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Spellbound (Spellbound #1)

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 6,829 ratings · 901 reviews

What's a girl to do when meeting the one' means she's cursed to die a horrible death?

Life hasn't been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Connor, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But her new posh Upper East Side prep school? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she's irresistibly drawn to — Brendan Salinger, the gu...more

Paperback, 325 pages

Published July 2011 by Harlequin Teen (first published June 21st 2011)

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May 15, 2011 Vinaya rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-galley, books-i-liked, books-i-ought-to-hate-but-don-t, fluff-fluffy-fluffest, guilty-pleasures, mixed-vibes, ya-fantasy

I wrote in a post once that YA paranormals are becoming the Mills&Boon substitute for teenagers. In defence of that theory, I present this:

Photobucket

Stock Image: Leaning man grabs Swooning woman

And this:

Photobucket

Stock Image: Girl in Prom Dress, view from back

Tragically, most YA PNRs these days show just about the same amount of imagination and innovation in their writing as they do in their covers. But hold on! This is not necessarily a bad thing, sometimes.

Now let's be honest, nobody expects paperback romance...more

73 likes · like · see review

May 10, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, pn-witches, paranormal-general, heroines-wimpy, annoying-main-characters, eye-bleeding, read-2011, adolescent-wish-fulfillment, 2011-publication

The beginning of this book is pretty good. There's a little bit of set up that explains Emma's nervousness over attending an exclusive school in a new city, plus some funny one-liners that make her seem pretty likable. But on page 15, Emma meets Brendan and everything goes downhill from there, because her whole life, including the scant paranormal aspects of this book, then revolves around getting him. Here is a sketch of the story, with some spoilers.

Here's what we know about the main character...more

66 likes · like · see review

Apr 19, 2011 Cory added it · review of another edition

What’s a girl to do when meeting The One means she’s cursed to die a horrible death?

Life hasn’t been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Conner, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she’s irresistibly drawn to—Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.

But even...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jul 28, 2011 Cait rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

real rating for this book is 3.5 stars

So, to begin this review; after reading all of my friend's feelings on this book, I thought I really wasn't going to like it, maybe even despise it. The masochist in me forced me to read this book, thinking I was going to end up looking something like this:

Why do I do this to myself?!?! Why, Shultz?! whyyyyyyy?!? *runs away sobbing*

Truly, though, I was a little bit surprised and I did like the book. I didn't look like this:

Wow that was freaking amazing!...more

29 likes · like · see review

Jun 25, 2011 KM added it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-books, 2011-debuts, netgalley-edelweiss, harlequin, paranormal-contemp

I'm generally not a fan of plots that involve (1) starcrossed lovers, (2) reincarnated lovers, (3) witches, or (4) any combination thereof. So I'm not sure what I was thinking when I picked up Spellbound. Maybe because I have been so pleased in the past by books published by HarlequinTeen that I thought they could do no wrong. I mean, they published The Iron Fey series, The Goddess Test, and The Girl in the Steel Corset, and I really liked all of those - so I guess I was hoping this would be sim...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 30, 2011 Kassiah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fictionators-rec, high-school, swoon-worthy-boys, ya, girls-who-kick-ass, favorites, features-witches, pub-2011

Again with the half stars lol. I'd give this 4-1/2 :)

So lately I have been complaining a lot about stories that, because there's sequel coming, end abruptly and don't seem to finish the storyline at all. I hate to be left hanging in an evil cliffie.

And that's why I love this book.

It reminded me of why I beg for more when there's something awesome. As far as I know, there is no sequel planned, but I want one. And not because the storyline wasn't wrapped up--it was. But I want MORE of them. More...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jun 22, 2011 Claudette rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal-fantasy-scifi, arc-galley, romance, read-in-2011, first-in-series, series

Spellbound was a surprisingly enjoyable read, very fun in some parts and very sweet in others.

The plot was pretty foreseeable (girl meets boy and has to fight against the forces of evil to live happily ever after with him) but I found the whole reincarnation thing very well constructed and organized.

I liked the author's prose, it gave lightness both to the story and to the main character's feelings and made the whole book very fluent.

