Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

Publisher’s Summary: 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.



My Take: What a fabulous book! As soon as I started reading this book, I was Spellbound LOL. From the moment I started reading, I was determined to finish and could not put it down. Yes, my husband gave me a hard time because I didn’t go to bed until 3:30, maybe even 4 in the morning.

When I first started reading and started to get an idea of where the story was headed, I was a little worried that it would be too similar to a couple other books I have read. But I was wrong! It was completely different! Cara Lynn Shultz kept me entertained from start to finish, perfectly! And I truly love the whole premise of the book.

Cara Lynn Shultz also did an amazing job developing each character; I either loved or hated each character, not much in between.

The main character’s (Emma’s) personality fits perfectly with the things she lived through in her past. Her emotions and her personality seemed so lifelike that I thought she was a real, living, breathing person I could know. I cannot think of any other author who has been able to pull that off as well! My favorite parts are when her tough side bursts through in the heat of the moment, but at the same time she would be struggling internally to keep her composure. Throughout the book, Emma’s past is brought up slowly throughout, and there were several things that happen to her that were so horrible that I could truly feel her pain, and where my heart actually reached out to her!

These are the rest of my favorite characters . . . in the order of how much I loved each one: Ashley is Emma’s little cousin who really looks up to Emma. Ashley has the cutest little teenage personality, and as I sit here and think about her, it makes me smile. Then there’s Brendan! Wow is he HOT! How many times are these authors going to make me fall in love with fictional characters? Last is Angelique. Angelique totally rocks! OH! Wait! I can’t forget Aunt Christine! I loved her too! But then there’s Kristen and Anthony…grrrrr!!! Do I need to say more?

The way this book ended was perfect. No cliffhanger here, but I feel the ending is left open enough to create another book and I really hope she does!

*This book was provided to me from the publisher through netGalley.