Courtship and Curses [Hardcover]

Marissa Doyle (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 7, 2012

From the author of Bewitching Season and Betraying Season comes a brand new regency romance with plenty of intrigue--and magic!

Sophie’s entrance into London society isn’t what she thought it would be: Mama isn’t there to guide her. Papa is buried in his work fighting Napoleon. And worst of all, the illness that left her with a limp, unable to dance at the Season's balls, also took away her magic. When the dashing Lord Woodbridge starts showing an interest in Sophie, she wants to believe it's genuine, but she can't be sure he's feeling anything more than pity.

Sophie's problems escalate when someone uses magic to attack Papa at the Whistons' ball and it soon becomes clear that all the members of the War Office are being targeted. Can Sophie regain her own powers, find her balance, make a match--and save England?

Find out in Marissa Doyle's Courtship and Curses!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Set in England and Brussels just before the Battle of Waterloo, this supernatural romance features 18-year-old Sophie, a determined young lady who ventures to London to have her formal coming out into society. Polio has left her with a limp and her magical talents compromised. Sophie's idiosyncratic aunts-stern, humorless Isabel and flighty Molly-are as different from each other as they are concerned for Sophie's well being and are watching over her as she makes her debut. Romance blooms for the young witch after a terrible accident at a ball where she meets Lord Peregrine Woodbridge. Their first encounter is not auspicious, but, predictably, their love grows despite rough patches. Lady Parthenope, Lord Woodbridge's cousin, becomes her ally and confidante. The excitement of romance and fancy parties is dulled for Sophie because her own powers have alerted her to the fact that someone is using magic to try to harm her father and other leaders of the British War Office. Sophie hopes to make her abilities stronger so she can save everyone. With vividly descriptive prose and lively characterization, Doyle balances the strands of this novel. Hints and suspicions are raised along the way about the villain's identity, but in the final chapters Sophie comes to believe in herself enough to save the day. All the loose threads are tied together as Doyle leads readers to a neatly worked out solution.-Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

As she did in Bewitching Season (2008) and Betraying Season (2009), Doyle brings romance to British society and adds a dollop of magic. Sophie is making her debut, but she has several things going against her: the illness that killed her mother has left her lame, and she seems to have lost her ability as a witch. But at her first ball, life brightens when she meets the handsome Lord Woolbridge and his irrepressible cousin, Parthenope, who takes Sophie under her wing. Britain’s continuing problem with Napoleon is the backdrop for the romantic goings-on—and the reason that magic comes to the fore when members of the British war cabinet meet with magical accidents. Can Sophie find out who is also skilled in sorcery? Can they be stopped? Similar in style and substance to her previous books, Doyle again provides a read that’s entertaining but also informative (the author’s note discusses European life in 1814–15). Especially crisp is the whodunit story line and the climactic scene of dueling spells, in which Sophie gets her groove back. A nice history and mystery mingle. Grades 8-12. --Ilene Cooper

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (August 7, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805091874
• ISBN-13: 978-0805091878
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,121 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marissa Doyle graduated from Bryn Mawr College intending to be an archaeologist but somehow got distracted. When not writing historical-set YAs and fantasy for adults and kids, she's sailing on Cape Cod, quilting, or collecting 19th century fashion prints. She lives in her native Massachusetts with her family, an alarming number of research books, and a highly opinionated fourteen-pound lop-eared rabbit who shares her fondness for coffee and dark chocolate.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Fabulous, Fun Novel from Marissa Doyle October 13, 2012

By AUPoohBear

Format:Hardcover

This book is a light, frothy fun Regency set romantic comedy with danger and magic thrown in. I liked Sophie and could empathize with her and some of her feelings. She's a tough girl and a bit difficult to get to know and really like because she's wary. She may not appeal to every reader. I enjoyed her growth and watching her become a woman. The lively Parthenope is great fun. She's outrageous and outspoken and has a pet parakeet that made me laugh out loud in a lot of places. She's wild and impetuous at times but a true and loyal friend. Readers of Bewitching Season will enjoy getting to know the twins' Mama when she was their age. James Leland also makes a cameo! My favorite character is Aunt Molly, the absentminded horticulturalist. She also provides a lot of comic relief and is a refreshing foil for Aunt Isabel, the typical Regency aunt. The plot is excellent. It wasn't too difficult to figure out who the villain was but the reader will have to pay attention to the clues because all of the story is from Sophie's point-of-view and none of it from the villain. That made it a bit more difficult to figure out. The choice of villain was rather cliched and I was sad to discover who it was. Even though I guessed the identity of the villain, I still couldn't put the novel down until I saw the plot through to the end. There's also a sweet romance plot woven throughout the story. Woodbridge is a wonderful hero. He's not too two-dimensional. He makes a lot of mistakes, he's proud and always arguing with his cousin. The descriptions of the setting and clothing worn are incredible! Marissa Doyle has done a lot of research and it shows. Even if I wasn't familiar with Regency London I would easily be able to picture everything, right down to Sophie's beautiful gowns.... Those who loved Bewitching Season will love this one as well (or vice versa). Another fabulous novel from Marissa Doyle! Read more ›