I think the school part was way too cliched and it felt funny...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jun 19, 2011 Darkfallen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, netgalley-reviewed, read-n-reviewed

There is so many things that I absolutely loved about this book! So first off I would just like to say Way To GO! for Cara Lynn Shultz on a job well done:)

I only had one slight issue with the writing. Nothing major. So lets' get that out of the way and move on to the awesome sauce. My only complaint is that I felt it could have used some better editing. And here is what I mean by that. Note this is just a example and not an actually sentence from the book.

"I saw the most perfect silky, smooth bl...more

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 09, 2011 papalbina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, in-english, meehh, kindle

Well, to begin with something I have to say that I liked the book. It gave me a couple of hours of light reading and disconnection of the world. That's worth something... like three stars...

Now, let's analyze it (or try to, better said).

I don't know what else to say about the plot that is not yet said. In short, it's predictable and full of clichés. And not really Paranormal Romance clichés, because besides the starcrossed lovers story and the "random discovery" in the middle of the book (aka "...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 24-ebooks

Honestly, I don’t have much to say about this. The story didn’t trigger any strong emotions on my part so whenever I try to come up with something to say about it I’m drawing a total blank. The weird thing is, those of my friends who’ve read it, rated it somewhere between 1 and 5 stars (haha). Opinions seem to be somewhat varying ;-) Well, I for one, enjoyed this and was actually quite surprised because I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. It wasn’t anything overly special but it was pre...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Marsha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is difficult to review a book that I feel ambivelent about. On one hand, I enjoyed certain aspects of "Spellbound" but on the other, I found it lackluster.

Emma Conner's life has been exceedingly difficult over the past few years. First, her twin brother dies. Then, her dying mother marries her stepfather who is a drunk. After her mother dies, Emma's stepdad almost kills her while driving drunk leaving a massive scar up her arm. This event is th final straw for her and she agrees to go and liv...more It is difficult to review a book that I feel ambivelent about. On one hand, I enjoyed certain aspects of "Spellbound" but on the other, I found it lackluster.

Emma Conner's life has been exceedingly difficult over the past few years. First, her twin brother dies. Then, her dying mother marries her stepfather who is a drunk. After her mother dies, Emma's stepdad almost kills her while driving drunk leaving a massive scar up her arm. This event is th final straw for her and she agrees to go and live with her Great Aunt in New York City and attend a prestigious coed private school.

At least Emma knows someone at the school, her younger cousin, Ashley. Although Emma is concerned about being seen with a Freshman, she handles it well but she makes up a story about where she is from so that the students of the school won't know about her tragic past. On the first day, she meets a handsome blond guy, Anthony who immediately begins flirting with her if you want to call it that. It seems to me more of an assault. If that is not enough, she meets a pretentious school 'shedevil' named Kristen who takes an immediate dislike to her.
But she is somewhat saved my a quiet loner boy named Brendan.

As time goes on, Emma cannot seem to get Brendan out of her mind. On the other hand, he seems to run hot and cold towards her especially after he sees the strange necklace Emma wears. This necklace was a gift given to her by her late brother, Ethan. He told her that he hoped it would bring her luck. After a night on the town with some friends. Emma has had an opportunity to get to know Brendan a little better. He seems sweet and attentive to her. So, when she becomes cold, he offers her his jacket.

The following Monday at school, Emma is anxious to see Brendan again but her gives her the brush off. He tells her to return his jacket to his locker. When she opens it she discovers a drawing of the strange crest she wears around her neck. When she asks a witchy friend about it, the girl brings her some occult books that outline a strange but beautiful tale of the Earl of Algaeon and his beautiful peasant wife. This is the part of the story that I felt was especially told well. The legend is beautiful and the poetry is marvelous. The rest of the story is just plain okay.

Brendan and Emma discover that they have been reincarnated over several centuries and they are the doomed Earl and his wife. Every time they get together one of them dies because of the curse. Although Brendan has tried to stay away from Emma, the allure is just too strong.

After the blond creep attacks Emma's cousin, he begins telling stories about his so called conquest. Ashley is so humiliated she leaves school early. Emma is so enraged that she marches up to Anthony
and demands that he takes back what he has said about her. A fight ensues and Brendan steps up and saves Emma before she is pummeled by the creepster. This will be the beginning of a vendetta that just may cause the curse to come true.

