Must Love Magic

Magic & Mayhem #2

by Erica Ridley

Enjoy an Office Space-meets-Princess Bride romantic comedy from a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author!

Daisy le Fey is good at a lot of things: Math, science, accidentally turning people into pumpkins... Unfortunately, she's hopeless at the one skill hiring managers look for when filling open positions for magical beings: Magic.

When she jeopardizes her apprenticeship by getting involved with sexy mortal Trevor Masterson, it's one disaster too many. In order to earn her wings, she's going to have to ditch the human–and her one chance at true love.

A rollicking Nether-Netherland adventure!

Enjoy the Magic & Mayhem paranormal romantic comedies!
Kissed by Magic
Must Love Magic
Smitten by Magic

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Audiobook, Fae

419 pages, ebook

First published July 15, 2019

About the author

Get freebies and 99¢ deals at: https://ridley.vip

Erica Ridley is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of historical romance novels, including THE DUKE HEIST, featuring the Wild Wynchesters. Why seduce a duke the normal way, when you can accidentally kidnap one in an elaborately planned heist?

In the 12 Dukes of Christmas series, enjoy witty, heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!

Two popular series, the Dukes of War and Rogues to Riches, feature roguish peers and dashing war heroes who find love amongst the splendor and madness of Regency England.

When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found eating couscous in Morocco, zip-lining through rainforests in Costa Rica, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.

Reviews

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, this book felt endless.

Compared to the first in the series, Kissed by Magic, which was short and sweet, this book felt like it was actually never going to end.

I'm a fan of Erica Ridley's historicals, but this series has been my first foray into her paranormal/comedy stuff. I have to say, I don't think it's quite working for me. Must Love Magic felt like it was trying too hard to be funny, and the plot got lost along the way.

Some parts of the story were cute, but the world-building the storyline were muddled and strange. The romance felt less like a romance and more like trickery-induced sex that morphed into an unavoidable physical chemistry. It was pretty underwhelming.

I think the story was... fine, but I know Erica Ridley can do better. Here's to hoping the 3rd of the story is as cute as promised.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

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[K.S. Marsden · Rating 1 out of 5]

Daisy is trying to earn her wings as a toothfairy, but complications ensue when she stumbles into the tent of anthropologist Trevor.

I received a free copy as part of the Magic & Mayhem boxset, from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This follows Daisy, who has to live up to the impossible standards set by her extremely-successful parents. It doesn't matter that she's a genius and that she's managed to find scientific solutions to her lack of magic - in Nether Netherland, only magical ability counts.

Trevor is in the middle of an archaeological dig, and under threat of losing his job, the last thing he needs is a tenacious toothfairy complicating things.

No, just no. This did not work for me.
I thought it was very poorly written, scatty and jumping all over the place, it just made my head hurt.
Am I the only person that is concerned that Daisy doesn't recognise the difference between an 8 year old boy and a full-grown man. Especially when she's grinding against him within a minute of crashing into his life (yet still insisting he was her target and had to provide a tooth).
For a scientific genius, she never came across as particularly smart.

Ridley does seem to be a bit of a hit-or-miss writer. I have thoroughly enjoyed some of her other books, but equally found some to be a rushed mess.

[Elodie’s Reading Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is the second installment in the Magic &Mayhem series, and it can be read as a standalone as it is set with new characters.
For Mrs Erica Ridley usual readers, it is outside her usual work as it is a fantasy romance sets in contemporary time.
This is a laughing out loud kind of story with a klutz of a tooth fairy, with not a magical bone in her body, in training trying to steal a teeth from a all grown up specimen of a man.
It is Tinkerbell meeting Indiana Jones.
Their journey is one trip from hell to heaven with everything in between bouncing them back from inferno to purgatory.
Daisy is so sweet and cute, sure the snarky me was upset at her naivety and stubbornness to insist so much to become a fairy when it is obvious is not really in her but then the young me try to recall how at time I would have love to belong in. She feels like an oddity and wants so much to prove she can be an asset, so much she can’t see what is right in front of her nor doubt anybody’s actions.
Trevor is human so he lost a long time ago his belief on tooth fairy or any other supernatural being, and as an anthropologist, he believes in facts not tales. So their first many encounters all turned like a dialogue of the deaf.
Until too much sparkling powder dust brings him to where he should never have set foot.
I confess Daisy’s bullheadedness to not accept who she really is gave me headaches at time, I was upset at her blindness to continue to pursue an impossible dream when everything was out of her capacity and when she was throwing away her talent and what was the right path.
After it is a very enjoyable read full of twists and turns, steam and hilarious situations.
4.5 stars

