Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz (ARC)

Spellbound
Cara Lynn Shultz

Synopsis: 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 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.

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 any 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 she's died every time. So I expected something spectacular to try to kill her off in this novel. But alas, the danger presented to Emma that threatened to take her life and exact the curse once again was completely unspectacular. Utter disappointment on that front. I wanted something supernatural and worthy of the curse, not some...well, you'll see. And unfortunately, Emma suddenly became stupid in the end, falling for things she shouldn't have, which was another disappointment cause the author protrayed her as a fairly smart MC up until that point. (Please don't make an MC temporarily dumb...allow a surprise attack if you must, just don't make them a sudden idiot to put them in danger).

I'll read Spellcaster cause I did like the characters, I just hope they'll have more supernatural issues to deal with next time. Pick up Spellbound at the library or used bookstore if you'd like, but don't spend too much money on it. It's worth a read but most likely won't get a permanent spot on the bookshelf.