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Spellbound
Hazel Abbot spent her whole life unaware she was a witch. When a spell thrusts her great-aunt Sarah Hutchinson forward from the Salem witch trials of 1692 and lands her in Hazel’s bookstore, everything Hazel thought she knew about herself changes. Complicating matters, Raven Dare, a supernatural hunter, informs her that they’ve all been summoned by the Queen Witch, Morgan le Fay.
Morgan compels Hazel, Sarah, and Raven to correct the shift in the realms of good and evil by ridding the world of the evil that followed Sarah into modern day. If they fail, the forces of white magic will be extinguished forever. But completing the perilous mission, convincing Sarah to return to Puritan life, and resisting their growing attraction for each other might prove more difficult than Hazel and Raven ever anticipated.
Morgan compels Hazel, Sarah, and Raven to correct the shift in the realms of good and evil by ridding the world of the evil that followed Sarah into modern day. If they fail, the forces of white magic will be extinguished forever. But completing the perilous mission, convincing Sarah to return to Puritan life, and resisting their growing attraction for each other might prove more difficult than Hazel and Raven ever anticipated.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2020
11 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Jackie D.
11 books66 followersJackie D was born and raised in the San Francisco, east bay area of California. She lives with her wife, their son, and their many furry companions. She earned a bachelor's degree in recreation administration and a dual master's degree in management and public administration. She is a Navy veteran and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom as a flight deck director, onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
She spends her free time with her wife, friends, family, and their incredibly needy dogs. She enjoys playing golf but is resigned to the fact she would equally enjoy any sport where drinking beer is encouraged during gameplay. Her first book, Infiltration, was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award. Her fourth book, Lucy's Chance, won a Goldie in 2018.
Jackie is also the co-host of the Podcast, The Weekly Wine Down - which can be found on iTunes, Stitcher, or Podbean.
Website and blog: http://www.jackied-author.com/
She spends her free time with her wife, friends, family, and their incredibly needy dogs. She enjoys playing golf but is resigned to the fact she would equally enjoy any sport where drinking beer is encouraged during gameplay. Her first book, Infiltration, was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award. Her fourth book, Lucy's Chance, won a Goldie in 2018.
Jackie is also the co-host of the Podcast, The Weekly Wine Down - which can be found on iTunes, Stitcher, or Podbean.
Website and blog: http://www.jackied-author.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 18, 2020
I hate to say this but this was only an average read for me. Paranormal is my favorite category and I love witches, so I had some really high hopes for this. I didn’t dislike this, it was only just alright. I do want to make clear that I seem to be an outlier here. The early ratings and reviews are all very good with 4 to 5 star ratings. This has happened to me before with paranormal books that everyone loves and I’m left scratching my head. I sometimes wonder is it because this is my number one type of book to read that I’m too picky and maybe I’m a paranormal snob, I don’t know. I also hate to write a lower review for paranormal books because I want them to do well so authors keep writing them. But I have to be honest and I can’t pretend that this book really grabbed me when it didn’t.
One of the strikes the book had right off the bat was so many main characters and POV shifts. As someone who loves first person, I’m not big on books with many POV’s. This book had what I would consider 5 main characters with I think three revolving POV’s, plus who I would consider the “bad guys” and their POV. I had trouble keeping them apart so I think I was only in one “bad guy” POV but it might have been more. And I get that since this book was written by 2 authors that it made sense they would each write at least 2 POV’s and 4 or 5 characters each, I just felt I could not connect with anyone. I think when you have so many main and strong secondary characters, that it helps to have a book on the longer side. The Priory of the Orange Tree had 3 or 4 main POV’s, but that book is a tome. There was plenty of time to know and connect to the mains. Spellbound was average length for a lesfic book and I felt like I didn’t have enough time with each individual character. The one character I found most interesting was written in a way where she was unlikeable and actually annoying at times so I was a little disappointed with that too.
This book does have a romance and actually two couples are falling for each other. I thought the romances were fine and sweet. Romances are always harder for me when I don’t really connect with the characters so I didn’t enjoy them as much as I hoped but they were decent. I did think one was better done than the other though. One romance felt very fast moving where the other the characters had feelings for each other for a while so that one appealed to me more.
When it came to the paranormal aspects I was a little disappointed. There was a lot of things that just were, without much explanation because they were paranormal in nature. For instance, a character has a problem she’s spent her whole life dealing with… then all of a sudden and out of the blue there is a paranormal fix for her problem. I don’t like where there is a random magic item or power that will fix everything. Just like the newly awakened witches who had an incredible gasp on their newly found powers after a 5 minute learning session and a 5 minute practice section. Not even mentioning how one character randomly became super powerful because it was convenient for her, but again how and why? I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure out what the realms with an “s” are that the characters had to save. I apologized to the authors if that was explained but I never saw an explanation about how many realms or what they even were. But let’s be honest here, not everyone is going to be bothered by these issues like I was. I know this is the paranormal fan in me wanting more world building and information that I can understand what makes this paranormal word go round. If you are just looking for pure entertainment, and can go with the flow, none of these issues might pop up for you. But, as a self-proclaimed paranormal connoisseur, I can’t read a paranormal book without noticing these kinds of issues.
If you enjoy witches, books with multiple main characters, and good vs evil, this book may be for you. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this like I wanted too, but even with all my issues I would still give this an average score since the storyline was entertaining. Since I’m an outlier on giving this book only an average rating, I would suggest reading other reviews since you might enjoy this story a lot more than I did.
A copy was given to me for a honest review.
One of the strikes the book had right off the bat was so many main characters and POV shifts. As someone who loves first person, I’m not big on books with many POV’s. This book had what I would consider 5 main characters with I think three revolving POV’s, plus who I would consider the “bad guys” and their POV. I had trouble keeping them apart so I think I was only in one “bad guy” POV but it might have been more. And I get that since this book was written by 2 authors that it made sense they would each write at least 2 POV’s and 4 or 5 characters each, I just felt I could not connect with anyone. I think when you have so many main and strong secondary characters, that it helps to have a book on the longer side. The Priory of the Orange Tree had 3 or 4 main POV’s, but that book is a tome. There was plenty of time to know and connect to the mains. Spellbound was average length for a lesfic book and I felt like I didn’t have enough time with each individual character. The one character I found most interesting was written in a way where she was unlikeable and actually annoying at times so I was a little disappointed with that too.
This book does have a romance and actually two couples are falling for each other. I thought the romances were fine and sweet. Romances are always harder for me when I don’t really connect with the characters so I didn’t enjoy them as much as I hoped but they were decent. I did think one was better done than the other though. One romance felt very fast moving where the other the characters had feelings for each other for a while so that one appealed to me more.
When it came to the paranormal aspects I was a little disappointed. There was a lot of things that just were, without much explanation because they were paranormal in nature. For instance, a character has a problem she’s spent her whole life dealing with… then all of a sudden and out of the blue there is a paranormal fix for her problem. I don’t like where there is a random magic item or power that will fix everything. Just like the newly awakened witches who had an incredible gasp on their newly found powers after a 5 minute learning session and a 5 minute practice section. Not even mentioning how one character randomly became super powerful because it was convenient for her, but again how and why? I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure out what the realms with an “s” are that the characters had to save. I apologized to the authors if that was explained but I never saw an explanation about how many realms or what they even were. But let’s be honest here, not everyone is going to be bothered by these issues like I was. I know this is the paranormal fan in me wanting more world building and information that I can understand what makes this paranormal word go round. If you are just looking for pure entertainment, and can go with the flow, none of these issues might pop up for you. But, as a self-proclaimed paranormal connoisseur, I can’t read a paranormal book without noticing these kinds of issues.
If you enjoy witches, books with multiple main characters, and good vs evil, this book may be for you. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this like I wanted too, but even with all my issues I would still give this an average score since the storyline was entertaining. Since I’m an outlier on giving this book only an average rating, I would suggest reading other reviews since you might enjoy this story a lot more than I did.
