Another enchanting addition to the Magic in Manhattan series! If you loved the grumpy x sunshine content in the first book, you won’t be disappointed in the sequel — Rory and Arthur are back and better than ever. I swallowed this book in one giant gulp, barely taking my eyes away from the pages until I finished the story. I need more of these delightful characters and their hijinks already -- I never want this series to end!

This was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the continuation of Rory and Arthurs story. It was a great time and I really liked Therins writing

I really enjoyed the first book and was looking forward to returning to this world and interesting magic system. Unfortunately, it has been a while since I read the first book so it took me a while into the book to remember who some of the people were and what some of the magical terms meant. This meant it took me a bit longer to really get into the book. I like both Rory and Arthur, though it's important to know not much time has passed since the events of book 1, so they haven't had much time to really develop their relationship. I think this book will be one of those ones where I like it better when I do a series reread. I still like the author and appreciate the unique world building ideas.

I love this whole series so much! Paranormal historical? Sign me up! I am looking forward to this series finally coming to print soon (I heard rumors!) and I am excited to be able to finally handsell this title!

I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first. I was bored during parts of this one, it just dragged on. It wasn't tooooo bad, but definitely my attention wandered.

I looked at the first to see what I said about the narrator. Still hate him. Not the worst, far from the best. His narrating speeds up and slows down. He's just not good.

Starcrossed by Allie Therin is book 2 in a 1920s set PNR with a bunch of different magical abilities. I absolutely love PNR set in different time periods so this completely worked for me. I only with there was a bit more explanation in this one to tie it to book one as there were parts where I was confused as to what was going on. I definitely did not feel that it stood on its own.

I enjoyed how this book built on Rory and Arthur’s love story and the worldbuilding as well. There were new and interesting magical abilities, as well as magical devices, which I was super interested in. I can’t wait for book 3 next year.

STARCROSSED is the second book in the Magic in Manhattan series and we pick up where we left off. Rory is at Arthur's brother's house but doing his best to avoid Harry at all costs. Arthur hasn't spent as much time with Rory as he would like. Rory is still as prickly as a hedgehog and Arthur is still behaving like a helicopter parent. Hopefully, one day soon, he'll realise he is able to discuss things with Rory! And yet, somehow, these two work so well together! They really are the perfect pair and their shenanigans are guaranteed to raise a smile.

Nothing about this book is straight-forward--including the ex-boyfriend, the social circumstances, the villains, or even the good guys. And that by itself is one of the reasons this book is so entertaining. Add in the perfect world-building, the amazing characters, the wit and humour, and you get a fantastic read. There is definitely no second-book-slump in this series.

It is a series though so I would definitely recommend you read book one first. Plus, you really don't want to miss a thing with this pair!

Roll on 2021 because Wonderstruck is already on my TBR list! Highly recommended by me.

I adore Arthur and Rory so much and the book 2 is awesome! I can't wait for book 3 but I also never want to see it end. Therin is an amazing writer and really brings everything to life <3 <3

This world of magic set in 1920s continues to intrigue me. I don't really know much about Prohibition era but it's certainly makes for an interesting setting. I must say I was a bit confused on the magic systems. There's a lot to digest and new stuff gets thrown at us but I just went along with it lol. Rory's powers have gotten increasingly more potent, which basically made him a chaos magnet in this book.

From the beginning of the book where he accidentally calls his wind and cracks a frozen river, stranding himself on the other side of said river, to when Ace's ex shows up. I get that Rory gets a bit jealous about the whole ex thing but he was truly getting me pissed off because listen, you know your moods are affecting that relic (the ring) and ok fine you got jealous. But the scene with Jade and Zhang in the room. He was being so reckless!! I wanted to shake him.

I did like how his relationship progresses with Ace though. We can see that they truly care about each other and have to figure how to make this work...as they're not able to be open with their relationship and there's their class difference to add some conflict there. Although, it's really Rory who's worried about fitting into to Ace's world, and he's not too keen on Ace buying him stuff.

I will say that I sort of forgot about some of the events that took place in book 1 so it took a while to be like oh yeah that was a things that happened. The whole Gwen/Ellis story. I don't expect a rehasing of book 1's events because frankly that could get annoying but it did leave me confused a few times. Not that that made me enjoy the book less.

There's just a lot going on, and being tossed at us at once that you have to be paying attention., but i think I was still kept engaged enough to want to know how this all plays out.

