Spellbound

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Spellbound Pub. Date: 6/21/2011 Publisher: Harlequin

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Overview

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 when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can't stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma's been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives—visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Shultz's debut is an absorbing romantic tale of curses and the power of love. For 16-year-old Emma Connor, leaving her alcoholic stepfather (and family tragedies) to live with her great-aunt in New York City is a relief, but Emma's hopes of flying under the radar at her exclusive new private school are dashed when she becomes the target of snobby mean girls and a skeevy lothario. Yummy Brendan Salinger comes to her rescue, and they instantly click, but strange things start happening: streetlights blow out when Emma's nearby, and she's receiving warnings from her deceased twin brother in her dreams. As Emma puts the puzzle pieces together, she learns time is running out for two souls stuck in a "never-ending cycle of reunion, romance, and then tragedy." Shultz's characters have great chemistry and snappy dialogue, and the author captures the tantalizing energy of a new romance and the ugliness of teen jealousy. The relationship gets rather gooey, and the second half of the story falters until the dramatic climax, but readers should still be swept along by the protagonists' faith in true love. Ages 14–up. (July)

VOYA

Family tragedy forces sixteen-year-old Emma to leave small town life and move to New York with her wealthy aunt. Emma must navigate the halls of an exclusive, expensive prep school with only her freshman cousin, Ashley, to guide her. On her first day, Emma is harassed by the resident mean girl. The school bad-boy, Brandon, comes to her rescue. Emma is immediately drawn to Brandon, but it turns out that her attraction to him may be fated. Emma's attempts at making it through high school unscathed are complicated by a mysterious amulet, a centuries-old curse, and the sad history of doomed lovers. Teen fans of paranormal romance will enjoy this tale. Emma is a real, sympathetic character who tells her tale with humor and creative turns of phrase. The supporting characters are standard teenage archetypes: the gay friend, the mean girl, the oddball Wiccan, but they are still engaging. The dialogue is funny and realistic. At times the story tugs at your heartstrings, but without crossing the line into trite sentiment, which is no small feat. The paranormal aspects of the story are well-told, and nicely balanced with typical teen problems. Shultz is clearly laying the foundation for a series, making this an excellent purchase for any library with readers who enjoy a bit of magic with their romance. Reviewer: Heather Pittman

More Reviews (1) Fewer Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

Upper East Side prep school meets fairy-tale-romance escapism in Shultz's debut.

In the wake of a series of family tragedies, Emma Connor escapes her wicked stepfather to live with her wealthy aunt in New York. She's the new girl at a small, posh private school. Having already had her fill of drama, Emma is content to remain invisible—until she lays eyes on rich, handsome Brendan Salinger. Emma crushes on him as only a teenage girl can, desperate for signals that he returns her feelings. But stranger things than the hottest and richest guy in school paying her attention are happening—streetlights die above Emma's head, and she dreams a warning from her dead twin brother. With the help of a classmate who is a practicing witch, Emma learns that not only are she and Brendan fated to be together, but they are also doomed by a curse. Aside from dealing with vicious cliques, lies and rumors at school, Brendan and Emma must find a way to break the curse before it claims her life. The 1,000-year back story of the curse is more fairy tale than historical, but then again, so is the love story. Emma's witty, charming narration makes her engaging and easy to relate to.

The familiar characters and tropes reincarnated into this story make for delicious brain candy for romantics.(Paranormal romance. 13 & up)

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780373210305
Publisher: Harlequin
Publication date: 6/21/2011
Pages: 352
Sales rank: 57,762
Age range: 14 - 17 Years
Series: A Spellbound Novel Series
Product dimensions: 5.32 (w) x 8.30 (h) x 0.94 (d)

Meet the Author

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Spellcaster

Read an Excerpt

It's always embarrassing to have someone take you to school. Your dad, your mom, anyone with her hair in rollers.

But for my first day as a junior at my new school—a ridiculously expensive private school on New York's Upper East Side—I was being walked to school by my baby cousin. A freshman.