A copy was given to me for a honest review.
December 31, 2019
4.5*
The blurb intrigued me, the result was even better than I expected.
Raven Dare is a shadowhunter, bound by a curse on her family to Morgan, the Queen of Witches. Her job is to help Morgan keep the balance between realms, by fighting demons, hellhounds and other nasty creatures. So when Morgan sends her to Salem, Massachusetts, she goes, unaware of how this new mission will change her whole life. In Salem, she meets Hazel Abbot and feels strangely attracted to her. Little does either know that Hazel is a witch, from a long line of witches. Things get even more mysterious when one of her ancestor, Sarah Hutchinson, fleeing the Salem witch trials of 1692, ends up in Hazel’s bookstore.
Spellbound is a very exciting read, fast-paced, thrilling, funny too. Morgan is a fantastic character, self-centred and powerful, she’d make a great villain if she wasn’t fighting for good over evil (or, rather, the balance between the two). As Sarah and the woman she couldn’t love in 1692, Ayotunde, try and adjust to life in the twenty-first century, their discoveries and fascinations bring a sense of ludicrousness to an already gripping story. I also love how Hazel’s optimism and will lead Raven to open herself to the idea of love, despite her conviction that she’s doomed to a life of loneliness because of Morgan’s curse.
The authors mix politics and the fight against patriarchy with time travel and witch fights with brilliant results. I’d love to see more of all these women, so I’m crossing my fingers for a sequel.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
The blurb intrigued me, the result was even better than I expected.
Raven Dare is a shadowhunter, bound by a curse on her family to Morgan, the Queen of Witches. Her job is to help Morgan keep the balance between realms, by fighting demons, hellhounds and other nasty creatures. So when Morgan sends her to Salem, Massachusetts, she goes, unaware of how this new mission will change her whole life. In Salem, she meets Hazel Abbot and feels strangely attracted to her. Little does either know that Hazel is a witch, from a long line of witches. Things get even more mysterious when one of her ancestor, Sarah Hutchinson, fleeing the Salem witch trials of 1692, ends up in Hazel’s bookstore.
Spellbound is a very exciting read, fast-paced, thrilling, funny too. Morgan is a fantastic character, self-centred and powerful, she’d make a great villain if she wasn’t fighting for good over evil (or, rather, the balance between the two). As Sarah and the woman she couldn’t love in 1692, Ayotunde, try and adjust to life in the twenty-first century, their discoveries and fascinations bring a sense of ludicrousness to an already gripping story. I also love how Hazel’s optimism and will lead Raven to open herself to the idea of love, despite her conviction that she’s doomed to a life of loneliness because of Morgan’s curse.
The authors mix politics and the fight against patriarchy with time travel and witch fights with brilliant results. I’d love to see more of all these women, so I’m crossing my fingers for a sequel.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 24, 2020
Heh. It took me forever to read this book (well, longer than normal), then it took me forever to write the tiny bits below. As in, it took me several days. Pathetic. heh.
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While I was reading this book, I was thinking that I’d include three specific issues/problems I had with the book in a review. I’m not sure if I’ll remember the third.
There was a television show that was on the air for six seasons called Grimm. There’s a specific thing about that show that corresponds to what I dislike about this book here. During the opening credits they had a split second view of Hitler – morphing into one the creatures on the show. It always annoyed me when I saw that because the implication was that one of the most evil humans that ever lived . . . wasn’t actually human. It’s like a free pass given to humans. Humans can be evil. Don’t fucking try to ‘pretend’ that isn’t the case. A similar thing happened in this book here, though I cannot actually recall what initially made me have this thought. Other than ‘the current president’ being in power because evil put him there. As opposed to, say, humans. So that was one of the issues I had with the book. Hmm. This was a better issue to make back when I was reading the book. Stupid faulty memory.
A second issue I had with the book is the part wherein it wasn’t exactly easy to tell the good guys from the bad. Arguably the ‘big good’ was much more in the ‘evil’ column than the ‘big evil’ dude. That big good, the leading highest level Queen White Witch (or however that was worded), wasn’t a lead character, but she sure was important to the story. That’d be Morgan le Fay. You know, from King Arthur. Hmm, until this very second, I had not realized that the early stories had Morgan le Fay as ‘generally benevolent and related to King Arthur as his magical savior and protector’. Eh, whatever. Morgan in this story here is a sexually abusive slave owner (‘technically’ Dare isn’t a slave, but, in actuality, she is). Petty, demanding, abusive, all around hard to tell her apart from an evil person. The ‘big bad’ is a power hungry demonish critter, but we don’t know enough about Blaise to see them as anything more than a stock figure from a bad horror film. His underlings have more personality and character, and have power-hungry deeds/thoughts heavily laced with misogynistic ideas. Eh, whatever.
I do not recall what the third issue is/was. So I’ll go with something I noticed. The ‘bad guys’ was a mix of men and women. The ‘good guys’ were all women. There were some ‘dudes’ who showed up to drive the women around, big beefy looking guys, but . . . I’m not sure they were real. They either didn’t talk or only grunted (I forget now which). And when the ‘good guys’ needed ‘more man-power’, that just meant that Morgan joined in on the fun. But none of the men got involved. So they might have been something like golems. Or something. Meanwhile, other than having mixed men and women, the bad guys also had demons and hellhounds to fling at people. Though, again, they seemed to be rarely used effectively (the bad guys were kind of stupid with plans; meanwhile the good guys were . . . stupid with plans – there’s one ‘mission’ where they split up and had issues because they split up; a second mission had Morgan say something like ‘we can’t split up’ (~79% mark “I wouldn’t advise splitting up this time,” Morgan said). Three seconds later . . . she had them split up (again ~79% mark: “Raven and Hazel, check the buildings. I’m going to go with Ayotunde and Sarah, make sure they stay out of trouble.”) Sooo . . . they can’t even follow plans ‘in the moment’). I think that was my original number three – the book has a lot of occasions wherein it appears the people in it cannot recall what they did three minutes ago; and or have people who change their minds often (considering the character type Morgan has, that’s quite possible, but still, it doesn’t read like a change of mind, it reads like the authors forgot what was said three pages before the change).
Oh, and there’s also a bunch of stuff like “We’re rescuing humanity from themselves, that’s no mission for sissies.” Sissies? Really?
Right, so. This book is written by two different authors. Jackie D. and Jean Copeland. I’ve never read anything by Copeland, and I’ve read one book by D. I enjoyed that book by D, and I’ll probably try another by her, and I’ve not written off attempting another book by Copeland & D. It was quite difficult to get through this book, but still, I’d try another. Well, at least the authors solo work.
Hmm. I just remembered another thing that might have been my ‘third issue’. Eh, can’t mention it, it’s a spoiler.
Rating: 2 stars
January 24 2020
---
While I was reading this book, I was thinking that I’d include three specific issues/problems I had with the book in a review. I’m not sure if I’ll remember the third.
There was a television show that was on the air for six seasons called Grimm. There’s a specific thing about that show that corresponds to what I dislike about this book here. During the opening credits they had a split second view of Hitler – morphing into one the creatures on the show. It always annoyed me when I saw that because the implication was that one of the most evil humans that ever lived . . . wasn’t actually human. It’s like a free pass given to humans. Humans can be evil. Don’t fucking try to ‘pretend’ that isn’t the case. A similar thing happened in this book here, though I cannot actually recall what initially made me have this thought. Other than ‘the current president’ being in power because evil put him there. As opposed to, say, humans. So that was one of the issues I had with the book. Hmm. This was a better issue to make back when I was reading the book. Stupid faulty memory.
