Again the Magic was the first Kleypas book that I read and it’s become one of many. It was recommended to be by my friend Ange_de-Laube as a must read and she was most definitely right. I opened it to have a look what it was about and then come back to it if I thought it was intriguing. I never put it down.
It tells the tale of Aline, the privileged daughter of the Earl of Westcliff, and MacKenna, an orphaned boy working as a stable boy on her father’s estate. They were inseparable from the first, playing freely on the estate as children, unhampered by Aline’s family as the Earl and Lady of the house had as little time for Aline as they had for each other.
It opens with the pair in their teens. Neither can deny the attraction between them. They’re deeply in love, are one in soul and understanding, but are kept apart by everything that society expects of them. MacKenna knows that he can never have Aline, but to be near her as a friend is better than nothing. He holds her dear, but never too close.
“Hampshire, 1832
A stable boy wasn’t supposed to speak to an earl’s daughter, much less climb up to her bedroom window. God knew what would happen to him if he was caught. He would probably be whipped before being booted off the estate.
He crouched in front of the French doors and cupped his hands on either side of his eyes as he peered into the bedroom, where a single lamp was burning. A girl stood before the dressing table, pulling a brush through her long dark hair. The sight filled McKenna with a rush of pleasure.”
Chapter 1, Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas
They begin a secret affair, unable to keep away from each other, but it’s only a few bittersweet weeks before they’re discovered. The earl threatens dire consequences for MacKenna, and Aline desperately wants to protect him. She knows that he’ll never leave while there’s love between them and that he’d fight for her. She can’t let that happen as her father would certainly crush him. So she sends him away with the blackest of lies.
“Aline interrupted softly. “You’re leaving Stony Cross Park. And it’s for the best, really.”
McKenna gave a slow, confused shake of his head. “I need to hold you,” he whispered, and for the first time ever he stepped into her room. He was stayed, however, as Aline raised her hand in a gesture of restraint.
“Don’t,” she said, and her breath caught before she could continue. “It’s all over, McKenna. The only thing to do now is say your goodbyes and disappear.”
Chapter 2, Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas
There are two broken hearts. Two lost souls.
Twelve years pass.
MacKenna is back. He’s forged a life for himself in America and returns as a wealthy business man. The Mackenna that Aline knew is gone, he’s cold and hardened and hell bent on revenge. But can Aline reach into him and find the heart that he claims is dead? Will she have the will to overcome her own fears and fight for the love she could have?
Again the Magic is a prequel to Klepas’s Wallflower series. It’s a truly captivating read and made a Kleypas reader of me. You can get it on Amazon, unfortunately it’s not out on Kindle yet L
Rhian
xx
*sniffles*
"I need to hold you." *cries*
I don't think I've cried like I did with this book since New Moon... It really, really touched me... The amount of love between this two... The longing and heartbreak.
:'(
It is just so touching. So much yearning and heartbreak :( But at least they get their HEA. Thanks so much for making me read this bb!
xx