Slightly Spellbound
Read Slightly Spellbound Online
Authors: Kimberly Frost
PRAISE FOR
HALFWAY HEXED
“Another addition to Frost’s delightfully entertaining Southern Witch series . . . One hundred percent entertaining and satisfying . . . The romance really steams up and love takes hold. Sassy, sexy, and seriously fun.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“A brisk pace coupled with colorful characters and light humor makes this an enjoyable romp. Tammy’s inept use of magic, a cool ocelot familiar, and quick thinking under pressure carry her through astounding family revelations.”
—
Monsters and Critics
“Plenty of action . . . Pick up this series, you won’t be disappointed . . . If you are a fan of Sookie Stackhouse, then [the] Southern Witch series will fit right in with your reading.”
—
Once Upon a Twilight
“
Halfway Hexed
is a laugh-out-loud magical ride that I didn’t want to stop. There’s humor, romance, and action all rolled into a fun, entertaining read with great characters and an intriguing plot. I was hooked from the beginning and can’t wait for the next installment!”
—
TwoLips Reviews
BARELY BEWITCHED
“Frost’s latest Southern Witch novel has all the fun, fast, entertaining action readers have come to expect from her . . . Populated with fairies, goblins, vampires, wizards, rampant plants, and a few nasty-tempered humans thrown in for good measure, there’s no end to the things that can and do go hilariously wrong.”
—
Monsters and Critics
“What an amazing author! Kimberly Frost’s Southern Witch series is fated for great things.
Barely Bewitched
was full of romance [and] magical havoc, and goes from one wild scenario to another. I was definitely hooked all throughout the book and couldn’t put it down . . . I am definitely going to read Kimberly Frost’s next novel!”
—
Romance Junkies
“The author is on a roll with Tammy Jo. Book two has as much action as the first, if not more. Ms. Frost’s sharp wit and interesting characters propel the story to a satisfying end.”
—
A Romance Review
“Kimberly Frost’s Southern Witch series is destined for great things. Full of action, suspense, romance, and humor, this story had me hooked from the first page until the last.”
—
Huntress’ Book Reviews
“
Barely Bewitched
is filled with humor, sass, and sizzle! Every page is a new adventure in a world of hilarious antics and smoking chemistry. I love this series and I am really looking forward to the next Tammy Jo fiasco . . . I mean, story!”
—
TRRC Reading
“The amusing story line is fast paced . . . Fans will enjoy the escapades of Tammy Jo in this jocular urban fantasy.”
—
Genre Go Round Reviews
“Kimberly Frost can tell a tale like no other . . . A can’t-miss read.”
—
Fang-tastic Books
WOULD-BE WITCH
“Delivers a delicious buffet of supernatural creatures, served up Texas-style—hot, spicy, and with a bite!”
—Kerrelyn Sparks,
New York Times
bestselling author of
The Vampire with the Dragon Tattoo
“
Would-Be Witch
is an utter delight. Wickedly entertaining with a surprise on every page. Keeps you guessing until the end. Kimberly Frost is a talent to watch.”
—Annette Blair,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Tulle Death Do Us Part
“Kimberly Frost makes a delightful debut with
Would-Be Witch
. It’s witty, sexy, and wildly imaginative. Great fun to read. A terrific new series from a wonderful new author.”
—Nancy Pickard, Agatha Award–winning author of
The Scent of Rain and Lightning
“More magically delicious than Lucky Charms—Kimberly Frost’s
Would-Be Witch
is bewitchingly fantastic!”
—Dakota Cassidy, national bestselling author of the Accidental Werewolf novels
“A big, heaping helping of Southern-fried magical fun! If you like a lot of laughter with your paranormal fiction, you’ll love Frost’s series.”
—Alyssa Day,
New York Times
bestselling author of
The Cursed
“Hilarious start to the new Southern Witch series that will keep you laughing long into the night! . . . Ms. Frost is an author to watch for in the future.”
—
Fresh Fiction
“A wickedly funny romp . . . The story trips along at a perfect pace, keeping the reader guessing at the outcome, dropping clues here and there that might or might not pan out in the end. I highly recommend this debut and look forward with relish to the next installment in the Southern Witch series.”
—
Romance Junkies
“What a debut! This quirky Southern Witch tale of a magically uncoordinated witch with an appreciation of chocolate is likely to win over readers by the first page. Just when I think I need a break from the fantasy genre I read an author who reminds me why I fell in love with [it] in the first place.”
—A Romance Review
“One heck of a debut from Kimberly Frost . . . This is definitely an excellent read, and for a debut, it’s nothing less than fantastic . . . I sure don’t want to miss what further misadventures Tammy Jo becomes involved in.”
—ParaNormalRomance.org
“Delightful, witty, and full of sass, this new series promises mega action, comedy, and romance. With this first Southern Witch novel, Kimberly Frost has made a fan of me.
Not
to be missed!”
—
Huntress’ Book Reviews
Berkley titles by Kimberly Frost
Southern Witch Series
WOULD-BE WITCH
BARELY BEWITCHED
HALFWAY HEXED
SLIGHTLY SPELLBOUND
Novels of the Etherlin
ALL THAT BLEEDS
ALL THAT FALLS
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) LLC
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014
USA • Canada • UK • Ireland • Australia • New Zealand • India • South Africa • China
A Penguin Random House Company
SLIGHTLY SPELLBOUND
A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author
Copyright © 2014 by Kimberly Chambers.
Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.
Berkley Sensation Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group.
BERKLEY SENSATION® is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
The “B” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) LLC,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ISBN: 978-0-425-26754-7
eBook ISBN: 978-1-101-62185-1
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / May 2014
Cover art by Tony Mauro.
Cover design by Rita Frangie.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
CONTENTS
For my dad, Chris
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks to David Mohan, my friend and critique partner, for reading this book and giving me feedback. Also to my editor, Leis, whose insights were incredibly valuable. Thanks to the entire team at Berkley, especially the copy editor and art department whose wonderful work I’ve seen firsthand. I owe a debt of gratitude to my terrific agent Liz and the team at McIntosh and Otis for all the things they do on behalf of the books and my career. And finally, always, thank you to the readers of this series. Your emails, reviews, and support mean the world to me.
1
NO MATTER HOW many times people try to kill me, I never seem to get used to it. That goes for spying, too. I’m always startled to find a Peeping Tom . . . or Craig . . . or fire warlock creeping around. The thing is they’d better not let me catch them at it. I’m a redhead. I’m armed. And I don’t take kindly to interruptions when I’m trying out a new cake recipe.
I didn’t always have a hair-trigger temper, or a hair-trigger weapon tucked in the top kitchen drawer behind the salad tongs, but a couple of months ago, my life changed.
My name is Tamara Josephine Trask, Tammy Jo to most of my friends. I’m twenty-three years old, and I’m a witch. Or I should say I come from a long line of witches. Until recently, I thought the family magic skipped over me. It turns out that I actually got a double helping of magic and that my two types of magic, like the creatures they come from—witch and faery—don’t get along. It might have stayed that way, with the two magicks canceling each other out, if I hadn’t had a close encounter with a wizard named Bryn whose own magical heritage is also mixed. From the moment my magic met his, it was trouble for us and anyone within a twenty-mile radius.