Curse and Consequence

by Savannah Jezowski

When Love visits Ravenhead Hall, sparks fly…quite literally.

Miss Rea Abernathy only wants to honor the family who has taken her under their wing, rescuing her from a life of poverty. But thanks to two determined suitors, she finds herself in a state far worse than the one from which her benefactress saved her.

When Mr. Sedgwick Whitby sets his sights on his mother’s sweet-tempered pig keeper, his orderly life is thrown into chaos: Rea’s station is less–than-desirable, and another gentleman may be pursuing her. Hoping to get his annoyingly charming twin brother out of the way, Sedgwick purchases a simple curse from a disreputable faery which consequently plunges them all into a misfortune far more serious than troubles of the heart.

With time running out to break the curse and tempers flying high, can Sedgwick and Rea set things right and find love after all? Regency meets dragons in this frolicking fantasy romance about a comely pig keeper, two wealthy gentlemen, and the curse binding them all together. Perfect for fans of Jane Austen, Diana Wynne Jones, and Gail Carson Levine.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Historical, Fairies, Dragons

ebook

Published July 4, 2019

About the author

Savannah lives in a drafty farmhouse in Amish country with her Knight in Shining Armor, who is no less shiny after eight years of matrimony, and a loyal brigade of kitties, who may or may not sleep on the job. Her work has been published in Ray Gun Revival, Mindflights and in the student publication of Fountains at PCC. She is also an author in the Five Enchanted Roses collection. She likes books, faeries and writing hats. Quite recently, dragons were spotted having tea on her estate.

Reviews

[Deborah O'Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

You need this hilarious Regency-esque fantasy novella in your life! It recently released and I loved it SO much I read it twice in the same week! (The second time, I read it aloud to my younger brother and sister so I could do the voices, which was so. much. fun! Especially Hugh. XD We laughed a ton! And now we quote it all the time. :P)

This whimsical tale, though in a fantasy setting, has a Georgette Heyer/Jane Austen Regency vibe, with a dash of Diana Wynne Jones (anyone remember Twinkle? I WILL SAY NO MORE!) and Tales of Ambia.

It starts out looking like a Regency romance, and while it's partly that, things quickly escalate into a hilarious romp of magical misfortunes which I will not spoil by explaining. Just go read the book!!

It's absolute perfection and I couldn't stop laughing! There's a rollicking humor vibe going on, and faery curses and piglets and an adorable dragon and a sprinkle of romance and so many mishaps and shenanigans! XDDD IT'S SO MUCH FUN. I CAN'T. I adore it!

CURSE AND CONSEQUENCE is one of the most delightful tales I've read in a long time, and I stayed up until midnight to finish it and regret nothing. *grins* Highly recommend! (And now I need the sequel -- aaahh!)

(Thanks to the author for the review copy! All opinions are 100% my own.)

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a strong Jane Austen element to this book, but it's so wonderfully original that it would be unfair to shelve it with fantasy-themed Jane Austen retellings. It's not actually a retelling at all. At heart, it's a Regency fantasy with a world and a story all its own. There's enough of an Austen touch to make fans of the Pride and Prejudice miniseries (or book*) smile at the witty dialogue. But as the synopsis indicates, the influences of Diana Wynne Jones and Gail Carson Levine are there in equal measure as well (and even a touch of Terry Pratchett, in my opinion). Rather than "Pride and Prejudice in a fantasy setting," I'd describe it as "Austen-style characters confronted with a humorous magical predicament." The blurb wisely avoids revealing the exact details of the story's main conflict, so I'll steer clear of doing that as well. You'll enjoy the book a lot more if you discover all that for yourself. All you need to know is that this is a supremely enjoyable fantasy with strong characterization and lots of laugh-out-loud moments. Not to be missed, and particularly appropriate for family reading.

*Yes, I have also read Pride and Prejudice in book form. I'm not a Philistine.

[Beka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, gorgeous, whimsical. I can’t wait for more from this romantic, magical Regency-esque world! ❤️

[Tricia Mingerink · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful little book. I was never a big fan of Jane Austen, but I have found I ADORE fantasy books that mix Regency/Edwardian with magic. I don't know what it is about that time period that makes it so perfect for writing a mash up of fantasy and history, but it just works so well.

This book is less big on the Regency setting than some I've read, probably because it is such a short book. The setting adds more of a flavor to the book, and it works really well.

