"It Turns out That Fairy Godmothers Do Exist..."
Reviewed by Katherine Petersen
Posted June 18, 2010
Paranormal Romance
An accountant, Kristin Montgomery understands the logic of
numbers, so it's easy to understand why her first response
to the news that she's a fairy godmother is sheer
disbelief. Lily, Rose and Hyacinth, her three aunts in
feeling albeit not officially, give her a wand, tell her
she's a fairy godmother and go off on a world cruise.
Kristin starts to believe in magic by seeing it done by
her sprite friend, Callie, and Tennyson, her magical guide
who'd rather be studying magical history in the library.
And then there's Lucas, the French sorcerer, who seems to
always turn up but may not have the best of intentions. Kristin is what's called a Rare One, which means neither
of her parents had magic, but apparently it also means her
powers are stronger, and there are those who covet those
powers for evil purposes. She and Tennyson learn to get
along as he teaches her and she becomes more adept at
calling on her powers. Whether or not she has the skill to
keep herself and those she cares about safe remains to be
seen. Gabi Stevens has a unique premise to this book, and it's
definitely a nice change from the more traditional
vampires and werewolves. Unfortunately, the book didn't
work so well for me on a couple of levels. I felt the main
characters, Kristin and Tennyson, didn't have much depth.
The romance between Callie and Zack was more realistic
although I'm not sure I understand what they brought to
the actual storyline. I also would have liked to see the
aunts guide Kristin more rather than disappear at first.
Stevens did a nice job with the love scenes, but her
paranormal world-building fell a bit flat for me. While I figured out fairly early on who the bad guy is,
Stevens does leave some surprises from him, so while I had
an idea who would win in the end, I didn't guess how it
would happen. I liked how Stevens used Lucas's earth magic
to create splits in sidewalks and specifically-located
earthquakes and how children's wishes appeared as crowns
above their heads. I will read the second book in this
series as I try never to judge an author by one book alone
and I was intrigued by Stevens' premise to want to read more.
SUMMARY
Kristin Montgomery is more than a little shocked when her
aunts inform her they're fairy godmothers. Worse, after
dropping that bombshell, they hand her a wand and head off
on a world cruise. Now Kirstin's uncomplicated life as a CPA
in San Diego has disappeared like magic, and she not only
has to deal with her burgeoning magical powers but also a
reluctant--and distractingly sexy--magical arbiter. Tennyson Ritter is a historian. A scholar by choice, he is
yanked from his studies to act as arbiter for the newly
chosen fairy godmother. He doesn't know anything about magic
or the magical world, but soon the beguiling Kristin draws
him away from his books and into her life. But before Kristin can hone her skills and pass the tests
necessary to fully claim her powers, she and Tennyson must
work together to defend the world--both magical and
human--against those who would claim her powers for their
own.
ExcerptHOW TO BE A FAIRY GODMOTHER:Never Reveal Yourself to Your Charges. San Diego, California The aunts had summoned her. Their cryptic message had left her alternately curious and
worried. Why were they so adamant to see her? Something
about a job and “it’s time.” Kristin Montgomery parked her Camry in front of the
bungalow in Mission Beach and locked the door. As usual
she’d found a great parking spot. She shouldn’t have.
Parking in the crowded streets of the little beach
community should have been a bear, yet a space always
waited for her whenever she came to visit the aunts. Kristin inhaled deeply. The ocean breeze played with her
hair, and the fresh sea air contained a tang that always
smelled of adventure to her. Today the smell of adventure was even more powerful. Don’t
be ridiculous, Kristin. She turned up the walk. Deep pink
bougainvillea bushes lined the path to the door. The house
seemed normal from the outside, still as charming and
quaint as the day her aunts moved in when she was a
teenager. The cottage was some seventy years old and had a
value of over seven hundred thousand dollars. Only in San
Diego could a tiny box with a postage stamp yard be worth
so much. The three old women weren’t really her aunts, and they
couldn’t really summon her, but Kristin loved them. But why
had they sent for her? She rang the doorbell, then tried the door. As usual, it
swung right open. “Haven’t I told you it’s not safe to keep
your door unlocked?” Chaos greeted her. Suitcases, bags, and a huge trunk yawned
in the living room in front of her. Clothes draped over the
sides, maps and papers filled the pockets, and a lone shoe
sat in one bag while its mate lay on the floor. Aunt Rose walked out of the study, her arms filled with a
jumble of clothes. “Oh, tosh, dear. No one would harm us.”