Except for the legend of the Earl, the story just did not rock my boat. I found Emma's character mildly entertaining but had a problem with her drinking beer after almost dying at the hands of a drunk driver. Another thing that bother me was how quickly Emma and Brendan proclaimed their love for one another. It happened just too quickly for me and I just did not feel the strong connection eluded to in the book. Finally, my biggest issue with this book is at the end. No where does the author address what happens to that nasty little harpy, Kristen. I found myself frustrated and said, "Oh no you didn't." Maybe this was the author's attempt at a cliffhanger but it was just too subtle to work.

I believe that when I cannot make up my mind about a series I need to read the second book in the series before totally abandoning it. Therefore, I will go on to read "Spellcaster" with the hopes that the series will grow on me. Hey, its happen before! (less)

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Jul 05, 2012 VampireAngelSadist rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horrible-ending, cliche-as-hell, pure-crap-hated-it, stereotypical-and-racist, summer-2012-books, aboslutely-horrible, gag-me-with-a-chainsaw, just-plain-stupid, typical-stupid-love-monkey

Ugh.

This book was so cliche`, boring, and just plain stupidly written at the beginning, I really have no idea how I finished it. Maybe it was the fact that it was so stupidly written that it was actually funny.

But either way, it was just plain horrible.

(view spoiler)...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Alona rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book, paranormal, ya, romance, 2012

Original review posted at Off The Wall

I have some qualms with YA Paranormal lately but I feel like I'm being overly judgmental if I won't give this a chance just because I grew tired reading formulated, predictable plots. I read Spellbound early this year when I was craving for a fantasy-witch-themed novel.

In every book I read there are two or three things I won't forget:

1. The effect it had on me.
2. Character trait(s) that annoyed/amazed me.
3. If I threw the copy after reading it or not.

We can...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-by-emmy

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: This reincarnation paranormal falls back on insta-love and a lot of backstory to explain the novel, while Brendan and Emma wait for the other shoe to drop on their tragic romance.

Opening Sentence: It’s always embarrassing to have someone take you to school.

The Review:

The story begins with Emma starting the semester late at Vincent Academy, one of New York City’s exclusive and snobby prep schools. She’s moved in with her aunt because of her...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Victoria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: young adults who love a magical, romantic, witch tale

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal, fantasy, annoying-main-characters, best-endings, action-adventure, books-reviewed, best-couples

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Spellbound was a fun, romantic, magical fairytale! I love the plot and the whole story behind it. The writing is actually good and written in young adult style. The novel is mysterious and very entertaining! The main character, Emma, has had a sad and dificult life when her whole family died and she had to go to New York City to live with her relatives for a new change and hopefully get settled there. Emma is kind, perky, and terrific, but she is a bit annoying in the story. She is a new student...more Spellbound was a fun, romantic, magical fairytale! I love the plot and the whole story behind it. The writing is actually good and written in young adult style. The novel is mysterious and very entertaining! The main character, Emma, has had a sad and dificult life when her whole family died and she had to go to New York City to live with her relatives for a new change and hopefully get settled there. Emma is kind, perky, and terrific, but she is a bit annoying in the story. She is a new student at Vincent Academy and she began developing some friends over time and bad enemies as well. She had many worst enemies who really hate her and pick up fights with her. In Vincent Academy, she met this handsome and irristible guy, Brendan Salinger, who she is developing a crush on and can't seems to stay away from him. Brendan is like a white knight in shiny armor in a fairytale who always rescues Emma from any danger that gets to her. He is very protective and love her very deeply. I like his character and personality of a bad-boy vibe. But he is actually the good guy in the story. I found myself smiling at every love scenes that they have. The romance is indeed beautiful and gorgeous.

The two teengage lovers, Emma and Brendan, start bonding as friends and then they soon love each other. The love and connection is real and ubreakable in the story. Their love has intense chemistry between them. Their love might be like a high-school romance, but the love is more than that. The story involved a magical necklace that her brother gave her before he died. Emma learns the history of the necklace and knows how the curse began. They are soul mates who had been waiting for eternity to find each other, but there's a curse involved in the story that will tear them apart from each other...forever. The result will be Emma will die and Brendan will live his life with regrets and sadness. It's a typical curse. The soul mates meet each other and death will tears them apart. They tried to find a way to break it by researching about the magic and curses in spellbooks. In the end, they manage to break the powerful curse by an encounter with an evil enemy.(There is no epic battle between the good and the evil)

Anyway, Spellbound was indeed an enjoyable, heartwarming and fantastic read for me. I really love it. I reccommended this book to any romance readers who love a mysterious witch tale.(less)

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Jun 27, 2011 Skye rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review is also posted on my blog, In The Good Books.

