Bespelled by Dani Kristoff

In brief: Elena is a half-witch but when she meets Jake to discuss her cousin’s investments, a love spell goes horribly wrong… (Read more here)

The good: A fun story with added magic.

The not-so-good: I wouldn’t mind learning the backstory of Grace (Elena’s cousin).

Why I chose it: Thanks to Escape Publishing; I’ll also be meeting Dani Kristoff at ARRC15.

Year: 2014

Pages: 159 (eBook)

Publisher: Escape Publishing

Setting: Predominantly Sydney, Australia

My rating: 8 out of 10

Even though I’m a scientist by day, I don’t mind a little magic in my reading. I love to wonder ‘what if’ and secret witch covens living amongst the ordinary folk of Sydney got me hooked in this delightful, fun and sexy read. (Although it’s put me off love spells for the immediate future – it seems that the beloved can be a little too clingy and starry eyed for my liking).

Bespelled by Dani Kristoff is a ro-magic novel that was a great pick me up for my midweek slump. It’s funny, with super sexy parts, some high drama and a sweet ending. It packs a lot into the story besides the romance too, such as family secrets being revealed for both hero and heroine. Our heroine is Elena, a half-witch whose mother disappeared when she was a child. Elena’s kind of felt a little on the outer since then, even though she has a great relationship with her aunt and cousin. She knows she’s not much of a witch, being able to do only simple spells and her family haven’t put much into her witchy training as a consequence of her half blood. She does excel though in the real world and that’s why her cousin Grace has asked her to negotiate with hotshot Sydney lawyer Jake on her behalf. Jake has no time for romance – he’s all about the work and the profile. He meets Elena and he is stunned – literally. He’s been hit by a love spell and now he only has signs for Elena. Elena decides the only thing to do is to take Jake home with her to keep him safe until the spell can be reversed. Of course, it’s not easy having a love god with eyes only for Elena in the house, which makes for both funny and sexy moments. As Elena aims to find the love spell perpetrator, she finds out several family secrets. She also finds herself in some crazy situations – stripping on a skyscraper roof to stop Jake ending it all as despair takes over from the love spell is just one of them.

I really liked Elena. She was incredibly disciplined, not taking advantage of love-struck Jake despite his desperation to show his love in any way possible (which were comical at times). Although she was disappointed in her lack of witch powers, she didn’t let it overwhelm her and simply got on with life. I did think that her reactions to some situations were a little rushed, but this book does contain a great deal in addition to the romance, so perhaps there wasn’t time for full reflection. Plus, one of the other things I enjoyed was how the plot didn’t let up for a minute –it’s all go. Jake was hot, but with a sad history that was explored well when the spell wore off. The differences between Jake under the spell and normal Jake were very clear, but his essence shone through all the time so he didn’t seem like a different person.

I’d love to see some more stories set in this world – the magic elements are fascinating without taking over the plot and the romance. An enchanting read.