Book Review: Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

Title: Spellbound
Author: Cara Lynn Shultz
Details: E-ARC, published paperback 384 pgs.
Published: June 28th, 2011 by Harlequin Teen
isbn: 0373210302 (ISBN13: 9780373210305)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley, Harlequin Teen *for review*


Description:

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.

The romance in this book was fantastic!  It really brought me back to when I was teenager and that intense love I felt.  Brendan was definitely the kind of guy I would have gone after and so I really liked him in the book.   Emma was also a great character with a slightly snarky personality, which I think is great!  Sometimes things come out of her mouth before she can stop them.  At the same time she just wants to blend into the background and not be noticed.  This is because of all the things that have happened to her in her past.  

The romance was pretty sweet but in the beginning I wasn't really getting Brendans actions.  We're told the reason for this later but I still wouldn't say I quite buy it.   Besides that I think I liked it.  I say I *think* because I sometimes have a hard time with a romance that happens so fast when the characters don't know eachother real well.   But there are some things to make it work in this one and the first one is reincarnation.  And love that spans time itself.  (That line may be a bit overused...) Also, although it seems that things move fast, I think that in the book it's a longer time period then what it feels like (we're seeing pieces weeks apart).  So, overall I think it's ok :)  

I like that the author threw in some things like bullying which I think is something that most all teens experience at least a little of and when Emma is strong enough to not only stand up for herself but for her cousin as well it shows girls that sometimes they just have to stand up for themselves.  To be strong.   And the bullying actually ends up going quite far where Emma's life is really in danger.  I think that the author did a fantastic job in pulling off the whole thing and I was barely able to breath through the whole thing, just waiting to learn more and make sure everything turned out okay.

The beginning of the book was a bit slow for me but the second half I found myself flying through.   So overall I ended up enjoying this book quite a lot!

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Disclosure: I received an e-arc of this book for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are my own.  I was not paid or influenced in any way.