Lessons in Enchantment

Rice (Moonstone Shadows) transports readers to Victorian-era Scotland with the appealing but occasionally clunky fantasy romance that opens her School of Magic series. Born into the lower class, engineer-turned-businessman Drew Blair has worked hard to accumulate enough wealth and stability to pursue his passion as an inventor. When Drew’s cousin dies, Drew takes in her magically gifted children and must secure their safety and schooling. Lady Phoebe Malcolm Duncan dreams of using her gift for animal telepathy as a veterinarian, but without money for university tuition, she reluctantly accepts a position as a governess in the Blair household. Phoebe and Drew work together to care for the gifted children, and along the way they discover a mutual attraction. Rice does a good job fleshing out her protagonists, imbuing them with convincing motivations and worthy ambitions outside of the central romance. Less successful are the eventual love scenes, which feature awkward sexual descriptors (“His visceral growl trembled her womb”)and overly aggressive behavior from Drew, which will turn off some readers. Still, those swept away by the atmosphere and magic may be able to overlook these missteps. (Self-published)