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.

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.

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.

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.

Review excerpted from my blog post over at Pan/Cis LGBT2SQ+ Romance Reviews (https://pancis.wordpress.com/2020/02/27/spellbound-by-jackie-d-and-jean-copeland/)

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 the author in exchange for an honest review.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review of the story.

The story moves between two timelines ... past and present.

In Salem, two women are unfairly jailed, suspected of witchcraft. Against all odds, one speaks a spell in desperation to save themselves.

Sarah is catapulted to the present. And unwittedly, allows other damned souls to follow her.

Raven - in present time - is a demon hunter bound to Morgan LeFay - yeah, the witch. Raven is tasked with finding Sarah and sending her back before she negatively impacts today and all of humanity.

Hazel is Sarah's great great great however many greats neice... who discovers she is a witch.

Sarah, Hazel, Raven, Morgan all work to change the balance of power between good and evil.

An engrossing story with good character building. I enjoyed the author's writing style.

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.

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.

Hazel Abbott has no idea she is a witch or descended from Sarah Hutchinson, a woman imprisoned during the Salem witch trials of 1692. When Sarah suddenly appears in modern day Salem, she sets off a series of events that neither could have imagined. Raven Dare, supernatural hunter under the employ of Queen witch, Morgan le Fay, becomes embroiled in their adventure and the women must work together to save humanity and bring balance to the realms.

The story is imaginative and brings in elements from historical Salem and a very convincing present day dilemma, with parallels to something we will all recognise. It is exciting and thought-provoking and cleverly marries a link to history, witchcraft and present day political machinations. There is, of course, a love story or two in the tale and they are very much integral to the story. Hazel becomes more and more attracted to Raven as she begins to learn who she really is. Raven is trapped by duty and family obligations and has to begin to consider that there is a different way to live. Sarah has been catapulted into modern day America, and it is so different. But in some ways things always stay the same. People are people and the pedantic Puritans of her age are not so different from certain sectors of present day society. Sarah’s feelings for another way begin to make sense to her though and that was a fascinating element of the story. Morgan le Fay is selfish and unsentimental and determined. Will she ever be able to see the point of view of those around her? As the group battle for what is right and good, we see that their fight is timeless. So much depends on them defeating evil. The thing is, I know it’s a fantasy story, but there is one particular hypothesis in it that makes perfect sense. I really wouldn’t be surprised! Once you read it you’ll know exactly what I mean.

A wonderfully enjoyable book and highly recommended.

I was given this Arc for review.

Loved it! I'm not usually a fan of time travel, at all really, but I do love stories about the Salem Witch Trials, so I thought I'd give it a shot. The characters were nuanced and interesting, and I wasn't left skimming endless pages of description, so it totally held my attention. Even if you're skeptical of sci-fi, like I am, I recommend giving this one a chance!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Wow! Spellbound by Jean Copeland and Jackie D is amazing! An outstanding work of collaboration to be sure.
I was pulled from reality into a world of fantasy and I couldn't put it down. Time travel and paranormal in one. The pages turn themselves. This was the most exciting book I've read in a long time. Would love to see more from these authors. A must read.

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.

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/

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.

Hazel spent her whole life not knowing she a witch. When her great aunt Sarah and her friend Ayotunde are transported from 1692 into the modern world her whole world is return upside down.

Raven is supernatural hunter and is sent to Salem Massachusetts by Morgan le Fay who queens of the witches because she feels something is happening there she meets Hazel and instantly drawn to her.

When Morgan learns that evil came with Sarah she task them into a war between light and dark and if they can't save white magic it'll be gone forever.

This was a good read I like how the past and present was written you wasn't lost as you were reading like in some books when they have the past and present combine. The character was engaging great chemistry.


I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

I really loved this book! This book had something happening almost every moment. No fillers or overdone background for filler. The combination of past and present is mixed wonderfully. The characters are well developed with obviously well researched. The humor in this book makes it all the more engaging. I knew this would be great with these authors. Each is a great author, but together they're awesome. I was sucked into the book from the start. I wanted to write my review after the first chapter. I don't want to give the story away with a wordy review. Just buy this book. You'll love it!
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.