Glamour by Andrea Janes
Published by World Weaver Press
Published on: March 12, 2014
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 219
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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Stealing the life she's always wanted is as easy as casting a spell.
Townie. That's what eighteen-year-old Christina Sundy is. All year round she lives in a one-stoplight town on Cape Cod, and when summer comes, she spends her days scooping ice cream for the rich tourists she hates. So when one of them takes a job in the ice cream shop alongside her, she's pissed. Why does a blonde and perky Harvard-bound rich girl like Reese Manning want to scoop ice cream anyway?
Something else weird is happening to Christina: tiny blue sparks seem to be shooting off her fingers. It isn't long before she realizes the truth about herself—she's actually a powerful hereditary witch. But her newfound powers are too intense for her to handle and, in a moment of rage, she accidentally zaps Reese into another dimension.
So that no one will notice that the rich girl has disappeared, Christina casts a disguising spell, or "glamour," and lives Reese's life while she tries to find a retrieval spell. But as the retrieval spell proves harder than anticipated, and as she goes about living Reese's life without anyone on the outside noticing the switch, Christina realizes that there's nothing to stop her from making the glamour permanent... except, of course, her fellow witches, a 16th century demon, and, just maybe, her own conscience.
This edition contains a Reading Group Supplement with questions for discussion and a conversation with Andrea Janes
I did something really strange the other day. I actually had the chance to read something from my huge TBR pile. I just paged back in my Kindle, and picked one. Turns out it had been there since August, and I actually have no memory of buying it, you know, cause of that one click thing. I ended up having a really good time reading this book, and decided to review it.
If you like witch books, especially witch books about someone that has no idea that they are a witch, then you might really like this one. Christina is eighteen, and a townie in a resort town on Cape Cod. She’s in a dead end job, working at a ice cream store, Scoops, and has no idea what she is going to do with herself now that high school is over. She’s got self confidence issues, is very defensive with everyone, and has no friends her own age, except for a loser, cheating, boyfriend. Reese has it all, she’s a beauty, is thin, rich, and getting ready to go to Harvard. She’s everything Christina isn’t, but for some reason comes to work at Scoops, and befriends Christina. This also coincides with Christina manifesting blue sparks out of her fingertips, and causing some pretty bad storms. She only tells Reese, even though her close friend Bridget, owner of Scoops, and her late mother’s friend, should have been her first choice. The two girls start playing around with spells. Something bad happens, and Reese gets knocked into another world. This is the story about what happens to Christina when she decides to use glamour to take over Reese’s life until she can find a way to get her back.
I mostly really liked the character of Christina. She’s full of sarcasm, which I like, but at times, she started to make some really bad decisions, and I started to not like her. But that’s kind of when life lessons came into play-usually a good thing. Bridget was an interesting character as well, and probably my other favorite in the story. I think that’s because she’s a good person, one that looks for the good in people, even when they are doing wrong. As Christina’s surrogate mom, she excelled in that. Reese wasn’t in the story as much, but is the catalyst for most of what happens, so was very necessary to the story. Matt, a young man working at Scoops, was a good person as well, and one that could see the good in Christina. He only has a small but pivital role in the story, and it mattered. There is of course a villain in this story. I don’t want to say any more than that because of spoilers.
Will Christina manage to get Reese back, or will she take over Reese’s life completely? That’s the question here. Is there even a way to get Reese back, is another question to be answered. Along the way are some surprises, and actually some life altering moments for Christina. There’s other witches, both good and bad, and even a demon. I thought this book was well thought out, and executed by the author, and read it really quickly. I don’t know if it’s going to be a series, but it certainly could be, and if it becomes one, I will definitely be reading it.
I’m Lorna and I live in Maryland. Since retiring, I spend my time mostly reading and reviewing books. My favorite reads are Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, and Young Adult. I read a lot of indie books in addition to traditionally published books. Favorite paranormal creature? Vampires, but I am really liking werewolves more everyday.
It sounds like Christina might be an acquired taste. I know her, being one that’s full of hang-ups about herself will probably drive me nuts. As well, why do I get the feeling that this is relatively free of romance?
