Fire Magic & Ice Cream

Casual Magic #1

by Lauren Connolly

When fire meets ice cream, will passion turn into a melted mess or dessert flambé?

Quinn Byrne is rare even among fire elementals, with her powers hard-wired into her arousal. She can’t touch herself without setting the sheets ablaze. With an incendiary sex drive, Quinn’s dating life is dryer than the desert that surrounds her hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. She’d give anything to have a normal romantic relationship. But she knows one thing for sure: human men are out of the question. No exceptions. Not even if the guy is trying to woo her with delicious ice cream.

August Nord is new to town, building a business that involves things staying cold. His whole life has been one, long icy stretch, until a fiery redhead saunters into his ice cream shop. Quinn is the hottest accountant he’s ever met, and a small business owner would be dense not to hire a professional to review their finances, right?

As the two approach their attraction with wary steps, the sparks flying between them are all too real. Will the flames feed their burning desire or melt their chance of a happily ever after?

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Magic, Urban Fantasy, Contemporary

307 pages, ebook

First published May 24, 2022

About the author

Lauren Connolly is an award-winning author of contemporary and magical romance stories. She’s lived among mountains, next to lakes, and in imaginary worlds. Lauren can never seem to stay in one place for too long, but trust that wherever she’s residing there is a dog who thinks he’s a troll, twin cats hiding in the couch, and bookshelves bursting with stories written by the authors she loves.

Reviews

[Andrea ☾ [is inconsistently consistant] · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ This was so cute!

I love the whole elements as superpowers. These two felt like they were perfect for each other, even if they didn't really trust themselves all that much.

Quinn is a fire elemental who struggles with her power, and feels like no one can help her. Unlike the rest of her family, her fire responds to arousal, and not fear or anger. August is an ice elemental whose power works much like Quinn's, and he might just be the solution to all her magic troubles.

I loved August as an MMC, and the opposite's attract thing this book has going on. It was so cool to see how their powers interacted with the other. It was also frustrating at times, how they both seemed to get in the way of their own happiness, getting close to what they wanted but being unable to just reach out and grab it out of fear of overstepping, or getting it wrong. Mostly just insecurities. And as much as this was unrealistic (it's about having magical powers lol), those frustrating things are so very realistic, so I can't really complain.


🌶️🌶️ / 5 - The book is open door and there are a handful of explicit scenes, but they're not written in a lot of detail and they're fairly tame.

[rayhanah · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute and steamy books are becoming one of my favourite things :)

[RLbooks (in and out) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Sweet paranormal read with some steamy times. Contemporary world with supernaturals that have elemental powers. This first in series focuses on the main characters' relationship with no external angst or major conflict. The story is written in first person, dual POV. No ow/om drama, neither are virgins but both have very limited experience, and bc is discussed. One spoiler note about the h's experience - Her one time was a ONS with the H's cousin years prior to meeting H in the present. There's zero jealousy on the H's part

There were a lot of positives about this read, but I had a hard time connecting with the h throughout most of it. August (H) was incredible, sweet, yummy, and amazing. Quinn (h) should have been a sympathetic and likable character for me. She's a fire elemental who struggles with control over her powers, which are triggered when she feels lust. I just felt like the uncertainty she felt over her control and how those feelings affected her budding relationship with August went on longer than I preferred. Neither is experienced with relationships so when uncertainty struck, it had a pretty negative impact on them. Still a cute read and an author I'd consider trying again to see if other characters meshed better with me.

Several side characters could also have books in the future for this series and the epilogue one month out shows these main characters HFN and with what appears to be a lead-in for the h's sister with another elemental.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I love this fantasy romance. It was so sweet. And hot. Ice cream dude and fire accountant. Light fun and a great setup for the series. I look forward to hearing about the sisters. At least that’s what i assume figure books will be about.

Such great family and friend dynamics. No OM/OW drama. Tho there is a friend’s little sister with a crush but I wouldn’t count that as anything.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The unique personalities of each supporting character will surely please many as this series continues.