She brushed a kiss against Kristin’s cheek. “It’s good to
see you again, love.” Kristin eyed the tiny white-haired woman. “Do you need any
help?” “Nonsense. I’m not carrying bricks.” Rose placed the top
three items into the first suitcase and the rest into the
second. Kristin followed Rose. “Are you moving?” Aunt Lily entered the room. “Don’t be silly, dear. We’ll
explain in a moment.” Tall and lithe, Lily clutched a large
bottle of sunscreen and towels draped over her arms. Her
iron gray hair sported three pairs of sunglasses and two
hats sitting at a jaunty angle. “Planning an outing to the beach?” Kristin raised her brows. “One does not take suitcases to the beach, dear,” said
Lily. With a tilt of her head, she deposited the sundry
items into the nearest open suitcase, then arranged them in
an orderly fashion. “So what’s going on?” “It’s the Time of Transition,” said Rose with a bright
smile. “Transition?” Kristin wrinkled her forehead. Hyacinth, the aunt who completed the trio, strode into the
room with brochures, pamphlets, and other papers sticking
out of a purple folder. “You haven’t told her yet, have
you? You didn’t start before I was here, did you?” Her
short silver hair bounced on her scalp as she shook her
head scoldingly at Rose. “Of course not, Hyacinth. We wouldn’t do that to you.” Rose
lifted her shoulders in an endearing shrug. “We’re a team.” “But you’re here now.” Lily moved to Kristin and took her
hands. Rose and Hyacinth gathered around her as well. They
exchanged glances with one another, as if sharing a
conspiratorial secret. Lily said, “We’re not really your
aunts, dear.” Kristin stifled a laugh. “I know that.” Hyacinth burbled out a puff of air. “And as much as I hate
to admit it, we’re getting old.” She lifted a finger as
Kristin’s mouth opened to protest. “It’s true. We’ve gotten
slow and that’s a problem.” “But it’s the Time of Transition, so we can celebrate,”
said Rose. “Our tenure has come to an end.” “Excuse me?” Kristin eyed the three old women. What were
they talking about? “Your turn to take over, dear,” said Rose. She turned to
her companions. “What time does the taxi arrive?” “Thirty minutes,” said Hyacinth. “Damn, we’ll never be
ready.” “Of course we will, and watch your language. It just
doesn’t suit us to curse,” said Lily. “None of our charges can hear me,” said Hyacinth. “Kristin can,” said Rose. “She hardly counts. She’s one of us now.” Hyacinth examined
the suitcases. “We’d be better off if we combine some of
these. We might not be able to handle so many bags.” “You may be right, Hyacinth.” A rare frown touched Rose’s
face, but an instant later it dissolved into her customary
smile. “If we need more room, we can always buy more
suitcases.” “Or zap up a couple,” Hyacinth said. “Maybe not. Our powers will be in flux and our wands might
act up,” Lily said. Kristin held up her hands. “Hold it. Wands?” “Yes, dear. Wands. But we can’t be sure how reliable
they’ll be.” Lily reached into a bag and transferred its
contents to another case. “Still, we should take fewer
suitcases. Definitely.” “Wait.” Kristin waved her hands until the aunts looked at
her. “Let’s start over. First, where are you going?” “On a world cruise, dear,” said Rose, combining the
contents of two bags. “It’s been so long since we’ve
traveled.” “For a vacation anyway,” Hyacinth added. “It’s our
retirement gift to ourselves.” “Retirement?” As far as Kristin knew, the aunts had never
held jobs. She always thought it odd that they seemed well-
off despite no visible evidence of income, but she never
considered it her business to ask. “Retirement from what?” “Why, being fairy godmothers.” Hyacinth closed one now-full
suitcase. “It’s the Time of Transition. Time for us to step
down.” Uh-huh. Fairy godmothers. Kristin drew a deep
breath. “You’re joking, right?” “We wouldn’t joke about such a serious matter,” said
