Customer Reviews

Charmed And Enchanted: Charmed\Enchanted (Donovan Legacy)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In this her third book in the Donovan series, author Nora Roberts, has provided her readers with one of her most endearing characters, Anastsia Donovan. Cousin to Morgana and Sebastian featured in the first two titles of this series, Captivated(Morgana) and Entranced (Sebastian), Anastasia is the cousin blessed with the powers of healing.

When a new neighbor, Boone Sawyer, moves next doot to her with his young motherless daughter, Anastsia proves not only to be a good neighbor but wins the hearts of both Boone and his daughter. As time goes on Boone is drawn more and more into Anastasia's spell and begins to fall in love with her. Ana, though, worries how she will ever tell him the truth about herself and her family.

This is a fast and enjoyable read. By far my favorite title from the Donovan series so far. And if one has enjoyed this trilogy, now they can coninue to read about another Donovan cousin in a fourth title, the recently written and published book, Enchanted.

Charmed is Nora Roberts' third book in the Donovan series, which focuses on a family of witches. Captivated led the series off and featured Morgana. Next came Entranced which introduced us to Sebastian, cousin to Morgana. Charmed features Anastasia, yet another cousin to both Sebastian and Morgana. If you read the series, you'll get the entire family breakdown including the cousin's parents, an eccentric bunch to say the least!

Each of the cousins are hereditary witches (born with elfin blood) and each have their own gift or special powers. Anastasia has the powers of healing. I have to admit my ignorance in knowing exactly what "powers of healing" entailed or meant, but now have a much better idea after finishing the book. While reading the first two books in this series, Anastasia was always growing herbs so I did know that herbal remedies played a part in her powers. What I didn't know was the depth of this power.

Anastasia has new neighbors move in next door to her Monterey beach house and soon meets a young girl who instantly wins her love and affection. Jessie is adorable, innocent and very social as she bounds through the hedge separating the two homes and introduces not only herself to Anastasia but also her new puppy. Jessie's father, Boone Sawyer, soon comes to retrieve his daughter and meets Anastasia.

This is your typical romance plot line but with a twist. Man meets woman, sparks fly, attraction becomes love and then ... The "and then" portion of this book is what sets it apart from other romance books. When Boone asks Anastasia to marry him, she asks for a week to make the decision. She has to try to figure out how she can tell him that she's a witch and not lose him. The decision is taken out of her hands when Jessie falls off of a ladder and is critically injured. Anastasia puts her powers to work to save the girl's life and Boone is caught off-guard and mesmerized by the special gift bestowed on Anastasia, even though he doesn't really understand what is happening. When Jessie is saved and Anastasia exhaustedly falls into an unconscious state, Boone doesn't know how to react. When Anastasia awakens, Boone doesn't handle the situation well and pushes her away. I won't tell you any more or the ending will be spoiled and this conclusion is definitely worth reading.

Charmed isn't for someone looking for a book that will make the brain work overtime, it's pure enjoyment and entertainment value only. It's a very quick read and can be accomplished in an afternoon.

If you'd like to take a break from the active world, sit back, relax and enjoy a tale, this would be a great book to spend the afternoon curled up on the couch with in front of a fire in the fireplace.

I'm new to Nora Roberts, and I love these books--this series especially. The magic isn't just in the plot. There's something in the prose itself that keeps me reading long after I should have stuck in the bookmark and turned out the light. If I read a title all in one go, it's because I can't put it down. The only question I have at this point is--this series appears to refer to previous adventures of an earlier generation. But as a new reader, I can't figure out what titles I should read to catch up with the "backstory". Maybe it's just her style, to imply there's a history she's already narrated, but if there *are* earlier stories of the family, I wish someone would clue me in.

I resisted romances for a long time. Nora has totally converted me.

This was a reread for me and an enjoyable one.
These are the final 2 stories in the Donovan Legacy. A family of witches, each with their own specialty.
In Charmed we have Anastasia story. She is the cousin who is an Empath. She is also a healer because of her strong empathatic feelings. After be turned away by her first love when he found out what she was, Ana has stayed away from men to protect her heart. Then widow Boone Sawyer moves in next door with his young daughter. She fears telling him what she is, then fate steps in. This was my favorite out of all the Donovan stories. It is so good. Emotional and loving.
In Enchanted we have the story of Liam Donovan a witch and a shape shifter. He goes to the woods to be alone to think about an important choice he is going to have to make. Rowan Murray goes to the woods to find herself. They find eachother and she discovers so much more about herself. This story had a lot more "magic" in it. It was fun and the characters wonderful.

because you could be missing a real gem! This contains two stories, Charmed first published in 1992, and Enchanted, published in 1999. Any avid reader of Nora out there knows that Silhouette has been putting new covers and on her older titles and releasing them. I have read some reviews that have expressed disappointment with the reader feeling they were duped into buying an older title, thinking it was a new work.

I have read some of these older titles, and most if not all of her more recent single titles as well as the trilogies. I love some of her older Silhouette titles, and some I'm not so crazy about. The same holds true for her more recent works published by Putnam and Jove.

The point is, don't assume you won't enjoy and older title if you've never read it before. I loved this book. Think of the Three Sisters and the Irish trilogies. If you like those, I am certain you'll like this one.

Charmed and Enchanted are books 3 and 4 of the Donovan Legacy. The other two are Captivated and Entranced, which were also reissued, but seperately. I ordered both because I loved this one so much.

I either love or hate Nora Roberts books and I loved this combo. Unfortunately I bought this one before reading 1 and 2 in the series. I usually love her tales of magic and this one did not disappoint in the slightest. I read into the wee hours of the morning on two occasions even though I knew I would be up soon with my daughter.

