Category: Interwar Period (Nov 1918 – Sep 1939)

The period between the end of WWI and the beginning of WWII

Spellstruck by Martha Waters

On By TracyIn Contemporary in Period Dress, George V - 1910- 1936, Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, historical-romance, Interwar Period (Nov 1918 - Sep 1939), Mystery, Paranormal / Fantasy, Standalone Title, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

SpellstruckSpellstruck by Martha Waters

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: September 29, 2026

Despite a well-known magical past in England, magic has now been outlawed and is strictly enforced by the government, making it harder for the magical families to conduct business. But Vesper Holloway is clever and has been running her family’s social club for years, and even with the current laws forbidding magic, they have found creative ways to enchant cocktails to add a bit of intrigue for her club members and their guests. She has high hopes that the laws will be repealed by Parliament, but when a few patrons begin to have strange reactions to some of the potions at not only her club, but other magical clubs, she worries that these incidents could hamper the efforts to overturn the laws and decides to get to the bottom of it herself. As luck would have it, her brother’s former friend and man that she completely humiliated herself with, Max Ashbridge is a Forbiddance and Licensing Enforcement Agent (aka F.L.E.As.) and is currently in her club, presumably to try and shut her down, but maybe he could be persuaded to help her figure out who is behind the magical mishaps. Hopefully, her unfortunate attraction to him will not interfere with them finding answers.

Max Ashbridge has a problem with magic and some deep-seated anger that has shaped him and led to his current position in the government. He is a little concerned when his boss, whose husband is a member of Parliament leading the ban on magic, assigns him to investigate the Holloway club and find evidence of magic use to have them shut down and set an example. He knows he was selected because of his former friendship with Freddie Holloway, but it just doesn’t sit well with him. He arrives at the club and is almost immediately confronted by Vesper, who is just as lovely and vibrant as he remembers. She is evading his questions with a young man across the room begins to float to the ceiling, clearly under the influence of a magical cocktail, but it soon becomes clear that the spell has gone very wrong. Vesper admits that this sort of thing is happening at other clubs and askes for his help in figuring out who is behind the mishaps. He agrees not to use the information against the clubs and gets his boss to agree that it was worth looking into, rather than shutting down Holloway’s. Now he just has to keep his inconvenient feelings for Vesper in check until the investigation is over.

This was an interesting story, it isn’t quite what I was expecting, but nonetheless, it was an enjoyable read. I think I was expecting more magic, but this ended up being very light on the magic and to be honest, I didn’t really understand the magic system, especially the family “Word”, and instead of “magic”, it just seemed like the only magic was some enchanted potions. And while this is an “alternate” England, Vesper’s character came across as more of a modern-day woman, rather than an unmarried young lady in 1920’s England. I did enjoy watching Vesper and Max fall in love and find peace in their own lives. The story has a decent mystery, second chances, a tiny bit of magic, emotional growth and healing, a couple of warm love scenes, and a satisfying ending with the promise of happily ever after. Overall, it was a quick, fun read with likable characters and a cozy mystery, that I would recommend to readers who enjoy a bit of romance, magic and mystery.

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

 

The Bravest Hour by Anna Lee Huber

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, First Person Narrative, Historical Mystery, Interwar Period (Nov 1918 - Sep 1939), Irish Historical, Part of a SeriesLeave a comment

The Bravest Hour (Verity Kent Mysteries, #9)

Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Series: Verity Kent Mysteries #9
Publication Date: 8/25/26
Period: Interwar 1920, Dublin, Ireland
Number of Pages: 384

Loved it!

The Bravest Hour is the ninth and final entry in Anna Lee Huber’s Verity Kent Mystery series, providing a satisfying conclusion to the series as a whole and a fitting wrap-up to the Ireland-based portion of Verity and Sydney’s story. That said, I would strongly recommend reading the previous books before beginning this one. There is so much character history, relationship development, and ongoing storyline woven throughout the series that you will gain much more from this book if you have followed Verity and Sydney’s journey from the beginning. If you don’t want to start with the first book, I would highly recommend beginning with The Cold Light of Day, which launches the Ireland portion of the series.

The previous book brought the phosgene gas plot to a resolution, but Ardmore escaped, leaving Verity and Sydney with unfinished business. In The Bravest Hour, Ardmore continues his dangerous schemes while Verity finds herself imprisoned and subjected to torture. Huber skillfully interweaves their personal struggle with the turbulent history of Ireland as the country fights for independence. The result is a story filled with danger, suspense, political intrigue, and emotional complexity.

One of the things I particularly appreciated was the way Huber portrays the conflicting feelings of both Verity and Sydney. They are loyal to their country, but at the same time, they cannot condone the atrocities committed against the Irish people who are fighting for their freedom. Their feelings are not presented as simple or black-and-white, and this adds considerable depth to both the characters and the story. Their love for each other and their determination to protect one another remain at the heart of the book, even as circumstances continue to put them in impossible situations.

The mystery and suspense kept the story moving, and it was satisfying to see the various loose ends tied up, the villain finally foiled, and the heroes receive their due. After following these characters through so many adventures, it was especially rewarding to see how much they have grown and how their relationships have developed throughout the series.

Of course, being a longtime reader of a series means that I always want *just a little more* when it comes to saying goodbye to characters I have come to care about. There were a couple of things I would have loved to see. I would have appreciated an epilogue—perhaps at Christmas the following year—with all the friends reunited. I would have enjoyed seeing Max, Alex, and George together again, with Max and Alex bringing love interests, and I would have especially liked to meet George’s romantic interest. And, naturally, I wouldn’t have objected to seeing Verity expecting!

Those are small wishes, however, and they don’t diminish my enjoyment of the book or the series. I have thoroughly enjoyed the Verity Kent Mysteries. Each book has been an entertaining and engaging read while also deepening the characters and their relationships. Verity and Sydney have become characters I will genuinely miss, and I am sad to see their story come to an end.

I will definitely be watching for news of whatever series Anna Lee Huber decides to introduce next. Whatever comes next, I’ll be there to read it!

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

View all my reviews