"Wonderstruck," by Allie Therin

Paranormal Historical MM Romance

Book Blurb

Don’t miss the stunning conclusion to Allie Therin’s Magic in Manhattan series!

New York, 1925

Arthur Kenzie is on a mission: to destroy the powerful supernatural relic that threatens Manhattan—and all the nonmagical minds in the world. So far his search has been fruitless. All it has done is keep him from the man he loves. But he’ll do anything to keep Rory safe and free, even if that means leaving him behind.

Psychometric Rory Brodigan knows his uncontrolled magic is a liability, but he’s determined to gain power over it. He can take care of himself—and maybe even Arthur, too, if Arthur will let him. An auction at the Paris world’s fair offers the perfect opportunity to destroy the relic, if a group of power-hungry supernaturals don’t destroy Rory and Arthur first.

As the magical world converges on Paris, Arthur and Rory have to decide who they can trust. Guessing wrong could spell destruction for their bond—and for the world as they know it.

My Review

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this book. I am providing a voluntary review. All thoughts and views are my own.

Wonderstruck is the final installment of the Magic in Manhatten series. If you haven’t read my previous reviews on Spellbound (book 1) and Starcrossed (book 2) then you might be unaware of how utterly obsessed I am with this trilogy. However, you’ll likely figure it out by the time I’m done gushing here, so… brace yourselves.

When I first dove into Spellbound, I didn’t know what to expect. In fact, I read it without reading the blurb first and had plans to initially read just a chapter or two before bed. Yes, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, that didn’t go as planned. I stayed up all night (despite having a flight the next day) and proceeded to think about and obsess over the story for weeks to come. If I’m being honest, this is one of those stories that I still to this day think about at random. So, I basically jumped all over both book two and this final book as soon as they hit the NetGalley shelf.

Do you honestly think there was any chance I’d be able to wait until release to get my greedy little hands on these books? No. Absolutely not.

I’m not even sure where to begin. The characters are well fleshed out, have wonderfully unique personalities, and buck stereotypes in all the best of ways. Therin’s cast of delightful characters run the spectrum of age, race, sexuality, and gender. And she does such a wonderful job of portraying them with compassion and intrigue. But on top of that, they’re also so very real. They have flaws and goals and desires and make mistakes and surprise you and surprise themselves and… just, yeah.

As far as the plot? This is one of those tales where the story grips you and does not let go. There’s a well-crafted arc that flows effortlessly through all three books—while offering immensely satisfying HFN’s at the end of both books 1 and 2 so you aren’t left completely devastated—and you don’t see any of it coming. I mean it. I never knew what to expect next, and yet every moment felt believable and never ceased to awe and amaze with its clever craftsmanship. I can only imagine how much pain and agony Therin had to go through in order to outline this series as well as she did. It’s flawless and divine, from page one of Spellbound to the very last word of Wonderstruck.

I can honestly say I would recommend this to every single person who loves to read. Therin handles the love scenes between her MCs with discreet grace. There isn’t a drop of actual sex on screen—so it would be “safe” and appropriate for younger readers or those who don’t like graphic, on-page physical scenes—and yet the heat and yearning and utter devotion between Arthur and Rory drips off the page. If you haven’t been fortunate enough to read this series yet, I suggest you remedy that inadvertent error… immediately.

Sample Snippet

Chosen by me with the author’s permission. This is one of my favorite scenes, from fairly on in the book—chapter six, to be exact! It’s not long after Rory (aka Teddy) and Arthur finally reunite after being apart for a bit (and, yes, poor Arthur is a bit sozzled. 🤣) Enjoy! 💞🌈📖

Underneath him, Arthur looked unusually vulnerable, his cheeks still flushed and the sheen of liquor making his eyes brighter blue. “It was past ten when I picked you up. Your house was closed and you don't have the shop. And you looked so exhausted, like you could barely stand.”

Rory winced. “I'd been on my feet twelve hours,” he admitted. “The new job is—not great.”

“But it's better than turning to me?”

“Well—I gotta work—”

“Until midnight?”Arthur said. “I'm sorry I wasn't here, but you had my key. If your choice is taking my help or exploitation in your new job, am I actually worse? Am I worse than sleeping on the street?”

“Arthur—” Rory rolled off him, to the side, and tugged Arthur over with him. He pulled off his glasses so he could rest his head on one of Arthur's wonderful pillows, the two of them face to face, close enough Rory could still see him. “Of course you're not worse than the street,”he said firmly. “I just need my own income, see? Because what if you—what if something changed between us and you got tired of—just, what if?”

