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Spellbound
Lila Matthews has ninety-three dollars to her name, a coffee shop on life support, and absolutely zero time for a mysterious stranger claiming she's secretly magical.
Too bad magic doesn't care about her schedule.
When green sparks erupt from her fingertips and nearly destroy her espresso machine, Lila discovers she's the last of an ancient bloodline—one that's been hunted for centuries. Her only guide into Manhattan's hidden supernatural underworld? Caleb Blackwood, an infuriatingly composed mentor whose patience runs as deep as his secrets.
But someone is testing dangerous illusions across the city, and they're getting stronger. The stolen Nexus Prism can amplify magic to devastating levels, and its thief has his sights set on chaos. As Lila races to master abilities she barely understands, she realizes the real threat isn't just the darkness rising beneath New York's streets.
It's how much she's starting to trust the man teaching her to fight it.
Spellbound is the first book in The Charmed City series—a sizzling urban fantasy romance where coffee shop chaos meets ancient magic, and falling for your mentor might be the most dangerous spell of all. One-click now to start the adventure.
Too bad magic doesn't care about her schedule.
When green sparks erupt from her fingertips and nearly destroy her espresso machine, Lila discovers she's the last of an ancient bloodline—one that's been hunted for centuries. Her only guide into Manhattan's hidden supernatural underworld? Caleb Blackwood, an infuriatingly composed mentor whose patience runs as deep as his secrets.
But someone is testing dangerous illusions across the city, and they're getting stronger. The stolen Nexus Prism can amplify magic to devastating levels, and its thief has his sights set on chaos. As Lila races to master abilities she barely understands, she realizes the real threat isn't just the darkness rising beneath New York's streets.
It's how much she's starting to trust the man teaching her to fight it.
Spellbound is the first book in The Charmed City series—a sizzling urban fantasy romance where coffee shop chaos meets ancient magic, and falling for your mentor might be the most dangerous spell of all. One-click now to start the adventure.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 21, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 27, 2025
Very very slow progression. Lead character is not a strong hero type: self doubt, moping, crying. Should have stopped at the first chapter but thought it would get better - no, it does not. Did not generate enough interest to even skim the next book in the series. The story line has some potential, hence the one star, but the main character and slow progression just ruins the book for me.
April 21, 2026
A hidden magical world, a reluctant heroine, and a looming war should make for an engaging fantasy. Spellbound follows Lila Mathews, a coffee shop owner whose life is upended when her latent magic is discovered, marking her as both powerful and dangerous. Forced under the control of a governing magical body and assigned a watcher to monitor her, Lila is pulled into a conflict she barely understands, let alone is prepared to fight.
The setup clearly aims for tension, and the author succeeds in creating it. The problem is that the tension never lets up. Instead of building momentum, it becomes exhausting. Lila is constantly on the defensive, constantly behind, and rarely given space to grow into her power in a way that feels satisfying.
Her dynamic with the magical authority figures leans heavily into “submit or else,” without enough balance to make the world feel nuanced. That same strain carries into her personal life, where she repeatedly shuts out the people closest to her. What could have been emotional conflict instead reads as frustration, especially with the ongoing secrecy toward her friend and employee.
The romantic subplot doesn’t help. It comes across as imbalanced, with a mentor-style figure becoming her only emotional outlet. Rather than feeling like a natural relationship, it feels pressured by circumstance, which makes its eventual outcome land more awkwardly than impactful.
There’s an interesting story buried here, but the relentless pressure keeps it from breathing. Instead of tension enhancing the plot, it overwhelms it, turning what should be an exciting magical journey into a consistently uncomfortable reading experience.
The setup clearly aims for tension, and the author succeeds in creating it. The problem is that the tension never lets up. Instead of building momentum, it becomes exhausting. Lila is constantly on the defensive, constantly behind, and rarely given space to grow into her power in a way that feels satisfying.
Her dynamic with the magical authority figures leans heavily into “submit or else,” without enough balance to make the world feel nuanced. That same strain carries into her personal life, where she repeatedly shuts out the people closest to her. What could have been emotional conflict instead reads as frustration, especially with the ongoing secrecy toward her friend and employee.
The romantic subplot doesn’t help. It comes across as imbalanced, with a mentor-style figure becoming her only emotional outlet. Rather than feeling like a natural relationship, it feels pressured by circumstance, which makes its eventual outcome land more awkwardly than impactful.
There’s an interesting story buried here, but the relentless pressure keeps it from breathing. Instead of tension enhancing the plot, it overwhelms it, turning what should be an exciting magical journey into a consistently uncomfortable reading experience.
April 23, 2026
Got through 48% of the book and no real traction. The author has recycled this cafe, magical sparks, and mentor sitting and watching way too much. Then suddenly jumps to a crisis in the witch community as if the lead wasn’t just initiated 2 pages ago. Reclaiming my time.
May 31, 2025
Spellbound
His is a really good book the characters are well thought out and the storylines give a different take on those with magic and those without , 5 stars
His is a really good book the characters are well thought out and the storylines give a different take on those with magic and those without , 5 stars
June 5, 2025
Loved! Can’t wait for Book 2
Magic all over NYC—so fun. Makes me want to plan a trip and see all that magic for myself. Kelli knows how to tell a good story. A nice slow burn too.
Magic all over NYC—so fun. Makes me want to plan a trip and see all that magic for myself. Kelli knows how to tell a good story. A nice slow burn too.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews