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Of Witches and Warlocks #1
The Trouble with Spells
Portia Mullins had always lived the life of a normal teenager, up until her sixteenth birthday. She is then informed by her grandma that she is actually a witch who is a descendant of a long line of witches and warlocks. After overcoming her disbelief she finds that being a member of the coven comes with one great perk in the form of the school's handsome bad boy, Vance Mangum. Vance and Portia have an immediate connection as a budding romance begins, only to be threatened by turbulent skies on the horizon as Vance's checkered past rears its ugly head to haunt them. Portia is forced to use her untried powers in defense of everything she loves in a desperate attempt to hold on to the one thing that really matters in her life.
206 pages, Paperback
First published November 12, 2009
269 people are currently reading
4823 people want to read
About the author
Lacey Weatherford
55Ìýbooks3,922ÌýfollowersLacey Weatherford was born in Ft. Meade Maryland while her father was serving in the military. She has been a life long resident of Arizona, spending most of her time growing up in the small rural town of Clay Springs.
It was while she was attending the small country school in Clay Springs, that she read her first "big" book at the age of eight. It was a Nancy Drew novel and Lacey was instantly hooked. She read every book that she could find in the series and decided that she wanted to write stories too.
Lacey spent a lot of time at the library from that time forward, even volunteering in her later teen years and early twenties. She would don a crazy clown outfit for the Friends of the Library fundraisers in an effort to help get the new town library built.
When she and her husband moved away from the area, Lacey took the opportunity to take some creative writing classes at the local college to help further along her interests. Several years later, they were blessed with the opportunity to move back to Clay Springs with their family. The town had finally succeeded in building their library and Lacey had the opportunity to be President of the Friends of the Library for a very short time, before relocating.
Lacey and her family still live in the White Mountains of Arizona, where she continues to write young adult novels that have a fantasy/fairytale or paranormal bent to them, as well as being sure to include a great romantic storyline!
It was while she was attending the small country school in Clay Springs, that she read her first "big" book at the age of eight. It was a Nancy Drew novel and Lacey was instantly hooked. She read every book that she could find in the series and decided that she wanted to write stories too.
Lacey spent a lot of time at the library from that time forward, even volunteering in her later teen years and early twenties. She would don a crazy clown outfit for the Friends of the Library fundraisers in an effort to help get the new town library built.
When she and her husband moved away from the area, Lacey took the opportunity to take some creative writing classes at the local college to help further along her interests. Several years later, they were blessed with the opportunity to move back to Clay Springs with their family. The town had finally succeeded in building their library and Lacey had the opportunity to be President of the Friends of the Library for a very short time, before relocating.
Lacey and her family still live in the White Mountains of Arizona, where she continues to write young adult novels that have a fantasy/fairytale or paranormal bent to them, as well as being sure to include a great romantic storyline!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 395 reviews
May 25, 2012
No, No, NO. I got about 1/4 through the book and just couldn't do this any more. Why oh why do YA authors think that taking the worst parts of the relationship in and utilizing them is a good idea? The male lead secretly stalks the female lead for two fucking years before suddenly telling her they are soul mates. Which happens on their first date. Which is in the middle of the fucking night that she is surprised by. You've never talked and now you're soul mates and eternally connected? FUCK NO.
I made it shortly beyond that but when some random dude shows up at your window in the middle of the night, DO NOT LEAVE WITH HIM. I don't care how fucking cute he is, you don't go. And when he tells you in the first conversation you have that you are CONNECTED and are SOUL MATES, you run. As far and as fast as your feet can carry you.
I just couldn't stomach another terrible stalker-y YA relationship. If that's your thing, go right ahead.
I made it shortly beyond that but when some random dude shows up at your window in the middle of the night, DO NOT LEAVE WITH HIM. I don't care how fucking cute he is, you don't go. And when he tells you in the first conversation you have that you are CONNECTED and are SOUL MATES, you run. As far and as fast as your feet can carry you.
I just couldn't stomach another terrible stalker-y YA relationship. If that's your thing, go right ahead.
February 2, 2013
What. The hell.
Guys, are we reading the same book? The was the worst book I've read in a REALLY long time. And I've read some crap lately. I was going to say that it was like the author took the worst parts of Twilight, but then realized that that would be pretty much the whole book. So, I'll say that it's like the author took all the absolute worst parts of Twilight and made them 10x worse.
First, the characters are unbelievable. Portia's the perfect teenager, never doing anything wrong. Vance is the "tortured" bad boy who's not bad at all. He's also a perfect teenager. Portia's parents are conveniently absent 95% of the time and when they are there, they're beyond understanding, despite the fact that their daughter is spending 99% of her time with her new boyfriend and willingly says that she wants to sleep with him right now and that she'd die for him or follow him anywhere. Seriously?
Next, how many times do we need to hear Portia and Vance pledge their undying love to each other and talk about how much they love each other? Also, schizo much? One minute Vance is saying that he can't control himself around her, even in her ugly duck pjs, and making her not touch him and the next he's mauling her. Of course, only kisses, because these are the "perfect" teenagers, remember. They absolutely want to wait until they're older to get married and OF COURSE will only have sex after they're married. See, this is a TOTALLY realistic book. /roll eyes
Also, the plot. I'm going to warn you here that there's a spoiler for the end, but I'm not hiding the entire review. This book is so awful, you shouldn't read it, so I don't care if you're spoiled now. So Portia is spending ALL her time with Vance and totally ignoring her friend. Obvs the friend's annoyed. When she finally gets around to spending some time with her, she uses her magic to "push" a bit of her feelings about Vance to her friend to show her how she feels. Right after this, the friend goes goth and starts trying to take Vance away from her and ignores all her friends. So, it would seem obvious that that Portia's "push" was why her friend went weird. Even if it was going to be set up as a fake reason you were supposed to believe, when really it was something else, that'd be fine. Except the author then ignored this obvious reason for the friend's behavior and didn't address it again. Huh?
So, I have no clue who all these people are that are reading this and thinking it's just the best book ever. All I can guess is that the author just has a REALLY LOT of friends who are making these reviews. Because this book was just REALLY awful. And I didn't even address the numerous typing and grammar errors!
Guys, are we reading the same book? The was the worst book I've read in a REALLY long time. And I've read some crap lately. I was going to say that it was like the author took the worst parts of Twilight, but then realized that that would be pretty much the whole book. So, I'll say that it's like the author took all the absolute worst parts of Twilight and made them 10x worse.
First, the characters are unbelievable. Portia's the perfect teenager, never doing anything wrong. Vance is the "tortured" bad boy who's not bad at all. He's also a perfect teenager. Portia's parents are conveniently absent 95% of the time and when they are there, they're beyond understanding, despite the fact that their daughter is spending 99% of her time with her new boyfriend and willingly says that she wants to sleep with him right now and that she'd die for him or follow him anywhere. Seriously?