A second issue I had with the book is the part wherein it wasn’t exactly easy to tell the good guys from the bad. Arguably the ‘big good’ was much more in the ‘evil’ column than the ‘big evil’ dude. That big good, the leading highest level Queen White Witch (or however that was worded), wasn’t a lead character, but she sure was important to the story. That’d be Morgan le Fay. You know, from King Arthur. Hmm, until this very second, I had not realized that the early stories had Morgan le Fay as ‘generally benevolent and related to King Arthur as his magical savior and protector’. Eh, whatever. Morgan in this story here is a sexually abusive slave owner (‘technically’ Dare isn’t a slave, but, in actuality, she is). Petty, demanding, abusive, all around hard to tell her apart from an evil person. The ‘big bad’ is a power hungry demonish critter, but we don’t know enough about Blaise to see them as anything more than a stock figure from a bad horror film. His underlings have more personality and character, and have power-hungry deeds/thoughts heavily laced with misogynistic ideas. Eh, whatever.
I do not recall what the third issue is/was. So I’ll go with something I noticed. The ‘bad guys’ was a mix of men and women. The ‘good guys’ were all women. There were some ‘dudes’ who showed up to drive the women around, big beefy looking guys, but . . . I’m not sure they were real. They either didn’t talk or only grunted (I forget now which). And when the ‘good guys’ needed ‘more man-power’, that just meant that Morgan joined in on the fun. But none of the men got involved. So they might have been something like golems. Or something. Meanwhile, other than having mixed men and women, the bad guys also had demons and hellhounds to fling at people. Though, again, they seemed to be rarely used effectively (the bad guys were kind of stupid with plans; meanwhile the good guys were . . . stupid with plans – there’s one ‘mission’ where they split up and had issues because they split up; a second mission had Morgan say something like ‘we can’t split up’ (~79% mark “I wouldn’t advise splitting up this time,” Morgan said). Three seconds later . . . she had them split up (again ~79% mark: “Raven and Hazel, check the buildings. I’m going to go with Ayotunde and Sarah, make sure they stay out of trouble.”) Sooo . . . they can’t even follow plans ‘in the moment’). I think that was my original number three – the book has a lot of occasions wherein it appears the people in it cannot recall what they did three minutes ago; and or have people who change their minds often (considering the character type Morgan has, that’s quite possible, but still, it doesn’t read like a change of mind, it reads like the authors forgot what was said three pages before the change).
Oh, and there’s also a bunch of stuff like “We’re rescuing humanity from themselves, that’s no mission for sissies.” Sissies? Really?
Right, so. This book is written by two different authors. Jackie D. and Jean Copeland. I’ve never read anything by Copeland, and I’ve read one book by D. I enjoyed that book by D, and I’ll probably try another by her, and I’ve not written off attempting another book by Copeland & D. It was quite difficult to get through this book, but still, I’d try another. Well, at least the authors solo work.
Hmm. I just remembered another thing that might have been my ‘third issue’. Eh, can’t mention it, it’s a spoiler.
Rating: 2 stars
January 24 2020
December 30, 2019
Wow! When Jean Copeland and Jackie D. work together, they can write some amazing stories. Spellbound is a wonderful example of their collaboration.
This is a fantasy story that has everything. There is time travel, good and bad witches, white and black magic, voodoo high priestesses, and not only one, but two romantic couples as main characters. The settings of this tale vary from Salem, Mass. during the witch trials of 1692 to modern day New Orleans. The story is a mixture of history and present day, fantasy and real life, and is really well done. I especially liked the biting humor that pops up occasionally.
The characters are vibrant and likable (except the bad guys who are really nasty). There is a good deal of angst with both romances, but a lot of ‘aww’ moments as well.
This is my kind of fantasy. I love how the fantasy is mixed into real life. I love the characters and the story. I couldn’t stop turning the pages, and kept wanting to go faster to see what would happen. If you love a good fantasy with excellent characters, settings, and story, then grab this book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections: https://rainbowreflections.home.blog/
This is a fantasy story that has everything. There is time travel, good and bad witches, white and black magic, voodoo high priestesses, and not only one, but two romantic couples as main characters. The settings of this tale vary from Salem, Mass. during the witch trials of 1692 to modern day New Orleans. The story is a mixture of history and present day, fantasy and real life, and is really well done. I especially liked the biting humor that pops up occasionally.
The characters are vibrant and likable (except the bad guys who are really nasty). There is a good deal of angst with both romances, but a lot of ‘aww’ moments as well.
This is my kind of fantasy. I love how the fantasy is mixed into real life. I love the characters and the story. I couldn’t stop turning the pages, and kept wanting to go faster to see what would happen. If you love a good fantasy with excellent characters, settings, and story, then grab this book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections: https://rainbowreflections.home.blog/
May 2, 2020
Oh, heck yeah! White witches rule!!
This was a pretty cool read and I quite enjoyed it, especially towards the end when Morgan shows she's not such an unfeeling twat after all. She was just a lonely Queen who now has her family. I thought the epilogue would include how Hazel and Raven get the immortality thing, but seeing what happened with Sarah and Ayotunde was a perfect.
Bloody good stuff!
This was a pretty cool read and I quite enjoyed it, especially towards the end when Morgan shows she's not such an unfeeling twat after all. She was just a lonely Queen who now has her family. I thought the epilogue would include how Hazel and Raven get the immortality thing, but seeing what happened with Sarah and Ayotunde was a perfect.
Bloody good stuff!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2020
I liked this story. Even though I like time travel stories, this one was a bit different because of the witches that is. I didn't like Morgan on the beginning but in the end she grew on me. The plot is very interesting.
It has bits of humor in it, mixed with old English which makes it the more fascinating.
I liked the hints of current political climate, I thought it was neatly implemented into the book and so very true.
Overall, I liked this story.
It has bits of humor in it, mixed with old English which makes it the more fascinating.
I liked the hints of current political climate, I thought it was neatly implemented into the book and so very true.
Overall, I liked this story.
January 27, 2020
Even though I enjoy urban fantasy and paranormal fantasy, this one was just an average read for me. One knock on this is that it does jump points of view a lot - three of the leads each gets her own chance to narrate the story. I don't know, but for me, especially with stakes that are as high as these are supposedly are having to move from individual to individual actually felt like it lost some of the urgency we're supposed to feel. I also have some serious doubts about the baddies - like they were struck down way too easily for me. There was also the way Raven's story wrapped up, it was too easy and neat, I was expecting it to be harder, especially since Morgan seemed to want to hold on to Raven much harder than she ultimately did.
Now that I have some of the nit picky things out of the way - I have to give the writers props for sticking with an older English dialect for both Sarah and Ayotunde. I also enjoyed that Sarah never really gave up her background. Even for someone as resourceful and progressive as Sarah, she was still very much a product of her time, and having a reminder of it every once in a while was a nice bit of detail. I also thought that all the characters were interesting, but I enjoyed Sarah's and Ayotunde's relationship the most. I was surprised as to how much their relationship resonated with me - perhaps it was because Sarah didn't have a name for her feelings until later, or that they were the closest friends before they realized their feelings, either way, I enjoyed their journey.
Some paranormal fans may not like the villains' lack of magical use - they really don't use much by way of supernatural powers to get people to do what they do. Others might feel like its more grounded, especially since the events in the story lean heavily into the current US political climate. I personally enjoyed some of the historical nods that were thrown in, since the book does like to draw parallels between current events now and the environment that helped create the Salem Witch Trials of 1692-93. Overall though, this is a completely average read for me that might resonate more with other readers.
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Now that I have some of the nit picky things out of the way - I have to give the writers props for sticking with an older English dialect for both Sarah and Ayotunde. I also enjoyed that Sarah never really gave up her background. Even for someone as resourceful and progressive as Sarah, she was still very much a product of her time, and having a reminder of it every once in a while was a nice bit of detail. I also thought that all the characters were interesting, but I enjoyed Sarah's and Ayotunde's relationship the most. I was surprised as to how much their relationship resonated with me - perhaps it was because Sarah didn't have a name for her feelings until later, or that they were the closest friends before they realized their feelings, either way, I enjoyed their journey.