The characters were all hilarious! I loved the interactions between the two brothers. They are such polar opposites, but through the book they learn they can still be brothers even with their differences.

The main girl added a lot to the mix. The brothers probably would have caused even more trouble without her adding a bit of sense! I loved the twist on her backstory (not going to give it away, but it is amazing!).

All in all, I loved this book and I will definitely be reading more by this author!

[C.O. Bonham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Curse and Consequence by Savannah Jezowski is a magical fantasy with regency flare.
The Whitby twins are as different as night and day. Hugh is a wild play boy who never grew up. Sedgwick is responsible, and willing to do anything to prevent his brother from having a chance with the woman he loves.
I loved the interplay between the two brothers. It was over the top hilarious but also not unheard of for siblings.
The best part though was the little dragon Rea. She was cute and adorable but full of fire.

Can't wait to read the next one.

*I was given an ARC of this novel for the purposes of reviews.*

[Angela Cuéllar · Rating 4 out of 5]

pooled ink Reviews:

They had me at “Jane Austen meets dragons” haha. The moment I read that I knew I had to read it for myself. And now that I have I must say that this really was a fun delightful read! Equal parts historical romance and fantasy adventure with plenty of humor woven throughout. I thought that the blending of mischievous magic into this English era of reserved propriety worked quite well and lent itself to establishing a tale with wit and charm.

Read my full review/visit my blog tour stop here: https://pooledink.com/2019/07/05/blog...

[H.S.J. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, I could not stop laughing. This charming story is Jane Austen meets magic and faeries. The writing style and setting is perfectly Regency era, only with pixies and dragons running about, and I love that! This short story has comedic disaster at every turn, and I’m glad there’s another book coming out because I wasn’t ready for the adventure to be over!

[Karen (BaronessBookTrove) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Unicorn Quester. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Best to be mindful of what you wish for.
Curse and Consequence by Savannah Jezowksi is a cheerful story that has a moral tale in it. Everyone has heard the saying about choices and consequences, and this story takes that on a lot. The main male character made a choice, and now he has to deal with the result of that choice. Well unless he can fix it.
Sedgwick Whitby
Sedgwick Whitby is the second born twin of the Whitby family and is the main male character. He spends most of his time pining after Rea Abernathy and trying to keep his twin brother out of trouble. Sedgwick knows he won't get the title or the fortune, but he does want everything to be good for the family. He wants his happiness, and that is to court Rea with Rea and his mom's blessing, of course, since Rea is staying with his family. Sedgwick is a complicated fellow, but that goes with his charm. He reveals himself slowly through the reading, and it's an excellent way to get to know him.
Rea Abernathy
Rea Abernathy has a complicated past and a hidden heritage that she doesn't want anyone to know. She is the complete opposite of Sedgwick with a loving nature, and she doesn't mind getting dirty, as opposed to being clean all the time. Rea deals with a lot throughout the story, but she takes it all in strides especially since she can't badmouth the brothers as she is staying in their home thanks to her dad losing his title, money, clothes, and house. Rea doesn't blame him and is happy where she is at. She slowly reveals her hidden heritage but only when she really needs to.
Five Stars
Curse and Consequence by Savannah Jezowksi is a great starter book for this new series. Ms. Jezowksi did an excellent job of creating this cast of characters, the world that they inhabit, and the moral of the story. I am giving this book five stars and recommending it to everyone that reads Historical Romance, and Regency books.






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Happy Reading!

This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

[Sarah Ashwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, fun little book with a magic-meets-Jane Austen- feel. I felt like I was in Regency England, but the fairytale aspects were so skillfully entertwined that everything just fit. I would love to see an entire series set in this world. I think it would be so fun. Looking forward to Book 2! Highly recommend for readers of Jane Austen, Regency era fiction, and fairytale lovers.

[Jenelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I HAVEN'T THE FOGGIEST CLUE HOW TO PROCESS MY FEELINGS RIGHT NOW.

[Suzannah]

Madcap little fantasy romance featuring a curse gone wrong, involuntary shapeshifting, and one very uptight protagonist.

[M.H. Elrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered this book recently because Savannah Jezowski, the author, is both a cover designer and author. I really admire her cover designs and I absolutely loved the premise of her book. I mean, who doesn’t love a book about magic and romance, all set in a Victorian England type of setting? Well, the book that promises to be a combination of Jane Austen and Dianna Wynne Jones didn’t disappoint.