I remember reading Spellbound because I thought it sounded different. But I've just reread the blurb, and ask myself, "Skye, how could you have expected something refreshingly unique from that?" I sheepishly look down at my feet in response.

Immediately, in Spellbound, you're introduced to the stock characters. There's the inexplicably cruel and bitchy popular girl, and the stupid, aggressive jock who teams up with her. There's the flamboya...more This review is also posted on my blog, In The Good Books.

I remember reading Spellbound because I thought it sounded different. But I've just reread the blurb, and ask myself, "Skye, how could you have expected something refreshingly unique from that?" I sheepishly look down at my feet in response.

Immediately, in Spellbound, you're introduced to the stock characters. There's the inexplicably cruel and bitchy popular girl, and the stupid, aggressive jock who teams up with her. There's the flamboyant gay guy who befriends our lead, and the social-outcast who fills the other friend position. And then, of course, the profoundly attractive, kind, over-protective jock who's destined to become the love interest. They're named Kristin, Anthony, Cisco, Angelique, and Brendan respectively.

And then the protagonist: Emma's the new girl; orphaned, shy, sarcastic, and 'drawn to' Brendan (note to self: if at any point in the blurb the phrase 'drawn to' is used, there will be insta-love.). Her past was traumatic, but that didn't seem to affect her in the slightest. Her future promised to be even more traumatic, but she doesn't do anything about that but ignore the warnings.

Moreover, her relationship with Brendan made me dislike her. Even as he begins to ignore her, the world still revolves around him, and she's as desperate as ever to get back into his good books (See what I did there? No? Okay). Plus, she's flattered by his over-protectiveness.

The writing style wasn't anything impressive, but it was by no means unenjoyable. It evoked the character's voice effectively, although I was constantly confusing the book with other's I've read in the past because of the token character traits.

The plot was...strange. But not strange in the good sense. There's an overall complication that isn't revealed for an irritatingly long time, and once revealed the characters choose to ignore it. Meanwhile, there's a smaller plot provoked by blown-out-of-proportion villains that conveniently ties up the larger plot with it's denouement.

I can best describe Spellbound as the kind of book that's fun if you don't think to hard, or aren't familiar with common paranormal romance tropes.

I give Spellbound a 2 out of 5.(less)

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Nov 03, 2011 blackplume rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Review Originally Posted in blackplume

When I receive an e-copy of this book from netgalley I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I waited for awhile until Rachel reviewed this on her site which finally push me to start reading the book. Based on her review, I anticipated a fairytale novel in a modern world with this one. But as I start reading I’m not really sure if the expectations fit, though all those expectations were lost in mist as I am pull inside the world like I am under a spell. After f...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Devon Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: completed-arcs, reviewed-on-blog

Spellbound was a decent read. However, if you pick this up, the storyline and character actions are completely predictable. In spite of that, I was considering giving it four stars because it kept my attention enough to read through it swiftly without snags or disinterest. That was until I hit 80% in the novel. The last 20% has dropped my rating down to three stars cause I was so disappointed.

Emma Conner had been reincarnated several times since the curse was placed on her and her lover, and sh...more

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Jul 19, 2011 Kellee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Kellee by: Provided by NetGalley for review

Shelves: netgalley, paranormal-supernatural, romance, ya-teen, amazon-review-done, teach-mentor-texts

Reviewed at:
http://www.teachmentortexts.com/2011/...

In the world of paranormal romance, Spellbound is a book full of cliches, but fights them and actually stands alone pretty strongly. Overall, a fun romance with action, legends and great music references!

Cliche 1: Emma moves to NYC to live with her rich aunt after a life of loss with her family and has to start school at a posh private school. At the private school she meets: 1) Kristen- A blonde *itchy girl who hates her right away; 2) Anthon...more Reviewed at:
http://www.teachmentortexts.com/2011/...

In the world of paranormal romance, Spellbound is a book full of cliches, but fights them and actually stands alone pretty strongly. Overall, a fun romance with action, legends and great music references!

