“With humour, sass, peril, and betrayal, this book had it all.” –The Romance Reviews on Spellbound When everything they’ve built is threatened, only their bond remains… New York, 1925 Psychometric Rory Brodigan’s life hasn’t been the same since the day he met Arthur Kenzie. Arthur’s continued quest to contain supernatural relics that pose a threat to the world has captured Rory’s … pose a threat to the world has captured Rory’s imagination–and his heart. But Arthur’s upper-class upbringing still leaves Rory worried that he’ll never measure up, especially when Arthur’s aristocratic ex arrives in New York.
For Arthur, there’s only Rory. But keeping the man he’s fallen for safe is another matter altogether. When a group of ruthless paranormals throw the city into chaos, the two men’s strained relationship leaves Rory vulnerable to a monster from Arthur’s past.
With dark forces determined to tear them apart, Rory and Arthur will have to draw on every last bit of magic up their sleeves. And in the end, it’s the connection they’ve formed without magic that will be tested like never before.
Magic in Manhattan
Book 1: Spellbound
Book 2: Starcrossed
Book 3: Wonderstruck
Standalone
Proper Scoundrels
more
These characters warm my heart. They feel like friends, like people I’ve known for a long time. Even ones we haven’t seen much, like Sasha and Pavel.
Though Arthur’s family annoyed me quite a bit in this, for both historical reasons and plot reasons. The historical reasons I can deal with because they make sense. But it seemed a bit of a stretch to involve John and then never really do more with that. It wasn’t even revisited, except for him to say he hadn’t had the dream again. He’s a smart guy; I think he would’ve been a bit more curious.
This one felt like a second book. It lagged a little. I still very much enjoyed it and could not read it fast enough, but it didn’t have the same shine, the same intrigue that the first one cultivated. And the historical accuracy still bugged me. I’d love to learn more about Sebastian, though!
STARCROSSED is the second book in the Magic in Manhattan series and we pick up where we left off. Rory is at Arthur’s brother’s house but doing his best to avoid Harry at all costs. Arthur hasn’t spent as much time with Rory as he would like. Rory is still as prickly as a hedgehog and Arthur is still behaving like a helicopter parent. Hopefully, one day soon, he’ll realise he is able to discuss things with Rory! And yet, somehow, these two work so well together! They really are the perfect pair and their shenanigans are guaranteed to raise a smile.
Nothing about this book is straight-forward–including the ex-boyfriend, the social circumstances, the villains, or even the good guys. And that by itself is one of the reasons this book is so entertaining. Add in the perfect world-building, the amazing characters, the wit and humour, and you get a fantastic read. There is definitely no second-book-slump in this series.
It is a series though so I would definitely recommend you read book one first. Plus, you really don’t want to miss a thing with this pair!
Roll on 2021 because Wonderstruck is already on my TBR list! Highly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books!
I read Spellbound and immediately bought Starcrossed. I love the relationships and the subordinate characters. The historical research feels impeccable and the story is so good! I’ve preordered the third book and I can’t wait to read it. I certainly hope there will be more.
Starcrossed by Allie Therin
Magic in Manhattan #2
You know that book you have waited for hoping it would bring just as much fun, magic, and joy as the first in the series only to find…it absolutely did and then some? Well, that book was this one and I am now eagerly awaiting book three! This book has it all…with the historical setting, paranormal abilities, magic in abundance, murderous thugs, mysteries to solve, relics to find and use appropriately, friendships and partnerships and romance and…just everything I could have asked for along with knowing at the end of the book there will be another story to look forward to.
What I liked:
* Rory: a tiny but mighty young man with more magic in his little finger than others put together. He is generous, caring, and gives his all to protect those he loves…and even those he might be jealous of.
* Arthur: wealthy war hero who will do anything for his family but also smitten by Rory in book one and still Rory’s hook line and sinker.
* Arthur’s family: I think they are close and caring and hope to see more of them in the future
* The supporting characters: There were many of them and each has his/her place in the book…some need to be heard more about in the future as they are intriguing in their own right(s).
