While I loved the idea behind this book it didn’t quite work for me.

For a book about a magic spell I found this book very unrealistic. The main character Gemma goes from breaking into Dax’s store and making him believe she is stalking him to being in love 2 weeks later. I find it hard to believe someone can just brush stalking off as she has a bad day. I found some of the book never really followed up with some things. Gemma woke up the morning after the spell worked in a strangers bed and it was just never spoken of again. I thought for sure Kiersten’s big secret would have been that her husband Trent didn’t exist because he seemed to never be around.

That being said I really did enjoy the Canadianess of this book. I’ve never read a book where the characters curled and I really loved that detail.

I think Dougie was my favorite character and I would have loved to go to a party at his house.

I enjoyed this book a lot! It was a beautiful love story and enjoyed watching both the MFC and MMC grow!

Thank you so much to Netgalley for the advance copy of This Spells Love. I adore books with a touch of magic in them, so this story really appealed to me. I also love that it was set locally to where I live, so I recognized many of the locations! That was a lot of fun.

I liked this book even more than expected. I feel like so many books these days are instalove and this one was very, recognize what you have in front of you. And the relationship with her sister and aunt and the side characters seemed real and honest and not an idea of what those relationships should be like. The side characters had their own grit. I just really enjoyed this book. And appreciate the ARC!!

A perfectly witchy fall romance novel. This book was everything I needed last fall and so much more. I can’t wait to pick up more books by this author in the future.

This was an excellent spicy rom-com! It had the model friends-to-lovers trope. I thought it was unique that it was set in Canada, and that the characters maybe had a bit of that stereotypical Canadian nice-ness. In a good way. There was a good balance between character growth and romance. The spice level was pretty high, so reader be warned (or recommended, depending on your preferences, LOL). I enjoyed this quite a bit.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This cute witchy romance stole my heart as I flew through this in one day. This book follows Gemma when her relationship falls apart causing her one night to try a fun spell to get rid of her ex. Instead Gemma wakes up in an alternate reality where Gemma and her best friend Dax had never met. Trying to find her way home Gemma determines she has to redo the ritual including a kiss from Dax.

I really enjoyed this book it had the cozy vibes but some great spicy scenes as well. This felt a little more like a romance than some of the other cozy witch books but I really enjoyed it. I thought the concept of this book was so good it did really good job blending sci-fi and romance. I hope to read more from this author on the future. I would like to thank net valley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Gemma with a G thought she had it all, the bff, the boyfriend, and a great job. She quickly finds out that her life is shattering and j crew obsessed Stewart is out of the picture. She goes to her crazy aunts house and does a silly magic ritual to get rid of the break up blues. This launches her into an alternate universe where she doesn’t have her BFF, Dax, anymore. She is the proud owner of a thriving business but nothing is what it seems. The beautiful family relationships were fantastic, but also how the unexpected things changed her life. The book has a lot of questions of friends to lovers,and how our lives are a string from small choices. There are gratitude vibes, and a lot of lessons to learn.

What I loved: super fun story exploring the what ifs of life, love magic without it being MAGIC, the end was really perfect, gave me goosebumps, the curling 🥌

What I disliked:
Alternate universe Dax broke my heart, truly shattered. The middle around 40-60% felt slow and like we were drawing out a resolution but then the story twisted back in the right direction

4.5/5 stars 1.5 spice level

Gemma just got out of a 4 year relationship with the man she thought she was going to marry. She’s struggling to get over it, but her kooky Aunt Livi suggests they try this “love cleanse” spell she saw in one of the books in her bookstore. They perform the spell but don't think it worked until Gemma wakes up the next day in a bed that isn’t hers. She tries to go to her apartment, but that’s not hers either. She goes to her best friend, Dax, to figure out what’s going on, but turns out he doesn’t know who Gemma is! Somehow, the spell sent Gemma to a parallel universe where she never dated her ex, but in this timeline she’s also not friends with Dax. Gemma wants to return to her normal timeline, but needs Dax to help with the spell again. As she tries to rebuild their friendship, she finds she has feelings that run deeper. As the time to perform the spell draws nearer, Gemma isn’t even sure if she wants her old life back or if she prefers this new one she’s formed with Dax.

