This book signals a move away from the founding people of Spellbound Falls (we only glimpse Titus, Rana, and Olivia) to two newcomers (albeit one with ties to the earlier series). This book deals with the aftermath of rape and I appreciated how it was handled by all involved. Do feel that it's odd that the hero never gets a true explanation of the nature of the town, but that may be because the author died before this was published. The epilogue really feels like a way to quickly complete the series (much in the way A Dangerous Witch (Witch Central, #3) by |Debora Geary ties up the series after the author went through some personal change which made her not want to continue) and I wouldn't be surprised if someone else wrote it.

I did enjoy my time in Spellbound Falls. ( )

Gunnar Wolfe makes his living hunting and tracking down people but Katy gives him a run for his money.

Katy MacBain is a part-time real estate broker and a volunteer paramedic. She's returning to Spellbound Falls to work as an EMT but she disappeared three weeks before arriving on the job, Something happened to her that has her not trusting any beverages given to her by a man.
Katy's best friend sends Gunnar to track down the missing Katy and she becomes his obsession. When he picks up her trail heading to Spellbound Falls he gets himself hired at the same firehouse as Katy and finds more than he ever dreamed.

This is a mostly light-hearted romance, with magical twists, charming little boys, overbearing protective highlanders and a wounded but yet still vibrant Katy. I always enjoy returning to Spellbound Falls, the charm of it makes me want to completely ignore pesky details and just go with it. If you enjoy light-hearted, romances with a touch of magic and lots of cameos from previous books, I think you'll enjoy 'Call it Magic.'

Per her daughter's Facebook message this was her mother's 'last and final book,' before she died of cancer in 2017. She brought a lot of joy to the world sharing her special worlds and she will be missed.

If you like my reviews I hope you will follow my blog. https://wyldheartreads.wordpress.com/
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I loved this book and am heartbroken that there will be no more magical books from Janet Chapman. She is one of my favorite authors, and I will miss her and her magical worlds dreadfully.

Katy MacBain is the youngest daughter of Libby and Michael MacBain (Wedding the Highlander). She recently left her job as a real estate agent to become a paramedic. She applied for a job with the Spellbound Falls Fire and Rescue Team but disappeared for three weeks between completing her course in Colorado and arriving in Spellbound Falls. Her best friend, Jane (From Kiss to Queen), worries about Katy, and sends a trusted friend to look for her. I ached for Katy and the problem that haunts her.

Gunnar Wolfe was sent to find Katy and was frustrated at his inability to do so. Joining the Fire and Rescue Team was his last-ditch effort, as he knew she was due in Spellbound Falls by a specific date. He was hired as a firefighter, then as the interim fire chief. Gunnar is intrigued by Katy before he meets her, thanks to the information given to him by Jane before he begins his search.

I loved the first meeting between Katy and Gunnar. There are sparks, but also a little bit of head-butting. Gunnar's fascination with Katy increases, as he also senses that there are things she is hiding. Gunnar tries to fight the attraction, as she works for him, but it is a losing battle. Katy, on the other hand, is all-in and ready to pursue him. I enjoyed watching the development of their relationship. First, there is friendship, as Gunnar helps Katy settle into her duties as a paramedic. I liked seeing them spend time together and get to know each other. Gunnar is more determined than ever to get to the bottom of the pain he senses in her. I had fun with Katy's belief that Gunnar is an Atlantean and his reactions to some of the things she says. I ached for them both when Katy's issues come between them. It took a long conversation with her mom to work through that which haunts her (and I loved how that conversation came about). I loved Gunnar's patience and sensitivity as he worked his way past her walls. I loved seeing the changes in Katy as she regained her belief in herself. I also enjoyed the changes in Gunnar, as his feelings for Katy transformed him from footloose to ready to settle down. I loved the ending, especially Gunnar's confession of why he was there. The epilogue was terrific. I loved the bit with Jane at the beginning of it (bless her matchmaking little heart) and seeing how other characters are doing.

Another secret that Katy has is the gift that led her to become a paramedic. It isn't something that she can tell other people about, so working as a first responder is the logical way to use it without revealing herself. Gunnar is an inadvertent witness to one instance that puzzles him. He's further confused when he is on the receiving end. I loved the scene at the end when she trusts him enough to ask for his help with Shiloh.

