Bewitching & Betraying Season

These two books by Marissa Doyle are fun easy reads. Start with Bewitching Season first.

Doyle's debut novel is a Georgette Heyer-style, light-as-a-feather romance with supernatural overtones. Ball after ball and visits to Kensington Palace and brushes with royalty await twins Persephone (Persy) and Penelope (Pen) in their first season "out" in early Victorian London society. But when their beloved instructor of magic/governess Miss Allardyce (Ally) is kidnapped by a handsome stranger as part of a devious royal plot, her two devoted wards set out to discover the truth about Ally's disappearance and save the day. Luckily, the plot relies little on magic, except as a device to conjure court intrigue. The story hinges instead on the will-they, won't-they budding romance between Persy and her handsome, all-grown-up childhood friend, Lochinvar (Lord Seton). This diverting melodrama will likely please older middle-grade readers more than teens reared on Gossip Girl—its bubbly heroines, however spirited, are innocents, not schemers.

And then follow it up with Betraying Season.

This follow-up to Bewitching Season is a charming tale of magic mixed with romance in the tradition of Jane Austen. After her adventures with her twin sister, Penelope Leland goes to Cork, Ireland, to study magic. Staying with her former governess, who is newly married and newly pregnant, Pen is lonely in a new city. She becomes discouraged when her host's male students do not want to study with her. Pen's opinion of Cork improves when she meets Lady Keating, who makes a point of befriending Pen. Through Lady Keating, Pen meets Niall, who immediately charms her; but, he may not be whom he seems to be. Lady Keating has asked Niall to romance Pen, although Niall is not sure why and quickly finds that he enjoys Pen's company regardless of his mother's motivations. This series has an interesting perspective on magic, but does not rely solely on magic to move the plot forward. The characters are engaging, especially Pen and Niall. Pen is a likeable narrator, although somewhat naive. Readers of supernatural romances will enjoy this book and its predecessor immensely.