I received an e-arc of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 25%

The concept of this book seemed like exactly the fun witchy vibe that I was really hoping and in the mood for so I was really disappointed that I just wasn't loving anything about it. Now that's not to say that this book is horrible or written poorly but it just wasn't grabbing me at all.

I did enjoy the opening of the story linking it to the Salem witch trials but for me there was no personal connection. The characters didn't feel real enough and I didn't feel invested in them or the story so when things started to get more exciting and I still didn't feel any anticipation or worry for our characters I knew it was time for me to put this book aside.

I have read books by these authors in the past and remember enjoying them so I was very excited to get an opportunity to read their newest work but this one just isn't the one for me. The characters seemed pretty stereotypical and there was no particular character that drew me in to the story. The concept of this story seemed really great but with no appeal to the main characters I just couldn't continue trying to read this one.

Overall I'm giving this book 2 stars even though I didn't finish it because there really was nothing wrong with it, I just couldn't get into it at this time.

This just wasn't it. Felt very late 00's teen paranormal romance and I just didn't enjoy it. The characters at times were very unbearable and the pacing of this book seemed to fast for where it was going.

Going into this story I really wanted to like it, sadly that didn’t end up being the case. Starting out we meet Sarah Goode, the founder of the Goode family of witches. She’s able to escape her execution, with her young daughter, and find a new place to settle. When she first comes to the area, that her Deity and magic have led her to, she finds its uninhabitable because horrible creatures roam free.

Now, this part seemed a little too “white savior” for me. The native Shamans of the area were unable to vanquish these monsters, who had come through five different Underworld portals (portals that lead to the Greek, Nordic, Japanese, Hindu, and Egyptian Underworlds). Sarah, a witch who just arrived and wants to settle there because of the leylines, just happens to have the knowledge and power to seal the five portals. Personally, I would have loved if the story went with her working closely with the Shaman’s until TOGETHER they found a solution, not just her showing up and solving the problem herself.

We then switch to present time, where Hunter and Mercy Goode, twin witches, are celebrating their sixteenth birthday. The evening of their birthday they go, with their mother, to perform a ritual that will strengthen the seals, on the gates to the Underworlds, as well as have them choose what Deity they plan to follow.

Hunter, who also happens to be queer, has always felt a pull towards Tyr and plans to follow him even though no other Goode witch has ever followed a male God before. During the ritual, there are signs that something is off, and Fenrir ends up appearing and killing the twins' mother. With her dying breathe, their mother is able to push Fenrir back into his portal and seal it behind him.

The twins now have to not only deal with their grief but find out why the portals aren’t secure and quickly find a way to secure them before horrible creatures are able to escape their underworld prisons and roam free. As they check on each of the portals, which are held by five different trees, they find signs of the trees dying and the horrible smell of sulfur.

There is a very detailed description of a blowjob and fingering in this book…that’s geared to Young Adults and is about girls who just turned sixteen. I’d heard other reviewers before discuss how sexual acts should not be depicted in YA books and until this book I’d never seen a YA with graphicly detailed sexual acts included, sex might have been implied but never detailed. This entire scene had me very uncomfortable and wondering what made the authors think this scene was a good idea?

I understand that plenty of teens experiment with their sexuality and sexual acts, however, that doesn’t mean we need detailed descriptions within books geared towards young readers. There have been YA books that I’ve read where sex is implied but not described…almost a fade-out movie moment…you know what’s about to happen or what just happened but you weren’t a witness to it…which I feel is a much better way to handle sex within the YA genre, if you really feel the need to include it. If a teen is genuinely curious about reading detailed sexual scenes there are plenty of adult romance novels that can be found at bookstores and the library, there is no need to have graphic depictions in YA novels.

Another thing that gives me pause is I feel like they’re setting up Hunter, who happens to be queer, to be a villain. Now, I could easily be wrong about this, the next book could actually throw Mercy in as a villain and Hunter the heroine…this first book just has me very nervous about where they’re going with a queer character.

All that being said, I really wish there weren’t so many elements that gave me pause. Having never read a P.C. or Kristin Cast book before, but having heard countless ravings about their work, I was genuinely excited to finally see what the big deal was about…only to be disappointed.

What started as an interesting process prologue and overall concept soon became what was - to me - an OK YA book which uses the tropes of the authors previous popular series but in a new setting. I am however aware that I'm not the target audience here. The book is well written and structured and I think will appeal greatly to a younger audience and those who are already fans of this author duo.