Next, how many times do we need to hear Portia and Vance pledge their undying love to each other and talk about how much they love each other? Also, schizo much? One minute Vance is saying that he can't control himself around her, even in her ugly duck pjs, and making her not touch him and the next he's mauling her. Of course, only kisses, because these are the "perfect" teenagers, remember. They absolutely want to wait until they're older to get married and OF COURSE will only have sex after they're married. See, this is a TOTALLY realistic book. /roll eyes
Also, the plot. I'm going to warn you here that there's a spoiler for the end, but I'm not hiding the entire review. This book is so awful, you shouldn't read it, so I don't care if you're spoiled now. So Portia is spending ALL her time with Vance and totally ignoring her friend. Obvs the friend's annoyed. When she finally gets around to spending some time with her, she uses her magic to "push" a bit of her feelings about Vance to her friend to show her how she feels. Right after this, the friend goes goth and starts trying to take Vance away from her and ignores all her friends. So, it would seem obvious that that Portia's "push" was why her friend went weird. Even if it was going to be set up as a fake reason you were supposed to believe, when really it was something else, that'd be fine. Except the author then ignored this obvious reason for the friend's behavior and didn't address it again. Huh?
So, I have no clue who all these people are that are reading this and thinking it's just the best book ever. All I can guess is that the author just has a REALLY LOT of friends who are making these reviews. Because this book was just REALLY awful. And I didn't even address the numerous typing and grammar errors!
April 8, 2011
This story has a bit of a twist from all of the other YA paranormal books out there. The parents are the ones keeping the magic secret instead of the child hiding their skills from the parents. It’s hilarious that Portia’s dad was supposed to be an encyclopedia salesman, but as Portia finds out � he’s actually a warlock and the rest of the family is in on it. Portia turns out to be very gifted with her magic, but the reason why is unknown. Vance is the great boyfriend that Portia finds a strong link to. The main characters are all formed very well and are thought out down to the last detail. Even Portia’s mother who isn’t a major portion of the story has her reasons for being the way she is.
I was delighted to find such great writing, I didn’t want to put the book down. I lost an hour of sleep because I just had to finish the story and know what was going to happen. The ending is wide open and left off in the beginning of action being taken…good thing there is a follow-up to this or I might have been disappointed. This is a story that parents can be ok with their kids reading (there are no Twilight: Breaking Dawn sex scenes here) and the parents would probably enjoy the story as well.
Reviewer: Jessica for Book Sake.
I was delighted to find such great writing, I didn’t want to put the book down. I lost an hour of sleep because I just had to finish the story and know what was going to happen. The ending is wide open and left off in the beginning of action being taken…good thing there is a follow-up to this or I might have been disappointed. This is a story that parents can be ok with their kids reading (there are no Twilight: Breaking Dawn sex scenes here) and the parents would probably enjoy the story as well.
Reviewer: Jessica for Book Sake.
October 15, 2012
Uninspired prose, bland cookie-cutter characters and a rather predictable plot. I really just did not care about the two main characters, not did I believe in their "love".
I finished this book in 3 hours, but I really should've stopped at about several chapters in, when it became evident that it was not going to get better. Let me save you the trouble:
I finished this book in 3 hours, but I really should've stopped at about several chapters in, when it became evident that it was not going to get better. Let me save you the trouble:
August 13, 2011
I'm apologising straight way because I disliked this book to the point where it was really hard for me to finish reading it. Maybe because I can't stand Twilight, and this had Bella and Edward written all over it. That is if you replace vampires with witches.
This was so sweet and idyllic, my teeth hurt. Vance is this God-like leather clad gorgeous teenage warlock who watched Portia since she was 14 because she is his soul mate. Now Portia is 16 and her gran tells her a family secret - she is a witch and by the way would she like to join the local coven?
At the same time Vance who is in the same coven comes on to Portia. They start this intense sudden relationship when he explains that they are soul mates, and he loves her, and of course they make sweet magic together (sorry for the pan!)... I always disliked the idea of soul mates. I like when the fire builds slowly, people get used to each other, work on their relationship...
My second issue is magic use. The descriptions is textbook Wicca 101, no deviations, and Portia is this super witch who doesn't have to work for her magic at all. Nothing has a cost, levitating crockery, painted walls or magically clean room, - no problem, it just happens because she wants it not because she learned and worked hard for it. To my opinion you give and you take - you can't just take all the time, there should be consequences. Also because the magic use is so traditional, it just feels a bit blah, there is no spark in it.
At last, the obsessive relationship was never my thing. These two share each other dreams and thoughts, Vance watches over Portia and sleeps in her room, even binds her to him so they feel pain when they are away from each other. They are so into each other there is no personality left. Eh, no thank you.
I feel like I'm not making much sense, but although the language in the book is beautiful, for me it was a beautiful nightmare.
This was so sweet and idyllic, my teeth hurt. Vance is this God-like leather clad gorgeous teenage warlock who watched Portia since she was 14 because she is his soul mate. Now Portia is 16 and her gran tells her a family secret - she is a witch and by the way would she like to join the local coven?
At the same time Vance who is in the same coven comes on to Portia. They start this intense sudden relationship when he explains that they are soul mates, and he loves her, and of course they make sweet magic together (sorry for the pan!)... I always disliked the idea of soul mates. I like when the fire builds slowly, people get used to each other, work on their relationship...
My second issue is magic use. The descriptions is textbook Wicca 101, no deviations, and Portia is this super witch who doesn't have to work for her magic at all. Nothing has a cost, levitating crockery, painted walls or magically clean room, - no problem, it just happens because she wants it not because she learned and worked hard for it. To my opinion you give and you take - you can't just take all the time, there should be consequences. Also because the magic use is so traditional, it just feels a bit blah, there is no spark in it.
At last, the obsessive relationship was never my thing. These two share each other dreams and thoughts, Vance watches over Portia and sleeps in her room, even binds her to him so they feel pain when they are away from each other. They are so into each other there is no personality left. Eh, no thank you.
I feel like I'm not making much sense, but although the language in the book is beautiful, for me it was a beautiful nightmare.
January 8, 2012
Note: The endless I love you, I love you too, our lives have never been so complete there has never been an emotion this deep (wow, thanks sixteen year olds), soulmates, let's magically bind ourselves but marriage is pretty scary, I am obviously a female because my major characteristic is that I care about people and am a care-takeer and the reader learns pretty much nothing else about me except for my relationships to others, and OH! we are magical, and if you were wondering if I was super special magical the answer is YES! I am, blah blah blah might not be enough to keep me from reading the next book. Or the three more or so that follow it.
I'm pretty certain that this is less a statement of the pull of the story and more about some personal issues of my own that I really need to work through. I would like to not read them. If there is some kind of YA paranormal* rehab I should be in it.
*Not that all YA paranormal deserves rehab. Just that when there's a point in time where I can be honest with myself that I might read this series, despite my numerous literary and female-protagonist issues with it, it is time to admit that I might have a problem.
I'm pretty certain that this is less a statement of the pull of the story and more about some personal issues of my own that I really need to work through. I would like to not read them. If there is some kind of YA paranormal* rehab I should be in it.
*Not that all YA paranormal deserves rehab. Just that when there's a point in time where I can be honest with myself that I might read this series, despite my numerous literary and female-protagonist issues with it, it is time to admit that I might have a problem.
February 8, 2012
The Trouble with Spells is, apparently, a first-time effort. I read the Kindle version.
The story is of a teen-aged witch, Portia. On her 16th birthday, Portia's father and grandmother gather the coven to break it to our young lady that she and they are all witches, albeit well-intentioned witches. The girl takes it fairly well and then learns that the crush of her life is a warlock who may not be able to continue being a good warlock. His father, the protagonist is told, was a terrible person/witch who is hunting his son to turn him to the dark side. A whirlwind, very passionate love story follows with some entertaining scenes of self-discovery.