Read full review in the 2022 Summer issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Lauren Connolly is now one of my must-read authors. I just read this book and it is fantastic. This is a new series and the romance in it is sweet and fiery mixed with everything goodness. What I really liked, are the two characters here, Quinn and August, they match up so well because of their Elemental Magic. In this world, there are Elementals who are descendants of gods and they have Fire, Ice, Water, and all sorts of different elemental magics. For Quinn, unlike her two sisters who are able to control their fire because it's emotion-based, hers is all sexual base. Makes for an awkward time learning from Daddy how to control your powers, right? Since she didn't want to be tutored by any parent on how to control her fire ability, she is left a bit uncontrolled.

To read the rest of my review, click on the image below to see it on my website.

[Kat Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a fun, delightful, and super steamy romance that's a quick read, look no further! Fie Magic & Ice Cream brings it all in one charming package.

[Lindsey Domokur · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute read. It took me an absurdly long time to figure out the plays on their last names, but when I did it clicked and I was like.. Duh. Quinn and August balanced each other out in more ways than one.

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book one of the Casual Magic series and the main characters are Quinn Bryne, a fire elemental and freelance accountant, and August (Augustus) Nord, a rare ice elemental and owner of the Land of Ice Cream and Snow shop in Phoenix, Arizona. They are both descendants of the Gods and Goddesses of the Elementals and there Goddesses of Earth, Iron and Fire, Gods of Water and Ice, as well as a Deity of Wind. Quinn has an older sister Harley and younger sister Cat, all named after superheroes and both are also fire elementals, but the huge difference is that they both have control over their fire, which is tied to their feelings of rage or anger. Quinn has the unfortunate problem that her fire is out of control whenever she is aroused or in lust! She has only had one hook up with a water elemental, Sammy, and that wasn’t great but at least meant she didn’t set a house on fire. Luckily she shares a house with Cat and they have a pool in the back garden, which she often has to run for whenever her dreams get too hot and she ends burning up her clothes! She goes past the ice cream shop regularly and would love to go in, but is afraid her out of control fire element will melt all of the goods. She would love to feel the cold, but Ice Elementals are thought to be extinct and squids, the nickname given to water elementals obviously weren’t enough help. The other nicknames for the various elementals are petal pushers, airheads, stoners and pyros.
August has only been in town about a year, setting up his ice cream shop and had moved from Anchorage. Alaska, to be nearer to family, such as his second cousins Sammy, Damien and his much younger sister Marisol, who works the counter in August’s shop but also has a huge crush on him. Damien usually has a lot of elementals round to his house, with a large pool, allowing them all to be free with their powers and talk around each other. August’s parents own and run a bakery in Anchorage, with his mum behind all the baked goods and his dad helping out. It was where August first started creating all of his different recipes for ice cream and served them alongside the baked goods of the bakery, but there wasn’t as much call for them in Alaska! He also has the problem that his powers are arousal induced and hasn’t had many experiences where the woman he is with doesn’t complain that he is freezing her. Harley and Cat are determined to help Quinn get some control over her powers and drag her into August’s hop one day. He only has eyes for Quinn, loving the freckles all over her and wanting to lick them all. When she finally decides on a flavour, it isn’t without noticing the Viking like giant in front of her, August, who offers her the waffle cone on the house, hoping she would come back in again. She doesn’t agree with his free ice cream, not with her accountancy brain and tries to argue with him. He gets aroused just watching the ice cream melt and drip down her arm, wanting to lick it off every part of her body. To get her back again, he asks her to do his receipts and books, but she is solely in accounting mode. After she finishes, she finds him in the kitchen making up new flavours, with the shop long closed. He ends up asking her out, but she doesn’t think she can control her fire and he has to chase after her again.
They finally do the deed, only for her to find she has ruined all of his stock that wasn’t in the deep freeze and she is too embarrassed to be around him and can only keep apologising. Her sisters push her to go and get her man, to trust that she won’t ruin thing again if she keeps a lid on her arousal and thinks of other things. Not quite so east when her ice cream and waffle smelling Viking is stood too close to her! August persuades her to give him a chance and offers to go as slowly as she wants him to. She learns his ice can help her with her control, but he notices it long before she does, as she finds it harder to realise than him. He loves the heat she gives him to experience, for the first time in his life! A few slight road bumps appear in their relationship to challenge them and see how strong their bond as newbies in the boyfriend girlfriend arena, really is and whether it will be able to survive the stormy situation that follows. This is a really easy to read romance, with likeable characters and lots of laughs. Phoenix is apparently the hip place to be especially for young pyros, squids and others to experience normal life. Some obvious links to another of her sisters finding her nemesis or possibly her long lost rival come love! I look forward to reading more about these characters, their elemental powers and their love lives. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh! That was possibly the cutest thing ever. There’s heaps of spice and innuendo, but Quinn and August are utterly adorable together. They’re so socially awkward and both convinced they’re the sole reason for everything that’s gone wrong in their relationships, that I just wanted to reach into the book and cuddle them. I loved their friends and family. The bonds they have with their cheering sections are so funny and sweet. This book kept me laughing, it kept me glued to the pages, and it kept me sighing happy sighs for every cute, sweet, and adorable moment we shared with these two. I’m already loving the set up for the next book and I can’t wait to read it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Booksprout.