4.0 out of 5 stars A Magical Witch Story May 18, 2013

By Bookworm

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Courtship and Curses by Marissa Doyle is about a eighteen year old girl named Sophronia Rosier (she prefers Sophie) and how her entrance into London society is shadowed by the loss of her mother, her little sister Harriet and her crippled leg. Sophie is also a witch but she has been having trouble controlling her magic ever since she got ill with the influenza two years ago that turned her right leg crippled and made her magic disappear. She doesn't know why she lost her magic and she has no one to turn to since her mother was the only witch in the family besides little Harry and Sophie herself. Sophie also has to deal with the rumors that she is feeble minded and a hunchback since she has a crippled leg. It doesn't help that her Aunt Isabel is always calling her poor Sophie or that her Aunt Molly is way more interested in plants or that her father is too busy in his work at the war office to pay much attention to his daughter. Luckily for Sophie, Amelie who was the wife of an old friend of her father's decides to stay with Sophie during her London season and help her through it. During the first ball they attend to, Sophie meets the cousins Lord Woodbridge and Lady Parthenope. Sophie's Aunt Molly is also reunited with her lost love Auguste, the comte.

Sophie is attracted to Lord Woodbridge but when she thinks he only was kind to her because he was under orders by his mother to be especially nice to her Sophie is hurt and angry at his pity of her so their relationship is off to a bad start. On the other hand, Sophie soon finds a best friend in Lady Parthenope and is happy that Parthenope didn't pity her like she thinks Peregrine did but that Parthenope only showed kindness and sympathy towards her.... Parthenope also trys to help her cousin Peregrine show his true feelings for Sophie although it's hard since Sophie is afraid Peregrine is only offering for her because he wants to protect her or feels sorry for her. Sophie also meets the cool and sly Mr. Underwood while on a ride with Parthenope in the park and immediately recognizes him as the one who said horrible things about her at her first ball so she doesn't like or trust him. Sophie soon realizes that someone is using magic to try to hurt her father and other members of the war office (although it's pretty obvious who it is) and that it's up to Parthenope and her to put a stop to them since their the only ones who are aware that magic is being used.

I liked this story. It was a fun and entertaining book with a bit of magic, romance and danger thrown in for good measure.

I liked the heroine Sophie. Sure she may have had a crippled right leg but that didn't mean she was weak, far from it. She was strong willed and tried hard to not let her crippled leg make her different or let rumors about her trouble her. I know why Sophie hated to be pitied since a lot of people couldn't look past her crippled leg and see Sophie just as a person and not a person with a crippled leg but at times I was kind of annoyed at her for being so quick to snap at anyone who showed what she thought was pity but was simple sympathy I thought at times.

It was interesting to read the many spells Sophie use to do (or could do) when she could use her magic but then it was kind of annoying that she always followed up with a self pity reply like but my magic doesn't work anymore or that even if she used a spell it wouldn't work or it would probably go wrong. Every time I read that Sophie would wish she could use a spell I knew a self pity reply would be seconds behind. But I was happy for Sophie's big revelation near the end (although it was obvious from the very beginning). She finally learned that she was thinking of herself as someone who suffered and lost. She had let Aunt Isabel and other people define her as broken and she let herself believe them. And maybe that was why her magic disappeared and maybe it was finally time to reclaim it.

I liked Sophie's best friend Parthenope. She was kind, honest and loyal to Sophie and was truly the best friend any young witch could wish for.

I also liked Lord Woodbridge. Peregrine fell in love with Sophie at first sight which I thought was very sweet. He did make mistakes in the beginning but he tried hard to make things right between Sophie and him. He learns that Sophie doesn't need to be rescued or protected by him, all that she needs from him is to be cherished, honored and for him to love her with all his heart. Which he will.

I liked Aunt Molly too. She was funny with her obsession about plants.

I give this book four stars. Read more ›

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and Enjoyable Read August 9, 2012

By S. Reading

Format:Hardcover

I have previously read Marissa Doyle's other books and while The Bewitching Season remains my favorite I thought Curses and Courtship was excellent (this book is the pre-quel to the Bewitching/ Betraying season). Doyle recreates Regency London with vivid detail (scenary, parties and the dresses!) and the characters are well defined and interesting. The main character Sophie is just making her enterance into society. However rumors are flying everywhere because she is a cripple and many think feebleminded as well. In additional to all of this she recently lost her mother and baby sister Harriett so she is suffering physically and mentally.

Without giving too much away Sophie realizes that someone is magically attacking members of the War Office and it is up to her to find out who and try to stop them. Her greatest problem in this is actually herself as she trys to prove to society (and a certain young lord) that she doesn't need kindness and is a quite capable woman...but does she believe it herself?

The reason I only gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is because the ending was a little abrupt for my taste. While it was still complete and satisfying I don't think Doyle filled in all the details that lovers of this series would have wanted. I really wanted to know what happend with James Leland and P! I hope there will be a next installment soon.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book December 31, 2012

By cable

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The book arrived in perfect condition! I am ecstatic and happy to read this wonderfully clean copy of Doyle's newest book.