Trouble with Spells has some fairly well-painted characters and a nice witchy air about it. What you will find is that the characters, for ages 16 and 17, are somewhat out of sync with today's kids. Their conversations are a bit too adult, and their actions might be too noble for typical teens. But the reader can empathize with both most of the time.
I respect author Lacey Weatherford for attempting a fresher spin on a popular subject, supernatural teens. This book could use more flesh on its bones, smoother continuity, and a more visible story arc.
Weatherford relies on teen passion to fill her pages, and that left me wanting more action, more challenge, and more problem solving. The characters, however likeable, allow themselves to be carried along on whatever tide sweeps them up, and there is no end to the book. Our witches morph into another kind of supernatural types, the hero gets in over his head. The last page is a summing up of what has happened and Portia musing about what will befall her boyfriend in the next book.
Weatherford has potential. She uses language well and could be a writer who creates incredible characters if she will slow her development down and give her people real problems, believable dilemmas, and the skills to implement solutions. I look forward to her maturation as a writer.
A final word - Trouble with Spells, the electronic version, has formatting and logistics problems that draw the reader right out of the book. It would seriously benefit from a cold-eyed editing.
The story is of a teen-aged witch, Portia. On her 16th birthday, Portia's father and grandmother gather the coven to break it to our young lady that she and they are all witches, albeit well-intentioned witches. The girl takes it fairly well and then learns that the crush of her life is a warlock who may not be able to continue being a good warlock. His father, the protagonist is told, was a terrible person/witch who is hunting his son to turn him to the dark side. A whirlwind, very passionate love story follows with some entertaining scenes of self-discovery.
Trouble with Spells has some fairly well-painted characters and a nice witchy air about it. What you will find is that the characters, for ages 16 and 17, are somewhat out of sync with today's kids. Their conversations are a bit too adult, and their actions might be too noble for typical teens. But the reader can empathize with both most of the time.
I respect author Lacey Weatherford for attempting a fresher spin on a popular subject, supernatural teens. This book could use more flesh on its bones, smoother continuity, and a more visible story arc.
Weatherford relies on teen passion to fill her pages, and that left me wanting more action, more challenge, and more problem solving. The characters, however likeable, allow themselves to be carried along on whatever tide sweeps them up, and there is no end to the book. Our witches morph into another kind of supernatural types, the hero gets in over his head. The last page is a summing up of what has happened and Portia musing about what will befall her boyfriend in the next book.
Weatherford has potential. She uses language well and could be a writer who creates incredible characters if she will slow her development down and give her people real problems, believable dilemmas, and the skills to implement solutions. I look forward to her maturation as a writer.
A final word - Trouble with Spells, the electronic version, has formatting and logistics problems that draw the reader right out of the book. It would seriously benefit from a cold-eyed editing.
February 14, 2012
I just finished 'The Trouble With Spells' and bought the second book in the series. I gave the book a 3 star rating because I felt it deserved more than a "It was okay" rating, but have to admit that if possible I would have dropped it to a 2.5 instead because though I liked it well enough, it could have been better with a few tweaks here and there. I thought Vance was adorable and enjoyed the basic plot line a great deal, it had a lot of potential. The two main factors I'd give for my lower than 3 rating would be that 1) the author's writing style felt unpolished- it could have been sharper and more details could have been added in some places, where less would have worked in others- and 2) I wished that Portia would have been older than 16 years old. The buy in factor would have been higher if she would have been closer to Vance's age, at least in my opinion. 'Cause honestly I had a problem believing even for a minute that her parents (and grandmother) would have been okay with their 16 year old daughter having a guy sleep in her bed, magic connection or not. If he would have been 18, almost 19 and she just turned 18 it would have been more believable to me, because she would be an adult and what could they do to stop them if they didn't want her to leave their home.
December 19, 2012
I thought it was interesting at first. But then the "I love you till death" and "No! I love you more" and "omg it hurts to be away from you" got really, really annoying. We get it! Their love physically pains them when they're apart. No need to bash our heads over with repetition.
I don't even know what to say. You can read through it just fine, if you're not big on spelling errors. The story's vaguely interesting enough.
There's a lot more work that could be done here, I think. Cut out the fluff and non-progressive material, such as the utterly inane parts where all they do is reaffirm their love omg I miss you so much blah blah.
Also, recheck the bloody spelling. Go through the grammar. Proofread the draft. There's still quite a number of mistakes that have been missed out on.
Really, I'm not one to complain about free books (it's free on Amazon Kindle, last I remember), but even so... I would have gone through my work obsessively and made sure that it was perfect (at least spelling and grammar wise) before I published it. This is your name being attached to a piece of work, no? But hey, that's just my opinion, and opinions are a dime a dozen and what would I know anyway since I've never published a book blah blah.
Takeaway from this book:
The girl is so magically talented and perfect and amazing and errrmygod that even her father and grandmother, who are leaders of the coven, can't compare.
Love means stalkerish obsessive constant closeness
Demons are kind of like
Read or don't read?
Up to you. If you're bored enough, go ahead. Hey, it's a perfectly fine time waster. But is this good or amazing or change-my-life-my-career-my-destiny kind? Nah. You're not going to miss out on anything.
I don't even know what to say. You can read through it just fine, if you're not big on spelling errors. The story's vaguely interesting enough.
There's a lot more work that could be done here, I think. Cut out the fluff and non-progressive material, such as the utterly inane parts where all they do is reaffirm their love omg I miss you so much blah blah.
Also, recheck the bloody spelling. Go through the grammar. Proofread the draft. There's still quite a number of mistakes that have been missed out on.
Really, I'm not one to complain about free books (it's free on Amazon Kindle, last I remember), but even so... I would have gone through my work obsessively and made sure that it was perfect (at least spelling and grammar wise) before I published it. This is your name being attached to a piece of work, no? But hey, that's just my opinion, and opinions are a dime a dozen and what would I know anyway since I've never published a book blah blah.
Takeaway from this book:
The girl is so magically talented and perfect and amazing and errrmygod that even her father and grandmother, who are leaders of the coven, can't compare.
Love means stalkerish obsessive constant closeness
Demons are kind of like
Read or don't read?
Up to you. If you're bored enough, go ahead. Hey, it's a perfectly fine time waster. But is this good or amazing or change-my-life-my-career-my-destiny kind? Nah. You're not going to miss out on anything.
October 21, 2010
Portia has always been a normal teenager - until the day of her 16th birthday when she finds out that she comes from a family of witches and warlocks. As her magical powers start to develop one of the best things about joining the coven is getting to know the school bad boy Vance. Portia and Vance are drawn to each other but when Vance's past comes back to haunt them Portia is going to need all of her new found magical skills if they are both going to survive.
The Trouble with Spells is the first book in the Of Witches and Warlocks series by Lacey Weatherford and I thought it was a great start to the series. There were a couple of things that irritated me, the main one being that there were quite a few spelling and grammar mistakes in the book I read (that is a major bug bear of mine and makes me want to get out my red pen!) but I have since found out that there was a mistake at the publishers and an unedited version of the story was printed in error. This has apparently been corrected now so shouldn't be an issue if you purchase a new copy of the book.
I really liked Portia as a main character, she is smart and sassy and I liked the fact that she came across as such a realistic teenager. Her new magical abilities came as a complete shock to her so I did feel that she picked up her new skills a little too quickly but the advantage of this was that the story was able to move at a much faster pace and believe me it is definitely a story you'll want to read in just one sitting! One of my favorite characters was Portia's grandma - she was so much fun to read about.
