Review: Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas

Again the Magic

by Lisa Kleypas

Wallfowers #0.5

Lady Aline Marsden, sister of Marcus, Lord Westcliff, has been friends withe John McKenna since they were children and as they have gotten older the friendship has grown in to love and pasion. However, it is not to be, McKenna is just a stable boy, a servant where as Aline is a Lady. When her father finds out Aline is forced to make him hate her and send him away. Twelve years later McKenna comes back to Stony Cross much changed with revenge on his mind, unaware of the secrets that Aline holds.

This is definitely one of my favourite LK books, Aline and McKenna are just a fabulous couple, you could feel the pull they have for each other right through the pages of the book. The passion and love that they have, first of all when they are younger and then the helpless, reckless love that still remains 12 years later, is almost tangible. The only thing that niggled me with this book was Aline's stubborn refusal to tell McKenna the truth, of course that would have made this a very short book and I understand her reluctance initially but after a while I think it was just silly. But that was the only thing that irritated me. I must also mention the part at the end at he lake when McKenna is exposing his feelings, that scene was so wonderfully heartbreaking and it is my favourite part of the book, and one of the most heart wrenching scenes, here's a taster:

He came to her, dropped to his haunches, and took one of her cold, pespiring hands in his own. The heat of his flesh was startling. "Aline" he said with difficulty. "I love you enough for the bother of us. And there must be something about me worth loving. If you would just try...

Anyone who has already read LK's Wallflower series is bound to recognize a couple of characters, like Westcliff, we get to see him here as the caring, if a little overbearing elder brother, and well it just made me love him even more! We also get a secondary romance through Livia, Aline and Westcliff's sister and Gideon Shaw, a friend of McKenna's. Although these two don't receive lots of page time, there love story is just as powerful and interesting as Aline and McKenna, and is another reason why I rate this book so highly.

Although this is a prequel to the Wallflowes quartet it can be read anytime before or after and as a standalone. I highly recommend this book, it is a great complement to the Wallflowers but also a touching, poignant and fantastic book in its own right.

Here some of the quotes that made me love this book:

She was not the girl he had once loved, he reminded himself grimly. That girl had neer really existed. And yet it didn't seem to matter. Aline was his curse, his fate, his consuming desire. He would never stop wanting her, no matter what she did, no matter how many oceans and continents he managed to put between them.

~

"Then what are you thinking?"
"That everything I learn about you makes me love you more."
Livia stopped breathing for a second, stunned by the admission. It took her long time for her to speak. "Gideon..."
"You don't have to say it back," he murmured "For once I want to have the pleasure of loving someone withot asking anything in return."