Category: Historical Paranormal/Fantasy

The Governess’s Guide to Spells and Managing Misfit Marquesses by Amy Rose Bennett

On By TracyIn Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, Historical Rom-Com, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Romantasy, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Governess's Guide to Spells and Managing Misfit Marquesses (The Parasol Academy, #2)The Governess’s Guide to Spells and Managing Misfit Marquesses by Amy Rose Bennett

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Parasol Academy #2

Release Date: March 31, 2026

As a graduate of the Parasol Academy for Exceptional Nannies and Governesses, Hermina “Mina” Davenport will never let harm come to her charge, especially after making a deathbed promise to his godmother. So, when Christopher, the orphaned 7-year-old Viscount Fitzwilliam is being taken to the North Pole by his possibly bewitched guardian, Sir Bedivere Ponsonby, against his will, Mina has no choice but to intervene. She “te-ley-ports” onto the ship and they make their escape, but that is where things go terribly wrong. Instead of ending up in her room at her mother’s house, they end up on another ship – owned by an incredibly large and handsome Irish nobleman, Phineas “Phinn” O’Connell, the newly-minted Marquess of Kinsale. He kindly offers to take them back to Bristol and they part ways. After settling Christopher in her mother’s home, Mina returns to the Academy for a new assignment. Imagine her surprise when Phineas is her new employer!

Phinn O’Connell is not a typical nobleman, raised in Ireland he survived the Great Famine by becoming a prizefighter, but even that was not enough to save his family, who perished from a typhoid outbreak. He is large, scarred, uncouth and speaks with not just an Irish accent, but he also has a speech impediment, which makes him very self-conscious and something of a joke to his peers. He desperately wants to pass laws in parliament to help his people in Ireland, but no one takes him seriously. He needs help, he needs Mina! But as his friend Viscount Hartwell, points out he has no child in need of a governess, and he doubts the academy would allow her to work for him. So, when he catches a young boy trying to pick his pocket, he sees a way to hire Mina and help a young boy at the same time. What could go wrong?

I think I actually liked this story better than the first book, which is saying a lot because I LOVED the first book. Mina and Phinn are both wonderful characters and their story is filled with witty banter, flawed yet lovable characters, a cursed ring, wonderful secondary characters, an irascible pug, cameos from Emma and Xaiver, lots of magic, secrets, snarky servants, opposing Fae Queens, slow-burn romance, and finally a happy ending with the promise of more magic to come! This is the second book in the series, but it could be read as a standalone title without any problem. I am happy to recommend both titles in this fun, magical, Victorian-era series!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

 

Summoned to the Wilds (Deluxe Edition) by A.K. Caggiano

On By TracyIn Check Content Warning/Triggers, Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, New To Me Author, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Re-Release / Updated Edition, Romantasy, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Summoned to the Wilds (Villains & Virtues, #2)Summoned to the Wilds by A.K. Caggiano

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Villains and Virtues #2

Release Date: March 24, 2026 (Update Edition)

Lady Ammalie “Amma” Avington, heir to the Faebarrow barony, fiancée to the Marquis of Brineberth and apparent captive of blood mage Damien Maleficus Bloodthorne, is on the run from her home, which is currently overrun by the undead, thanks to Damien. But not everything is as it seems and Amma is far from unhappy about her current circumstances. Well, it would be better if she wasn’t the receptacle of Damien’s talisman and spellbound to him, but overall, she is not mad that she is with Damien. They are on a quest to save her home and to remove the talisman from her person preferably without killing her. Along the way, Amma will learn a lot about herself and discover her own untapped magic, but at the end of this quest will she be able to give up Damien?

Blood mage Damien Maleficus Bloodthorne is trying to find a way to rescue his demon father from his crystalline prison. He created a talisman that he believed would help him accomplish the mission but wanted to test it first – which is why it currently resides in Amma. But what at first seem so simple; test the talisman, kill the girl to retrieve said talisman and then rescue his father, has become complicated and involves messy feelings – not that he would ever admit that out loud. But despite being evil to his core, he can’t bring himself to kill Amma and so they will need to find another way to remove it. But even if he removes it, he knows he could never be what Amma wants, right?

OK, I did not read the first book and that was a HUGE mistake on my part, this is the second book in an epic tale and I was completely lost – I didn’t understand the world, the magic or Amma and Damien’s relationship. The author did give some backstory, but not enough to bring me completely up to speed, so I don’t think I fully grasped the gist of this story. I felt like I was dropped in the middle of a story, so I had no beginning and since this is the second of three books, I had no real ending, basically it was like reading just the middle of a really long book. The story was well-written, and I enjoyed the banter and the humor, but I found the slow-almost-no-burn romance a bit frustrating, and the bonus chapter that was included was just more of the same. The book is filled with magic, vampires, fae, imps, witches, an evil fiancé, some frenemies, a lot of stifled romantic moments, some very vivid action scenes, a bit of heartbreak and finally a cliffhanger ending that did resolve somethings but opened the door to a lot more questions. I am definitely going to go back and read the first book and then dive into the last book, because now I need to know! This is the second book in the series, and I would strongly recommend reading the series in order for the best reader experience.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *