Two rival apprentice sorcerers must team up to save their teachers and protect their own magic in this lively young adult romantic adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of In Deeper Waters and So This Is Ever After.

Edison Rooker isn’t sure what to expect when he enters the office of Antonia Hex, the powerful sorceress who runs a call center for magical emergencies. He doesn’t have much experience with hexes or curses. Heck, he doesn’t even have magic. But he does have a plan—to regain the access to the magical world he lost when his grandmother passed.

Antonia is…intimidating, but she gives him a job and a new name—Rook—both of which he’s happy to accept. Now all Rook has to do is keep his Spell Binder, an illegal magical detection device, hidden from the Magical Consortium. And contend with Sun, the grumpy and annoyingly cute apprentice to Antonia’s rival colleague, Fable. But dealing with competition isn’t so bad; as Sun seems to pop up more and more, and Rook minds less and less.

But when the Consortium gets wind of Rook’s Spell Binder, they come for Antonia. All alone, Rook runs to the only other magical person he knows: Sun. Except Fable has also been attacked, and now Rook and Sun have no choice but to work together to get their mentors back…or face losing their magic forever.

I read So This Is Ever After by this author last year and laughed my way through it – I adored those characters. When I saw their new title on NetGalley, I immediately requested it.

My heart went out to Rook. Declared nonmagical, he lost access to the magical world when his grandmother passed away, and he was cast out of the only home he’d ever known by the Consortium. With no other family or friends to speak of, he’s lived alone for the past year and is desperately lonely. The day after he graduates high school, he pleads with powerful sorceress Antonia Hex to give him a job. At least he’ll be on the fringes of the magical world he misses so dreadfully. Antonia may be intimidating, but underneath – way deep down – lies a squishy heart, and she hires him.

Both main characters are polar opposites – which made them perfect for each other. Rook is full of sunshine, friendly, and wears his heart on his sleeve. Sun prefers all black clothing, shuns people in general, and is kind of prickly. Watching the two of them awkwardly stumble into a relationship brings moments of amusement, sadness, and hope – all kinds of cinnamon roll goodness. I also enjoyed the occasionally combative, mutually respectful, and sometimes friendly relationship between Antonia and Fable. They make a good team.

At its core, Spell Bound is about finding your family and your place in this world. It’s full of endearing characters, hexes and curses, a frenemies-to-lovers trope, rival sorcerers (but maybe really friends), a spelled coat rack named Herb, and battles against inequality. A feel good read I highly recommend!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.