Vance is a great swoon worthy hero and yes he did steal my heart just a little bit! At first I was shocked that he & Portia's relationship built so quickly - within a few days of the first time they'd spoken to each other they knew they were soul mates and had a bonding ceremony - but this is explained in the book. Once you start watching the two of them together it is easy to forget about how rushed the beginning of the relationship felt, their emotions and feelings completely drew me in and I absolutely loved the pair of them together.
The Trouble with Spells is a romantic, action packed read and one that I would highly recommend to fans of YA paranormal romance. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in the series - this book ends on quite a cliffhanger so you might want to make sure you get hold of both books before you start reading!
The Trouble with Spells is the first book in the Of Witches and Warlocks series by Lacey Weatherford and I thought it was a great start to the series. There were a couple of things that irritated me, the main one being that there were quite a few spelling and grammar mistakes in the book I read (that is a major bug bear of mine and makes me want to get out my red pen!) but I have since found out that there was a mistake at the publishers and an unedited version of the story was printed in error. This has apparently been corrected now so shouldn't be an issue if you purchase a new copy of the book.
I really liked Portia as a main character, she is smart and sassy and I liked the fact that she came across as such a realistic teenager. Her new magical abilities came as a complete shock to her so I did feel that she picked up her new skills a little too quickly but the advantage of this was that the story was able to move at a much faster pace and believe me it is definitely a story you'll want to read in just one sitting! One of my favorite characters was Portia's grandma - she was so much fun to read about.
Vance is a great swoon worthy hero and yes he did steal my heart just a little bit! At first I was shocked that he & Portia's relationship built so quickly - within a few days of the first time they'd spoken to each other they knew they were soul mates and had a bonding ceremony - but this is explained in the book. Once you start watching the two of them together it is easy to forget about how rushed the beginning of the relationship felt, their emotions and feelings completely drew me in and I absolutely loved the pair of them together.
The Trouble with Spells is a romantic, action packed read and one that I would highly recommend to fans of YA paranormal romance. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in the series - this book ends on quite a cliffhanger so you might want to make sure you get hold of both books before you start reading!
April 20, 2011
I really enjoyed reading about the magical human kind of powers again. After all those werewolves and vampires, it's nice to read about the grandma with a coven hiding in her basement. Who wouldn't want such a grandma?
When Portia turns sixteen, she learns that she has magical powers. Together with her grandma and father she is in a coven, where she discovers that Vince, the hottest guy in school, is a warlock. They fall in a love so strong they can't even stand to be separated any more. But Vince has a dark past that catches up with him...
The Trouble With Spells is a very romance heavy book. Almost suffocatingly so. They bind themselves together with magic, like a magical engagement, making it physically hurt to be apart from each other. It was the complete opposite of the usual romantic plot line of a young-adult novel. There is no angsty "does he really like me" rambling, but unconditional love. Maybe it's cynical me speaking, but I thought it to be a tiny bit scary. It's like marrying on your sixteenth. It was well written though, and their love for each other, while a bit creepy, was very believable. You can understand why they care for each other, and this is one of those things that's really hard to achieve in a book.
One of the best things about this book was the magic part. I liked the descriptions about the rituals and the spells. Even though this book has its foundation in an old concept, it doesn't feel corny at all. There were some really cool new abilities added that made me very excited.
I liked both the main characters Portia and Vance a lot. They both have their flaws, but they only get more likeable because of them. I think Vance will make a lot of women all over the world swoon and flutter! As for secondary characters, I especially loved Portia's grandmother. A spell casting granny. That's so awesome.
If you're looking for a good paranormal romance young-adult that deals with a one true love, The Trouble With Spells is definitely a book for you.
When Portia turns sixteen, she learns that she has magical powers. Together with her grandma and father she is in a coven, where she discovers that Vince, the hottest guy in school, is a warlock. They fall in a love so strong they can't even stand to be separated any more. But Vince has a dark past that catches up with him...
The Trouble With Spells is a very romance heavy book. Almost suffocatingly so. They bind themselves together with magic, like a magical engagement, making it physically hurt to be apart from each other. It was the complete opposite of the usual romantic plot line of a young-adult novel. There is no angsty "does he really like me" rambling, but unconditional love. Maybe it's cynical me speaking, but I thought it to be a tiny bit scary. It's like marrying on your sixteenth. It was well written though, and their love for each other, while a bit creepy, was very believable. You can understand why they care for each other, and this is one of those things that's really hard to achieve in a book.
One of the best things about this book was the magic part. I liked the descriptions about the rituals and the spells. Even though this book has its foundation in an old concept, it doesn't feel corny at all. There were some really cool new abilities added that made me very excited.
I liked both the main characters Portia and Vance a lot. They both have their flaws, but they only get more likeable because of them. I think Vance will make a lot of women all over the world swoon and flutter! As for secondary characters, I especially loved Portia's grandmother. A spell casting granny. That's so awesome.
If you're looking for a good paranormal romance young-adult that deals with a one true love, The Trouble With Spells is definitely a book for you.
April 7, 2011
3.5 Very Good!
A beautiful story about a young witch who at sixteen is just discovering her family’s heritage and coming into her powers, and the boy she falls in love with who is a powerful warlock with dark forces after him.
The Trouble with Spells is a magical adventure full of sweet romance, dark mystery, and emotional, entertaining suspense.
I really enjoyed Weatherford’s writing style, it was simple and to the point, exactly how I would write a novel if I were as creative as her!
Both Portia and Vance are strong main characters. I especially loved Portia, her strengths, determination and commitment. Vance looses his bad boy appeal as the story progresses but his dedication to Portia and his protectiveness for her when it comes to everyday teenage life, his father and his self, balances the loss out somewhat, though I would of liked to see more of the alpha he has inside.
Great character development, all the main and side characters were well fleshed out and incredibly endearing. I felt really involved with their story.
Portia and Vance’s relationship is fast and intense but Weatherford lends it believability with magical explanations. Though Portia’s family’s reactions to the fervent relationship of teenagers was unbelievable, and as a former teen who had a lot of freedom and now a mother I wasn’t buying the easy-going attitude of the parents. But, that is totally my opinion and is sure to differ from others.
At first the plot moved along at a slow pace for me but the final chapters were surprising and exciting. This was very much a light, fell-good story until the end where you were gripped by suspense and the grittiness of the dark side of magic, with a heartbreaking cliffhanger that leads to the next installment in the series that I will be sure to read. The world building got a little too descriptive in some instances but didn’t take away from the story.
Very clean, great for young adults. All in all, a very good read and I plan to continue the series and would recommend it to others.
A beautiful story about a young witch who at sixteen is just discovering her family’s heritage and coming into her powers, and the boy she falls in love with who is a powerful warlock with dark forces after him.
The Trouble with Spells is a magical adventure full of sweet romance, dark mystery, and emotional, entertaining suspense.
I really enjoyed Weatherford’s writing style, it was simple and to the point, exactly how I would write a novel if I were as creative as her!
Both Portia and Vance are strong main characters. I especially loved Portia, her strengths, determination and commitment. Vance looses his bad boy appeal as the story progresses but his dedication to Portia and his protectiveness for her when it comes to everyday teenage life, his father and his self, balances the loss out somewhat, though I would of liked to see more of the alpha he has inside.