Cliche 1: Emma moves to NYC to live with her rich aunt after a life of loss with her family and has to start school at a posh private school. At the private school she meets: 1) Kristen- A blonde *itchy girl who hates her right away; 2) Anthony- An aggressive, *ss hole rich jock who harasses her; 3) Brendan- A hot, rich jock who she falls in love with at first site; 4) Cisco- A gay best friend; 5) Angelique- An outcast, scholarship kid who accepts Emma for who she is.

Overcoming cliche 1: Emma is quite snarky and keeps you on your toes while reading her narrative. The rest of the characters may fit into cliches, but they are struggling to crawl out of the box. Although the snobby girl and the a-hole boy fit their niche pretty exactly, the rest don't. Cisco is essential in making Emma feel comfortable at her new school (although naming a gay guy Francisco seemed a bit too predictable) and Angelique becomes quite important when the paranormal aspect of the story enters. I was sad that Cisco faded as Emma's relationship with Brendan came into focus. And Brendan....

Cliche 2: A girl falls in love with a bad boy (who is described surprisingly like Edward...) Brendan is a misunderstood bad guy and Emma is just the person to figure him out.

Overcoming cliche 2: Brendan is so cool! He is a gentleman (most of the time...), has great taste in music, is one of the smartest boys in the school and is just, so... hot! Usually when I read a paranormal romance (ala Twilight or Hush, Hush) the man is always so overbearing, aggressive, masculine and negative. Brendan, though mysterious and protective at times, is likable. A nice touch to actually have the protagonist fall for a likable guy.

Cliche 3: Their cursed to love each other and will eventually result in one of their dooms. (Seemed very Impossible by Werlin to me.)

Overcoming cliche 3: The build up to the curse, the curse reveal and the result of the curse are quite entertaining. I found parts of it predictable, but other parts came out of nowhere and shocked me. Quite fun!

Cliche 4: Girl cannot live without boy. They are sole mates.

Overcoming cliche 4: Well, this one is not really overcome. They are soul mates, but it is less of a needy situation than other romances I've read. Yes, Emma loves Brendan and fantasizes and daydreams about him, but Emma also has her own personality. She is strong and not afraid to stand up for herself. She is not always relying on Brendan (though he does seem to be there for her a lot).

So if you are looking for a fun read that may be just a bit different than the other paranormal romances you've read, you should pick this up. (less)

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May 26, 2013 Blake rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: one-of-my-faves

I really wish I had read this book sooner! It's unbelievably good! I started reading it again as soon as I finished it the first time. I just couldn't get enough!

Emma's voice was probably my favorite thing about this book. She's hilarious and made me laugh out loud on many different occasions. I'm glad I wasn't drinking anything while I read this because it probably would have shot out of my nose when I started laughing unexpectedly. Her sarcasm, humor, and personality are incredibly contagious...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Makayla rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Here we go...

After her step father almost killed her in a drunk driving incident, Emma Connor is moving to the Big Apple to live with her great aunt Christine. Her life in New York seems to be ten times better there, until she goes to school. She attends one of the finest private schools in New York, Vincent Academy, where the personalities are as fake as the hair. There is one though who stands out tremendously. Brendan Salinger, the hottest and richest guy in school who is also on the basketb...more Here we go...

After her step father almost killed her in a drunk driving incident, Emma Connor is moving to the Big Apple to live with her great aunt Christine. Her life in New York seems to be ten times better there, until she goes to school. She attends one of the finest private schools in New York, Vincent Academy, where the personalities are as fake as the hair. There is one though who stands out tremendously. Brendan Salinger, the hottest and richest guy in school who is also on the basketball team and DJ's part time, has taken quite a liking to little Miss Emma. The two seem perfect for each other....just a little too perfect. Strange occurrence after strange occurrence, they realize it's not only school bully's they should be worried about. They also have to fight a thousand year old curse that so far has done a great job at keeping Brendan and Emma apart.

(What the curse is ---- Way back when, Lord Archer fell for the lowly peasant girl Gloriana. They fell deeply in love, got married and had a son. Tragically soon after his birth Gloriana was murdered by mercenaries sent by Archers father, Lord Charles. Archer then went a bit crazy and spent day and night making a new family crest to honor his now dead beloved. He then sought out a witch and asked that she bring Gloriana back to him. The witch obliged, but Archer never asked that they spend a long life together, so every time they found each other the reunion was always cut short by her death. The lovely girl would be reaveled as the one true love if she wore the crest that Archer designed.)

