Book Review of The Spell of Summer (Once Twice Thrice series) by Dianna Hardy

Synopsis:

Romantic fiction with a touch of magic.
Hurtling into your life June, 2014

Meredith is leading a straight-laced life in London with her straight-laced fiancé, determined to forget her reckless, wild-child past. They're about to get married.

Jamie is an old, poetic soul with a broken heart returning home to Cornwall to get his life back in order.

What binds them?

One chance meeting thirteen summers ago; one innocent spell spoken after one perfect night...

And now history is unravelling; the past and present, merging...

Words can change everything, but can they change your destiny?

And in the messy world of magic, what part does love play?

It's summer all over again, but the spell has only just begun.

Review:


The Spell of Summer by Dianna Hardy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This is the first book in a new romance series by this author. I LOVED IT!

Meredith Goodwill (Merri to her friends) is a wonderful character. She is an accountant and lives in London. She suffers from panic attacks, but is braver than she knows. I liked this character a lot. She has a big heart, but it was damaged when her father left. Now about to marry, Merri finds her past and present collide when an old flame comes back into her life.

James (Jamie) Corbin is a marine biologist, coming home to Cornwall after a broken relationship in Australia. However, he can't forget the girl he met on the edge of a cliff 13 summers before.

This is a fantastic contemporary romance.This story is certainly different to the author's other paranormal series, as there are no shape shifters or magical beings, but there is magic. I started to read the story, and quickly found myself entranced. I was drawn into the story and I struggled to put the book down. I was whisked away into an emotional roller coaster ride from beginning to end. I loved meeting Merri's best friend, Candice North (Candy for short). She is a free spirit and, although not as wild as Merri was as a teenager, fun to be around. It was interesting to see how she had matured from a reckless teen into a woman with secrets.
There are a few other interesting characters in the story, which were brought to life with their imperfections. I found myself reaching for a tissue or two as I read the story, as some of the characters have pasts and presents that touched me deeply. The story is not only told from the view points of Merri and Jamie, but also a few other characters too. I loved this, as it allowed me to see and feel what they did. Merri and Jamie fairly smolder together, and the heat between them was rather palpable. I found this story was peppered with pearls of wisdom. I don't normally put quotes in my reviews, but I couldn't not put this one in: "Love finds you, not the other way around, and you can't run from it." This is just one of many that have actually struck a chord in me. I also loved the wasp-stung ice cream scene; it made me giggle. I love little Rebecca, she is so adorable! The end of the story has a slight twist, and now I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

Dianna Hardy has written a wonderful contemporary romance with a paranormal twist. I loved the fast pace and flow of the story. I am a huge fan of this author's work. Her characters are lifelike, likable, and sexy.

As this story has a few scenes of a sensual nature that are a bit on the explicit side, I do not recommend this book to readers under 17. However, I highly recommend this book if you love contemporary or paranormal romance. - Lynn Worton

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