This is a novella length story that's set in 1905 New York where a would-be suffragette and a young gentleman with a stutter and a penchant for magic fall in love. They must overcome obstacles of communication and evil rivals to get their happily ever after. I enjoyed the setting of 1905 because this is not an era that is used often in historical romances so that was refreshing. I also thought that having the hero use his magical abilities to overcome his handicap of a stutter was clever because who among us wouldn't love to use a little magic to overcome our own difficulties!
The characters were sweet and likable which made me wish we had been able to get to know more about them and their world and that their journey to love had been a little bit more complex. However, given that this is a short work it is possible that it just wasn't feasible to explore more complexities. This is a very sweet story and would appeal to young adult as well as adult readers.

Marry Me, A Candy Hearts Romance, is part historical fiction and part magical realism. Millie Moore is a New York City debutante in 1905 who is practically “on the shelf” at the ripe old age of 21. As such, and with a bit of greasy black magic, smarmy and socially unacceptable Guy Elliott is trying to court her. Standing in his way is Raymond Wilson, a handsome young man from a good family who has a bad stutter. His way to communicate is to cast a spell so that candy hearts speak messages for him. As Millie struggles to find her voice, defy her marriage-minded mama, and choose the better man, she must contemplate if a “bad marriage is better than no marriage at all?”

This quirky short story is charming (in both the literal and magical sense), but its brevity results in under-developed characters and a rushed denouement. It’s also a bit disconcerting that so many people seem to have magical powers on display with no one questioning the spells. Despite all, it’s a fun, quick read.


I received a complimentary copy of this book from The Wild Rose Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.