Rose. “Now where did I put my brush?” “Here it is.” Lily handed it to Rose. “‘Fairy godmother’ is
such an inaccurate term. Really we’re more like liaisons,
but people seem to understand ‘fairy godmother’ better. I’m
sure your arbiter will explain.” “Arbiter?” Kristin’s brows drew together. “The person appointed by the Council to oversee your
transition.” Hyacinth closed another suitcase. “Sometimes
they can be a pain in the—” “Hyacinth,” Lily said sharply. “Anyway, I’m sure your
arbiter will be fine.” Kristin scrutinized the aunts. They had never shown signs
of delusion before. “When was the last time you had a
physical? A complete examination? Maybe you should postpone
your trip and make sure you’re healthy enough to go. You’ve
admitted you’re old.” “She doesn’t believe us.” A bright laugh tinkled from
Rose’s throat. “I blame the modern world,” said Lily with a sigh. “No one
believes anymore.” “Some still do.” Hyacinth cocked her head at Kristin. “Well, naturally Kristin does,” said Lily. “She is Arcani.” “Arcani?” Kristin’s voice rose in pitch. “A member of the magical world,” Rose said. “Look, Aunties, I love you, but I don’t believe—” “Do you remember your seventh birthday?” said Lily. “Sure. I begged my parents for a pony. I didn’t get one.” “Of course you didn’t get one. We aren’t irresponsible.”
Hyacinth snorted at the thought. “You didn’t get that pony
because you couldn’t have cared for it. Your parents didn’t
have the money to board it, and you certainly couldn’t have
kept it in your backyard.” “But that’s what I wished for.” “You wanted a pony so badly. Your every wish on every star
was for that pony.” Lily sighed at the memory. “Every
dandelion you blew, every time you went through a tunnel,
every wishbone you broke, you spent that prayer on your
pony.” Kristin wrinkled her brow. “How do you know that?” “Just because we didn’t get you a pony doesn’t mean we
weren’t listening,” said Rose with a smile. “That was the
year we sent you Mr. Pickles.” Kristin’s jaw dropped. Mr. Pickles had been her cat and the
best companion she’d ever had. The animal had been the
friendliest creature on the planet. She wore him draped
around her neck as a child, used him as a confidant when
she was a teenager. Her heart had broken when she had to
leave him with her family when she went off to college. But
Mr. Pickles had waited for her, and during every break and
vacation, the animal gave her the emotional support she
needed as she took her first tentative steps into
adulthood. She would have sworn more than once in their
many years together that the cat understood English. Mr.
Pickles had died last year, a well-loved and dearly missed
friend. “Mr. Pickles.” Hyacinth chuckled. “I always thought it was
a ridiculous name, but he liked it.” Her knees weak, Kristin plopped onto the sofa. “What do you
mean, ‘he liked it’?” “You don’t think we’d send you an ordinary cat, do you?
Cats can be so contrary, but Mr. Pickles was special.” Lily
patted Kristin’s shoulder. This was absurd. Kristin calmed herself. “Look, you can’t
be serious about all this.” “Why not?” said Lily. “Because . . . because . . .” “Now you’re just being stubborn.” Hyacinth sat beside
Kristin and hooked her arm around Kristin’s
shoulders. “We’ve been watching over you for years.” “But there’re no such things as fairy godmothers.” Kristin
rubbed her forehead. “Nonsense, dear. We’re standing in front of you,” said Lily. “We’re really quite famous,” added Hyacinth. Rose nodded. “You studied the Brothers Grimm.” “Well, yes, but—” “They were great historians. They wrote about us. Well, not
us, but our predecessors.” “And now our time is up. The Time of Transition is here.”
Lily crossed to an antique armoire. She opened the doors
and pulled out a slender case that looked as if it could
have held a flute. “You must choose.” Lily opened the case. Inside lay three slender batons.
