Enjoy an Outlander-meets-Frozen romantic comedy from a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author! Adventurer Lance Desmond needs to produce a fortune before his arch-rival collects the bounty on his head. He risks an ancient curse to retrieve treasure hidden within icebound Castle Cavanaugh, only to become trapped inside. Not with the gold he so desperately needs, but with medieval Princess … with the gold he so desperately needs, but with medieval Princess Marigold who’s been cooling her heels since…well, medieval times.
The lonely princess refuses to acknowledge the blossoming attraction between them. Not just because she deserves a better future than a penniless rogue. But because at midnight, he’ll vanish like all her other would-be heroes. And the evergreen in the parlor will have one more figurine hanging from its boughs…
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Take your classic Princess in Distress, locked away in a castle by an older, pissed off female royal.
Let her stew for several hundred years (or six hundred plus.) Should I mention the castle is made of ice, so she can see out but should anyone figure out a way in, they can never leave? In fact, by the stroke of midnight, those adventurous souls are transformed from this life form to something entirely different.
Over the years technology has advanced, as has communication, but even though ways and means change, much remains the same. Greed still plays a major role in human motivation.
And nearly adult Princesses are still human and have urges and curiosity, too.
Overall a fun and a flirty clean read, but there is a scene that should melt more than ice!
Lance will steal your heart. He offers something no one has ever brought to the table.
Marigold proves worthy of his loyalty and interest.
If you think you have had your fill of Princesses and their rescuers, make room for one more. You will not be disappointed.
Kissed By Magic, a novella by Erica Ridley, was original published under the title Let It Snow in 2013 with the name change and re-issue in 2019. It’s a cute version of a fairytale mixed with a Syfy adventure. I know that sounds strange but believe me when I say it works. I’ve given, rare for me, 5 stars for originality mixed with an enjoyable read. The hero is an anti-hero who turns into a hero by the ending. Our heroine is 600 years old and a little proper, till she’s really, really not. When 2 pieces of a puzzle click together it looks and feels right. Lance and Marigold click. I had fun with this story, it made me smile.
#EricaRidley #KissedByMagic #Mayhem&Magic
AWFUL!
A modern view of Beauty and the Beast, this was a refreshing read. I loved the magical modern element, seamlessly becoming a part of the story. Very well put together with amazing characters.
This was the first book I have read by this author and I have to say I am still kinda on the fence about it. The writing itself wasn’t bad-the story just left me wanting. I didn’t really like Lance. He seemed to be such a selfish person and I know that he redeems himself but I just didn’t like him. I also had a hard time connecting with Marigold. I’m not really sure why I didn’t really get into it at this point as I usually love PNR but I just couldn’t connect with them and had a hard time finishing it.
Kissed by Magic is a different genre to anything I’ve read before from this author. Instead of the expected historical rom/com I got more of a mystical/fantasy type of read. As usual it was a light & easy to read story but I’m not sure if it’s something I’d re-read. I think I’ll have to read more from this series before I make my final decision.
I was excited to get into this one because it has magic woven in through it. Lance and Marigold hold us prisoners in this one slowly showing us the way out.
A delightful fairytale story with a medieval princess, trapped for centuries in an ice castle and a modern adventurer. Laugh out loud romance.
Fanciful
Lance is in need of a fortune (bounty on his head). Not to be stuck in a magical castle with a princess in need of rescuing.
But what happens when the clock strikes twelve?
Fanciful with a heaping spoonful of magic.
Kissed by Magic is the first book in the Magic and Mayhem series. Lance has a bounty on his head and in order to save himself, he goes on an adventure for a golden flower. But time has twisted the tale, and Lance finds a cursed castle with a princess inside. Marigold has relived the same day for six hundred years, but Lance’s arrival changes her life. Will these two be able to escape the curse and build on the love they feel for each other?
This book is so fun, unique, sweet, and I love the connection between Lance and Marigold! Lance was so engaging to me because he knew how to let loose and have fun. He really rolled with the punches that surrounded him, but also knew how to let go of the small things. I loved watching his focus change from his cell phone, to life, to Marigold, and the lengths he went to keep her happy. Marigold has a lot to learn, even after six hundred years of solitude, but I loved that while she tried to guard her heart, she couldn’t help but fall for Lance. They made such a sweet couple, full of passion for the little things and a building passion for each other, but I loved that they were able to play together and find that joy! This book definitely had a unique feel to it with modern times mixed with magic and historical aspects that leave me wanting to read more!
Author Erica Ridley has taken a break from her historical romances to write this series of fantasy romance, of which this is the first book. It is a cute, humorous, magical adventure, combining magic with technology.