Plot
This is a novella whose action is very fast paced. The basic premise of the novel is that Mr. Sedgwick Whitby is in love with Miss Rea Abernathy and makes a very big mistake to win the affections of Rea. His decision results in a series of laughable events which tumble after each other in quick succession. I enjoyed reading and smiling throughout the story as the characters interacted and dealt with one another. The plot ended in a resolution with hints for the future.

Characters
I enjoyed getting to know the three main characters: Hugh, Sedgwick, and Rea. Hugh was my favorite character because he seemed like more than met the eye. He was humorous, but had moments of seriousness that took me back. Sedgwick was my least favorite character because he could be so stubborn! I felt bad for Rea, who had to mother and harass the two men into behaving well. The characters change a little bit over the course of the novella, but it is so short that they don’t change completely. Since it is the first of the series, I imagine their development will increase over the other books.
Setting
The majority of the book takes place in Ravenhead Hall, a mansion that feels like something out of Downtown Abbey. There are numerous servants and benefactors, including Rea herself, who is a resident pig-keeper. Being no expert in Victorian social structure, I couldn’t tell you what a pig-keeper is doing in a story set in Victorian-era England. However, the pigs add an element of humor to the story, so they are worth keeping. There’s also an integration of magical creatures and humans that is so seamless that it is believable, and definitely Dianna Wynne-Jones esque.

Overall Rating: 4 of 5 stars

So I rated this book a 4 out of 5 stars because it didn’t feel finished. This could be because there are more books in the series. It could be because the characters didn’t have a full character arc in the story. Yet, the book does deliver on its promises, and that is well worth the read!

[Jessica Belmont · Rating 5 out of 5]

Curse and Conseqence is charming, witty, funny, magical…let me just stop there because I could go on and on with praising this novel.

This is a Regency Fantasy, and I love that about it. The setting, culture, clothing all feel realistic and the descriptions are beautiful. I don’t think this story would have worked as well if it hadn’t been written in this period. It added to the wit and humor of the characters and it really helped me connect to the story.

Savannah Jezowsk has a knack for making memorable, relatable and compelling characters. I love the Whitby twins. The differences between them are vast, and definitely helped the mood of the story. The rest of the cast is fantastic as well.

Dragons, fairies, romance, fantasy, regency, and curses all come together in this novel to make a really fantastic read. I cannot wait to continue in this story! Highly recommended. 

*I received a copy of this book as part of a blog tour with Unicorn Quester. All opinions are my own.*

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first words that came to mind once I'd finished this story were cute and entertaining. Plus a bit of silliness, which came from the brothers of the story. Sedgwick and Hugh could both use a bit of growth seeing as how they are constantly frustrating each other and acting like children. And then Sedgwick decides a curse is a good idea. Never a good idea! The consequences bring lots of shenanigans.

But the cuteness? That comes courtesy of watching Rea and Sedgwick figure out their hearts. These two are pretty perfect for each other and made me giggle several times. I enjoyed watching them banter back and forth a bit, as well as just swoon over each other. I didn't need to do any swooning, the two of them did plenty enough by themselves! ;)

The only downside to the story that I found was the fact that it ends on a cliffhanger of sorts! And now I have to wait a whole year or so before I find out what happens next! In the meantime, I'd better go back and reread this one over again.

** I received a complimentary copy via the author. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curse and Consequence is set in the Regency era (think Jane Austen's books), but it's filled with magic. Two brothers, Hugh and Sedgwick Whitby, both fancy the same girl, Rea Abernathy. Rea is their mother's ward, and she spends most of her time tending the animals on their family's estate. Because she loves them, not because she needs to, you understand. Well, one brother decides he just has to have her for himself, so he pays a faery to put some kind of mild blight on his brother... or so he thought. The curse ends up hitting more than one person, and then the curse gets changed, and everyone ends up having to be honest about their thoughts and feelings and who they are inside before it all gets sorted out.

This was a fun, quick read, and I think my daughters will be charmed by it when they're old enough to be interested in boy+girl stories.

[Yakira Goldsberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Curse and Consequence was a fun romp that had me laughing till the end! The Edwardian feel and style of the story put me in mind of Jane Austen—if Jane Austen had written about magic and fairies and dragons. It was very well written for a novella, and I applaud anyone who can pull of such a short story and make it work.