I was provided an advance copy by the author and I have the full series already preordered.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daisy le Fey is good at a lot of things: Math, science, accidentally turning people into pumpkins... Unfortunately, she's hopeless at the one skill hiring managers look for when filling open positions for magical beings: Magic. When she jeopardizes her apprenticeship by getting involved with sexy mortal Trevor Masterson, it's one disaster too many. In order to earn her wings, she's going to have to ditch the human–and her one chance at true love.
A well written fun read that had me laughing at times, I loved the verbal sparring. A different genre from my normal read but one I found I thoroughly enjoyed. Likeable characters who were believable & had plenty of depth. The pace was very good & the pages flew by. This is a re release of Charmed
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

[AnnMarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must Love Magic is the second book in the Magic & Mayhem series by Erica Ridley. Although it is part of a series it can be read as a standalone story.

I normally read historical romances written by this author and although they are still my favourite genre I really did enjoy this fun fantasy romance by her.

Daisy Le Fay is an apprentice tooth fairy, and let me say that if this kind of tooth fairy really existed I think plenty of young lads would be pulling out their own teeth and feigning sleep waiting for her to arrive! She is fun, she is beautiful and her fairy outfit doesn't leave much to the imagination.

Trevor Masterton is a professor at an archaeological dig abroad. He falls asleep in his tent and is woken by Daisy who is in his tent trying to find a pillow with a tooth under it. She was sent to the location with the instructions to retrieve a tooth from an 8-year-old boy named Angus. She is shocked when she discovers that there isn't an 8-year-old present. Instead, there is a very sexy, half-dressed man. She can't leave without a tooth and the only one that he has is one that he recently dug up and there is no way he is letting her have that.

What follows is the hilarious tale of how Daisy tries to rectify her failure to retrieve the tooth. That involves more trips to Earth and also Trevor finding himself in Nether-Netherland. It's where all things fantastical live, not least Daisy's mum who is a fairy godmother, her dad a guardian angel, and her best friend Maeve who just happens to be a colourful flying horse.

Daisy desperately needs to get that tooth, she can't fail if she ever has any hope of becoming a full-fledged tooth fairy. She wants to earn her wings more than anything.

Trevor is trying to earn tenure at the university he works in and it turns out that the tooth that Daisy is after could very well lead him to win that tenure.

I won't say any more suffice to say that during all the time that Daisy and Trevor spend time together they go from passionate lust for each other to possible love. But how can they be together when they from two different worlds. It's not possible, right?

This was such an amazing meld of fantasy and reality with many funny moments that made me laugh out loud. One such moment that I have to comment on is when Daisy's best friend, the flying horse, laughed so hard she farted. Call it toilet humour, or just the fact that imagining a fantasy horse laughing so much that she farts, it really got to me. There were many funny moments, but also some dramatic ones, and not forgetting the extremely sexy moments between Trevor and Daisy. It was such a lovely feel-good book that as long as you love a bit of the fantastical you will really enjoy.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is romantic, suspenseful and hilarious. Trevor is an anthropologist who is a professor at a college. He took a group of kids to a dig in Costa Rica hoping to find something spectacular. Daisy is an inept fairy, currently trying to become a tooth fairy, which is almost impossible because she can't do magic, at least not without a scientifically engineered wand. Daisy gets sent to retrieve the tooth of Angus, age 8, in Trevor's tent. They argue, because he obviously isn't 8, and his name isn't Angus. To make her go away, because he thinks she's crazy, he gives her a rock and tells her that the tooth is inside of it. So she goes back to Nether-Netherland and turns it in. Then gets arrested for trying to pass a rock off as a tooth. She's sent back to get the real tooth, and ends up using a Himalayan Lust Charm on Trevor, which makes then rip off their clothes and have wild sex in his office. Afterwards she steals every tooth in his lab, figuring that one of them is the right one, but that gets her into more trouble. Trevor and Daisy will make you laugh out loud, Daisy is naive and stubborn, Trevor is fascinated and not quite believing. I can't wait to read the next book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.