We leap 50 years into the future, where magic is real. Lance Desmond is an adventurer and mercenary. A rival, whom he beat to a treasure has put a bounty on his head. He has already spent the money he had earn, so he sets off to far off frozen Castle Cavanaugh to find the mystical Golden Bloom of Eternal Youth, to pay off the bounty. No one has ever returned from the castle. When he makes it to the castle, he finds that the Golden Bloom is Princess Marigold, who has been trapped alone in the castle for 600 years, by a curse, that resets the same day at midnight. Everyone else who had been at the castle when the curse was laid and everyone who had appeared since has disappeared. The curse was placed by another princess who had bought the castle from her father, but she refused to leave. Lance is not one to give up. Together, can they solve the puzzle of escaping before Lance disappears too?
I received a free ARC from the author. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
ONE ABSOLUTELY LOVABLE ADVENTURE!!!
Sassy, sweet and fun! A whirlwind with a myriad of spiraling emotions burst forward. All the drama, action, uncertainty, a little humor and suspense brings all the pieces together for one wild ride. An awesome storyline and gripping plot kicks this baby up a few steps on the charts. A coiling eddy of unpredictable activities and unanticipated array of events that keep you flipping page after page. The characters are realistic with personalities and depth that draw you in. The scenes are so graphically descriptive and detailed it bursts with every color on the spectrum. Amazing job Erica, thanks for sharing.
Category /Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Fairy-tale
Received from: Intrepid Reads via netgalley.com
Recommended for: 18+
Grammar/editing: A – near perfect / received as an ARC
Lance is an edge-of-the-law kind of guy with a bounty on his head. In order to clear the bounty and pay off the loan on his pirate ship, he has decided to breach the curse at Castle Cavanaugh and retrieve the treasure, the Golden Bloom of Eternal Youth. Instead of gold, he finds a spoiled medieval princess, Marigold, who has been having her own Groundhog’s Day for 600 years. Every day she awakes alone and it is once again Christmas Eve and her birthday. Anyone who has entered the castle vanishes at midnight to reappear as an ornament on the tree. For this reason, Marigold will not allow anyone to become close to her – the pain of loss is too great. Lance is different. Can Lance and Marigold finally break the curse?
This is written in the style of the old fairy tales, but for adults. Ms. Ridley absolutely rocks this style! I am in love with Lance and his best friend, Sancho. They are the kind of non-conformist, funny guys I’m used to in real life. Marigold has learned to guard her heart, but is still sane and open enough to accept the different in Lance. I absolutely loved this book and will always pick up anything Ms. Ridley puts out there for us.
So many twists occur, so many obstacles to conquer and puzzling obstacles to figure out and how the characters influenced each other. very good fun read.
Kissed by Magic is the first book in the series Passion & Promises. This is a great book if you are looking for a fun Paranormal Romance comedy. It has a Princess that has been trapped in an enchanted castle because of a curse and a knight that is determined to leave the castle. The book was amusing and had a lot of humor. The author does a wonderful job with describing the castle and makes the reader feel like they are standing in the castle themselves. This is not a type of book I normally read but I was won over by the wonderful descriptions and the humor. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
While this was not the typical Erica Ridley story it was an enjoyable fairy tale type story with many surprises
Kissed by Magic is an adorable fantasy. While on a quest to obtain treasure from an enchanted castle modern-day adventurer (our knight) Lance Desmond meets Marigold (our damsel), a princess who has been trapped inside Castle Cavanaugh for six hundred years (something about a real estate deal gone bad). All he has to do is find the treasure, then find a way to take Marigold out of the castle with him – if he can get himself out. They have a clue, but will they be able to solve its puzzle?
Lance and Marigold are fantastic characters. They are resourceful, pragmatic, and fun. They seem to accept each other and their circumstances as is. I liked that Marigold has kept up with the outside world and the passing of time courtesy of items brought to the castle by other unfortunate adventurers. One word comes to mind to describe Lance – cool. The story is a fairytale so there is magic, danger, adventure, hope, and maybe even a happily ever after. A cute, quick read, I recommend it.
Cute
What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Part of a series: Magic and Mayhem
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue
I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC.
A simple, sweet story of an adventurer who gets caught up in a curse. Clean fairy tale.
Erica Ridley’s story of a present day swashbuckling mercenary with a bounty on his head out to find money is a fun Christmas read more like an adult fairy tale than a serious romance. Lance sets out to find the eternal bloom located in an enchanted castle from which nobody has ever returned. He makes it to and into the castle without much difficulty only to find himself stuck with no way to get out AND he finds he not alone but that there is a beautiful princess inside with him that has been stuck there for 600 years. In some ways this is like the movie Groundhog Day with the same day repeating itself over and over. In some ways it is like the story of Sleeping Beauty and a castle that sleeps till the enchantment is broken. Since it is a romance and fiction all does come right in the end. If you are looking for a Christmas fairy tale with a happy ending this is the book for you.