Kissed by Magic - 3/5
Lance is in over his head in debt, and his only hope is to raid a castle for treasure. The only problem is, once he goes in, he will never come out.

I received a free copy as part of the Magic & Mayhem boxset, from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a light, fantasy romance, following Lance. He's an adventurer and a chancer, and has a price on his head. After buying the ship of his dreams, he's in a lot of debt, but he plans to clear it by heading to a castle that might harbour a magical item the imbues eternal youth.
Once there, he finds the castle is almost empty, except for a strange princess.

After a curse was placed on her, Princess Marigold has been trapped in the castle for hundreds of years. She has tried everything to escape, and knows that nothing will work. When Lance breaks into the castle, she knows that she will only have a few hours with this handsome adventurer, before he is also taken from her.

This was light and fun. The romance between Lance and Marigold was really quite sweet, and I was rooting for them both to escape the cursed castle.
This was a reasonably short read, and made for a pleasantly light and fluffy distraction.

The fantasy aspect was... unsatisfactory.
We start with Lance, who is obsessed with his new ship and is having trouble with wanted posters etc, and it all feels very typical pre-technology-standard-fantasy-realm. Then it's smushed into a version of the modern world, with phones, apps and Candy Crush.
This is cute, but there was never any solid foundation or world building. It felt like the author went with whatever suited the story at the time.
It was the same when Lance got into the castle, and there's a bit of a culture difference between him and the princess. The difference was ignored when it didn't suit, and there were sections that were so completely anachronistic that I had to ignore them to continue.
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Must Love Magic - 1 out of 5
Daisy is trying to earn her wings as a toothfairy, but complications ensue when she stumbles into the tent of anthropologist Trevor.

I received a free copy as part of the Magic & Mayhem boxset, from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This follows Daisy, who has to live up to the impossible standards set by her extremely-successful parents. It doesn't matter that she's a genius and that she's managed to find scientific solutions to her lack of magic - in Nether Netherland, only magical ability counts.

Trevor is in the middle of an archaeological dig, and under threat of losing his job, the last thing he needs is a tenacious toothfairy complicating things.

No, just no. This did not work for me.
I thought it was very poorly written, scatty and jumping all over the place, it just made my head hurt.
Am I the only person that is concerned that Daisy doesn't recognise the difference between an 8 year old boy and a full-grown man. Especially when she's grinding against him within a minute of crashing into his life (yet still insisting he was her target and had to provide a tooth).
For a scientific genius, she never came across as particularly smart.

Ridley does seem to be a bit of a hit-or-miss writer. I have thoroughly enjoyed some of her other books, but equally found some to be a rushed mess.
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Smitten By Magic - 4 out of 5
Sarah has been a guardian angel for centuries, and none of her charges have given her half as much trouble as Jack.

I received a free copy as part of the Magic & Mayhem boxset, from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jack was a go-getting businessman, he worked tirelessly and has amassed a fortune by taking advantage of a grey area that's not-quite-illegal.
Jack decides to atone for all the damage he's done by giving away most of his money to charity, and using the rest to fund repairs in his ancestral home of Bolivia, of which he will be doing most of the manual labour.

Sarah is a guardian angel, she has to protect her assigned human, and she has long been one of the best at the job. Jack is really testing her to the limit, as he seems to have no concept of self-preservation. When they accidentally collide, Sarah has to pretend to be human, and runs the risk of falling for Jack.

This was definitely the best book in the boxset.
Jack and Sarah are really cute together.
I really liked that, despite his growing feelings for Sarah, Jack puts his mission first. He aims to give an isolated Bolivian village the Christmas they deserve. He wants to repair roofs, get the kids back to school, and show them they are not forgotten by the world.

And Sarah is just as much a workaholic, in her own angelic way. She is an immortal, and her job has been her calling for her very long life. It was such an interesting twist to see her realisation that she might not be the envy of everyone back home, and that observing life, is not the same as living it.

I very much enjoyed this story.

Magic and Mayhem – this trilogy seems different from Erica’s genre of writing, but it works well! Each story uses magic in various ways to entertain with her creative characters. You will find this to be one you do not want to put down Each hero and heroine find love in a unique way surrounded by magic and learning to accept their differences along the way.

Magic and Mayhem is comprised of 3 previously published heartwarming stories; fractured fairy tales with humor, laughter, a few tears (In Smitten by Magic, I teared up), magic and some sizzling romance.
I am a fan of Erica Ridley’s regency romances and these are just as good a read as those stories, a great escape from the norm.
Kissed by Magic a short funny tale, where true love prevails beyond an icy world.
Must Love Magic, is the fully fledged out story of Daisy le Fey, wanna be Tooth Fairy, and human, Trevor Masterson.
In the short story, Smitten by Magic, sweet guardian angel, Sarah Phimm and Corporate shark Javier Rodriguez work together for the greater good and find love along the way.
I received a copy of this story through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

I did not think at first that I would enjoy reading this book but because I love Erica Ridley's books I did not give up and I was thankful that I didn't. It kept me wanting to know if Lance and the Princess would escape from the ice castle. I enjoyed their journey to happiness and escapism very much and will read more of her books.

