Spellbound

Once Upon #1 1/4

by Nora Roberts

An exclusive Nora Roberts short story.Roguish and overworked, world-famous photographer Calin Farrell is struggling to shut out the strangely vivid dreams that beset his childhood. Then, on a visit to Ireland, a glimpse of the bewitchingly beautiful Bryna changes everything.When Bryna reveals that their destinies are bound by an ancient spell, Calin laughs it aside. But if Calin does not fight for her, Bryna will face a terrifying fate.

Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

100 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 27, 2005

About the author

Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 -- The Becoming -- the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

Reviews

[paige (ptsungirl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Normality is only perspective."

This was a sweet little story. It touched a lot on the difference between reality and imagination, how "normal" means different things to different people and is truly only what you make of it. I liked that it focused so much on the idea that we get to choose what we believe is normal. I like that even though it was short, it was thorough in that message.

It was a bit too insta love for me, and I wish it was longer for the back story I know Nora is so good at. But it was the perfect quick read for a morning with tea and breakfast.

[*CJ* · Rating 4 out of 5]

"But there's something that's mine to tell, and I'll give you that. I was born loving you. There's been no other in my heart, even when you turned from me. Everything I am, or was, or will be, is yours. I cannot change my heart. I was born loving you," she said again. "And I will die loving you. There is no choice for me."

"Spellbound" is the story of Bryna and Calin.

In this magical tale set in Ireland, our H is called by mystical forces to a remote village, meets the woman he has always dreamt about. She is charming, beautiful, and speaks of fated mates and a ruthless enemy. He is cynical, doubtful, yet cannot resist her. The whole story is a journey of melancholy, destiny and triumph of love over evil.

Short yet heavy angst filled love story. Keep your tissues ready for this one!

SWE
4/5

[John Dishwasher John Dishwasher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storytelling cliches get reused so often because they work. This is a mash up of gothic, fairies, witches, eternal love, destiny, a struggle against evil, photography and fucking. Roberts covers a lot of ground in just 81 pages without it feeling forced. This feels like an elaborated cinematic treatment, actually, and I mean that in a good way. The passion here was sentimental but that’s to be expected from Roberts, I gather. There was a weird ‘woman as receptacle’ trope going on. For example, “She flew, as she had waited a lifetime to fly, as he emptied himself into her.” Or, “How many nights had she burned to see his eyes, gray as storm clouds, focused on her as he buried himself deep inside her and gave her his seed?” Never thought of myself as a seed giver before this book. So that was something new. But there was also this well-put truth: “Need could be stronger than reason.”

The theme is rediscovering your lost self buried beneath your fears and conformity.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Spellbound – Nora Roberts – Spellbound follows world-famous photographer Calin Farrell on his much-needed vacation in Ireland. While there, Calin becomes bewitched by the ravishingly beautiful Bryna Torrence, even if he refuses to believe in the spell that has brought them together-and could destroy them both.

I finished the book, all 1447 pages of it and I am unfortunately disappointed. I had high hopes for this book, it has magic, love, adventure and written by the famed Nora Roberts. I don’t want to be harsh but I found the book intolerably comical. I had very little to grasp onto or fall in love with. It was a poorly executed fairy tale. If you take the love scene out of the book it is more suited for my ten-year-old daughter then me.

The thought was nice, I really wanted to like it, I did! And to be honest I was okay until we met the heroine, Bryna. Instead of making her a modern woman with a wonderful secret, she is depicted as an Irish lass living on the countryside, weaving rugs and sweaters by the fire. Potions and spells alike I am a witch lover, but the fact that this particular Witch hadn’t evolved past her ancestors thousands of years before was annoying, tedious and made my eyes roll.

Here is what I am talking about…

“She was lost without him, you see. Alasdair’s power spread like vultures wings. He would have her willing or not. But with the last of her strength, she stumbled into the circle where her lover’s blood stained the ground. There a vow she made and a spell she cast…”

Even though she was apparently born and lived in the same time and reality as the hero Calin, she acts walks and talks like Sorceress from the cartoon He-Man.

The dialog was simple and had little passion or intensity. I don’t want to go on a tirade and rip the book apart but needless to say I would not recommend it unless the person has a reading level of a fifth grader and is severely bored.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this for a few reasons:

1)I was trying to read 100 books in 2006 and this was thin and looked fast.
2)I didn't have to pay for it.
3)I thought it would be a good excuse to dip my toes in the pool of romance books written by Nora.

