Of Socialites and Prizefights (Flos Magicae, #8)
Arden Powell
She needs a woman's kiss to break her curse. When Deepa Patel rejects the wrong man, he curses her: every night, she will transform into a wild animal until her curse is broken by true love’s kiss. The problem is twofold. One: Deepa needs her nights to seduce shallow men into spending money on her—money she desperately needs to buy herself and her mother a better life. Two: she doesn’t believe in love. She’s never met a man she wanted to keep longer than a week, never mind forever. She never considered her true love might be a woman. Roz is unlike any of Deepa’s past suitors. She’s working class, with a nose that’s been broken at least once, courtesy of an underground boxing club. And she makes Deepa feel lighter and softer than she ever thought possible. But Roz can’t afford to give Deepa the life of luxury she craves. Meanwhile, Deepa is posing as a wealthy nobleman's fiancée. There’s no love between them, but his lifestyle is everything she’s ever wanted. Caught between a real relationship and a loveless fake one, Deepa has to choose: give up on her dreams for a chance at true love, or make her dreams come true but stay cursed forever. Of Socialites and Prizefights is a butch/femme sapphic novel in the Flos Magicae series, a collection of queer romances set in an alternate 1920s world with magic. All the stories are standalones and can be read in any order.
No posts yet
Kick off the convo with a theory, question, musing, or update
Your rating:
Another charming historical-fantasy-romance in Arden Powell's delightful Flos Magicae series! In this one, we get to know Deepa, a nightclub singer and the socialite of the title, who's been cursed by a spurned suitor. The curse, which transforms her into a wild cat every night, can only be broken by true love's kiss. Too bad Deepa's never met a man she could imagine falling in love with - so maybe it's time she consider a woman, instead...
I've enjoyed all the stories in this series, which play in a sparklingly magical version of the 1920s, and while this one is a little lighter on the comedic hijinks some of the earlier stories have offered, it does have some particularly beautiful passages, whether describing Deepa's gorgeous enchanted frocks, a nighttime romp in cursed form, or a swoon-worthy bath.
Deepa is a compelling and fun character, glamorous and ambitious and determined, and though we don't get to know Roz as thoroughly, she makes a great counterpart to Deepa. Their conflict feels earned and true to their established characters - Deepa dreams of financial security (and more than mere security) for herself and her mother, while Roz, a mechanic and underground boxer, can only offer love in a cottage, without the luxury Deepa longs for. And, despite a plot that feels a bit whittled down in places, it's all an enjoyable and worthwhile setup for the story's central question, what does true love really mean - and what is it worth?
I received an advance copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
0
© 2024 Pagebound