It’s difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you’re a young lady with only half a soul.
My rating: four and a half stars out of five
This story had all the whimsy, coziness, humor, and Bridgerton vibes that I’ve always wanted, plus my favorite thing: faeries. Chef’s kiss.
Dora, though only having half a soul (the other half was stolen by a faerie), was quite the delightful character. She often says hilarious things that are not “proper” for English society because it’s hard for her to emote.
Elias, the Lord Sorcier, was also delightful, despite being ill mannered, as many call him. Basically, he just calls out the rich and the nasty for their shortcomings. He does some wondrous magic, and the romance between him and Dora is so sweet.
The side characters were all quite compelling, even the ones who act horribly, though I do wish Vanessa, Dora’s cousin who originally saved her from a faerie with a pair of scissors, had more of a part in the later events. A lot of the “ladies” serve as a commentary on the rich, and some are not as vain and aristocratic as they seem. Though, of course, every young lady still needs a husband, as society dictates.
The faeries are absolutely wonderful. They have this fascination with humans that they get all wrong, which of course leads to some despicable behavior, but some of it is immensely entertaining.
What knocked it down a half star was the ending. Without going into detail, I wanted some things in the epilogue to be expanded upon, and it left me a little unsatisfied. But, no worries, still a happily ever after for all that comes about in a magically awesome way.
This is the first book in the Regency Faerie Tales series, but the next book seems to be about different characters, so I believe this is a series of loosely connected standalones.
Official blurb: Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment—an unfortunate condition that leaves her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season—but when Elias Wilder, the strange, handsome, and utterly ill-mannered Lord Sorcier, discovers her condition, she is instead drawn into peculiar and dangerous faerie affairs.
If her reputation can survive both her curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all high society, then she and her family may yet reclaim their normal place in the world. But the longer Dora spends with Elias, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love even with only half a soul.
This article was written by Allison Rose.
Allison Rose writes YA fantasy featuring magic and otherworldly beings. Her current series feature a truly unique world of Faerie. Click the covers below to check them out.
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