Designed by Destiny: Fairy Godmothers Incorporated #1
Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Romance
Tirgearr Publishing
Nov 15, 2022
Kidle
216
Amaon
Review by John Ried
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
This book is a splendid example of a very talented writer who designs stories, characters, and interactions flawlessly. I thoroughly enjoyed the book very much on different levels but best of all, it is very unpredictable. Bethany Clarke and Nick Grey are two strong, vital, people. From the beginning, Beth charms readers with her frank honesty and lack of ambition though most other characters in the book presume she is a social climbing gold digger. Nick certainly does appear at first the arrogant, playboy rich kid but we quickly learn he has much more depth in feeling. The circumstances for Nick and Beth getting thrown together, is quite amusing and perfectly plausible.
Dick, motivated by ambition at first to land a multi-million dollar contract, wants to appear less like the media portrayed playboy and more like a secure fellow planning his life. When Beth agrees to pretend to be his fiancé, with both of them getting drunk and married in Las Vegas all in one night, you know sparks and competing interests will fly. And yet these two do not appear to bee falling head over heels in love at first and both have insecurities about each other’s motivations.
The antagonists in this story are very logical and chilling. Meryl Grey, the evil Mother of Nick wants her son to marry into the correct wealthy circles and not some ‘social nobody,’ like Beth. Lorna, the society playgirl who may not love Nick but who certainly wants him, always appears at the most inopportune moments. Finally the rival colleague Sherrie who becomes so consumed with jealously of Beth she ends up risking everything to take revenge for imagined slights. These villains filled me with a terrific loathing for what these characters represented: relentless, merciless, cynical, societal rules and conventions which can ruin relationships.
However the three characters in this book who truly steal the show are Faye, Ginger, and Rainey (Irene). These ladies using their magical talents to benefit other people form their own corporation – Fairy Godmother’s Inc – veery effectively nudge their charges in positive directions. These women are not out to enslave the world with their sorcery or compel anyone to do anything against their will. These three gals simply want to help other people in achieving their dreams without being overly ham handed with their magical talents. Each fairy has a unique talent and all three ladies balance each other. At first I was pondering if we had three evil witches or fates ready to swallow children with their own agendas but they were refreshingly benevolent.
The writing is concise, vocabulary is varied, and the characters projecting their own motivations were designed (ouch, pun intended) superbly and there are no unexplained, loose threads in dialog anywhere. I was very impressed how Ms. Tyler set scenes clearly without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary details.
The pacing of the story was measured and careful. No one changed emotions, analysis, or motivations without exciting plot twists, logical consequences, and interesting surprises. Many of the support characters also seem real enough to keep the plot moving with intended directions. Without spoiling more of the book, the resolution of the story solidifies at the very end.
I highly recommend this paranormal romance novel for anyone enjoying such themed materials. The author’s clear designs do present splendid romantic, realistic, and magical intentions and the destinies of her characters are still unpredictable. Designed by Destiny is a wonderful and refreshing read and should be enjoyed by sitting with it for a spell.
ROMANCE/PARANORMAL/FANTASY
