Bewitching; Jill Barnett

Just a quick skim through for this one. None of it was truly appealing and yet I couldn't put it down. Compelling enough to skim through, but lacking enough oomph to cause me to read every single word.

Alec Castlemaine, the hero, emotionally abused & neglected through his childhood, has retreated into a cold & calculating shell. Joyous MacQuarrie, an inept white witch from the wilds of Scotland, becomes a wife of convenience through Alec's one impulsive act.

Things go downhill from there. Alec is overbearing, controlling & emotionally walled off from his wife. Joy, whom Alec calls 'Scottish' through the book, has no backbone whatsoever & tries whatever she can to attract/appease him without results.

There were several things I disliked about Bewitched. One- Alec cannot be bothered to call Joy by her given name or by her title. Two- she does not seem to have a backbone at all & accepts whatever crumbs he casts her way. Three- They finally come together through outside intervention, not their own efforts.

The positives- Alec's best buddies take Joy under their wings & help her as much as they can. Alec tries to protect Joy from the 'gossipy old biddies' of the Ton whenever he can. Alec & Joy both love, nurture & protect Stephan as much as they can, despite their estrangements.

So- enough to keep me occupied me for a couple of hours, but just barely.
Romance Review, Books