Spells Trouble by authors P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast starts with the Salem witch trials and the craziness that permeated that historical scene. When Sarah Goode escapes hanging, she uses her powers to travel with her young daughter to a safe place where Sarah’s magick can protect the town from gruesome spirits. Sarah finds a home that loves and accepts her and where generations of good healers/witches women thrive. Our story moves forward to modern times as twins Hunter and Mercy Goode celebrate their birthday and begin the journey to learn the full potential and responsibilities that await them as Goode descendants. This was the part that I found genuinely entertaining. However, the interplay of sex in this novel bothered me to some degree because I felt like the sexual part of the book was more of a gimmick. The twin girls suffer a profound loss that causes them to grow up quickly to save their town and secure their destiny. It is a well-told young adult book but again, I think I would’ve preferred more of the sexual issues to come forth in future sequels. I like the relationship with the twins and Xena the cat the most. Still, I especially liked that the authors depict the sisters as imperfect twins with their loving interactions and their argumentative interactions. It’s very realistic. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The beginning was so promising and then it just fell flat. I love books with twins but Hunter and Mercy just weren't there. Not sure what it was but I just didn't really enjoy this book.

While the premise seemed interesting over all the book fell flat for me. I never really connected with either sister. Everything just felt a bit disjointed. Unlike some I didn’t mind the sex in the book but do think at times some of the behaviors displayed where not realistic to the age range. I generally like multiple POVs but the way it was done in this book with these characters it added more confusion than anything.
I will most likely read it again and give it a second shot when the sequel comes out as I do still want to find out what happens.

I was really excited to read this because I love witches and I really enjoyed the House of Night series by P.C. Cast. This series has a lot of potential to be really awesome. There were moment in this story I was underwhelmed but the story picked up. I enjoyed the characters and the history weaved into the story. The writing did feel a little young at times, more like middle grade than YA but I still enjoyed this story. I think Spells Troubles has a lot to potential to be a really fun series and I can't wait to see where it goes next!

Twin witches Hunter and Mercy perform a coming of age ritual that acknowledge them as full fledged witches and protectors of the Gates to the underworlds, but something goes wrong with the ritual and the gates are opened, releasing monsters, leading to their mother sacrificing herself to save the twins. As monsters begin to kill more townsfolk, the twins must seal the gates once again, and get rid of the monsters.

It was an interesting premise, and certainly hooked me with the prologue. However, the book fell flat for me after the prologue, and as much as I enjoy witch stories, I wasn't able to get into the book. The writing was weak, and I thought the pacing could have used some improvement. I struggled to get emotionally invested in either twins, so it was a little hard to continue the book.

That being said, I don't think the book was bad, it was just not my thing, but I do think fans of Vampire Diaries, its spinoffs, Supernatural, and other similar shows would probably enjoy this more than I did.

An interesting and exciting book to read. It's a page Turner with action, spells and heartache. The characters are solid, the plot is excellent. It's an Arc so I know it needs some fine -tuning but overall an excellent, edge of your seat story.

Parts of this book were very fun, and I loved the giant familiar cat and all that was going on there, but this book presented issues for me. First of all, it seemed to veer between being much younger than its reader demographic would suggest (almost middle grade) and then OLDER, as when the girls and their mom joked about sex, etc. I can appreciate having such an open attitude toward sexuality in a YA novel, but when it comes with cutesy and much younger-than-16 interiority of its main characters, it seems...dissonant. I'm not entirely sure who this is for. Also, the attempt to partly incorporate or at least acknowledge Indigenous and other POC knowledge and belief systems was a bit ham-fisted and seemed slightly problematic at times (calling Native US communities "aboriginal," accidentally recreating a white savior mythos, etc.)

This title was difficult to get into. It is not really an author I read and was very high school centered. I did not finish.

DNF

to be honest, this book completely lost me in the first chapter. i picked this up because i wanted witches and magic and drama, not... whatever this was.

(arc provided by netgallery and Wednesday Books. all thoughts and opinions are my own)

This book's plot summary seemed so interesting, and the prologue had me hooked! Unfortunately it went downhill from there, and it made it tougher to enjoy. Especially the sex scenes which seemed out of place and graphic for a young adult book.

This book has a great premise and the description made it sound so interesting. But I just couldn't get into it. In fact, I think it lost me right at the beginning, during the bonfire where all the teens were getting drunk and naked. And the adults had no problem with it. Even the sheriff. I'm no prude, but the majority of teens I know don't talk or act like the kids in this book. Plus, the plot seemed to ramble around a bit to further my disinterest. I really like the concept of the story, I just got lost in the delivery. It's not my kind of book, I guess.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the arc of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I wanted to love this. I really did. The premise and description sounded so promising. It just... wasn’t for me. The plot was a little all over the place. The pacing was off and i wasn’t really connecting to any of the characters. It was that it was some awful book, it genuinely just wasn’t one I particularly enjoyed. I really wish I would’ve ! The concept sounded so great. It just wasn’t for me.

