Fairly solid debut that reimagines Sleeping Beauty into a romantasy where fate is in our character's hands and not that of a prince. It felt like some of the POVs were a bit extraneous at certain points and I didn't understand some of the characterization/story choices the author made, except that they mainly seemed to be for the vibes. The thing is, the vibes were interesting, but she didn't dive into them so it ended up being a bit surface level. Was a nice enough read, ultimately not for me.

DNF @ 17%. As a huge lover of retellings, especially feminist retellings of stories that don't have great male counterparts to begin with, I was excited to see where this took me. Unfortunately, the writing style just didn’t click with me. Despite the fact that this starts with a gruesomely brutal birth and a sense of urgency, I didn't feel anything for any of the characters. When I started skimming, I knew it had lost me.

Major thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Spellbound was a unique retelling of Sleeping Beauty told through multiple points of view, which I typically don’t care for but the characters the author chose made this work well. The story explores themes of motherhood, identity, and power. The writing is lyrical and atmospheric, with a strong emotional core. While some readers may find the pacing uneven and may be unsatisfied with the open-ended conclusion, the novel shines in its character driven storytelling and subversion of fairytale norms.

This book was really good. It gave me strong Sleeping Beauty vibes with a slight twist to it. The magic, world building, and characters were well written. I especially liked Briar and Sel. I liked Briar because she made do with what she had after Sel had taken her away from the danger in the castle and because she could telepathically understand animals around her. I liked Sel because she reminded me of the little fairies from the fairy tale and she took on Briar as a baby and had to raise her by herself. The ending was very unexpected, but I enjoyed how it wrapped up the story. I did knock off one star because while it was a very good book, I didn't feel like it was the absolute perfect book.

A sleeping beauty retelling that will have you gripping your emotional support tissue box at the end. 😭 Loved how the story was told through the lives of five women each with their own story to tell. The prose was beautiful. Some might find the story slow but I was happy with the pacing and I think the author did a great job!

Spellbound is a fresh and enchanting twist on classic fairy tales, with a strong focus on the women at the heart of the story. I really enjoyed the atmospheric setting, the layered characters, and the way the plot played with expectations—this isn’t your typical “princess and a curse” story.
Sel, the Queen, and the Lady-in-Waiting make such an intriguing trio, and I loved how their choices shaped the entire story. The dual perspective between Talia and Briar added depth and kept me turning the pages to see how their fates would eventually collide.
With magic, secrets, and a quietly building tension, Spellbound is a charming and imaginative read that offers something a little different for fans of fantasy and fairy tale retellings. A great start to what feels like a rich and promising world!

Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review! I have shared my review to Goodreads as of 06/20/2025 and will post to retailers as requested

DNF at 30%. I really struggled with this one. The beginning starts off with a bang, immediately with a fairly gruesome birthing scene, an attack on the newborn princess and getting the story set right off the bat. And then progression just... stops. What drew me to this book was the idea of a women centric retelling of Sleeping Beauty, but there's just too little happening to hold my attention. I don't feel attachment to any of the characters and to be honest I felt a little annoyed at Sel and her situation. She has motherhood thrust upon her and upends her entire life for... Reasons. If she feels THAT loyal to the queen it doesn't seem particularly pronounced. I just can't imagine going on the run for 17 years, being saddled with a newborn and not allowed to use my magic just to essentially do the queen a favor. I also didn't particularly like the theme of "I didn't want a child until I had one". That might be me being sensitive as a childfree woman, but it was giving that vibe which isn't for me at all.

I think the premise is great, and the beginning drew me in, but it wasn't enough to keep me going through the book where very little was happening. This might be a better fit for someone that absolutely loves Sleeping Beauty and babies/motherhood stories.

Best wishes to Georgia Leighton and all her future publications!

A Sleeping Beauty-inspired fairytale with multiple POVs, very little romance, and an appreciation of horses - obviously I am a targeted audience member of this.

This wasn't a fast-paced book by any means, but it did read like a fairytale, which I found absolutely charming, and had a lot of care for its world and characters (Sel, my love). Overall, a lovely read.

Thank you to the publisher, Grand Central Publishing, and to NetGalley for the ARC.