~buy this book~So Enchanting is one of the most original romances I’ve read in years – and I say that with full recognizition that originality is a fraught concept in romance. People often think that a newly published romance is just a cookie-cutter version of a previously published romance. “Marriage of convenience?” they scoff. “That old plot!”

Well, the truth is that there aren’t that many plots in the world. They’re all old – as Shakespeare understood. He took all but three of his plots from published work: Romeo and Juliet copies its plot from a poem of the same title; Hamlet was taken from a play that we know only know as the Ur-Hamlet (though we know that there was a ghost running around under the stage yelling about revenge).

Within the boundary of plot, a book can be fantastically original – or stunningly unoriginal. So Enchanting is one of those books which negotiates fresh territory, and does it with wit. The book opens with Lord Greyson Sheffield, who is exposing yet another fraudulent “spiritualist.” Sheffield absolutely loathes spiritualists, since his father went bankrupt chasing after spiritualist after spiritualist who promised to “talk” to Greyson’s dead half-sister. So he rips off the table-cloth and exposes Mr. Brown playing a “spirit” violin with his naked toes while his wife supposedly contacts the afterlife.

The novel then jumps forward to the widowed Mrs. Brown (our heroine, Francesca, or Fanny) who is now living in Scotland as guardian to an orphaned young girl. And that girl has been accused of witchcraft. More importantly, Fanny still hasn’t learned how to control her own magical powers – and when Greyson shows up in Scotland to investigate the situation, things go haywire quickly.

Greyson and Fanny instantly recognize each other. Their conversations have the sophisticated, desirous snappiness of old Katherine Hepburn movies. Utterly delicious! At the same time, Fanny’s gift is nothing you would expect. She can’t even really prove to Greyson that she has it – because she’s not in control of its manifestation. Plus, Greyson’s young relative falls instantly in love with Fanny’s young ward, who likes to boast about her witchy powers (she has none), and ends up complicating everything.

This is a ravishing, funny story about people who are diametrically opposed, and yet absolutely suited for each other. The plot swirls around them, but it is really Greyson and Fanny who stand out in my mind as utterly original, interesting and lovable characters. Don’t miss this book!