Great character development, all the main and side characters were well fleshed out and incredibly endearing. I felt really involved with their story.
Portia and Vance’s relationship is fast and intense but Weatherford lends it believability with magical explanations. Though Portia’s family’s reactions to the fervent relationship of teenagers was unbelievable, and as a former teen who had a lot of freedom and now a mother I wasn’t buying the easy-going attitude of the parents. But, that is totally my opinion and is sure to differ from others.
At first the plot moved along at a slow pace for me but the final chapters were surprising and exciting. This was very much a light, fell-good story until the end where you were gripped by suspense and the grittiness of the dark side of magic, with a heartbreaking cliffhanger that leads to the next installment in the series that I will be sure to read. The world building got a little too descriptive in some instances but didn’t take away from the story.
Very clean, great for young adults. All in all, a very good read and I plan to continue the series and would recommend it to others.
September 8, 2011
I don't know, I think maybe I'm needing a little less romance in my paranormal romance books at the moment (which sounds crazy, I know) It's just killing the story for me. A little bit more realism in the romance part and I'm good....no, it's not just that. I need something fresh, something different, a story that I don't already know the beginning, middle and end of. But saying all that, the story was good. It's just one of those whole "it's not you, it's me" things....
September 9, 2017
This author is new to me. This is the first book in the series and I was excited since I got it for free. The book didn't disappoint. I actually liked the insta-love, but that's just my opinion. I liked how the story unravels at a steady pace. It was especially cool that they used her best friend as a main character the way this author did. Five glittery stars from me! <3
April 11, 2012
Brought to you by Guest Reviewer Susan
Of Witches and Warlocks, is a series of books written by my favourite author Lacey Weatherford. She is an amazing and talented writer, not to mention a wonderful wife and fantastic mother to six, yes six children. How she finds the time to write as well I will never know, but I am grateful she does.
Lacey has created a strong, role model worth, protagonist called Portia Mullins. Portia is an ordinary teenager, living an ordinary life until she reaches her sweet sixteen birthday. Instead of being given a dress or some frivolous gift, she is told she is a witch. A very powerful witch at that. She is a descendant form a long line of witches and warlocks on her father’s side.
Her Grandmother is the high priestess of a coven, in which she meets Vance Magnum. A leather clad, motorbike riding bad boy. Who turns out to be more than her soulmate, they are meant to be together.
The chemistry and romance is breathtakingly deep, as Portia struggles to balance love, life, magic, family and being a teenager.
What I love most about the fact that Portia was a witch, was that she was a real witch that can do some really cool magic. Not just, mix some herbs together and cure a cold. She can move things, blast things and just about anything. However, she needs to learn them and more importantly learn how to control her powers.
Their bond is put to the test when Vance’s past catches up with him. Will they survive it? Sparks will fly and not just between Vance and Portia.
This book is refreshing, different from the others out there. I would rank this book one of the best paranormal young adult books out there. It appeals to readers both young and old. I will read it over and over again. You won’t be disappointed.
Of Witches and Warlocks, is a series of books written by my favourite author Lacey Weatherford. She is an amazing and talented writer, not to mention a wonderful wife and fantastic mother to six, yes six children. How she finds the time to write as well I will never know, but I am grateful she does.
Lacey has created a strong, role model worth, protagonist called Portia Mullins. Portia is an ordinary teenager, living an ordinary life until she reaches her sweet sixteen birthday. Instead of being given a dress or some frivolous gift, she is told she is a witch. A very powerful witch at that. She is a descendant form a long line of witches and warlocks on her father’s side.
Her Grandmother is the high priestess of a coven, in which she meets Vance Magnum. A leather clad, motorbike riding bad boy. Who turns out to be more than her soulmate, they are meant to be together.
The chemistry and romance is breathtakingly deep, as Portia struggles to balance love, life, magic, family and being a teenager.
What I love most about the fact that Portia was a witch, was that she was a real witch that can do some really cool magic. Not just, mix some herbs together and cure a cold. She can move things, blast things and just about anything. However, she needs to learn them and more importantly learn how to control her powers.
Their bond is put to the test when Vance’s past catches up with him. Will they survive it? Sparks will fly and not just between Vance and Portia.
This book is refreshing, different from the others out there. I would rank this book one of the best paranormal young adult books out there. It appeals to readers both young and old. I will read it over and over again. You won’t be disappointed.
September 24, 2012
Is this a Kissing Book? I think this one has described all kinds of kisses than any other YA book I've read. It should be titled The Trouble with Kisses. Or make that The Trouble With Soulmates.. because the story brings the term soulmates to a whole new level.
The relationship of Vance & Portia actually scares me. While I am happy to find someone who is right for me, I don't think I'll be happy to know that my partner is doomed to literally die of heartbreak when I am gone, or vice versa for that matter. What they have is extremely intense and I do not envy it. There is also a trace of over-sentimentality in some dialogues that I find too mature for a just turned 16 year old protagonist. And just for the record, the excitement & novelty of a new couple sharing passionate kisses faded quite quickly after reading about it too many times. It has become redundant. I get it already, they're IN LOVE. Every kiss they share is SPECIAL. I KNOW ALREADY. OKAY!?
So, aside from the kissing and their rather disturbing attachment to each other, the book is not that bad. The storyline goes from romantic to sinister. A coven of witches and warlocks is protecting Vance from his warlock-turned demon dad. Vance falls in love with Portia, the newest and 13th member of the coven. Portia, a witch with strong powers, feels the same way with Vance. They cast a binding spell as they were too young to get married, but the spell makes it emotionally and mentally difficult to be physically separated from each other. This same drawback however, is what helps Portia and Vance triumph over a life and death situation. The ending was actually a good resolution, with just the right cliffhanger scene to interest a reader to follow Portia and Vance's love story.
The relationship of Vance & Portia actually scares me. While I am happy to find someone who is right for me, I don't think I'll be happy to know that my partner is doomed to literally die of heartbreak when I am gone, or vice versa for that matter. What they have is extremely intense and I do not envy it. There is also a trace of over-sentimentality in some dialogues that I find too mature for a just turned 16 year old protagonist. And just for the record, the excitement & novelty of a new couple sharing passionate kisses faded quite quickly after reading about it too many times. It has become redundant. I get it already, they're IN LOVE. Every kiss they share is SPECIAL. I KNOW ALREADY. OKAY!?
So, aside from the kissing and their rather disturbing attachment to each other, the book is not that bad. The storyline goes from romantic to sinister. A coven of witches and warlocks is protecting Vance from his warlock-turned demon dad. Vance falls in love with Portia, the newest and 13th member of the coven. Portia, a witch with strong powers, feels the same way with Vance. They cast a binding spell as they were too young to get married, but the spell makes it emotionally and mentally difficult to be physically separated from each other. This same drawback however, is what helps Portia and Vance triumph over a life and death situation. The ending was actually a good resolution, with just the right cliffhanger scene to interest a reader to follow Portia and Vance's love story.