Some paranormal fans may not like the villains' lack of magical use - they really don't use much by way of supernatural powers to get people to do what they do. Others might feel like its more grounded, especially since the events in the story lean heavily into the current US political climate. I personally enjoyed some of the historical nods that were thrown in, since the book does like to draw parallels between current events now and the environment that helped create the Salem Witch Trials of 1692-93. Overall though, this is a completely average read for me that might resonate more with other readers.
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 27, 2020
This book is fast-paced and a true romantic thriller that deals with the love, feminism, the patriarchy and the wrong doings of the past. I really don’t think Spellbound can end here because it’s the perfect opening to so much more from Sarah, Hazel, Raven and especially Morgan! The world needs more Morgan…
Check out the full review of 'Spellbound' through the link below:
https://lesreveur.com/2020/01/27/spel...
Check out the full review of 'Spellbound' through the link below:
https://lesreveur.com/2020/01/27/spel...
February 2, 2020
Oh wow! I don't know if my review will do this book justice but I'll give it a crack so here goes. I LOVE Hazel, Raven, Sarah, Ayotunde and even Morgan (although I'll be the first to admit that it took me a while to actually warm up to her. These quirky women entertained me long into the night with their humorous wisecracks and I really wished they were real because I would have loved to have them as friends. I fell in love with their delightful personalities and their bravery in the face of so many unknown variables. I also enjoyed the wild romp through time from 1692 to our present day and I must say that these authors have done a fantastic job of bringing the Salem Witch Trials and the plight of those women who were wrongfully accused, to life for me because Sarah and Ayotunde's anguish were so palpable. Right now, I am raising my coffee cup to these talented authors because I had a hard time putting this book down so that I could do adult things like going to work for instance. I hope there will be more great stories from them because I can't wait to devour another story like this one!
January 20, 2020
Spellbound by Jean Copeland and Jackie D was released on January 14 2020. Hazel Abbot spent her whole life unaware she was a witch. When a spell thrusts her great-aunt Sarah Hutchinson forward from the Salem witch trials of 1692 and lands her in Hazel’s bookstore, everything Hazel thought she knew about herself changes. Complicating matters, Raven Dare, a supernatural hunter, informs her that they’ve all been summoned by the Queen Witch, Morgan le Fay. Morgan compels Hazel, Sarah, and Raven to correct the shift in the realms of good and evil by ridding the world of the evil that followed Sarah into modern day. If they fail, the forces of white magic will be extinguished forever. But completing the perilous mission, convincing Sarah to return to Puritan life, and resisting their growing attraction for each other might prove more difficult than Hazel and Raven ever anticipated.
Spellbound is a book that I wanted to love. I thought the premise was great and some of the character and world building caught and kept my attention. I liked Hazel's story, and Raven's. I would love to read more about their adventures (before and after this story). I thought the use of Morgan's character ad the ties of multiple mythologies and legends. I would enjoy more stories about this world. However, there was something about the voice that just did not speak to me. This was particularly true when it came to Sarah. I think the attempt at innocence and speech patterns from 1692 did not come off as intended. At first Sarah seemed not just naive, but not all that bright even though later it is revealed that she received a better than expected education from her father. Once the story got moving and there were plots, relationships, and commentary on the state of the world to unravel I was more engaged. So much of this story was exactly what I wanted, and I wanted to love it all. I think maybe it was just a disconnect for me with the writing style of the authors that did not let me get fully invested in the story. It had so much of what I was looking for, and think others will enjoy it.
Spellbound is a book with a lot going on, and I think it will appeal to many that enjoy the urban fantasy and paranormal romance with a witch leaning.
Spellbound is a book that I wanted to love. I thought the premise was great and some of the character and world building caught and kept my attention. I liked Hazel's story, and Raven's. I would love to read more about their adventures (before and after this story). I thought the use of Morgan's character ad the ties of multiple mythologies and legends. I would enjoy more stories about this world. However, there was something about the voice that just did not speak to me. This was particularly true when it came to Sarah. I think the attempt at innocence and speech patterns from 1692 did not come off as intended. At first Sarah seemed not just naive, but not all that bright even though later it is revealed that she received a better than expected education from her father. Once the story got moving and there were plots, relationships, and commentary on the state of the world to unravel I was more engaged. So much of this story was exactly what I wanted, and I wanted to love it all. I think maybe it was just a disconnect for me with the writing style of the authors that did not let me get fully invested in the story. It had so much of what I was looking for, and think others will enjoy it.
Spellbound is a book with a lot going on, and I think it will appeal to many that enjoy the urban fantasy and paranormal romance with a witch leaning.
December 28, 2019
I really didn’t know what to expect from this book as I usually don’t read this genre but I was very shocked by how much I like this book it’s got everything Shadowhunters and witches from 1600 even voodoo that will blow your mind. It had adventure intrigue romance and awesome characters. The storyline flowed well throughout the book and kept me totally invested.
I feel that Jean an Jackie did an amazing job bringing the past into the present. there is so much going In this book that you can’t help being pulled into the pages of this awesome story.
As I read this story I keep finding myself trying to figure out which author wrote which part, you cannot go wrong with this book so hurry on over and get a copy I’m sure you will enjoy it as much as I have.
I received an ARC provided Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review
I feel that Jean an Jackie did an amazing job bringing the past into the present. there is so much going In this book that you can’t help being pulled into the pages of this awesome story.
As I read this story I keep finding myself trying to figure out which author wrote which part, you cannot go wrong with this book so hurry on over and get a copy I’m sure you will enjoy it as much as I have.
I received an ARC provided Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review
February 1, 2021
There is just so much going on in this one that it is rather bewildering. Counting off some of the things: the Salem Witch Hunt, Morgan le Fay from the Arthurian legend, a guest appearance by a Greek Goddess, a brief scene starring a ghost, barely veiled political commentary, also barely veiled criticism of religious bigotry – phew! Add to this the authors’ own new creations in modern day New Orleans. That’s quite a bit.
Read the full review @ https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co...
Read the full review @ https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co...
March 8, 2020
I really enjoyed this adventure. You have witches good and dark, with demons, time travel, and love. I was worried about the end and what would happen to Sarah and Ayotunde, but it was beautiful. I wouldn’t mind a second book. Raven and Hazel have more adventures to undertake, starting with the quest for immorality for Raven.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2020
I really wanted to love this but, sadly, it was just okay.
January 6, 2020
Periodically, I take a chance on reading a Mystery that has a side of Romance in it. Normally my beating heart can't take too much stress (smile). Anyway, I enjoyed Spellbound. Not only is there mystery, there is a side of two romances going on here. I mean can you really beat that? I found that the mystery portion is not over the top, but it does involved evil and some fantasy.
Spellbound is well written, is packed with action that is easy to follow, love, sex (but not overly done) and mystery. I would say that angst is medium, but it needed for this type of book. I enjoyed all of the characters, but Morgan Le Fay did get on my nerves at times. I just think her being a good witch should have lighten her up some. On the other hand, she has lived a long time so maybe her actions were justified because of the things she has seen in her life.
Anyway, I give this one 4.25 stars.
This arc was provided by Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.
Spellbound is well written, is packed with action that is easy to follow, love, sex (but not overly done) and mystery. I would say that angst is medium, but it needed for this type of book. I enjoyed all of the characters, but Morgan Le Fay did get on my nerves at times. I just think her being a good witch should have lighten her up some. On the other hand, she has lived a long time so maybe her actions were justified because of the things she has seen in her life.
Anyway, I give this one 4.25 stars.
This arc was provided by Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.