[Jess | jadecanread · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, this book was such a surprise. From the title and blurb alone, I knew it'd be a fun time, but I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did.

This was a paranormal fluffy, yet steamy, quick read. I thought the premise was creative and the characters were very charming. There's just enough spice sprinkled in without being too repetitive and the chemistry between Quinn and August was lovely. I'm not a big fan of instalove, but their open communication and determination to be good first-time partners to each other won me over.

I do think the writing was a bit too elementary, especially when you compare the tone of the prologue to the rest of the chapters, but that won't keep me from continuing this series in the future.

Thank you Netgalley and City Owl Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[girlwithhearteyes]

DNF @ 12%. Seems cute but the set up was too neat (she's a fire elemental whose powers are triggered by arousal, he's an ice elemental whose powers are triggered by arousal... but neither of them know that about the other yet), so I didn't feel the urge to keep reading.

[Migeldy Mauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fire elemental and an ice elemental come together and things get steamyyy literally and physically. This was such a fun read! Cute, adorable, and surprisingly wholesome despite the heat. I loved every bit of their dynamic.

[Cyndi Murakami · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW

If you like the movie Elemental, you will like this book! It is very similar to the movie but make it spicy! And oh my gods is it spicy!

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is…fine. Cute. Minimal plot. The last few pages are solely there to setup the next book about the younger sister. Eh idk. Fine

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Cute and enjoyable! I liked the elemental side of this and will probably continue the series

[Megan Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute read

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5- also- the cartoon cover is way better than this one.

[wonderfullyweird88 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was way too long. There was nothing really that made it stand out which was a disappointed because it seemed like it would be a light fun read.

I liked the idea of elementals but I won't be sticking with this series.

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Lauren loves llamas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the author’s Folk Haven series so I was very interested to see what paranormal romance she’d come up with next. And when I found out it had lots of ice cream? Mmmm. This sweet book is definitely one that you’ll want to have some ice cream on hand while reading!

Quinn may be an accomplished accountant and the much loved middle kid in a trio of sisters, but she has no control over her fire elemental powers. All elementals’ powers are incited by a powerful emotion, like fear or anger. Except for Quinn, it’s lust. And her one try at trying out a water elemental was, well, less than satisfying. And that’s her only explanation for why she agrees to go on a date with the very handsome (and likely human) owner of the new ice cream shop. Phoenix is very different than (and very far away from) August’s native Alaska, but he’s dreamed of this opportunity to strike out on his own for years. As an ice elemental, it’s no surprise that he gravitated towards ice cream, but it doesn’t stop him from missing the warmth of other people. When Quinn and August collide, will these true opposites attract? Or will it just result in a lot of melted ice cream?

“But I’m not trying to be sexy.” He almost looks chagrined, as if apologizing. It’s infuriating.
“That’s even worse! Do you know how sexy not knowing you’re sexy is? Do you?”

