Bewitching Season

If books are dessert, this one's a truffle. It's light, predictable and enjoyable. The characters are intrinsically enjoyable, realistic, and likeable- they are multi-faceted and never rapidly switch motivation. Doyle's crafted a water-tight YA history/fantasy here. I will definitely be reading the next one.

Penelope and Persephone are twin girls about to begin their first season in London. While Pen can barely contain her excitement, Persy would much rather stay home and continue to study magic. When their governess and magic tutor, Miss Allardyce, mysteriously disappears, the twins quickly discover that their position as young ladies in society keeps them from being able to search for her. Soon their younger brother Charles (better known as Chucklehead to the twins) and their neighbor Lochinvar, who turns Persy into a stammering fool, have joined forces with the twins. As the search continues, the twins discover that Miss Allardyce has been kidnapped as part of a magical plot against the Princess Victoria and it is up to them to save the show more day. A delightful romp, Bewitching Season combines historical fiction, fantasy, romance and mystery into one delectable whole, perfect for fans of Sorcery and Cecilia. I was thrilled to see that a sequel following Pen is already in the works. show less

I was looking for a light and distracting read after a long week, so this was exactly what I needed. It's a YA historical romance/fantasy: Twins Persephone and Penelope have spent their childhoods being tutored in magic, among other things, by their governess Ally, but it's time to go to London for their first season. Penelope (Pen) is looking forward to it, while Persephone (Persy) wishes she could stay at home and study forever. Meanwhile, Ally has mysteriously disappeared....

The plot of this book was entirely predictable (complete with one bad-horror-movie urge to shout at the silly characters not to go that way), but I still read it in one sitting and came away satisfied. Persy, with her love of books and learning, was an easy show more character to relate to (and only occasionally did really dumb things), and Pen was much more likeable than I'd expected; it would have been easy for the more social twin to seem flat and stereotyped, but that wasn't the case. Plus there were some great minor characters. So, while this wasn't great literature, I enjoyed it for what it was, and I may even read the sequel eventually. show less

The Honorables Miss Penelope "Pen" and Miss Persephone "Persy" Leland, twins who happen to have been born on Princess Victoria's birthday, are more than looking forward to their presentation at court. They've been prepped for this day for years - even if part of the time their education has been somewhat unconventional. Their governess (Ally), along with teaching them etiquette, Latin, and literature, has been secretly tutoring them in magic for many years. Not exactly something you advertise at court. Persy has always been a bit more bookish of the two and can't help but imagine herself as a failure compared to her poised and self assured sister Pen. But both girls are sure they will be fine as long as the trusted Ally is never far. show more That is, until she mysteriously disappears.Both Persy and Pen are convinced something sinister has occurred to their beloved governess - and friend - and begin to discreetly make inquiries as to her whereabouts. They are joined by their little brother Charles, aka Chuckles, who is always up for an adventure and home from school with a broken arm. Chuckles is far too observant and protective for his tender years and happens to be my favorite character by far.This was such a light, fanciful waltz through time. The Leland family is lovable - with the exception of Persy's constant feelings of inadequacy. The action is nicely distributed against descriptions of dresses, parties, court politics, and even a little romance. The magic portion seemed to almost be an afterthought, but still an interesting addition. A fun, engaging read for any day. show less

Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle is a fun YA historical fiction of twins and magic set in pre-Victorian England. The twins, Persy and Pen are about to have their first season, which basically means they go to balls in pretty dresses and try to look for somebody to propose to them. The problem? Their governess who taught them how to use their magic gets kidnapped by this evil Irish dude.The protagonist, Persy, was definitely a girl we can all relate to, a bookworm lacking in self-confidence. Seriously, she was always second guessing herself, which was a bit annoying because it was so real. Seriously, this is what teenage girls do, they second guess constantly, especially when they have low self-esteem like Persy. They take little show more things and blow them way out of proportion. They fail to pick up on glaringly obvious things because they are so self-centered. Now, this is not a knock on teen girls, as I was one myself who did exactly the same things. Don't believe me? Well, you should read my livejournal from that time (oh, he said hi to me today I wonder if he likes me, but AGH he said hi to my best friend too and I had bad hair and blahblahmakeupblahblahfat).Honestly, this wouldn't be a coming-of-age novel without the self-absorption and the misguided mistakes. We all know part of growing up is making the same mistakes over and over again, and maybe being lucky enough to actually learn from the mistake.The plot was quick-moving. You've got magic, balls, intrigue, plots, and disguises not to mention love. I like my books action packed. Now let me say one thing, the dialogue was hella cheesy, i.e. "It sure as hell is. Damn it all, I love you." I shit you not, that was really written in the book. Don't let it detour you from reading this book though, as I felt it was a fun read, perfect for passing the day away. Seriously, we need a bit of cheese every once in awhile. I enjoy a good shy girl gets incredibly hot boyfriend tale, and I bet secretly, most of you do too! show less

Reviewed by Tasha for TeensReadToo.com

Persephone and Penelope Leeland are the twin daughters of a well-known English viscount and are getting ready to be thrown into their first season. While you couldn't tell the girls apart by looking at them, if you talked to them you would know that they are completely different.

All Penelope can talk about is the upcoming balls that the girls are planning on going to and the numerous gowns that she is going to wear. She loves all thoughts that have to do with future dances and possible husbands. Then there is Persephone. She would much rather hunker down and devote her time to magical studies. She really doesn't want anything to do with finding a husband or dancing the night away in a dress that she show more can hardly breathe in.

Just as the season is about to begin, the girls' governess disappears. It's up to the girls to figure out what happened. Along the way the girls will discover that the kidnapping has much to do with the plot to take away Princess Victoria's power. Encountering many interesting people, including a mysterious Irish wizard and a boy who might just be husband-worthy, the girls set off to solve the mystery.

I am a huge historical fiction fan as well as love books that include magic. Putting the two together created an amazing book that I instantly fell in love with. I thought that the story was completely original and absolutely spellbinding. I was highly impressed with Marissa Doyle's ability to captivate my attention throughout the entire book. I don't think I actually put the book down once - which is a big thing for me! I thought it was really neat that the main characters were twins who really didn't have much in common. The girls' differences thoughout made the book so interesting and it was really evident that they depended on each other for different strengths.

Another really special thing about this book is that the story sticks. The story keeps ringing through my head and I'm still loving it! I was really impressed with Ms. Doyle's debut novel and absolutely cannot wait for the sequel which will be out sometime next year (why oh why does it have to be that far away?!). It has definitely become a new favorite of mine, and if you haven't had the opportunity to read BEWITCHING SEASON I highly suggest you run out and get it now. show less

Persephone and Penelope Leland are about to be thrust into their coming out season! These girls may look alike but that is as far as their likeness goes. They couldn’t be more different from each other. While Penelope can’t wait to start her season and longs for dancing at wondrous balls, Persephone would rather be reading a book or studying her magic.But there is much more than their upcoming season that the girls must worry about. It seems that their governess, Ally is missing. They only clue they have to her whereabouts is a note apologizing for her absence. Persy and Pen both realize that something is not right and that Ally’s disappearance may be more like a kidnaping!Bewitching Season is Marissa Doyle’s debut novel. I love show more historical fiction and Bewitching Season moved into one of my top favorite spots! Doyle’s writing is smooth and intriguing. Although magic is a key component in the story, her dialogue and cultural references allow the story to maintain it’s historical appeal! One of my favorite characters from the story is the twin’s younger brother in the story, Charles. I like to think of him as the comic relief, but I think his role in the story goes well beyond that. The plot itself is full of twists and turns and Doyle brilliantly keeps them from unraveling! The ending may have been a little bit predictable, but that didn’t bother me at all! I would highly recommend Bewitching Season to historical fiction and fantasy fans! show less