Wonderstruck

I had to step away from this book several times while I was reading it because I was extremely anxious about the characters' fate. Reading this in the early part of 2021, that reaction could be because anxiety is my baseline emotion, or it could be that I've come to care about grumpy, magical Rory, his rich, noble lover Arthur and their friends, who are fighting a desperate battle to destroy magical relics before they can fall in the hands of the evil Baron Zeppler. So although it raised my blood pressure, I really enjoyed Wonderstruck. I have to admit I wasn't quite completely sold on this series in the first two books ([b:Spellbound 43620442 Spellbound (Magic in Manhattan, #1) Allie Therin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553212283l/43620442.SY75.jpg 67881581] and [b:Starcrossed 48998310 Starcrossed (Magic in Manhattan, #2) Allie Therin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1577957936l/48998310.SY75.jpg 74414129]). I loved the setting and the paranormal concepts Therin created, but I was frustrated by the repetitive dynamics of Rory and Arthur's relationship (I'm not good enough for a rich handsome guy like him (Rory)/I'm too ordinary for a magical guy like him (Arthur)), and I couldn't always keep up with the somewhat convoluted plot. But Therin pulls all of the threads together in this installment, and the MCs are finally (mostly) on the same page, with fewer annoying examples of keeping secrets from each other “for their own good” (one of my pet peeves) and with more faith that their strong feelings are reciprocated in full force. They are frankly adorable together, and Therin gives them numerous romantic moments, both in quiet times and when lives are at stake. That doesn't mean there isn't some TSTL (too stupid to live) behavior, namely several times that Arthur or Rory strike out on their own despite the extremely obvious danger of being separated when some really bad guys are trying to capture, torment and/or kill them. Of course, that never ends well for them. And despite the fact that Rory is apparently one of the strongest paranormals alive, he gets remarkably few opportunities to use his powers. There are some perfectly written scenes, especially one when Rory has to don an unusual yet hilariously appropriate disguise, nifty plot twists and questionable loyalties as well. While it appears that this is the end of the series for now, there is at least a bit of an open door if Therin wants to continue, either with Arthur and Rory or some of the secondary characters who form such an integral part of the magical team. Despite my initial somewhat grudging respect for the series, I can honestly say that Wonderstruck won me over and made me extremely excited to see what else Allie Therin has up her sleeve. She really made a strong impression with her debut series, and I hope Carina or another publisher continues to showcase her considerable skills. ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for honest review.