As the middle kid, and the only one of the sisters who hasn’t mastered control of her powers, Quinn is used to relying on herself. Asking one of her sisters to help tamp down her powers long enough to get an ice cream cone is nearly an impossible feat. She’s simply not the type to ask for help. August also knows the value of hard work, having grown up helping with his parents’ bakery, but he’s glad to be striking out on his own, mostly, even if he misses his family. Fire elementals are practically mythical creatures to the Alaskan elementals (and the reverse is true for ice elementals in Phoenix) so at first he’s not sure what this strange warmth he feels around Quinn is. But even once they figure out why Quinn warms up August and he cools her down, there’s still a lot to work out. Even August isn’t enough to keep control of her powers, and Quinn doesn’t intend to melt his entire store full of ice cream more than once.

“How could you think I’m tired of your ice cream? If your ice cream suddenly took on human form I would cheat on you in a second. And I wouldn’t even feel bad about it.”

It’s a bit on the nose to call this ice-cream-filled book sweet, but it truly is. Quinn and August are adorable together, though of course there’s plenty of steamy banter as well. The side characters are also fun. I especially loved Quinn’s sisters and best friend and I hope we see a lot more of them in future books in the series.

Overall, this a cute, fun and quick read. Definitely recommended to anyone looking for a sweet beach read!

I received an advance review copy of this book from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Content notes: hospitalized parent (who recovers completely), accidentally setting things on fire

[Kelsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun book to read! We start off with Quinn, a fire elemental who is struggling to control her fire because her powers grow based on her… shall we say spicy thoughts? 🤣 And she is struggling with the thought that she may have to give up her dreams of finding a romantic partner she can be with because her fire powers seem to be raging out of control… that is until shea forced into the new ice cream shop in town by her sisters and meets the gorgeous August. Unfortunately, for Quinn she’s not looking for a human partners as she burns way to hot… she’s looking for a unicorn, otherwise known as an ice elemental to help balance her fire. August on the other hand just moved from Alaska to Phoenix in search of a family not because he dislikes or doesn’t get along with his parents but he wants to find a place where he truly fits in. August is also searching for a romantic partner that can withstand his ice, and while he is immediately enraptured by Quinn he also believes she’s a human and while he wants to make a try for her he’s afraid of hurting her. From there we get to watch a beautiful and organic romance flow between August and Quinn and find out, August may be just what Quinn is looking for after all!

This story is told from Dual POV and I absolutely adored being able to see the relationship grow from both of their POVs. I loved this because it was great to see Quinn be an over-thinker and a worry wart, but also love as fiercely as a honey badger to keep those she loves safe and happy. It was also lovely to be able to see August slowly fall for the girl of his dreams, while learning where he fits in the world, and that while it’s okay to be kind and want to help everyone it’s also okay to be selfish sometimes to. This novel was funny and so beautifully written that if you’re looking for a sweet summer romance you simply can’t go wrong!!

[Arabella Auberon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute story that comes off sweet, especially considering it’s about an ice cream shop. It written well, and the characters are well developed with a strong storyline and plot points that keep the story progressing forward. It’s not really my kind of story, though. I have no doubt those who like sweet stories will enjoy this book.

5 ⭐️s= Perfect story, exciting, engrossing, well developed complex characters, solid plot with few to no holes, descriptive environments and place settings, great mystery elements, realistic dialogue, believable reactions and behaviors, loved this story so much I’d buy it.

4 ⭐️s= Great story, highly entertaining and enjoyable, exciting storyline, well developed characters and settings, a few discrepancies but nothing that can’t be overlooked. Believable actions and reactions, realistic dialogue, a book I would consider buying.

3 ⭐️s= Good but not great story, noticeable discrepancies, grammatical and or spelling errors, undeveloped characters or unbelievable behaviors but still readable. Nothing majorly wrong with the story, just not interesting enough for me to continue. Would not buy the book.

2 ⭐️s= Not offended by the story, but not interested enough to finish. Unbelievable characters, poor writing, many mistakes, big holes or discrepancies, many spelling or grammatical errors, characters not believable, unlikeable or TSTL.

