Reluctantly Charmed by Ellie O'Neill

Title: Reluctantly Charmed
Author: Ellie O'Neill
Source: Review copy kindly provided by Simon & Schuster Australia
Publication Date: October 1st 2014

Rating: 3.5 stars

Kate McDaid was rather shocked when she received a letter telling her she was the sole beneficiary of the will of Kate McDaid. After establishing that it wasn't her own will they were referring to, she discovers that her mystery benefactor was her great great grandaunt, the last woman born into her father's family.

In order to receive her inheritance, Kate must publish seven letters, one per week. The first is a message from the fairies to the Irish public, asking them to return to the old ways and to once again acknowledge the natural world around them.



What starts as a bit of fun soon spirals out of control, and Kate finds herself the centre of national media attention. As each letter is published, it seems more likely that the legendary fairies do actually exist, and that they're not best pleased at being forgotten by the masses.

With her life turned upside down, Kate must decide whether to publish the final letter and complete the terms of the will, or to allow the fairies to return to legend.

The story is set in Dublin, and anyone who has spent any time in Ireland will recognise some of the characters. I did laugh at the scene where Kate's father won't eat the lasagne her mother has cooked unless she serves potatoes with it.

Reluctantly Charmed is indeed charming. A sweet, playful romance with magical elements, this would be a great holiday read.