Review: HLB Reviews Bespelled
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 04 23, 2014
This book is what I would kind of classify as a light-hearted paranormal, mainly because while yes there are paranormal elements to it (there is witchcraft and spells), the way that the paranormal elements are used in the story are more to showcase the romance rather than a romance showcasing the paranormal.So right of the bat, we just in with Elena, and before she knows it there is a serious love spell going on, the lawyer she meet is completely in love with her after one drink of the wine at dinner, and not the good kind of love, he's infatuated to the point of obsession, and at the first sign that Elena isn't interested in him in the same way, it's like his soul is crush. To say this could be a dangerous situation for Jake might be an understatement.Elena is a half-witch, and more important she has very strict rules about her use of witchcraft, and this love spell is putting those rules to the test. While Elena didn't cast the spell herself, she knows she is attracted to this man, and when she slips up and can't keep her hands to herself, she is plagued with guilt, ready to turn herself over to the council that governs witchcraft in her area.There is clearly more going on her than meets the eye, someone maliciously put a love spell on Jake, and would have done the same to Elena, so finding out what happened so the spell can be removed in priority one. When Elena does find out who casts the spell, it leaves both her and the reader with some serious icky, creepy feelings about the whole thing (I could tell you but it would really ruin the exposition of Elena's story that the author takes you through up until the very end).As characters, they Elena and Jake were both solid efforts. Elena is a bit too overly cautious for my taste, but she has a good head on her soldiers, and she takes charge of her own life which I can appreciate. Jake in the beginning comes off so clingy and so over the top, but that's okay because he is under the spell so early on in the book. Once the spell is removed and you get a chance to get to know the real character, I actually found myself enjoying him as a person, I think he's a good guy who found himself in a seriously strange situation. Elena's extended family are interspersed throughout this story, and I thought the author did a good job with making them distinctive and memorable, and they also gave some pretty good comic relief moments as well.I liked this book, it was an easy read, and a cute little romance. This is definitely not a book I would recommend if you are looking for a heavy paranormal book, but if you want a book that's 85% romance with some paranormal elements, then I think this would be a good bet. There are definitely some hot and heavy scenes in here too.