Let's talk about the good parts first. The characters were really descriptive for one thing. I like knowing the characters, even if I don't exactly like them. And I did not like these characters, but I didn't add them to my Burn Book. Yet.

You got the main character, Emma, who I liked because she was funny at times, though she does go boy crazy and girls like that annoy me, which meant she annoyed me at certain spots. Emma's cousin Ashley, the sweet innocent freshman who gets hurt by the douche bag upperclassmen who is the antagonist in this story, Anthony. Then there's Brendan, the school hotty, who is Emma's big love interest. I'm not writing all the characters, but they were all different from each other were actual characters and that was cool.

I really liked all the real world references. They talked about up-to-date stuff a lot, and I was diggin' it. The Facebook references, the band references, the jokes that she cracks; they all were awesome. The characters were very human-like and stood out from a lot of other books because I felt like they were real people. Yeah, they're stupid characters, but Shultz didn't write them like robots so woo-hoo!

Also, at the end of the book, there were two pages of Emma and Brendan's "playlist." I have never seen that in a book, and so it was neat to me, haha.

Okay, so what did I not like?

After a paragraph legnth exchange between Brendan and Emma, she thinks about him on like every page, and talks to everyone about him. I don't really believe in soulmates, but books are books so I'll believe it for your thirghty-some chapters. But... is that what a soulmate is? He didn't even say hi to her yet, and she thinks about almost nothing that doesn't involve Brendan.

A thing that got me, did they ever really say it was reincarnation? I'm a bit hazy on tiny, tiny details (or maybe I'm just stupid) but I can't think if they said it was. Brendan didn't admit to having dreams of the past, right? But if it is reincarnation, then isn't it a bit incest? I mean, the Connors are not related to the Salingers, but if Emma is the reincarnate of Gloriana, then she's shacking up with her great-whatever grandson.

The thing that made this book bad was the story line. It was very generic, one of the most common teen romance plots ever. Everything was there; the cool bad boy who fights for her but is secretly a big sweety, she doesn't fit in with the girls at school, her old life was a tragic mess, the aunt who doesn't set a curfew and gives her anything she asks for, the special charm necklace with the special pendant that will bring the two lovers together. It's been done before. Yes, Shultz's version of this story line was very good but I wasn't like "Oh my goodness, I've never read anything like it!" I'll most likely forget about this book by the end of the next one I read.

I did enjoy this book though, I didn't hate it. It was just an old idea. It was a very quick read, and I wish I would've bought another book instead, but it could have been worse.
(less)

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Jan 16, 2013 Mari rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz, It’s your classic Cinderella love story, with a few twists weaved in. The poor, deprived, but stunningly beautiful girl finds herself in love the the handsome, and rich prince and once they meet they together they live happily ever. Emma Connor, a16 year old small town girl, also a Junior in High School, in finds herself completely and utterly lost living her new life in glamorous New York City. After the tragic death of her twin brother and then mother she found...more Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz, It’s your classic Cinderella love story, with a few twists weaved in. The poor, deprived, but stunningly beautiful girl finds herself in love the the handsome, and rich prince and once they meet they together they live happily ever. Emma Connor, a16 year old small town girl, also a Junior in High School, in finds herself completely and utterly lost living her new life in glamorous New York City. After the tragic death of her twin brother and then mother she found herself living alone with her alcoholic stepfather who, when intoxicated, drove her and himself right into a telephone pole, severely injuring Emma and himself in the process. And so Emma found herself moving to New York City to live with her upper class Aunt and attending a posh private school where the students are a far from friendly or interesting, except for one. Brendan Slangier, the boy that seems far too good for everyone, the boy with the stunning green eyes and handsomely unruly pitch black hair and of course the boy she falls desperately in love with. And apparently it’s not just a high school fling, Emma and Brendan are reincarnated lovers with a curse set on them that started in medieval times. And now, to be able to live happily ever after the must find the way to break the curse.