It really wasn't that terrible. Even though we grew up apart, Ashley and I were email buddies. She was a sweetheart, there was no doubt of that, but if my knowledge of the inner workings of my familiar old New Jersey public school, Keansburg High, meant anything, I knew that juniors did not hang out with the lower classes. It was like hanging out with a bunch of vegetarians and wearing a bacon necklace.

Talk about unwelcome.

But it was important to my aunt Christine that I got to school early and she was afraid I'd get lost. My great-aunt had taken me in over the summer, and I'd learned quickly that when she got an idea into her head, you were better off just going along with it. I didn't want to argue with her—I owed her everything. My life, really. She'd been asking me to live with her ever since my mom died a year and a half ago,

leaving me with Henry, my stepfather whose blood-alcohol content hovered somewhere between "wasted" and "how is he even alive?" But after he nearly killed me last June with his particular style of driving (i.e., blasted), I stopped resisting Christine's offer.

Going from my aunt's place at Park and Sixty-eighth Street to the school at Park and Eighty-sixth Street is fairly basic: walk eighteen blocks left. But since she had been pretty cool about everything—stepping in, giving me a place to stay and leaving me with a "You'll talk to me if you need to" instead of hovering over me—I didn't press it.

Ashley was a bundle of excitement as soon as she stepped inside the door of Christine's three-bedroom co-op, her pink cheeks flushed, red curls pushed back by a black-ribbon headband. She's several inches shorter than me—I wouldn't put her past five feet. And that's giving a generous allowance to her curls.

"Hi Emma! Yay, first day! Are you excited? Do you like your uniform?" I smiled back. Her joy was infectious. You couldn't help but like Ashley—the girl never said a mean thing in all of her fourteen years. Then a black thought crept its way in: What if no one did like Ashley, and that was why she was so happy to have an ally? What kind of evil place was Vincent Academy, where someone could dislike a sweet little munchkin like Ashley? Calm down, Emma, you're going to give yourself a panic attack.

My smile got weaker, and I smoothed out my long-sleeved white Oxford shirt and black, blue and green Scotch plaid skirt that mirrored her outfit.

"You tell me, how do I look?" I asked her.

"You look fine," she chirped. "But why the long sleeves? It's soooo hot out. It's going to be like, seventy billion degrees today! Don't you have any short slee—"

Ashley looked at the ground and blushed, her red cheeks now matching her flame-colored hair. "Sorry, I forgot about the scar."

The blazing scar from the car accident had made wearing short sleeves an impossibility. Thanks, Henry. You're a champ.

"It's okay. I'm okay," I reassured her. "Don't worry about it. Really!" I added when I saw the expression in her eyes.

She had always looked up to me, even though she lived in the city and I lived in the country, so to speak. Being two years older had its advantages.

And now the city mouse was taking the country mouse under its paw.

After Aunt Christine had slipped me a twenty-dollar bill "for emergencies" and sent us on our way, I drew in Ashley conspiratorially and asked, "So what's the real deal on this school? I know the basic stuff, like how practically everyone goes Ivy League after graduation. But what's this place really

like?"

How I hoped, prayed, that it was like all those shows about rich, fashion-obsessed, drama-crazy New York teens who dressed like they were twenty-five. All the easier to stay in the background. I just wanted to get through the next two years and disappear to college. Preferably somewhere far away. Maybe Siberia.

"They like to say it's exclusive but that's just a nice word for it being expensive." Ashley giggled, toying with her oversize hoop earring. "It's the most expensive coed school in the city. There's a few girls-only or boys-only schools that cost more. So we're like our own little, I don't know, island, in the middle of it all. Everyone at Vince A more or less stays together."

"Oh." I tried to not sound disappointed.

In my head, I began rehearsing what I would say about the reason behind my move. Ashley didn't understand why I didn't

just say I moved from Keansburg, but then I told her how my high school paper insisted on doing a story on the dangers of drinking and driving, pegged to the incident with Henry. The editor was hoping to use her hard-hitting story as her one-way ticket into the journalism program at Columbia. I figured it doubled as her ticket to Hell. Those who hadn't heard about Henry through the gossip mill read about it, front and center in the Keansburg Mirror.