1 ⭐️= Offensive, extremely poor writing, horrible characters, victimization, gaslighting, blatant abuse, unnecessary violence, child endangerment, or any other highly objectionable behaviors by Main characters. Would never buy this book, and do not recommend it to anyone.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this story was cute and interesting. A lot of the elements (hehe) in the story were interesting. I liked that the main characters were balances. I think that that is important in order to temper the energy they release (man the double entendres in this review!). Both of the main characters were extremely likable which is great!

I did like the story, however I felt that it could have been shorter. That is why I gave a rating of 3/5. Throughout reading it, there were times where I just disconnected from the story and wasn't as interested, and that is on me. I felt like it read more like a short story (a 100 page or less story) but it had more content than we needed. I don't think I'm making proper sense here, so I apologize. I'm not getting my point across the right way... Basically, what I am saying is that, the story was great and I do recommend it BUT, if I gave the author feedback, I would say to make these series a series of short stories. Especially now that the world is built and the types of characters/elementals have been introduced. YOU SHOULD STILL READ THIS STORY BECAUSE IT'S REALLY QUITE CUTE!

Also, I want to say that the cover is cute too. That is just about how I imagined the main female character to look.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I would recommend this for a cute paranormal read. The paranormals in this book aren't your run of the mill type (vampires, werewolves, etc.) so it makes the story more interesting.

[Stephanie Panach · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a very fun urban paranormal book! It has a pretty novel (at least for me) premise of elemental magic beings. Quinn has the power of fire - and her gifts are brought on by (you guess it) sexual arousal. Because of that, she has had a hard time mastering her magic. Her dad is the person in her family that passed down the gift to her - so having him help her figure things out would be very awkward. As a result - she has mostly avoided sex in order to avoid burning down the house - literally. When her sisters take her in to an ice-cream shop of all places - she and August, the owner, make a very intense connection. Neither realizes that the other has elemental magic. August's magic is the perfect foil for Quin's out-of-control fire - ice. His magic is also triggered by sexual arousal, so they really are the perfect pair.

I liked so much about this story - but unfortunately - I didn't love Quinn. She is fun and funny - but her puns and over-the-topness kind of grated on me after a while. She read much younger than she really was. I also really really just wanted her to talk to August instead of dithering about so much. August is definitely a sweet, cinnamon roll hero. But at the same time I wanted Quinn to stop being so passive, I wanted the same thing from August. I wanted him to stop letting everyone walk all over him - or waiting for issues to go away instead of just talking them out.

Overall - this is a cute, sweet read with a lot of firefilled sexy times.

I received this as an ARC via NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

[books.tea.happy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Quinn says she’s hot blooded she means it! She is a fire elemental and her heat really comes in to force at the most unfortunate time. When she gets physically aroused things tend to go up in smoke, literally! She thinks she will never find a man who can handle her until she August. It turns out he’s a unicorn to her kind. He is an ice elemental and no one has seen one for a long time. He has a similar problem too her. Women can’t handle the cold he generates when they get intimate. He moves to town and she is drawn to his Ice Cream store, but is scared to go in as she doesn’t have the greatest control over her power. She she is dragged in to his store by her sisters sparks really start to fly. They learn that they can both handle each other and the heat/cold between them is intense. Quinn is still scared that she will cause problems with her lack of control, but August slowly convinces her that together they can work it out. He is called home to help his family and she goes with him initially but has to return to her life and leave him behind. He is a nice, thoughtful, hot guy. She is sweet, loving and beautiful. She is worried he may not come back, but he can’t stay away. This is a sweet, passionate, fun read.

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quinn is a descendant from Elemental Gods, for her fire, but there are other characters in the book from other Gods. She has trouble controlling her fire powers because they are incited by sexual desire instead of some of the other base emotions like her sisters' abilities. Because of this she doesn't date for fear of hurting a human by burning them, she meets August Nord and is challenged to find control over her powers.

