haunts the place. As she falls in love with her agonized spouse, someone murders a maid. Celestia vows to heal her husband, help his mom move on and uncover the identity of the killer if she lives long enough.

This engaging medieval paranormal amateur sleuth romance is an enjoyable tale as two broken winged lead characters find healing through LOVE’S MAGIC. Nicholas is an interesting hero, but except for his mom’s haunting very typical of twelfth century lea males. Celestia brings the magic to the fine plot as a unique individual; the oldest sister who's towered over by her younger protective siblings, she feels so different from them. Her courage makes for a wonderful story as she tries to help her mother-in-law the ghost, solve a murder, and heal her spouse all in one novel.

Harriet Klausner

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