Again the Magic
by Lisa Kleypas
Release Date: January 29, 2004
Publisher: Harper Collins
Book #0.5 of the Wallflowers series
Number of Pages: 421
Historical Romance
Ages 15 and up
CW: alcoholism, burn injuries
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She gave him her innocence…
Lady Aline Marsden was brought up to marry a man of her own class, but from the moment she meets John McKenna, she risks everything to be with him.
He gave her his heart
Although their love is forbidden, McKenna’s passion for the beautiful Aline is too compelling to deny.
When their secret is discovered, their world is shattered. McKenna is forced to leave forever, unaware that the only reason Aline has given him up is to save him.
Now McKenna has returned, a powerful man determined to take revenge against the woman who broke his heart. But the magic between them burns as fiercely as ever… and as McKenna uncovers Aline’s deepest secret, together they discover a love that will defy Fate itself.
Two love stories are going on in this book. Although the main story is between Aline and McKenna, I found the story between Aline’s sister Livia and McKenna’s friend Gideon to be captivating. In fact, because they didn’t have a whole past to unpack, it was easier to sink into their story.
While I enjoyed this book and felt the connection between Aline and McKenna, for some reason I wasn’t getting the warm fuzzies I’m always looking for in my romance reading. Yet, some scenes made me swoon. I’m sure that doesn’t make sense to you since it doesn’t make sense to me. Perhaps it’s because I find it hard to get past McKenna having hatred for Aline when he’s otherwise such a smart man. But I guess love is blind. I couldn’t trust McKenna’s actions, not sure if he was enacting revenge or having true feelings.
When it came to Aline, I wasn’t happy about her secret-keeping but I could understand where she was coming from. I wasn’t sure where my feelings were with Aline’s brother, but there is a wonderful and touching scene with him toward the end that made me forgive any of his misdeeds (always done with good intentions) along the way.
There were some definite reservations when it came to Livia and Gideon. He has some demons that I was afraid would be swept away when he found love. Rest assured, that is not what happens here. The author responsibly handled Gideon’s problems, especially considering he is not the main character of this book. Of course, it’s still a bit too easy and not how things would play out in reality. But it also wasn’t swept under the rug. This is, after all, a fictional story.
All in all this book brought me enjoyment. Especially the last handful of chapters. I’m not sure how much this story ties into the other Wallflowers books, but I’m assuming it will take place in the same world.
3.5 stars
All In Good Time 
I’ve only read the first book in this series, so it was nice to read your review for this one before it. I still want/need to read more Wallflowers. I am pretty sure they all tie to the same world.