Google me. Google Keansburg. Guess what your first hit

is?

Alcohol Turns Home Life Tragic and Ride Home Dangerous for Sophomore Emma Connor.

So moving from Philly was the story.

Ashley gave me a cursory rundown of the school and some of the things I'd come to expect from high school. The principal wore horrible suits. The uniforms were itchy in warmer weather. The cafeteria food was comically terrible, but you were allowed out at lunchtime once you were a junior.

We crossed Eighty-fifth Street, racing against the yellow light and slowing our walk as we headed to the entrance.

"Here we are!" Ashley announced, throwing her arms open with a flourish.

I regarded the gray building in front of me. It was an old mansion that had been converted into a high school, and it sure looked the part, with cool stone walls and windows hugged by lavishly scrolled molding. Vincent Academy wasn't too tall— just five floors, no taller than the stately, old-fashioned brick-and-marble buildings on either side—but to me, it seemed massive and imposing, like it was some bully crushing his way through a crowd of old ladies.

I was suddenly very, very nervous. Maybe the devil I knew was better than the devil I didn't know? Should I have stayed in Keansburg?

We were early—frozen in an ornate entrance hall where, off to the right, was the office I was supposed to check into as a new student. There were a few kids around—students who looked like they were posing for the Vincent Academy brochure. Girls strewn about here and there, draped over high-backed chairs while they studied from thick textbooks. There were a few boys too, in dark pants, white shirts and mostly undone ties, lounging on a wooden staircase with a scrolled banister, or carrying a basketball and pushing open the double doors in the rear to what looked like a fairly large quad.

Vincent Academy was one of the only coed private schools in Manhattan, a fact, as I looked around, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be happy about or terrified of. As I looked more closely at the girls, I saw that they matched their pristine uniforms with heels and expensive-looking boots. I looked down at my black tights and scuffed Mary Janes through my overgrown bangs—which were cursed with a cowlick—and grimaced. Big diamonds glittered in the ears of a long-haired, fake-tanned blonde, who was scrutinizing a calculus textbook and managing to look glamorous while doing so. In my ears? A row of three tiny imitation-silver hoops that I got at Hot Topic. On sale.

I decided to be happy. I wasn't looking for a boyfriend, since they tend to do pesky things like asking about your life and all that. I just wanted to be anonymous. And if this chick was any indication of what my classmates looked like, I was zero competition for any of these girls, who probably spent their morning putting on makeup and arriving at school in chauffeur-driven cars.

Ashley walked with me through the palatial hall to the office, her eyes eager to see a little bit of the hero she used to worship when we were kids. I smiled weakly and made a

lame slit across my throat with my index finger. She laughed and I headed inside.

"You must be Miss Connor." The woman sitting behind the tall wood counter regarded me with iron-gray eyes. They matched her gray hair, pulled into a tight, no-nonsense bun at the nape of her neck. She was even wearing a gray cardigan. I glanced at the nameplate on her desk.

No. Way. Ms. Gray? I blinked and looked again. Mrs. Gary. Close enough! I bet she was wearing gray granny panties, too.

"Yes, um, yes," I stammered. "I'm Emma Connor." How did she know who I was? "How did—did you know that?"

She smiled, and a very faint hint of warmth crept into those steely eyes.

"You're the only student I don't know, and there's only one new student due today." She smiled. "Let me get your schedule for you."

I groaned internally. I had forgotten how small Vincent Academy was. Keansburg High had 650 students. How could I hide in a school that barely had 200?

"Here you are, dear," the gray lady said, handing me my schedule. "Your first class today is on the third floor."

But my locker, well, my locker was in the basement, in a row of old lockers so out of the way, they were always the last to be assigned, falling to latecomers like me and unlucky freshmen.

"Stay there and smile," the gray lady instructed as I stood in the same spot, scrutinizing my schedule. "Miss Connor," she snapped, her voice sharp.