There's also going to be a book 3 in 2021, so i'm looking forward to how this all wraps up then.

Included as a top pick in bimonthly May New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached).

I didn’t like this as much as the first book. I agree with the other reviews that say that there’s not enough backstory/explanation about book one, thus making it hard to figure out what the hell is going on. I was confused at several points, especially the Gwen/Ellis backstory and how subordinate magic works. This was all explained in greater detail in SPELLBOUND and unfortunately my book memory is useless after a year.

I confess that I’m growing weary of this particular age gap dynamic (Rory acts SO young, almost childlike at times). It’s not my favorite dynamic because it doesn’t appear to be changing. I like the age gap trope in general, but I prefer it when the younger MC is extremely mature/confident.

Still, solid writing and interesting setting. I just didn’t love the sequel as much as the debut!

An amazing follow up to the first novel, with more magic, more adventure, and more romance.

After spending much of the first book becoming familiar with our main characters, Therin uses this book to flesh out the side characters including our villains, and I loved it.

A fabulous read for a cold rainy day, I can easily see this series becoming a comfort read.

Review excerpted from my blog post over at Pan/Cis LGBT2SQ+ Romance Reviews (https://pancis.wordpress.com/2020/07/27/starcrossed-by-allie-therin/)

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Library recommendation: Recommended for public library Romance, Fantasy/Paranormal Romance, and/or LGBTQIA collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story. 


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Number of titles I have read by this author: 2

Love story speed: Relationship in progress from previous book in series

Relationship dynamics: The Paranormal Orphan (H1) / The Politician’s Son (H2)

Sexual content: Foreplay "on-screen" all else "off-screen". Foreplay is not terribly explicit

Gender Identity: Cis (H1) / Cis (H2)

Sexual Identity: Bisexual (H1) / Gay (H2)

Triggers: PTSD (war); murder

Acceptance Rating: 2.5 stars

Acceptance Rating Explanation: Historical societal homophobia and constraints and fear of being "found out" are mentioned throughout. 

Grammar/Editing: My ARC had some typos and word choice issues.

Review: In contrast to the first book in the series, this book sets a medium pace but is a bit slow in the middle, leaving the reader to wonder when everything will come together. It is primarily set in Prohibition Era New York City and the work done in the first installment to build the immersive atmosphere and magical world continues in this book. I would recommend reading this series in order because this book picks up in the story arc (and world building) where the last book left off. See my review of the first installment on my other blog, FanSciHist Romance Reviews, <a href="https://fanscihist.wordpress.com/2019/07/03/spellbound-by-allie-therin/">here</a>. 

Arthur and Rory continue to be the main characters in this series. Their relationship is still cute and sweet, and they now find themselves navigating more of their differences in terms of class, age, and in experience of the world. Where Arthur was the protective hero in the first book, Rory becomes just as protective in this novel. I enjoyed seeing their growth as a couple. The supporting characters are built upon from their excellent development in the last novel, and the villains, even new ones, continue to be as well-developed, and even as sympathetic, as they were previously. 



Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Pretty much the perfect sequel. It's just like the first book, but better in every possible way. The romance, the overall plot, the villains, it's all amped up. I loved the new characters, I loved seeing more of our old friends, loved how the stakes were raised so much.

As always, my favourite thing is how much Rory and Arthur adore each other, their star-crossed romance. Just like in the previous book, the way it works with languages, and how the language of your immigrant parent can be your love language since all the endearments you grew up with were in that language. As always, that made me cry.

Basically, if you liked the first book, this one has all the strengths of it, just more.

I tried to read Starcrossed and felt like I was missing something in the plot, I did not realize when I requested it that it is the second in a series and must be read in order! Planning to try this one again later after I've read the first book. For now it's a DNF

Rory Brodigan and Arthur Kenzie are recovering from the harrowing events of Coney Island at Arthur’s brother’s country estate. Of course, no one can know that Rory is more than Arthur’s appraiser, but Arthur isn’t happy about the man he loves being perceived as “the help.” For his part, Rory feels uncomfortable with Arthur’s wealthy brother and generally fitting into Arthur’s life. But still, the men are happy to have a chance to catch their breath and figure out next steps.