February 17, 2020
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
This story is written by two authors, and it shows. While the writing doesn’t always flow smoothly from one section to the next, I must say I enjoy that we get to see each character twice. Once through their own eyes, and once through the eyes of those around them. Raven is a stoic, strong, and solitary woman. She’s powerful, fast, and endures the flirtations of the witch queen with the same bland acceptance of a victim to a bully she knows she can’t fight. Upsetting the witch queen would only go badly for her, so Raven smiles, nods, and accepts it. It’s old hat, to her, and she’s convinced she no longer feels anything … until she meets Hazel. Hazel who is honest, innocent, and wants Raven not as a toy, but as a friend and lover.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
This story is written by two authors, and it shows. While the writing doesn’t always flow smoothly from one section to the next, I must say I enjoy that we get to see each character twice. Once through their own eyes, and once through the eyes of those around them. Raven is a stoic, strong, and solitary woman. She’s powerful, fast, and endures the flirtations of the witch queen with the same bland acceptance of a victim to a bully she knows she can’t fight. Upsetting the witch queen would only go badly for her, so Raven smiles, nods, and accepts it. It’s old hat, to her, and she’s convinced she no longer feels anything … until she meets Hazel. Hazel who is honest, innocent, and wants Raven not as a toy, but as a friend and lover.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
December 30, 2019
The Salem witch trials are retold in this time traveling paranormal story. I love stories of magic but don’t usually care for time travel. The witch travels have always fascinated me and did in this book also. It is always inspiring to have such strong female characters who can defend themselves. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 9, 2020
Review excerpted from my blog post over at Pan/Cis LGBT2SQ+ Romance Reviews (https://pancis.wordpress.com/2020/02/...)
Overall Rating: 3.0 stars
Library recommendation: Not recommended for public library LGBT2SQ+ romance collections.
Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.
__________________
Number of titles I have read by this author: 1 (by either author)
Love story speed: Slow (h1/h2); Fast (h3/h4)
Relationship dynamics: The Shadowhunter (h1)/the Light Witch (h2) ; Light Witches (h3/h4)
Sexual content: Some; on-screen and semi-explicit
Gender Identity: Cis (h1) / Cis (h2) / Cis (h3) / Cis (h4)
Sexual Identity: Lesbian (h1) / Lesbian (h2) / Lesbian (h3) / Lesbian (h4)
Triggers: Main character smoker; recounted witch trials (historical); slavery (historical); zealous homophobic religious conservatism; internalized homophobia
Acceptance Rating: 2 stars
Acceptance Rating Explanation: Society is full of homophobes, both historically and in present times, and their homophobia and the extreme negativity that comes with it drives the plot.
Grammar/Editing: The 17th Century English was a bit off for me – there were mechanisms for a verb to end in ‘s’ at that time, but this is omitted throughout the books.
I don’t generally come across many potential trademark snags in the books that I review, but this book used the term “shadowhunter” for an individual who hunts demons and it has given me pause, given the infringement case that came up between Sherrilyn Kenyon and Cassandra Clare. I would have recommended using a different term for that profession.
Review: I found this to be a rather slow-paced book. However, I don’t think that it is objectively slow-paced. Rather, I was just not “feeling” this book. Even given its interesting time travel concept, featuring 17th Century and the current day Eastern US, the fundamentalist zealotry angle of the plot really soured me on the whole story. It is an incredibly political story (think current US politics) – far more political than the book summary suggested – which will not be for all readers. Additionally, while historical and current day Salem, Massachusetts was really well researched and described, other locales and the structure of the “light” versus the “dark” is not well-described. The reader is certainly left with an unclear understanding about the structure of these “realms,” which is disappointing.
There are four main characters in this novel: Sarah and Ayotunde, and Raven and Hazel. I was disappointed to find that I developed very little emotional investment in these couples, and what little I did develop was for Sarah and Ayotunde. I didn’t feel that Hazel was as well-developed as the other three characters (in fact, my reading notes referred to her as “basically a potato”). I also found that Raven and Hazel’s relationship came so late in the novel that their eventual declarations of love felt meaningless, and unwarranted. The supporting characters were similarly unevenly developed. While Morgan was fairly well-developed, her motivations veer off suddenly and the reader is left wondering how and why things changed. I also found that the villains’ motivations were not well explained. Overall, the story and its characters just did not feel really well-planned.
Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Overall Rating: 3.0 stars
Library recommendation: Not recommended for public library LGBT2SQ+ romance collections.
Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.
__________________
Number of titles I have read by this author: 1 (by either author)
Love story speed: Slow (h1/h2); Fast (h3/h4)
Relationship dynamics: The Shadowhunter (h1)/the Light Witch (h2) ; Light Witches (h3/h4)
Sexual content: Some; on-screen and semi-explicit
Gender Identity: Cis (h1) / Cis (h2) / Cis (h3) / Cis (h4)
Sexual Identity: Lesbian (h1) / Lesbian (h2) / Lesbian (h3) / Lesbian (h4)
Triggers: Main character smoker; recounted witch trials (historical); slavery (historical); zealous homophobic religious conservatism; internalized homophobia
Acceptance Rating: 2 stars
Acceptance Rating Explanation: Society is full of homophobes, both historically and in present times, and their homophobia and the extreme negativity that comes with it drives the plot.
Grammar/Editing: The 17th Century English was a bit off for me – there were mechanisms for a verb to end in ‘s’ at that time, but this is omitted throughout the books.
I don’t generally come across many potential trademark snags in the books that I review, but this book used the term “shadowhunter” for an individual who hunts demons and it has given me pause, given the infringement case that came up between Sherrilyn Kenyon and Cassandra Clare. I would have recommended using a different term for that profession.
Review: I found this to be a rather slow-paced book. However, I don’t think that it is objectively slow-paced. Rather, I was just not “feeling” this book. Even given its interesting time travel concept, featuring 17th Century and the current day Eastern US, the fundamentalist zealotry angle of the plot really soured me on the whole story. It is an incredibly political story (think current US politics) – far more political than the book summary suggested – which will not be for all readers. Additionally, while historical and current day Salem, Massachusetts was really well researched and described, other locales and the structure of the “light” versus the “dark” is not well-described. The reader is certainly left with an unclear understanding about the structure of these “realms,” which is disappointing.
There are four main characters in this novel: Sarah and Ayotunde, and Raven and Hazel. I was disappointed to find that I developed very little emotional investment in these couples, and what little I did develop was for Sarah and Ayotunde. I didn’t feel that Hazel was as well-developed as the other three characters (in fact, my reading notes referred to her as “basically a potato”). I also found that Raven and Hazel’s relationship came so late in the novel that their eventual declarations of love felt meaningless, and unwarranted. The supporting characters were similarly unevenly developed. While Morgan was fairly well-developed, her motivations veer off suddenly and the reader is left wondering how and why things changed. I also found that the villains’ motivations were not well explained. Overall, the story and its characters just did not feel really well-planned.
Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 19, 2020
Spellbound by Jean Copeland and Jackie D is about witches from Salem, MA. The burning of witches in 1692 to the present time. This is a different genre than I usually read. It was good, with interesting, well-developed characters. Worth a read. Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced reader’s copy for review.
Hazel Abbot spent her whole life unaware she was a witch. When a spell thrusts her great-aunt Sarah Hutchinson forward from the Salem witch trials of 1692 and lands her in Hazel’s bookstore, everything Hazel thought she knew about herself changes. Complicating matters, Raven Dare, a supernatural hunter, informs her that they’ve all been summoned by the Queen Witch, Morgan le Fay.
Morgan compels Hazel, Sarah, and Raven to correct the shift in the realms of good and evil by ridding the world of the evil that followed Sarah into modern day. If they fail, the forces of white magic will be extinguished forever. But completing the perilous mission, convincing Sarah to return to Puritan life, and resisting their growing attraction for each other might prove more difficult than Hazel and Raven ever anticipated.