* The plot, pacing, setting, writing, and everything else
* Feeling swept into the midst and feeling part of the story
* The close regard that the characters felt for one another
* Wesley…at least by the end of the story…was hoping he would find a happily ever after of his own in the future, too.
* The strings left to be tied up in the future…there wasn’t a cliffhanger but there are bits I want to know more about.
What I did not like:
* Baron Zeppler: have only heard about him so far but he seems someone who needs to be found and put down
* The bad guys – some got their just desserts and others haven’t yet
* Thinking about how difficult it would have been to be “different” in the past
Did I enjoy this book? Definitely!
Would I read more in this series? As soon as possible!
Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
I am sooooo ready to discuss this book. Actually I’ve already discussed this IN DEPTH with the bestie because we did a little joint read so we could gush over ALL THE THINGS. It’s sort of required when you are reading an Allie Therin novel.
If you’ve read Spellbound (and seriously, if you haven’t go do that now. Just stop reading this review and download that piece of tasty goodness to your preferred ereader. Go, I’ll wait), you’ll know what I mean when I say I had expectations going into Starcrossed. Ms. Therin’s debut was one of my favorite 2019 reads and I was fully expecting the same thrill-ride excitement in Starcrossed. I am so pleased to report that by the end of the read I had experienced, and was experiencing, many, many, MANY emotions, but disappointment was not one of them.
The character traits she’d set up in Spellbound with our commanding, decisive, and oh-so-protective Ace and grumpy little Rory carried through. One of my favorite things to see is the underdog rising up to become the hero and, once again, Rory had that brilliant arc… even though there were several points where I didn’t think it was possible.
Side note: as it has been WELL ESTABLISHED I love me some broken men. Rory has a backstory where you basically can see the broken pretty obviously, but Ace… well Ace was a completely different ball of wax. From the outside, he appeared to have it all, but he had scars he kept well hidden, both literally and metaphorically. As well as the most evil of monsters hiding under his proverbial bed.
Starcrossed is everything I’ve come to expect from an Allie Therin novel with lots of action and intrigue. I’d recommend Spellbound even to fantasy lovers who aren’t quite as into the romance side of PNR. Ace and Rory each travel unique paths over the course of this story that lead them on separate journeys to the same end goal and encounter demons of both the mental and emotional kind as well as physical ones.
In case any of you are living under a rock and never heard of Spellbound—Allie Therin’s first book in the Magic in Manhatten series—I’ll let you know where my head was as I dove into Starcrossed. Basically, brimming with expectation and on the very edge of my readerly seat. And—can confirm—Ms. Therin did not disappoint.
I adore this author’s voice. She has such a delightful way of weaving wit and humor into her prose that leaves the reader unsure of what to expect next—in the best of ways. One minute I’ll be laughing out loud, the next I’m turning green with writerly envy at a clever turn of phrase. But on top of that, she is also a skilled world-builder and created a cast of characters to rival Game of Thrones. Each with their own unique part to play.
Arthur, or “Ace” to his friends, is a well-to-do WWI veteran with a dark past as a POW that haunts him to this very day. But he’s also a cinnamon roll who mother-hens with the best of them. Rory, also known by Arthur (mostly) in private by his real name “Teddie”, is a grouchy paranormal from Hell’s Kitchen with a heart of gold and his own troubled history. Together, they’ve formed a bond that quite literally holds strong and true across any distance, against any barrier, and through the very threads of time.
I’m a huge fan of stumbling across the title of a book hidden amongst the body of words. So, when I hit the moment where Ms. Therin slipped Starcrossed so eloquently onto the page, I immediately flagged the page so I could share it with you.
“You’re not the first man to fall for someone of another class, Arthur. It never works. You can’t keep him any more than Romeo kept Juliet. You and your antiques man are a cliche; a pair of starcrossed fools.”
I would recommend this book to every single MM romance reader out there, but I also believe lovers of paranormal and historical who might not be keen on romance as a major plot point would also fall head over readerly heels for this series. The primary focus doesn’t fall on the romance, although our lead characters’ motivations are highly entwined with the feelings in their heart and there are some mild, fade-to-black, innuendo-not-graphic-based love scenes. But this is one of those unique reads that can truly span genres and has just enough of each to please the avid readers in that area without too much of another to drive them away.