Early Works Not As Good As Current Ones

I am a big fan of Erica Ridley's Regency romances. In those, she is able to craft well-done novellas and novels that are definitely a cut above the typical Regency because of her attention to period detail and her research into sometimes rather strange aspects of the time, like one book that had a heroine who was very interested in weights and measures. So I was curious about this trilogy of hers that was not Regency. I was interested to see how this delightful author would do with a more fantastical topic like magic. Apparently, these three books were written earlier in Erica's career and have been rewritten, enhanced, and otherwise changed from their originals. I am sorry to say that these three books did not quite live up to my expectations of the author. You can tell that they are early career works; I will admit that I found it fascinating to get a glimpse into the author’s evolution as a writer. She doesn't come across as wholly comfortable working in the world of magic as she does in Regency, which she wears like a second skin. Compared to Ms. Ridley's recent works, the plotting was as tight--her Regency novellas are is super tight and well done for a short form--and the characterization wasn't as well defined as her current novels. As works of magical fantasy, of which I am a voracious reader, I found the novellas and novel in this collection to fall short of the mark expected these days by modern readers. If you are already an Erica Ridley fan, you may well enjoy this collection of books just to see how her early books read and look at her venture into magical fantasy. Others may prefer to find better books in this sub-subgenre.

Being a Erica Ridley historical romance fan I was excited to see a trilogy of Erica about magic . But although all the stories had the Ridley funny wit and the Erica swoon factor, I still kind of missed the historical background.
#Kissed by magic is a mixup of Frozen and the movie Groundhog day (where a guy is reliving the same day
over and over again). The story was funny, but a little forced and rushed into the ending. Three out of five stars from me.
# must love magic : about a nerdy-non magic Girl in a magic world. She is determined
to become a tooth fairy, but her first assignment directly goes haywire. Instead
of retrieving a tooth from Little Angus, she stumbles upon Trevor, a very hunky professor.
Determined to fullfill her assignment, Daisy may have broken some rules in the human world...
Although the story was definitely funny and original, it also kinda dragged on and on..
So also three out of five stars from me.
# Smitten by magic my least favorite of the three I'm afraid. When a selfmade billionaire suddenly
decides to want to do good in the world, he ends up in Bolivia. There he-literally - runs into a girl with wings? Sarah knew she screwed up her guardian angel assignment, the moment her human runs into her.
Determined to save him from all the dangers he runs into, she poses as a tourist and tags along on his mission.
The story is a little over the top, but with all the Christmas activities it is a great read for the winter holidays.
And,the father of Daisy (yep the tooth fairy wannabe ) makes an appearance. So, in all, not a bad read,but I still prefer Erica's historical dukes. Three out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

Magic and Mayhem, a fun read that lives up to its name. Two short stories and one middle length one that take you on a trip through the fantastical and mischievous, along with some romance. If snarky sarcasm and wild adventures are your thing, put this book on your TBR!

I absolutely love this trilogy! Each story made you root for the characters and were so hard to put down. I love how each book was set in the same world so you understood a bit more with each book. So glad I came across this.

I started reading these, and I am normally a bid fan of Erica Ridley. This however I couldn't seem to get into and had a hard time following some aspects.

I read and enjoy Erica Ridleys historical romance and decided to give this ARC a try. They were a brilliant escape from the normal everyday lives we all live. As usual, there were well developed and well matched characters. And, some laugh out loud moments. A wonderful and fun read which I highly recommend. I received this copy from NetGalley and the publisher, and it is appreciated. I am voluntarily reviewing and my opinions are my own.

This was a different read from Erica Ridley and let me tell you it doesn't disappoint. I highly recommend this series.

Wasn’t as keen on this collection as the other set I read, these seemed to miss the mark a bit for me, some nice stories but seemed to lack something, nice but a bit mixed and not as well matched

A light and enjoyable collection of romantic stories with a magical atmosphere. Nothing very deep but a good beach read or fun pick-me=up.

Unfortunately the tonne and sense of humour in this book weren't for me. The time periods seemed to muddled although the concept was fun. I won't be continuing with the series although I may read some the authors historical romance novels in the future.

Another set of 4 books, re-issued from first published, revised, edited and improved. But still not quite 4 stars.
Whilst these are romantic comedies they read like they are still early stories where the author is still learning her trade - not as sophisticated as her current novels.
Some were better than others, and they all had a good twist that didn’t rehash the standard fairy story (like Red Riding Hood or Cinderella of which there are far too many on the shelves now).