[Lori D · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read the blurb about the book and start laughing, I know I am going to enjoy a fun story. Plus, having just finished the first book in this series, the anticipation was building up. What could be better than a wingless tooth fairy and a handsome archeologist laying on the tooth she needs to retrieve? Honestly not a lot! Two different worlds come together.. The magical fairy and a mortal man who create their own fairy tale together!
Humor, disbelief, angst, attraction, a delightful toad and all kind of entertaining mischief had me smiling all the way through. That is priceless when you really need a lighthearted story and this one definitely did that for me!!
Can Daisy earn her wings and can Erica achieve his work goals and the two have their happy ever after? You will need to read to find out, but trust me, you will be glad you did!

[Luz T · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked most of it, but it seemed to move slowly in some parts. Daisy always found herself in conflict with fairy law and spent a lot of time in Fairy Court defending herself. The places she was sent to for punishment were very cool. Luckily she always found a way out. Her attorney was a pretty cool character.
Daisy and Trevor were both smart and loved science. They both had a career goal they wanted to accomplish and were not willing to give it up. They both had a cartoony villain who were an obstacle towards their goal.
Their relationship seemed more physical than romantic, this is why of the 3 stars. I wanted more sweet romance between them. They had great chemistry which was obvious during their sexy times.

Thank you to the publisher/author for providing the ARC through NetGalley for review.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever heard the phrase, “He/she needs to earn her wings?” Pretty much that’s Daisy Le Fey’s problem, she needs to earn her wings. It isn’t that she isn’t intelligent, she is, but Daisy is a tooth fairy-in-training and in a land where magic rules, she has none. Very human, Trevor Masterson needs tenure at his university. What happens when their worlds collide, quite by accident in the middle of an archeological dig? You get one very grown up fairy tale where two beings grow together and learn to be comfortable in their own skin, which in their case is probably a good thing! But can their love survive the taboos of love between a fairy and a mere human when so many forces are hard at work to deny them?

Charmed by Erica Ridley is a light, fun read, with a quirky heroine who will steal your heart as she learns to believe in herself and accept that she is deserving of love. The world building is fabulous, with warmth, humor and some magical spice sprinkled on top. Erica Ridley put her creative magic into every page and cast the perfect spell for true love!

A copy was provided by NetGalley and Intrepid Reads in exchange for my honest review.

Publication Date: December 14, 2012
Publisher: Intrepid Reads
Series: Nether-Netherland, Book 1
Number of Pages: 274
Genre: Adult Fantasy/Romance
Recommended Age: Adult
Rating: 4 Stars
Available at: Barnes & Noble / Amazon
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.

[Isa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

arc provided by Intrepid Reads through Netgalley

Daisy le Fey, a tooth fairy in training, really needs to successfully complete her first assignment and retrieve little Angus' tooth, leaving a boon in its place. Trouble is, little Angus is a fossilised specimen and the one sleeping on top of his tooth is a very tired, very attractive paleo-anthropologist who'd been sorting through the finds from his latest dig.
But rules are rules, if a human is sleeping on a tooth, a tooth fairy is meant to retrieve it. Only this particular human is not so keen to let go of one of his artefacts...

