Again The Magic [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Lisa Kleypas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 2004

A New York Times Bestseller

Lady Aline Marsden knows that her role in life is to make an advantageous marriage, but instead she willingly gives her innocence to John McKenna, a "mere" servant on her father's estate. She is ruined, left to live in the country while John is sent away. Now, years later, he has returned: rich, powerful, and more handsome than before. His plan is to take revenge on the woman he feels betrayed him, but he still cannot resist the passion that flares between them.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kleypas (Worth Any Price, etc.) has made a name for herself with her darkly sensual historical romances and her willingness to treat the social issues of the Victorian era with the same intensity she brings to the relationships in her novels. Her latest book follows the romance between childhood friends Lady Aline Marsden and stable boy John McKenna. When the budding romance between Aline and McKenna is discovered, McKenna is banished from the estate. In order to protect him from her father's wrath, Aline makes McKenna believe that she's rejecting him because of his lowly status. Now a real estate tycoon in New York City, McKenna returns with a plan-to seduce and abandon Aline as punishment for her earlier rejection. However, McKenna is unaware of the secrets Aline has kept all this time, and he's unprepared for the passion that he and Aline still share. Although the conflict between hero and heroine could be resolved with one honest conversation, the author creates a believable reason for their continued silence. Kleypas also explores some intriguing issues, particularly in a subplot involving Aline's sister and a charming alcoholic who accompanies McKenna. All in all, this is another solid effort from an author who has established herself as one of the premier names in the genre.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

About the Author

Lisa Kleypas is the author of nineteen historical romance novels that have been published in twelve languages. In 1985, she was named Miss Massachusetts and competed in the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City. After graduating from Wellesley College with a political science degree, she published her first novel at age twenty-one. Her books have appeared on bestseller lists such as the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and WaldenBooks. Lisa is married and has two children.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 459 pages
• Publisher: Wheeler Publishing; 1 edition (June 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587246945
• ISBN-13: 978-1587246944
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (137 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,206,243 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lisa Kleypas graduated from Wellesley College with a political science degree. She is a RITA award winning author of both historical romance and contemporary women's fiction. Her novels are published in fourteen different languages and are bestsellers all over the world. She lives in Washington State with her husband Gregory and their two children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful valentine of a story, September 2, 2005

By 

TheSchemer "Scheme" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Again The Magic (Mass Market Paperback)

Their love was never meant to be. Born on opposite ends of the social ladder, servant boy John McKenna and earl's daughter Lady Aline Marsden are inseparable childhood companions. Inevitably, they grow into adolescence and their friendship blossoms into a forbidden passion. On the very night they finally give in to their feelings, however, the young lovers are caught and separated. Knowing her father's vindictive streak, Aline strikes a devil's bargain - a chance for a new life for McKenna far away in exchange for her public rejection. Not long after he leaves, Aline's life is forever altered in a terrible accident.

Twelve years pass, and for Aline little has changed. Still beautiful and unmarried, she lives quietly at home with her brother Marcus, now the new earl, and younger sister Livia, herself the subject of recent scandal. Outwardly serene, Aline has never stopped grieving for her lost love. But a time of reckoning arrives, when her brother's latest business partners arrive from America, and a ghost from Aline's past reappears. One look in his eyes tells her his reason for coming, and Aline prepares herself for the storm to come. For the sooner he gets his pound of flesh, the sooner he will leave.

John McKenna is back in England, and he wants revenge. A dozen years has seen his rise from bastard stable boy to one of New York's captains of industry, but he has never forgotten -- nor forgiven -- the woman who brutally rejected his love. Determined to seduce and abandon Aline once and for all, McKenna is confused by her calm resignation to his intentions. Soon his long suppressed feelings of tenderness resurface. But even as McKenna struggles to let go of the past and plan for a new future with Aline, secrets from her past may yet keep them apart.

Meanwhile, an illicit romance begins between Livia and McKenna's partner, the troubled Gideon Shaw. A scandal for ending up pregnant (but losing the baby) after her fiancé's death, Livia has shown no interest in other men. That changes when she meets the young, handsome New Yorker. In stark contrast to her sister, Livia dares to reach out for a second chance at happiness, but will Gideon be able to overcome his demons?

AGAIN THE MAGIC is a shining example of Lisa Kleypas at the top of her game. Intense, affective, and heartwarming, the plot may be tried and true, but the telling of the tale is pure magic. McKenna is an unforgettable hero, angry and brooding but capable of such expressions of romanticism that could melt the most jaded of hearts. Aline, on the other hand, is more complex. At first, it's easy to think her reasons for continuing to reject a chance at happiness are silly and prideful, however, there is a particularly poignant moment with her brother that brings Aline's thought processes into perspective and gives fresh insight to her character.

Powerful heroes and heroines, a fine cast of supporting characters, and moving dialogue all come together beautifully in Ms. Kleypas' valentine to her readers.

TheSchemer

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars again the best, March 18, 2004

By 

Jennifer White "dezdmona" (Fort Drum, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Again The Magic (Mass Market Paperback)

I like Kleypas. I haven't read one of her books that didn't thrill me to the point of searching out the shelves for another by her. And this book is no different. I like a hero with a vengence. A purposeful vengence mind you. I hate the books that have a plot based on micommunication between the characters. Dramatic irony belongs in Shakespeare. McKenna has a reason to be angry with Aline. Though he thinks she sent him away the real issue is his inability to think of himself as worthy of her or of his new status. His anger and apprehension both are believable. And I really like to see a hero struggle with his only feelings and try to hide them becuase he thinks the lady is unaffected by their tryst. The statement he makes after he takes her on her knees...oh man, he is too good. I don't normally like heroines that are gimpy but I liked Aline. I have seen burn scars and they aren't pretty. But she never lets it change who she is, just her wilingness to show anyone. And the extra bit with her sister and Shaw was just the right amount to not distract from the main storyline. It's a good read. I recommend it highly.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing story of a second chance at love, February 7, 2004

By 

Sarah W "Sarah W" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Again The Magic (Mass Market Paperback)

Lisa Kleypas's newest novel is a delight to read. The story of John McKenna and Aline Marsden is a romance to be cherished. This story will make you laugh, cry, and rejoice in the power of love.

McKenna was a stable boy at Aline's estate when she was growing up. They fell in love as young adults, but both knew that it could go nowhere. Nevertheless, they both hoped that their love would be able to stand the test of time. Unfortunately, Aline's father discovers their affair and forbids Aline to ever see McKenna again. She breaks things off with him, but knows that he will always be her true love.

Twelve years later McKenna returns to Stony Cross Park a self made man in America with more money than he could ever hope to spend. He plans to get revenge on Aline for her supposed heartless rejection of him years ago, but things don't go as planned as he once again comes under Aline's spell. A charming subplot involving Aline's sister Olivia and McKenna's business partner Gideon Shaw also make this story one not to be missed.

This story also features Lord Marcus Westcliff, Aline's older brother, who will be the hero in an upcoming Lisa Kleypas story. Again the Magic is just that, magical. I love Kleypas's writing style, her strong characterizations, and her ability to convey all the emotions of love in a very honest fashion. Again the Magic is a book not to be missed, and if you are a new Kleypas fan, this book would be a great one to start out with.