August 14, 2014
Favorite Lines “All this running has taught me to live in the moment because life is short. If you want something, you should reach out with both hands and seize it. God’s Grace is something we can never earn, but it’s something he still gives us freely.�
“I wondered if everyone in love felt like this. Was this ever-present, hot, sizzling fire running through my veins normal?�
“Sometimes it’s like my life is just beginning. It’s a new awakening for me. Even when I knew you were the one for me, I had no idea it would be this strong.� He ran his thumb over my lips. “It’s not only the physical part of it either. It’s everything. I don’t know, it’s like I was only halfway living before now.�
“I do love you, more than you can comprehend right now,� I tried to explain. “That’s why I’m doing this.�
“I promise to always keep you pure,
And never into evil lure.�
Man..... This series is epic! Having already read Of Fire and Ice I knew it was going to spectacular!
Portia and Vance are a couple for the ages!
Portia handles everything that comes her way easily. Finding out she's a witch and then finding Lance. That can put any girl through a loop but she's takes it makes it her own.
Vance has been on the run his whole life but, when he sees Portia he waits 2 yrs for her to become 16 and there is no way he's running again but, when his crazy father comes for him things get crazy!
This author is amazing, her wold is fabulous, her characters are characters you can love and fight for! The storyline is one I LOVE!!! Vance is vastly approaching the top of I want this character list!!! Off too read book 2
FIVE TRUE LOVE FAIRIES
“I wondered if everyone in love felt like this. Was this ever-present, hot, sizzling fire running through my veins normal?�
“Sometimes it’s like my life is just beginning. It’s a new awakening for me. Even when I knew you were the one for me, I had no idea it would be this strong.� He ran his thumb over my lips. “It’s not only the physical part of it either. It’s everything. I don’t know, it’s like I was only halfway living before now.�
“I do love you, more than you can comprehend right now,� I tried to explain. “That’s why I’m doing this.�
“I promise to always keep you pure,
And never into evil lure.�
Man..... This series is epic! Having already read Of Fire and Ice I knew it was going to spectacular!
Portia and Vance are a couple for the ages!
Portia handles everything that comes her way easily. Finding out she's a witch and then finding Lance. That can put any girl through a loop but she's takes it makes it her own.
Vance has been on the run his whole life but, when he sees Portia he waits 2 yrs for her to become 16 and there is no way he's running again but, when his crazy father comes for him things get crazy!
This author is amazing, her wold is fabulous, her characters are characters you can love and fight for! The storyline is one I LOVE!!! Vance is vastly approaching the top of I want this character list!!! Off too read book 2
FIVE TRUE LOVE FAIRIES
June 19, 2010
What a way to begin a new series. Lacey Weatherford has created an addicting new world where young love and magic go hand in hand. Her characters Vance and Portia show all the joys of new love and the heartbreak that comes when that love is so cruelly tested. From the moment each character is introduced, you fall in love with them and you become intimately involved in the adventure they are taking. Portia is the sweet girl who is told on her 16th birthday that she is a witch with powers that seem to go beyond what those around her expected. You watch her take those first steps of wonder as the world of magic is opened up before her eyes. At that same moment, Portia's eyes are also opened up to a different kind of magic in the form resident bad boy , Vance Mangum. He is the epitome of all that was good about going to highschool. In Vance, Portia finds budding romance and the passion that sparks between them astounds them both. It was a pleasure to read about them and I'm extremely interested in seeing how they're love and commitment to each other develops. Lacey Weatherford writes a well written story and the ideas introduced will appeal to both the young and not so young reader. The book grabs hold of you from the very beginning and leaves you breathless by the final word. Of Witches and Warlocks - The Trouble With Spells is an amazing read and an essential additional to your library and the paranormal genre.
May 23, 2015
I believed there would be interesting world building surrounding the concept of witches and warlocks in this story but that was kicked to the kerbside in order to focus on the romance, which I didn't find appealing at all.
I found the first 15% and the last 15% to be alright, as there was a gleam of plot but that could not excuse the 70% in-between of nothing happening except for Portia and Vance declaring their love and binding their souls with magic. Let's not forget the kissing. Light, fast, hot, soft, hungry, sweet, thorough, lingering, searing, passionate, long, innocent, breathless, scorching... you name it! You can bet there's one of every type in this book. Eurgh, it was just too much.
I didn't like how Portia and Vance just happened to be powerful and didn't even need to learn their magic. They just possessed it and could do anything they wanted to when they just put their mind to it. Psh.
Wow I cannot believe how I stomached this book. Most definitely because I was counting it towards a challenge. I don't recommend this book to anyone unless they enjoy an obsessive stalkerish (one who stalks both mind and body) bad boy love interest and a female lead who cannot stand on her own two feet (she needs him by her side or she falls... into depression).
I found the first 15% and the last 15% to be alright, as there was a gleam of plot but that could not excuse the 70% in-between of nothing happening except for Portia and Vance declaring their love and binding their souls with magic. Let's not forget the kissing. Light, fast, hot, soft, hungry, sweet, thorough, lingering, searing, passionate, long, innocent, breathless, scorching... you name it! You can bet there's one of every type in this book. Eurgh, it was just too much.
I didn't like how Portia and Vance just happened to be powerful and didn't even need to learn their magic. They just possessed it and could do anything they wanted to when they just put their mind to it. Psh.
Wow I cannot believe how I stomached this book. Most definitely because I was counting it towards a challenge. I don't recommend this book to anyone unless they enjoy an obsessive stalkerish (one who stalks both mind and body) bad boy love interest and a female lead who cannot stand on her own two feet (she needs him by her side or she falls... into depression).
July 6, 2011
I have been wanting to read this book since I started on the book tour and I could kick myself for not reading this sooner. The sweet romance between Vance and Portia poured through out the whole book and it tugged at my heart.
As most of you know I am an avid Adult romance reader, and I haven't read too many YA but there are times as much as I love hot stuff its nice to have young innocent romance for the change that being said this book had its steamy moments, those kisses wow !! Lacey wrote them so well I could almost feel myself breathless from them.
I loved these characters, Grandma Milly reminded me so much of my grandma I seriously wanted to cry.
Overall I am not sure what else I can say that would do this book justice other than I can't wait to dive into The Demon Kiss to find out what is going to happen with Vance and Portia. I have added Lacey to another new fave author, thanks to this book, Belinda and the book tour - Thank you.
Not posting this to my blog as my partner in crime already reviewed it on there but I will be posting on Amazon too.
As most of you know I am an avid Adult romance reader, and I haven't read too many YA but there are times as much as I love hot stuff its nice to have young innocent romance for the change that being said this book had its steamy moments, those kisses wow !! Lacey wrote them so well I could almost feel myself breathless from them.
I loved these characters, Grandma Milly reminded me so much of my grandma I seriously wanted to cry.
Overall I am not sure what else I can say that would do this book justice other than I can't wait to dive into The Demon Kiss to find out what is going to happen with Vance and Portia. I have added Lacey to another new fave author, thanks to this book, Belinda and the book tour - Thank you.
Not posting this to my blog as my partner in crime already reviewed it on there but I will be posting on Amazon too.
November 3, 2015
This book is so incredibly sweet. I really really enjoyed it. Especially the budding romance and magic between Portia and Vance. And Vance.. *swoon*.
“Why don’t you watch where you’re going?� I said, mostly under my breath. I didn’t even look to see who the intruder was, but I was completely irritated. “Hey now. You ran into me,� a soft, sultry, male voice returned. I froze. My gaze slowly moved to the feet in front of me and continued to travel up—over the black laced-up boots covered by tattered Levis, past the black belt with the silver buckle, to the ever-present, tightly stretched t-shirt with a leather jacket slung casually over the shoulder. I noticed the pulsating veins in his neck, and I paused at the soft, wide-set lips before looking straight into the piercing blue-eyed stare of Vance Mangum.