Hazel Abbot spent her whole life unaware she was a witch. When a spell thrusts her great-aunt Sarah Hutchinson forward from the Salem witch trials of 1692 and lands her in Hazel’s bookstore, everything Hazel thought she knew about herself changes. Complicating matters, Raven Dare, a supernatural hunter, informs her that they’ve all been summoned by the Queen Witch, Morgan le Fay.
Morgan compels Hazel, Sarah, and Raven to correct the shift in the realms of good and evil by ridding the world of the evil that followed Sarah into modern day. If they fail, the forces of white magic will be extinguished forever. But completing the perilous mission, convincing Sarah to return to Puritan life, and resisting their growing attraction for each other might prove more difficult than Hazel and Raven ever anticipated.
April 5, 2020
One to read
Wow, political and super natural all in one book. This was an interesting and fun read. I for one like a good witch story, always, and this did not disappoint. The evil was very relatable, seeing it is on the news everyday. A mix of modern and historical strife for being the other in society. Raven and Hazel's journey is one to take with a nice drink curled up on the couch. I do not give spoilers but hope there is a continuation of their story to come.
Wow, political and super natural all in one book. This was an interesting and fun read. I for one like a good witch story, always, and this did not disappoint. The evil was very relatable, seeing it is on the news everyday. A mix of modern and historical strife for being the other in society. Raven and Hazel's journey is one to take with a nice drink curled up on the couch. I do not give spoilers but hope there is a continuation of their story to come.
March 4, 2020
Not today, Satan
May 10, 2020
The description attracted me to this book and it didn't disappoint. The storyline was original and the author handled the double timeline well. I loved the four main characters and the passion and love between them. The villains were proper villains and made you root for good to conquer evil. The magical elements brought excitement and I thoroughly enjoyed being taken on a supernatural adventure.
February 25, 2020
A fun supernatural story filled with magic, love, excitement, and passion.
I really enjoyed this story. There are two couples and I loved both of their love stories. The interactions and circumstances for both relationships are intriguing and sweet. I loved all four main characters. They are all amazing woman and very fun to follow during this magical adventure.
The villains of the story were supremely evil and easy to root against. The hate they spewed was sadly too reminiscent of some people in our current world which I know was the point even if it hurts.
The romance was sweet and steamy and I was completely engrossed with both love stories. Both romances were filled with passion and caring. The romance was absolutely swoon worthy, the sex scenes were also quite spicy.
The magic system is interesting and very fun both in its design and its uses. The magical battles were epic and exciting.
Morgan was the one character I had the most difficulty with. A mentor figure as well as romantic rival, she is meant to be a bit dislikeable but she does perhaps too good of a job because by the end I still didn’t want to like her. She is jaded from her long immortal life and many of her actions and words reflect that bitterness.
There were some minor inconsistencies in the magic, story, and dialogue but it didn’t prevent my enjoyment of the story and were mostly inconsequential.
I had so much fun reading this book and following these women as they try to defeat The forces of evil and find personal happiness.
I really enjoyed this story. There are two couples and I loved both of their love stories. The interactions and circumstances for both relationships are intriguing and sweet. I loved all four main characters. They are all amazing woman and very fun to follow during this magical adventure.
The villains of the story were supremely evil and easy to root against. The hate they spewed was sadly too reminiscent of some people in our current world which I know was the point even if it hurts.
The romance was sweet and steamy and I was completely engrossed with both love stories. Both romances were filled with passion and caring. The romance was absolutely swoon worthy, the sex scenes were also quite spicy.
The magic system is interesting and very fun both in its design and its uses. The magical battles were epic and exciting.
Morgan was the one character I had the most difficulty with. A mentor figure as well as romantic rival, she is meant to be a bit dislikeable but she does perhaps too good of a job because by the end I still didn’t want to like her. She is jaded from her long immortal life and many of her actions and words reflect that bitterness.
There were some minor inconsistencies in the magic, story, and dialogue but it didn’t prevent my enjoyment of the story and were mostly inconsequential.
I had so much fun reading this book and following these women as they try to defeat The forces of evil and find personal happiness.
February 4, 2020
I enjoyed aspects of Spellbound but I felt there was a lot of potential that was left unexplored.
Time travel pulls Sarah and Ayotunde out of the middle of the Witch Trials and into present day America. They, along with Sarah's descendent, Hazel, are pulled into a fight they had no idea idea was happening. There were some interesting takes on hellhounds, demons, witches and supernatural hunters.
Sarah and Ayotunde and Hazel and Raven were paired together as romantic interests, but there wasn't as much development as I liked. It was very insta-love, with the typical character that creates jealousy, but in the end turns out to be a great person.
The connections between the love interests were, eh. That's legit all I can say about it. It didn't feel chemistry between any of them and it was disappointing. I honestly can't recall much about this storyline, just that I spent a lot of time trying to make my way through it.
Time travel pulls Sarah and Ayotunde out of the middle of the Witch Trials and into present day America. They, along with Sarah's descendent, Hazel, are pulled into a fight they had no idea idea was happening. There were some interesting takes on hellhounds, demons, witches and supernatural hunters.
Sarah and Ayotunde and Hazel and Raven were paired together as romantic interests, but there wasn't as much development as I liked. It was very insta-love, with the typical character that creates jealousy, but in the end turns out to be a great person.
The connections between the love interests were, eh. That's legit all I can say about it. It didn't feel chemistry between any of them and it was disappointing. I honestly can't recall much about this storyline, just that I spent a lot of time trying to make my way through it.
November 4, 2021
🏳️🌈👩❤️👩📚⚢🧙♀️vs😈🧙♂️vs👩❤️💋👩📖👭🏳️🌈
That’s in exchange of an honest review that I received an ARC of ‘‘Spellbound’’ by Jackie D. & Jean Copeland from BSB (via NetGalley).
So, here it is !!!
My rating : 2.5 ⭐️
The story sets, alternatively, in 3 US locations (Salem, Massachusetts ; Roanoke, North Carolina ; New Orleans, Louisiana) & focuses on a coven of 5 women => 3 white witches Hazel Abbot, Puritan Sarah Hutchinson (Hazel’s great-aunt) & Queen Witch, Morgan le Fay + Voodoo priestess Ayotunde + Shadowhunter Raven Dare). After some of them will have discovered their true nature and acknowledged what and who they really are (on more levels than one), they’ll all have to work together to correct the shift in the realms of good and evil by ridding the world of the evil that followed Sarah into modern day. But completing the perilous mission and everything else prove to be more difficult than Hazel and Raven ever anticipated.
The Pros :
° the idea of the novel which seemed original
° the pleasant beginning of the book.
° Sarah & Ayotunde’s archaïc speech => I loved it !!! It was really interesting to work on the vocabulary.
° some lil touches of humor
° the lack of the 80-85%-mark break-up 😊
° the epilogue
The Cons :
° the book featuring a coven of 5 MCs instead of the usual 2 lead characters, with a story told with several POV shifts (at least 3 of them for the ‘‘good gals’’)… AND you have to add to that several villains (with some parts of the story told from one of them’s POV at least) … That’s super hard to follow at some point…
° the shortness of the book. The very average length of the book doesn’t allow neither to have a well developed story, nor a real character development … A way much longer novel would have definitely been better because it would have allowed to explore a lot of potential that was, sadly left unexplored ; to explain some things (about the ‘‘realms’’ mentioned several times but not presented) ; give the tale a certain depth, and it would have, hopefully, erased the feeling I often had : the feeling of reading the scenario of a bad TV series where miraculously freshly ‘‘teleported’’ ladies from 300 years ago in the past are able to adjust to the modern day world « just like that » & newly awakened witches without a clue about their true nature become, ‘‘overnight’’, able to master their powers … yep, they become some real badasses in a blink of an eye with just a short learning session coupled with a tiny practice section …I know that’s a paranormal story but, still, magic doesn’t solve everything you’ve got to give us some (magical) plausible things to read about … beginnining by a hell of a training for the newbies (with a lot of failure, doubts, encouraging moments, etc …).
