3.5 stars
After stumbling across a dead debutante at a ball, Lady Emma Day and her cousins Gretchen and Penelope discover that they have magic powers, and are descended from a long line of powerful witches. But dead girls keep on appearing, Emma keeps on finding them, and the irritatingly handsome Cormac Fairfax keeps on popping up wherever Emma goes. A Breath of Frost is absolutely adorable, a fluffy and fun confection. Emma is a charming and spirited heroine who's able to recognize her own flaws and summon strength when she most needs it. Her cousins get less of the novel, but they're all distinctive and appealing, and the friendship between the three girls is absolutely wonderful--they're always supportive of each other, in good times and in bad. Even Cormac, the initially surly love interest, becomes witty and likable as the chemistry between him and Emma becomes more evident.

A Breath of Frost does an excellent job of capturing the Regency atmosphere, and of building a parallel magical world. It's filled with funny and cute moments, with lovely characters, and it's simply too long. I started off loving it, but my interest flagged after a few plot detours-- it feels like Harvey simply tried to cram too much in and like the book would have benefited greatly from having 150 or so pages chopped off. It definitely picks up near the end, but the middle is remarkably slow. Recommended for readers with a little patience and a great love for lighter fantasy.