Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle

Magic runs in the Leland family, and eighteen year old twins Persephone and Penelope are particularly gifted.  Their talents are put to the test when their beloved governess goes missing right before they are to be presented into London society.  Bewitching Season blends romance, mystery and magic with the daily life of a wealthy young girl in 19th century England.  The story is mostly told by Persephone (Persy), the more studious and reserved twin.  She originally does not enjoy the society balls and visits as much as her sister, but things get interesting when she becomes involved in several romantic entanglements. 

Bewitching Season is a fun historical fantasy, with a lot of strength in the plot.  I especially enjoyed the twins’ magical investigations and the big, satisfying scene at the castle.  The characters were sometimes less impressive.  I was surprised by a small twist at the end, but for most of the book I wanted to bop the heroine on the head because the problems she stressed about were so glaringly obvious.  However, the magic parts were well done and the plot was engaging enough to keep me reading.  The next book in the series will be narrated by Penelope, not Persy, so hopefully she will be less of a whiner.

Check out the author’s fun historical blog and this book trailer for Bewitching Season!