A Touch of Fae review

A Touch of Fae by Lauren Dane is the second book in the Witches Knot series about the witches of the Charvez family. I enjoy the world that Dane has built in A Touch of Fae and the first book, Triad, very much. It features witches, wizards, vampires, fae, and demons.

In A Touch of Fae, Emily (or Em) Charvez is determined to find herself after years of living in the shadow of the other witches in her family and to protect that family and the innocents of New Orleans. A trip to Europe is just what she needs to accomplish both of those goals. It's not long before she runs into Con - literally - and realizes he is the man of her dreams - also literally :) - but she questions Con's motivations. For his part, Fae warrior Con finds himself bowled over by this human witch after protecting his heart for 10,000 years.

The chemistry between Em and Con is sizzling! While I definitely enjoyed this book, there were moments that gave me more than a little pause. Em is an easy character to relate to and is inherently good but at times she is a little too forgiving and too much of a pushover. Con, on the other hand, doesn't always take Em's feelings and wants seriously - he tends to ignore her anger and hurt and always uses sex to smooth over the problem without actually addressing the reasons why she is upset. The ending also felt a little rushed. I enjoyed seeing the meeting and growing friendship between Em and Aine as well as meeting Con's family and friends.

The rest of the Charvez family is along for the ride in this book so we get to revisit Lee, Aiden, and Alex from Triad briefly while also seeing Em's mother, father, brothers, and cousins.

A Touch of Fae was published by Ellora's Cave in 2006 and is available as an ebook and trade paperback.

Synopsis

Em Charvez has grown up in the shadow of the strong willed and colorful Charvez women and she feels a bit invisible. While on the hunt for a book of magic that could well destroy the Compact that gives them their power, she meets Conchobar MacNessa, a ten-thousand-year-old Faerie warrior, and suddenly she’s not quite so invisible. Things heat up between Con and Em as the battle over the book—the battle between good and evil—takes shape around them…

Note: This book contains a brief instance of explicit m/m intimacy.