I soon found myself head over heels in love with this book. The magic and romance intertwined perfectly. I am 100% going to be continuing this series! I can't seem to get enough. You should definitely go read it. :)
“Why don’t you watch where you’re going?� I said, mostly under my breath. I didn’t even look to see who the intruder was, but I was completely irritated. “Hey now. You ran into me,� a soft, sultry, male voice returned. I froze. My gaze slowly moved to the feet in front of me and continued to travel up—over the black laced-up boots covered by tattered Levis, past the black belt with the silver buckle, to the ever-present, tightly stretched t-shirt with a leather jacket slung casually over the shoulder. I noticed the pulsating veins in his neck, and I paused at the soft, wide-set lips before looking straight into the piercing blue-eyed stare of Vance Mangum.
I soon found myself head over heels in love with this book. The magic and romance intertwined perfectly. I am 100% going to be continuing this series! I can't seem to get enough. You should definitely go read it. :)
August 14, 2010
EDITED: I wanted to add this note I received from Lacey:
"Hi Kathy! Thanks for the review! Just FYI there was a mix up and the publisher put an unedited draft in the original book. It has since been reprinted!"
I bumped my review up to a 4 star review because the editing was the reason I gave it only 3 stars to begin with.
This is a hard book for me to rate. There were things I really loved about this book and thing I didn't like.
For full review:
Content: This is a fairly clean read. There is no language and little innuendo. My main problem is the issue of Vance spending his nights spooning with Portia. I could believe 100+ year old, animal blood drinking Edward might have enough control to resist going too far with Bella but I don't think it's a story element that should be repeated in other books. I doubt any other man, human or otherwise, could show such control.
"Hi Kathy! Thanks for the review! Just FYI there was a mix up and the publisher put an unedited draft in the original book. It has since been reprinted!"
I bumped my review up to a 4 star review because the editing was the reason I gave it only 3 stars to begin with.
This is a hard book for me to rate. There were things I really loved about this book and thing I didn't like.
For full review:
Content: This is a fairly clean read. There is no language and little innuendo. My main problem is the issue of Vance spending his nights spooning with Portia. I could believe 100+ year old, animal blood drinking Edward might have enough control to resist going too far with Bella but I don't think it's a story element that should be repeated in other books. I doubt any other man, human or otherwise, could show such control.
November 12, 2012
So, I stumbled upon the series after I read Lacey's contemporary books. I liked her writing style enough to try her YA PNR series. Unfortunately, I believe this was her first attempt at writing and it totally shows. The plot was really cliche and I felt that it needed focus. First we began with witches, then the bad witches started to drink blood, and then they turned into demons. It made me wonder if she introduced some zombies along the way.
I liked Vance somewhat, even though he was the warlock version of Edward Cullen. Portia was another story. It wasn't that I disliked her, she was just so blah. Her personality, her looks, nothing really stood out besides the fact that she was not only a witch, but a very spewshul witch (insert rolling eyes moment here).
I'm kind of glad that this wasn't the first book by Lacey that I read, otherwise I probably wouldn't try any other title by her.
I liked Vance somewhat, even though he was the warlock version of Edward Cullen. Portia was another story. It wasn't that I disliked her, she was just so blah. Her personality, her looks, nothing really stood out besides the fact that she was not only a witch, but a very spewshul witch (insert rolling eyes moment here).
I'm kind of glad that this wasn't the first book by Lacey that I read, otherwise I probably wouldn't try any other title by her.
April 30, 2011
I am so happy that I read this book because I absolutely loved it. I haven't read many books that are only about witches & warlocks, so that was interesting. A lot of the book was world & relationship building which was very important for the rest of the story. The relationship between Portia & Vance happened pretty fast (and yes I know instant love bothers people, but I guess it isn't really an issue for me), but it was very important to the story & makes sense later on. I thought they made a good couple. There were also a lot of great secondary characters like Portia's parents, her grandma, and her friend Shelly. The end chunk of the book was nice and action packed and there were things that totally surprised me & the ending definitely left me wanting to read more. Can't wait to read the next book!
February 29, 2012
Lacey Weatherford is a master of "leaving the reader hanging on" at the end of each book, so much so that after I got this first book for free through Pixel of Ink, I had to go buy the other four books in the series (only $2.99 at Amazon). I really like her books and they are very fast-paced. (I read the first 2 books in a day each...and they are not short books or novellas.) I have to admit to a personal "fascination" with books regarding magic and the fight of good versus evil. I'm not quite sure why...maybe it's because the world we live in is so uncertain and I'd like to believe there is magic that can overcome any problem that might exist. In any event, if you like fiction about witches and warlocks or the paranormal and the struggle of good versus evil, I think you will really like this book and the remainder of the series.
September 16, 2012
� Witch with no problem casting spells from the very beginning.
� Obsessive relationships.
� No plot or main character development whatsoever.
� Cliché expressions in every page.
� Falling in love already in a first day, stalking, talking about marriage in less than a week.
� Me laughing and crying at the same time.
In this series are five books, so i don't understand, why relationship development was so rapid. This book was so horrible and so sweet, that i was starting to feel toothache. Twilight all over again.
� Obsessive relationships.
� No plot or main character development whatsoever.
� Cliché expressions in every page.
� Falling in love already in a first day, stalking, talking about marriage in less than a week.
� Me laughing and crying at the same time.
In this series are five books, so i don't understand, why relationship development was so rapid. This book was so horrible and so sweet, that i was starting to feel toothache. Twilight all over again.
July 11, 2013
This was actually pretty good. Of course I really enjoyed "Chasing Nikki" as well so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. This book as a little over the top and sappy at times but it wasn't annoying. It figures that it had to end like that. It just hooks you right in and makes you want to read the next book.
May 31, 2017
What a great first installment to a five book series! This book was an engaging, romantic, and full of twists and turns. From reading the first book, I was instantly hooked.
Portia is one of my favorite heroines. She is sassy, kind, loving, and one hell of a kickass heroine. The book starts out a few days before Portia is going to turn sixteen. On her sixteenth birthday, Portia's true heritage is revealed. The day of her birthday is one of my favorite parts of the book. This day, in particular, revealed what kind of character she is. When she is introduced to her true heritage, I am amazed at how well she takes everything in. Weatherford does a great job making Portia a fun character to read. I also love that Portia isn't perfect. She can be naive during times and kind of stubborn. However, her intentions are from her good heart.
Vance Mangum aka the "bad boy" is one of the greatest heroes I've met. He is quiet the opposite of those who I met. Vance is a warlock who is on the run from his father. His father has tried to make him get to the dark side. Poor Vance has been tortured and constantly tries to fight the darkness in him. I love how he does believe that he has a lot of control over his powers, but he still does. This is quiet to the contrary of heroes who have huge inflated egos. Vance is a sweet guy who despite appearing aloof has great intentions. My heart goes out to him for his everyday tortures. However, his internal strength coupled with his love for Portia makes me in awe of him. I want my own Vance.
The secondary characters in this book are really nice people. I love how Weatherford does not make them side-kicks, but instead people who add a nice tone and better flavor to the story. Portia's family is wonderful. I love that Weatherford makes her parents involved in Portia's life instead of absent. Even Portia's friends are really nice people.
