Believe In Me

Piňa colada’s and tropical nights are very much Felix Valasay’s speed. He has been a charmer since his school days. Now that he is all grown up, his relationships with women have resembled a revolving door policy. In fact, he is in the middle of a routine seduction when he is unexpectedly interrupted.

The latest opportunity to stop Quain, the rogue sorcier of Les Croyant des Trois, requires Sayblee Safipour to go undercover with Felix in Paris. Her drive to have the mission succeed has a personal edge. Her beloved brother turned away from his family when he became one of the power hungry sorcier’s followers. Now, his sister will do whatever she can to find him and bring him back.

This assignment, however, will prove more challenging than anything that either Felix or Sayblee have experienced. They must behave as Moyenne and refrain from any use of magic for fear of giving themselves and their location away. Even worse, they must convince those around them that they are a couple. The studious girl and the lothario from school have both grown up and the hidden attraction from those early years is much harder to contain. But will they want to?

This is the book that concludes the Magical Temptation series. It is with excitement and sadness that one reads BELIEVE IN ME. We finally see how it all ends, but at the same time, we truly wish that there were more stories from this world heading our way.

We have come across both characters in the previous stories of the trilogy and it is fun to see them portrayed here. The hero and heroine’s appeal increases as we become more familiar with them. It is because we grow so fond of these two that later happenings when each is at a disadvantage sometimes feels difficult to read.

Sayblee is someone who has tried to always follow the rules and ended up learning more from reading than from taking time to actually experience life. It is no surprise that she is fascinated with the laid back Felix. As we learn more about her family and background, we see how much that she needs something or someone to lighten her heart.

To be the youngest in a family of three brothers couldn’t have been easy, especially since the two older brothers are rather powerful, capable and protective. Felix’s need to prove himself was well presented.

Readers will enjoy watching the romance between these two and the balance that each brings to the other. Through all of the difficulties that they go through together and separately, we cross our fingers and hope that they get the ending that they deserve.

The villain is a disturbing caricature of a character. He has been shown to be so strong that one believes he is nearly invincible. It is curious that even with the Plaques de la Pensée, believed to be the most powerful magic known with the ability to create or destroy life, the side of the good has such difficulties in bringing about victory over Quain.

Descriptions of magic were enthralling. Sensations, sounds, and sights were all incorporated to give us an experience that is unusual to find. For a time, the line felt blurred between sitting in an armchair reading a book and stepping through a swirl of gray matter into the scene set before us.

June 2007