CHARMED, 3rd, involves the last cousin, Anastasia, who has the powers of healing. Her new widowed neighbor, Boone, moves in with his young daughter, who quickly charms Ana by asking about her gardens. When Ana finds out that Boone is a famous fantasy author, they find things in common, but will Boone believe things that he has only written about?

I have always been a big Nora Roberts fan and out of all the books that I've read I believe her Donovan Legacy is one of the best. Between the magic and the romance weaves a wonderful story that leaves you wanting the same happy ending and a love that will last a life time. Reading all the stories is a definite must.

Charmed is Ana (Anastasia) Donovan's story. The youngest Donovan is an empath. Her gift is the ability to heal. She is able to determine the extent of the damage to a person by the laying on of hands and cure them from within using her gift. However, there is a toll to be paid. The healer must take the persons pain upon herself. This can be draining or even deadly, depending on the timing and the seriousness of the patient's ills. Because of her empathy, her feelings are extremely sensitive. Her cousins try to protect her from pain whenever possible for Anastasia has been hurt before, in a matter of the heart. She had once revealed herself to a man she had loved and been cruelly rejected. She has accepted that she will probably lead a solitary existence, but delights in the newfound happiness of her two cousins. That is until the house next door becomes occupied.

Boone Sawyer, fantasy writer and single father, has already lost the love of his life. He has moved to California to remove himself and his young daughter from the sad memories and the interference of her grandparents. He is determined to start over, but love is not to be part of the equation. He's very well off and has had experience of gold diggers trying to attract him by cozening up to his daughter. Naturally he is suspicious of Ana' friendship with the little girl. When she realizes who his is and tells him of her admiration of his work, he is extremely rude to her. Determined to put him in his place she shows him her collection of his work, along with that of her aunt, Bryna (Morgana's mother) who also writes fantasy novels.

Realizing that Ana isn't the kind of woman he suspected, he let's her into their lives. It isn't long before he realizes that he wants her to be a permanent part of their family. Once burned, twice shy, Ana is too afraid to tell him what she is, and too polite to read Boone's thoughts to determine his feelings for her. She puts off telling him until tragedy forces her to reveal her skills. The toll on Ana is great. Now Boone doesn't know what to do with his feelings. Which will prevail, gratitude for her aid, fear for her life, or anger that she didn't trust him enough to share her secret with him? Can he accept who she is and make her a part of his life or is it all too much to take? Can Ana bear another rejection? This third Donovan story ties up all the loose ends and gives a glimpse of the amusing elder Donovan's in the process. I think the reader will enjoy this believable and highly lovable witch tale.

Enchanted is Liam Donovan's story. Unlike the others in the DONOVAN LEGACY, this one did not enchant me. It featured a self-centered hero, a gullible heroine, and a decided lack of plot. The premise was fine but it went nowhere in a big hurry. This Donovan is a second cousin to Morgana (Captivated), Sebastian (Entranced) , and Anastasia (Charmed). He has isolated himself in the mountains in order to make a grave decision. He's been requested to take on the mantle of Prince of his people, by his father the current Prince. On the wind comes a message.....Love is coming to Liam, but he wants no part of love and is determined to make this decision without its influence. In fact, he shrewdly decides to use his knowledge of the coming love prospect as the excuse for his final decision.

A prince must choose another hereditary witch as his mate. Should the prospective young woman not be, he could marry her and use her as his excuse to decline the offer. Should she prove to be a witch he could refuse her, sighting a lack of feeling as his reason to refuse. This should give you a pretty good insight into his character already.

The heroine, Rowan, is at a crossroad in her life. Everything in her life has been chosen for her, her career as well as her blasé fiancé. She is dissatisfied and convinced that something is missing in her life. She retreats to the mountains to come to a decision as to the direction her life should now take. There she meets Liam.

Liam's gift, among others, is the ability to change form. Taking the shape of his favorite form, a wolf, he scopes out his new neighbor, Rowan. Ever astute he draws the conclusion that she is his prophesied love interest. Rowan is quite taken with the wolf, but not with her enigmatic neighbor, at least at first. Liam attempts to avoid her in his human form while watching over her and learning about her as the wolf. He crosses the bounds of decency however, taking advantage of opportunities to share her bed and watch her bathe. He quickly realizes something that Rowan herself does not know. She too is a hereditary witch. Rowan is unaware of her gift because her mother had married a mortal and chosen not to accept her nature. Rowan's maternal grandmother whom she is named after, was explained away as being merely an eccentric old woman.

In spite of himself, Liam finds himself wanting to be near Rowan in human form as well and eventually feels compelled to reveal her true nature to her. He decides that the best way to convince her is to reveal his own. Justifiably appalled by Liam's deceit and the way he has taken advantage of her loving nature, she flees back to her home. She is determined to make the life of her choosing without him, until his mother appears and tells her he is miserable. Unfortunately Liam's nature does not really improve after she gives him a second chance.

I don't think the characters ever really connected for me. I wasn't sure they belonged together, nor that I liked them enough to care. I enjoy romances with subplots or intrigue. I like to see the pair working together to a common goal, or against a common foe. Even if they are working at cross-purposes, I like that little niggling in the back of their minds that says, I love this person, why am I doing this? There just was no story here, just two self-involved people who never quite get over themselves. Not a keeper for me. --- Reviewed for PNR Reviews

This is the 3rd AND 4th book, but no one has mentioned "Enchanted". It is about Liam Donovan and takes place in Oregon. It is a nice story too; for entertainment. Rowan Murray is a schoolteacher who needs a vacation and befriends a golden-eyed wolf. Hint: her name is Irish, too...