If I could only use one word I would describe this series as adorable. Erica Ridley excels at writing romances which feel comforting and familiar no matter the setting. The majority of the first novel, Kissed By Magic, takes place in a frozen castle with just the two protagonists. Ridley is able to establish her characters and their back stories in such a way that it is obvious why the two of them fall for one another. Another thing that is clear is how their growing connection allows them to improve as people. There are some issues with the world building as it remains really unclear on how urban or modern this fantasy world is. However, this is not a huge issue as the stories are clearly character driven.

Kissed by magic is the first book in Ms Ridley's Magic and Mayhem series. The three stories have been previously published but have now been revised and re-edited. The stories are not connected through setting or characters, but each features a paranormal romance with a dash of comedy.

Kissed by magic is set in an alternate reality, our hero is an adventurer in a present-day setting who yearns to own a pirate ship. To escape from the bounty on his head, he sets out to retrieve the treasure hidden within icebound Castle Cavanaugh and guarded by an ancient curse.

Lance successfully navigates the treacherous terrain and gains entry to the castle only to discover the treasure is not what he expected. Princess Marigold has been trapped in the palace since medieval times, forever alone and each night at midnight the day resets, trapping her in a never-ending Christmas eve.

Marigold refuses to acknowledge the attraction she feels for the dashing adventurer. Like all who have dared breach the castle, once the clock strikes midnight, the evergreen will gain a new figurine. When something changes, she dare not hope that her curse is breaking.

This reads like a historical romance that has the advantages of modern technology. Princess Marigold's discovery of candy crush and the fear of a low battery is one we can all relate to.

Erica Ridley is one of my favourite historical romance writers. Discovering she had written a series with a paranormal element was something I couldn't wait to get my hands on. Ms Ridley writes compelling characters, and with her special dash of humour, her books are a joy to read. This book far exceeded my expectations, it was funny and engaging with the perfect taste of passion and steam to satisfy any lover of romance readers.

Must Love Magic
Must love magic is the second book in Ms Ridley's Magic and Mayhem series.  Set in contemporary times, it has the perfect blend of romance, humour and plot that I have come to expect from Ms Ridley's books.

Daisy is exceptional when it comes to science, but that is not a respected job in Nether-Netherland. Daisy has always longed to gain her wings, and she is determined to succeed as a tooth fairy. There is only one problem, on her first mission, it's not a child she meets but a grown man who has no intention of allowing her to take the teeth he has collected.

Trevor is on an anthropologic dig with his students hoping to make a brilliant discovery so he can secure a tenured position at the university. He wasn't expecting to wake up to a scandalously dressed woman searching his tent.

Forces are conspiring against Daisy, and with the rule forbidding interaction between magical beings and humans, things are not looking good for this aspiring fairy.

This is a humorous romp where the heroine learns to believe in herself and in the power of true love, I only wish she hadn't taken so long to come to the realisation. While I enjoyed the first in the series more, this is still a delightful read.

Smitten by Magic
This book is set in the same universe as the second in the series Nether-Netherland and features some of the same secondary characters, but it can be read as a standalone.

Sarah has been Javi's guardian since the day he was born. With him for every moment of his life.  A lapse in concentration allows Javi to discover Sarah's existence. to keep him safe, she is forced to help him as he risks his life to bring Christmas to an impoverished village.

Of the three books in the series, this is the book I liked the least. It lacked in the humour evident in the others. If I hadn't read the other two, I would have thoroughly enjoyed it, but my expectations had been raised, and this fell a little short.

This book was previously released as Midwinter Magic and has been re-edited and rereleased.

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an advanced reader's copy of Magic & Mayhem by Erica Ridley from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first novel that I had read by Erica Ridley so I really had no expectations, but after reading, she is an author I would look for in the future.

Overall, I enjoyed this 3-in-1 novel and I found each story to be well written. The primary characters' romantic start in each story was both meet-cute and showcased their chemistry from the beginning. I enjoyed the well-crafted characters, the witty banter, and the pacing and plot of all of the novels. In each, the plot moved along steadily and kept me engrossed from start to finish. My particular favorite was Must Love Magic, but I really did enjoy all three.

All in all, a good read and I appreciated the opportunity to review Magic & Mayhem by Erica Ridley!

This book was not what I was expecting from Erica Ridley whose novels I generally really enjoy. Some of the stories were fun to read, others I gave up on. I suggest that was a reflection of my tastes rather than the book itself.

This is a trio of paranormal romances, Advance Reader's Copy. My overall impressions are light reads with some sex and interesting characters. I most definitely would read more by this author. I received an Advance Reader's Copy e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.