Review Detail

The Temptation of Magic by Megan Scott is a contemporary fantasy with a forbidden romance, enemies to lovers, paranormal academia vibes, and many creatures, magic, and powers! We get a double POV story from Nicole and Kyan, a forced proximity forbidden romance with a slow burn and a great payoff. We get a couple destined to be together forever, fighting the obstacles to be closer.

We get a whole cast of supernatural characters, all nuanced and well-written; we get an old manor house setting; we get libraries full of art and history books; we get an elite art university. We get great suspense but also cozy vibes. It combines dark academia and high-stakes fantasy perfectly, with a tremendous romantic subplot set in a British seaside town. It’s very well-written and atmospheric. I loved this book but felt world-building could have been more detailed. Learning more about Nicole’s family history and her mother’s adventures would also be great. Perhaps we will get that in the upcoming books of this trilogy. I would recommend this for older young adult teens as it does get into the steamier realm of a sexual relationship between our two characters.