At first I was unsure about this book (Gemma spends a weird amount of time pantless in the beginning than I’m comfortable with), but by the time she woke up in a parallel universe I was hooked. It was so fun to read about how Gemma was going to salvage her friendship with Dax considering the absurdly awkward first encounter they have in this new timeline. The conflict was also expertly crafted. Anytime something good happened it followed with something bad, making this an easily bingeable read and keeps you guessing what’s going to happen next. I mean… ugh what is there not to love about this? It’s funny, romantic, shocking, PERFECTION. I literally read every word of the Acknowledgements because I wasn’t ready for it to be over, and even that was written really well! I had tears in my eyes because I was upset that the book ended… I don’t even cry during sad books, yall. Suffice to say, it's the first book in a while to join my 6 Star read club and I absolutely cannot wait to see what else this author comes out with.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoy romances with a fantastical twist and this one was near perfection to read. In the midst of getting over a 4 year long relationship, Gemma casts a margarita induced wish that she never dated her ex-boyfriend. When she wakes up the next morning, Gemma finds herself in alternate reality where her wish came true, except more has changed than she hoped for. In this reality, she never met her best friend end Dax. In an attempt to return to her true reality, Gemma must befriend Dax to reverse her wish, but instead realizes she might’ve been overlooking the one person who has been there for her all along.

This was an absolutely fresh twist on the friends-to-lovers romance trope in which our main characters get to re-know each other, building a strong connection that lapses universes. We explore ambitions, what could’ve been, familial relationships, and of course what it means to love someone. It’s funny, a little meta, and a unique addition to the genre. I especially enjoyed the subversion of the jealous other women trap that can writers can easily fall into.

This novel was almost perfect, except there was a selfishness to Gemma that was never fully addressed. Despite this, it was a very enjoyable read from beginning to the very satisfying end.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from NetGalley

A fun romance read that deals with those pesky what ifs. What if a character made different choices instead of ones that led them into their current predicament? What would happen if they gave into what they really wanted the first time? I loved that the focus wasn't entirely on the romantic relationships in Gemma's life but also her relationship with her sister and her aunt and it felt as important as Gemma's relationship with Dax. I loved the small things that slowly started to grow wrong grow into a big thing that pushed her to make a selfless choice but that she still got what she wanted in the end. A very satisfying conclusion.

Gemma, heartbroken, is drunk enough to try a "spell" out of an old book at her aunt's bookstore. The final step in the spell is to seal it with a kiss. She kisses her best friend Dax and wakes up in an alternate reality where they don't know each other. In order to find her way back, she must befriend him. While becoming his friend, she realizes he has more feelings for her and she just may have more for him.
Opinion
This book sparked so many thoughts about parallel times. It was fascinating in the way that Back to the Future provided 80s kids with a different reality.
I also loved how well defined the characters were. When she jumped to the new reality and Dax was the same yet different, it was hard to adjust to his personality (in a good way.) Robb did a great job with both the universes and characters.
I think what I loved most was the best friends to lovers trope. It was done so well and the final scenes were quite touching.
Many thanks to Net Galley and to Random House Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I truly adored this story. Kate Robb's telling of a woman just trying to repair a broken heart and in turn upending her entire life was a lovely journey.

Much of the premise reminds me of Run, Lola, Run and Sliding Doors in the idea that one moment or decision can completely change the direction of your life, but also brings about the ideas that What's Meant to Be Will Always Find a Way.

I loved seeing the FMC wake up to find that her world had been shifted to one that focused on her and her life/business goals instead of her relationship and then using the information she had to try to build relationships with the people in her life from the floor up with new experiences to learn and grow from.

I hope to read much more from Kate Robb in the future.

This book was okay, but it didn’t really do anything for me. I was so let down by the magical realism and while I usually love friends to lovers it didn’t do anything for me this time.

Thank you Kate Robb, NetGalley, and Dial Press Trade Paperback for the e-arc of This Spells Love. This was such a fun and well written first book by Kate Robb and I'll definitely read more of her books.