"Huh?" I looked up, and she was standing behind some large beige contraption. Suddenly there was a flash. It surprised me—it was too bright, and I saw spots everywhere.

"You can pick up your ID after lunch. In the meantime,

please fill these out." Oh, great, that's going to be an awesome picture. So sexy.

The gray lady handed me several small yellow forms, telling me to give them to each teacher as I walked into the room. I realized there was no way I was going to avoid the awkward "Hey, kids, we have a new student here" nightmare.

Please, oh, please, don't make me have to introduce myself. Don't make me tell them something about myself.

Hi, I'm Emma. I'm basically an orphan and my life sounds like a Lifetime Original Movie. My dad left when I was six. My twin brother died when I was fourteen. My mom got sick soon after that, and died when I was fifteen. I lose everyone I love. And this past June, my stepfather wrapped a car around a telephone pole with us in it. So now, I live with my aunt, I have no friends except for my cousin anymore, thanks to my jerk stepfather, and I still keep a journal with all my hopes and fears in it. Also, my favorite color is purple and I think baby animals are cute.

I finished signing my forms and returned to my cousin, who snatched the schedule from my hands, scrutinizing my teachers.

"Your Monday through Wednesday schedule is almost the same. You have Mr. D for chemistry. He has people call him Mr. D because his name is so long. That's good. He's supposed to be fair," she mused. "Ugh, Mrs. Dell. She suuucks," Ashley said, drawing it out dramatically. "Sorry about that. But hey, we'll be in the same class!"

I looked to see which subject she was talking about. Latin. Wait, Latin?

I realized I had been put in freshman Latin.

I never really paid much attention to which classes I'd actually be taking. Christine was on the board at Vincent Academy and pulled some strings to allow me to take the placement exams late—which was why I was starting three weeks after

the school year had already begun. I forgot that the Vincent Academy required students to take two years of Latin. All I knew about Latin was E Pluribus Unum.

I looked down at Ashley and tried to be optimistic about it. "Well, at least I have a friend in class!"

She smiled her billion-dollar smile and showed me to my locker, in a narrow hallway next to the chemistry lab and boiler room. I felt like some goblin, tucked away in the basement dungeon. I would not have been surprised if Freddy Krueger stored his books next to me.

"Okay, now I have to go to my locker." She smiled again, giving me an apologetic look. "It's on the second floor. I won't see you until Latin, which is the last class."

"After lunch," I replied woodenly. "Oh, crap!" I moaned.

"What?" Ashley looked alarmed.

I realized I couldn't tell her that I didn't want to go to lunch alone—and here, each grade took a separate lunch period because the cafeteria was kind of small.

"Nothing," I said, throwing on my brightest fake smile. "I thought I forgot to bring something."

"Oh. Okay, well, I'll see you in Latin. You'll hate it," she promised, then added, "but Mrs. Dell has a moustache so it's kind of funny to watch it move as she says anything that ends in '-ibus.' It trulyflutters in the breeze," she added dramatically.

I giggled, and gave her a hug.

"Thank you," I said into her mess of curls, and gave her a bigger squeeze so she knew how much I really did appreciate it.

She bounced back to the stairwell and turned back to face me, looking older than the fourteen years I knew her to be. "You'll be fine." Ashley looked at me solemnly with her

giant blue eyes before skipping up the stairs, her overstuffed backpack bouncing up and down on her hip.

I eyed the emergency fire exit door and considered making a break for it.

"Don't be stupid, Emma," I whispered to myself. "Just two more years of high school. It can't be worse than living with Henry."

I shoved my notebooks into my locker and slammed the metal door defiantly. Here we go.

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iheartyabooks

Posted May 8, 2011

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Breathtaking Romance! Highly Recommended!!

