How to Love Your Elf: A Hilarious Fantasy Romance

Kerrelyn Sparks

Feb 2020 · Embraced by Magic Book 1 · Kensington Books

About this ebook

Game of Thrones meets The Princess Bride in this hilarious new series, combining romance and high fantasy, by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kerrelyn Sparks.
 
Raised in isolation on the magic-shrouded Isle of the Moon, five girls became five sisters. Now women, they are ready to claim their places in the world—and perhaps change it forever . . .
 
FLAME AND FORTUNE
Sorcha knew the mission was dangerous. Leaving the safe grounds of her brother’s kingdom and parlaying with the elves across their border . . . well, treachery seemed at least as likely as true peace. But to support her sister, Sorcha would brave far more than the underhanded ways of the elves. Or so she thought, before she was taken hostage.

Of course, her captors didn’t count on her particular abilities—or on the help of the Woodsman, the mysterious thief who made his home in the forest. He saw the battle from the trees, saw the soldier attacking against incredible odds to save a comrade—and then saw the valiant fighter revealed as Princess Sorcha of Norveshka. He can’t tell if he wants to kidnap her or kiss her. But despite Sorcha’s stubbornness, his inconvenient honor, and a rebellion on the cusp of full war, something burns between them that neither can let go . . .

“Sparks' crafting of distinct kingdoms and fantasy races is the strongest part of the series…An adventurous fantasy romp.”
—Kirkus Reviews
 
“Satisfying chemistry, a playful sense of adventure, and the threat of more danger to come keep the pages turning. Readers will revel in this fun, fast-paced fantasy romance.”
—Publishers Weekly
 

Ratings and reviews

How To Love Your Elf is book 4 in Kerrelyn Sparks Embraced series. Because these last two were done by a different publisher, they have a different series name (Embraced by Magic rather than A Novel Of the Embraced) but they are the same series and this is definitely book 4. Though you could read any of these books separately, you will miss a lot if you do. Each book is a different sister's story, but the five have an overarching story line that makes you Jones for the next book whenever you finish one. This is Sorcha's book. Sorcha is an interesting character: she's not shy or quiet, but neither is she nearly as bold as she pretends to be. And she is absolutely terrified of falling in love. That makes for an interesting story since this is a romance. She discovers that she is braver than she thought and learns to take the reins of her own life and make it her own. The woodsmen is a rather enigmatic and secretive fellow and the whole things smacks of Robin Hood. If Robin were an elf. I loved it. I also loved how Sorcha manages to endlessly ruffle the normally infuriatingly cool headed rogue. It's a tossup between him and Silas as to who my favorite hero of this series is, though Brody might try to beat them out yet. I don't want to give anything away because where's the fun in that, so I'll suffice to say that our pair made a great team, a fun couple that fought their attraction tooth and nail (we know it's inevitable, so it's fun to watch them squirm isn't it?), and who earned their happy ever after. There's plenty of action, some carnage, a bit of sorrow (I teared up at one point), some steam, a dose of humor (honestly I adored Alexi and his fervent attempts to keep our Sorcha safe), some sweet bonding time with elves, and of course some sisterly love. You really have to read this series. It's amazing.

I’ve loved each story so far of the girls who grew to be sisters, each of them embraced with special abilities. This was a great addition to the previous books! (But the beginning of a new series? I can get behind that!) Sorcha is captured when a plan to meet Gwen’s mother fails. Even as she sets out to rescue herself, a stranger interferes. Soon she’s taken captive again, this time by the Woodsman. But the further they travel and the more she learns about him, she begins to question if she’s his captive or if he’s rescuing her. The Woodsman was a great hero. Not over the top about the heroine, but irresistibly drawn to her. I loved that she confused him and his emotions and often times had him talking to himself. She sent him on quite a bit of a chase. ’She was definitely a sneaky one. Unpredictable. Surprising. A challenge. His mouth tilted up. He’d always enjoyed a challenge.’ While Sorcha was tough enough when needed, she suffered from anxiety when anyone she cared for was in danger. To me, that just seemed like what any normal person would do, but for some reason it was a negative characteristic, at least for her. However, I loved her innocence (gotta read about the community picnic) and her ability to keep the Woodsman guessing. ’”The Woodsman will have a plan.” Liz smirked. “The Woodsman always has a plan.” The crowd gave the Woodsman an expectant, hopeful look as he came to a stop in front of them. “So?” Father Kit turned toward him. “What’s the plan?” [Heck] if I know.’ This has a lot of humor interspersed within the drama and action. With some political intrigue as well as threats from a force that wants to rule the world, this story had plenty of layers to keep me engaged. There is a lot of romance here but very little steam. Normally, that would be okay but there was also a lack of chemistry between the hero and heroine, so even when I did get to what should have been the steamy parts, I just kinda skimmed through them. However, that did not take away from my overall enjoyment of this book.

I'm enjoying the heck outta this series! I love all the sisters and their mates. This is Sorcha's book. She starts out a little timid but is commanding an army and a kingdom by the end of the book. And I love the Woodsman...who you just know is someone other than who he claims. He and Sorcha are just fabulous together. This book kept me entertained from the first page until the last. I wanted to keep reading until I was done (who needs sleep? LOL) This is (technically) the fourth book in the Embraced series but it's listed as book 1 since it has a different publisher than the first 3 books. I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.

About the author

Kerrelyn Sparks is best known (so far) for the Love at Stake series, which has hit as high as number 5 on the New York Times bestseller list and 22 on USA Today. Kerrelyn lives with her family in the Greater Houston area of Texas. You can visit with her on Goodreads or her Facebook page, where she does a monthly contest. On Twitter, she posts as @KerrelynSparks.