With the Magic by Donna K. Weaver – Book Review, Preview

Posted February 15, 2019 by Phyllis Helton in Book Reviews /

We’ve all seen the question asked in interviews. “If you could live at any time in history, when would that be?”

Are you like me, thinking of the enormous amount of work it took to do just about anything in any but the most recent times? With the horrendous living conditions of the poor and the insane working hours, unless I could be guaranteed I would be wealthy, I’m not sure I’d want to go very far back in time.

Then again, living in an age when life was simpler has a great attraction. Not related to the work, but the busyness and the pressures. . .

How about you? If you could go back in time, what era would you choose?

With the Magic
by Donna K. Weaver

Series: Twickenham Time Travel Romance #7
Published by Emerald Arch Publishing
Publication Date February 14, 2019
Genres: Clean Romance, Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Setting: England Contemporary, Victorian Era – UK – 1837 – 1901
Main Character Ages: 25-34
Written for: Adults
Pages: 181

Synopsis:

When Gareth Hildebrand travels from the year 1850 to a future time, he’s not expecting to fall in love.

As the eighth Earl of Kellworth, Gareth is accustomed to getting what he wants. Then he encounters a woman he suspects is from the future--a utopian future that he feels compelled to see. He intends to get what he wants, but it will involve dealing with fae magic. And that could lead to disaster--for his heart.

Dr. Catherine Ryan is drawn to the handsome guest at Twickenham Manor, with his odd combination of childish excitement and old eyes that have seen too much pain. She loses her heart to him before she discovers the truth of when he’s from. Now she faces the biggest decision of her life!

Also part of the Twickenham Time Travel Series:
— P.S. I Love You by Jo Noelle
— Love's Past by Laura D. Bastian
— Against the Magic by Donna K. Weaver
— Mistletoe Mayhem by Jo Noelle
— Love Match by Jo Noelle
— An Unexpected Gentleman by Laura Beers
— With the Magic by Donna K. Weaver
— Dating the Duke by Jen Geigle Johnson
— There's Always Tomorrow by Laura D. Bastian
— Enchanted Heart by Jaclyn Hardy

I would like to thank Donna K. Weaver for giving me this copy of the book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.

When Gareth is given the opportunity to visit the future, he has so many preconceived ideas about how ideal it will be. The author did a great job in showing his surprise at so many “modern” things. I loved the way he tried to pretend he wasn’t completely lost in our society.

I liked Catherine as well. She was passionate about helping her patients. She was also practical and fun. The way she figured out Gareth’s secret showed her intelligence.

Kate and Leopold is one of my favorite movies – in it, the hero travels to the present day from the past, though one a little closer to our time. Somehow, despite the fact that Leopold is extremely clever, it always seemed like he adapted a bit too quickly and too well.

The things Gareth marveled at made sense and his confusion at things Catherine said were sometimes humorous. I mean, how do you explain plastic surgery to someone from the 19th century? And the author took advantage of that conversation to share a Victorian beauty treatment that shocked our modern doctor (and me)!

If you enjoy time-travel stories, this one is well-done and could be a nice addition to your library. Though some of the characters (including Gareth) are from the first book in this series by this author, Against the Magic, the fact that it has been a while since I read it did not leave me at a loss for reading this one.