Something I really enjoyed were the scenes involving the fire and rescue crew. Katy has some obstacles to overcome before the other members accept her. I loved that she didn't let it get her down, but worked to overcome them. The prank scene with Katy and Welles was great. I especially enjoyed the way that she foiled their tormentors. The scene at the lake was fantastic. The others' reaction to Katy's handling of the hopped-up druggie was hilarious and won their respect. I also loved the campfire events that Katy started and seeing the effect they had on the skeptics.

I liked the scenes that involved characters from other books. I laughed at how some of Katy's male relatives did a preemptive visit to the firehouse to warn off the men. I enjoyed the scenes with her brother, Robbie, which showed their love for each other as well as some of the more frustrating sibling moments. Titus, Olivia, Duncan, and others make brief appearances. ( )

Yes, I did receive an ARC, and I'm finding it a little disconcerting to read a book written by a deceased author. I can tell that another author has had a (small) hand in this book, and of course, that is not wholly unexpected. I see Janet's creativity all over this book. As a matter of fact, I think that if this author did a little more studying of Janet's style flawed, sometimes physically flawed characters, magic, and fantasy with a dollop of hotness, they could really make a go of keeping this series alive. There are enough kids, nieces, and nephews to keep this series going for decades. Well, enough of my opining and onto the review: I am going to start by telling you that this book deals with a very sensitive topic *Spoiler Alert* rape. If you do select this book and I hope you do and are wondering why this author would choose this subject, then I suggest you actually start this book by reading both of the Letters From the Author first. You will find these at the back of the book. -this will explain the why of it. *End Spoiler*

What amazes me, Gunner (who you meet in From Kiss to Queen) is not the one with magic. I was surprised since so many (not all mind you) of the past books have the Alpha males generally being the ones with magic. Gunner was just not as Alpha-ish as the males in previous books.

This book follows most of the same formulas as the past novels, although it seemed to me that there was just a tad more swearing in this than other books.

I love that Katy got the same magic as her mother Libby had (Wedding the Highlander).

Please do not make this the first book of Ms. Chapman's that you read. You may find it unnerving to understand so much backstory. What I loved most is that past characters from most of the separate series are talked about or included in this book. This is a book for fans of Ms. Chapman's. And a fitting tribute to the late author. I will be re-reading this today and also re-reading Ms. Chapman's entire library.

*ARC supplied by the Publisher.

NEWEST UPDATE! August 21,2019

Call It Magic-is up for preorder at Amazon. May 5, 2020, is the delivery date.

Synopsis: "The latest magical romance in the Spellbound Falls series from the New York Times bestselling author of From Kiss to Queen and The Highlander Next Door

Welcome back to Spellbound Falls, Maine—where love is the greatest magic of all...

Katy MacBain moved to Spellbound Falls with secrets she plans to keep. The newest member of the Fire and Rescue Team, she disappeared for three weeks before arriving on the job. She doesn’t understand why Gunnar Wolfe—the town’s interim fire chief and her boss—seems determined to uncover the truth of what happened to her during that time. Or why she’s more attracted to him than she’s ever been to any other man.

A confident firefighter, Gunnar Wolfe doesn’t give up—and he’s resolved to find out what’s wrong with the mysterious and beautiful Katy. Since she is the newest member of his team, he’s naturally protective of her, but he’s surprised to find himself captivated by the tenacious and talented woman who is so...magical."
End Update

UPDATE MARCH 24th 2019
Janet Chapman, Author

Hello Everyone, I'm sorry for the silence over the past year. It's been a long process to make sure Janet's last book gets finished. I finally have some good and bad news. The good news is that it will be finished and released!! The bad news is that it has a tentative release date of May 2020. I guess all good things are worth waiting for! Thank you for remaining her loyal fans and being so patient. -Jessica"
This message above was quoted from the FB page of Janet's that I'm still following.

End Update

"It is with my deepest sorrow that I am to inform you of the death of our beloved: Janet Chapman passed away on Saturday, October 28, 2017 with a long battle of cancer. She was surrounded by her loved ones. Janet was a truly marvelous woman, I will greatly miss her. Please pray for her husband and family. ~Vanetta “keep sprinkling the magic”"

This is one of my very favorite authors -as a matter of fact, I just finished a re-re-re-read of almost all her books, last week. I had a suspicion that something like this was going to happen when her next book publication date kept changing and Amazon made it "not available" instead of pre-order. I will miss this author's wonderful way with words, magic, and love -nobody can ever take her place.

I always hope that I stay alive long enough for my favorite author's to finish their series -but I have never thought about the fact that *they* can die before they have finished. This loss brings that fact home to me.
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