SPELLBOUND by Cara Lynn Shultz

Life hasn't been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Conner, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much.

Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she's irresistably drawn to - Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.

But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can't stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma's been having the oddest dreams. Visions of herself in past lives - visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.

The Afterglow

OH, I loved this book so much! Although it took just a little while to really get going, once it did, I was HOOKED.

The setting is rich (literally; it's the Upper East Side, after all). Having been to most of the places mentioned in the book, it was easy to imagine Emma running through Central Park, hanging out behind the Met, and having romantic dates on Belvedere Castle.

This book's prose is beautifully written and Emma is easy to feel connected to. She will be an especially significant main character for any teen who's had a rough home life.

There was an unexpected (in a good way) level of action to this book that made it even more engrossing, and the bad guy is seriously, disgustingly bad - and SO fun to hate!

I loved this book so much that I emailed the publisher to see about getting a copy for a giveaway on my blog. If it's something you'd like to read, please be sure to visit me at http://annerileybooks.com/blog - it's not posted for giveaway yet, but it will be starting Monday, June 13!

SPELLBOUND comes out June 28 from HarlequinTEEN.