However, there is not much time for the men to rest. They have to deal with Rory’s ring, which is giving him powers over the wind that he can’t easily control. Plus, the men want to get to the bottom of who is after the relics and why. On top of that, Arthur is stuck dealing with family obligations for his brother, John, who is running for political office. John wants Arthur to escort an important guest to the governor’s son’s wedding and the man turns out to be none other than Arthur’s ex, Wesley, someone Arthur has no interest in seeing at all.

As Arthur gets pulled into family obligations, Rory and their friends try to find out more about some mysterious paranormals who have shown up in the city. They seem to be looking for the artifacts as well, and they have a frightening connection to Arthur’s past. Arthur can’t stand the idea of Rory facing danger, but he is stuck between his family and his desire to help his friends and Rory. Now it’s a race against time to figure out what the paranormals want and to stop them before it is too late.

Starcrossed is the second book in Allie Therin’s fabulous Magic in Manhattan series and picks up shortly after the end of Spellbound. The first book just blew me away and I was eagerly awaiting this next installment. The books build on one another and knowing the story from the first book is important for understanding events here, so you will definitely want to read the stories in order.

From an adventure end, this has a lot of the same excitement and great paranormal world building as the first story. We see the fallout from the first book, as well as their continued efforts to prevent the artifacts from getting into the wrong hands. There are new bad guys in the city and no one knows quite what they are after, but they are leaving havoc in their wake. And on top of that, Rory is dealing with figuring out his own magic and his abilities, which have ramped up now that he has possession of the ring, as well as a connection with Arthur. The story is exciting and has some really thrilling moments and it kept me on the edge of my seat, particularly later in the book when the action really takes off. I continue to really enjoy their circle of friends and watching the team all work together to save the world.

The story also explores some new themes with regard to Rory and Arthur’s relationship, as well as their class differences. As the title indicates, the men are star-crossed lovers who have to figure out how to make a relationship work at a time when men aren’t allowed to be together romantically, and two men of such different classes are not expected to even be friends. As Wesley notes, two wealthy, powerful men like he and Arthur could be friends without suspicion, but no one will understand why men like Arthur and Rory would interact socially, leaving them open to scrutiny. As much as Rory and Arthur love one another, this is a constant hurdle that affects their ability to be together.

In addition, here we see Arthur really struggle with how not only his station, but also the obligations that go along with it, affect his time with Rory and his ability to help his friends when they need him. He chafes at the idea that Rory is put with the staff at his brother’s house, rather than given a place as an honored guest with Arthur. He is also frustrated throughout the story that his obligations to the social niceties of a wealthy family keep him from being able to help the investigation at crucial times. And he is upset that Rory won’t take a penny from him, even when that means Rory has to walk across town in the cold instead of taking a cab, or is stuck living in a rat-infested apartment. So this story really explores some interesting aspects of their relationship and the way their differences make it more difficult for both men.

Despite their problems, the love the men share comes through so clearly. I love that while Rory sometimes frustrates Arthur beyond belief with his stubbornness and strong will, Arthur is also totally wrapped around Rory’s finger. There is such a lovely connection between them, I just adore them together. So this was another great installment and I am very much looking forward to more!

I listened to the first book on audio and didn't particularly enjoy it. I gave the ebook a chance on the sequel to see if it was the writing or the reader that I didn't enjoy. It was the particular reader in this case. I have a soft spot for queer historicals and am always on the lookout for new series. Especially new series where the characters aren't in constant danger because they are queer. (Some period appropriate drama is fine, but dire consequences and suffering aren't my jam, there's enough of that irl). I hope the author keeps writing these so I can keep enjoying them.

Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a bit behind the game in reviewing this one. It was a book that gobbled up quickly and have sat on my feelings for quite a while. I really did enjoy this book, but for some reason it didn't live quite up to how much I loved the first. Maybe, that is due to the fact that I can barely remember this one and yet I can vividly remember the first book.

Still, the plot was a fun romp that kept me reading. All the characters were fun and had depth to them that made them stand out. I just wish I could remember more about the actual plot.

Starcrossed almost picks up immediately where we left off from Spellbound with Ace and Rory. I'll admit that I did have a bit of trouble remembering some characters and details of the first book (it's been a while), but I did eventually get back into the groove of the story.

It starts off with a small lull in the beginning but soon kicks off into some paranormal action and mystery with our heroes trying to find out who's behind a string of gruesome murders in NYC. I'm a sucker for powers, so I loved seeing the different more of the paranormal abilities that were introduced, but to be honest, the magic system still doesn't feel quite as fleshed out to me. There's also a sub-plot with an ex coming back into the picture, which usually puts me off but worked well in this case!

