How to Love Your Elf by Kerrelyn Sparks

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Embraced by Magic, #1 * (This is a new series with a new publisher – but it is a continuation of a previous series call The Embraced by a different publisher.)

Release Date: February 25, 2020

Fans of Kerrelyn Sparks original “Embraced” series will be delighted to learn that this new series takes us back to Aerthlan and picks up where that one left off!

Sorcha has sworn off love, she is determined to escape the fate the telling stones predicted and not fall in love, especially not with an elf! She is in Norvshka with her brother King Silas and his new bride Gwennore, when Gwen gets a letter from her mother Princess Jenetta of the Elven country of Woodwyn, requesting to meet her. Sorcha insists on going with her and soon it is clear that the letter was a ruse and they are ambushed. Gwen and Silas escape, but when the dragon shifter Aleksi is injured, he and Sorcha are captured by the Elves.

An outlaw elf known as the Woodsman witnesses the battle and helps them escape, he too is “embraced” and has the power to manipulate wood and can communicate with the trees. He is immediately attracted to Sorcha, but he has a mission to complete and has no time to pursue a romance. He tells her he will get help for Aleksi’s injuries and return her to her family. She is wary of him, but with no options, she agrees to accept his help. She is attracted to him, but as he doesn’t fit the description of the man the stone foretold, she doesn’t believe he is “the one” – but she wishes he was! She is upset when she learns he is an outlaw, but soon realizes he is actually protecting the people of Woodwyn, acting as a sort of Robin Hood. The more time she spends with him, the more she wants him, but he is not her destiny…or is he?

This was a well written, fast paced story with lots of humor, some action, a little magic, new and old villains, secrets, surprising revelations, some steamy love scenes, shifters, elves, dragons, cameos with her adopted sisters, some heartbreak and finally a well-earned HEA complete with an epilogue that sets up Maeve’s story. I really enjoyed this book – it was a fun read that pulls you into the fictional world of Aerthlan and the Embraced. I had so much fun reading this book that I didn’t want the story to end and when I got to the last page it left me anxiously awaiting the next book!

If you like historical paranormal romance (but be warned – the dialogue is decidedly modern) – you must read this series. This is the first book in the Embraced by Magic series published by Kensington Books, but it is not the first book Kerrelyn has written about the sisters – You could read this book as a stand-alone novel, but I suggest looking into this authors backlist.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the Publisher.*