Spellbound is a beautiful, modern day fairy tale. I was spellbound by this 'lost' love story between Emma and Brendan. Emma Connor, a smart, beautiful girl, definitely hasn't had a fairy tale life. She goes to live with her Aunt Christine in New York, and there she starts a new life at the private school, Vincent Academy-a rich, upper class society. All Emma wanted was to keep a low profile and make it through her last two years, but her destiny walks through the door of her English class as Brendan Salinger, a gorgeous, athletic, rich, and popular guy. Spellbound was an amazing read. I truly enjoyed seeing Emma, Brendan, and all the teen characters acting and talking like the real-today-teens. It pulled me right into their lives. This story had an incredibly strong plot that held me captive. Emma and Brendan's relationship is wonderful. I so love Brendan for how he adored and protected Emma, and Emma for her love for Brenda-to not give up on it no matter what. With the way this story ended, I'm confident there will be a second book to Spellbound. There is also a play list at the end of the book which I really like. You get to see more of Brendan and Emma's personal feelings and emotions for each other in the music they listen to. Spellbound is a must, must read!!! The romance in Spellbound is breathtaking!! Thank you Carla Lynn Shultz for this awesome novel.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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BBandReveries

Posted August 10, 2011

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Fantastic

: Oh. My. Goodness. This book seriously surprised me. Going into it, all I knew was that it was a YA paranormal romance. Boy, was I amazed to discover there was so much more. For starters, Cara Lynn Schultz successfully writes from a teenager's perspective. I never once cringed at the language used. (Don't you hate it when a YA author starts throwing around the word "Yo"). Actually, I really enjoyed Emma's voice. She was nice, funny, and completely relatable. She has insecurities, like every teenager. She worries about her hair, if she will fit in, and what Brendan thinks of her. Also, Emma is not a push over. Especially when it comes to the kids at school who constantly gossip about her. Cue the jerk: Anthony. He just makes Emma's life a living hell at school (and outside it). At first its just a matter of ego, but it soon turns into something much more dangerous. As the story progresses, Anthony's darker side surfaces. He is seriously insane. By the end, I was scared of him.
The second thing that literally brought this book up a full kiss was the fact that it a) has a tragic love story for a base; b) involves soul mates; and c) involves past lives/reincarnation. As you know, I love books that contain even just one of those. But this one contained all three! The tragic love story: Emma and Brendan are cursed to fall in love over and over again only to be torn apart by an untimely death. Something is different this time around. They might have a shot at breaking the curse. If they don't hurry, it could all end, once again.
Poor Emma. In every life she is born poor. This one was especially brutal for her. After her mom and brother die, she lives with her step-father who would rather drink and abuse her then man-up and be a father for her. After getting into a DWI accident with Emma in the car (she gets injured), Emma escapes to her aunt's home in NYC. Going to the exclusive Vince Academy has Emma feeling even more of an outsider with all the rich students (think Gossip Girl).
Yes, it does have a HEA. But, you know, it was still a lot of fun to read. The ending was suspenseful. The romance was lovely. And Brendan was just soooo cute. You can't see me, but I'm crossing my fingers hoping there will be a sequel.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Book_Sniffers_Anonymous

Posted August 2, 2011

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Loved it

For being a debut author I felt that Cara Lynn Shultz did an amazing job. This book dragged me in and had me reading it until 4am... when I had to get up only a few hours later. Very rarely do I fall "head over feet" in love with a book, usually I like a book and get sucked in but I wouldn't really reread it again. However, this book has be lining up to buy it when it comes out. I really wish that I was in NYC for the book release and signing that Cara is doing.

Okay on to the good stuff and I promise that I won't give anything away. At first I had no idea what the cover meant. It is rare that you find a book that doesn't have just a posing girl in a ball gown or the typical head shot. So I was intrigued to see that the cover was of a girl (small compared to cover) walking under a bursting street lamp on a bridge. After reading the book it all makes sense since this is a significant (in my point of view) turning point in the book. That is when you realize something isn't quite right. Street lamps don't normally burn out and shatter one right after the other down the street, they just don't do that. So it was a breath of fresh air to finally see someone who put some extra thought into the cover art.

