Mysterious Charm Series by Celia Lake

Magic can't solve all problems. Maybe love can. Rufus lost his brothers to the Great War and his parents to the Naples Scourge. He's on the verge of losing his New Forest cottage, his ponies, and any chance of a future. Everyone knows his magic is powerful, but no one trusts him, not anymore. When he saves Ferry's charge from a cranky pony on market day, she offers the first kind words he's heard in months. Ferry became a governess in rural England to escape an arranged marriage... moreMagic can't solve all problems. Maybe love can. Rufus lost his brothers to the Great War and his parents to the Naples Scourge. He's on the verge of losing his New Forest cottage, his ponies, and any chance of a future. Everyone knows his magic is powerful, but no one trusts him, not anymore. When he saves Ferry's charge from a cranky pony on market day, she offers the first kind words he's heard in months. Ferry became a governess in rural England to escape an arranged marriage. Six months later, she's (mostly) figured out how to manage her charges and explore the nearby village and the forest around it. Rufus is everything her family would hate, but he loves and understands the New Forest in a way that enchants her. She'll gladly learn anything he's willing to teach. When a smuggler needs his raw power to handle a rare shipment, Rufus can't resist the chance to make enough money to change his life forever. He has hope for the first time in years until the curiosity of the local lord and a completely inadequate magical education threaten the only home he's ever known and any possible future with Ferry. Come to England's New Forest in 1922 and enjoy Outcrossing's ponies, smugglers, and charm! Outcrossing is a standalone romance of 60,000 words with a happy ending (no cliffhangers). The Mysterious Charm series explores the magical community of the British Isles in the 1920s and can be read in any order. less

Addictive potions challenge even the best minds. Lord Geoffrey Carillon is well-known as a pleasant and harmless sort of man. On the surface, he's recovered from the Great War, taking his role as Lord of Ytene seriously when he's not seen at any number of house parties, concerts, and balls. When an inquiry agency needs his particular talents to help investigate a mysterious and highly addictive golden drink, he's happy to lend a hand. Lizzie Penhallow wants the simple things... moreAddictive potions challenge even the best minds. Lord Geoffrey Carillon is well-known as a pleasant and harmless sort of man. On the surface, he's recovered from the Great War, taking his role as Lord of Ytene seriously when he's not seen at any number of house parties, concerts, and balls. When an inquiry agency needs his particular talents to help investigate a mysterious and highly addictive golden drink, he's happy to lend a hand. Lizzie Penhallow wants the simple things. Her sister's health and safety, food on the table, and enough income to pay the bills and keep their house in Cornwall. But after her uncle and father were lost on an expedition, she's had a difficult time getting anyone to hire her. This position with the agency is her last chance to find work she's actually good at. She has no time for distractions. There's just one problem. Lord Carillon has the access she needs to keep an eye on her sister and to help her new employer solve a complicated and deadly problem. She can work with that.  There's no choice. Even if it involves house parties around the British Isles, and some quite suggestive dancing. Goblin Fruit is a standalone romance of 68,000 words with a happy ending (no cliffhangers). The Mysterious Charm series explores the magical community of the British Isles in the 1920s and can be read in any order. Join Carillon and Lizzie in 1924 as they investigate the mysterious goldwasser drink in Goblin Fruit. less

