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.

Book 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.

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