I liked that the story didn't sweat on the small stuff leaving you skimming pages just to get back to the story. Cara Lynn Shultz gave you just enough information to draw a picture in your head without over doing it. However, with that being said there were some parts that I just didn't like. First off, the secondary characters that were introduced didn't really play a huge part in the book after the initial introduction. Like her friend Cisco for instance, he is the first guy that is nice to her and he invites her out to see a band play but then he sort of just falls off the face of the planet. Okay, maybe there are a few cameos with him in it towards the middle to the end but I sort of feel like he was only there to introduce Emma and Brendan and that's it. The same thing can be said about Angelique even though she does appear a tiny bit more than Cisco due to her being a witch and having knowledge about the reincarnation scenario, she still doesn't pop up a whole lot towards the end either. It sort of felt like Cara Lynn Shultz forgot about the other characters in the book. The other thing that I was not really sure about was the insane rage that Anthony has. After a while I started thinking "Maybe he is possessed by the devil?" and then it turns out... nope he is just plain insane. I don't know if this is number one in a series or a stand alone book but I was sort of disappointed at the fact that they introduce Angelique who is a witch and yet there is no crazy spell casting.

Let's talk a bit about Brendan. Really, how could I not? Sometimes YA books can get a little cheesy and sometimes over do the whole "first love" thing but I think that it was adorable. my favorite part was when Brendan opted to drink bottled water over beer because he didn't want Emma to feel weird since she was the only one not drinking alcohol. Of course this is after he gives her his hoodie when he notices that she is cold. Chivalry is not dead in this boy, not in the least.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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writingirl_15

Posted July 16, 2011

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Spellbound

Emma Connor was living a fairy tale life. Well, the first part- a.k.a the crappy part- of a fairy tale. First her twin brother, Ethan, dies of meningitis, and then her mother gets sick with cancer and marries so Emma won't be alone after she is gone. Fortunately for Emma her mother picked a real winner *sarcasm*. Henry, Emma's stepfather, believes that all answers to questions can be found in the bottom of a bottle. And let's just say he isn't a nice drunk. After a bad accident and a subsequent newspaper article, Emma feels more alone than ever before.

Finally, the better part of her fairy tale begins when her Aunt Christine asks Emma to live with her. Having no reason to stay with her stepfather, she packs her bags and moves to New York City where she will be attending a very exclusive and posh high school. All Emma wants to do is blend in and make it through her last two years of high school uneventfully. Then Brendan Salinger comes along and things start to get dangerous and interesting. If you think finding your reincarnated soul mate and then promptly dying a horrible death over and over and over again over the centuries is interesting. And that's not even mentioning all the high school drama Emma has to endure.

Spellbound was a really fun read. The plot, reincarnated lovers destined to find each other through the centuries, though done before, was still interesting and intriguing to read about. The romance was sweet (Brendan was so cute!) and the rivalries were bitter. My one complaint was there were some grammatical errors, and although it wasn't that distracting, it is still kind of annoying. My favorite error was "She put her head on her chin." Ha! I laughed at that one.

Overall it was a good read. If you like romance and the paranormal you should pick this book up.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted May 17, 2012

Just okay.

This book was just okay. A little hokey. I will not buy the next book. This book was not worth the money.
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DanceBree17

Posted May 15, 2012

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Way better than expected!!

I loved this book SO MUCH!! First off the characters are really great and the dialog very true. Emma is a girl that I could see as a best friend and learns that things are not what she expects when she moves from her home to New York City. Brendan is very drool worthy and the romance that they share is really true love. The mystery that unfolds is one I wasnt expecting and things move along fast enough to keep your attention. This is going to be a great new series and I highly recommend it!!
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Anonymous

Posted April 23, 2012

LOOOOOVED THIS BOOK!

LOOOOOVED THIS BOOK!
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Anonymous

Posted April 20, 2012

Spellbound is a WONDERFUL read!

