Shanna Swendson, Damsel Under Stress

Damsel Under Stress

Shanna Swendson

Ballantine, May 2007, $12.95

ISBN: 0345492927

This is the magical moment that mundane Katie Chandler has been waiting for; wizard Owen Palmer not only likes her, he has under the mistletoe at the Magic, Spells and Illusions Inc. annual Christmas gala mistletoe. Any nanosecond she expects sparks to ignite as she anticipates her charming "prince" kissing her. However, like a monster ogre or a traitorous fairy, Katie's fairy godmother Ethelinda decides to visit her after an extended absence; as always she gets in the way.

Katie learns that Ari the fairy traitor escaped incarceration and along with another fired MSI employee Idris and the evil duo plot to take over the world by exposing their former company's secrets to the paparazzi. Katie and Owen team up to stop the enemy from succeeding while Ethelinda proves the importance of media spin as the reputation for fairy godmothers being the leaders of matchmaking proves au contraire in the real world.

The latest amusing save the world (that is the Swendson orb) Katie Chandler adventure is a fun chick lit fantasy. Katie is a humorous charmer as her asides will have readers laughing with her frustrations about Owen wondering why there is no time to lock lips while saving the world and her wonderment about PR able to make a seven course gourmet dinner out of chicken poo as Ethelinda is a handicap not an enhancer when it comes to matchmaking. Readers will enjoy the latest ENCHANTED, INC tale starring a heroine fighting evil while wearing ONCE UPON STILETTOS.

Harriet Klausner