Amityville Magic

Once Upon A Time there was Fairy Tale

Fiction - Drama
762 Pages
Reviewed on 05/09/2019
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Renay Jordan is the mother of four incorrigible children. Along with her best friend, Melanie, they’ve attempted to raise their children the best way they know how: lots of love, trial and error, and the occasional wild party when they momentarily gave up.
They’ve celebrated each other’s birthdays and survived the birthday parties they’ve thrown for their kids. They’ve weathered divorces and now, grandchildren, who they plan to tell all about their parent’s errant behavior the first chance they get. They’ve survived hometown rumors (Mel is not an alcoholic and Renay did not have an affair with a teenager – even though she thought about it), old boyfriends, pregnancy tests (once in a drugstore bathroom) and every now and then a little illicit behavior they will never admit, much less reveal.
Renay and Melanie have fought, made up and made out (no, just kidding on the last one) although they have considered getting rid of their men and buying a llama farm. (Llamas are mild-mannered, clean, intelligent and less likely to cause heartache.)
THE PAGES IN BETWEEN SERIES began a journey for them that exposed their irresponsibility in life and discredited them as parents, which initially embarrassed everyone but has become a bond that ties them all together even tighter.
Their motto: Family always comes first. Screw everyone else.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite

Amityville Magic: Once Upon A Time there was Fairy Tale by Renay Jordan is a gripping tale of a city with powerful links to magic and mystery. The story begins at the funeral of Nana, who seems to have been loved by everyone in the city, but then something unusual is happening. Lorelei has come back to town and it is not certain if she’s come for the burial or for her childhood sweetheart, Adrian. Tiffany Bennett has never gotten over the thought that Adrian, her brother, has been under Lorelei Anastasio’s spell. Adrian finds himself torn between two women; Lorelei whom he’d loved as a child and Lilah, the woman with whom he’s built a home in Woodlawn. The two women represent something essential in his life; the quest for justice, and a love so strong that he will sacrifice everything for it. As he explores the strange pattern of events, he becomes more and more convinced that a wrong in the past is about to catch up with his childhood hometown, and there might not be any stopping it.

Renay Jordan’s Amityville Magic is a well-imagined and expertly accomplished story with characters that readers begin to care for right from the very first page. I was intrigued at the way Lorelei is presented from the opening pages and knew instantly that I wanted to learn more about her. Why would her presence at a funeral be cause for so much worry, and why does Adrian seem to be so cool in spite of the warnings from those closest to him? There is unpredictability in the plot and this makes the story irresistible. The author crafts very interesting dialogues and explores the emotions of the characters with finesse. This is one of those stories that feel so real one would easily think they were part of the world of the characters.

K.C. Finn

Amityville Magic: Once Upon A Time There Was Fairy Tale is a work of lengthy dramatic fiction penned by author Renay Jordan. Written as a sequel to The Pages In Between, this new story takes us to Amityville with a supernatural twist as we meet the Anastasio family, who use their power and influence alongside a little bit of magic now and then to rule their own little kingdom in Long Island. This is the tale of Adrian, who has created a peaceful home life with Lilah from the first book, but now Lorelei Anastasio is back in his life, threatening to change his future with a little magic from the past.

This is an extensive family drama which will certainly please both fans of family saga tales and chick lit readers who enjoyed the tale of Isabel and Lilah from the first book in the series. As the cast of characters expands, so does the intrigue of Amityville and the magic that keeps everything ticking just below the surface. There’s a great little paranormal plot alongside the personal drama as Lorelei’s re-emergence in the community is uncovered for all its complex reasons, but Adrian’s decision really is the crux of the drama. Whilst the story was a little meandering in places, the emotional struggle of the leading man was represented with great heart and realism. Author Renay Jordan will not disappoint her fans with Amityville Magic; a heartfelt emotional drama with a quirky magical twist.

Romuald Dzemo

Amityville Magic: Once Upon A Time there was Fairy Tale by Renay Jordan is a tale of family secrets, love, and magic, and also the tale of a place called Amityville and some of the eccentricities recorded there, and one of the most powerful families that live there — the Anastasio family. Adrian is considered to be under a spell by Tiffany Bennett. When the girl he loved ten years ago suddenly shows up at Nana’s funeral —and by the way, Sicily Sutherland has been the darling of everyone — Adrian is stunned, unable to believe it at first and unable to determine if Lorelei has come for Nana or for him or for both. Meanwhile, Tiffany sees great danger in Lorelei's return and doesn’t trust her because she believes even the first spell Lorelei cast on Adrian hasn’t yet waned. Adrian’s torn between two women but he is about to discover that a case that has been thought closed is not yet closed. Follow him on a painful journey as he navigates a dangerous path to uncover the truth. But is he ready to face it, and what about the conflict of his heart?

A story that is both heartwarming and painful, and filled with drama, Amityville Magic starts in the most unusual way with a diary, and the humor and context of the story are established from the very beginning. The quirkiness of the characters comes out and from the vivid descriptions and the lively dialogues, the reader knows immediately they are in for a treat. Here is an element of humor that hit me just as I opened the book. While talking about her mother insisting that she use a diary, a character states: “She thinks it will help me figure out what I want to do with my life. Isabel said to screw diaries because someone always finds them. Mom told her to shut up and have another glass of wine." The writing is gorgeous, filled with powerful moments of drama; it is intensely emotional and exciting when it comes to the depth of character. Renay Jordan writes beautifully about family dynamics and explores both the emotional and psychological conflicts with intelligence and skill. This is a novel with a huge potential for entertainment, balanced, and utterly enjoyable.