I loved this book but it kinda lingered too much on Emma and Brendan..and after their first kiss its like every 8 pages they are making out...and that Anthony guy is creepy... overall though it is a very good book!
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majibookshelf

Posted March 27, 2012

Spellbound is a story that is full of magic. Don't get me wrong,

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 towards Brendan. I liked how there were still the beginning awkward moments between the both of them, but as they both realized they were "meant to be", the spark kind of vanished. That's when I got a bit bored, because I just don't think insta love is possible, or even the slightest believable.
Throughout the book, it was Emma learning about her past life, and how she was reincarnated. Emma is a great protagonist, and she didn't annoy me the slightest bit. Brendan was a great guy as well. Rich, popular, and good looking. I can say that I enjoyed mostly everything, but what really bothered me was the reincarnation and the instant love.
Overall, the flow of the book was good. The characters were enjoyable. It got me laughing at parts, and got me really scared in others. If instant love doesn't bother you, I'm sure Spellbound is a book you will fall in love with!
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Dazzlamb

Posted March 7, 2012

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SPELLBOUND- A bewitchingly hip romance set in modern NYC, that has been set into motion many centuries ago. You shouldn't miss that!

The story of SPELLBOUND follows Emma Conner who just moved to New York city to live with her aunt. With several secrets in tow she has to face a new school and new enemies but she also gets the chance to meet many new exciting people.

One of them is Brendan Salinger, he is good-looking, smart and destined to fall in love with Emma. And their love feels just perfectly natural and sweet. Although they are destined to be together, their developing relationship didn't feel forced or constructed for one second.

Interesting about Emma is that she's the girl who has two pasts with secrets that start affecting her new life in New York. On the one hand she's got a in her small hometown. On the other hand something inside of Emma has once lived in the Middle Ages. Now both pasts circling around personal and familiar conflicts and strokes of fate seem to affect Emma and Brendan's love in a very dangerous way that could not only tear them apart but mean death.

I immediately felt attached to Emma and Brendan and it's not only that the couple has some really cute scenes, but other characters like her loyal friends or relatives contribute to a great storyline and extremely entertaining dialogues aswell. One of my favourite secondary characters is Emma's cousin, Ashley, who is such a sweet and supportive person.

Conflicts in SPELLBOUND result from fate and a curse laid on the lovers many centuries ago that still seems to affect them in some way. But it wouldn't be a YA novel if there weren't also the prep school antagonists who can be pretty mean.

Shultz supports her fantastic debut novel with an exciting character cast, a great writing and the striking mixture of a fancy prep school, fashion and paranormalcy. I sense a few more mysteries and secrets being burried in the past that are only waiting to be reanimated in SPELLBOUND's sequel!

THE VERDICT

Gossip Girl watch out, with SPELLBOUND a strong rival is on its way. The story around Emma and Brendan not only convinces with the realistic and all-day meanings of being a teenager and fashionista in New York City, but is also well-supported by engaging paranormal elements! I consider myself totally spellbound, xoxo Miss Page-Turner
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Anonymous

Posted March 3, 2012

Book rate

Verry verry good
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MissaKatherine

Posted February 27, 2012

A Must Read

This book is an amazing read. I had to force myself to put it down!!! I can't wait for the sequel it can't get here soon enough.
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Anonymous

Posted February 21, 2012

Amazing!!

As soon as I started reading this book I was hooked! Cara does a fabulous job of drawing in the reader with word choice and descriptions. I was amazed by the powerful connection between Emma and Brendan. I got giddy throughout the whole thing; not a dull moment! The fights were unbelievable, it was like I was Emma watching it and trying to help just as she does in the book. I absolutely cannot wait until Spellcaster to come out. I've already preordered it and just waiting for the day to come! This is a most read for anybody! Enjoy :)
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Anonymous

Posted February 17, 2012

Love it

I love this book but i dont much like the twist i wont give it way but i thot it was a lil dum over all thow i loved this book B+E all day lol
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Anonymous

Posted January 17, 2012

So good

Couldnt put it down it was 250 pages of awesomeness
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Regina_Linton

Posted January 16, 2012

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Highly Recommended

Riveting story that revolves around Emma and Brendan. Emma being the new girl catches Brendan's eye with her snide comments to the most popular girl in school. Not only does he notice how beautiful he is drawn to her by the very pendant she wears around her neck.

