Petty magic : being the memoirs and confessions of Miss Evelyn Harbinger, temptress and troublemaker

From Publishers Weekly Readers who endure the extensive Lake Wobegon–style exposition that launches DeAngelis's second novel (where every witch is above average) will be rewarded with a moving and witty love story. Evelyn is a randy old witch who uses her powers to appear young and pick up men at bars. When she meets Justin, the new proprietor of a local antique shop, she believes that he may be the reincarnation of her long-lost love, Jonah. Eve's narration alternates between the present-day romance and WWII spy stories as members of her coven come out with a shocking accusation against her sister, Helena. DeAngelis (Mary Modern) gives Eve an engaging narrative voice, though the frequent use of British terms like "loo," "gent," and "mobile" is jarring given Eve's supposed American origins. These minor flaws detract only slightly from the core stories of love and deceit, enhanced by DeAngelis's charming prose. Copyright В© Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Evelyn Harbinger is a witch, but not one of those sinister ones with gnarled fingers and warts on her nose. She uses her extraordinary powers for good, healing the injured and helping people fall in love. At age 149, she has enjoyed a life span nearly twice that of mere mortals. Though her typical appearance is grandmotherly and sweet, if Evelyn is attracted to a man, she can transform herself, albeit temporarily, into a voluptuous, thirtysomething siren. ThatвЂTMs just what she does when she meets Justin, who works at an antique shop near her sisterвЂTMs bed-and-breakfast in upstate New York. Bright, handsome Justin bears an eerie resemblance to Jonah, EvelynвЂTMs partner in espionage (and romance) when the two served the Allies during WWII. Evelyn begins to wonder whether Justin may be an incarnation of her late beau, who was killed during a raid. Critics have compared novelist DeAngelis (whose works include the acclaimed Mary Modern, 2007) to a modern-day Mary Shelley, but this latest entry, while an amusing romp, is only mildly bewitching. --Allison Block Formats : EPUB Evelyn Harbinger Sees Nothing Wrong With A One-night Stand. At 149 Years Old, Eve May Look Like She Bakes Oatmeal Cookies In The Afternoon And Dozes In Her Rocking Chair In The Evening, But Once The Gray Hair And Wrinkles Are Traded For Jet-black Tresses And Porcelain Skin, She Can Still Turn Heads As The Beautiful Girl She Once Was. Can’t Fault A Girl For Having A Little Fun, Can You? This Is All Fine And Well Until Eve Meets Justin, Who Reminds Her So Much Of A Former Lover That One Night Is No Longer Enough. Eve’s Coven Has Always Turned A Blind Eye To Her Nighttime Mischief, But This Time They Think She’s Gone Too Far—and They Certainly Don’t Hesitate To Tell Her So. Dodging The Warnings Of Family And Friends, Eve Must Also Defend Her Sister, Helena, When Another Beldame Accuses Helena Of Killing Her Own Husband Sixty Years Before. As The Evidence Against Helena Begins To Pile Up, Eve Distracts Herself By Spending More And More Nights—and Days—romancing Justin As Her Former Self. There Are So Many Peculiar Ways In Which Justin Is Like Jonah, Her Partner Behind Enemy Lines In World War Ii And The One True Love Of Her Life. Experts In Espionage, Jonah And Eve Advanced The Allied Cause At Great Personal Sacrifice. Now Eve Suspects That Her Jonah Has Returned To Her, And Despite The Disapproval Of Her Coven And The Knowledge That Love With A Mortal Man Can Only End In Sorrow, She Can’t Give Him Up. But Can She Prove It’s Really Him? In This Captivating Tale Of Adventure And Timeless Romance, Novelist Camille Deangelis Blends World War Ii Heroics With Witchcraft And Wit, Conjuring A Fabulously Rich World Where Beldames And Mortal Men Dare To Fall In Love. From The Hardcover Edition. Using witchcraft to extend her considerable life, Evelyn Harbinger dons a youthful appearance to catch the eye of a man she believes to be the reincarnation of a beloved World War II espionage partner who lost his life helping her to advance the Allied cause