° as a result of the cruel lack of time-markers, we’ve got a very, very blurred time line => it’s quite difficult to properly appreciate the passing time between two events and the reader’s need to figure this out before being able to continue the reading breaks the flow …
°aside the lack of time-markers mentioned previously and which accentuates the rushed side of the story, you find the fact we have the feeling that some huge parts of it had been cut/removed (I wouldn’t be surprised to know that’s actually what happened …) whereas it would have been been interesting, like already suggested, to have more insight about the training of the new-found white witches … What would have also been interesting is to read about their blooming attraction toward their respective soul mates … For Raven and Hazel, OK no soucy (they battled agains it and I really appreciated that) but for Sarah & Ayotunde, I don’t buy it, at all : they are Puritans who fear God’s judment, they have been catapulted 300 years ahead of their time (speak about a cultural shock !), one is an obedient/devoted wife and the other is a slave, but, like that, just with which seems to be a finger snapping, they are even more active in the bedroom than a couple of rabbits in quarantine ... seriously ???
° Morgan’s despicable bitchy behaviour (yes, she a bitch, even a massive one) … which is both annoying and illogical since she’s supposed to do the good and more often than not she’s acting like a brat and even like a jerk … : she has a slave (whom she sometimes uses for her intimate physical needs) ; she has a (more than) huge ego ; she’s jaleous ; she thinks the others are disposable ; she respects no boundraies ; she uses her magic for her own pleasure and she usually says what she wants, seemingly more to confuse people than to enlighten them (she could have explained from the start the very logical reason why Sarah and, then, Sarah and Ayotunde had to go back to 1692 … why making some mysteries ??? That’s just stupid). Talk about setting an example … How can she be credible talking about doing the ‘‘good’’ and maintain the balance when, for some selfish reasons, more often than not, she acts just like the dark witches she’s supposed to fight ??
° the not even disguised attempt of critic of the actual US government and society (marked by the raise of the bigots / nationalists / white surpemacists, extremists of all kind and hich also illustrates the naïvety of their brain-washed minions who stupidely believe their ‘‘leaders’’ when they try to blame (and destroy by all means) for their own failures everyone else who’s not exactly ‘‘like them’’ …) &, so, the political twist of the book. Of course, I still can’t believe what’s happening since 4 years in the US and I still don’t get how such catastrophe (for the entire planet) has been possible BUT I think a novel (lesfic or not) is not the place to expose your political opinions.
° some more thorough edits would have been appreciated. Between other lil things & inconsistencies (I still wonder how you can ‘‘flip open a book’’ when it’s already open), a couple of typos have been noticed in English (for example : who the hell is ‘‘Samwell’’ Cranwell ?), along with, from my POV, a wrong choice of verb (usually, when there’s a ‘‘?’’ that’s a question, right ??? So, it should be ‘‘asked’’ instead of ‘‘said’’ like it happens, numerous times, in the novel) but also and especially some very annoying typos in the tiny amount of French found in the book (missing accents, misgendering, etc…) which makes me think that those ‘‘translations’’ have been at least partially made with Google translate (or another ‘‘tool��’ like that) whereas asking for the help of a native speaker would have prevented this issue…
If I had to make a very short and quite different version of my review, it’d be something like this :
- Did I enjoy this book? => Not as much as I wanted to!
- Did I find the characters believable? => Nope !
- Is this book now included in my « must be re-read »-list? => Nope !
- Will I purchase the paperback? => Nope!
- Would I read another book by these authors? => Yes … because I don’t want to stay on this miss … and hope the authors next novels (= the authors’ solo work) will be a hit.
- Would I recommend this book => I can’t do that, but I’ll let people use their free will to read the novel, or not …
🏳️🌈👩❤️👩📚⚢🧙♀️vs😈🧙♂️vs👩❤️💋👩📖👭🏳️🌈
That’s in exchange of an honest review that I received an ARC of ‘‘Spellbound’’ by Jackie D. & Jean Copeland from BSB (via NetGalley).
So, here it is !!!
My rating : 2.5 ⭐️
The story sets, alternatively, in 3 US locations (Salem, Massachusetts ; Roanoke, North Carolina ; New Orleans, Louisiana) & focuses on a coven of 5 women => 3 white witches Hazel Abbot, Puritan Sarah Hutchinson (Hazel’s great-aunt) & Queen Witch, Morgan le Fay + Voodoo priestess Ayotunde + Shadowhunter Raven Dare). After some of them will have discovered their true nature and acknowledged what and who they really are (on more levels than one), they’ll all have to work together to correct the shift in the realms of good and evil by ridding the world of the evil that followed Sarah into modern day. But completing the perilous mission and everything else prove to be more difficult than Hazel and Raven ever anticipated.
The Pros :
° the idea of the novel which seemed original
° the pleasant beginning of the book.
° Sarah & Ayotunde’s archaïc speech => I loved it !!! It was really interesting to work on the vocabulary.
° some lil touches of humor
° the lack of the 80-85%-mark break-up 😊
° the epilogue
The Cons :
° the book featuring a coven of 5 MCs instead of the usual 2 lead characters, with a story told with several POV shifts (at least 3 of them for the ‘‘good gals’’)… AND you have to add to that several villains (with some parts of the story told from one of them’s POV at least) … That’s super hard to follow at some point…
° the shortness of the book. The very average length of the book doesn’t allow neither to have a well developed story, nor a real character development … A way much longer novel would have definitely been better because it would have allowed to explore a lot of potential that was, sadly left unexplored ; to explain some things (about the ‘‘realms’’ mentioned several times but not presented) ; give the tale a certain depth, and it would have, hopefully, erased the feeling I often had : the feeling of reading the scenario of a bad TV series where miraculously freshly ‘‘teleported’’ ladies from 300 years ago in the past are able to adjust to the modern day world « just like that » & newly awakened witches without a clue about their true nature become, ‘‘overnight’’, able to master their powers … yep, they become some real badasses in a blink of an eye with just a short learning session coupled with a tiny practice section …I know that’s a paranormal story but, still, magic doesn’t solve everything you’ve got to give us some (magical) plausible things to read about … beginnining by a hell of a training for the newbies (with a lot of failure, doubts, encouraging moments, etc …).
° as a result of the cruel lack of time-markers, we’ve got a very, very blurred time line => it’s quite difficult to properly appreciate the passing time between two events and the reader’s need to figure this out before being able to continue the reading breaks the flow …
°aside the lack of time-markers mentioned previously and which accentuates the rushed side of the story, you find the fact we have the feeling that some huge parts of it had been cut/removed (I wouldn’t be surprised to know that’s actually what happened …) whereas it would have been been interesting, like already suggested, to have more insight about the training of the new-found white witches … What would have also been interesting is to read about their blooming attraction toward their respective soul mates … For Raven and Hazel, OK no soucy (they battled agains it and I really appreciated that) but for Sarah & Ayotunde, I don’t buy it, at all : they are Puritans who fear God’s judment, they have been catapulted 300 years ahead of their time (speak about a cultural shock !), one is an obedient/devoted wife and the other is a slave, but, like that, just with which seems to be a finger snapping, they are even more active in the bedroom than a couple of rabbits in quarantine ... seriously ???
° Morgan’s despicable bitchy behaviour (yes, she a bitch, even a massive one) … which is both annoying and illogical since she’s supposed to do the good and more often than not she’s acting like a brat and even like a jerk … : she has a slave (whom she sometimes uses for her intimate physical needs) ; she has a (more than) huge ego ; she’s jaleous ; she thinks the others are disposable ; she respects no boundraies ; she uses her magic for her own pleasure and she usually says what she wants, seemingly more to confuse people than to enlighten them (she could have explained from the start the very logical reason why Sarah and, then, Sarah and Ayotunde had to go back to 1692 … why making some mysteries ??? That’s just stupid). Talk about setting an example … How can she be credible talking about doing the ‘‘good’’ and maintain the balance when, for some selfish reasons, more often than not, she acts just like the dark witches she’s supposed to fight ??
