Damsel Under Stress

I love this series. So much. Since I first read the first two books a year ago, I’ve reread each of them at least a half dozen times, so I was both super excited and a little worried for this installment. I needn’t have been worried…

The backstory of the series is that Katie is completely immune to magic, and can see through illusions that the majority of people cannot – include wizards, fairies, and the like. She works at a company that sells magic (Magic, Spells and Illusions, Inc.), and although it’s not in her job description, she spends most of her time foiling (or at least helping to foil) the plots of Idris, a magician who wants to sell spells that can be used to hurt other people.

Owen and Katie have actually started show more dating (a huge accomplishment for the both of them), and for once Katie appears to be having good luck in the dating department… until her fairy godmother, Ethelinda, shows up. Her plans are to make the relationship more romantic, but she seems to have a very skewed idea of what women these days find romantic, and just ends up making things more complicated. Plus, it looks like Idris has some seriously determined people backing his plans to open a store providing alternate spells to what MSI, Inc sells.

This book was pure fun, and though it didn’t end like I wanted it to, it left me satisfied. And wanting more. (Can I wait until the next one comes out?) I was a little disappointed that some of the minor characters from the earlier books had such tiny appearances in this book (really, I wanted more Trix and Isabel!), but other characters got a bigger role which was fun… show less

Damsel Under Stress picks up immediately after the end of Once Upon Stilettos with barely time for a breath. As such it’s a little difficult to get into if you don’t immediately recall the events of the prior books although Swendson does the right amount of recap– I recommend a reread of the series in preparation for this one. So plot-wise: Owen and Katie have finally decided to let their mutual crush try to develop into a relationship, but it immediately has to be put on a back burner because of the meddling of a frumpy fairy godmother given to extreme methods and an outdated sense of etiquette. Not to mention the fact that Idriss has now gained some serious backing for his plan to put MSI out of business.

The problem here seems show more to be that the relationship didn’t seem to have been going on long enough for all of this to work. The readers have been pining for them to get together through the first two books. Now they’re together, but there isn’t even the same amount of underlying tension as there was before. Now, if anything, the relationship seems less real than when it didn’t exist at all. Perhaps Swendson is too afraid of mucking this up, but she doesn’t give the characters any time to be together at all without something interfering. Owen and Katie just don’t seem to be making it as a couple. There’s all this understanding about other stuff coming first, blah, blah, but even when they’re together (the kiss), there doesn’t seem to be much of the Owen that I loved. His character didn’t ever seem to be actually present like he was in the first two books. Plus, he seems to have stagnated. I loved the hint we got of sexy/naughty Owen, but all of the blushing (which was charming before) seemed a bit overdone by now, and all of the major adorable things that caused us to love him were completely AWOL in this book. Here it was all talk and no show about how perfect he was.

SPOILERS:
Plus it seemed like the whole love thing was too fast for the amount of time they spent together and the amount that their relationship had progressed. They’ve only been seeing each other like that for about a month, and in all that time, there was barely even any time together.
Noble self-sacrifice doesn’t seem warranted since there’s no real darkness brewing here. As far as the set-up goes there’s nothing more than a hostile take-over of the market share. Yes, they kidnapped Marcia. Yes there’s Ari. But so far there’s only advertising for spells that don’t work as well as MSI’s. Not even a real hint of an evil world-shattering conspiracy or even a real power-grab. So why is everyone getting so terribly worked up? Seems pretty low-key compared to the last book. Certainly not dump the spectacular boyfriend just as things are looking up “for the greater good”. Where is the greater good implicated here?

I was kinda disappointed. I still loved the voice, and was very intrigued by Owen’s past (though I hate hinting at major plot points and then never developing them). It just seemed like the relationship I’ve come to love fell a bit flat, I missed secondary characters, and I detest noble-self-sacrifice-endings. show less

The relationship between Owen and Katie in this book feels like it's gone the way of Duncan and Veronica [Mars]. More sibling than S.O. If not for Rod liking Katie's friend Marcia, I would have hoped something would develop between Rod and Katie. It's like in Akazukin Chacha: Owen is the talented, cute, but rather stick-in-the-mud Shiine (or maybe Teacher Serabi), and Rod is the more lively and likable Riiya.

#TeamRod! Or anyone else other than Owen.

The fairy godmother was annoying. She was basically Murphy's Law swathed in layers of faded taffeta. Reminded me of something in Jasper Fforde's novels where a plot device is this physical thing you hurl, like a smoke bomb (if I am remembering correctly). In this case, just when things seem show more to be going well: Boom. Ethelinda attacks.

Somehow at the end of the book I wasn't sure who the antagonist was. Probably Sylvia?

What is Mr. Bones?

It's 2 a.m. Do I go to sleep or read the next book until dawn? show less

I rated this a bit lower because....one would think (if having "common sense")...that if there is something magical hinky going on in your life...and you work in a place where there is a power struggle between good & evil....that you just might tell someone about it rather than ignoring the threats and constantly walking into traps set by the bad guys! Sheesh! So I guess it says I've gotten tired of the heroine being a ninny!

Other than that....it was an easy and fun read.....with a Fairy Godmother, dragons , boyfriend's parents, and a pair of comical gargoyles as chauffeurs in the mix. The gargoyles had me laughing...I'd like to see more of them.

In book three of the Enchanted, Inc. series Katie Chandler is finally getting what she desires. Owen Phillips, the hottie wizard (and possibly perfect man) at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. has asked her out -- except Katie now has to deal with a meddling fairy godmother, their enemies are up to something, and every date they go on goes horribly, horribly wrong.

This book, like the previous two before it, is extremely funny and cute. It's intelligent and fun chick-lit with a likable heroine, who can stand on her own two feet and doesn't want to bother with being a damsel in distress (she'll save herself, if she can, thank you very much). Now that I finished this book, I'm itching to read the fourth. I can't wait to see what happens show more next to all of the characters, and I hope she gets enough sales to publish the fifth and six books in the series. show less

So, to be fair, the fact that I haven't read book 1 or 2 was not a fair way to start a series. Really, had I read them, I'm sure I would have understood so much more about the story and the characters (and the love story).

But as it was, it was just silly and....I just couldn't get into it and enjoy the story. The mystery part wasn't didn't hold me, the characters were annoying to me.

I liked the progression of romance between Katie & Owen in this book. The usual amusing plot lines with unexpected magical doings. I was disappointed in the ending - although it certainly sets up a forthcoming novel. Very enjoyable overall.