Once Upon Stilettos (Katie Chandler, Book 2) (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: magical immunity, attraction spell, magical people, Once Upon Stilettos, Shanna Swendson, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The winning follow-up to Enchanted, Inc. (2005) finds Katie Chandler, a young woman immune to magic, working at the epicenter of New York City's magic community as Merlin's personal assistant. When Owen Palmer, the sexy wizard Katie's been secretly swooning over, reports that a spy has been in his office, Merlin puts Katie on the case to discover the identity of the traitor. It's no small task, and Katie is distracted by the arrival of her parents, who have flown up from Texas to see how their daughter is faring in the big city. Katie is upset to learn that her mother is also immune to magic, and can see all the strange goings-on in the Big Apple. To make matters worse, Katie is shocked to find that she's losing her own magical immunity, which she fears will jeopardize her position and hamper her ability to identify the spy. Swendson's smart, snappy novel will delight fans that loved the first installment, and win over new readers, too. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

“Bridget Jones, move over. . . . Fantasy for the Buffy, Sabrina and Bewitched crowd.”
–armchairinterviews.com

“Once Upon Stilettos is not to be missed if you’re in the mood for a fast and funny read, where chick-lit meets urban fantasy.”
–Mary Jo Putney, author of A Kiss of Fate

“A delightful urban fairy tale . . . what more could a girl ask for?”
–Patricia Rice, author of Small Town Girl


From the Trade Paperback edition. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (April 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345481275
• ISBN-13: 978-0345481276
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #224,874 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 2 in The Katie Chandler Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun and witty read., May 1, 2006

By	Detra Fitch (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Katie Chandler is an executive assistant at Magic, Spells, & Illusions, Inc. "MSI" in Manhattan. Even though she is mortal, she works for some very important beings, such as Merlin the Magician. Merlin is the CEO of the company. Katie is one of the few people that magic cannot work on. She is an Immune. Now that she has worked with the company for awhile, she has seen all sorts of magical creatures and almost nothing bothers her anymore. Merlin has Katie read over contracts before he signs, just in case the contract has an enchantment on it to cloak some sections. Being an Immune, Katie can see the real words and let her boss know if a scam is being pulled.

Recently someone has broken into Owen's office and disrupted some very top secret files. Katie is assigned the task of finding out who the company spy is. This gives her a great reason to be around Owen. However, considering that Owen does not seem to be as interested in Katie as she is in him, it can be frustrating at times. In addition, Katie's parents are coming to town for a week. Katie must keep them from finding out what MSI really does and keep them entertained so they won't try to make her leave New York with them. NOT so easy since Katie's mother seems to be Immune too. How will Katie convince her mother that she is not really seeing fairies, gnomes, and gargoyles?

Katie soon discovers that her immunity to magic is waning! The spy has magical beings attacking Katie and she can no longer see what is coming. Even with backup, Katie may not live to see Christmas.

**** The first book "Enchanted, Inc." set up the whole magical and human environment. This book continues where it left off. If you have not read the first book, you will not find yourself lost in this story. However, if you read this one and expect to read the previous book at a later date, you may find yourself disappointed with the first. Author Shanna Swendson has done a terrific job combining fantasy and modern contemporary, and a touch of humor. I found myself giggling like a small child at parts, even as I tried to figure out who the spy within the company was. A fun and witty read! ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanted shoes, enchanting book, April 28, 2006

By	Heidi Anne Heiner (SurLaLune Fairy Tales.com) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Hyped as Bridget Jones meets Harry Potter, this book delivers as a "chick lit" book with lots of magic set in New York. Allusions to fairy tales--from enchanted frogs to Cinderella spells--abound. The main character Katie searches for love in the strange, big city while dealing with her immunity to magic, a trait that has landed her a cushy job with MSI, a company that produces magic spells for mass consumption to the magical world. The mystery focuses on corporate espionage and Katie's mysterious loss of her immunity when she needs it the most. While many threats abound, none are overly frightening or graphic. As Katie herself says, there's more mustache twirling from the villain than any truly scary threats. The sexual tension is just as lighthearted and Katie achieves nothing more than a few good kisses in the book; there's no graphic sex for teen readers. This novel makes great summer reading when anything more serious might ruin your day.

While this book is a sequel to Swendson's "Enchanted, Inc.", it can be read alone without much confusion, although I recommend reading both books in order to get the full effect of the world Swendson has created. Swendson's working on a third book in the series, so expect more adventures from Katie, Owen, Merlin and the rest.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming story of lies, shoes, dating, and magic, June 16, 2006

By	booksforabuck "BooksForABuck.com" (Dallas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

After saving the world (in ENCHANTED INC. the earlier novel in this series), Katie Chandler decides to get down to serious business--dating. She's given up on uber-wizard Owen, who clearly only sees her as a friend and is willing to settle for second best. Fortunately, there is no lack of candidates, starting with handsome Ethan. Ethan has the advantage of being a non-magical, like Katie. She can actually imagine a normal life with him. With the help of her girlfriends, and the perfect shoes, Katie sets the scene for seduction.

If her dating life looks to be heading in the right direction for a change, Katie's work life is not. Evil wizard Idris is still working his nasty plans--and seems intent on creating havoc at MSI (Magic, Spells, Incorporated) where Katie (and hunky Owen) work. When it becomes clear that someone within the company is cooperating, Katie's boss, Merlin (the original Merlin, brought back from sleep but still not quite in tune with the 21st century) assigns Katie the job of tracking him or her down. That would be a tough enough task under the best of circumstances, but Katie also abruptly loses her magical immunity--the defense that has saved both herself and Owen so many times in the past. Without her immunity, Katie is susceptable to spells and magic, and in danger of losing her job.

For Katie, the only good news is that, abruptly, she seems irresistable to men. When she's out with her girlfriends, the men are lining up to buy her drinks, to dance with her, to propose happily-ever-afters with her. Katie knows she isn't bad, but her girlfriends include genuine fairies (the kind with wings). Maybe it's the sense of confidence that her new red stilettos (shoes, not daggers) give her. Or maybe it's something else entirely.

Author Shanna Swendson continues the story she began in ENCHANTED, INC. Maybe the future of the world isn't at stake in STILETTOS, but Katie's dating life is certainly important. Swendson's light 'chick-lit' touch and the double-fish-out-of-water aspect (with Katie being both a small-town Texas girl in New York and a non-magical in a world of magic) add charm and interest to the story. MSI's 'team-building' efforts, and Merlin's addiction to modern business fad books will create a chuckle or two for anyone who's come into contact with American business executives. Katie's little problems with telling the truth (accompanied by appropriate guilt in the case of MSI) creates a sense of anticipation as the reader knows that consequences will come and, to coin a phrase that might be apt to the story, another shoe has to fall.

Fans of ENCHANTED INC. have been waiting to find out how Katie makes out (literally and figuratively) with Ethan and Owen. They'll definitely want to grab this one. If you haven't read ENCHANTED INC. yet, ONCE UPON STILETTOS can be read independently, but your reading enjoyment will definitely be enhanced by reading ENCHANTED first.