I have to say it was better than I thought. Having shelved her books on bookstore shelves aproximatly 4 million times in my life - I always wondered at her success. I think she might even have more novels out than Daniel Steel - which is kind of amazing when you think of it.

Reading this book made me not resent shelving her books over and over every day - and even made me think I wouldn't be against reading her again. Although I suspect her J.D. Robb writings might be more up my alley.

[June Stevens · Rating 1 out of 5]

I never thought I'd "one-star" a Nora Roberts book, but there it is. I didn't even finish this one. Barely got past chapter 1. I had a hard time with all of the sexual metaphors. Though that is something I usually like (I'm no prude), they were so cheesy and I felt like many of them were inappropriate, like the "cat rubbed seductively on his leg" or "stroked the cat to ecstasy". I'm paraphrasing, of course, but those are the basic words. One or two like that are one thing, but he also felt a "strong powerful lust" when looking at a castle...it was just too much purple prose, even for me.

[Margaret · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was terrible, but at least it is mercifully short.

[Agnes · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really expected more from Nora Roberts. I did not expect this fantasy world that Cal and Bryna were in. Yes I see the love story within but I personally could not get passed the dreams and powers.

[Carla Marques · Rating 2 out of 5]

O último livro desta mini colecção da Nora Roberts, muito fáceis de ler e de transportar.
São livros de fantasia muito leves em que normalmente o amor vence sempre.
Opinião completa em: http://aviciadadoslivros.blogspot.pt/...

[Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2020
It's a cute little story (but emphasis on little). With only 100 pages, it's hard to feel really connected to the characters. Plus, it's hard to feel the connection between the characters. Although, this is supposed to be a lifelong connection between them. I think if it was a little longer it would have felt more fleshed out. And, it would have been less like instalove (even though they apparently had a magical mental connection) and more like a true romance between them.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is just stupid and silly. I feel sorry for the people that pick this book up as their first Nora Roberts book. It would make you not want to read any of her other books. Big disappointment.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave Spellbound by Nora Roberts the lowest rating I've ever given one of her books. I love Nora Roberts. I think it's because it was a novella. I feel this story deserved the time to be developed into a full fledged novel.

[Elaine Dowling · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novella that should have been a novel. Interesting legend, I would have liked to have read the whole story.

[Lyndi W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's so freaking corny, it's great.

[Andreia Silva · Rating 2 out of 5]

#SeptemberReadingClub - Conto

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though this was a mild, uncomplicated paranormal romance - it wasn’t for me. I don’t mind witches and spells or even time travel but this was not a story I enjoyed. It was set in Ireland which was a plus, though. I completed this for a portion of a book challenge.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I plucked this one out of the depths of my to-be-read shelf while looking for a different book and decided to give it a go since it was so short. The premise of the story is promising--two people whose lives and love for each other have been tied together for a thousand years. Bryna Torrence has always been fully aware of their destined connection while Calin Farrell has practically no idea other than the dreams that have haunted him his whole life. They're finally brought together and Bryna has one night to convince Calin that he is her lover and destined to battle an evil wizard to save her and the world. I realize this story is only a novella, but even with that consideration, I think the story was super rushed and rather incomplete. Their moments of intimacy--both emotional and physical, come out of nowhere and as soon as the evil wizard is destroyed the characters have this sense of complete understanding of the entire situation that was not effectively conveyed to the reader. My disappointment in this story won't deter me from reading more books by Nora Roberts, however. I've read numerous of her other books, most of them of a much higher calibre than this novella.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Calin Farrell has been haunted by his dreams since childhood by a woman that he has never met. As an adult, Calin travels to Ireland and to the Castle of Secrets where he meets Bryna, a witch, and the woman that has haunted his dreams. Calin soon learns that he and Bryna were once lovers in a life past and they must race against time to stop their archenemy from destroying the world. There are only ten chapters in this book and people should expect a fast paced storyline.

If you've never read a Nora Roberts, don't make this your first. I would personally recommend The Circle trilogy (Circle trilogy #1-3) or Irish trilogy collection because they are so much better than this.

