Kiss and Spell

Kiss and Spell (Enchanted, Inc. #7)
By  Shanna Swendson

ISBN: 9781986978866
202 Pages
Available in Paperback, Audiobook, and on Kindle

Synopsis:

Book 7 in the Enchanted, Inc. Series. With great power comes great danger… When a freak accident leaves Katie Chandler with magical powers, it seems like a wish come true for the former magical immune. But it also means she’s vulnerable to magic, just when the dangerous Elf Lord is cooking up another scheme in his bid for power. Anyone who gets in his way disappears—including Katie and her wizard boyfriend, Owen Palmer. Now Katie’s under a spell that obscures her true identity, living a life right out of a romantic comedy movie in a Hollywood set version of New York. Will she be able to find her true Mr. Right in time to break the spell with a kiss and warn everyone, or will she be trapped forever, unaware of the doom facing her world?

My Thoughts:

Kiss and Spell opens with Katie exploring her newfound magical abilities and how they will affect her role at MSI. But before she even has a chance to take everything in and find a new routine, the whole world is turned upside down in many ways, and so much is happening. You don't get much time with this volume to get your bearings before everything goes off the rails, but it is in the best way.

Despite how much I have enjoyed the previous books, there has been a noticeable repetition. There are only so many times and so many ways to spin when powers bounce around, evil wizards interfere, and dates are disastrous. I was looking for and hoping for something fresh. Kiss and Spell absolutely delivered. Putting Katie and Owen in a new setting was genius. It was great seeing them interacting in a different way. I would read an entire book about AU coffeeshop bookstore Katie and Owen. No, seriously.

The stage set in this book allows for some great moments of humor, including plenty of spot on criticisms of romance movies. Which you wouldn't necessarily expect in a borderline romance novel. But it worked brilliantly. It also gives you an opportunity to better get to know some of the characters introduced in the last book - though, sadly you also don't get as much time with some favorites from previous books. 

While it was possibly the most out of this world (do you see what I did there?) storyline yet, it was also a most endearing one. Of  all of the Enchanted, Inc. books that I have read so far, Kiss and Spell is possibly my favorite. 

Parent's Guide:

This book is pretty easy to read and the story is fun. There is fighting, but it is almost all of the magical variety. This book is definitely teen friendly in complexity and entertainment value.

The Oz Counter:

One! It was a subtle one about 80% of the way into the book, but Katie herself identified it for the reference it was. 

(The Oz Counter is explained in the "Anatomy of a PBG Review" link at the top of the page.)