Forbidden Magic [Mass Market Paperback]

Jo Beverley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1998

In Regency London, a young woman and her family are about to be thrown out of their home on Christmas Eve by their cruel landlord. In desperation, she wishes upon an ancient family heirloom--a risque pagan statue with magical powers--to save her family. But she never expects932779 her savior to be a wealthy earl with a marriage proposal! As she accepts the good fortune granted to her, the magic of the statue exacts a high price in return. Does she have the strength to overcome those who plot to separate her from her newfound love?.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Forced by a forgotten promise to his autocratic grandmother to marry by his 25th birthday, the earl of Saxonhurst consults his servants, flips a coin, and ends up married to gently bred but impoverished Meg Gillingham. He doesn't realize that in her desperation Meg has invoked the powers of an ancient Irish statue to help her out of her difficulties?with sexy, magical, and ultimately dangerous results. A charming, outspoken heroine, a magnetic, unconventional hero, and a diverse cast of well-drawn secondary characters come together in a fast-paced, intriguing plot with a holiday setting that features a touch of evil, a dash of bawdy humor, and enough of Beverley's trademark page-singeing sensuality to satisfy the most demanding reader. Beverley (Lord of Midnight, Topaz, 1998) is a member of the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame and lives in Canada.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Beverley's nonpareil Regency-era romance of the season features a vulgar prehistoric stone statue, the sheelagh-ma-gig, which has been used by generations of women to invoke a dangerous magic. Meg Gillingham, responsible for four orphaned younger siblings, is down to her last handful of oatmeal when their lecherous landlord, Sir Arthur, threatens to either make her younger sister his mistress or throw the family out on the streets. Meg decides that she must use the sheelagh-ma-gig, even though it will exact a high price. Could it be the magic of the statue that induces the eccentric earl of Saxonhurst to decide to take his one-eyed maid's suggestion and marry respectable but impoverished Meg? Terrified that her new husband will discover that she used magic, Meg leaves the statue behind, intending to retrieve it later, but it is stolen by the dastardly landlord. Meg bravely sets out to retrieve the family treasure but finds herself fleeing for her life when she is fingered as Sir Arthur's murderer. Delightfully odd characters and a thrilling plot, along with a generous touch of magic, make this an enchanting read. Diana Tixier Herald

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Topaz; First Edition edition (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451408020
• ISBN-13: 978-0451408020
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,205,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jo Beverley writes bestselling historical romance set in her native England. She was born and raised in the UK, and has a degree in history from Keele University in Staffordshire, but she lived in Canada for 30 years. Now she's returned to England she enjoys doing even more on-the-spot research.

Her 30+ novels have won her many awards, including 5 RITA awards, the top award in romance, and 2 career achievement awards from Romantic Times. She's a member of the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame and Honor Roll. Publishers Weekly declared her "arguably today's most skillful writer of intelligent historical romance."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sparkling wit which works for me ..., March 22, 2001

By 

"serracus" (Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forbidden Magic (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm intrigued by the vastly differing opinions reflected in the reviews for this book. I think it's because different people read romance for different reasons. Me, I read for light fun and amusement, having done enough hard thinking by the end of a day's work. This is not to say that I read mindlessly - I still demand that my books, even romances, be well-written (i.e. no cliches, no poor prose, no dialogue which goes "clunk" onto the floor, please), and have basic integrity (i.e. be historically accurate and have characters and stories which don't require me to suspend too much disbelief).

This book satisfies these requirements. It has these and the basic ingredients of a good romance (adversity, rescue therefrom, romancing, and so forth). Best of all, it has the wit to make me smile - the dialogue sparkles, there are many clever turns of phrase, and a strong sense of fun. I also like the fact that the plot doesn't runs along bog-standard melodramatic lines, but has enough eccentricity (off-centredness) to hold my interest, and some nice period touches too. A happy bonus is that the characters are likeable and warm (though I agree the grandmother is a dull villainess, she is too minor a character for this to bother me), and most of all charming and witty. Sax wins me over by his not taking himself too seriously and his thoroughgoing niceness (which his aristocratic insouciance saves from preciousness) and Meg is an honest woman of wit, though (justifiably, I think) a tad insecure and confused. Their humour makes them irresistable to me. I'm not one for the tortured and heartless knight who is miraculously redeemed by the love of a good woman (Sax is patently a kind man so him taking to unassuming Meg doesn't seem incredible to me), nor for the Great Trial of Love (mercifully the inevitable lovers' misunderstandings weren't over-blown). I like my romance with a light touch. If I wanted tormented souls, I'd read Thomas Hardy. If I wanted to be swept off my feet, I'd turn to Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond. If I wanted absolute period authenticity and sharp social comment, I'd pick up a Jane Austen. If I wanted to improve my mind, or if I wanted an unpredictable plot, I wouldn't turn to a romance! When I just want to be amused and entertained, without having my intelligence insulted, this book works well for me.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Forbidden Magic - Truly Magical, March 14, 2002

By 

M. Rondeau (West Springfield, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Forbidden Magic (Mass Market Paperback)

I don't know what the other reviewers were reading because I found this book delightful and quite, to the point, magical! I found Sax to be absolutely delightful, sexy, fun, and needy. I found Meg to be charming and also needy. They each saved one another. The entire household was a blast, including and especially the pets! The dialog just so spicy, sensual and fun! I'm wondering if these other people read the same book as I did!

Granted, I am a big FAN of Jo Beverley, but I truly enjoyed this Regency romp and was sorry to see it end! Maybe the sister Laura's story could come next? Definitely a keeper!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pagan Magic or Twist of Fate, September 26, 2007

By 

msbooklady "msbooklady" (Biloxi, MS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forbidden Magic (Signet Historical Romance) (Mass Market Paperback)

Lord Saxonhurst "Sax" a handsome eccentric young lord, must marry in one day or have his hated grandmother choose his bride, when his housekeeper suggests a young lady who's family is down on their luck, he quickly agrees. Meg's parents died three months ago leaving her and her four siblings without any resources, when their landlord suggests giving her 15 year old sister to him as his mistress in exchange for room and board, Meg turns to a magical but dangerous statute for help. She wishes a way out of their predicament that would fit their station and when the offer to marry Lord Sax comes up she knows it is the answer to her dreams. When they go back to pack up their belongings Meg is unable to get the statute and attempts to go back to get it but discovers it gone. When their ex-landlord contacts her, he tells her that he has what she wants and she will have to do something for him to get it back. In the meantime, Sax's evil grandmother plots to get Sax to do her will. In the middle of all this, Sax and Meg find them selves happily drawn to each other.

This was a great story, but sometimes Meg was so stupid it made me angry especially with all her lies and her attempts to chastise others for their behavior. Otherwise very good.