° the not even disguised attempt of critic of the actual US government and society (marked by the raise of the bigots / nationalists / white surpemacists, extremists of all kind and hich also illustrates the naïvety of their brain-washed minions who stupidely believe their ‘‘leaders’’ when they try to blame (and destroy by all means) for their own failures everyone else who’s not exactly ‘‘like them’’ …) &, so, the political twist of the book. Of course, I still can’t believe what’s happening since 4 years in the US and I still don’t get how such catastrophe (for the entire planet) has been possible BUT I think a novel (lesfic or not) is not the place to expose your political opinions.
° some more thorough edits would have been appreciated. Between other lil things & inconsistencies (I still wonder how you can ‘‘flip open a book’’ when it’s already open), a couple of typos have been noticed in English (for example : who the hell is ‘‘Samwell’’ Cranwell ?), along with, from my POV, a wrong choice of verb (usually, when there’s a ‘‘?’’ that’s a question, right ??? So, it should be ‘‘asked’’ instead of ‘‘said’’ like it happens, numerous times, in the novel) but also and especially some very annoying typos in the tiny amount of French found in the book (missing accents, misgendering, etc…) which makes me think that those ‘‘translations’’ have been at least partially made with Google translate (or another ‘‘tool��’ like that) whereas asking for the help of a native speaker would have prevented this issue…
If I had to make a very short and quite different version of my review, it’d be something like this :
- Did I enjoy this book? => Not as much as I wanted to!
- Did I find the characters believable? => Nope !
- Is this book now included in my « must be re-read »-list? => Nope !
- Will I purchase the paperback? => Nope!
- Would I read another book by these authors? => Yes … because I don’t want to stay on this miss … and hope the authors next novels (= the authors’ solo work) will be a hit.
- Would I recommend this book => I can’t do that, but I’ll let people use their free will to read the novel, or not …
🏳️🌈👩❤️👩📚⚢🧙♀️vs😈🧙♂️vs👩❤️💋👩📖👭🏳️🌈
June 27, 2021
This was OK. I liked parts, but it felt slow, maybe because of the need to build the world and create all the characters. It combines characters from two time periods – present day (before Biden was elected) and the Salem witch trials. Sarah and Ayotunde, both accused of witchcraft, reunite in jail after years of separation. Meanwhile Hazel lives in modern day Salem and doesn’t know she’s a witch. Somehow Sarah is sent forward in time and meets Hazel, her great-niece, as well as Raven who has magical powers because she helps Morgan le Fay keep the demons and evil doers in check.
There wasn’t enough character development for me. I thought Morgan was the most complex character, since she seemed morally gray. The other women are simpler. They are learning new skills (except for Raven) and falling in love while trying to assist Morgan. I would have liked more about how Sarah and Ayotunde adapted to the 21st century and any culture shock they may have experienced; the little there was fun to read. More about Hazel and Raven would have made this story richer, too. The women's foes are also pretty one-dimensional. They’re getting rich while assisting Blaise, Morgan’s opposite. They want power and helping the dark forces gives them that. That seemed to be pretty much all that motivated them, but I may have missed something.
However, the magic system, the interpersonal dilemmas, and the good vs evil scenes were entertaining enough to keep me reading. Evil is winning, the dark forces have the president they wanted, who is a factor in their plot to destroy the good in the world, and our plucky heroines, three of whom just learned some witchy skills, have to overcome all that.
There wasn’t enough character development for me. I thought Morgan was the most complex character, since she seemed morally gray. The other women are simpler. They are learning new skills (except for Raven) and falling in love while trying to assist Morgan. I would have liked more about how Sarah and Ayotunde adapted to the 21st century and any culture shock they may have experienced; the little there was fun to read. More about Hazel and Raven would have made this story richer, too. The women's foes are also pretty one-dimensional. They’re getting rich while assisting Blaise, Morgan’s opposite. They want power and helping the dark forces gives them that. That seemed to be pretty much all that motivated them, but I may have missed something.
However, the magic system, the interpersonal dilemmas, and the good vs evil scenes were entertaining enough to keep me reading. Evil is winning, the dark forces have the president they wanted, who is a factor in their plot to destroy the good in the world, and our plucky heroines, three of whom just learned some witchy skills, have to overcome all that.
October 16, 2020
This book opens by introducing us to a fierce female protagonist, one of many, named Raven Dare with a family history that has determined her destiny. From that point we are thrown back in time to the Salem Witch Trials where we meet Sarah and then the cast of characters is completed when we meet Hazel in modern day Salem, Massachusetts. This book is full of girl power moments, self discovery, and of course some magic.
This book was unlike anything that I have read recently. I have been branching out into books that have LGBTQIA+ representation and this book did not disappoint in that aspect. Beyond that, the themes and contextual events in this book were very poignant in relation to the current political climate in the United States. The fashion in which existing prejudices related to race, socioeconomic status, and gender were manipulated to cause discord were staggering, but also a reflection of the current state of things here in the USA. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book and I am so glad that I read it when I did.
This book was unlike anything that I have read recently. I have been branching out into books that have LGBTQIA+ representation and this book did not disappoint in that aspect. Beyond that, the themes and contextual events in this book were very poignant in relation to the current political climate in the United States. The fashion in which existing prejudices related to race, socioeconomic status, and gender were manipulated to cause discord were staggering, but also a reflection of the current state of things here in the USA. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book and I am so glad that I read it when I did.
April 8, 2022
I really wanted to like this one but... my god it was just so rushed and the insta love was so boring and I just couldn't get into it at all. the mcs didn't know anything about each other and were already wanting to be together forever! just, nope. the plot sounded so good but the execution was just so bland and rushed, i couldn't get into any of it properly because of it. the whole plot of the shadowhunter be like a slave to the witch queen was also very uncomfortable to read and the resolution made it feel like it was all well and good and not a fucked up thing.
December 27, 2021
3 stars. Interesting plot but the writing really hindered it. It was stilted and a little bit awkward and a lot of the dialogue felt forced. None of the characters were that interesting therefore I had a hard time really connecting to them. This ended up being an okay read a little dry in certain parts but it wasn’t awful or anything.
May 26, 2022
You know I hate to give a poor review to a book centering f/f romance, especially a (I say with love) trashy one, but I didn't love this. The plot is busy and improbable to the point of feeling forced, and I didn't fall in love (or lust) with the characters. I think the dialect for the characters from the past was a mistake, as it's hard to look past to see who the characters are.
There a certainly a few good lines - the jealous arguments between Morgan and Hazel over Raven are the main thing I'll remember from this book, and very fondly, particularly Morgan's over-the-top boasts about her sexual prowess (). On the whole, though, skippable.
EDIT: One other thing, the treatment of race is pretty baffling and inexcusable here. One of the characters from the past is enslaved...TO her love interest's family...and they never talk about how extremely messed up that is? Her love interest says things like "I tried to keep ownership of you myself so we could be together" or "so I could take care of you" and like...WHAT?!
There a certainly a few good lines - the jealous arguments between Morgan and Hazel over Raven are the main thing I'll remember from this book, and very fondly, particularly Morgan's over-the-top boasts about her sexual prowess (). On the whole, though, skippable.
EDIT: One other thing, the treatment of race is pretty baffling and inexcusable here. One of the characters from the past is enslaved...TO her love interest's family...and they never talk about how extremely messed up that is? Her love interest says things like "I tried to keep ownership of you myself so we could be together" or "so I could take care of you" and like...WHAT?!
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