[James · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought I'd give a writer I hadn't tried before an opportunity to impress me with her story-weaving skills. Unfortunately, I was sadly disappointed. This book is an attempt at a sweeping saga in short form; instead, it comes across as pretentious. Unrealistic, cardboard characters who speak trite, B-movie dialogue coupled with sword-and-sorcery cliches missing almost any dramatic tension snowball into a predictable, dull story: it contains almost everything you shouldn't do to create a quality romantic tale. I might give Nora Roberts a second chance, but it's going to take some effort to gather my enthusiasm. Can anybody suggest a better book?

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best thing about this one is that it is short. I'm pretty good at suspending belief for the sake of a story, but this one felt too forced.

Nora's Ireland tales are usually some of my favorites from her but I don't think that I can include this one into that category. If you're looking for a good Irish tale or mystical tale try the Guardians trilogy, Circle Trilogy, Cousins O'Dwyer, Irish Born trilogy, Sign of Seven trilogy...are you seeing a trend? Nora writes great Irish, mystical tales when the story arc is long enough to really build. Spellbound was too much in too short a time span to really bring this reader into the story and give me a reason to care.

[Megan Robinette · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I had read this when it first came out, I may have given it more stars. But having read so many of NR's books, it seemed like a lot of details from those other books just thrown together. She may have used "Spellbound" as a stepping-off point for those other books, like "Face the Fire" and the Key Trilogy.

[Pam Stocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always Nora Roberts weaves a great story and this is no different. It is a sequel but stands alone for anyone who's not read the others.
Set in Ireland (great!!) it tells of an unconvetional family of relations and friends and those who came before. There is good and evil and romance and everything in between!
A great read!!

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was really bad. I'm not even really sure what to say other than I thought it was painful to listen to. And I love Nora Roberts books. The audio was especially bad. So if you do decide to read this I'd recommend reading it and not listening to it.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy a good short romance read, but Spellbound didn't do it for me. I felt the story was lacking, the characters were underdeveloped and the magic wasn't developed enough. I do want to read every Nora Roberts book though so at least I can check this one off... even if it wasn't a favorite.

[Sumeetha Manikandan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't believe that Nora Roberts could write this. No characterization for any of the protagonists and a story that doesn't interest you at all. Give it a miss by all means.

[Lori (on hiatus, life is crazy busy)) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short read that entwined the past and modern day.

[Dalonda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The heroine was not believable and the connection with the hero was lukewarm at best. Not horrible considering how thin it is but definitely not something I would recommend

[Mizloo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should have checked the publication date. Very old hat.

[Marian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this book.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this before, and in fact I've probably reviewed it before. I read it first as part of an anthology and I loved it. I was shocked to find myself crying at the end of it. I cry pretty easily, but over a romance novella? Never before, and possibly never since. I've read it at least 3 other times since then, and when I got a chance to get it as an audionovella, I took it. I do know that the impact of the story has faded for me a bit with time and re-readings. Or maybe I'm just not in whatever place I was in when I first read the story. Parts of it still really grab me. And some of it mildly annoys me. Mainly, I don't actually like Calin all that much. It's a funny thing because Roberts sticks to his POV through most of the story. We get bits and pieces of Brynna, but mostly we're in Calin's head. But where I connect emotionally to the story is through Brynna. I feel her pain and her longing. I understand her hurt and her pride and her decision to set the pride aside, and her decisions to pull it closely around her again. My tears at the end the first time I read it are because against all odds, without any expectations, Calin gives Brynna his love, which is her greatest desire. And I guess I was a bit surprised back then, just like she was. Now, I tend to listen to what Calin says to her and to how he thinks about her and understand why I might have been surprised back then, and also to wonder, just a bit, what she sees in him that makes him so special to her.

I have a high tolerance for audiobook narrators, apparently. I have some friends who cannot listen to a book at all if ther person sounds different than their mind's voice. I nearly always adjust, and this was no exception. But I did have to adjust. I wasn't crazy about Brynna's voice in the recording. I thought it sounded unnaturally high and light and found myself wishing the narrator had just read it in his own voice, adding the accent sure, but not trying so hard to create a woman's voice. I did like hearing the accents added in. This was probably a 3.5 star read/listen for me. I'm fairly sure I would have given this 5 stars my first time through it.