This is a very cheerful, amusing story. Daisy, a neurophysicist, causes no end of embarrassment to her Fairy Godmother mother and Guardian Angel father. Science is just about the most menial task you can perform in Nether-nether land, so she tries so, so hard to earn her wings!
Trevor, the one holding on to the tooth in question, goes against the regular trope and adamantly refuses to believe anything Daisy says. Tooth fairies? Magical toads? Nether-netherland? This is obviously a nefarious plan concocted by his rival to keep him from achieving tenure!

You can't help but root for Daisy, even though she's obviously meant for serious scientific pursuits, and you can't help by sympathise with Trevor because... I mean, really, tooth fairies?

The plot is engaging and funny, the pacing is perfect, the characters are believable (even the mythical ones!) and the dialogue is funny.

If you're looking for a light-hearted read, this will not disappoint!

[werejumpinbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this light read and the writing so much I was laughing through a lot of the scenes. The story painted a very detailed picture with enough in the plot that will have you wanting to finish it when you first start to read. There was a lot happening: excitement, emotions, nail biting. I will always remember Daisy and Trevor. I usually don’t read Paranormal, but I think I will start embracing a new genre. I enjoy that easy it was to follow and filled with fantasy. All of the characters were enjoyable, developed, fun, exciting, flawed, and some even sexy.
Daisy is strong, cheerful, runs into trouble, and she is wingless tooth fairy. She doesn’t think she needs a relationship much less romance. I guess you will just need to grab up this book to figure out what Daisy will due to to gain her wings and how her magical powers work, lets just say turning things into pumpkins is not what should happen.
This is an adult twist to fairy tales, and kinda like an all grown up Tinkerbell. If you love tooth fairies, then you will definitely love this book, go ahead and be Charmed, like I was.
We're Jumpin' Books

[Georgie-who-is-Sarah-Drew · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'd read The Viscount's Christmas Temptation and thoroughly enjoyed it - it was an energetic & funny read - so I was keen to read more by Erica Ridley. Unfortunately, none of her other books seem to have the same sense of wit & character as that novella. This - and her other full-length books - sacrifice character coherence to plot.

In this case, the lack of character development and logical plot are compounded by the introduction of a Magical World. I'm suspicious of these at the best of times, as authors (a) usually go to town on the exposition of the Rules of the Magical World, which can be boring - and - (b) often "magically" produce a new Rule at the eleventh hour to get their characters out of whatever plot fix they're in (the "with one bound he was free" method of plotting). Sadly, Charmed is no exception.

Maybe the reason I'd enjoyed the initial novella is because there are obvious limitations on the plot with that length of story. If so, I hope Erica Ridley goes back to the short form.

[Clever Girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charmed was charming.

Daisy is determined, brilliant - at science, something that isn't valued in a world filled with magic, tenacious, and unwavering in her goal to earn her wings. I felt for her as she struggled with her desire for acceptance because in her world of Nether-Netherland wings equals acceptance.

Trevor is as determined as Daisy. He's determined to get tenure. He's determined not to let Daisy distract him from his goal even as he finds himself more and more interested, intrigued and then obsessed with the woman who he thinks is crazy.

I didn't really feel the romance between Daisy and Trevor until maybe the last quarter of the book but I was all in by the time when Trevor, having finally figured out how he feels about Daisy, did his arts and crafts project. Adorable. The book felt a little long, I found my mind wandering and wanted to skip ahead, but I did enjoy the story and the characters.

Disclosure: ebook provided in exchange for an honest review

[Cathy Geha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daisy is attempting to get her wings by doing jobs as an apprentice tooth fairy when she stumbles across Trevor the human anthropologist in South America. Both Daisy and Trevor are dealing with sincere desires to achieve their professional goals and in so doing much seems to go wrong while they fall in love. Charmed is another book in the Nether-Netherworld series by Erica Ridley and though fun and funny in places seemed rather silly and unbelievable in others. Nether-netherworld and its inhabitants were definitely imaginary but interesting.