Gnarled, yet with a smooth patina, each switch glowed with
its own colors—yellow, red, and black. Ornate handles of
beautiful filigree work wound up the bases. The gold that
encased the yellow wood held gems in a classical design;
the green verdigris of the red wand looked like vines
twisting up a stalk; the stark geometric designs of silver
contrasted sharply against the black wood of the third.
Kristin picked up the red wand. It tingled in her hand and
warmed her palm. “Well done,” said Rose, clapping her hands. “That one is like mine,” said Lily. “Magic with a good dose
of reality. It suits you.” “How can it suit me? I’m a CPA.” Kristin’s sense of
frustration grew. “You chose it.” Rose shrugged and spread her hands. Kristin drew in a deep breath. “Aunties, you can’t think—” “Admit it. There’s a part of you right now that’s hoping
we’re right.” Hyacinth crossed her arms over her chest. And in that mix of emotions that swirled through Kristin—
the shock, the disbelief, the exasperation—there was a
spark of hope, a wish that it all was true. “Fine, but that
doesn’t mean I’m magical.” “Arcani, dear. Sorry to hurry you, but we’re running out of
time here.” Lily pushed the case back into the armoire and
then closed a third suitcase. “Your apartment lease is up
in a week.” “How did you—” Kristin interrupted her own question. They
knew. Somehow they knew. “You can move in here,” Rose said as she closed the
trunk. “We won’t be here for months, we need someone to
care for the house, and you love it. Besides, this house
knows magic. The test will go smoother here.” “What test?” asked Kristin, feeling more overwhelmed by the
minute. “The Time of Transition is a testing period to see if you
are capable and worthy of the job. Your arbiter has the
final say.” Hyacinth tightened the straps on the
trunk. “But we have faith in you.” Kristin tried to form an argument, but no words sufficed.
She had to say something. “Aunties, I don’t have powers.
Not a twinge, not a hint. Logic, sure, but magic? I don’t
even have luck.” The three ladies stopped, looked at her, and burst out
laughing. “Well, of course you do,” said Lily. “The gifts of a fairy
godmother don’t come into bloom until the age of twenty-
seven. Three times three times three. Quite the magic
number. Your birthday was only last week.” “Even then, it takes years to come into the powers fully.”
Hyacinth sat on the trunk. “It took me a decade.” “A decade?” Kristin stared at the three women. “Just how
old are you?” “Ninety-seven,” said Hyacinth. “It’s been a great journey,
but I’m ready to rest.” “I stopped counting at eighty,” said Rose. “It just isn’t
polite to celebrate birthdays and expect presents after
that.” “Seventy years is long enough at any job. Now we have time
to take our little vacation, and then see where the Magic
needs us,” Lily said. Questions whirled in Kristin’s head. Ninety-seven? Wands?
Magic? She shook her head. Impossible. “I know this is a lot, dear,” said Lily, patting Kristin’s
arm. “But one of your tests is adaptability. We weren’t
allowed to prepare you.” “This is insane.” The words burst from her lips. “You
actually believe you are fairy godmothers and I’m next in
line.” “Ooh, that attitude won’t help you.” Rose shook her finger
at Kristin. “You’ve lots to learn in the next few weeks.” From the street a car honked. Hyacinth poked the curtains
apart and looked out. “Taxi’s here. I’ll tell him we need
help.” Hyacinth bustled from the room. Kristin stood. “Look, I’d love to house-sit for you while
you’re gone, but—” “Excellent. That’s the first step.” Rose hugged
her. “You’ll see. The right person was chosen.” Lily gathered her purse, fished through the massive depths,
and pulled out a set of keys. “Here you go, but you don’t
need to bother with locking the house. No one harms the
fairy godmothers.” As the keys hit Kristin’s palm, their sharp edges proved
how little they had been used. Rose wrinkled her nose. “There was that one time . . .” “No need to frighten the child,” Lily said “That episode
occurred sixty years ago. Old news. We took care of it
then, and nothing has happened since. No one will harm her.” Hyacinth returned with a Filipino cabdriver who grinned at
each of them. “Benito has come to help us with our luggage.” “Ladies, it is my pleasure.” The smiling man grabbed two of
the suitcases and lifted them. “I’ll be back for the trunk.” Hyacinth nodded in appreciation. “Remember when Benito was
