Spell Bound by Jacob Z Flores | Spotlight, Review, Playlist & COMMENT Giveaway

Mason Blackmoor just can’t compete with his brothers, much less his father. They represent the epitome of black magic, strong, dark, and wicked, and though Mason tries to live up to his respected lineage, most of the spells he casts go awry. To make matters worse, his active power has yet to kick in. While his brothers wield lightning and harness the cold, Mason sits on the sidelines, waiting for the moment when he can finally enter the magical game.

When a dead body is discovered on the football field of his high school, Mason meets Drake Carpenter, the new kid in town. Drake’s confident demeanor and quick wit rub Mason the wrong way. Drake is far too self-assured for someone without an ounce of magical blood in his body, and Mason aims to teach him a lesson—like turn him into a roach. And if he’s lucky, maybe this time Mason won’t be the one turned into an insect.

Not surprisingly, the dislike is mutual, and Drake does nothing to dispel Mason’s suspicion that the sexy boy with a southern drawl is somehow connected to the murder.

If only Mason didn’t find himself inexplicably spellbound whenever they are together, they might actually find out what danger hides in the shadows. 

Buy links: Amazon | Dreamspinner Press

Tams 5 Star review *****

Mason Blackmoor may be a warlock, but he’s also a teenager who has to deal with school, frenemies, bitchy witches and trying to keep his sexuality under wraps. He’s not in the closet per say, he just hasn’t told anyone. Mason hasn’t been able to get a handle on his powers yet either, a fact that his two older brothers taunt him with on the daily. His father is powerful and a leader among their coven, both his brothers have mastered their talents, so Mason is frustrated that he hasn’t figured out what his ability is as of yet. But watching some of his spells backfire sure was hysterical.

Drake Carpenter is a good ole boy that mosey’s into Mason’s life and turns his world upside down. At first the two can’t stand the sight of each other, but then Mason saves Drake from a wayward piece of glass when, get this, he casts a spell and it works. The initial irritation these two felt quickly evolves into a mutual attraction. Mason is sort of dark and brooding, where as Drake is a blonde haired, blue eyed ray of sunshine. They compliment each other.

Mason has more than one conversation with his family about what is expected of him. To take on this dark persona, much like their dark magic, but Mason has never been one to play by the rules. Not only did Mason start to gain some control over his ability when Drake came into the picture, but the more time they spend together the stronger his control becomes. There is something much darker than the dark magic the Blackmoor’s possess though, something that has even the council running scared. Can Mason master his powers before Drake, his brothers, or worse, Mason himself becomes the next casualty of the evil that has moved into town?

I am always excited when a new book about magic comes out. Spell Bound is the first in a new series that promises to be dark, dangerous and downright sexy. What I enjoyed most about this story was Mason and how much he grew throughout. He’s very cocky and self assured in the beginning, when in actuality he can’t even cast a spell without it rebounding. It reminded me of Ron Weasley trying to curse Malfoy but he ended up spitting up eels! Mason is also supposed to act a certain way because of who his family is and what they expect of him, not mingle or be friends with other magical families. Well, like I said, Mason doesn’t play by the rules. By the end of the book he’s earned that cocky, self assured attitude and learned that he does have friends that don’t care his name is Blackmoor, or that he’s gay.

There was a lot of action going on so the story moved along at a fast, steady pace. There was some drama, a bit of angst and a lot of romance. I absolutely loved it when Mason went from his brooding nature to this romantic walk on the beach, holding hands and kissing kind of guy. He and Drake were just too cute, I can’t wait to see where this series takes them. Flores left a trail of bread crumbs for us to look forward to following in the next book, that is for sure. What is the semblance of the necklace? And I have to wonder if Adam is going to become a problem. I’m seriously anxious to learn who is controlling the Vampyre as well. 

Great start to a new series, definitely a must read for anyone that likes paranormal, romance, witches, magic and just a fun romantic story with an edge.

Jacob Z. Flores lives a double life. During the day, he is a respected college English professor and mid-level administrator. At night and during his summer vacation, he loosens the tie and tosses aside the trendy sports coat to write man on man fiction, where the hard ass assessor of freshmen level composition turns his attention to the firm posteriors and other rigid appendages of the characters in his fictional world.

Summers in Provincetown, Massachusetts, provide Jacob with inspiration for his fiction. The abundance of barely clothed man flesh and daily debauchery stimulates his personal muse. When he isn’t stroking the keyboard, Jacob spends time with his daughter. They both represent a bright blue blip in an otherwise predominantly red swath in south Texas.                                          

Author links: website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

A little something special, here is Jacob's playlist for Spell Bound... 

* Fancey | Iggy Azalea *

* I Really Like You | Carly Rae Jepsen *

* Magic Carpet Ride | Steppenwolf * 

* A Kind of Magic | Queen *

* Cosmic Love | Florence and the Machine *

* Headstrong | Trapt *

* Dark Horse | Katy Perry *

* Supernatural | Kesha * 

Up for grabs is an e-book copy for ONE lucky winner from Jacob's backlist.

Follow this link to see Flores's backlist, winner's choice any book from this list

(EXCLUDING Spell Bound)

A huge thank you to Jacob for stopping by and sharing the tunes he listened to while writing this book. I can't wait to read the next book in this amazing new series! 

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below, what is your favorite supernatural read?