[Cyliena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must Love Magic
Daisy le Fey just wants to earn her wings, and the tooth fairy business is sure to do that. It’s a shame that her mentor sent Daisy to retrieve a recently unearthed tooth that happens to be resting beneath an archaeologist’s face. Trevor needs more credibility and less crazy-fairy in his life. Up for tenure against an exasperating colleague, Trevor needs to decide what’s more important: work or love. Must Love Magic has some fantastic world building as we’re introduced to the realm of Nether-Netherland. Both the main and side characters were fully fleshed out. The biggest flaws of Daisy and Trevor—that the both were status-seekers—took longer for the characters to overcome than I expected. The few times to story went to the villain’s point of view detracted from what could have been an interesting element of surprise in the story’s events. However, I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and the many humorous hurdles they had to overcome.

Magic and Mayhem series remarks
The Magic and Mayhem series by Erica Ridley consists of books that were previously released before and are being edited and re-released. Out of the three, I had only read Kissed by Magic in the past when it was titled Let It Snow. The book Must Love Magic was previously released as Charmed, and Smitten by Magic was previously released as Midwinter Magic.

What I really enjoy about Erica Ridley’s writing is that her books are fast-paced, adventurous, and full of character development. While each title varies in the depth in which that is accomplished, she writes memorable stories that will stick with you in the days that follow.

Magic and Mayhem‘s books are all lighthearted and fun as well as a bit sexy. They each feature magic in different ways, from fairy tale castles to a paranormal courtroom to a bureaucracy of angels. There’s curses and talking horses and backfiring mechanical wands that turn things into pumpkins. Each book promises a fun fantasy adventure with a HEA.

The one thing the stories suffer from is something I find myself mentioning more and more often: the endings can be sudden and there’s no epilogues. When I spend time taking that romantic journey with the story’s main characters, I also want either an ending that doesn’t feel rushed or a glimpse into the future to show that yes, things continued to work out. In Must Love Magic, how did Daisy and Trevor juggle two completely different worlds? Did Sarah and Javier make a difference in the world with their new positions in Smitten by Magic? I don’t need all the answers, but I do desire some reassurance.


I received an ARC of the entire Magic and Mayhem series via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Check out my full series review or my Goodreads reviews for #1: Kissed by Magic and #3: Smitten by Magic.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Must Love Magic is your basic Tooth Fairy apprentice meets paleo-anthropologist troupe. *snort*
Ok, so Daisy la Fey is having her own tooth fairy apprentice version of her own No Good, Very Bad Day. She is the daughter of like the highest-ranking Fairy Godmother and one of the highest-ranking Guardian Angels...AND...she has NO magic. She is a science nerd in magic world. She desperately wants her wings (she even fashioned her own wings and wears them about to feel like everyone else... aww, poor thing)

Trevor is a professor on an archaeological dig abroad with his students. He is woken one night by a tooth fairy wet dream (Daisy) with painted red toes (his weakness) claiming to want a tooth from an 8-year-old boy named Angus. She is shocked when she discovers that there isn't an 8-year-old present but instead, an attractive half-dressed man. What follows is the hilarious tale of how Daisy tries, and continuously fails to rectify her failure of the retrieval of the tooth.

I love smart pop-culture-ish references. Not only did we get some from Willy Wonka (the Gene Wilder version not that crappy remake from Tim Burton... he really needs an intervention sometimes) but there was also a Monty Python reference too (Thank You, Erica Ridley!!! These absolutely make my day)

This would have ranked higher but the book got a little long in the tooth (ha!) so to speak. At one point I almost felt I was being bashed continuously over the head with just the worst-case scenario play out over and over. In the end, we all walked away happy and light. Very cute story.

Must Love Magic is a re-release of Charmed.

This was an ARC generously provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Brigitte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Must Love Magic lives up and its name in the series of Mayhem and Magic. It's not all about magic though!

Trevor is an archaeologist whose ultimate aim is to advance his career by obtaining his tenure.