Secrets in the stones Proserpina Gates thought she had a straightforward research question. A widowed bookseller keeping things running on her own, Pross has taken on a research project to help ends meet. All she wants to do is help her client discover the truth about the stories of a hidden hoard on the family estate in Norfolk. But the Research Society has changed, and the only person who shows any interest in helping her is Ibis Ward. And he's rather prickly about it... moreSecrets in the stones Proserpina Gates thought she had a straightforward research question. A widowed bookseller keeping things running on her own, Pross has taken on a research project to help ends meet. All she wants to do is help her client discover the truth about the stories of a hidden hoard on the family estate in Norfolk. But the Research Society has changed, and the only person who shows any interest in helping her is Ibis Ward. And he's rather prickly about it. Ibis knows that his colleagues don't care for him. He's not their sort at all, especially since he's both half-Egyptian and competent at research. His life has taught him to expect that and nothing more. Instead, he spends his time using his fluency with hieroglyphs, his archaeological skills, and his gifts for magic to translate and describe objects in the Petrie Collection. Despite himself, he's intrigued when Pross comes to him for help. As it becomes clear that there's more going on, he finds himself trusting her more than he has trusted anyone in years. Together, they are drawn into a web of magic, mystery, and those who would use magic and power for their own ends. Magician’s Hoard is a standalone romance of 67,000 words with a happy ending (no cliffhangers) and the world's most adorable hedgehog. The Mysterious Charm series explores the magical community of the British Isles in the 1920s and can be read in any order. Join Pross and Ibis as they explore archaeology, secrets, and spontaneity together. less

Collaboration and curiosity can tackle the thickest thorns.Giles Lefton has an excellent life. He enjoys his mathematics, his teaching at the University, and his cryptography assignments.When a manor missing for centuries suddenly reappears in the middle of Oxfordshire, Giles is glad to take on the project. Figuring out magical puzzles and patterns is one of his specialities, after all. Blinded during the Great War, he knows he needs an assistant to help. One who meets his standards... moreCollaboration and curiosity can tackle the thickest thorns.Giles Lefton has an excellent life. He enjoys his mathematics, his teaching at the University, and his cryptography assignments.When a manor missing for centuries suddenly reappears in the middle of Oxfordshire, Giles is glad to take on the project. Figuring out magical puzzles and patterns is one of his specialities, after all. Blinded during the Great War, he knows he needs an assistant to help. One who meets his standards.Kate Davies can be relied on to do her duty without complaint. A full member of Albion's Guard, she is glad to serve where she is assigned. While she is glad the Great War is over, she quietly misses the greater range of duties she had while so many men were overseas. Now limited to portal duty and seeing to minor scuffles about the local river traffic, she isn't sure what to make of her new assignment. Or the fact she keeps failing at what Major Lefton expects of her.Together, Kate and Giles tumble into a maze of historical investigation, obscure folklore, and more than a touch of magics neither of them understand.Wards of the Roses is a standalone romance of 63,000 words with a happy ending (no cliffhangers). The Mysterious Charm series explores the magical community of the British Isles in the 1920s and can be read in any order. Explore the mysteries of a magical manor home from the time of the Pact with Kate and Giles in 1920 Oxfordshire. less

What if you had ancient magic on your side?Vivian has become a trifle bored with the routine of her inquiry agency and her commitments to the fae-blooded community. When a young man asks for help stopping mysterious events at a boarding house his uncle runs, she takes the case. Cadmus knows a great deal about classics and ancient Greek, but this is beyond his ability to translate. He’ll do anything to keep his home safe and give his nephew a proper start in life... moreWhat if you had ancient magic on your side?Vivian has become a trifle bored with the routine of her inquiry agency and her commitments to the fae-blooded community. When a young man asks for help stopping mysterious events at a boarding house his uncle runs, she takes the case. Cadmus knows a great deal about classics and ancient Greek, but this is beyond his ability to translate. He’ll do anything to keep his home safe and give his nephew a proper start in life. If he must, Cadmus will even wrestle with his quite sensible fears of unfathomable magical beings.Dangerous flowers, ghostly figures, and spooky lights were bad enough, but then Cadmus stumbles across one of Vivian’s most closely held secrets. If they don’t learn to set aside their old habits and trust each other, things could end horribly for everyone else in the house. Join Vivian and Cadmus near Oxford in 1922 as they take part in a seance, dive into the past, and just possibly dance into a new future together.Seven Sisters is the final book in the Mysterious Charm series. The series explores the magical community of the British Isles in the 1920s and can be read in any order. less