“But this isn't a what if,” said Arthur. “This is me, right now, tonight, saying if you need help, I am here for you.”

“I know, I just—” Rory made a face. “You got your own money, you wouldn't understand. You're untouchable.”

“Untouchable.” Arthur reached out and stroked the side of Rory's face. “You could go to any reporter in this city and have me ruined in a single sentence.”

Rory's eyes widened.

“You could ruin me, ruin my family, and my friends—”

“I would never—” Rory started.

“You would never,” Arthur agreed. “Your magic in my aura would never hurt me, and you would never hurt me. But you don't think you're safe with me too.”

“I—” Rory's throat had grown thick. “I do, I am, I just don't—I just don't want to be a burden.”

“You're never a burden,” said Arthur, with feeling. “You make me happy.”

Rory's protests died on his tongue.

Arthur ran his fingers down the bridge of Rory's nose where his glasses had been. “I'm sorry you lost Mrs. Brodigan.”

Rory swallowed. “It's okay—”

“I know. I know you're genuinely glad for her. But I also know you lost your mother, and your father was terrible, and you've been left behind and abandoned too many times. It leaves scars, and if it means you can't ever trust anyone, I'll understand. Even if it's me. Especially if it's me, because I just left you too, and so I wasn't here when you needed me.”

“That's not fair to you,” Rory said thickly. “I had your postcards. I had your key. You did more than you had to for me, you always do.”

“I give a fraction of what I wish to and you still won't take it. Your pain goes too deep.” Arthur touched Rory's lips. “I don't want to be one more person who leaves you.”

Rory's chest clenched.

“Knowing what I know about magic, I feel responsible to the world to protect it,” Arthur said. “But I came back to New York to find the man who owns my heart in misery. If I go again, you'll be hurt and vulnerable, and you'll choose the suffering you think you've earned over the help you don't think you deserve, and Teddy, I don't know how to handle this heartbreak.”

Rory opened his mouth, then closed it. He shouldn't be hearing this; Arthur was still half drunk and spilling words he might not have said otherwise. But was this really how he felt?

You're never a burden. You make me happy.

Rory kissed the finger against his lips, then leaned in to press his mouth to Arthur's again. Arthur's eyes fluttered closed as they kissed softly, sleepy and clumsy because Rory was exhausted and Arthur had driven all the way home after three a.m. magic to make it back in time for Rory's birthday.

Finally, Rory leaned back to set his glasses on the nightstand and reach the light, pulling the chain to darken the bedroom. The hall light was still on, spilling in and illuminating Arthur's face, his high cheekbones and closed eyes under thick black brows. He was so big and strong that it was hard to remember he had soft spots that could get hurt too. Soft spots Rory hadn't realized he could hurt.

He was too heavy to pull closer, so Rory crawled over him instead, fitting himself against Arthur's back. He wrapped one arm over Arthur and threaded the other one under his head, and held on tight. “Perdonami,” he whispered into the space behind Arthur's ear. Maybe it was chicken to apologize in a language Arthur didn't speak, but soft words still came easier in Italian and Arthur had always understood that.

Arthur made only a quiet sound in response, relaxing into Rory's arms with a trust that made Rory's throat tighten again.

It's not a leash, it's a lifeline, Arthur had once snapped at him, trying to get Rory to take help he desperately needed. And maybe I can't make you take it, but you can't make me take it back. If you need it, my lifeline is there, and the only leash on you is the one you're using to choke yourself.

Four years ago, Rory had put his faith in a pair of sisters from Ireland, and they helped him escape an asylum and a lobotomy and move to New York City. But he'd locked himself up again after that, afraid of his magic, too afraid to take another leap of faith.

Until Arthur had come into his life.

He held Arthur possessively close and stared into the blurry dark. And as Arthur's warmth spread into his cold bones, he could have sworn he almost felt a similar relief in his veins, his restless magic finding contentment in having Arthur back.

“You make me happy too,” Rory said, in an even quieter whisper.

Maybe he could finally be brave enough to break the leash.

Allie Therin
She/Her

Allie Therin is a writer and avid reader of sci-fi, fantasy, and romance. She also is, or has been, a bookseller, an attorney, a Parks & Rec assistant, a boom operator, and a barista for one (embarrassing) day. She grew up in a tiny Pacific Northwest town with more bears than people, although the bears sadly would not practice Spanish with her.