Daisy is an apprentice tooth fairy. She is focused on obtaining her wings which would earn her respect in Nether Netherlands.

When Daisy goes to retrieve a fairy tooth, she ends up in an archaeological dig where she meets Trevor. Her sudden appearance and her attire completely baffles him. He doesn't believe in fairies! It looks like she has been sent on a wild goose chase, but she isn't about to give up. She is desperate to earn her wings, but her magical powers come from her scientific experiences. Her wands land her in more trouble than bringing her the magic that she aims for!

She persues Trevor to earth to complete her assignment and somehow, they become quite attached to each other. Mind you, there are times when he wants to throttle her. Besides, relationships between human and fairies are strictly forbidden. Can they find a way to have an interdimensonal romance?

Trevor is popular with his students. He is quite happy working towards his goal until Daisy starts to tilt his world. Daisy is just Daisy. A complete disaster, not intentional, but trouble seems to follow her. Berrymellow and Vivian always managed to make me cringe. This tale is rather humorous, but it's a little stretched out.

I was kindly issued with an eARC and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erica Ridley has been an author I wanted to try forever, and while this isn’t one of her more popular, talked-about books or series, I decided to give it a shot, as it was in Kindle Unlimited, and I liked the idea of a quirky paranormal rom-com. And while book one was fun, but I had very little to say, since it was shorter, I found I had more thoughts on this one, even though it was consistent in the light, fun feel.

I love Ridley’s clever wordplay and how it plays into building the world and canon of creatures. When I first read “where-wolf,” I could have sworn it was a typo, but when it was explained later, I found myself chuckling. There’s also bureaucracy that plays a role in the plot that is a lot more fun than it sounds at first.

And the magical elements are ridiculous, like the clothing powder and lust potions, but it totally fits the tone Ridley was going for and spices up a pretty hot moment between Daisy and Trevor.

Daisy herself is delightful, with her attempts to do magic sometimes feeling like a lovely comedy-of-errors, yet I rooted for her to get it right. I loved that while Trevor was her opposite at first, being very focused on advancing his career, he also can’t help but fall for the half-fairy, half-angel.

This book is unique and hilarious, like nothing I’ve ever read before. If you’re looking for a fun, quirky paranormal rom-com, I recommend this one highly.

[wonderfullyweird88 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must love magic is the second book in Ms Ridley's Magic and Mayhem series.  Set in contemporary times, it has the perfect blend of romance, humour and plot that I have come to expect from Ms Ridley's books.

Daisy is exceptional when it comes to science, but that is not a respected job in Nether-Netherland. Daisy has always longed to gain her wings, and she is determined to succeed as a tooth fairy. There is only one problem, on her first mission, it's not a child she meets but a grown man who has no intention of allowing her to take the teeth he has collected.

Trevor is on an anthropologic dig with his students hoping to make a brilliant discovery so he can secure a tenured position at the university. He wasn't expecting to wake up to a scandalously dressed woman searching his tent.

Forces are conspiring against Daisy, and with the rule forbidding interaction between magical beings and humans, things are not looking good for this aspiring fairy.

This is a humorous romp where the heroine learns to believe in herself and in the power of true love, I only wish she hadn't taken so long to come to the realisation. While I enjoyed the first in the series more, this is still a delightful read.

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Man, this book really dragged on. Whereas "Kissed by Magic" was a short-and-sweet page-turner that I wished was longer, this book feels twice as long as it should be. It felt like it was trying really hard to be "quirky" and "cute"--trying *too* hard, probably. I get that the female lead is an actual fairy, but it still pushed my tolerance for "manic pixie dream girl" types. Also, a lot of page length was taken up by worldbuilding for the "quirky" setting, which is a real "your mileage may vary" situation on whether it clicks with you or not. It certainly didn't with me, and I found myself skimming passages.

