Gaelic Magic by Fiona McGier
Extasy Books, 2023
Celebrated romance novelist Naomi Delu Morris has fans worldwide, but currently she’s suffering from writer’s block. She finds herself prey to debilitating anxiety attacks, with no clue as to their source. Desperate to get her career back on track – to get the characters in her head talking to her again – she undertakes an experimental dream-therapy program, journeying backward through her memories in the company of her guide (the somewhat sleazy Dr. Alan) in an attempt to discover the forgotten trauma that has been triggering her distress.
At her first appointment, Naomi meets Will Hamilton, Dr. Alan’s Scottish graduate student. Will’s glorious, kilt-wearing body, his seductive brogue, and his shy and considerate demeanor all enchant Naomi, but his ethics won’t allow him to get involved with her while the therapy is ongoing. However, Naomi’s a woman of the world who knows what she wants. It soon becomes clear that despite his reticence, the desire is mutual.
But Will is more than just handsome, charming and sweet. As the two grow closer, Naomi learns that he’s the channel for ancient powers, bent on retribution. Furthermore, it turns out that she is personally entangled in the evil web he has come to destroy, and that her own well-being as well as their relationship depend on his success.
Gaelic Magic is fun, romantic and wonderfully original. A mash-up of half-a-dozen genres, it keeps you guessing until the very end. I loved the way Naomi’s previously created characters step out of her head to become characters in this novel. (I recognized Fiona McGier’s lady spy from her other books.) I adored seeing Naomi with her mother and grandmother, three generations of strong, confident women who aren’t afraid to speak their minds or reach for what they want. Will is perhaps gentler and more restrained than Ms. McGier’s typical heroes – but he is no less passionate.
The book is short (only 95 pages in Epub on my ereader, though Amazon lists it as 166 print pages), but manages to pack in an impressive amount of action, emotion, and opinion. I’m very familiar with Ms. McGier’s work, and I recognize her personal perspective in this story. Perhaps my favorite comment comes when Naomi tells Will that men no longer have to ponder the age-old question “What do women want?” All they need to do, according to Naomi, is read a modern erotic romance – preferably one of hers!
1 comment:
Thanks so much for your kind words, Lisabet! I've been too busy to even get on-line. For those who question that, I don't have a smart-phone, so the only time I get on-line is when I'm at my laptop at home. And falling asleep right after dinner, in fact, sometimes DURING dinner, have meant I was in bed by about 8pm. But finally the semester ended--just in time, 2 days before Christmas, and family commitments have kept me running ever since. This is the first day I'm back on-line as my author personna. She's been angry with me for ignoring her. I'm taking the next 2 weeks off of subbing, to get my chi re-aligned. Then I'll be back more regularly. I'm thrilled that you enjoyed my latest book, but chagrinned that I haven't had the time to promote it at all. That changes soon. Thanks again.
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