I feel like this book could've been amazing. It wasn't bad, I did enjoy it but it had a lot of potential to be more original and unique. That being said it stands out from the rest of the paranormal romance books out there. For one, weeks after reading I still remember the basic plot. The plot drew me in and I could stomach the romance - I found it relatively believable or at least the author adequately made me believe it. Overall worth the read. I'll even pick up the next one. ( )

A re-read, I didn’t enjoy it quite as much the second time around, just wanting different things from a story right this minute than I did then, though it still mostly entertained.

A change for me from the first time I read this is that while I do love romance I don’t love it as much these days when a book solely revolves around the romance, I tend to want a fuller depiction of the heroine’s life than that now. You never really see Emma passionately engaged in anything outside of Brendan, he’s constantly on her mind when she’s talking to her cousin and her friend, he’s on her mind when she’s jogging, he’s on her mind in class, even trying to solve the mystery of her pendant is in part rooted in her fascination with Brendan. I am fine with romance taking center stage, I just crave a little something else to occupy the heroine in addition to that, maybe Emma putting together a running team for her school or something, any goal or interest that could make for a slightly more well-rounded character than just being consumed with her love life.

Even with basketball and a DJ side gig, I didn’t feel like Brendan was all that well-defined beyond Emma either.

I did like Emma and Brendan’s chemistry, however, had they worked harder to resist each other I probably would have been more invested, they have this legit reason to keep their distance yet the story didn’t really go with the juicy tension of forcing them apart. It seemed sort of a waste of potential drama to create a life and death obstacle for this couple that doesn’t ultimately put much of a strain on them being together..

The first time I read this I didn’t notice how heavily it echoes Twilight although it goes its own way enough with zero vampires, Central Park playing a key role, the villain having a more direct connection to Emma, and the witchy vibes. There were however not enough witchy vibes for my liking. Emma’s friend Angelique was one of the more unique characters here so I would have loved to see her feature more prominently (further exploring witchcraft is another thing the story maybe could have done to have more going on for Emma aside from romance) but the final passage in Spellbound suggests that its sequel Spellcaster may delve into that area more, so that’s an intriguing possibility. ( )

Teen paranormal romance. Though the plot-line starts out very similarly to Fallen (new girl at private school meets unbelievably hot guy who turns out to be her soul-mate from previous lives), Emma's voice is refreshingly snarky--and unlike Fallen, the story actually wraps up at the end as it should, with a conclusive battle (none of this suffering through a whiny heroine's abandonment by her would-be-lover in the second book, only to be reunited in the 3rd or 4th book, and then to do the big battle scene that could/should have happened at the end of the first book). Emma's friend Angelique's epilogue hints at a possible sequel, but for me this story is done. I would like to see Shultz write more teen romances though, as she writes better than many other teen authors. NOTE: Though there is no actual sex (Brendan shows remarkable restraint for a 17-year-old, don't you think?), there is some mild language--one of the mean girls is called the "b"-word more than once as well as a fair amount of violence. ( )

Going in to Spellbound I truly had no idea what I was in store for. I rather like going into a book with little to no knowledge about what's inside. I feel like it makes the book that much more of an experience. So, when I opened up to the first page I had no expectations other than to read a good story.

As a character, Emma is a sweetheart. Really and truly. She wants to blend into the background, but her bubbly personality just won't let her. As a result she attracts a lot of attention, both good and bad. Emma is spunky, outspoken, and just a lovable character. The fact that she isn't afraid to stand up for herself made me dance around the room. A female character who isn't a shrinking violet? Yes please! Add in her friendship with her younger cousin, and you have a character that I really fell in love with.

Sadly, that's where the love affair ended for me. Emma's interactions with the characters around her were fun, but those characters were kind of one-dimensional to me. Even Brendan, who she is inexplicably drawn to, didn't really come to life. In fact I sometimes found myself annoyed with him. I won't spoil, but the way he reacts to their attraction rather bothered me. I just felt like their story was so contrived. Girl meets boy, is inexplicably drawn to boy, unforseen circumstances keep them apart, cue ending that I won't spoil. That's it.

To be honest, I think I was just expecting a little bit more from these characters, and so Spellbound was a "just so" book for me. I liked it, but I didn't fall in love with it. Like all books that fall into this category for me, it just didn't have that spark that will keep me coming back. I'm fully willing to admit I might be a bit jaded due to all the books in this genre I've read lately. I can see a lot of people falling in love with Emma and Brendan's story.

Recommended to those looking for a sweet read, with a paranormal twist.
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1.5
So honestly I feel sorry for any book i read right now. I have just not been able to enjoy any of the ones I've picked up in the last few weeks. I hate insta-love.... you know what makes insta-love even worse? when it's riddled with unnecessary angst (a la Twilight)

I should have known by the description that this wouldn't have been my cup of tea but I gave it a shot anyway and that's my fault. I liked Emma she seemed pretty relatable at the beginning, but the whole paranormal aspect was just off it almost seemed like two stories taking place at once. ( )