More than that, though, I just really didn't feel the chemistry between the main couple. There is some good character development, where they go from getting in the way of each other's goals to instead respecting and helping one another. However, I never really bought them as a *romantic* couple that counts as "one true love" by the end. They felt like maybe they'd be good friends, or friends-with-benefits, but a love for the ages that can defy magical law? That felt like a stretch, given where their character development was at that point. For all that long page count, it felt like not enough focus was on the main couple and their development *as* a couple.

[Lorena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything about this full-length romantic fantasy is over the top, whether it’s the various characters’ lust, jealousy, obsessive fixation on goals, or the silly jokes. I thought some of the jokes were cute (I was quite fond of Bubbles the where-frog), but it was all a little too much for my taste. For supposedly very smart and accomplished people, the main characters were terribly stubborn and made some very foolish choices.

I did enjoy the juxtaposition of politics in academia and in Nether-Netherland, and while Daisy and Trevor both annoyed me at times, I was still rooting for them to find their happy ever after. I think whether you will enjoy the book is going to depend on how much you appreciate the humor. If you liked Piers Anthony's Xanth novels, you’ll probably like this.

This is the second book (and my least favorite) in Erica Ridley’s Magic & Mayhem series, but each book is about a different couple and stands alone. This is an updated version of a story previously published as "Charmed: Love, Lust & Pixie Dust." Note that the book contains some mild swearing and explicit sex scenes.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love watching fairy tales get twisted inside out. This book took the entire fairy tale world and tipped it soundly on its ear. Throw in a little science, some jealous colleagues, and a whole lot of bureaucracy and the resulting story had me howling with laughter for hours. There’s so much going on in this book and it all ties back together to the point that I can’t explain any one event without giving away the rest of the book. Trevor and Daisy are absolutely adorable together. They’re both career-driven to the point of creating chaos in each other’s lives through their single-mindedness, and yet they’re both able to steal the other’s focus. It was so much fun to witness the crazy shenanigans that happen around them – ones they accidentally create and ones they inadvertently get sucked into. This book was so much fun, I really didn’t want it to end.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the author.

[Melindeeloo · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars = okay. The magicless Daisy is desperately trying to earn her wings as an apprentice Tooth Fairy daisy when her first mission has her popping in to claim part of anthropologist Trevor's find on a dig.

This story was zany and didn't quite tickle my book 'funny bone', it's probably a failing of mine rather that the story, but never the less it didn't quite click for me. I didn't enjoy the parts in the Never Never land fairy world or the machinations of the fellow anthropologist who had in for Trevor or the mentor who had it in for Daisy. As to the romance Trevor isn't particularly nice to Daisy the whole way through, so it makes it hard to feel the love between the pair.

I read this as a part of a three part ARC with re-released versions of older magical romances which also included Smitten by Magic, and Kissed by Magic. Kissed by Magic was my favorite of the three.

ARC via NetGalley courtesy of the publisher - this is an unpaid review.

[Cas H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the second book Daisy Le Fey is an aspiring tooth fairy. She must come to earth and retrieve the teeth of the children who have lost them. When she comes to the tent of Trevor Masterson on an archaeological dig, she is seen. Trevor happens to be sleeping on the tooth that she needs to take back.
Since being seen breaks a rule, and coming back without a tooth breaks another rule, she has to decide if she will risk not bringing back a tooth. She determines that she must go back and get the tooth, and this means talking to the humans. She makes sure to bring her wand with her. Only one thing about this wand. The only thing it can do is turn people and things into pumpkins.
The more she tries to dig herself out of the hole, the deeper she gets into it.
This book is lighthearted and funny. Oh and definitely cringe worthy.
I enjoyed book two in the Magic and Mayhem Trilogy and I hope you do too.

