Publisher: Self-Published
Page Count: 70
Release Date: February 3rd, 2019
Series: THE HARWOOD SPELLBOOK, Book 2.5
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars – Liked it!
Warning: Possible light spoilers ahead for earlier books in the series. You can read reviews for those books here: SNOWSPELLED, THORNBOUND
It’s been six months since the events that nearly closed the doors at the Thornfell College of Magic before it even opened. Six months with only strained letters between aspiring magician Julianna and her secret fiancée Caroline. The two have kept their relationship secret to protect Caroline’s career from the scandal of marrying a non-magician, but with Thornfell openly teaching women, that barrier should be a thing of the past. Julianna hopes the upcoming ball at Thornfell will give the two women a chance to reconnect, but a chance encounter with a fey guardian makes the stakes for the evening much higher than either woman anticipated.
MOONTANGLED is a charming short story that will give all the warm fuzzies to fans of THE HARWOOD SPELLBOOK. This time, the focus is on side characters Julianna and Caroline as they navigate the social expectations of a politician to marry a magician. While Cassandra Harwood (lead of the previous books) makes only a brief appearance, I was glad to spend more time with the other attendees of the school; were these stories longer, I would be eager for fleshed out interactions with all the students.
If you have a dislike for the miscommunication trope, you might bounce off this story a bit, as it relies on two characters acting with what they think are the best of intentions, completely misreading the other person’s motivations. At the end of the day, you’ll still find an HEA as the two women have to work together to appease the fey creature they accidentally ran into.
As always, entries in THE HARWOOD SPELLBOOK series simply leave you wanting more, especially the case of this relatively short story. I’d recommend binging these tales in a short burst, to consolidate the regency fantasy romance glow into one powerful package.
Oh no, not the miscommunication trope! I’m not sure if that or the instalove trope is my least favorite. Great review, though. It’s quite a short book–is it geared towards middle grade or YA?
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It’s adult level, more a short story. If you’re curious about the setting, I’d recommend starting with SNOWSPELLED, which is a longer novella-length entry.
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