I’ll admit, it took me some time to become invested in this book, and that’s because it’s been so long since I read book one in the series that I’d forgotten what happened. But as the story develops, there are little hints to the events of the previous book that helped jog my memory.
I really enjoyed Starcrossed. Allie Therin’s writing is engaging and fun. I absolutely adore Rory, and Arthur too is the stuff book boyfriends are made of. They’re so cute together and I love, love, love every interaction between them. And Wesley’s reaction to Rory was both hilarious and totally on point! (You’ll see what I mean when you read it.)
The storyline was equally as compelling, and I can’t remember where I was…maybe 40 or 50% in?…when I didn’t want to put the book down.
Highly enjoyable, exceptionally likeable main characters. Very much recommended if you’re looking for something a little different than your typical paranormal romance!
Starcrossed is the second Magic in Manhattan book. The first book Spelbound was one of my favorite reads of 2019, so I was quite excited for this second book. And I am happy to say this book was just as good. It’s an amazing read and I like the blend of romance, paranormal and historical elements. And all of those elements really get the attention it deserves.
It starts shortly after the end of book 1. Arthur and Rory are staying at the house of Arthur’s brother so they can have a break of the city. While there they get word of things in New York that are going on and Rory gets into some trouble while trying to help Pavel. After a bit they are thrown headlong into another adventure. One of Arthur’s brothers is having weird nightmares, a lawyer is asking weird questions and Rory and Zang both see weird phenomena while using their abilities.
I liked how the story tied in with the story in book 1. It felt like a smooth continuation and a new part of the story at the same time. Some of the same side characters and baddies are present, although the focus has shifted to a new relic in this book. I also like how some of the antagonist characters really seem bad, there are also those who are more gray and don’t seem fully bad, which is interesting. The book has a solid pace and kept my attention for the whole book. I kept wanting to keep reading to find out what happened next.
The romance is one of my favorite parts of this book. Arthur and Rory are just so cute together. It’s this opposites attracts type of romance with Arthur being a rich guy and Rory the opposite of that and this has some struggles. As Rory can’t be seen in Arthur’s presence too often or entering his house. They definitely have some issues to work through, but I also like how we see them being a couple in this book in those early stages of a relationship. The issues they run into might be tough to deal with, but are never blown out of proportion and I like how they resolve what comes on their path. Like the whole Arthur’s ex plot line, which was resolved surprisingly well. And I just love seeing Arthur and Rory together and you can really feel how much they care about each other. They make for an awesome couple.
I also really like both of the main characters. We get to see both Arthur and Rory’s point of view and I feel like we really get to know them. From the way Arthur is pulled in different directions between what he wants and what his family expects. Rory who still believes he has to fend for himself and has difficulties accepting gifts. To the way they interact or handle things. How they care about each other and also other characters and the lengths they go to help them. They are both awesome characters to read about and I really like them.
There is a bit more we see of the paranormal and new relics we see in this book. I like how big of a part the paranormal aspect is of the story and the whole paranormal and historical setting is so well done. I like how it really feels like you’re in that time period of history. It feels like the author knows a lot about this time period and there are all these little hints and pieces that make the setting and time period come alive.
To summarize: this was an awesome sequel, just as good as book 1. I liked following Arthur, Rory and their friends again in this book. The story is a continuation of the plot line in book 1, but with a slightly different focus and a new relic. I really liked this and it felt like a very smooth way to continue the story. The plot and characters kept my attention and I really enjoyed this book. The romance is one of my favorite parts. Arthur and Rory make for such a great couple. Both are likable and interesting characters and I feel like we really get to know them. They are great together and I like how we see them in that early stage of their relationship with how they’re still figuring out some things, but also are growing really close already. The paranormal and historical aspects are really well done and are an integral part of the story. The historical setting really comes to live and I like how much the paranormal aspect part is of the story.
I love Ace and Rory and I love this series!