Joy (Joyousreads) recently posted…[444]: Mean Streak by Sandra Brown
While Christina did have hangups, they didn’t take over the book or anything. It was just the explanation for why she was afraid to show people that she really wasn’t a bad person. Matt was really the love interest here, but not anything serious. So no this wasn’t a romance 🙂
Lorna recently posted…Review: Glamour by Andrea Janes
this oen seems like a book to give lessons in a one way ( read and then discuss it after) not a bad thing at all but i’m bnot sure i would like christina from the blurb. ( now from your review i’m quite sure i would love Bridget^^)
we do find good book in our pile or in shop sometimes when we are the less expecting it^^
miki recently posted…Captured (Fallen Siren 0.5) by SJ Harper
Yes I really liked Bridget in this book, but also liked Christina as a character too. She had bad moments, but made good choices in the end 🙂
I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I have bought a book and then promptly forgot about it. That one click button can be evil!
I love a good witchy read. I think I will be adding this to my pile as well. 😉
kindlemom1 recently posted…Mini Review: Not in the Script by Amy Finnegan
I think you may like it as well 🙂 And you are right, the one click button can be evil!
Lorna recently posted…Review: Glamour by Andrea Janes
Glad you enjoyed the book and I enjoyed your review. I do like witches and Cape Cod. The ice cream shop makes me think of the Brewster Store and their ice cream shop in Brewster. I wonder if the author goes there. ^_^
sherry fundin recently posted…This Is Halloween
Thanks! I have never been to the Cape Cod area but have always wanted to go 🙂
Lorna recently posted…Review: Glamour by Andrea Janes
Sounds like a good book for those who like those types of books. I’m sure it’s easy to add a bunch of books to the Kindle and not be able to get through them all anytime soon. I still have a couple on mine.
Mary Kirkland recently posted…Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Fingers
I probably have over 200 I haven’t read yet 🙂 Actually probably a lot more then that!
Lorna recently posted…Review: Glamour by Andrea Janes
Ah, those TBR books that have been there for a while…I can never remember them! But I keep them there because I want to read them. Ebooks are the WORST, because I don’t see the covers or the physical copy staring at me, guilting me to read faster.
Mary recently posted…Top Off Tuesday: Beauty and the Geek Style
Yes, and the ones I have started, and mean to get back to, but got sidetracked-have bunches of them too 🙂
I’m so guilty of buying Kindle books then forgetting I did. The premise of this book sounds interesting, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t like the main character. I like that there’s a villain too and it’s not all about the swap. I’ll have to keep an eye out for this one. Nice review. 🙂
Molly Mortensen recently posted…Top 10 most read authors!
I really didn’t mean to make people not like the main character-I think I liked her because she wasn’t cookie cutter. She is flawed, young, and learns some life lessons for sure. She has reasons for being the way she is 🙂
Witch books tend to be hit or miss for me but this sounds wonderful and I think I’d really like Christina. It has an amazing cover!
A great review Lorna.
Sharon – Obsession with Books recently posted…Review: Scratch by Rhonda Helms
Thank you! Yes, I thought the cover was really different too. If you try it, I hope you like it as much as I did 🙂
Lorna recently posted…Review: Glamour by Andrea Janes
I do like witch books but like Sharon I think they are a hit or miss thing for me. It’s rare to really find one that I like, although there’s been some great ones lately! It sounds like this was a really great discovery for you Lorna. Fantastic review!
Jeann recently posted…Movie & Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
I thought it was a fun read 🙂 Thanks!
Lorna recently posted…Review: Glamour by Andrea Janes
It’s awesome when a randomly chosen read turns out to be something you really enjoy!
Nicole recently posted…Sunday Post & Giveaways Galore – 10/19/14
Yep, that is the fun part of having a Kindle full of unread books!
This sounds pretty good, Lorna. It’s always a treat to find a book – that you don’t recall one-clicking – and it be such a pleasure to read. I’m very curious about how Christina handles being Reese and how hard she tries to get her back. 😉
Bookworm Brandee recently posted…**OctobeRec Fest Review #3 ~ Kissed by a Dark Prince ~ Felicity Heaton**
Yes, the Reese disappearing thing was pretty major 🙂 and I really did enjoy the read.
Lorna recently posted…Review: Glamour by Andrea Janes