[Heather Barbour · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story and its not finished yet, there is more to come in 2020! This story takes you on a adventure. Makes us realize that consequences can harm those we never meant to harm, so be careful with your actions and your words.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! In fact, I wish it was longer, but that’s how series go. 😂 The characters were relatable and lovable, and the storyline instantly grabbed my attention. Already looking forward to #2! The writing style is very versatile. I think any of all ages would enjoy it as I have!

[Grace T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet!

[Jamie Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

And now for something completely different! I am a huge fan of Jane Austen fanfiction, and while this is not a direct spinoff from any Jane Austen novel, there are hints and flavors in this book that call up the writings of Miss Austen. How to describe this book? Part of it tries so hard at humor, succeeding mostly, that it feels like romantic Regency farce meets magical, fantasy world. This mash-up of worlds can be endearing and funny, but at times, the farce gets to be too much and starts to border on mockery. Still, all in all, it was a fascinating and very different read.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

Read my other reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from Hidden Gems in exchange for an honest review.

What a cute story! Part fairy tale, part classic, I really enjoyed reading it. The characters were well written and developed, even though it was a short story. The dialogue was witty and flowed well (that’s huge for me). I am definitely looking forward to part 2.

[Katherine Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and entertaining read! It did not evoke the Pride & Prejudice vibes that I expected but I still found the dilemmas faced by the characters to be humorous and unexpected. Good lesson on being careful what you wish for.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun, but not quite my cup of tea. There's nothing actually wrong with it, other than the fact that it moves faster than I'd like; I just didn't jive with it.

[Mariella Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I will give Curse and Consequence a 3.5. It was a delightful story with a humorous voice and enjoyable characters. Despite the character arcs that I hope will further develop in the coming parts of the series, I truly enjoyed this story and its plethora of laughable tussles. It was lighthearted and lovely, something that made for a wonderful rainy afternoon read. I would highly recommend it for anyone who adores Jane Austen, Diana Wynne Jones, or Lloyd Alexander’s styles of writing.

To read further thoughts, check out a review here: https://thefoldedworld.wordpress.com/...

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a Kindle unlimited recommendation. In an effort to marry the girl he loves and wrestle the title away from his twin, Sedgwick talks a fairy into a curse. Hugh, the older twin in question, has a wild and impetuous nature which in Sedwick's mind makes him unsuitable to be the next Earl. Rea, the girl Segwick loves, realizes the fairy is going to curse Hugh and tries to step in. Predictably, disaster ensues. This had some rather funny moments, and the ending is a cliff hanger.

[Laurie Lucking · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whenever I hear a book described as Jane Austen with fantasy - count me in! I loved the witty writing style, and the magic system made for an intriguing, unpredictable fantasy world. The characters were enjoyable, but they had so much humor imbued in their personalities that they felt a bit like caricatures, which made me a bit less invested in their plight. But overall this was a quick, fun read!

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming premise and plot. Well-written. It's a fun mix of genres, with faeries and a dragon in a regency estate. I was all set to give it quite a high review, and then.... it ended with a cliff-hanger. I know that's a personal taste thing, but generally speaking, I don't like them. If that doesn't bother, grab the book (and it's sequel) and go on ahead.

4 for the story itself, minus a star for the cliff-hanger.

[Constance Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and cute

This was a short, cute, regency fantasy about the dangers of curses.

My favorite part was the exploration of the curse and magic--the concept that intent matters, and the ability to be rid of the curse could lie with with others than just the caster.

I do wish the story had been longer, with more time to delve into the characters and and the plot. All the same, this was quick fun. Hugh was my favorite character, given his irascible nature.

[Reena · Rating 5 out of 5]

One woman, two suitors, a faery curse, a pig and a dragon... Do the math and what do you get? A hillarious regency/fantasy story, that will have you laughing you heart out! If you like your regency romances with a touch of magic and a load of humor, then this book is right up your alley! I can't wait to read what happens next!

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time he loses his temper the blue smoke does something!

This is an interesting short book. Good for any age and under 100 pages. This book has fae and dragons and magic.

What do you get when one twin is competing with the other for the girl? Jealousy and a curse! A must read to find out what the curse does and the trials to break it.