Emma must figure out what the pendant and her dreams of the past mean in order to ensure a future with Brendan. There are steamy moments and frightening revelations that take you through this novel.

Engaging and magical, you will love this book if you adore YA Paranormal.
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Anonymous

Posted January 14, 2012

Amazing

I really ejoyed this book, i couldnt put it down i was trapped and captured in its words. It was a book diffrent than what i usually read and was glad i bought it. I was so good but i just didnt want it to end
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Anonymous

Posted December 30, 2011

Whtat a great book?

I loved the book. There were parts that made sence to a high school girl. About likeing a boy so much. Then there was a spin on it. Wotch craft and spells TRUE LOVE and how they got through a lot of things. I think if you love romancs and you love fanasy and love having your mind twisted ad seeing things differently then you have to get this book
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livelife

Posted October 29, 2011

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A fascinating read

Have you read Fallen by Lauren Kate? Or any past-life romance type novels? If so you pretty much know the basic story line of Spellbound. Even with the similarities I was still completely absorbed in this book. Shultz creates beautiful writing and characters that I absolutely fell in love with. And, she definitely creates her own story in this paranormal genre.

Trouble and drama seem to plague Emma. Her father left when she was young. She lost her brother and mom, and her alcoholic stepfather almost killed her in a car accident. After her near death experience Emma decides it's time for a change.

The book begins when Emma moves to New York to live with her Aunt Christine which was the best thing this girl, with a little dark cloud of a life, could have done. She attends an elite private school, which unfortuneately houses some elite snobs. Then she meets Angelique, the school witch (who helps her figure out some things about herself and her life), and develops a major crush on the untouchable bad boy. Said bad boy, Brendan, plays his emotions hot and cold from one day to the next and Emma can't figure him out. What she can figure out though is that she likes him, a lot.

Going into the book I didn't realize what it was going to be about. As I said, the likeness to Fallen is there. It didn't really bother me, a lot of books are alike. But, that said, I know some people may have a problem with the similarities, so I'm just pointing them out in advance.

I really liked this book. I love the age old lovers angle, and enjoy I always enjoy supernatural books. It definitely has both elements. Emma and Brendan's relationship speeds on through, and once we understand the history behind the story this romance makes a little more sense.

One aspect of the story I'm not sure how I feel about yet was the seemingly fast resolution. It's a curse and a blessing in my opinion. While I loved knowing how the story plays out in one book, I also felt like Ms. Shultz could have had a killer series on this story of Emma and Brendan. Making the suspense keep us coming back for more.

If you're looking for a good summer read from a wonderful author I definitely recommend this one. Emma's a tough cookie, which we all know I love strong female leads. She holds her own thanks to Cara Lynn Shultz and I can't wait to see what else this great writer has in store for us in the future!
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epicrat

Posted October 28, 2011

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This star-crossed love story never gets old!

We all know the doomed story about Romeo & Juliet, but did these young lovers know how hopeless their star-crossed romance would be? When Emma gets to start fresh at an exclusive prep school after some family tragedies, finding a Romeo was bottom on her to-do list. So, why does the resident hottie Brendan draw her unwilling eye - and why does their dance feel like a tale as old as time? The answer is rather grim: True love, if what they have is true, will end in a curse called death if they are unable to resist each other. Will Emma and Brendan find each other worth the risk?

I know the story of Spellbound seems familiar - Romeo & Juliet, new girl & hot-but-oh-so-elusive boy, true love headed down the track of destruction - and you must wonder if this book is worth a gander. My verdict? Spellbound has such an enchanting voice that will make the classic story pop and sparkle like nobody's business. Fun and charming with enough dash of mystery, sizzle, and snark that will keep the pages turning. I tend to find something magical in a romance-gone-cursed - and watching Brendan and Emma try to decide between being together or staying apart is heart-wrenching. I am curious to see where the series goes from here.
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