Overall I enjoyed this book, it contained a blissful love story, though keep in mind a very classic love story. It also caused me to have a nice book for some light reading one lazy afternoon. Though in some places I found this book extremely comical, the main character, Emma, was witty and sharp. For example when Cara Lynn Shultz wrote “The U.S. Postal Service should hire him for an ad campaign. If he were at the mailbox every time you sent a letter, no one would use email ever again.” Though during other parts I found this book lackluster, the plot was very cliché and predictable, destined lovers, true love searching for an answer, over coming a curse cast on them hundreds of years ago, the poor girl and the rich prince. Don’t get me wrong though, this book was very enjoyable, a light read as I stated before. But then again, if you are wishing for a new, different and unique book then this isn’t exactly what you should read, though it does contain some of those properties.
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Oct 04, 2012 Esther Shaindel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Full review on Reader's Dialogue: http://readersdialogue.blogspot.com/2...

This is a really well-done twist on the classic doomed love tale. Emma is a feisty, deserving heroine, and I especially like that Brendan is just as deserving, not just the handsome hunk. The intricacies of the emotional and moral parts of the plot are very nicely played out, intertwined with the love and emotion.

And the love and emotion is definitely there. Emma's confusion about Brendan, especially when his behavior is s...more

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Aug 31, 2012 The Library Mouse rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Emma comes from a nasty background and has every intention of not letting history repeat itself in her new life in New York. And for once this is not about Emma's past catching up with her. No Emma's tale goes much further beyond that. This is about her ancestry and a curse as old as time, readying to strike once again.

Brendan is the good-looking bad boy that all the girls want and who, naturally, never looks at them twice; infact he never looks at them once! But when Emma waltzes into his life...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Rosver rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The beginning really got me hooked but the story gets more and more stupid and senseless as it goes by then finally ending in such a relatively banal climax. I really hoped that there would be something that would save the very great beginning but I was terribly disappoint. It leaves a bad after taste... the second book is even worse.

The romantic premise, though an overused cliché (reincarnated lovers), is very well introduced and incorporated. However the book fall to temptation to linking more...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Majibookshelf Juhina & Farah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Spellbound is a story that is full of magic. Don't get me wrong, I'm a person who loves reading magic books, but this one had to include the insta love. Spellbound started off as an interesting book. The main protagonist, Emma, moves to live with her aunt in New York. She starts a new school, and meets new people. That's when she suddenly gets this unexplainable pull towards one of the guys, Brandan Salinger.
At first, Emma doesn't know that she's a witch. She doesn't understand the sudden pull t...more

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May 18, 2012 GW rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hmm, interesting. I first saw the 2nd book in my recommendations from Goodreads. So I decided to check out the first one. And it was good! Mainly a YA romance novel, with a bit of witchcraft and curses involved...

So, I'm sorta curious what the next book will be about, cause there's no cliffhangers! A happy ending, and hmmmm. Just please no love triangle of any sort in the next book!

**May be spoilers ahead**

I mean, this book is pretty predictable. Here's the general summary: Girl meets boy. Boy i...more Hmm, interesting. I first saw the 2nd book in my recommendations from Goodreads. So I decided to check out the first one. And it was good! Mainly a YA romance novel, with a bit of witchcraft and curses involved...

So, I'm sorta curious what the next book will be about, cause there's no cliffhangers! A happy ending, and hmmmm. Just please no love triangle of any sort in the next book!

**May be spoilers ahead**

I mean, this book is pretty predictable. Here's the general summary: Girl meets boy. Boy is amazingly hot, and the girl is mesmerized. The girl's pretty shy though, and she's sorta shunned by the "popular" girl. The boy and girl start to have feelings over one night. But then, the guy gives the girl the cold shoulder the next day. Oh no! What to think? The girl also has this mysterious necklace...............Hmm, what is up with that necklace? ;) Well, you'll have to figure that out!

The characters are really strong, and you can see that with Brendan's character. He's one of those rich dudes, and amazingly handsome. And of course, people will get jealous of Brendan and Emma. *cough* Kristin *cough* But it's said that Emma and Brendan are cursed. Will the curse ever go away? Dang. Unattainable romance, and one will perhaps (view spoiler) But, we can't have that happening though? Now what will be the story in that...

And there's the climax in the end. Ah, so good! I was sorta expecting it though. But Kristin - I pity her. (view spoiler) But, I didn't really see any other antagonists in this novel - unless you call the (view spoiler) as one. Like, where's the other witches? Only Angelique? Really? I definitely have a few unanswered and suspicious questions...

