Half a Soul
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

In this delightful first installment of her Regency Faerie Tales series, Atwater blends historical romance, fantasy, and cozy mystery with truly exceptional writing and an engaging premise that is sure to hook readers of all three genres. After a faerie lord steals her soul--or at least half of it--Theodora Ettings is no longer able to feel anything, not regret when her biting humor flays those around her nor embarrassment when she does something completely scandalous. Living in the rural countryside allows her family to hide her eccentric behavior and inability to feel, but when her cousin Vanessa is forced into the marriage mart, Dora accompanies her to London to help secure a husband. Though she herself has no desire to marry, Dora unexpectedly befriends London's most eligible bachelor, Elias Wilder, the Lord Sorcier of England. Through him, she discovers a mysterious plague infecting the city's working class, and once she begins investigating its source, Dora is finally able to confront her past and come to terms with her inability to truly feel. Atwater does a remarkable job of crafting an engaging narrative that asks compelling questions about social class and human nature while remaining decidedly romantic and lighthearted.

Atwater's sweet, low-stakes first Regency Faerie Tales romantic fantasy opens with Lord Hallowvale, a nobleman of the faerie world, stealing half of human Theodora "Dora" Eloisa Charity Ettings's soul. Lord Hallowvale whisks the half he's claimed off to the faerie world, leaving behind a Dora who is no longer capable of feeling the full range of human emotions. Believing Dora is cursed, her cousin Vanessa Ettings takes her to London to seek the help of the magic-wielding Lord Sorcier. While there, the cousins are thrust into high society, entering a glittering world of balls, tea parties, and betrothals. As Dora carves an opportunity for herself to work with the Lord Sorcier, together they discover a mysterious sleeping plague targeting the city's poor and vulnerable. Their investigation into this illness quickly supersedes the focus on breaking Dora's curse, and given how successful she is both professionally and romantically without it, readers will wonder why they should root for her soul to be restored at all. Atwater keeps things light and charming, meshing romance tropes with fairy tale elements, while not shying away from the darker side of Regency London. Readers are sure to be swept away.(June)Correction: An earlier version of this review incorrectly stated this book was the third entry in a series.

*Starred Review* In this delightful first installment of her Regency Faerie Tales series, Atwater blends historical romance, fantasy, and cozy mystery with truly exceptional writing and an engaging premise that is sure to hook readers of all three genres. After a faerie lord steals her soul—or at least half of it—Theodora Ettings is no longer able to feel anything, not regret when her biting humor flays those around her nor embarrassment when she does something completely scandalous. Living in the rural countryside allows her family to hide her eccentric behavior and inability to feel, but when her cousin Vanessa is forced into the marriage mart, Dora accompanies her to London to help secure a husband. Though she herself has no desire to marry, Dora unexpectedly befriends London's most eligible bachelor, Elias Wilder, the Lord Sorcier of England. Through him, she discovers a mysterious plague infecting the city's working class, and once she begins investigating its source, Dora is finally able to confront her past and come to terms with her inability to truly feel. Atwater does a remarkable job of crafting an engaging narrative that asks compelling questions about social class and human nature while remaining decidedly romantic and lighthearted. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.

Atwater's sweet, low-stakes first Regency Faerie Tales romantic fantasy opens with Lord Hallowvale, a nobleman of the faerie world, stealing half of human Theodora "Dora" Eloisa Charity Ettings's soul. Lord Hallowvale whisks the half he's claimed off to the faerie world, leaving behind a Dora who is no longer capable of feeling the full range of human emotions. Believing Dora is cursed, her cousin Vanessa Ettings takes her to London to seek the help of the magic-wielding Lord Sorcier. While there, the cousins are thrust into high society, entering a glittering world of balls, tea parties, and betrothals. As Dora carves an opportunity for herself to work with the Lord Sorcier, together they discover a mysterious sleeping plague targeting the city's poor and vulnerable. Their investigation into this illness quickly supersedes the focus on breaking Dora's curse, and given how successful she is both professionally and romantically without it, readers will wonder why they should root for her soul to be restored at all. Atwater keeps things light and charming, meshing romance tropes with fairy tale elements, while not shying away from the darker side of Regency London. Readers are sure to be swept away.(June)Correction: An earlier version of this review incorrectly stated this book was the third entry in a series.