You and your twin sister come from a long line of witches extending back to Sarah Goode (and beyond), the only actual witch at the Salem witch trials. Sarah used her power to allow herself, her daughter, and her familiar to escape and they fled Salem, eventually settling in what would later become Salem County in central Illinois, establishing the town of Goodeville at a site where five power-filled ley lines converged. The apex of each ley line was the entrance to a mythological underworld (Norse, Egyptian, Greek, Japanese, and Hindu). Sarah used her power to call forth trees (some of which would never be found naturally in central Illinois) to mark the entrance to the gates and she cast a spell to close the gates. Since then, the Goode witches have been guardians of the gates, renewing the powerful protective spell each year and ensuring the health of the trees. Tonight, on your sixteenth birthday, you and your twin sister are going to help your mother cast a spell to strengthen the apple tree marking the Norse gate, as well as dedicating yourself to your chosen goddess or god. However, things do not go as planned, as you discover the tree is sick and as you are attacked by a strange creature. Your mother is forced to call down the power of her goddess and sacrifice herself in order to destroy the creature. That is the situation facing Mercy and Hunter Goode, who, after the death of their mother, have to figure out how to cope with their grief, heal the trees, seal the gates, and deal with another creature, who they will soon learn has escaped from one of the other gates and is murdering people.

The residents of Goodeville know the Goode women are witches, but their concept of witches is someone who professes to be Wiccan, has a knowledge of herbal lore, dabbles in astrology, and can perform "spells" that seem more like magic tricks. They do not understand that the Goode women have actual magical powers, with the ability to cast powerful spells, and they know nothing about the true purpose of the trees or the real service the Goode women have been providing to the town for centuries. The only people who know that there might be more to the Goode's powers are Megan's best friend Emily and Hunter's best friend Jax. Hunter is a lesbian (in a town where that is not well tolerated) and her best friend is a straight guy, which makes for an interesting pairing.

"Spells Trouble" is definitely a young adult book, with a fantasy theme. If you are looking for a fantasy book with young adult main characters, this might not be the book for you. The book deals with grieving, bullying, prejudice, and identity. There is a gratuitous pseudo-sex scene involving Megan and her boyfriend, Kirk, the high school quarterback. I have seen early reviews of the book that were critical of the inclusion of the scene, and it was definitely unnecessary for the overall plot, but the authors use the post-incident boasting by Kirk to his teammates as the way that Megan realizes that Kirk really is the pompous jerk that his behavior generally displays and that his better behavior when alone with Megan was really just an act and a means to an end. While the book deals with serious topics at times, it also has some quite humorous moments. Jax's behavior at the plant nursery is my favorite humorous moment.

The authors utilized the mythological and witchcraft aspects of the story quite well, both as aspects of the characters of Mercy and Hunter, as well as their mother Abigail and their familiar, Xena, and as part of the overall plot involving protecting the trees marking the gates and keeping the gates sealed. While Hindu and Japanese mythology were not really a significant part of the story, other than being connected to two of the gates/underworlds, I thought it was an interesting addition to the story and I hope they are utilized more in the sequel. Yes, there will be a sequel -- the story ends with a cliffhanger that suggests that the tension that has been brewing between the sisters since the fateful night will come to a head and affect their ability to heal the trees and perform their roles as guardians. "Spells Trouble" is worth reading and I look forward to the sequel.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This book took a bit to catch my interest, but once it did, I really liked it. I liked how one sister was more likable than the other and I loved Xena!! I am a bit confused as to whether this will be a series or not since the way it ended felt like a cliffhanger more than anything. Overall this was a great book and if it is a series, I look forward to seeing what will happen next.

My favourite part of Spells Trouble was the premise. I liked the idea of twin sisters being responsible for protecting their town. Even though Mercy and Hunter of course have different personalities, I found their voices to be way too similar.
Overall too much exposition in beginning, and although I enjoyed the plot, the execution was insufficient. I am a little curious abut what happens next, if want young adult fantasy that is quick and easy read, read this book.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. (l

I love the mother and daughter duo that is P.C. and Kristin Cast! This is book one in the Sisters of Salem series and I could not be more pleased. Thankful to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this title.