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Book Cover |
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Excerpt |
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"I think I can do magic now."
"That got Owen's attention. "What?
How long has this been going on?"
"Today. I don't know, maybe I'm imagining
things. Maybe I'm going crazy, but it's too much for coincidence. This
morning, the slightest thought that it would be funny if Kim's coffee
turned over and spilled on her computer crossed my mind--and then it
happened a few seconds later. I chalked that up to karma because she
totally deserved it. Then some really strange stuff happened in the
hallway on my way back here. I decided to go home because I had a
headache that was getting worse, and on the train, there was this lady
with really ugly shoes. I thought about changing them, and they changed,
then changed back again when I wanted them back the way they were. So I
got off the train at the next stop to come back here and see what was
going on."
He studied me like he was looking at a
laboratory specimen. "While there are certainly other possible
explanations for everything you've described, the number of events in
that short time is highly unlikely. You've got a headache, you say?"
I nodded, then regretted it as that
intensified the ache. "Yes, ever since I woke up on New Year's Day. At
first I thought it was a hangover, but it wasn't the typical hangover
headache. I felt like my brain was too big for my skull. It's not as bad
now, but it's a constant ache. And just now, when I walked through
your doorway, that was the worst."
"Hmm. Okay, I want you to try doing some
magic."
"Like what?"
"Think about something you want to make
happen. Something simple and obvious that isn't likely to happen on its
own by coincidence."
I looked around his cluttered office.
There was very little in there that didn't look like it was bound to
topple over on its own at any moment. I finally pointed to the
magnifying glass that lay on top of a pile of parchment on his desk.
"I'm going to make that flip over."
He nodded. "Okay, go for it."
I concentrated, imagining the magnifying
glass turning onto its side, and then falling over onto its other side.
Slowly at first, and then more surely, it rose, turned over, and then
landed again on the desk.
"Son of a bitch," Owen said as he stared
at the magnifying glass. It was the closest I'd ever heard him come to
swearing in a language I recognized. Gloria probably didn't approved of
profanity.
"So it's for real," I said, just to
confirm it.
"It's real, all right. I felt the power
myself." |
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Synopsis |
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Katie Chandler works for Enchanted, Inc.
and is immune to magic. Owen Palmer works for the company and is a
powerful magician. Having kissed Owen at the Christmas party, Katie is
shocked to find Ethelinda, a fairy godmother, wanting to help her with
her new relationship. Katie doesn't want any help, but Ethelinda is
insistent that Katie needs to have some guidance in the ways of love.
Ethelinda proudly boasts about how she got Cinderella and Prince
Charming together many, many years ago. Katie begrudgingly accepts her
help, mostly so Ethelinda will go away.
Katie and Owen start dating, but
strange things happen on each of their dates, and they always end up
back at Owen's place so Katie can get out of her soaked clothes.
Meanwhile, Ari, a wicked fairy, has escaped from Magic, Spells, and
Illusions, Inc. Ari had been spying for Phelan Idris and now Owen fears
that the two of them will team up again.
They soon learn that Idris has
opened a magic shop and is advertising his cheap spells on television
and billboards all over Time Square. Realizing that the advertising is
not visible to mundane people, Owen convinces Katie, who is usually
immune to the effects of magic, to have her immunity temporarily turned
off. When she agrees and the potion makes her become affected by magic,
Katie notes that the commercials and billboards look like normal
commercials and signs that do not hint at anything magical.
During this
time, Rod announces that he is throwing a masquerade New Year Eve's
party. Katie's two roommates are invited, along with most of the people
at work. At the stroke of midnight something happens to Katie: she tells
Owen off, she becomes quite provocative with everyone, and she starts
shouting profanities at people, which is very unlike Katie's normal
behavior.
Awakening in her bed on New Year's Day, not knowing how she
got there or what happened after midnight and with one doozy of a
headache, Katie heads into work and notices that she can now perform
magic. Running to Owen for help, they begin to unravel the mystery of
her behavior the night before and her new-found magical ability. Katie
notices that Owen is kind of cold to her and wonders if their new
relation will be able to handle everything that has going lately.
Damsel Under Stress by Shanna
Swendson is the third fictional story about a magical company in the
heart of Manhattan. The story focuses on Kathleen Chandler and her new
magical powers while dealing with a fairy godmother who seems to be a
little clueless.
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Review |
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From Conan Tigard . . .
Damsel Under Stress
is another terrific and entertaining story about Katie Chandler. Her
relationship with Owen is moving along nicely and she is very happy to
be dating him. After all, Owen is Katie's Prince Charming, at least in
her mind. I quite enjoyed how their dates would always end up being
disrupted, usually by something magical.
I also enjoyed the helpful, but
clumsy, fairy godmother and her attempts to keep Katie and Owen
together. The second part of the story dealing with Idris and the magic
shop is interesting, but really takes a backseat to the relationship
between Katie and Owen. Then, when Katie seems to change overnight and
become a really nasty person, I couldn't figure out what happened. The
explanation of this made me laugh and I wondered how she was ever going
to get of this grave little situation.
I quite enjoyed returning to the
world of Katie Chandler (it had been over three years since I read
Once Upon Stilettos)
and I found myself wishing I worked for Magic, Spells, and Illusions,
Inc. After all, who wouldn't want Merlin as their boss?
As for the
ending of the book, color me quite shocked. I sure didn't see that
coming! Shanna Swendson has created another magical tale of romance,
intrigue, mystery, and humor in Damsel Under Stress that will
keep the reader thoroughly entertained from the first page to the last.
Overall, Damsel Under Stress is a great addition to a
wonderfully, magical series that I always think of fondly. I read a lot
of books, and this series stands out in my mind as one of my favorites
for many, many reasons. I cannot wait to find out what occurs next in
Don't Hex With Texas.
I rated this book an 8½ out
of 10.
From Nikki Tigard . . .
I have also read all
three books of this series and enjoyed them very much. I like the
plucky, self-reliant heroine, Katie, who continues to find herself in
magical predicaments, continues to try to solve the problems herself,
and continues to realize that she might just need some assistance from
the other important people in her life. I have found this series to be
light, fun reading I finished half of the second one sitting in an
airport waiting for my plane.
My only criticism (and its not a very
strong one) is that the books have started to feel a little
predictable. But sometimes predictable is okay with this series, you
know what you are going to get. You will definitely get some magical
drama, some romantic problems to be resolved, and as my husband said,
some sense of the Prince Charming coming to the rescue of the damsel in
distress. Good light, cheery fun and I also look forward to the
fourth book in the series.
I rated this book an 8
out of 10. |
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