Gemma, the FMC, is heartbroken when her longterm boyfriend breaks up with her. Trying to erase him from her memory, Gemma completes a "love cleanse" spell with her aunt, sister, and best friend Dax. At first it seems like nothing happened, but when she wakes up the next morning she is in an unfamiliar bed next to an unfamiliar man. Then she returns to an unfamiliar home and job. And the worst part of it all is that her best friend is no longer her best friend -- in fact he has no idea who she is.

The longer Gemma spends in this new reality, the more she realizes that maybe Dax is The One for her, not her ex. But this new reality is also vastly different than her old one -- her life is not the same at all, Dax's business of custom shoes isn't thriving like before, and Gemma's sister isn't the same happy stay at home mom she saw her as. As Gemma falls hard for Dax (and he falls for her just as hard) she has to decide whether or not to stay in this alternate reality, or reverse the spell, return to her original reality, and take a chance that Dax might be in love with her in both realities.

Funnily enough, this was my second alternate timeline/parallel universe book I read in a week (the other one being The Good Part by Sophie Cousens) and I really enjoyed it. Gemma, and Dax, were both lovable MCs that had me rooting for them the entire time. I loved reading Gemma's train of thought as she decided if she was going to stay or leave -- it gets me thinking of what I would do if I was in her place.

This Spells Love is perfect for anyone who loves a little bit of magic mixed in with their romance!

4/5 stars
2.5/5 spice

This book pulls on the heart strings in the best way. Dax and Gemma make me wanna kick me feet and giggle and hug my kindle to my chest. I loved the subtle magic (aside from the spell) to the book and the idea that Aunt Livi always knew what was going on. The sisters relationship also was a layer of goodness I didn’t expect. The personal growth of Gemma was very much needed in this book and when it happened it felt like genuine growth instead of half thought out growth for the sake of the plot. A definite must read for witchy rom com lovers even if the magic is very small.

The first time I started reading this book, I wasn't really in the mood and I wasn't sure if it was a book I wanted to read afterall. I held on to it though, and gave it a go about a month later. I'm soooo glad I gave it another chance because I ended up loving it!

The plot was such a cute concept and I really enjoyed how the author played it out. I definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy contemporary romcom books with a bit of magic!

I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in one day! Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Robb, and Random House Publishing Group-Dial Press, for an advanced reader copy of “This Spells Love”.

Gemma and Dax are best friends and have been so for four years, since the night she met both him and her recently ex-boyfriend, Stuart. In her misery, and over some margaritas, her aunt, sister and she cast a spell to forget the night she met Stuart. But oops, she wakes up the next morning in an alternate timeline where Dax has never met her and she misses him deeply.

I loved this so much!!! So cute, and I loved Gemma and Dax! I love the friends to lovers trope, and I loved the little magical twist in this! It put such a fun spin on the story, and made it have such a fun mix with a Groundhog Day style. Gemma is so relatable with not wanting to make risky decisions for herself, and I loved how much she grew from the safety and security of what is known, into taking more chances and risks. Dax is the best! In both timelines he is such a cinnamon roll of a guy! I wish there was a little more about the magic and how/why it worked with Gemma’s aunt, but not knowing more didn’t detract from the story at all. I definitely recommend this for a heartwarming read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This Spells Love by Kate Robb is a book that in reading I felt the emotions of the main characters deeply. I was so into the story and truly enjoyed every second, it was fun, sweet, cute, and charming. This book could make the cutest rom-com movie, I would love to see Gemma and Dax 'come to life'. It is the story of Gemma, dumped by her boyfriend, and Dax, her best friend. To help Gemma get over her ex, her aunt, sister, and Dax assist her with a spell that goes awry. Gemma wakes up to find she is living in an alternate reality where her best friend doesn't even know she exists so she works to create a friendship with him. But, to go back to her old life, she has to convince him to kiss her during the next ideal moon phase. The problem is, she gets pretty comfy in this new life and isn't so sure she wants to go back because going back also means a new relationship she's cultivated won't exist. This book was hard to put down, I would highly recommend it if you love stories that enchant.