England - 1820

One little spell gone awry and Miss Amelia Bourne is banished to the worst place in the world: polite Society. Her uncle, who has raised her since her parents' deaths when she was a child, has decided that it’s time for Amy to find a husband. After binding her magic, Uncle Bourne sends her to his friend, Mr. Bentham, in London, and Amy is stuck having to deal with the ambitious Mrs. Bentham and her equally ambitious daughter, Isabella.

At a ball, Amy meets Mr. Sebastian Stapleton who, at first, seems handsome and charming. But when he lectures her on “flights of fancy” such as fairies and magic, Amy revises her opinion and believes Mr. Stapleton to be a priggish bore. Their next meeting only reinforces her opinions...at first. Yet, by the end of the night, Amy can’t imagine life without Mr. Stapleton, and he is just as besotted as she is. In no time, the couple is betrothed, and Amy travels to his family home to meet her future in-laws.

Once they arrive, however, Amy begins to wonder about several things, including her sudden lust for Sebastian. When other things begin to happen, Amy realizes that there is dark magic at work here, evil that has not only brought her and Sebastian together, but is also intent on causing harm to the Stapleton family. But what is a witch with no powers to do?

Magic reigns supreme in the spell-binding BEWITCHED. It only takes a few minutes for Sebastian to antagonize Amy, and her response to his set-down -- laughter -- only irritates him. They don’t like each other much, but someone has plans for them, and after one cup of spiked punch, the two are mad for each other. Amy has moments where she questions the relationship, but the attraction she feels for Sebastian quickly overwhelms her doubts. While Amy is engaging throughout the story, Sebastian is a much nicer character after taking the potion, because it essentially frees him to be the person he is, not the person he presents to Society. Other characters include the Bentham family; the Stapleton family, including two nephews and a niece who steal several scenes; and Amy’s aunt, uncle and several male cousins. At one point or another, each of them plays some part in getting Amy and Sebastian together, whether that is their intention or not.

A captivating tale that I found difficult to put down, I highly recommend BEWITCHED.

Jennifer Bishop