Bewitching

Rating:
Summary: I Liked It, But the Story Dragged a Bit
Review:
Joy, an accident-prone white witch, was the heart and soul of BEWITCHING. She was endearing, probably because she had absolutely no control of her magical powers. The magical mayhem that she caused every time she sneezed was hysterical. Joy was an enjoyable heroine - vulnerable yet strong, magical yet klutzy, sweet yet vindictive when she wanted to be - as well as original. How many romance novel heroines have a weasel for a pet and can make it shower pink rose petals the moment she reaches sexual satisfaction?

That said, I was a bit irritated by Alec, her Duke and husband. Alec was angry the entire novel. Which got on my nerves. A lot. I think his temper tantrums also made the book drag a bit. You knew whenever Joy cast a spell, he was going to freak out and she was going to have to apologize. It happened too many times to count.

Another problem I had with BEWITCHING was its lack of clarity. I read a lot, have a couple degrees in English literature, and know my way around poetry and prose pretty well, especially those guys who require some effort to read, like Joyce and Faulkner. So I'm no novice when it comes to reading comprehension. But this was the first book I read that I actually said "huh?" when it came to trying to remember who was who (especially with Alec's pals) and what in the world the characters were referring to in their jokes about (obviously forgotten by me) events that occurred in earlier chapters. I mean, I thought the author was an able and entertaining writer, but I think she needed to work a bit on making sure the readers are as clear as she is on what's going on in the story.

Anyway, gripes aside, I'd still recommend BEWITCHING as a lovely romance to read. Joy is a real sweetheart of a character, with a clever personality and undaunted spirit. She was someone I could care about. Which is worth the read.

PS. BEWITCHING has a sequel called DREAMING, which is about the Earl and his lovesick stalker. It's hysterically funny and a lot better than BEWITCHING.

Rating:
Summary: A cute story, but not a keeper..(3 3/4 stars)
Review: "Bewitching" was a sweet book. I absolutely loved Joy. She was extremely likable and good hearted. I will say that I had a problem connecting with Alec. I just couldnt see what Joy saw in him..he was rude so often..I did soften a bit towards him as the story went on, but I just couldnt 100% love him. I also felt that the character of Stephen felt a bit forced and thrown in just to give Alec a reason to "see the light" so to speak. All in all a fun book, but not one Ill take take to the isle.

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious!!!
Review: All Joyous MacQarrie ever wanted was to be a good enough with to satisfy her aunt the Maclean. But Joy was bubbling with laughter, and never could concentrate enough to actually do a spell right. Not to mention the fact that if she sneezes then objects keep popping up all over the place. Then she decides to go out of the country, but ends up doing the wrong spell that sends her right into the arms of Alec, the Duke of Belmore.
All Alec wants is to find a wife who will bear his heir. It almost happens, but then his fiance dumps him at the last minute. He is desperate to find a wife, and then...into his arms, out of NOWHERE mind you, falls Joyous MacQuarrie. The Scottish lass who is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. Even after knowing her for a day, he makes her his wife. Only to find out that she is a witch.
Joy just wants to make Alec happy. But breaking the ice he has around his heart is no easy job. There are times when even Joy feels that there is no way to make him love her the way that she loves him...the only way to find out is to let her charms, wit, and magic lead the way.

Romantic, hilarious, joyful, and fun! I cannot say with words how much i enjoyed this book. It was soooo funny! Especially when Joy meets Alec, and he finds out about Beezle (her familiar). Trust me, you have to get this book! You will love every moment of it!

Rating:
Summary: A Joy to Read
Review: As with all Jill Barnett books, this one is filled w/romance, humor & magic. While similarities exist between Bewitching & the tv show Bewitched, this book is an original & well written. Joy & Alex are a wonderful couple & it's fun to see how Joy wiggles her way into Alex's heart & how he's helpless to fight it. There are some steamy love scenes as well. This is a great book to sit down within on a winter's afternoon & just read to your heart's content

Rating:
Summary: A laugh out loud tale of extraoridinary love!!
Review: Bewitching had me laughing so hard I had stitches in my side and idiodic grin on my face for hours afterwards. Jill Barnett combines love, laughter, and tears to make Bewitching one of the best novels I have ever read. Joyous MacQuarrie is a true joy and a terribly inept witch. Her spells tend to go haywire causing intreging consiquenses. And Alec, who considers finding a wife the same as purchasing a horse, doesn't quite know what to do with her. He is not used to laughter and is about as stiff as an ice burg. In contrast Joy has a great a appreiciation for life and shows it with each spell she casts. I dare you to read this story, you won't be disappointed. You'll finish with a goofy grin and tears in your eyes.