The romance between Brendan and Emma is cute though, and that's what I loved about this story. Brendan is definitely one of those characters that you hopelessly fall in love with. Awe.

Anyways, now I'm just curious what will be happening in the next book! Maybe about another character? I don't know...(less)

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May 17, 2012 Manda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was really drawn in by the synopsis of this one. It just sounded so darn interesting. I had to read it and find out what is was all about.

I have to say I really loved the premise of the book and the execution wasn’t bad. There were a few times when I was a little bored and even felt a little distracted while reading this one, but all in all it was a good read.

I really liked Emma, she fit in with my love of female leads with dark pasts that make them strong women. I feel like a lot of authors l...more I was really drawn in by the synopsis of this one. It just sounded so darn interesting. I had to read it and find out what is was all about.

I have to say I really loved the premise of the book and the execution wasn’t bad. There were a few times when I was a little bored and even felt a little distracted while reading this one, but all in all it was a good read.

I really liked Emma, she fit in with my love of female leads with dark pasts that make them strong women. I feel like a lot of authors lately have been creating these really strong female leads and this makes me so happy. Emma was haunted, but resilient still. She learned from her past and was able to stand up for herself because of it. I really loved the fact that her struggles were so real and made her vulnerable.

Then there was Brendan. He was my favorite kind of leading guy, dark, mysterious and somewhat dangerous. I had a lot of moments where I wanted to hug, hit and kiss him all at once. The battling emotions I felt toward him kept me reading on. I knew that something good had to be coming for him and Emma.

There was some characters I could have lived without. Jenn for instance irritated me. She pops up randomly here and there and every time I was like why? I didn’t find her necessary to the plot and really would have been fine without here. I felt the similar about Cisco. If he had a more prominent role in the storyline, then I would have loved his character. He was a lovable role, but he was so inconsistent that I didn’t really need him around.

Moving on. I really enjoyed the plot of this one. There was some neat historical-esque stuff that was incredibly interesting and I think made the book so great. I loved the ideas and the premise of the whole thing. I can’t really indulge to much, without giving it all away, but it made for an interesting plot line.

The part that made no sense to me was the witchcraft. It didn’t really fit with the storyline and I think it would have been a better book if it was spun a different way. I didn’t feel like it made any sense with the historical stuff and it could have been left out and not made any difference.

All in all, I think this one is worth the read for lovers of YA paranormal books. You’ll find Spellbound as interesting as I did and you’ll love the overall plot and outcome. I’m curious to see what this author has coming in the future.(less)

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Mar 25, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

Emma Conner's has has a hard life. She lost her brother at age 14 and her mother a year later. Now Emma feels like anyone who gets close to her will leave her sooner or later so when her aunt tells Emma to move in with her she refuses at first because she thinks her aunt is going to leave her. So Emma chooses to stay with her Step dad after her mom dies but soon Emma finds out her step dad is nothing but a abusive drunk who almost got her killed. Now Emma is finally ready to start a new life in...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Sunhee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: primer-libro-saga, opinion-escrita, 2011

Emma ha tenido una vida difícil, lo que la ha llevado a vivir a casa de su tía Christine después de unos trágicos eventos. Pero una vez "instalada" en esa nueva ciudad, descubre que el pendiente que le regaló su hermano significa que está maldita desde tiempos inmemoriales, y que al conocer el amor de su vida, morirá.

Este libro me gustó en más de un nivel. El primer detalle fue lo divertido que es en ocasiones. Hay algunos momentos, sobretodo al principio, con los que no puedes evitar reírte a c...more

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Did anyone else think at first that Brendan was sum immortal being?	8	43	Apr 30, 2013 11:44pm
Paranormal Book Club: Spellbound..Sept. BAM!	14	42	Sep 23, 2011 06:13pm

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About Cara Lynn Shultz

Cara Lynn Shultz’s love of supernatural writing began when she was 7 and wrote a play about ghosts, which she and her friends acted out on her grandparents’ porch. Since then, her work has appeared in Teen People, Alternative Press, Stuff, InStyle, Us Weekly, and The Guardian UK.She is a proud graduate of Fordham University and is currently a senior editor at People.com.Cara lives in her native Ne...more

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“She was so cold, she probably farted ice cubes.” — 85 people liked it

“Do I look like a freaking fairy - tale princess to you?” — 65 people liked it

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