a boy and we—” “No time, dear,” said Lily. She turned to Kristin. “You’ll
find a list of rules and tips in the printer by the
computer.” “‘How to Be a Fairy Godmother.’ The title was my idea,”
said Rose with a self-satisfied smile. “I know how much you
like rules and lists.” “I recommend practicing here at home first before you go
out on the street. You’ll do great, kid. You’ve got the
spirit, the gift, and the brains,” said Hyacinth. She
hugged Kristin, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand,
then cleared her throat. “I’d better go help Benito before
he hurts his back again.” Hefting a satchel, Hyacinth left
the room. Rose took out a handkerchief and dabbed at her
eyes. “Hyacinth never did like to show her emotions. I envy
you. Just starting out. It will be wonderful. Remember:
Refer to the rules. They will help you. I wish your parents
could have lived to see this.” Crying in earnest now, Rose
grabbed her purse and hurried out of the room. Her parents? She was the only child of an older couple who
had prided themselves on their common sense. They wouldn’t
have believed any more than she did. Benito returned with a dolly and hoisted the trunk onto
it. “I hope you don’t mind me using this. I found it by the
front door.” “That’s why I put it there,” said Lily with a smile. She
waited until the cabdriver had left, then cupped Kristin’s
cheek. “You parents would’ve been so proud of you.” Kristin had to try one last time. “Aunt Lily, please. You
can’t—” Lily shook her head. “Don’t start off with negativity.”
Then her expression changed to a look of sympathy. “I know
it’s hard. It was easier in my day. We believed so much
more than they do today. But you’ll be fine. We’ll pop in
to check on you in a couple of weeks.” Lily kissed
Kristin’s cheek. Pop in? From a world cruise? Benito came back and lifted the last bag. “This it?” “Yes, thank you, Benito. You’re a good man.” The cabdriver blushed. “Just doing my job.” He left the
room again. “This is your home now,” Lily said. “Take your time, and
try not to let logic get too much in the way of your
instincts. Good- bye, dear, dear Kristin.” Lily followed the cabby outside. For a moment Kristin
stared after her. Then she heard the door to the cab close,
and she ran to the doorway. The three aunts waved at her
through the car’s windows as the taxi pulled away from the
house. Kristin looked down at her hands. She still held the keys
and the red wand. Right. A wand. She turned slowly, walked back into the cottage, and
flopped onto the sofa again. She tossed the keys onto her
purse, and then placed the baton on the coffee table and
stared at it. The burnished wood glowed in the sunlight, and the green
metal encasing it looked almost alive. She picked it up
again. The handle molded to her palm as if it were made for
her. A thrill shot through her. Maybe . . . Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, she swished the
wand. Nothing. No colorful sparks, no flowers popping out of the
end, no triple- scoop hot fudge sundae on the table in
front of her. Kristin laughed at herself. The aunts could be allowed
their fantasies. Their delusions were harmless. If they
wanted to believe they were nearly one hundred and fairy
godmothers, that was fine. They would hurt no one with
their stories. The wands were pretty pieces of art, no
doubt. Not magic, but pieces of fantasy art. She’d store
this red one safely beside its sisters in the case. She
opened the door of the armoire. The case was not there. With a frown, she laid the wand on the shelf and checked
the other spaces. Nothing. Hmmm. She must have been
mistaken when she saw Aunt Lily return the case to the
armoire. Well, she’d find it later. In the meantime, the house was hers to use, and she’d enjoy
living here. The small but beautiful garden, the sea air,
the interesting neighborhood—she had always liked it here.
She might as well see what her aunts had left her to
read. “How to Be a Fairy Godmother.”
Entertainment, pure and simple, and probably good for a few
chuckles. She walked to the study where the computer was hooked up.
Top-of-the-line machine. She hadn’t realized the aunts were
so savvy. Kristin reached for the printer, then stopped. No papers lay in the output tray. The printer was empty.
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