Robin (Bridge Four)'s Reviews > Bespelled

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
 

Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Bespelled is the second book in the Bewitched series.  This is the second chance love story (mostly) of Selene Bowers, a pretty powerful witch and Memnon, the man she cursed to sleep for two thousand years in her last life.  They are soulmates, bound to each other through space and time, but that doesn't mean it is going to be smooth sailing for them.  Especially since Memnon is pissed he was placed in stasis for two millennia and can't wait to get his revenge, even if that revenge is on his soulmate.

When we left our characters at the end of Bewitched, Selene has tapped into the memories of her past life and she now knows what happened and why she put Memnon to sleep.  He is dangerous and brutal and a conqueror from a different time.  But he is learning all of the rules of this new metal jungle and he is starting to make some plays to put himself back in power.  He loves Selene, but it is complicated by the betrayal he believes she perpetrated on him in her past life.  But, what if there were good reasons, what if he made a mistake?  How will he earn back the trust of the woman he is bound to through the ages so they might build a life together.

Meanwhile, witches and other magic welding creatures are dying in brutal ways and Selene wants to get to the bottom of it.  Not just to protect herself but to also save some of her new found friends in the coven.  Memnon will use all of his influence and newfound power to help the woman he loves and earn back some of the trust broken between them.  God help any who harm or go after his mate, he will make them all pay.  The stakes are high and no one is to be trusted.

“Call me a monster, call me a devil, but you and I both know I will fucking shatter the rules for you .” He stares at me fervently. “Always for you.”

I liked this story better than Bewitched, we get to see some of Selene's past life that really added credence to her power.  She is growing into the sorceresses she is meant to be, even if she is unsure about the man she is fated to be with.  I adore Memnon's character.  He is not a nice guy; he is dangerous but unfailing loyal to those he calls family.  He is also so tricky; it was fun to watch how he slowly lulls Selene back into his bed and finds ways to get into her heart as well.  He is a predator and will be patient until it is the right moment to pounce and win his prey.  He remembers the fierce warrior Selene used to be in her last life and knows she is going to need to find that woman warrior if they are going to survive against their enemies.

There were so many danger filled and tense moments in Bespelled, I was on the edge of seat though all of them.  The danger always felt right around the corner.  There are plenty of sexy times though to enjoy between the bouts of certain death.  The jump to Memnon and Selene's previous life added a lot of context the story and fleshed out our characters well.  I sometimes got a little frustrated with Selene's refusal of their soulmate bond, but it did help to build some of the sexual tension between them.

Memnon, I'm sure, still has plenty of secrets and even though they have tracked down some of the bad doers, there are more out there to be found and an enemy from their past to thwart still.  I'm very interested to see what Laura Thalassa brings to the series next.  She has written "bad men" very well in the past and I'm so excited to see what our unapologetic warlord is going to do in the modern world to take the power he craves.

“Is this where you stab me and free yourself once and for all?” he says in Sarmatian.

“Because,” he continues slowly, his eyes smoldering , “I promise you, if you don’t, I will work to tie you so fucking tight to me you won’t eventually know where you end and I begin.”