Of course, we need to talk about the romance. The romance between Vance and Portia is extremely sweet and passionate. I love how Vance is extremely patient with Portia. He is understanding and does not push her. Their kisses are, boy, hot. These two people seriously know how to kiss. The passion through the pages makes me want to combust. These two people know how to love wholly and passionate. I love that there isn't tons of angst and denial of feelings. They go straight to the point.
Lastly, the world. The world in this book has been developed fully and is explained very well. There weren't any weird of strangely unexplained things appeared. Weatherford does a great job making the world of witches have say in the novel and balancing it out with other aspects of the novel. The spells are pretty cool and remind me of Harry Potter. :P
Overall, this is a great read by Weatherford. I found this to be a nice engaging read. Great book for the first of the series. I can't wait to read the next one. Therefore, the rating of this book is 5 stars.
Portia is one of my favorite heroines. She is sassy, kind, loving, and one hell of a kickass heroine. The book starts out a few days before Portia is going to turn sixteen. On her sixteenth birthday, Portia's true heritage is revealed. The day of her birthday is one of my favorite parts of the book. This day, in particular, revealed what kind of character she is. When she is introduced to her true heritage, I am amazed at how well she takes everything in. Weatherford does a great job making Portia a fun character to read. I also love that Portia isn't perfect. She can be naive during times and kind of stubborn. However, her intentions are from her good heart.
Vance Mangum aka the "bad boy" is one of the greatest heroes I've met. He is quiet the opposite of those who I met. Vance is a warlock who is on the run from his father. His father has tried to make him get to the dark side. Poor Vance has been tortured and constantly tries to fight the darkness in him. I love how he does believe that he has a lot of control over his powers, but he still does. This is quiet to the contrary of heroes who have huge inflated egos. Vance is a sweet guy who despite appearing aloof has great intentions. My heart goes out to him for his everyday tortures. However, his internal strength coupled with his love for Portia makes me in awe of him. I want my own Vance.
The secondary characters in this book are really nice people. I love how Weatherford does not make them side-kicks, but instead people who add a nice tone and better flavor to the story. Portia's family is wonderful. I love that Weatherford makes her parents involved in Portia's life instead of absent. Even Portia's friends are really nice people.
Of course, we need to talk about the romance. The romance between Vance and Portia is extremely sweet and passionate. I love how Vance is extremely patient with Portia. He is understanding and does not push her. Their kisses are, boy, hot. These two people seriously know how to kiss. The passion through the pages makes me want to combust. These two people know how to love wholly and passionate. I love that there isn't tons of angst and denial of feelings. They go straight to the point.
I could feel his kiss like it was running through my whole body, sending little sparks everywhere.
Lastly, the world. The world in this book has been developed fully and is explained very well. There weren't any weird of strangely unexplained things appeared. Weatherford does a great job making the world of witches have say in the novel and balancing it out with other aspects of the novel. The spells are pretty cool and remind me of Harry Potter. :P
Overall, this is a great read by Weatherford. I found this to be a nice engaging read. Great book for the first of the series. I can't wait to read the next one. Therefore, the rating of this book is 5 stars.
January 16, 2018
Book Review- The Trouble with Spells by Lacey Weatherford
When Vance Mangum first moved to his new school, he saw her from afar. She was the one, he could feel it but he had to wait. Two years later Portia is given the truth her family has been keeping from her. When she turns sixteen her powers are revealed and her father informs her that she is a witch. She is shocked with that news and the fact that The Vance Mangum is giving her the time of day.
It turns out she is to join her family’s coven and Vance is a member. Her life is changing. She has powers she is just learning. In fact, she is more powerful than anyone knows and Vance is her other half. They seem to have a strong connection that is unexplainable. He helps her learn what she is capable of. Unfortunately, Vance is hiding from his father who has embraced the dark. It is only a matter of time before he is found. Things get dangerous as Vance fights to stay with Portia. Surprising secrets are revealed as the battle begins to save the life he wants with Portia.
I loved this book. Vance and Portia are cute together. I like how the author gives you a sneak peek at the beginning. Vance approaches her when he is allowed to and it is awesome to read. I love how he makes his presence known. The author made their relationship develop in a very sweet way. It is exactly what they both need. They are a formidable team. Unfortunately, things aren’t easy sailing. Danger lurks as Vance’s father disappears from surveillance he is under. There is a dark edge as his father is thought to be demonic.
The author really sets the stage for the whole series. The base of the storyline is the relationship between Portia and Vance. Then the battle that will occur between Vance and his father. This book centered around Portia and Vance. The battle is starting by the end. The ending wasn’t surprising and I wouldn’t expect anything less from Portia. You go girl. Love this book. I give it a 5 out of 5.
When Vance Mangum first moved to his new school, he saw her from afar. She was the one, he could feel it but he had to wait. Two years later Portia is given the truth her family has been keeping from her. When she turns sixteen her powers are revealed and her father informs her that she is a witch. She is shocked with that news and the fact that The Vance Mangum is giving her the time of day.
It turns out she is to join her family’s coven and Vance is a member. Her life is changing. She has powers she is just learning. In fact, she is more powerful than anyone knows and Vance is her other half. They seem to have a strong connection that is unexplainable. He helps her learn what she is capable of. Unfortunately, Vance is hiding from his father who has embraced the dark. It is only a matter of time before he is found. Things get dangerous as Vance fights to stay with Portia. Surprising secrets are revealed as the battle begins to save the life he wants with Portia.
I loved this book. Vance and Portia are cute together. I like how the author gives you a sneak peek at the beginning. Vance approaches her when he is allowed to and it is awesome to read. I love how he makes his presence known. The author made their relationship develop in a very sweet way. It is exactly what they both need. They are a formidable team. Unfortunately, things aren’t easy sailing. Danger lurks as Vance’s father disappears from surveillance he is under. There is a dark edge as his father is thought to be demonic.
The author really sets the stage for the whole series. The base of the storyline is the relationship between Portia and Vance. Then the battle that will occur between Vance and his father. This book centered around Portia and Vance. The battle is starting by the end. The ending wasn’t surprising and I wouldn’t expect anything less from Portia. You go girl. Love this book. I give it a 5 out of 5.
December 4, 2020
To be quite honest with you my 13-year-old self probably would have loved this book which is why when I was 13 I bought the rest of the series but didn't end up reading them until this year. I'm now 21 and I don't hate this book but I definitely wouldn't have read it if I hadn't already bought it several years ago. I hate when a book is misleading and that's exactly how I felt with this series. The first book was alright besides the teen angst and the constant need to declare feelings of love and lust. I don't care much for instant love books, I actually prefer to avoid them. For me personally, it felt like the author was massively overcompensating in the young adult romance department. Way too many I love you's were spoken and the plot felt sloppy somehow, it still does. After reading the entire book series in the past 2 days I almost DNF-ed this series which I hate doing but I wish I had and that makes me sad. There were some good moments and this first book was good enough that I thought the rest of the series would be good too and that's why I feel misled. The rest of the series after this was so shockingly pathetic that it made me visibly cringe and have to turn off my phone and say what the hell. I honestly read the whole series because they were so crappy and terrible that I had to see it to the end just to see how it ended and I was very disappointed. No hate to the author but I hope that whatever books she writes in the future are much better than this. I was shocked to find out that she wrote the same series from Vance's perspective and another series after that about their daughter. I have no idea what possessed this author to continue to drag out this awful series.
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