FairyproofBy Constance Phillips
Genre: Paranormal
Romance
Publisher: Crescent Moon
Press
Date of Publication: September 4, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-937254-75-9
Number of pages:
262
Word Count:
85,000
Cover Artist: Taria
Reed
Book
Description:
When Monique finds out her
brother, Kieran, is planning her future with the one fairy she wants nothing to
do with, she seeks refuge in the human world. Now Kieran fears she will be the
next victim in a string of murdered fairies and is determined to bring her
home.
Hiding should be a breeze.
She can control any human with a flirtatious smile and an attraction spell.
Until she meets Daniel Elliot, the only human who's immune to
both.
A year ago, Daniel's
fiancée disappeared with the engagement ring, an Elliot family heirloom. He's
ready to move forward with his life, but his mother's obsession with retrieving
the ring makes that impossible. Then Monique walks into his office to apply for
a job.
Daniel and Monique can't
deny their attraction, but will the reason he's Fairyproof be too much to
overcome?
Review: Monique is on the run to avoid being forced to marry someone she has no interest in. Her brother is trying to track her down and bring her back. The story starts with Monique in a new city trying to get a position in Daniel's business. She is attempting to use her fairy charm to make him give her the position, but to her surprise and embarrassment it's not working. Monique has no experience or qualifications, but Daniel has a feeling about her and hires her anyway. Monique wants to know why her charm doesn't work on Daniel. She's never come across a situation where she couldn't charm a human. Meanwhile she is falling fast for Daniel and he for her. Will Monique be able to figure out why Daniel is resistant to her charm? Will her brother Kiernan find her before they can have a real relationship? Will she be able to keep the job she's been given with no prior experience? Read Fairyproof and find out.
Fairyproof is well written with clear, crisp language. The chapters are a good length with good pacing. The characters are well developed. I really like Monique, even though she initially tries to skate through human life by fairy mind control. I like Daniel too. I was not expecting the way the story ended. It's clever and well done and has the perfect amount of romance. If you love romance and faeries, this is the book for you. 18 and up.
Excerpt:
(This is the scene in which
the hero and heroine meet. Monique is interviewing for a job, and has given a
false name – Naomi – because she is in hiding.)
A
large, cherry desk with no clutter sat near one window. Other than a tray full
of files in the left corner, only a computer monitor sat on the polished
surface. In front of it were three reddish-brown leather chairs with cherry end
tables separating them.
Both
her father and brother used to say “focus on your strengths and downplay your
weaknesses,” and that’s what needed to be done. Her best assets were physical:
long legs, a small waist, and breasts that would always turn a man’s head,
especially when she unbuttoned the top two buttons and wore a push up bra.
Five-nine before slipping on the three-inch black heels, she towered over most
women. The shoes matched a very short skirt and sleek-fitting jacket.
She
shifted her weight, started across the room and focused on Daniel. Sitting
behind the desk, his head was buried in a file. All she could see was his
jet-black hair. Bone straight, it framed his face and brushed his shoulders
with just enough gray at the temples to raise her pulse.
Then
he looked up.
Gray
eyes met hers from behind black-rimmed glasses. Her heart lurched in her chest.
Charming him would be a pleasure.
Holding
his gaze, she set her shoulders back enough that his eyes would drop lower, and
closed the distance between them. She offered her hand across the desk and
tipped her head, letting her hair fall across her right shoulder. When his
large hand enveloped hers, she smiled and cast an enchantment spell. “Mr.
Elliot, I’m Naomi Sanders.”
She
waited for the familiar haze to cloud his eyes, a sure sign he was under her
control.
He
accepted her hand, cradled it in his for a brief moment before turning his
attention to his assistant who handed him her paperwork.
No
haze. He didn’t move toward her with an infatuated grin, just went about his
business. A sharp pain seized her heart, radiating through her chest. What
could have gone wrong? Casting an enchantment spell was second nature. She’d
been using them to get what she wanted since seeking refuge among the humans.
As
she lowered herself into one of the chairs, her mind grappled with what had
gone wrong, and her body slipped into the familiar: teasing the man in front of
her. She crossed her long legs, and let her skirt slide up her thigh.
Unaffected,
Daniel read her file as he walked around his desk and leaned back against it.
After a moment, he looked up and asked, “Why did you leave your last job?”
She
shifted her weight in the chair, uncrossing her long legs and crossing them
again in the opposite direction. He didn’t appear moved at all by her physical
appearance, but even with her worries Monique couldn’t ignore him or the way
his dark, tailored suit accented his long, lean body.
A
smile crossed his thin lips, but not for the reason she wanted. He hadn’t even
noticed her legs. Contact hadn’t been broken by his crisp, clear eyes. The grin
turned to a light chuckle. “If that question is too hard, Miss Sanders, maybe
we’re both wasting our time.”
Her
cheeks flushed and she knew they were reddening with embarrassment. Worried
they clashed with her hair, she tried to swallow the blush. If winning this job
the old-fashioned way wasn’t going to work, then she wasn’t going to get it.
