This was a really fun story. I loved the witchy aspects and the humor. It was also such an interesting concept, witches guarding gateways that were closed over with trees. I liked how the five different trees represented different parts of the world all growing without issue in central Illinois! Some parts were definitely a little cheesy, especially with Xena becoming a person and continuously using the word "kittens." I get it, she's a cat, but it was a little over the top. I also didn't really like the use of the word "dyke." It was featured so much in the book, especially in the scene by the football fields. I get that it was supposed to show that Hunter was being bullied, but it just seemed like it didn't need to be used that much. Also the grief representation seemed a little off, when teh twins lose their mom, I think that portrayal was fine, but then when Emily loses her Dad, and Mercy is trying to get her to come over, it's like she's completely over losing her mom and just wants to see Emily. I know that the spell they performed was supposed to help Mercy get over her grief, but it wasn't supposed to take it all away, it just seemed that in some of those scenes where she's trying to get Emily to come over that Mercy is being a little selfish. Overall, the book was really cheeky and I will probably still read the second one, especially after the ending has the twins fighting.

This was a book that I ended up not finishing due to lack of interest in content. For that reason I was unable to rate more than one star.

Well, first of all, I love a good witchy book. I love witches as villains but I love them just a little bit more as heroes.
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This book introduces us to teenage twin witches, Hunter and Mercy Goode. The Goode family line has been responsible for keeping their town of Goodeville, and the world in general, safe from the vile creatures of various underworlds for centuries, by tending to five magical trees which guard the gates to these underworlds. On the twins' 16th birthday, all hell breaks loose, literally. The girls must then figure out how to fix this magical disaster with the help of some friends and a rather opinionated cat-familiar.
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What this book does right is pull in some cool magic and mythology to make a sort of tamely exciting adventure. It's not horror by any means, although there are some hideous beasties about.
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The first fifty pages or so were iffy for me. I was afraid I was getting myself into a cutesy teen romantic drama with a bit of magic thrown in. Then things picked up and the story improved greatly.
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What I have to complain about, however, is the usual thing with YA books: over the top angst and a constant need to describe people's outfits. I am pretty sure it was Stephen King, in 'On Writing' who said something along the lines of giving only basic details. People have imaginations to fill in the rest. We don't need descriptions of every clothing change or hairstyle. It just bogs the story down.
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This book didn't suffer as much from the overly detailed descriptions as a lot of YA novels, but boy did it make up for it with angst. We have one twin who is cluelessly naive and one twin who is about as anti-social and brooding as they come, and I found it hard to like either of them all that much.
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With that said, I'm hardly the target audience for this book, so it you like witchy goodness AND angst and outfit changes, you'll probably love this book.

I did not enjoy this, I didn’t like the writing, the magic system the story telling. I don’t think I’m a fan of how the authors tell their stories (I was never able to get into house of night). I’m sure that fans of that series may enjoy this but this wasn’t for me.

Hunter and Mercy Goode are twin witches, although they are as different as night and day. They are a part of a long line of witches that have looked after their small town for many years. On their 16th birthday, it is time for them to learn more about their responsibilities. During the spell at one of the trees that protect the city, an awful creature appears and kills the twins' mother. This murder was the start of bad things happening, and the twins must figure it out before it's too late.

This was a very interesting story, however, the relationship between the twins was very strange and was never fully explained. The book ended as if there was going to be another following, and hopefully, if that's the case, the relationship will be explained further. All in all, a very good read.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

This is an interesting new YA Paranormal, This is a solid start to a series. The story is entertaining. The characters are realistic high school students. Some characters you like some you like to dislike. Look forward to seeing this series develop.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.

📕: Spells Trouble
✍️: P.C. and Kristin Cast
🌟: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

📝Synopsis:
Hunter and Mercy are twins and they are also witches oh and also gatekeepers. On their birthday they celebrate with their mom and they get to choose the goddess (or god) they choose to honor and worship. They go to 1 of 5 ancient trees (the gates) their family is destined to care for while taking care of their namesake town: Goodeville. Then something goes wrong and it’s up to Hunter and Mercy to figure it out.

