Review: Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz

Spellcaster

(Spellbound # 2)

By: Cara Lynn Shultz

Pub. Date: March 27, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 384

Source: Netgalley

Finding your eternal soulmate - easy.

Stopping a true-love-hungry evil - not so much…

After breaking a centuries-old romantic curse, Emma Connor is (almost) glad to get back to normal problems. Although...it's not easy dealing with the jealous cliques and gossip that rule her exclusive Upper East Side prep, even for a sixteen-year-old newbie witch. Having the most-wanted boy in school as her eternal soul mate sure helps ease the pain-especially since wealthy, rocker-hot Brendan Salinger is very good at staying irresistibly close....

But something dark and hungry is using Emma and Brendan's deepest fears to reveal damaging secrets and destroy their trust in each other. And Emma's crash course in über-spells may not be enough to keep them safe…or to stop an inhuman force bent on making their unsuspected power its own.

I loved, loved, loved Spellbound, so when I heard that there was going to be a second book in the series, I was excited. Even though I thought Spellbound was going to be a stand alone, and I thought it made a fantastic stand alone, I was still excited to see these characters again. Unfortunely, Spellcaster fell kind of flat for me, but that isn't to say others won't love it. It had some really great parts!

Spellcaster picks up four months after Emma and Brendan broke their curse. They have blissfully been in a relationship, and things couldn't be going better for the two of them. Except nothing can stay perfect forever, and some crazy chick from their past wants to ruin their relationship and make them pay.

When I read a second, or third book in a series, I can never remember half the points from the last book that I am supposed to remember. I hate when an author doesn't find some way to incorporate it into their new book. I was happy that that did not happen here. Cara Lynn Shultz explained everything that I felt like I just finished reading the first book!

Emma and Brendan's romance was hot in this book! I was so happy seeing them happy and together. Emma definitely grew into her witch roots in this one, and not only became a kick ass witch, but an awesome fighter too!  I enjoyed watching her character grow. There were also many hilarious lines and I couldn't help but laugh out loud at some of the things that were said.

My biggest issue with this book was the slowness. It took me forever to get into the book, and by the time the book finally picked up, I didn't care as much for the story. Remember when I said I like when authors tell the reader what happened in the first book? Well the first half of the book was almost a retelling of the first book. Points were repeated so many times, that I started to get annoyed. I think that if the book was maybe 100 pages shorter, I would have loved it. I think Spellbound was better as a stand-alone, and I kind of wish it was.

But that is just me. As I said earlier, there are still many things that were great about this book. I think it would appeal most to people who love stories about witches!