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Second Sight

Amanda Quick

485 pages

A delightful blend of gaslamp mystery, crackling romantic tension, and eccentric psychic societies.

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What it feels like

Reading this book feels like stepping into a gaslamp-lit parlor where the tea is hot, the banter is razor-sharp, and the shadows hide genuine danger. It moves at a brisk, entertaining clip, driven by a delightfully competent heroine who refuses to apologize for her eccentricities and a brooding hero who finally meets his match. The atmosphere is a cozy yet suspenseful blend of Victorian historical romance and subtle paranormal intrigue, wrapping the reader in a world of secret societies and hidden psychic talents. The prose is snappy and dialogue-heavy, keeping the romantic tension crackling alongside the unfolding mystery. It is a perfect escape for anyone who loves their historical romances spiked with a touch of magic, dry wit, and a deeply satisfying partnership of equals.

Mood
  • gaslamp-shadowed
  • crackling
  • adventurous
  • eccentric
Tone
  • wry
  • playful
  • suspenseful
  • romantic
Pace
brisk
Themes
finding a true equal · embracing hidden talents · the power of shared secrets · reinvention and independence
The writing
Snappy, dialogue-driven, and laced with dry humor, balancing historical flavor with modern sensibilities.
The arc
Moves from a daring, impulsive grab at independence to a deep, trusting partnership forged in the fires of shared danger.
Who it's for
Readers who love their historical romances spiked with paranormal mystery, witty banter, and highly competent, unapologetic heroines.
Content notes
  • murder
  • kidnapping
  • threat of violence

About the book

Financially straitened and on the path to spinsterhood, Venetia Milton thought her stay at the remote, ramshackle Arcane House would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engineer her own ravishment. She was there to photograph the artifacts collected by a highly secretive organization, founded two centuries earlier by an alchemist. And the alchemist's descendant-her employer, Gabriel Jones-has the eyes of a sorcerer. But, despite Venetia's intent to seduce Mr. Jones and move on, she is shattered upon her return home to read in the press of his violent demise.

Using the sizable fee Mr. Jones paid her, Venetia establishes a new life, opening a gallery in London. Of course, posing as a respectable widow makes it easier to do business, so-in a private tribute to her lost, only lover-she assumes the identity of "Mrs. Jones. "Her romantic whim, however, will cause unexpected trouble. For one thing, Mr. Jones is about to stride, living and breathing, back into Venetia's life. And the two share more than a passionate memory-indeed, they are bonded by a highly unusual sort of vision, one that goes far beyond Venetia's abilities as a photographer. They also share a terrible threat-for someone has stolen a centuries-old notebook from Arcane House that contains a formula believed to enhance psychic powers of the kind Gabriel and Venetia possess. And the thief wants to know more-even if he must kill the keeper of the Arcane Society's treasures, or the photographer who catalogued them, to obtain such knowledge.

Arcane Society Series: (note-has series overlap) Second Sight (Arcane Society, #1) White Lies (Arcane Society, #2) Sizzle and Burn (Arcane Society, #3) The Third Circle (Arcane Society, #4) Running Hot (Arcane Society, #5) The Perfect Poison (Arcane Society, #6) Fired Up (Arcane Society, #7; Dreamlight Trilogy, #1) Burning Lamp (Arcane Society, #8; Dreamlight Trilogy, #2) Midnight Crystal (Ghost Hunters, #7; Arcane Society #9; Dreamlight Trilogy #3) The Scargill Cove Case Files (Arcane Society, #9.5; Looking Glass Trilogy, #0.5) In Too Deep (Arcane Society, #10; Looking Glass Trilogy, #1) Quicksilver (Arcane Society, #11; Looking Glass Trilogy #2) Canyons of Night (Rainshadow, #0; Ghost Hunters, #8; Looking Glass Trilogy, #3; Arcane Society, #12)

Description from Open Library.

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