✅📚Check Out This Book if you like:
•YA Witchy stories
•The House of Night series
•Supernatural/Fantasy genre
•Family Drama

💁🏻‍♀️💬 My Thoughts:
So this is the duo who wrote House of Night. A dear series to me and I’ve read them all more than once. I instantly recognized a lot of phrases the vampires used in spells with these witches. So maybe they are in the same world? It would make sense that way. I loved their vampire series, but this one I wasn’t super crazy about. Maybe after book 2 and more of the story comes out it will be better. I like the YA genre, but this just read very young to me and the character were beyond normal teenager annoying. It’s not to say you shouldn’t give this a chance though. I will still try the rest of the series because the authors are ones I have always loved in the past! Maybe because Zoey Redbird wasn’t there I didn’t like it as much 😂

Twin witches, Gods, murder, and a small town.

Hunter and Mercy Goode could not be more different. Hunter is the shy, quiet twin with a best friend on the football team who always has her back. Mercy is the popular flower-child, with a good friend and a questionable boyfriend. When the twins lose their mother during a harmless ritual, they must discover who is murdering people in their town. With the help of a loyal family pet and good friends, they work together to save their world. However, the sisters relationship become more strained the closer they get to the truth.

This story gives "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" vibes but more mature. The action is constant with a lot of engaging information about witches. There is a wide cast of characters and the romance is entertaining. The drama is very high school and to be expected with this author. There are YA tropes but in limited quantity throughout the book. I love the relationship between the sisters, the message of feminism, and the variety of religious cultures present. This first book sets the tone for an exciting sequel!

I think this is a pretty good start to a young adult series. It hooked me right from the first page. I can't wait to read the next one.

This story was so good! This was a story about family and self discovery. I loved learning about the family history of the Goode family and also loved how Mercy and Hunter are so different. Mercy is always trying to fit in and hang out with the cool kids while Hunter is always looking in and is just herself. Hunter doesn't change who she is for anyone and that's what makes her strong. Both Mercy and Hunter are thrust into the middle of chaos when their mother is killed and the trees that were planted to keep the portals between their world and mythology closed start to wither and die. They must work together and stay true to themselves to save their town and themselves.

Tonight is a very important night for sisters Hunter and Mercy. Direct descendants of the town of Goodeville, it's time for the girls to learn what it means to be the gatekeepers. At midnight they must announce which goddess or god they intend to serve. When their mother becomes the first victim of the horrible monsters escaping through the gates, the girls vow to avenge her death. Hunter and Mercy must accept their destiny or risk losing everything.

I've never read anything by PC Cast, but this book was pretty good and I'm excited for the sequel. Their was magic , but the book wasn't to like FANTASY. I loved the dynamic with the sisters. They were close, but they also had their differences. I also really liked how their mother helped a lot of people in town and they kept her secret on the down low.

I think Zena was a great character to include, both as the cat and as a person. I also love how she was a mother-like figure for the girls after they lost their mom.

A couple characters were annoying, like Kirk but other than that I really enjoyed this book and will be on the lookout for the sequel!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love both authors and was really looking forward to this novel but found it hard to really lose myself in. The writing seemed to fall short of what I am used to with them. There was a lot more "Telling not showing" in this story which is a big pet peeve for many people.

The way the gay character was portrayed was not admirable in my opinion. They lacked any true characteristics or personality of being gay other than being bullied for it. The grief was not handled well either.

There were a lot of issues I found in this book and I really had to struggle to finish it...not what I had grown to expect from these authors.

Spells Trouble is a cute, witchy, YA fantasy romp. It reads very easily and quickly, with a lot of teenage snark (though I will admit that it is sometimes over the top and worthy of an eyeroll). The feeling is light and fun even though the subject material does get a bit dark and gritty. It's like a dark, witchy beach read if that were a thing.

This definitely gives off a YA vibe. That is NOT a bad thing. It is written a little more casually, but with some language that prevents it from being more in the lower YA range. The story is not overly complex and is easy to follow, though there are some good pieces of intrigue. The plot does not veer toward the thriller side, but is more of an omniscient mystery. The reader knows the answer to the mysteries when the twin protagonists do not.