Still, she had to say something. Fear knotted her stomach as she stammered, “It’s
not too hard, Mr. Elliot. I needed a new start, so I moved.”
“From
the locations of your last three jobs — Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Boston —
it seems like you’ve needed a few new starts. Now, it’s Elgin, Illinois. Some
would say moving across country when you don’t have a job lined up is a very
stupid thing to do.”
A
glint in his eyes that told her he didn’t agree with that statement. She
followed that instinct and moved forward, hoping to salvage things. “I’m not
worried. If I don’t get this job, I’ll find another.”
If
he was immune to her spells, was she also transparent to him? Did he know she
was lying? Could he see just how desperate she was? Her fears raced through her
head, breaking her concentration.
“I
would say you’re brave and a go-getter.”
Wait.
Those were positive attributes. Right?
He
tapped the pen on the edge of his desk, studying her file. “On the other hand,
I’m worried wanderlust might strike again. The reason there is an opening at
all is because Renee’s new husband’s job is taking them both out of state. I
don’t want to have to go through a search like this again in six months when
you decide you need another change.”
She’d
be lucky if she was still here in six weeks,
but she couldn’t tell Daniel that. The fact she had to tell him anything at all
annoyed her. Her prowess and powers should have had this job cinched by now. He
should be sending the other girls home and inviting her to lunch.
But
she couldn’t let her frustration derail her. This job was too important to her
survival to let it slip away. She dug deep, reached out and touched his knee so
she could cast the spell again. Smiling in his direction, she said, “If you
give me the chance, I won’t disappoint you.”
He
shifted to his right and let her hand slip away as his eyes returned to the
file. His lower lip curled between his teeth as he studied her application, not
dissuaded from the task at hand. He didn’t even seem to recognize the subtle inflection
in her voice.
Instead,
he was going on and on with legitimate questions about her employment history
and her knowledge of the business world. Could she work weekends if asked? Was
she familiar with the software their computers used? Did she have experience
with multi-line phones? Did she consider herself a people person?
Some
she answered honestly. Others she flubbed her way through, making up the best
answers she could. Unfortunately, thinking on her feet was not what she considered a strong suit and she was having a hard
time deciphering how Daniel was reacting to her. It just wasn’t happening the
way she’d hoped.
Her
toe tapped against the floor, but deep inside her heart quivered. His cool,
detached attitude challenged her, but if she didn’t impress with this
interview, she’d never get the chance to know if she’d overcome his immunity to
her.
“Well, thank you for coming in, Naomi. I have
a few other women to interview, but I need to make a decision soon. You’ll be
hearing from me either way.”
It
was over. For the first time since leaving her own world and stepping into the
humans’, she’d failed. She hadn’t charmed Daniel and she wouldn’t be getting
this desperately-needed job.
Stepping into the small elevator, she watched
the metal doors close and asked her mirrored reflection what’d gone wrong.
Humans weren’t immune to her power — their
power — it just didn’t happen. Did it?
Keiran
considered all humans the enemy and he knew his enemy well. He would know what
was going on here, but, since they weren’t even on speaking terms, she couldn’t
ask. He’d be more concerned with getting her far away from them and back home
than teaching her more about their ways. She wasn’t willing to surrender to
him. And she wasn’t going home.
Not
yet.
Of
all times for her powers to fail! And it wasn’t just about how much she needed the job. As important as it was, her
desire to see Daniel again burned inside her and it went so much deeper than
his grey eyes and lean frame. Deeper than his delightful smile.
For
some reason, his immunity to her spells and wiles intrigued her. She hungered
for what lingered just out for reach like some forbidden fruit.
Without
the job, she’d never see him again and the fact he appeared to be spell-proof would
no longer be significant.
But
what if it was a failing with her
instead of a resistance in him?
In
some ways, the thought made sense. It also terrified her. She’d always survived
here by keeping humans, especially the men, on puppet strings that she
controlled. If she had to deal with them on a level playing field, she was
doomed.
Without
this job, she was more vulnerable to her brother and Eero. Would Daniel Elliot,
with his charm and good looks, be the one to end her earthly romp and cause her
to go home?
Damn
it! Didn’t he know he was supposed to find her irresistible? After all, she was
a fairy.
About the Author:
Constance Phillips
lives in Ohio with her husband, two ready-to-leave-the-nest children, and four
canine kids. Her perfect fantasy vacation would involve hunting Dracula across
Europe with her daughter, who also digs that kind of stuff. When she's not
writing about fairies, shifters, vamps, and guardian angels, she's working
side-by-side with her husband in their hardwood flooring
business. Constance is actively involved in her local Romance Writers of America chapter (MVRWA) and the Southeast Michigan chapter of the United States Pony Club. When not writing or enjoying the outdoors, she loves reality television or can be found at a Rick Springfield concert (just look for the pink Converse high tops).
Constance blogs regularly at www.constancephillips.com. You can also follow her on Twitter or friend her on Facebook.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CPhillips
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1 comment:
Thank you for reviewing Fairyproof!
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