Review of Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle

In 1837 London, young daughters of viscounts pined for handsome, titled husbands, not careers. And certainly not careers in magic. At least, most of them didn’t.

Shy, studious Persephone Leland would far rather devote herself to her secret magic studies than enter society and look for a suitable husband. But right as the inevitable season for "coming out" is about to begin, Persy and her twin sister discover that their governess in magic has been kidnapped as part of a plot to gain control of the soon-to-be Queen Victoria. Racing through Mayfair ballrooms and royal palaces, the sisters overcome bad millinery, shady royal spinsters, and a mysterious Irish wizard. And along the way, Persy learns that husband hunting isn’t such an odious task after all, if you can find the right quarry.

Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle is a fun YA historical fiction of twins and magic set in pre-Victorian England. The twins, Persy and Pen are about to have their first season, which basically means they go to balls in pretty dresses and try to look for somebody to propose to them. The problem? Their governess who taught them how to use their magic gets kidnapped by this evil Irish dude.

The protagonist, Persy, was definitely a girl we can all relate to, a bookworm lacking in self-confidence. Seriously, she was always second guessing herself, which was a bit annoying because it was so real. Seriously, this is what teenage girls do, they second guess constantly, especially when they have low self-esteem like Persy. They take little things and blow them way out of proportion. They fail to pick up on glaringly obvious things because they are so self-centered. Now, this is not a knock on teen girls, as I was one myself who did exactly the same things. Don’t believe me? Well, you should read my livejournal from that time (oh, he said hi to me today I wonder if he likes me, but AGH he said hi to my best friend too and I had bad hair and blahblahmakeupblahblahfat).

Honestly, this wouldn’t be a coming-of-age novel without the self-absorption and the misguided mistakes. We all know part of growing up is making the same mistakes over and over again, and maybe being lucky enough to actually learn from the mistake.

The plot was quick-moving. You’ve got magic, balls, intrigue, plots, and disguises not to mention love. I like my books action packed. Now let me say one thing, the dialogue was hella cheesy, i.e. “It sure as hell is. Damn it all, I love you.” I shit you not, that was really written in Bewtiching Season. Don’t let it detour you from reading Marissa Doyle’s book though, as I felt it was a fun read, perfect for passing the day away. Seriously, we need a bit of cheese every once in awhile. I enjoy a good shy girl gets incredibly hot boyfriend tale, and I bet secretly, most of you do too!

While reading Bewtiching Season by Marissa Doyle, I recommend you indulge in a chocolate milkshake. They definitely aren’t good for you, but damn do they taste good, and oh man chocolate milkshakes are such a lovely guilty pleasure.

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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