Overall, this was still a light and fun read in the moment, and I will be continuing with series.

By concentrating on an artefact, Rory can tell its history. The journey’s the item has taken all the way back to its origins. It is like a dream. Rory can see people, places, and secrets. Rory has always been gifted, but he is far more powerful than even he realizes. Yet he is still learning how to use magic. A shy man by nature, Rory’s backbone shows itself when protecting those he loves – And he loves Arthur who he met in book one of the series.
Arthur’s family come from societies elite and are not aware of his sexual preference. While Arthur investigates the paranormal, his family have political aspirations – and never the two shall meet. A war veteran, Arthur has a protective streak. The moment he saw Rory, he fell for the waif that had a backbone of steel. The origins of the two could not be farther apart, but they bonded over the supernatural.
Arthur’s brother, John, tells him about some disturbing nightmares involving Arthur and the war. Arthur suspects paranormal activity. His investigations are not helped by his family’s insistence that he must attend a political wedding escorting a British Lord. They are unaware that the Lord is Arthur’s ex. When Arthur divulges the facts to Rory, his lover loses some of his magical control.
Considering Rory’s loss of magical self-control, an ex, and a man searching for potent relics also wanting powerful people to help him control them – a lot is at stake.
As with the first book in this series, I loved this one too. The story is told in the third person from Rory and Arthur’s viewpoints, during the prohibition, with fade out intimacy. The scene-setting was just right for me – enough to garner the place and atmosphere, while not going into finite detail. It is possible to read this instalment as a standalone, but one gains a much better understanding if book one has also been read.
The story deals with the intricacies of the financial divide. As already said, Arthur comes from a monied background, opulence, and comfort. Rory prefers to work his way out of cockroach-infested lodgings the honorable way, without financial assistance from Arthur. That is a bone of contention between them.
The relationship between Arthur and Rory is pretty new, and in a bid to protect Rory, Arthur keeps certain things from him. Hence, there are many thought processes and aspects of their relationship that need working out.
The extended cast varies between the gifted and the not. Many returning from book one. It was also lovely to see more of Arthur’s family. The ex was good, too.
Here is a warning, though. Once I got to around 60%, I did not want to put the book down and ended up reading till after midnight, because I had to know what happened.
Sooooo – what did I get with this book. I got a bangin’ story that was not overtaken by sex. I got murder, intrigue, mystery, love and another interested party, class-division, visions, good vs evil and some in-between, paranormal goings-on, alchemy, and more. Starcrossed was my cup of tea with a custard cream.

I thoroughly enjoyed this continuation of Rory and Arthur's story. I did find it helpful to do a quick skim of Spellbound first as I'd forgotten most of the other characters and main plot points (really, Rory's magic was the part I remember the most, the ability he has to 'scry' objects to see their history is my favorite part of the worldbuilding) as this continues from the end of book 1. I wouldn't recommend this one as a standalone.

The setting in 1920's New York adds a special kind of magic all its own to the actual magic that involves amulets and rings, spells, and the surprising appearance of a paranormal (not a good guy). Rory has managed to hook his magic into Arthur's aura and this link helps him come back if he gets stuck in the past too deeply, but in this story there is also the appearance of someone who can break that magic link, thus causing a whole host of new problems for Rory and Arthur as they try to save themselves and their friends from more dastardly deeds. There's a blast from the past in more ways than one, with Arthur's time in WWI, some of which involved captivity, as well as a former flame. Arthur's family is involved in politics and knows nothing of magic so Arthur often finds himself torn between his duties to his family and his desires to hang out with Rory and his other magic laden friends. Add in society's attitude towards gay men and you can see the challenges for Rory and Arthur to maintain any kind of relationship. Yet somehow they manage.

There are some romantic scenes but they fade to black just when the sexual tension is building. It doesn't detract from the story but I wouldn't have minded a peek through the door, wink wink. I particularly liked dipping into the Harlem jazz club with Jade, Zhang's family diner (makes me want dim sum) and the ocean liner (think Titanic) that Arthur and Rory end up on as interesting settings. And I also noted that the author made a point of mentioning when the characters were white instead of assuming they were the default - a welcome change.

The story isn't over, and that's great news because I can't wait to dive back into this world again! It's exciting, fun, intriguing and action packed - a great escape read!

Review has been posted at B&N, Kobo, Amazon and Goodreads.