Rating:
Summary: Jill Barnett creates magical moments!
Review: BEWITCHING sparkles with fun, romance and magic. Alec and Joy are a magnificent couple. She's so adorable as the inept witch and he's the brooding hero. She loves him, charms him, and makes his life worth living. The rose petals- what a lovely, imaginative touch to the romance scenes! And the ending? Sure it was a little hoaky - but in her introduction, Barnett says that she used to hang her hair out the window like Rapunzel, she married her first true love - would an author like that NOT give you and ending truly worth the words "happily ever after"? The romance genre is, after all, the ultimate escapism! I used to think no one could equal Julie Garwood and Judith McNaught as the best romance writers but I have added 4 new ones to my list: Jill Barnett (BEWITCHING, WILD); Jillian Hunter (FAIRY TALE); Jo Beverley (FORBIDDEN MAGIC) and Mary Balogh (THIEF OF DREAMS) Bravo! All these books are worth reading - at least several times!!

Rating:
Summary: Regencies Without Pity -- Weasel Fu!
Review: BEWITCHING, according to a reliable source, is one of the best of the genre. I beg to differ. It certainly has a couple of high points, but not enough to keep the reader truly engaged. It also is an amusing tribute to the TV show it slightly resembles, but the plotting is barely serviceable, the dialogue barely up to the witchy premise, and -- besides the magic -- filled with your basic regency stock.

The closest resemblance between the book and the classic TV show is the stern but befuddled husband, Duke Darren of Belmore. Surprise! He's emotionally repressed. Breath of fresh air right there, except not. And, just like the show, you could probably replace him with a Duke from another romance novel, and you probably wouldn't notice. And he's got two buddies, one a vicious drunk, but both basically good-hearted. Oh, and many hijinks revolve around avoiding a shrewish gossip. I think I may give up historicals right now.

Where the script diverges from the show is that Joy, the heroine, is an incompetent compared to Sam of BEWITCHED. She desperately needs the assistance of her aunt and mentor. If Joy had been saddled with Endora, both she and Duke Darren would have been burnt at the stake by page 50. Oh my goodness! Sam also did not have a weasel for a familiar. I get more nostalgic for that show with each sentence.

The story is cute and has its charming moments, but once the premise is established, the plot is muddled. As far as plotting errors, there really is very little indication of any emotional progress on the hero's part until the entry of a character late in the book. This little "twist" feels very tacked on, and the conclusion is exceptionally limp.

I suspect that a giggle-inducing romance may be just the thing to read if most of your recent regency readings have been traumatic angst sagas. In that case, you deserve a break today, and this book is it. But if you are looking for the highest exemplars of the current romance form, stay away.

-- Brian, waiting for the inevitable "Emma the Vampyre Slayer"

Rating:
Summary: Could't Finish It
Review: I am a huge fan of paranormal romance, and after seeing the rave reviews, I held off on reading it until I knew that my schedule would allow for a wonderful reading treat. What a dissapointment! The story starts out interesting enough, but goes nowhere. The heroine is entirely too sweet, perky, and naive, and tends to thrive on emotional abuse. The hero (a zero in my book), is an emotionless, cardboard snob that is almost impossible to like or even identify with. The plot is practically non-existant. Believe it or not, I ALMOST finished it before I realized that it was taking me twice as long to read as other books. Since I have a huge collection of more promising books to read, I decided to end my suffering and move on.

Rating:
Summary: Be Bewitched by Bewitching
Review: I am so glad that I stuck in there and tried another of Jill Barnett's novels. I now see why she was recommended to me. This book was delightful, whimsical and utterly romantic. I loved it!

The very handsome,staid and uptight Duke of Belmore was not a happy fellow, was planning to marry another of the ton, just like him, but fate had it that he would be jilted before the notice hit the papers.

A flower seller, told him that the next female he met he would marry, so he leaves London immediately to get away from all women. Enter the very inept witch Joyous Fiona MacQuarrie, who just can't seem to get her spells right and lands in his lap in the woods. Just the beginning of this delightful tale.

Joy bewitches him with smile, her eyes, albeit, without him realizing it and in a matter of spite over being jilted, he marries her the very next day! On his part it was in spite, but Joy found him so devastatingly handsome and sensed that he needed her.

So begins this delightful and wonderfully bewitching tale. Believe in magic, believe in witches and believe that you will be enchanted by Bewitching. A real keeper of a book.

Rating:
Summary: Sweet and magical.....
Review: I bought this book by just reading past reviews and after reading the story I fell in love again. This book is about two lonely people Alec the the cold hard lord of Belmore and the sweet young bumbling witch Joyous MacQuarrie, who tugged at his heartstrings and made his organised boring world go crazy. The adventures they have are hilarious and yet in a way very sad. If you are looking for a keeper in a book read this one. The reason I only gave it for is because I want a sequel of the Belmore family may his youngest daughter.........