This felt like a pretty cute but juvenile love story, maybe because they are both extremely inexperienced with dating so it was in character for them but they were both too good to be true. August for example, his flaw is that he's too considerate to the point of self sacrificing, which like great but also not very realistic as a person's only flaw. Their love story was fun and I couldn't put it down, the spice was fantastic. It was a fun fluffy read but it also could've been so much more, there were so many open avenues for how to use the characters and their abilities in the world built that it was kind of disappointing to not take any of them. Still looking forward to the rest of the series and more from this world of Elemental descendants, hopefully books about Quinn's sisters who seem to have a bit more depth.

[Punkin’ · Rating 4 out of 5]

🍦🍦🍦🍦/5 for this steamy(literally) fun summer romance!
For all of my Disney Elemental movie fans- YOU NEED TO READ THIS!! This is the x rated adult version of that movie and it was such a fun time! You will 100% see the parallels!
August; our MMC is such a loving, gold retriever type boyfriend. Kind and typically very happy to go out of his way for his girl and help his family in any capacity.
Quinn; our FMC is more of our black cat. Fiery and stubborn. Trying to get her fire under control and trying to learn how to embrace all of herself.
This was a very fun summer romance read, might be a little cringe at times but I had a good time anyway. It did make me laugh at some parts, some of the more awkward scenes were actually funny (I always appreciate this in romance books with some decent humor).
I don’t see a lot of people talking about this book so I definitely took a gamble and It paid off. If you wanna read something lighthearted and fun and sweet (no pun intended) this would be a good one for you!
🍦Golden retriever X black cat
🔥Unique magic system
❄️Spicey scenes w/ magic included
☀️Opposite attraction
💛Cute romance

[Spinneretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

This is a Hallmark movie style paranormal rom-com, in which our heroine, a fire elemental, meets up with an ice-cream parlour owning man, whose icy habitat might just be the answer to her overheated dreams.
The characters in the book are interesting and intriguing. Quinn, the heroine, is a little unable to control her fiery abilities, which are induced by lust. August has had his own share of issues, but is just a little more controlled than she is.
The people that surround them both are amusing and characters in their own rights, with extra credits to Quinn’s sisters; Harley for her outrageous comments, and Cat for her anger induced flames.
The ice-cream also deserves a mention because the descriptions were mouth-watering and made me crave a waffle cone!

The book was a great, cosy read, long enough to make an interesting story, but short enough to read in one evening.
I look forward to reading more books in this world (can’t wait to see Cat’s story!)

Recommended for cosy paranormal romance fans.

[roorooreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

This was so fun! We have a hot (literally) fire elemental heroine, and an ice cold (literally but not emotionally) ice elemental hero who has his own ice cream shop! I adored these too and I loved the story. It was fast paced and steamy but that didn't take away from the sweetness (especially considering the ice cream). Usually fore and ice are opposites but in this case they balance each other perfectly especially since their powers are linked with their arousal....very hot, and cold, for sure.
The only reason I wasn't able to give it the full five stars was because of the lack of communication and the concern for being a bad boyfriend/girlfriend. Neither of the two in our couple has been in a real relationship before and it shows in the way they think everything they do might be wrong. This wasn't a huge part of the book and didn't really affect my overall enjoyment of the story and the characters.

A fun, feel good read that will leave you craving ice cream! I highly recommend checking it out

[Tifany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first read by Lauren Connolly and needless to say, I’m hooked!

Fire Magic and Ice Cream is about fire elemental whose magic comes alive when…turned on. Due to an inability to control her magic, Quinn doesn’t even want to bother with dating elementals, let alone humans. After her biweekly visits to the nail salon, she’s been eyeing the new ice cream spot in town. Once she steps inside and takes a glance at the owner, she rethinks her hesitation to date. But will it prove too risky?

I loved the main characters in this story. They dealt with complicated pasts and were genuinely likable. Quinn proves herself to be feisty and confident. The magnetism, steam, and magical elements kept my eyes glued to the page.

Highly recommended for those looking for a fun read with steam and magical elements! A quintessential summer read!

A great start to a new series—I can’t wait to read the next book!

Special thanks to City Owl Press for the ARC. All thoughts in this review are honest and my own.