The pacing was great and I was able to breeze right through this baby. It kept me entertained and I was invested in the story, though I was occasionally put off by the immature undercurrent that intermittently surfaced. Even for a YA I felt there could be a little more maturity to the writing. The ending was a little confusing and does end on something of a cliffhanger, so I was left a bit disoriented. Still, I enjoyed my read and I'm curious about where this series is going to go.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

Usually the Cast team's writing has good flow and excellent pacing. But this entry is loaded with telling instead of showing. The point if view bounces between the two lead protagonists seemingly without warning. It was hard to get into, and I had to force myself to continue until the final 25 pages, where the pacing improved.

Awesome fast paced gripping story. I loved the characters and i liked the storyline. Ending was a nice twisted surprise.

I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis sounded great and the prologue was excellent. But once the prologue ended and the story got started, it went a completely different direction in both plot and style.

Hunter and Mercy are twin witches turning 16 and about to perform a sacred ritual where they choose their goddess to follow. Hunter wants to choose a god instead, and while her mom assures her that will be ok, chaos seems to ensue. The ritual is disrupted when a beast escapes one of the gates and kills their mother. Even though their mother is able to banish the beast in her final moments, the killings don't end, and it's left to the girls to find out why and stop whatever is happening.

I really wanted more worldbuilding. There is basically none. I would love to know more about the history of the town and the gates, how the girls know what kind of witches they are/if they got to choose, how they choses their god(dess), etc. But we don't get any of that. We just get a low budget Americana teen drama.

The queer rep in this book is literally just bullying. You would have no idea that Hunter was gay except that everyone is constantly bullying her for it, which just feels shitty. In fact, half of this book is just bullying. I could have done without all of that, thank you very much.

The way grief is portrayed in this book is downright irresponsible in my opinion. Literally the day after their mother is killed, Hunter is casting a spell to snap Mercy out of her grief. And when Emily's dad is killed, the whole family becomes completely dysfunctional and resorts to getting drunk and high while relying on a teenage girl to care for them--a girl who is also not allowed to explore her own grief because she is being dragged into a spell that is also not her responsibility. The loss of a parent is monumental in the life of a teenager, and we can't just gloss over that. There will be teenagers who have lost parents who read this book and the message that they are not allowed to grieve is a very harmful one.

The writing in this book, especially the dialogue, was truly awful and often extremely awkward. We don't ever get explanations for weird linguistic quirks, like why Mercy seems to only curse in British English (although we do get one character calling her out on it at one point and then never returning to the subject again) or why she calls her mother by her first name (but her twin sister does not). I'm not waiting another book or two to get an answer to something that distracting.

It's tough for me to even know how to recommend this book. On the whole it felt very middle grade/young YA, but there is one very explicit sex scene that is not appropriate for that audience and...just did not need to happen. The sex scene felt like it came out of nowhere, it was very detailed, and I didn't love the modeling of consent in it. I don't know, it has some elements of a good story, but it needs a lot of work. I wouldn't have expected this from experienced writers and am sorely disappointed.

My appreciation to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for the review.

The beginning started a bit slow in my opinion, not counting the prologue. I found that the most interesting bit for a while. The sisters were enjoyable but there was something flat about the book and it didn't keep my attention when I had a massive TBR to read.

It was an ok read, was not what i was expecting. I really would like another mature series form them.

This isn't the first books I've read by the authors but it's not my favorite.
I felt like parts of the book were just put in to get a reaction - like the sex scene which to me was too detailed. I know there are sex scenes in young adult books but this was more detailed then some I've read in adult books.

Other then that the story was good. If there is more, I may give the series a chance.

I was able to read this book thanks to Netgalley. And this is my honest opinion.

Nooooo,
I wanted to read this for so many reasons, witches, sisters out for revenge with epic names. I was all on board and the blurb had me grabbing this one for what should have been an awesome read. It was not. I'm sorry, the dialogue was a no for me, The sex talk made me uncomfortable, mom talking about certain sexual aspects made me cringe. Major cringe. This did not go the way I wanted it to. I'm giving it 2 stars. That's it