[Laura Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tinkerbell meets Indiana Jones

The whole concept is hysterical. Imagine Tinkerbell with hormones. Daisy is a non magical half fairy half angel with supportive parents. She’s a genius scientist from an environment that values magic over scientific endeavors. She wants to be a fairy and get her wings and have respect. Trevor is a paleo anthropologist up for tenure against a socio anthropologist with a mean streak willing to spread gossip and stories to defame Trevor. The story is like riding a roller coaster so many ups and downs a series of constant calamities in fantastical situations. It’s funny and sexy and adorable. It was odd at times I thought the book was too long but then when it was over I wanted another chapter to explain what happened next. The audiobook was hysterical the narrator had so many voices it was incredible. If you read this book listen to the audio it will enhance your experience.

[Pontiki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daisy is a tooth fairy in training, and she happens upon Trevor, owner of the tooth she needs. Except he isn’t the owner. They argue, they mistrust, then a Himalayan lust charm “makes” them sleep together.

Things get tricky here because Daisy badly wants her fairy wings, and Trevor is after tenure. Plus, it’s illegal for humans to be involved with fae in Nether Netherland.

Still, they go back and forth trying to fix the mess, and it comes to light who started all the trouble in the first place.

This was an OK read, not a good read. I like the characters, and the storyline was interesting, but the book went on and on, and could have been about 50 to 75 pages shorter. Then, the ending was abrupt and uninteresting.

This is not Ridley’s best work.

I received this ARC for free, and am glad to be able to provide a review for the perk.

[Colleen M. Snell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I got into the book, the story was good.

I like the idea of magic and hope that it exists but It took a leap for me to really get into this story. The story itself was easy enough to believe. The woman doing everything she can to break up a marriage and get rid of the daughter is more than believable. All in all a good story with a happy ending. I guess I'm just a little more into cozy mysteries or romance with a touch of magic or paranormal aspects. I like Amanda M. Lee and Heather Graham's Krewe of Hunters. Even Catherine Coultern's FBI series has a paranormal touch, more in some books than others. Lee's witch stories with Bay and Tilly, and Moonstone Bay are great as are Lily Harper Hart 's stories. I also enjoyed Lee's Reaper Family stories with the daughter, her father and her brothers.

[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just completed a binge-fest of Erica Ridley’s Magic & Mayhem books, reading Must Love Magic (Book 2) and Smitten by Magic (Book 3) in one (long) sitting. I couldn’t help it. The books were just too addictive and I felt compelled to just read “one more page” until many hours later I finally ran out of pages. Different couples in each book bit the magical connection is as strong as the truly excellent romantic tie in each. They’re skid, quite frankly, tremendously fun. Well-written and filled with well-crafted casts too. Can’t really ask for more. If not for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises. These two books definitely deserve it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that each book is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend both of them.

[Debra Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paleo-anthropologist Trevor Masterson is looking for something monumental at his latest dig in Costa Rico, something that will push the tenure committee in his favor. Everything is turned upside down when Daisy le Fey, a tooth fairy apprentice, pops into his dig site looking for a tooth.

This was such a cute story and the antics of Daisy and her magic world as it clashes with Trevor are quite funny. I thought the middle of the story dragged just a bit, but there were many twists and turns to keep the story moving forward. How Daisy finally earns her wings blends her scientific knowledge and magic to bring about her life's greatest desire. Then why did she feel so empty? Could it be that Trevor is her one true love? This is a delightful story that romance fans will certainly enjoy.

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.

[Nancy Ku · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must Love Magic (Magic & Mayhem Book 2) by Erica Ridley I am having so much fun with this series...Thanks to Erica and the publisher for allowing me to preview this book. Daisy le Fay ( wants to earn her wings) Trevor Masterson ( archaeologist ..who wants his tenure) This is so full of laughs, angst, fairy tales ..tooth fairy, guardian angel, fairy god mother and many more magic beings. There are also some evil people who will do anything to win..and lets not forget a magic frog and some very steamy stuff all getting us to a very HEA. I can't wait for the next book SMITTEN BY MAGIC.

Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Great world building Happily Ever After Whimsical Unpredictable Romantic Page-turner Wonderful characters Action-packed Entertaining Funny Easy-to-read Steamy